path: root/doc/onboarding.texi

\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
@c %**start of header
@setfilename onboarding.info
@include version.texi
@settitle Notes for taler.net admins and developers @value{VERSION}

@c Define a new index for options.
@defcodeindex op
@c Combine everything into one index (arbitrarily chosen to be the
@c concept index).
@syncodeindex op cp
@c %**end of header

@copying
Howtos for taler.net admins and developers (version @value{VERSION}, @value{UPDATED}),
Copyright @copyright{} 2017 INRIA

@quotation
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
Texts.  A copy of the license is included in the section entitled
``GNU Free Documentation License''.
@end quotation
@end copying
@c If your manual is published on paper by the FSF, it should include
@c The standard FSF Front-Cover and Back-Cover Texts, as given in
@c maintain.texi.
@c
@c Titlepage
@c
@titlepage
@title Notes for taler.net admins and developers
@subtitle Version @value{VERSION}
@subtitle @value{UPDATED}
@author Marcello Stanisci (@email{marcello.stanisci@@inria.fr})
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
@insertcopying
@end titlepage

@c @summarycontents
@contents

@ifnottex
@node Top
@top Notes for taler.net admins and developers
@insertcopying
@end ifnottex

@menu
* Taler.net::                           Sysadmins notes for server at taler.net
* Standalone deployment::               Deploy Taler in your homepage
* Deployment on demo.taler.net::        Deploy Taler in a "blue/green" fashion
* Releases::                            Releases patterns
@end menu

@node Taler.net
@section Taler.net

This section documents the set-up of our main server @code{taler.net}.

@subsection Buildbot

@quotation Note
'worker' and 'slave' are used interchangeably
@end quotation

The user running the buildbot master is @emph{containers}.

@subsubsection Master

To start the master, log in as @emph{containers}, and run:

@example
$ ~/buildbot/start.sh

# To stop it, run:
$ ~/buildbot/stop.sh
@end example

There is also a "restart" script, runnable as follows:


@example
$ ~/buildbot/restart.sh
@end example

@subsubsection Selenium worker

This worker is responsible for running the Selenium wallet test:
an automatic clicker that performs the cycle withdraw-and-spend.

The @emph{containers} user is also responsible for running the Selenium
buildbot worker.

Start it with:

@example
$ source ~/buildbot/venv/bin/activate
$ buildbot-worker start ~/buildbot/selenium_worker/

# stop it with:
$ buildbot-worker stop ~/buildbot/selenium_worker/

# deactivate the virtual env with
$ deactivate
@end example

@subsubsection Lcov worker

The worker is implemented by the @emph{lcovslave} user and is responsible
for generating the HTML showing the coverage of our tests, then available
on @emph{https://lcov.taler.net}.

To start the worker, log in as @emph{lcovslave} and run:

@example
$ source ~/activate
$ taler-deployment-bbstart

# To stop it:
$ taler-deployment-bbstop
@end example


@subsubsection Switcher worker

Taler.net uses a "blue/green" fashion to update the code it
uses in demos.  Practically, there are two users: @emph{test-green}
and @emph{test-blue}, and only one of them is "active" at any time.

Being @emph{active} means that whenever nginx receives a HTTP request
for one of the Taler services (at our demo), it routes the request
to either test-blue or test-green via unix domain sockets.

Upon any push to any of the Taler's subprojects, this worker is
responsible for building the code hosted at the inactive user and,
if all tests succeed, switching the active user to the one whose code
has just been compiled and tested.

The worker is implemented by the @emph{testswitcher} user. This user
has some additional "sudo" rights, since it has to act as @emph{test-blue},
`test-gree@emph{$1}est` user in order to accompish its task.
Note that the "sudo file" is tracked in this (@emph{deployment}) repository,
under the @emph{sudoers} directory.

To start the worker, log in as @emph{testswitcher} and run:

@example
$ source ~/venv/bin/activate
$ buildbot-worker start ~/buildbot/slave

# To stop it:
$ buildbot-worker stop ~/buildbot/slave

# To exit the virtual env
$ deactivate
@end example

@subsubsection Manual switch

After the desired blue/green party has been compiled, it is possible to
log-in as @emph{test} and run the script @code{$HOME/.ln-<COLOR>.sh}, in order to make
@code{test-<COLOR>} active.

@subsubsection Website lcov.taler.net

The directory @code{/var/www/lcov.taler.net} contains the following two symlinks

@itemize
@item exchange --> @code{/home/lcovslave/exchange/doc/coverage}
@item merchant --> @code{/home/lcovslave/merchant/doc/coverage}
@end itemize

The pointed locations are updated by the @emph{lcovslave}.


@node Standalone deployment
@section Standalone deployment


This tecnique aims to set a thorough Taler installation up on a
machine whose nginx configuration is configured by config files
from @emph{https://git.taler.net/deployment.git/tree/etc/nginx}.

This installation assumes that all the steps are run with @code{$HOME}
as @code{$CWD}.

The first step is to fetch the @cite{deployment} repository, which hosts all
the needed scripts.

@example
# Adapt the repository's URI to your needs.
$ git clone /var/git/deployment.git/
@end example

The next step is to fetch all the codebases from all the components.

@example
$ ./deployment/bootstrap-standalone
@end example

If the previous step succeeded, a file named @code{activate} should be now
in the @code{$CWD}.  It contains environmental definitions for @code{$PATH} and
database names.

