Jenkins Google Summer of Code Office Hours, 4 Mar 2022

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From YouTube: GSoC 2022 Office Hours [Asia] 4Mar 2022

Description

This meeting discusses GSoC 2022 project ideas and more

A

What's in the cloud, okay, it looks like we are recording now.

B

A

All right, so, let's get started so hi everyone. It is march 4th 2022. This is jenkins: google, summer of code office hours. So on the agenda. We will cover questions from potential gsoc contributors we'll quickly um highlight some due dates. That's coming up soon and then. Lastly, we'll discuss application proposals.

A

Are there anything else that we should add to the agenda.

A

Okay, all right so um opening up to q a so the first questions we have and beyond. Since you are on the line, we would love for you to unmute and ask your questions.

C

Yes, hello, everyone hi. I just had a couple of questions uh the first one being. I just wanted to understand the architecture that was behind the pipeline step, documentation generator like how how it works in order to fix the documentation, and what exactly does it go through in order to generate that documentation?

C

If you could just give a brief overview of the architecture? Thank you.

D

You you are so lucky that is an excellent question and kristen whetstone. As original author kristen go ahead.

E

Sure hi um glad you're interested in this type of this topic, so how this works? Is it essential, like the pipeline stuff, documentation generator is essentially a jenkins plug-in manager that runs without being run within jenkins. So what it does is it it's kind of. It starts up almost exactly like how jenkins starts up when jenkins starts.

E

It starts the plugin manager and it looks in a folder for different hpi or jpi files, and then it basically unzips them parses and pulls them into its like own internal structure for being able to handle plug-ins and that's exactly what the plug-in step documentation generator does too.

E

It basically goes to the update center pulls down every single plug-in, that's already zipped up and then extracts all of them into itself, and then now, since we have a plug-in manager, we can now query that plug-in manager for a bunch of different types of like information and the one that we're looking for specifically here is anything that's annotated with a pipeline like as a pipeline step.

E

So then, based on that, we can query it and then after we get our sub list of basically the classes that are the steps, then we kind of run through a kind of sort of interesting process of parsing all that information into an ascii doc format. So then, after you look at the, if you ever look at the pipeline step class, you can see that it has like certain fields for documentation or descriptions or inputs, and then it will convert that into an ascii dock but yeah.

E

It essentially runs as like a a pipeline or sorry a plug-in manager without jenkins. So does that help or do you have any other questions about how that's working.

C

Yeah- and it's at that part- and I just had one more doubt as how does it eliminate redundant documentation, which you fetch so, for example, you could have the same documentation within two plugins.

F

C

Two, the same two plugins might have the same pipeline documentation. Is it correct.

E

No because um it's unique classes, so it will like, I think, you're trying to say like a plug-in, can't or there's two plug-ins that have the same step defined.

C

Yeah not just one.

E

Okay, okay, so fundamentally, they'll be different, because unless there's like some really I've never seen this happen in the jenkins before. But you know it can only load the class of it. They give a load of class right so like every single class is unique and that's how it will end up getting the information for each of the different.

G

E

And then for it will process each plugin separately. So then it will take like all the pl. So if you have, I guess the folders plug in or it's running, something it will generate all the documentation for the folders plugin and put it in its own sub ascii dock into the folder. So I I've never seen an instance. I don't know if there's any more experience here of two identical classes inside of jenkins, like some the two plugins that have ended up, creating the exact same class definition, um but you don't.

E

We don't have to really worry about that, because the plugin manager, if that is that's like a fundamental jenkins thing- that's going to be on this like because we're just using whatever jenkins is using. um But you know I haven't seen an instance where there were two physically, the same classes being loaded in to the plug-in.

E

So it would have to be like exactly the same and I've never seen that.

C

Okay, understood.

E

Thank you. Yes, the problem.

B

I have one follow up on the one follow-up question on this sure, uh so you you talked about a mock jenkins that comes up in this whole process. Right yeah,.

