Community Apps workflow observations

[timconsidine]

Trying to smooth my workflow for CommunityApps (w/o mentioning Safari ) ...

---

• given that CloudronVersions.json is, well, a JSON file, presumably we can edit it if needed, then give access (git repo, static site) ? 2 scenarios I've met are :
  • (a) cli revoke only revokes the last entry, user might want to revoke previous ones (parameter to specify which to revoke would be nice),
  • (b) docker image location might be wrong ... or moved ... and don't want to repeat build workflow

---

• publishing docs should make explicit a clear expected workflow (dangerous assumption that I have this correct), maybe with a pic for fast absorption w/o reading
  • do your dev
  • update CloudronManifest.json & CHANGELOG
  • do your build / push
  • run cloudron versions add
  • commit/post CloudronVersions.json
  • test / loop

---

• docs for CLI should explain more about 'cloudron build' and 'cloudron build build' (repeat words does my head in BTW, please don't )
• docs should make clear that 'cloudron build' will auto assign a tag if not provided ?

---

• CHANGELOG is great discipline ... but I am not disciplined :
  • presumably we can mock it out ("frig it" in AngloSaxon) to make 'cloudron versions add' work, ...
  • or better question, can we automate it (use a publish script to bump version in CloudronManifest.json, maybe with user input, replicate in CHANGELOG, do cloudron build, run cloudron versions add, commit to git, push CloudronVersions.json to static location), ...
  • or EVEN BETTER question, how do you as pro devs handle this ? I'm guessing not manually.

---

• can we please have some short options for things like :
  • '--build-arg <namevalue>' [maybe '-a' or '-arg' or '-ba']
  • '--repository' [maybe '-r' or '-repo'].
  • Even '-nc' for no cache and '-np' for no push (others are ok).

Although I guess they are probably in a script so maybe it does not matter.

[murgero]

Yeah the build process I have I actually avoid using cloudronversion for testing the install until I see it work with cloudron install --image first. I dont mind it taking time but its a janky build process. CI/CD goes a long way but I can't be bothered atm lol

[timconsidine]

@murgero I'm with you

The bash build script I am building uses a parameter :
echo " -p 0 = install only, 1 = publish (revoke/add/push)"

If command has -p 0, it does cloudron install --image ....

If command has -p 1, it does cloudron versions add etc.

Not sure how it will work in practice, needs some real-world usage.

[murgero]

@timconsidine I just have a quickie script:

docker build -t tag . --no-cache
cloudron install --image=tag

[girish]

@timconsidine said:

cli revoke only revokes the last entry, user might want to revoke previous ones

Good catch, added this now. cloudron versions update already had --version.

docs for CLI should explain more about 'cloudron build' and 'cloudron build build'

For the tutorial, we switched to using source builds as the default approach. The next "advanced" step is to build using a local or remote builder. https://docs.cloudron.io/packaging/tutorial#alternative-build-methods explains cloudron build and automatic tags.

TBH, most people don't read docs despite all this The longer the tutorial, the even lesser it will be read.

[nebulon]

@timconsidine so if you don't care about the changelog as such, you could just put a string there, which will be reused or maybe better some https://foo.bar/changelog link which then would have some info on the ongoing changes. The UI should render the link clickable. Only the file:// triggers the loading of that from the folder and checks for the section with the version info.

[timconsidine]

Thanks @girish

TBH, most people don't read docs despite all this

Yep, true

Soon there won't be any docs. AI coding agent utility will produce some illegible binary asset "cloudron.aifood", which another agent will use. We humans won't need to know or read anything.

Thanks @nebulon

maybe better some https://foo.bar/changelog link

nice idea, let me think about that.
testing my build script which makes it a mandatory input (to overcome my lack of discipline )