Integration with build systems written in Python

Besides the build systems commonly used by Python packages there are a few build systems written in Python and requiring the packages to script them in Python. This makes it necessary to use a proper Python eclass in order to declare their compatibility with Python versions.

Meson

Meson build system is a fairly recent addition. While it is written in Python, its scripts use a custom Python-agnostic script language. Hence, it can be treated as an arbitrary external tool and does not need any Python eclass.

SCons

SCons has gained Python 3 support quite recently. At the same time, many old script files were written for Python 2 and fail when run via Python 3 SCons. For this reason, it is necessary to use Python eclass when using SCons.

In the simplest case when the package has no other use for Python, it is sufficient to declare PYTHON_COMPAT for the SCons scripts in the package, and inherit python-any-r1 prior to scons-utils (this happens naturally when you sort includes by eclass name). The latter eclass takes care of setting as much as possible.

If the package has other Python components, it is necessary to account for them and use an appropriate eclass as detailed in the eclass choice chapter.

Build-time use with no extra dependencies

If the package either has no other Python components than SCons, or all of them are purely build-time and have no dependencies, it is sufficient to inherit python-any-r1. The eclass takes care of setting BDEPEND along with matching python_check_deps().

 # Copyright 1999-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2

 EAPI=7

 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python3_{10..13} )
 inherit python-any-r1 scons-utils toolchain-funcs

 COMMIT="6e5e8a57628095d8d0c8bbb38187afb0f3a42112"
 DESCRIPTION="Userspace Xbox 360 Controller driver"
 HOMEPAGE="https://xboxdrv.gitlab.io"
 SRC_URI="https://github.com/chewi/xboxdrv/archive/${COMMIT}.tar.gz -> ${P}.tar.gz"
 S="${WORKDIR}/${PN}-${COMMIT}"

 LICENSE="GPL-3"
 SLOT="0"
 KEYWORDS="~amd64 ~x86"

 RDEPEND="
     dev-libs/boost:=
     dev-libs/dbus-glib
     dev-libs/glib:2
     sys-apps/dbus
     virtual/libudev:=
     virtual/libusb:1
     x11-libs/libX11
 "

 DEPEND="
     ${RDEPEND}
 "

 BDEPEND="
     dev-util/glib-utils
     virtual/pkgconfig
 "

 src_compile() {
     escons \
         BUILD=custom \
         CXX="$(tc-getCXX)" \
         AR="$(tc-getAR)" \
         RANLIB="$(tc-getRANLIB)" \
         CXXFLAGS="-Wall ${CXXFLAGS}" \
         LINKFLAGS="${LDFLAGS}"
 }

 src_install() {
     dobin xboxdrv
     doman doc/xboxdrv.1
     dodoc AUTHORS NEWS PROTOCOL README.md TODO
 }

Build-time use with extra dependencies

If the package has extra dependencies, you need to take care of all dependencies yourself. This is because python_gen_any_dep cannot be combined.

 # Copyright 1999-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2

 EAPI=7

 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python3_{10..13} )
 inherit python-any-r1 scons-utils toolchain-funcs

 MY_P=${PN}-src-r${PV/_rc/-rc}
 DESCRIPTION="A high-performance, open source, schema-free document-oriented database"
 HOMEPAGE="https://www.mongodb.com"
 SRC_URI="https://fastdl.mongodb.org/src/${MY_P}.tar.gz"
 S="${WORKDIR}/${MY_P}"

 LICENSE="Apache-2.0 SSPL-1"
 SLOT="0"
 KEYWORDS="~amd64"
 IUSE="test +tools"
 RESTRICT="!test? ( test )"

 RDEPEND="acct-group/mongodb
     acct-user/mongodb
     >=app-arch/snappy-1.1.3
     >=dev-cpp/yaml-cpp-0.6.2:=
     >=dev-libs/boost-1.70:=[threads(+)]
     >=dev-libs/libpcre-8.42[cxx]
     app-arch/zstd
     dev-libs/snowball-stemmer
     net-libs/libpcap
     >=sys-libs/zlib-1.2.11:="
 DEPEND="${RDEPEND}
     ${PYTHON_DEPS}
     $(python_gen_any_dep '
         test? ( dev-python/pymongo[${PYTHON_USEDEP}] )
         >=dev-util/scons-2.5.0[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         dev-python/cheetah3[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         dev-python/psutil[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         dev-python/pyyaml[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         virtual/python-typing[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
     ')
     sys-libs/ncurses:0=
     sys-libs/readline:0="
 PDEPEND="tools? ( >=app-admin/mongo-tools-${PV} )"

 python_check_deps() {
     if use test; then
         python_has_version "dev-python/pymongo[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]" ||
             return 1
     fi

     python_has_version ">=dev-util/scons-2.5.0[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]" &&
     python_has_version "dev-python/cheetah3[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]" &&
     python_has_version "dev-python/psutil[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]" &&
     python_has_version "dev-python/pyyaml[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]" &&
     python_has_version "virtual/python-typing[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]"
 }

 src_configure() {
     scons_opts=(
         CC="$(tc-getCC)"
         CXX="$(tc-getCXX)"

