[avocado-utils] : add validation for perf binary in ensure_tool()

[Sumitupadhyay1]

Testcases that depend on tools like perf, which may be a part of distro packages or custom-installed in a specific location, fail in an ungraceful manner when the binary of those tools is missing or non-functional.

• This patch introduces a function ensure_tool() to check if the tool is present and the binary is valid.
• If not, the function proceeds to install the tool.
• In this way, failures due to the above-mentioned scenarios are handled gracefully.

[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello @Sumitupadhyay1, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request enhances the avocado utility by introducing a standardized mechanism to ensure external tools, like perf, are correctly set up and functional before tests execute. This change aims to improve the reliability and reproducibility of test environments by centralizing tool validation and providing clear error feedback, whether the tool is provided via a custom path or installed through system packages.

Highlights

• New ensure_tool() function: Introduced a new utility function ensure_tool() to validate the availability and functionality of a given tool, either from a custom binary path or by installing it via distro packages.
• Custom Path Validation: The ensure_tool() function now checks if a tool's binary exists at a specified custom_path and verifies its functionality by attempting to run it with --version.
• Distro Package Integration: If no custom path is provided, the function attempts to install the tool using distro_pkg_map and then validates its functionality post-installation.
• Robust Error Handling: Added specific RuntimeError exceptions for scenarios such as a missing custom binary path, a non-functional binary, or the absence of a package map when required.
• Version String Return: Upon successful validation, the function returns the tool's version string, ensuring that tests can confirm the correct tool is in use.

Changelog

• avocado/utils/software_manager/distro_packages.py
  • Added ensure_tool() function to validate tool availability and return its version string.
  • Implemented checks for custom binary paths, including existence and functionality.
  • Integrated distro package installation and post-installation functionality checks.
  • Introduced error handling for missing paths, non-functional binaries, and missing package maps.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

The pull request introduces a new ensure_tool function to validate the availability and functionality of a given tool, either from a custom path or by installing it via distro packages, which improves the reliability and reproducibility of tests. However, this new utility function is vulnerable to command injection due to the use of shell=True with unvalidated user input (tool_name and custom_path). It is recommended to remove shell=True to prevent the shell from interpreting metacharacters and consider using shlex.quote() for inputs that might contain spaces. The error handling for missing paths, non-functional binaries, and missing package maps is otherwise clear and appropriate.