E

B

I was wondering like: can we have another uh similar jenkins mock setup with ui available as well, for android and for taking some screenshots? So is that possible to generate a mock ui, whether you are more joking within yourself? That's.

E

A good question, I'm not sure, because what we, what the basically the mark jenkins, is um it's just querying a whole bunch of pieces of information that are usually about like where it's running and like a certain. Has it loaded a certain step yet and since jenkins isn't actually running it can't verify. You know it's like no.

E

Clearly, this stuff hasn't run yet because there's no jenkins, um I'm not sure that it will be able to pop up a the whole ui, because it's pretty much just replacing calls that the plug-in manager makes to like its own jenkins. um I'm sure maybe there'll be a way to kind of do that, but I'm I think you require a lot of.

C

E

Expiration out, like else unfortunately, I can't solve it with this tool, but maybe there is another sort of exploration that can be done with this type of mock.

D

Yeah, I might offer a different tool dhiraj, that in the in the jenkins test, harness so there's a the the the framework that jenkins plug-ins use to perform their tests. There is a test class called jenkins rule that approximates a jenkins controller and it approximates it with some some sort of imperfect approximation for speed reasons.

D

Recently, as in the last like six or nine, maybe 12 months, there's been a new thing added called the real jenkins rule, which actually forks a jenkins war file.

D

If I understand correctly and runs the tests inside a real jenkins, no no fakes, no, no anything, it's real, and- and that might be something that, for your case, where you're saying I need the real thing right, because you, you truly want the absolute real thing to be running, and so you might consider using real jenkins rule as one now now. The other is because jenkins is ultimately multi-threaded and able to handle multiple concurrent requests.

D

It would also be okay, just to start a jenkins, got war file and connect to it from multiple concurrent processes and then stop the jenkins war later.

D

I I don't know that you have to use one of these test frameworks, because your your the the project idea, you're working from, I think, is the one: where could we do automatic generation of documentation screenshots and in order to do that, what you? What you need is you need the thing to present a real jenkins user interface, but jenkins can present user interface to multiple people. Concurrently, and so in your scenario, you, you might be able to just run one jenkins war and then run many threads.

D

That each thread opens a fake browser and captures the image from the from the browser.

E

Yeah that would probably work better than what was happening here because again yeah it's. If the kind of how we're faking out jenkins is very much a. Where are you in the startup process type deal there's nothing there, so we're trying to just kind of be like? Oh, yes, we're at the point where we can start setting up plugins, and so the plugin manager can run that's what we're using that that's kind of how the this part works. So I like the idea of using the jenkins real rule too. That's nice.

D

Well, and and the pipeline step, doc generator really doesn't need to execute pipelines.

E

D

E

It doesn't need to present.

D

A ui, that's not its role, exactly it's good that it's as lightweight as it is yes, because it's it is, in fact loading hundreds of plug-ins, while it's doing its work.

E

Right- and this is also another kind of maybe a caveat- I would not attempt to load every single plug-in like we have it running on in the ci system for jenkins itself, because it requires a lot of um I've run into issues where, like it runs into open file. You'll run out of open file handles um because it's just there's just so much there's so many plugins, which is great for jenkins, but not so great for your own computer.

E

So um I would try to take a smaller snapshot like if you have maybe stand up your own local jenkins. You can use that the plugins the default plugins that are come with jenkins or any other combination of things you want to test, but yeah. I would not attempt to do to actually try to generate the documentation for everything, because it it's not.

E

It's not fun to try to, because they'd have to figure like um to run out of open file handles on your computer. So.

B

Yes, so this is very helpful, thanks, uh christian and mark I'll go through the real jenkins rule and jenkins role and test.

D

B

And try to make sense of it.

D

Yes, excellent now go back to vihan vihan, you had asked questions number one and two. I think we addressed one. I think there's still something on two. Do you want to give us some more details there or just? Should we just take the phrasing, as is yeah, I think there's not much to it than just the freezing as it is okay.

