Hello Guix!
Attached are the notes from the “continuous integration” session held a
few hours ago.
Thanks,
Ludo’.
# Continous integration
## Latest changes in Cuirass
- switch from sqlite to PostgreSQL
- stop using the built-in offload mechanism
- take inspiration from Hydra: offload straight from Cuirass to _workers_
- head node talks to workers over ZMQ
- head node feches builds from workers upon build completion, triggers
"substitute baking" (for `guix publish`)
- new [worker monitoring page](https://ci.guix.gnu.org/workers)
- shows what each worker is doing
- soon: will be able to view CPU/storage usage
- build info now shows a _weather_ icon showing the build status evolution
- per-specification RSS feeds allow users to monitor, say, `guix-master`
- maybe soon: user accounts on the web interface
- new _build priorities_, per spec (`guix-master`, `core-updates`, etc.)
- `timeout` and `max-silent-time` properties of packages are now honored
- integration with `guix pull`: `channel-with-available-substitutes`
- many features in the works (see Mathieu's Org-mode file)
## Open issue: new machines
- fast ARM servers available
- criteria for hardware?
- must run free system (stock Guix System)
- hosting?
- the MDC (in Berlin) wouldn't host Guix-specific non-x86 servers
- could rent space (currently renting space for bayfront.guix in Bordeaux,
France), but it's relatively costly
- workstations could be in people's homes
- https://store.avantek.co.uk/ampere-altra-64bit-arm-workstation.html
- (benchmark info:
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=ampere-altra-q80 - compete
with AMD Epyc 7nm 2nd Gen)
-
- small boards are unreliable or too slow
- looking for volunteers to help
- pick hardware we could buy
- get in touch on `guix-devel` or `guix-sysadmin` (private) mailing lists
## Open issue: branching strategy
- currently: building all of `master` + the "core" of `core-updates`
- schedule
- currently ad-hoc: volunteers get to choose when to freeze/merge
- actions
- pushes to `core-updates` should cancel all pending builds on that branch
(see Guix Build Coordinator)
- have a dashboard showing active branches, statuses (wild-west, frozen),
and merge deadlines
- could be implemented in Cuirass
- specs could have extra properties (such as "merge deadline") that
Cuirass would display
- or it could use status info from the Data Service, as in
https://data.guix-patches.cbaines.net/
- naming convention: `core-updates-frozen` vs `core-updates`, etc.
## Open issue: missing CI features
- be able to restart builds
- detect build return codes: failed because of dependencies, failed because
of timeout ...
- short-term actions:
- allow for more than two builds per worker on `berlin`
- set a hard limit on the number of emulated builds by workers on `berlin`
