launchpad-reviewers team mailing list archive

[Gary Poster <gary.poster@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gary Poster has proposed merging lp:~gary/launchpad/bug578854 into lp:launchpad.

Requested reviews:
  Launchpad code reviewers (launchpad-reviewers)
Related bugs:
  Bug #578854 in Launchpad itself: "Confusing docs: doc/buildout.txt"
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/launchpad/+bug/578854

For more details, see:
https://code.launchpad.net/~gary/launchpad/bug578854/+merge/87787

This branch is part of an effort to quickly handle the bugs that have been assigned to me for awhile.

It simply updates the buildout document to address concerns Jeroen raised in bug 578854.  Along the way I updated other text to try and bring it a bit more up to date.
-- 
https://code.launchpad.net/~gary/launchpad/bug578854/+merge/87787
Your team Launchpad code reviewers is requested to review the proposed merge of lp:~gary/launchpad/bug578854 into lp:launchpad.

=== modified file 'doc/buildout.txt'
--- doc/buildout.txt	2011-12-21 18:58:03 +0000
+++ doc/buildout.txt	2012-01-06 17:44:27 +0000
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 Launchpad Buildout
 ******************
 
-Launchpad is moving to using the buildout_ (or "zc.buildout") build system.  It
-will gradually replace the sourcecode directory, and hopefully also the
-Launchpad Makefile.
+Launchpad uses the buildout_ (or "zc.buildout") build system.
+Buildout's biggest strength is managing Python packages.  That is also
+our focus for it.
 
-Buildout's biggest strength is managing Python packages.  That will also be our
-primary focus for it.  Meanwhile, apt will continue to manage our Python
-language installation, as well some or all of our non-Python dependencies, such
-as PostgreSQL.  While Bazaar will continue to be an essential part of our
-toolchain, we will move away from using it to incorporate source code trees of
-our dependencies.
+We have at least two other ways of managing dependencies.  Apt
+manages our Python language installation, as well as many of our
+non-Python system-level dependencies, such as PostgreSQL.  The
+sourcecode directory is our other way of managing dependencies.  It is
+supposed to only contain dependencies that are not standard Python
+packages.  bzr plugins and Javascript libraries are existing examples.
 
 If you are not interested in our `Motivations`_  or in an `Introduction to
 zc.buildout`_, all developers will at least want to read the very brief
@@ -36,16 +36,18 @@
 * We want more careful specification of our dependencies across branches.
   [INTERNAL] [EXTERNAL]
 
-  This is a real concern pertinent both for our "trunks" (devel, stable,
-  db-devel, db-stable) and for our development boxes. For instance, now, in our
-  trunks, when we want to update a dependency, we need to make sure that *all*
-  the current Launchpad trunks work with the dependency initially; then submit
-  a new Launchpad branch that uses the change dependency.  A mistake can
-  even potentially break one or both of the db-* trunks, since PQM only tests
-  against one branch (usually devel), and sourcecode changes affect all
-  branches at once.  For simplicity, speed, and safety, we want to be able to
-  submit a single branch that incorporates the source dependencies and the
-  associated changes at once.
+  This is a real concern pertinent both for our "trunks" (devel,
+  stable, db-devel, db-stable) and for our development boxes. For
+  instance, before incorporating buildout, in our trunks, when we want
+  to update a dependency, we needed to make sure that *all* the
+  current Launchpad trunks work with the dependency initially; then
+  submit a new Launchpad branch that uses the change dependency.  A
+  mistake can even potentially break one or both of the db-* trunks,
+  since PQM only tests against one branch (usually devel), and
+  sourcecode changes affect all branches at once.  For simplicity,
+  speed, and safety, we want to be able to submit a single branch that
+  incorporates the source dependencies and the associated changes at
+  once.
 
   This is also true, if less critical and easier to work around, on developer
   boxes.  Without care, changes to sourcecode when working on dependencies will
@@ -58,17 +60,18 @@
   A significant number of projects do not always have a pristine trunk, and
   many also spend extra effort on polish, bug fixes, and compatibility before a
   release.  If we do not desperately need a new feature on trunk, using a
-  release is generally regarded as a safer, better practice. Our current usage
+  release is generally regarded as a safer, better practice. Our earlier usage
   of bzr branches of the development trunks does not encourage this practice.
 
 * We want to be encouraged to make the effort to interact with upstream
   projects to have our patches integrated. [EXTERNAL]
 
-  Interacting and negotiating with upstream is undeniably more time-consuming
-  than our current practice of maintaining local bzr branches with our patches,
-  especially short-term.  But our current practice is not good open-source
-  community behavior--an ironic characteristic for a project like Launchpad. It
-  also can cause problems down the road, for instance, if the patch becomes
+  Interacting and negotiating with upstream is undeniably more
+  time-consuming than our previous practice of maintaining local bzr
+  branches with our patches, especially short-term.  But our previous
+  use of bzr branches is not good open-source community behavior--an
+  ironic characteristic for a project like Launchpad. It also can
+  cause problems down the road, for instance, if the patch becomes
   stale and we want to migrate to new releases.
 
 * We want to be protected from changes and differences in our operating system.
@@ -76,13 +79,14 @@
 
   This is a concern both over time and across different Launchpad environments.
 