D

So so your question is: will there be separate channels for every project there have been in the past and if that's that's a preference or if the g sub channel were to become too noisy for us, we certainly can create separate channels in the past, for instance, I think there was a separate channel for the the git plug-in that we used just for topics about git and we've certainly got the docs channel that could be used for the pipeline step, doc generator that that would be an easy place to have that conversation.

D

I believe, chris, that there are getter channels specific to jenkins file. Runner aren't there. I I don't remember for sure, but I thought there were yeah, that's one okay! So so I guess the answer is yes. We can use separate channels if that will help.

D

Did that vihan? Does that address your question, or is that too too nebulous and we need to be more precise.

C

Well, I think it addresses my question. Thank you. Okay,.

A

Okay, are there any other questions for our mentors.

A

Okay, so we can move on and then, if you have, questions feel free to well.

D

Just a minute elicit looks, like khrushchev just had a question.

A

Sometimes I.

D

A

Stuck on solving an issue, I get confused by different mentor opinions and I'm not sure what is the right way of solving the issue right. So.

D

That's that's an excellent point and and you'll see that kind of thing where what it hints is the mentors actually don't always know the right answer. At least I know I don't. I am absolutely confident. I do not always know the right answer, and so yeah don't be. Don't be shy at saying hey this didn't work for me if a mentor says something they're, just they're, giving their best best estimate and probably haven't done the detailed research themselves to prove that their suggestion is the right thing to do.

D

That's I that's probably a terrible thing to say rishikesh, but I'm not many times, I'm just making a good guess. When I make my answers.

A

Okay, thank you mark um no further questions. Okay, I'm moving on, so some upcoming due dates. um I just want to highlight again, you know, check out the timeline see what's upcoming and that are due. So I put here some two items that are pretty much: what we're in the process at the moment so march, 7th to april third potential cheese contributors, discuss application ideas with mentoring organizations.

A

We are seeing a lot of activity and discussions and getter, which is excellent. We want to see that and then, of course april 4th is when your application period begins. So that takes me into the next item that we want to talk about. Is the application um proposal, so this link here, it's really it's it spells out all you need to do for um to fill out your application right. So the two things that we want to emphasize is project proposal.

A

Template and mark will go through a um a quick demo on how to use this, um but this is here for you to use as guidance, and the other thing we wanted to stress is that um you need to be submitting your proposal for for the community to review um as soon as possible, because um you know with more people. Looking at your proposal, it's likely that they will help to strengthen your proposal and then so that you can meet the the google's deadline.

A

um I have put here a couple samples for you to to review. There's three samples that I have put here and basically um this is not the right link.

A

No, I click on the wrong thing here we go so this was last year's proposal, basically short email right and but we will be using um discourse instead of google mail here.

A

Basically, let us know what your proposal looks like share this with us, and then you will get the community mentors to uh provide feedback and such but there's three examples for you to um to use okay, um so mark I will hand it over to you for the demo.

D

Great thanks, so I'm going to go ahead and share my screen. Okay, and if we're lucky you'll see now my screen with a great big terminal window, can you confirm that.

A

D

Okay, so we'll put that away. Put that away! Put that away lots of putting away okay.

D

So to the jenkins homepage and make it big enough to see sub projects. Google, summer of code and jenkins, let's see, and here it was, you were- had guided us information and application guidelines for contributors.

C

D

Out the ideas and open the project template so here it is okay, so I'm now inside this project, template- and I want to do a file- make a copy.

D

And I'm going to give it a name that works for me, so gsoc 2022 last name wait proposal! Name, I'm going to do mine for the get cash maintenance proposal, because that's one that I've been active on. I could do it for any one of them. But let's take that one! Okay.

D

So now I have an editable file in order to allow others to comment on it. I'm going to choose share in the top right corner there change to anyone with the link and I'm going to grant them comment or permission.