         --disable-warnings-as-errors
         --use-system-boost
         --use-system-pcre
         --use-system-snappy
         --use-system-stemmer
         --use-system-yaml
         --use-system-zlib
         --use-system-zstd
     )

     default
 }

 src_compile() {
     escons "${scons_opts[@]}" core tools
 }

 src_test() {
     "${EPYTHON}" ./buildscripts/resmoke.py --dbpathPrefix=test \
         --suites core --jobs=$(makeopts_jobs) || die "Tests failed"
 }

 src_install() {
     escons "${scons_opts[@]}" --nostrip install --prefix="${ED}"/usr
 }

Single-impl package

If the package needs to install some Python components, and single-impl install is appropriate, you need to combine python-single-r1 with scons-utils. In this case, the eclass takes care of everything needed for SCons, and you take care of everything needed for your package.

 # Copyright 1999-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2

 EAPI=5

 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python2_7 )
 inherit eutils python-single-r1 scons-utils toolchain-funcs

 DESCRIPTION="Molecular dynamics by NMR data analysis"
 HOMEPAGE="https://www.nmr-relax.com/"
 SRC_URI="http://download.gna.org/relax/${P}.src.tar.bz2"

 SLOT="0"
 LICENSE="GPL-2"
 KEYWORDS="~amd64 ~x86 ~amd64-linux ~x86-linux"
 IUSE="test"
 RESTRICT="!test? ( test )"
 REQUIRED_USE="${PYTHON_REQUIRED_USE}"

 RDEPEND="
     ${PYTHON_DEPS}
     $(python_gen_cond_dep "
         dev-python/Numdifftools[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         || (
             dev-python/matplotlib-python2[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
             dev-python/matplotlib[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         )
         || (
             dev-python/numpy-python2[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
             dev-python/numpy[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         )
         dev-python/wxpython:${WX_GTK_VER}[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         sci-chemistry/pymol[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         >=sci-libs/bmrblib-1.0.3[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         >=sci-libs/minfx-1.0.11[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         || (
             sci-libs/scipy-python2[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
             sci-libs/scipy[\${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         )
     ")
     sci-chemistry/molmol
     sci-chemistry/vmd
     sci-visualization/grace
     sci-visualization/opendx"
 DEPEND="${RDEPEND}
     media-gfx/pngcrush
     test? ( ${RDEPEND} )
     "

 src_compile() {
     tc-export CC
     escons
 }

 src_install() {
     python_moduleinto ${PN}
     python_domodule *

     make_wrapper ${PN}-nmr "${EPYTHON} $(python_get_sitedir)/${PN}/${PN}.py $@"
 }

Single-impl package with conditional Python install

If the runtime part of the package uses Python only conditionally, the use is similar to a package with unconditional build-time and conditional runtime dependency on Python. That is, build-time dependencies, REQUIRED_USE and pkg_setup must be called unconditionally.

 # Copyright 1999-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2

 EAPI=7

 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python3_{10..13} )

 FORTRAN_NEEDED=fortran
 FORTRAN_STANDARD=90

 inherit python-single-r1 scons-utils toolchain-funcs

 DESCRIPTION="Object-oriented tool suite for chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and transport"
 HOMEPAGE="https://www.cantera.org"
 SRC_URI="https://github.com/Cantera/${PN}/archive/v${PV}.tar.gz -> ${P}.tar.gz"

 LICENSE="BSD"
 SLOT="0"
 KEYWORDS="amd64 ~x86"
 IUSE="fortran pch +python"

 REQUIRED_USE="
     ${PYTHON_REQUIRED_USE}
 "

 RDEPEND="
     python? (
         ${PYTHON_DEPS}
         $(python_gen_cond_dep '
             dev-python/numpy[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         ')
     )
     <sci-libs/sundials-5.1.0:0=
 "