-  First, our operating system, Ubuntu, is driven by many needs and goals.
-  Launchpad is among them, but generally Launchpad serves Ubuntu, not the
-  reverse.  For instance, recently Jaunty dropped Launchpad's Python version.
-  The Ubuntu developers had good reason--Python 2.4 has not been supported by
-  the Python developers for some time--but it caused a significant
-  inconvenience to the Launchpad team. Managing our dependencies, particularly
-  the Python library dependencies, can help alleviate these problems.
+  First, our operating system, Ubuntu, is driven by many needs and
+  goals.  Launchpad is among them, but generally Launchpad serves
+  Ubuntu, not the reverse.  For instance, Jaunty dropped Launchpad's
+  Python version.  The Ubuntu developers had good reason--Python 2.4
+  has not been supported by the Python developers for some time--but
+  it caused a significant inconvenience to the Launchpad
+  team. Managing our dependencies, particularly the Python library
+  dependencies, can help alleviate these problems.
 
   Second, Launchpad developers run a significantly different version of the
   operating system than that run in production. Maintaining our Python library
@@ -420,55 +424,72 @@
 
         ./bin/buildout -v buildout:install-from-cache=false | tee out.txt | grep 'Picked'
 
-    The first part (``./bin/buildout -v buildout:install-from-cache=false``)
-    will run buildout, allowing it to download source packages from the
-    Internet to ``download-cache/dist``. The second part (``tee out.txt``) will
-    dump the full output to the ``out.txt`` file in case you need to debug a
-    problem. The last part (``grep 'Picked'``) will filter the output so that
-    only additional packages--dependencies of your dependency--will be listed.
-    Look at the output. You need to see if it means that you have dependencies,
-    some of which may be indirect dependencies. Here's an imaginary example
-    output::
+    The first part (``./bin/buildout -v
+    buildout:install-from-cache=false``) will run buildout, allowing
+    it to download source packages from the Internet to
+    ``download-cache/dist``. The second part (``tee out.txt``) will
+    dump the full output to the ``out.txt`` file in case you need to
+    debug a problem. The last part (``grep 'Picked'``) will filter the
+    output so that only additional packages--dependencies of your
+    dependency--will be listed.  You need to see if it means that you
+    have dependencies, some of which may be indirect
+    dependencies. We'll see how to do this with an example.  Here's an
+    imaginary output::
 
         Picked: ipython = 0.9.1
         Picked: lazr.foom = 1.4
         Picked: zope.bar = 3.6.1
         Picked: z3c.shazam = 2.0.1
 
-    At this time, note that the output will include at least one, and possibly
-    more, spurious "Picked:" listings.  ipython, in particular, shows up
-    repeatedly.
-
-    In our example, other than the spurious ``ipython`` listing, this means
-    that these packages have also been added to your ``download-cache/dist``
-    directory. You also need to add those versions to the ``versions.cfg``
-    file::
-
+    In our example, this means that these packages have been added to
+    your ``download-cache/dist`` directory. You now need to add those
+    versions to the ``versions.cfg`` file::
+
+        ipython = 0.9.1
         lazr.foom = 1.4
         zope.bar = 3.6.1
         z3c.shazam = 2.0.1
 
+    Note that the output might include at least one, and possibly
+    more, spurious "Picked:" listings.  ipython, in particular, has
+    shown up in the past incorrectly--that is, when you try to add the
+    file to the download-cache/dist directory, you'll discover that it
+    is already there; and you'll see that versions.cfg already
+    specifies the version.  As long as the test passes (see step 5,
+    below), you can ignore this.
+
 5.  Test.
 
-    [TODO] Note that you can tell ec2test to include all uncommitted
-    distributions from the local download-cache in its tests.  If you do this,
-    you cannot use the ec2test feature to submit on test success.  Also, if you
-    have uncommitted distributions and you do *not* explicitly tell ec2test to
-    include or ignore the uncommitted distributions, it will refuse to start
-    an instance.
-
-6. Check old versions in the download-cache.  If you are sure that they are
-   not in use any more, *anywhere*, then remove them to save checkout space.
-   More explicitly, check with the LOSAs to see if they are in use in
-   production and send an email to launchpad-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx before
-   deleting anything if you are unsure.
-
-7.  Commit the changes (``cd download-cache``, ``bzr up``,
-    ``bzr commit -m 'Add lazr.foom 1.1.2 and depdendencies to the download
-    cache'``) to the shared download cache when you are sure it is what you
-    want.
-
-*Never* modify a package in the download-cache.
+    Note that you can tell ``ec2 test`` to include all uncommitted
+    distributions from the local download-cache in its tests with the
+    ``--include-download-cache-changes`` flag (or ``-c``).  If you do
+    this, you cannot use the ec2 test feature to submit on test
+    success.  Also, if you have uncommitted distributions and you do
+    *not* explicitly tell ec2 test to include or ignore the
+    uncommitted distributions, it will refuse to start an instance.
+
+6.  Check old versions in the download-cache.  If you are sure that
+    they are not in use any more, *anywhere*, then remove them to save
+    checkout space.  More explicitly, check with the LOSAs to see if
+    they are in use in production and send an email to
+    launchpad-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx before deleting anything if you
+    are unsure.  A rule of thumb is that it's worth starting this
+    investigation if the replacement has already been in use by the
+    Launchpad tree for more than a month.  You can approximate this
+    information by using ``bzr log`` on the newer (replacement)
+    download-cache/dist file for the particular package.
+
+7.  Now you need to share your package changes with the rest of the
+    team.  You must do this before submitting your Launchpad branch to
+    PQM or else your branch will not build properly anywhere else,
+    including buildbot.  Commit the changes (``cd download-cache``,
+    bzr add the needed files, ``bzr up``, ``bzr commit -m 'Add
+    lazr.foom 1.1.2 and depdendencies to the download cache'``) to the
+    shared download cache when you are sure it is what you want.
+
+*Never* modify a package in the download-cache.  A change in code must mean a
+change in version number, or else very bad inconsistencies and
+confusion across build environments will happen.
 
 
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