D

So now, when I copy this link and paste, it actually I'll just paste it here in the chat, so the rest of you could open this and make comments on it. You could make suggestions and help me improve it and then I'll start start editing here so into the chat. Where is our friendly local chat? App chat so you're all welcome to open this google doc that I've paste pasted its link there and I'm going to put it as get cash maintenance.

D

And I'm going to delete the template line.

D

And just start filling in information. Yes, this is me.

D

And yes, I'm at mark.earl.weight.

D

At gmail.com and I'll start working on this now, what this means is kristen and chris and alyssa, and anyone can come in here and change and help and guide. So my abstract, they may say: hey your abstract's, really weak and suggest a change like automate automatic, get cash maintenance.

D

For jenkins controllers and agents.

D

And now I've got the opportunity, oh and look at this notice in the top right hand corner. I see four different people who have opened this and are ready to help me.

D

So it's that simple and somebody is highlighting project abstract. Well done so to make this page a little more easy to read: let's go full size, so this is what they were suggesting and I could go copy that the text from the original project idea and paste it in here that's a great place to start, don't be shy about using other people's content, other people's information to help your proposal be better.

D

So, if I do what I just said, I would look at subprojects, google, summer of code project ideas, automatic, get cache maintenance on the controller and might copy this background.

D

As the initial project description, it's a good start.

D

So that's that's the beginning, and and this is where it starts and then I would paste this url. So click the share button copy the link and I would go to community.jenkins.io.

D

And I'm going to do, let's see new topic and it would be get cash maintenance.

D

Project idea, I think we want these in gsoc right, alyssa.

A

D

Okay, so that's probably been community gsoc and now one of the things would love to have feedback.

D

On this project proposal for gsoc.

A

D

One adding.

A

Proposal to the um the subject line: oh.

D

A

D

Right right so something like this and because it's no longer a project idea, it's really a proposal.

D

Do it like that now one of the things I like about um about what do you call it about community.jenkins.ios when I put the hyperlink on a separate line, I get this nice big block makes it very obvious to people they should click that thing it's even more visible than a than a hyperlink. So for me I find it very attractive to just put the whole thing on a single link on one line. That's the whole thing, and it gives me this nice big block on the right with the title in in it, etc.

D

Any questions on that process. Now I'm not going to create this topic because it I'm not actually looking I'm not ready to take requests yet for this document.

D

All right so we've got, we've got a record of how you submit what you do to create it, and, and it would then be visible to others, and they could then go in and make their comments on it, oh and there chris. Thank you. This is a comment very good in all seriousness, that is how it works. Just like what alyssa showed earlier of the the document that was from a previous year that was filled with many different comments.

D

The way the ideas came to be better and better was by candidates proposing their document and then mentors and other candidates commenting on it trying to get better understanding trying to comprehend what what it should be. How should it be expressed now? Another safety check here is be sure after you've, been through a few reviews, be sure you look at the official google definitions to be absolutely sure that every detail that they've requested is covered.

D

They they are, they are, and the mentors are quite serious that we need to be able to read effectively and follow directions.

D

That's that's, I think what I had alyssa any anything else that you wanted me to highlight anything else that we should show in this demo.

A

No, I think, we've covered everything we have the you know where you can find information. We got the due dates. We've got some samples, we've got templates, I think we've covered it, but we do have a question from diraj.

A

Do companies allow their employees to participate in programs like gsoc.

D

And- and I think the answer is yes so long as you're allowed so long as your company allows you to so long as your company allows you to contribute to open source some do not. There are some companies commonly financial institution banks that may forbid you from contributing to open source, but most companies will allow open source contributions on personal time.

D

The the time commitment for google summer of code of roughly 20 hours a week is quite heavy if you're already working full time. So so that may be something that you have to to weigh in your mind. Do I really want to apply for this, because the expectation is you'll put in 15 to 20 hours a week for 12 weeks and if you're, already working a full-time job, 15 or 20 hours a week is an awful lot of extra time.

D

Dhiraj? Does that address your question?.

B

Yes, certainly and makes total sense as well thanks.

