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+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-2.0-UK
+
+***************************
+Testing Packages With ptest
+***************************
+
+A Package Test (ptest) runs tests against packages built by the
+OpenEmbedded build system on the target machine. A ptest contains at
+least two items: the actual test, and a shell script (``run-ptest``)
+that starts the test. The shell script that starts the test must not
+contain the actual test --- the script only starts the test. On the other
+hand, the test can be anything from a simple shell script that runs a
+binary and checks the output to an elaborate system of test binaries and
+data files.
+
+The test generates output in the format used by Automake::
+
+   result: testname
+
+where the result can be ``PASS``, ``FAIL``, or ``SKIP``, and
+the testname can be any identifying string.
+
+For a list of Yocto Project recipes that are already enabled with ptest,
+see the :yocto_wiki:`Ptest </Ptest>` wiki page.
+
+.. note::
+
+   A recipe is "ptest-enabled" if it inherits the :ref:`ref-classes-ptest`
+   class.
+
+Adding ptest to Your Build
+==========================
+
+To add package testing to your build, add the :term:`DISTRO_FEATURES` and
+:term:`EXTRA_IMAGE_FEATURES` variables to your ``local.conf`` file, which
+is found in the :term:`Build Directory`::
+
+   DISTRO_FEATURES:append = " ptest"
+   EXTRA_IMAGE_FEATURES += "ptest-pkgs"
+
+Once your build is complete, the ptest files are installed into the
+``/usr/lib/package/ptest`` directory within the image, where ``package``
+is the name of the package.
+
+Running ptest
+=============
+
+The ``ptest-runner`` package installs a shell script that loops through
+all installed ptest test suites and runs them in sequence. Consequently,
+you might want to add this package to your image.
+
+Getting Your Package Ready
+==========================
+
+In order to enable a recipe to run installed ptests on target hardware,
+you need to prepare the recipes that build the packages you want to
+test. Here is what you have to do for each recipe:
+
+-  *Be sure the recipe inherits the* :ref:`ref-classes-ptest` *class:*
+   Include the following line in each recipe::
+
+      inherit ptest
+
+   .. note::
+
+      Classes for common frameworks already exist in :term:`OpenEmbedded-Core
+      (OE-Core)`, such as:
+
+      -  :oe_git:`go-ptest </openembedded-core/tree/meta/classes-recipe/go-ptest.bbclass>`
+      -  :ref:`ref-classes-ptest-cargo`
+      -  :ref:`ref-classes-ptest-gnome`
+      -  :oe_git:`ptest-perl </openembedded-core/tree/meta/classes-recipe/ptest-perl.bbclass>`
+      -  :oe_git:`ptest-python-pytest </openembedded-core/tree/meta/classes-recipe/ptest-python-pytest.bbclass>`
+
+      Inheriting these classes with the ``inherit`` keyword in your recipe will
+      make the next steps automatic.
+
+-  *Create run-ptest:* This script starts your test. Locate the
+   script where you will refer to it using
+   :term:`SRC_URI`. Here is an
+   example that starts a test for ``dbus``::
+
+      #!/bin/sh
+      cd test
+      make -k runtest-TESTS
+
+-  *Ensure dependencies are met:* If the test adds build or runtime
+   dependencies that normally do not exist for the package (such as
+   requiring "make" to run the test suite), use the
+   :term:`DEPENDS` and
+   :term:`RDEPENDS` variables in
+   your recipe in order for the package to meet the dependencies. Here
+   is an example where the package has a runtime dependency on "make"::
+
+      RDEPENDS:${PN}-ptest += "make"
+
+-  *Add a function to build the test suite:* Not many packages support
+   cross-compilation of their test suites. Consequently, you usually
+   need to add a cross-compilation function to the package.
+
+   Many packages based on Automake compile and run the test suite by
+   using a single command such as ``make check``. However, the host
+   ``make check`` builds and runs on the same computer, while
+   cross-compiling requires that the package is built on the host but
+   executed for the target architecture (though often, as in the case
+   for ptest, the execution occurs on the host). The built version of
+   Automake that ships with the Yocto Project includes a patch that
+   separates building and execution. Consequently, packages that use the
+   unaltered, patched version of ``make check`` automatically
+   cross-compiles.
+
+   Regardless, you still must add a ``do_compile_ptest`` function to
+   build the test suite. Add a function similar to the following to your
+   recipe::
+
+      do_compile_ptest() {
+          oe_runmake buildtest-TESTS
+      }
+
+-  *Ensure special configurations are set:* If the package requires
+   special configurations prior to compiling the test code, you must
+   insert a ``do_configure_ptest`` function into the recipe.
+
+-  *Install the test suite:* The :ref:`ref-classes-ptest` class
+   automatically copies the file ``run-ptest`` to the target and then runs make
+   ``install-ptest`` to run the tests. If this is not enough, you need
+   to create a ``do_install_ptest`` function and make sure it gets
+   called after the "make install-ptest" completes.