 DEPEND="
     ${RDEPEND}
     dev-cpp/eigen:3
     dev-libs/boost
     dev-libs/libfmt
     python? (
         $(python_gen_cond_dep '
             dev-python/cython[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         ')
     )
 "

 pkg_setup() {
     fortran-2_pkg_setup
     python-single-r1_pkg_setup
 }

 src_configure() {
     scons_vars=(
         CC="$(tc-getCC)"
         CXX="$(tc-getCXX)"
         cc_flags="${CXXFLAGS}"
         cxx_flags="-std=c++11"
         debug="no"
         FORTRAN="$(tc-getFC)"
         FORTRANFLAGS="${CXXFLAGS}"
         optimize_flags="-Wno-inline"
         renamed_shared_libraries="no"
         use_pch=$(usex pch)
         system_fmt="y"
         system_sundials="y"
         system_eigen="y"
         env_vars="all"
         extra_inc_dirs="/usr/include/eigen3"
     )

     scons_targets=(
         f90_interface=$(usex fortran y n)
         python2_package="none"
     )

     if use python ; then
         scons_targets+=( python3_package="full" python3_cmd="${EPYTHON}" )
     else
         scons_targets+=( python3_package="none" )
     fi
 }

 src_compile() {
     escons build "${scons_vars[@]}" "${scons_targets[@]}" prefix="/usr"
 }

 src_test() {
     escons test
 }

 src_install() {
     escons install stage_dir="${D}" libdirname="$(get_libdir)"
     python_optimize
 }

Pure Python multi-impl package

When you are dealing with a pure Python package using SCons, it makes sense to use plain python-r1 API. This means that SCons is going to be called from a python_foreach_impl loop only.

 # Copyright 1999-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2

 EAPI=7

 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python2_7 )
 inherit fortran-2 python-r1 scons-utils toolchain-funcs

 DESCRIPTION="Automated pipeline for performing Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatics calculations"
 HOMEPAGE="https://www.poissonboltzmann.org/"
 SRC_URI="https://github.com/Electrostatics/apbs-${PN}/releases/download/${P}/${PN}-src-${PV}.tar.gz"

 SLOT="0"
 LICENSE="BSD"
 KEYWORDS="amd64 x86 ~amd64-linux ~x86-linux"
 IUSE="opal"
 REQUIRED_USE="${PYTHON_REQUIRED_USE}"

 RDEPEND="${PYTHON_DEPS}
     || (
         dev-python/numpy-python2[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
         dev-python/numpy[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
     )
     sci-chemistry/openbabel-python[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]
     opal? ( dev-python/zsi[${PYTHON_USEDEP}] )
     "
 DEPEND="${RDEPEND}
     dev-lang/swig:0
     dev-util/scons[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]"

 src_prepare() {
     find -type f \( -name "*.pyc" -o -name "*.pyo" \) -delete || die

     eapply "${PATCHES[@]}"
     eapply_user
     rm -rf scons || die

     python_copy_sources
 }

 python_configure() {
     tc-export CXX
     cat > "${BUILD_DIR}"/build_config.py <<-EOF || die
         PREFIX="${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)/${PN}"
         APBS="${EPREFIX}/usr/bin/apbs"
         MAX_ATOMS=10000
         BUILD_PDB2PKA=False
         REBUILD_SWIG=True
     EOF
 }

 src_configure() {
     python_foreach_impl python_configure
 }

 src_compile() {
     python_foreach_impl run_in_build_dir escons
 }

 python_install() {
     cd "${BUILD_DIR}" || die
     escons install
     python_optimize
 }

 src_install() {
     python_foreach_impl python_install
 }

Hybrid python-r1 + SCons package

Finally, let’s consider a package that uses SCons as a build system and installs Python components independently of it. This could be e.g. a C/C++ program with separate Python bindings.

Let’s presume that the Python bindings need to be installed manually, and they support a wider target range than the build system. In this case, the any-r1 API is recommended.

 # Copyright 1999-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2

 EAPI=7

 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python2_7 python3_6 )
 inherit python-r1 scons-utils toolchain-funcs

 DESCRIPTION="GPS daemon and library for USB/serial GPS devices and GPS/mapping clients"
 HOMEPAGE="https://gpsd.gitlab.io/gpsd/"
 SRC_URI="mirror://nongnu/${PN}/${P}.tar.gz"

 LICENSE="BSD"
 SLOT="0/24"
 KEYWORDS="~amd64 ~arm ~ppc ~ppc64 ~sparc ~x86"

 IUSE="python"
 REQUIRED_USE="
     python? ( ${PYTHON_REQUIRED_USE} )"

