The use of --symlink-install can be unpredictable

[whoenig]

Some of our packages use Python with setup.py. In that case, symlink-install doesn't work as intended.

We should either switch to cmake-based build everywhere (even for Python-only packages), or discourage the use of --symlink-install.

See: colcon/colcon-core#407

[whoenig]

This is currently only relevant for Python packages that use config and/or launch files. At the moment, this is only the experimental crazyflie_server_py package.

[knmcguire]

until now I haven't had many issues with the --symlink-install myself when working on the crazyflie_server_py. I do remember that I indeed had issues with the config yaml files a while ago, but I've recently updated my galactic ROS2 and haven't seen this issue anymore actually. Maybe it's secretively fixed?

[whoenig]

If you don't see a problem, then we can close this issue for now.

[HappySamuel]

Hi @whoenig , @knmcguire

I am using the python only package, i faced the issue that when i use colcon build --symlink-install, but no symlink created at all. How shall i solve this?

Best,
Samuel

[whoenig]

@HappySamuel, please open a new discussion and describe what problem you are facing (what did you do, what was the observed behavior, what is the expected behavior?). Thanks!