D

A lot yeah, so so the the licensing or the the question am I allowed to am I allowed to contribute to open source for my current employer is a valid question. It's when that each employer is different. I've I've worked for some employers where, where there was, it was quite involved to get permission to contribute to open source and others where it was. It was trivial and they just said yes contribute to open source. Please don't do damage to our business when you do it.

B

D

All right, so I wanted to pause here chris in your experience, as you were, applying to google summer of code, because you've done two google summer of code projects, were there any points of guidance you wanted to offer to people, as we are closing the last few minutes here of of our office hours.

G

um Maybe, like one point I really wanted to bring like bring up is to like take initiative. uh Don't rely too much on your mentors to tell you what to do, because, like sometimes you may have like multiple managers.

D

I like that, that that's it that that sort of reinforces the notion that the mentors the mentors aren't are certainly not all knowing we're we're, learning and growing and developing and so taking initiative and proposing an idea um is great and if the idea is flawed, it'll be discussed, don't be shy, try a different idea, then yeah. I like that. Thank you.

D

D

All right well, alyssa. I think that's it thanks very much. Thank.

A

You everybody, I will post the recording um in a few hours.

G

B

C

Yeah, sorry, I missed it in the beginning, but I just had one more question regarding the pipeline step.

C

Combinator was just about how I am approaching the project, so currently, what I'm doing is I'm studying the pipeline documentation, as well as the user feedback that is attached with the project link so analyzing that I'm actually identifying and noting other flaws, not the flaws, but probably the things that would be improved with the way we generate the documentation, yeah and currently, I was not able to actually follow up much with the issues that were listed on the project page.

C

um So what should I do? Should I be able to follow up with them and get to know how stuff works, or should I just stick to my own part and just identify the best way to produce the documentation? Thank you.

D

So I think the ultimate goal is find the best way to produce the documentation, but I'm I'm not sure. On the you say you weren't able to follow the issues. Is that because the the feedback was incomplete in the in that the feedback or was there something else? I may have misunderstood there behind.

C

Any other issues I'm talking about are the issues listed on the gr github issues like those issues linked along with the project page idea.

D

Okay and and there it's that they are incomplete, they're insufficiently described as to understand how to duplicate them or something different.

C

For me, I couldn't find them relevant enough for this project idea.

G

D

Oh okay, probably right right and so many of them. Many of them may not be related to the product project idea. At all correct. I see what you're saying yeah you. You opened the jenkins.ios issue list and you see 140 issues and they are certainly not all or even the majority of them about pipeline steps.

D

And therefore that's perplexing you were, you were thinking hey these. These would be closer to the project I'm working on than they actually are. I I think I understand what you're saying yeah so those that is all the issues for that site, not just the pipeline steps, documentation, issues.

D

C

Okay, so like before working on an issue or starting to work on an issue, should I just put it on the guitar side that um I'm trying to work on this issue, and should I go.

D

Ahead with that, you can do.

C

That, although.

D

There's there's actually no risk to just starting on an issue and and saying hey. I'm working on this issue put a comment into the issue itself. I'm working on this issue and that's enough you don't have to you, don't even have to say it in getter. Just on the issue itself say I'm starting work on this issue as a comment usually within within 12 or 24 hours. One of us will probably assign it to you, then just to be absolutely clear, but no problem.

D

If you just make a comment in the issue and say I'm working on this, that's already good enough. You don't have to wait for anybody to say. Yes, you can work on it. You don't have to that. We do not have the problem of too many people working on issues right. That is. That is, I don't remember the last time we had that problem in an open source project. So it's almost always. We don't have enough people working on it, not that we have too many okay thanks a lot and sorry for the time today.

D

G

All good, that's a.

D

Great question: thank you.

G

D

Much for taking the time to ask it thanks a bunch yeah.

A

All right, if you have additional questions, just pop it in get her and we'll um get it answered thanks everybody. Thank you. Take care.

B

Thank you. Everyone bye, thank.

E