 RDEPEND="
     >=net-misc/pps-tools-0.0.20120407
     python? ( ${PYTHON_DEPS} )"
 DEPEND="${RDEPEND}
     $(python_gen_any_dep '>=dev-util/scons-2.3.0[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]' -2)
     virtual/pkgconfig"

 python_check_deps() {
     python_has_version ">=dev-util/scons-2.3.0[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]"
 }

 src_configure() {
     myesconsargs=(
         prefix="${EPREFIX}/usr"
         libdir="\$prefix/$(get_libdir)"
         udevdir="$(get_udevdir)"
         chrpath=False
         gpsd_user=gpsd
         gpsd_group=uucp
         nostrip=True
         manbuild=False
         $(use_scons python)
     )

     # SConstruct uses py2 constructs
     python_setup -2
 }

 src_compile() {
     export CHRPATH=
     tc-export CC CXX PKG_CONFIG
     export SHLINKFLAGS=${LDFLAGS} LINKFLAGS=${LDFLAGS}
     escons
 }

 src_install() {
     DESTDIR="${D}" escons install
     use python && python_foreach_impl python_domodule gps
 }

waf

The waf build system is written in Python and bundled with the packages using it. Therefore, it is necessary to combine waf-utils eclass with one of the Python eclasses.

Since SCons does not have any dependencies beside the Python interpreter, the integration is generally simple. You consider waf like any other build-time script, and use the eclass implied by other Python components in package.

Furthermore, since waf requires threading support in the Python interpreter, it is necessary to add PYTHON_REQ_USE='threads(+)' in all waf packages (combined with individual package requirements if applicable).

Build-time use

If waf is the only build-time Python script in the package, it is only necessary to add PYTHON_REQ_USE and ${PYTHON_DEPS} to build-time dependencies. If the package had other Python dependencies, you would specify them instead.

 # Copyright 1999-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2

 EAPI=7

 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python2_7 )
 PYTHON_REQ_USE='threads(+)'
 NO_WAF_LIBDIR=yes

 inherit python-any-r1 waf-utils

 DESCRIPTION="C++ Template Unit Test Framework"
 HOMEPAGE="http://mrzechonek.github.io/tut-framework/"
 SRC_URI="https://github.com/mrzechonek/tut-framework/archive/${PV//./-}.tar.gz -> ${P}.tar.gz"
 S="${WORKDIR}/tut-framework-${PV//./-}"

 LICENSE="BSD-2"
 SLOT="0"
 KEYWORDS="~amd64 ~x86"
 IUSE=""

 BDEPEND=${PYTHON_DEPS}

Single-impl package

The rules for integrating simple-impl package are roughly the same as for pure python-single-r1 use. Again, waf requires only plain build-time ${PYTHON_DEPS} and PYTHON_REQ_USE.

 # Copyright 1999-2020 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2

 EAPI=6
 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python2_7 )
 PYTHON_REQ_USE="threads"

 inherit python-single-r1 waf-utils

 DESCRIPTION="An LDAP-like embedded database"
 HOMEPAGE="https://ldb.samba.org/"
 SRC_URI="https://www.samba.org/ftp/pub/${PN}/${P}.tar.gz"

 LICENSE="LGPL-3"
 SLOT="0/${PV}"
 KEYWORDS="~alpha amd64 arm ~arm64 ~hppa ia64 ~mips ppc ppc64 ~s390 ~sh sparc x86"
 IUSE="+ldap python"
 REQUIRED_USE="python? ( ${PYTHON_REQUIRED_USE} )"

 RDEPEND="!elibc_FreeBSD? ( dev-libs/libbsd )
     dev-libs/popt
     >=sys-libs/talloc-2.1.8[python?]
     >=sys-libs/tevent-0.9.31[python(+)?]
     >=sys-libs/tdb-1.3.12[python?]
     python? ( ${PYTHON_DEPS} )
     ldap? ( net-nds/openldap )
     "

 DEPEND="dev-libs/libxslt
     virtual/pkgconfig
     ${PYTHON_DEPS}
     ${RDEPEND}"

 WAF_BINARY="${S}/buildtools/bin/waf"

 PATCHES=(
     "${FILESDIR}"/${PN}-1.1.27-optional_packages.patch
     "${FILESDIR}"/${P}-disable-python.patch
 )

 pkg_setup() {
     python-single-r1_pkg_setup
 }

 src_configure() {
     local myconf=(
         $(usex ldap '' --disable-ldap)
         $(usex python '' '--disable-python')
         --disable-rpath
         --disable-rpath-install --bundled-libraries=NONE
         --with-modulesdir="${EPREFIX}"/usr/$(get_libdir)/samba
         --builtin-libraries=NONE
     )
     waf-utils_src_configure "${myconf[@]}"
 }