title: How to solve "ERROR: ParseError in <recipe_name>: not a BitBake file"
body: <p>I'm using Yocto Jethro and trying to include one bitbake recipe from another. I'm also trying to see what is the minimum amount of things I need to put in a recipe so that bitbake does not error.</p>
  
  <pre><code>$ bitbake --version
  
  BitBake Build Tool Core version 1.28.0
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The first file...</p>
  
  <pre><code># parent.bb
  
  require child
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>...includes the second file...</p>
  
  <pre><code># child.bb
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Both files are in the same directory under <strong>meta/recipes-core/images/*.bb</strong></p>
  
  <p>When I try to bitbake, I get the following error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Summary: There were 2 ERROR messages shown, returning a non-zero exit code.
  &gt;1&lt; alain@mbp-vmw-ub1 Wed Jan 04 06:11 PM  /media/alain/Yocto/var-mx6ul-mx7-yocto-jethro/build-fb &gt;  bitbake parent
  Loading cache: 100% |########################################################################################################################################################| ETA:  00:00:00
  Loaded 2775 entries from dependency cache.
  ERROR: This recipe does not have the LICENSE field set (child)                                                                                                               | ETA:  --:--:--
  ERROR: ParseError in child: not a BitBake file                                                                                                                               | ETA:  00:00:03
  
  Summary: There were 2 ERROR messages shown, returning a non-zero exit code.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>What is strange is that I get the same error about the missing LICENSE whether I <strong>bitbake parent</strong> or <strong>bitbake child</strong> but in both cases, the error references <strong>(child)</strong> and never <strong>(parent)</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>&gt;1&lt; alain@mbp-vmw-ub1 Wed Jan 04 06:17 PM  /media/alain/Yocto/var-mx6ul-mx7-yocto-jethro/build-fb &gt;  bitbake child
  Loading cache: 100% |########################################################################################################################################################| ETA:  00:00:00
  Loaded 2775 entries from dependency cache.
  ERROR: This recipe does not have the LICENSE field set (child)                                                                                                               | ETA:  --:--:--
  ERROR: ParseError in child: not a BitBake file                                                                                                                               | ETA:  00:00:03
  
  Summary: There were 2 ERROR messages shown, returning a non-zero exit code.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Then, I added a LICENSE to both files:</p>
  
  <pre><code># parent.bb
  
  LICENSE="CLOSED"
  
  require child
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>and</p>
  
  <pre><code># child.bb
  
  LICENSE="CLOSED"
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>So, now I only get the ParseError, but again whether I <strong>bitbake parent</strong> or <strong>bitbake child</strong> :</p>
  
  <pre><code>&gt;1&lt; alain@mbp-vmw-ub1 Wed Jan 04 06:21 PM  /media/alain/Yocto/var-mx6ul-mx7-yocto-jethro/build-fb &gt;  bitbake parent
  Loading cache: 100% |########################################################################################################################################################| ETA:  00:00:00
  Loaded 2775 entries from dependency cache.
  ERROR: ParseError in child: not a BitBake file                                                                                                                               | ETA:  00:00:04
  
  Summary: There was 1 ERROR message shown, returning a non-zero exit code.
  &gt;1&lt; alain@mbp-vmw-ub1 Wed Jan 04 06:21 PM  /media/alain/Yocto/var-mx6ul-mx7-yocto-jethro/build-fb &gt;  bitbake child
  Loading cache: 100% |########################################################################################################################################################| ETA:  00:00:00
  Loaded 2775 entries from dependency cache.
  ERROR: ParseError in child: not a BitBake file                                                                                                                               | ETA:  00:00:04
  
  Summary: There was 1 ERROR message shown, returning a non-zero exit code.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>So, my questions are:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Do all recipes get parsed whether they are included or not?</li>
  <li>How to include (i.e. require) a recipe from another?</li>
  </ol>