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+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-2.0-UK
+
+Enabling GObject Introspection Support
+**************************************
+
+`GObject introspection <https://gi.readthedocs.io/en/latest/>`__
+is the standard mechanism for accessing GObject-based software from
+runtime environments. GObject is a feature of the GLib library that
+provides an object framework for the GNOME desktop and related software.
+GObject Introspection adds information to GObject that allows objects
+created within it to be represented across different programming
+languages. If you want to construct GStreamer pipelines using Python, or
+control UPnP infrastructure using Javascript and GUPnP, GObject
+introspection is the only way to do it.
+
+This section describes the Yocto Project support for generating and
+packaging GObject introspection data. GObject introspection data is a
+description of the API provided by libraries built on top of the GLib
+framework, and, in particular, that framework's GObject mechanism.
+GObject Introspection Repository (GIR) files go to ``-dev`` packages,
+``typelib`` files go to main packages as they are packaged together with
+libraries that are introspected.
+
+The data is generated when building such a library, by linking the
+library with a small executable binary that asks the library to describe
+itself, and then executing the binary and processing its output.
+
+Generating this data in a cross-compilation environment is difficult
+because the library is produced for the target architecture, but its
+code needs to be executed on the build host. This problem is solved with
+the OpenEmbedded build system by running the code through QEMU, which
+allows precisely that. Unfortunately, QEMU does not always work
+perfectly as mentioned in the ":ref:`dev-manual/gobject-introspection:known issues`"
+section.
+
+Enabling the Generation of Introspection Data
+=============================================
+
+Enabling the generation of introspection data (GIR files) in your
+library package involves the following:
+
+#. Inherit the :ref:`ref-classes-gobject-introspection` class.
+
+#. Make sure introspection is not disabled anywhere in the recipe or
+   from anything the recipe includes. Also, make sure that
+   "gobject-introspection-data" is not in
+   :term:`DISTRO_FEATURES_BACKFILL_CONSIDERED`
+   and that "qemu-usermode" is not in
+   :term:`MACHINE_FEATURES_BACKFILL_CONSIDERED`.
+   In either of these conditions, nothing will happen.
+
+#. Try to build the recipe. If you encounter build errors that look like
+   something is unable to find ``.so`` libraries, check where these
+   libraries are located in the source tree and add the following to the
+   recipe::
+
+      GIR_EXTRA_LIBS_PATH = "${B}/something/.libs"
+
+   .. note::
+
+      See recipes in the ``oe-core`` repository that use that
+      :term:`GIR_EXTRA_LIBS_PATH` variable as an example.
+
+#. Look for any other errors, which probably mean that introspection
+   support in a package is not entirely standard, and thus breaks down
+   in a cross-compilation environment. For such cases, custom-made fixes
+   are needed. A good place to ask and receive help in these cases is
+   the :ref:`Yocto Project mailing
+   lists <resources-mailinglist>`.
+
+.. note::
+
+   Using a library that no longer builds against the latest Yocto
+   Project release and prints introspection related errors is a good
+   candidate for the previous procedure.
+
+Disabling the Generation of Introspection Data
+==============================================
+
+You might find that you do not want to generate introspection data. Or,
+perhaps QEMU does not work on your build host and target architecture
+combination. If so, you can use either of the following methods to
+disable GIR file generations:
+
+-  Add the following to your distro configuration::
+
+      DISTRO_FEATURES_BACKFILL_CONSIDERED = "gobject-introspection-data"
+
+   Adding this statement disables generating introspection data using
+   QEMU but will still enable building introspection tools and libraries
+   (i.e. building them does not require the use of QEMU).
+
+-  Add the following to your machine configuration::
+
+      MACHINE_FEATURES_BACKFILL_CONSIDERED = "qemu-usermode"
+
+   Adding this statement disables the use of QEMU when building packages for your
+   machine. Currently, this feature is used only by introspection
+   recipes and has the same effect as the previously described option.
+
+   .. note::
+
+      Future releases of the Yocto Project might have other features
+      affected by this option.
+
+If you disable introspection data, you can still obtain it through other
+means such as copying the data from a suitable sysroot, or by generating
+it on the target hardware. The OpenEmbedded build system does not
+currently provide specific support for these techniques.
+
+Testing that Introspection Works in an Image
+============================================
+
+Use the following procedure to test if generating introspection data is
+working in an image:
+
+#. Make sure that "gobject-introspection-data" is not in
+   :term:`DISTRO_FEATURES_BACKFILL_CONSIDERED`
+   and that "qemu-usermode" is not in
+   :term:`MACHINE_FEATURES_BACKFILL_CONSIDERED`.
+
+#. Build ``core-image-sato``.
+
+#. Launch a Terminal and then start Python in the terminal.
+
+#. Enter the following in the terminal::
+
+      >>> from gi.repository import GLib
+      >>> GLib.get_host_name()
+
+#. For something a little more advanced, enter the following see:
+   https://python-gtk-3-tutorial.readthedocs.io/en/latest/introduction.html
+
+Known Issues
+============
+
+Here are know issues in GObject Introspection Support:
+
+-  ``qemu-ppc64`` immediately crashes. Consequently, you cannot build
+   introspection data on that architecture.
+
+-  x32 is not supported by QEMU. Consequently, introspection data is
+   disabled.
+
+-  musl causes transient GLib binaries to crash on assertion failures.
+   Consequently, generating introspection data is disabled.
+
+-  Because QEMU is not able to run the binaries correctly, introspection
+   is disabled for some specific packages under specific architectures
+   (e.g. ``gcr``, ``libsecret``, and ``webkit``).
+
+-  QEMU usermode might not work properly when running 64-bit binaries
+   under 32-bit host machines. In particular, "qemumips64" is known to
+   not work under i686.
+