[RFC PATCH v2] Allow applets to be implemented as scripts

[Tito]

On 07/11/18 08:42, Ron Yorston wrote:
> Kang-Che Sung wrote:
>> Let no script applets individually configurable in menuconfig. Let users
>> resolve the dependencies of whatever they put in applets_sh.
> 
> My view is that if script applets are provided as part of BusyBox they
> should have all the features of native applets, including the usual
> configuration facilities.
> 
> The 'embed' directory is available for user-provided scripts.  These
> don't get the same level of support and it's up to the user to ensure
> their dependencies are met.
> 
>> In my opinion, if we were to resolve script applets' dependencies in
>> menuconfig, then the applets should have a potential to be re-implemented
>> with C, with libbb, which would reduce dependencies on other applets.
> 
> Allowing for alternative implementations of applets, script or native, is
> another issue.  It would certainly make configuration more complex if
> users were allowed this choice.
> 
> Ron

Hi,

this embedded scripts patch looks like "featuritis" at its best to me.
It is adding complexity for solving what problem exactly:
avoiding to copy the scripts manually to the new system or to
the new firmware image?
Is it some kind of installer? and why not add also an embed
binaries dir or an embed libs dir?
The complexity added to the config system and to bb's common app init
code seems not worth it.
By the way I'm old enough to remember the first one-floppy
linux distros like mulinux and others where everything was
a script, but nowadays all of them use mostly busybox
or similar compiled software (e.g. toybox) so it seems to
me that compiled software must have some evolutionary advantage.
Now you even want to track dependencies or allow alternative
implementations...
One side effect I fear will derive from this patch is that
users which would be capable of sending patches for bugs
they find in bb will resort to simply scrap the applet and add
an embedded script as it is faster.
I'm against this feature and to be honest also against the previous
patches:

allow shell scripts to be embedded in the binary
allow a profile script to be embedded in the binary

as they do add non standard stuff to bb.
Luckily I'm not the maintainer and I don't need to decide
what goes in and what not.
I hope that this can contribute to the discussion.
Best regards and keep up the good work.

Ciao,
Tito