Hello,

I think the note I added to the end of '3.9.1. Dependencies Internal to the .bb File' is a bit misleading in retrospect. The problem is that it implies that the do_build task of a recipe always runs provided any task within it runs, which is false. Just as for other tasks, the do_build task only runs if something depends on it.

As a practical example, if foo.bb has a DEPENDS on bar.bb, then 'bitbake foo' will usually only run tasks up to bar:do_populate_sysroot and not run bar:do_build.

Below is a suggested rewriting that should hopefully be less misleading. It also adds some information and consistently refers to the task with the "do_" prefix. It's just 'addtask' that lets you leave off the "do_".


  ... (Beginning same as before.)

  In this example, the do_printdate task depends on the completion of the
  do_fetch task, and the do_build task depends on the completion of the
  do_printdate task.
  
  Note {
  For a task to run, it must be a direct or indirect dependency of some other
  task that's scheduled to run. For illustration, here are some examples:
  
    * The directive 'addtask mytask before do_configure' causes do_mytask to
      run before do_configure runs. Note that do_mytask will still only run if
      its [input checksum](http://www.yoctoproject.org/docs/2.2/bitbake-user-manual/bitbake-user-manual.html#checksums)
      has changed since the last time it was run. Changes to the input signature
      of do_mytask also indirectly cause do_configure to run.
  
    * The directive 'addtask mytask after do_configure' by itself never
      causes do_mytask to run. do_mytask can still be run manually as
      follows:
  
        $ bitbake recipe -c mytask
  
      Declaring do_mytask as a dependency of some other task that's scheduled
      to run will also cause it to run. Regardless, it will run after
      do_configure.
 

Cheers,
Ulf