Tramp test suite and network access

Tramp test suite and network access

[Daniel Colascione]

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Can we change the tramp test suite so that, by default, it doesn't try
to access the network? If a host isn't connected to the network, tests
can hang for a long time with no user-visible explanation, and even if
network connectivity is available, ssh to the local system isn't
guaranteed to work, or work without asking for input. (The tramp tests
constantly ask me whether I want to connect.)

It'd also be nice to give Emacs /dev/null as its stdin when it's running
the test suite. Is there any reason we want tests to be able to interact
with the user?


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Re: Tramp test suite and network access

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2014 17:57:47 -0700
> From: Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org>
> Cc: Michael Albinus <michael.albinus@gmx.de>
> 
> It'd also be nice to give Emacs /dev/null as its stdin when it's running
> the test suite. Is there any reason we want tests to be able to interact
> with the user?

Some tests ask for input.  E.g., I believe you can run tests
selectively using this facility.

Re: Tramp test suite and network access

[Michael Albinus]

Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org> writes:

Hi Daniel,

> Can we change the tramp test suite so that, by default, it doesn't try
> to access the network? If a host isn't connected to the network, tests
> can hang for a long time with no user-visible explanation, and even if
> network connectivity is available, ssh to the local system isn't
> guaranteed to work, or work without asking for input. (The tramp tests
> constantly ask me whether I want to connect.)

You can always set $REMOTE_TEMPORARY_FILE_DIRECTORY to /dev/null, prior
to running the test suite. See the Commentary section of tramp-tests.el.

Furthermore, there is `tramp--test-enabled'. It is intended to check,
whether the Tramp test suite shall run, or whether the tests shall be
skipped. If it doesn't work for you reliably, we shall improve the
checks.

> It'd also be nice to give Emacs /dev/null as its stdin when it's running
> the test suite. Is there any reason we want tests to be able to interact
> with the user?

Yes. IFF you want to run Tramp's tests, you might want to give them a
proper password.

Best regards, Michael.

Re: Tramp test suite and network access

[Daniel Colascione]

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On 04/21/2014 01:09 AM, Michael Albinus wrote:
> Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org> writes:
> 
> Hi Daniel,
> 
>> Can we change the tramp test suite so that, by default, it doesn't try
>> to access the network? If a host isn't connected to the network, tests
>> can hang for a long time with no user-visible explanation, and even if
>> network connectivity is available, ssh to the local system isn't
>> guaranteed to work, or work without asking for input. (The tramp tests
>> constantly ask me whether I want to connect.)
> 
> You can always set $REMOTE_TEMPORARY_FILE_DIRECTORY to /dev/null, prior
> to running the test suite. See the Commentary section of tramp-tests.el.

Or we can set it to /dev/null and let users who want to run network
tests override it. And you can always mock the network side of the tramp
tests, which today are pretty slow even when they run properly.


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Re: Tramp test suite and network access

[Michael Albinus]

Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org> writes:

> Or we can set it to /dev/null and let users who want to run network
> tests override it. And you can always mock the network side of the tramp
> tests, which today are pretty slow even when they run properly.

I really appreciate that the tests run on hydra permanently. It is a
different environment, and I see Tramp problems there which do not
happen in my local environment.

Best regards, Michael.

Re: Tramp test suite and network access

[Daniel Colascione]

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On 04/21/2014 01:32 AM, Michael Albinus wrote:
> Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org> writes:
> 
>> Or we can set it to /dev/null and let users who want to run network
>> tests override it. And you can always mock the network side of the tramp
>> tests, which today are pretty slow even when they run properly.
> 
> I really appreciate that the tests run on hydra permanently. It is a
> different environment, and I see Tramp problems there which do not
> happen in my local environment.

Then configure *those* tests to talk to the network. You shouldn't
inconvenience ever person who runs "make check" (some of whom won't even
have an ssh daemon) because you want to get results from Hydra.


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Re: Tramp test suite and network access

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 01:10:29 -0700
> From: Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org>
> Cc: Emacs developers <emacs-devel@gnu.org>
> 
> > You can always set $REMOTE_TEMPORARY_FILE_DIRECTORY to /dev/null, prior
> > to running the test suite. See the Commentary section of tramp-tests.el.
> 
> Or we can set it to /dev/null and let users who want to run network
> tests override it.

I think these days machines that have network access are much more
common than the other kind.

Re: Tramp test suite and network access

[Michael Albinus]

Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org> writes:

> On 04/21/2014 01:32 AM, Michael Albinus wrote:
>> Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org> writes:
>> 
>>> Or we can set it to /dev/null and let users who want to run network
>>> tests override it. And you can always mock the network side of the tramp
>>> tests, which today are pretty slow even when they run properly.
>> 
>> I really appreciate that the tests run on hydra permanently. It is a
>> different environment, and I see Tramp problems there which do not
>> happen in my local environment.
>
> Then configure *those* tests to talk to the network. You shouldn't
> inconvenience ever person who runs "make check" (some of whom won't even
> have an ssh daemon) because you want to get results from Hydra.

Again: if `tramp--test-enabled' is improved, nobody shall be bothered.

Best regards, Michael.

Re: Tramp test suite and network access

[Michael Albinus]

Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org> writes:

> If a host isn't connected to the network, tests
> can hang for a long time with no user-visible explanation,

Default Tramp timeout is 60 seconds. We could shorten it for the tests
if desired.

OTOH, often I use fencepost.gnu.org as remote counterpart for the tests,
which is useful *because* I have a slow connection to that host. It's
useful to see how Tramp behaves on slow lines.

> and even if network connectivity is available, ssh to the local system
> isn't guaranteed to work, or work without asking for input.

Well, that's the default. But Tramp can run without ssh at all.

> (The tramp tests constantly ask me whether I want to connect.)

Tramp shouldn't ask you; it's the task of `tramp--test-enabled' to check
silently, whether the tests must be skipped.

What does it ask you? A password? It shouldn't. A passphrase? This we
might want to suppress. Something else?

Best regards, Michael.

Re: Tramp test suite and network access

[Michael Albinus]

Daniel Colascione <dancol@dancol.org> writes:

Hi Daniel,

> Can we change the tramp test suite so that, by default, it doesn't try
> to access the network?

I've modified tramp-tests.el (and file-notify-tests.el) such a way, that
they use "sh -i" as default (fake) connection for remote files. This
should give you less pain.

Best regards, Michael.