SETTING A BUILD INDICATOR TO ENABLE OR DISABLE A FEATURE

• US 20180129496A1
• Filed: 01/03/2018
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Christopher H., Gunyuzlu, Mason
• Granted Patent: US 10,585,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A build indicator is set in a build environment to a set value for building a program code, the set value selected from a first value indicating that a feature of the program code is enabled, and a second value indicating that the feature is disabled. In response to the set value of the build indicator being the first value, a variable is set to a value indicating that the feature is enabled. The program code is built using the value of the variable.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

setting, in a system comprising a processor, a build indicator in a build environment to a set value for building a program code, the set value selected from a first value indicating that a feature of the program code is enabled, and a second value indicating that the feature is disabled;

in response to the set value of the build indicator being the first value, setting, by the system, a first variable to a value indicating that the feature is enabled;

building, by the system, the program code using the value of the first variable; and

in response to the set value of the build indicator being the first value, setting, by the system, a runtime variable to a value indicating that the feature is enabled, wherein the runtime variable being set to the value indicating that the feature is enabled causes a runtime check of the program code to use a portion of the program code that enables the feature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the building of the program code includes including, in the program code, a code module for the feature in response to the first variable set to the value indicating that the feature is enabled.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to the set value of the build indicator being the second value, setting, by the system, the first variable to a different value indicating that the feature is disabled,

wherein the building of the program code includes excluding, from the program code, the code module in response to the first variable set to the different value indicating that the feature is disabled.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the set value of the build indicator being the second value, setting, by the system, the first variable to a different value indicating that the feature is disabled,

wherein the building of the program code comprises;

determining whether a code module is specific to the feature,

in response to determining that the code module is specific to the feature, excluding, from the program code, the code module for the feature in response to the first variable being set to the different value indicating that the feature is disabled, and

in response to determining that the code module includes machine-readable instructions for the feature and machine-readable instructions for another feature, including the code module in the program code in response to the first variable being set to the different value indicating that the feature is disabled.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a code module for the feature is in source code form, the method further comprising:

in response to the set value of the build indicator being the first value, setting, by the system, a compiler variable to a value indicating that the feature is enabled;

in response to the compiler variable set to the value indicating that the feature is enabled, causing, by a compiler, compilation of the source code to include the code module in the program code.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the set value being the first value, including, by the system in a makefile, information relating to building the program code with the feature enabled.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the set value of the build indicator being the second value, setting, by the system, the runtime variable to a different value indicating that the feature is disabled, wherein the runtime variable being set to the different value indicating that the feature is disabled causes the runtime check of the program code to use a different portion of the program code with the feature disabled.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a feature to restore the program code from secure storage in response to corruption of the program code at runtime.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a feature to cause an embedded controller of an electronic device in which the program code executes to contact a predetermined destination to address an issue detected at the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a driver of the program code that accesses a remote server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the runtime check of the program code is performed during execution of the program code.

12. A system comprising:

at least one processor to;

receive, in a build environment, a command to set a build indicator to a first value or a second value;

promote the build indicator to a build tool variable and a runtime variable, wherein the promoting comprises;

setting the build tool variable to a value indicating that a feature of a program code is enabled in response to the build indicator being set to the first value, and setting the build tool variable to a value indicating that the feature of the program code is disabled in response to the build indicator being set to the second value,

setting the runtime variable to a value indicating that the feature of the program code is enabled in response to the build indicator being set to the first value, and setting the runtime variable to a value indicating that the feature of the program code is disabled in response to the build indicator being set to the second value, wherein the runtime variable being set to the value indicating that the feature is enabled is to cause a runtime check of the program code to use a portion of the program code that enables the feature; and

build the program code according to a value to which the build tool variable is set.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is to further include the runtime variable in metadata associated with the program code, the metadata protected by a signature.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the building of the program code according to the value of the build tool variable comprises:

including, in the program code, a code module for the feature in response to the build tool variable being set to the value indicating that the feature is enabled; and

excluding, from the program code, the code module for the feature in response to the build tool variable being set to the value indicating that the feature is disabled.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is to further:

promote the build indicator to a compiler variable, comprising;

setting the compiler variable to a value indicating that the feature of the program code is enabled in response to the build indicator being set to the first value, and setting the compiler variable to a value indicating that the feature of the program code is disabled in response to the build indicator being set to the second value,

wherein the building of the program code according to the value of the build tool variable comprises using a compiler to;

include, in the program code, a code module for the feature in response to the compiler variable being set to the value indicating that the feature is enabled; and

exclude, from the program code, the code module for the feature in response to the compiler variable being set to the value indicating that the feature is disabled.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the program code comprises a basic input/output system (BIOS) code.

17. An article comprising at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause an electronic device to:

retrieve a value of a runtime variable associated with a program code, the value of the runtime variable being set based on a value of a build indicator set in a build environment by a manufacturer that provided the program code, the runtime variable being set to a first value in response to the build indicator being set to an enabled value indicating that a feature of the program code is enabled, and the runtime variable being set to a second value in response to the build indicator being set to a disabled value indicating that the feature of the program code is disabled; and

during execution of the program code in the electronic device,

execute a first portion of the program code with the feature enabled in response to the runtime variable having the first value, and

execute a second portion of the program code with the feature disabled in response to the runtime variable having the second value.

18. The article of 17, wherein the runtime variable is in metadata associated with the program code.

19. The article of 17, wherein the program code comprises a basic input/output system (BIOS) code.