pkg/nordic-softdevice: remove deprecated package

[aabadie]

Contribution description

This PR removes the nordic-softdevice package and all related code from the code base. The package is marked as deprecated and its removal is planned for after 2020.10 release, so at any time now that we are in feature freeze.

RIOT/pkg/nordic_softdevice_ble/doc.txt

Lines 6 to 7 in 76ddfdb

	* @deprecated Will be removed after the 2020.10 release. Use nimble for BLE
	* support instead.

Testing procedure

• A green Murdock
• Ensure no more mentions to the package are present (except in the release notes):

$ git grep -i -n softdevice | grep -v release-notes
boards/nrf52840dongle/Makefile.include:11:  # the end, leaving 892k for the application. This overwrites any SoftDevice,

I kept the mention to softdevice in boards/nrf52840dongle/Makefile.include because I think this is not related to RIOT: the softdevice could have been put there by a previously installed firmware.

Issues/PRs references

Was marked as deprecated in #14092

[miri64]

I still found some mentions of the softdevice:

$ git log -1 --oneline
03f7904bda (HEAD) tests/l2util: remove mention to nordic-softdevice-ble
$ ls r*    # checking if release-notes.txt is the only thing starting with r
release-notes.txt
$ git grep -i softdevice -- [^r]*   # check all except paths starting with r
boards/common/nrf52/Kconfig:    select HAS_RIOTBOOT if !USEPKG_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE
boards/nrf52840dongle/Makefile.include:  # the end, leaving 892k for the application. This overwrites any SoftDevice,
cpu/nrf52/Kconfig:    select HAS_BLE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE
cpu/nrf5x_common/Kconfig:config HAS_BLE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE
cpu/nrf5x_common/Kconfig:        Indicates that Nordic SoftDevice support in RIOT has been verified on the
cpu/nrf5x_common/periph/hwrng.c:#ifndef MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE
cpu/nrf5x_common/periph/hwrng.c: * The hardware peripheral is used by the SoftDevice. When the SoftDevice is
cpu/nrf5x_common/periph/hwrng.c: * enabled, it shall only be accessed through the SoftDevice API
cpu/nrf5x_common/periph/hwrng.c:#ifndef MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE
cpu/nrf5x_common/periph/hwrng.c:#endif /* MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE */
sys/net/gnrc/netif/gnrc_netif_device_type.c:    defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF)
sys/net/gnrc/netif/gnrc_netif_device_type.c:#if defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF)
sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/init.c:    if (IS_USED(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE)) {
sys/net/link_layer/l2util/l2util.c:    defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF)
sys/net/link_layer/l2util/l2util.c:           defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF) */
sys/net/link_layer/l2util/l2util.c:#if defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF)
sys/net/link_layer/l2util/l2util.c:#endif  /* defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF) */
sys/net/link_layer/l2util/l2util.c:#if defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF)
sys/net/link_layer/l2util/l2util.c:#endif  /* defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF) */
sys/net/link_layer/l2util/l2util.c:    defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF)
sys/net/link_layer/l2util/l2util.c:           defined(MODULE_NORDIC_SOFTDEVICE_BLE) || defined(MODULE_NIMBLE_NETIF) */

[dylad]

Shouldn't we add an entry to LOSTANDFOUND.md for this ?

[aabadie]

I still found some mentions of the softdevice

Indeed, I adapted the testing procedure. Will remove the remaining mentions.

Shouldn't we add an entry to LOSTANDFOUND.md for this ?

That's in the plan but should in a follow-up PR since this one contains several removal commits and I prefer to reference a single merge commit in LOSTANDFOUND.md.

[aabadie]

Should be good now. Let's see what Murdock thinks of it.

[miri64]

What about this one?

RIOT/boards/nrf52840dongle/Makefile.include

Lines 7 to 12 in 32cf12d

	# Using nrfutil implies using the Nordic bootloader described at
	# <https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/nordic/short-range-guides/b/getting-started/posts/nrf52840-dongle-programming-tutorial>.
	#
	# It has a static MBR at the first 4k, and an ample 128k Open USB Bootloader at
	# the end, leaving 892k for the application. This overwrites any SoftDevice,
	# but that's what the minimal working example for the dongle does as well.

Not sure though, if @chrysn maybe meant other softdevices.

[aabadie]

What about this one?

I'm not sure either (I edited the OP about that) but it would good if @chrysn could confirm.

[miri64]

(I edited the OP about that)

The problem with edits 😅 ...

[aabadie]

The problem with edits

I should have mentioned that in #15326 (comment) ;)

[chrysn]

What I meant by the line is "overwrites the SoftDevice if it is present", though thinking back to that PR I think I even adapted it later to just leave the SoftDevice in place. At any rate, I'm only aware of one thing called the SoftDevice, and the nrfutil flashing procedure does not depend on RIOT having any support for it (other than possibly excluding that area from the usable space, which it may or may not do right now but is immaterial to the removal of the nordic-softdevice package).

[miri64]

In that case I give the current state my ACK. @aabadie please squash.

[aabadie]

Let's merge. I'll open another PR to list softdevice removal in LOSTANDFOUND.md.