@cartouche
@quotation Note
Please @emph{ignore} the output from the previous script when it succeeds,
which is

@quotation

@smallexample
WARNING: enabling "trust" authentication for local connections
You can change this by editing pg_hba.conf or using the option -A, or
--auth-local and --auth-host, the next time you run initdb.

Success. You can now start the database server using:

/usr/lib/postgresql/9.5/bin/pg_ctl -D talerdb -l logfile start
@end smallexample

The reason is that this message is generated by Postgresql's utilities and
you never need to start your database manually; it will be started by the
init script that launches all the Taler processes.
@end quotation
@end quotation
@end cartouche

Now we need to compile and install all the downloaded codebases.

@example
# We first update `@w{`}$PATH`@w{`}, in order to make all the compilation
# and configuration utilities available.
$ source activate

# Double check if the previous step worked: $PATH should
# contain $HOME/local/bin.
$ echo $PATH

# The actual compilation:
$ taler-deployment-build
@end example

The following step will generate config files for all the components.
Please @strong{note} that although a default currency will be picked up by the
script, it is possible to have a custom currency by setting the environment
variable @code{TALER_CONFIG_CURRENCY} to the wanted currency, and then running
the config generator.

@example
$ taler-deployment-config-generate
@end example

whereas the following one will place signatures inside wireformat JSON
files.

@example
$ taler-deployment-config-sign
@end example

The next step is to generate @cite{signkeys} and @cite{denomkeys}.
Note that it will also get the denomkeys signed by the (local mock)
auditor.

@example
$ taler-deployment-keyup
@end example

@c An error of "invalid currency name" might be related to the current
@c policy of 12-chars limit for currency names; which is likely going to
@c be changed.

It may be necessary to define database tables for the exchange.  The
following command does that.

Note that you have to manually start the database, with the following
command.

@example
taler-deployment-arm -s
taler-deployment-arm -i taler-postrges-standalone
@end example

@example
# Erase all the data!
$ taler-exchange-dbinit -r
@end example

As of the merchant backend, it creates tables at launch time, so it is
not required to define tables before launching it.  @cite{However}, if some
table's definition changed over the time, and there is a need to force
a redefinition of tables, then the following command accomplishes that
for the merchant:

@example
# Erase all the data!
$ taler-merchant-dbinit -r
@end example

If all previous steps succeeded, it is now possible to launch all the
processes.  That is accomplished by the following command:

@example
$ taler-deployment-start
@end example

@cartouche
@quotation Note
Please make sure your nginx works correctly with its configuration
at @code{<DEPLOYMENT-REPO>/etc/nginx}.
@end quotation
@end cartouche

@node Deployment on demo.taler.net
@section Deployment on demo.taler.net

This section describes how to upgrade the whole Taler setup on the
@url{taler.net} Web site.  Here, the deployment scripts include a
``stable'' setup at @url{demo.taler.net} and an ``experimental'' setup
at @url{test.taler.net}.  This section documents the steps for moving
the ``experimental'' logic to the ``stable'' site.  It is mostly
useful for administrators of @url{taler.net}, but given that all of
the configuration files are public, it may also make a good starting
point for others.


First, make sure that the deployment @emph{AND} the deployment scripts work on the @cite{test.taler.net} deployment.

For all repositories that have a separate stable branch (currently exchange.git,
merchant.git, merchant-frontends.git, bank.git, landing.git) do:

@example
$ cd $REPO
$ git pull origin master stable
$ git checkout stable

# option a: resolve conflicts resulting from hotfixes
$ git merge master
$ ...

# option b: force stable to master
$ git update-ref refs/heads/stable master

$ git push # possibly with --force

# continue development
$ git checkout master
@end example

Log into taler.net with the account that is @emph{not} active by looking
at the @cite{sockets} symlink of the @cite{demo} account.

The following instructions wipe out the old deployment completely.

@example
$ ls -l ~demo/sockets

[...] sockets -> /home/demo-green/sockets/
@end example

In this case, @cite{demo-green} is the active deployment, and @cite{demo-blue} should be updated.
After the update is over, the @cite{/home/demo/sockets} symlink will be pointed to @cite{demo-blue}.

@example
# Remove all existing files
$ find $HOME -exec rm -fr @{@} \;

$ git clone /var/git/deployment.git
# Pick color depending on which one is inactive and being rebuilt.
$ ./deployment/bootstrap-bluegreen demo [blue|green]

# set environment appropriately
$ . activate
$ taler-deployment-build

# upgrade the database!  this
# process depends on the specific version

$ taler-deployment-start

# look at the logs, verify that everything is okay
@end example

Now the symlink can be updated.

@node Releases
@section Releases

@subsection Release Process and Checklists

This document describes the process for releasing a new version of the various
Taler components to the official GNU mirrors.

The following components are published on the GNU mirrors

@itemize
@item taler-exchange (exchange.git)
@item taler-merchant (merchant.git)
@item talerfrontends (merchant-frontends.git)
@item taler-bank (bank.git)
@item taler-wallet-webex (wallet-webex.git)
@end itemize

@subsection Tagging

Tag releases with an @b{annotated} commit, like

@example
git tag -a v0.1.0 -m "Official release v0.1.0"
git push origin v0.1.0
@end example

@subsection Database for tests

For tests in the exchange and merchant to run, make sure that
a database @emph{talertest} is accessible by @emph{$USER}.  Otherwise tests
involving the database logic are skipped.

@subsection Exchange, merchant

Set the version in @code{configure.ac}.  The commit being tagged
should be the change of the version.

For the exchange test cases to pass, @code{make install} must be run first.
Without it, test cases will fail because plugins can't be located.


@example
./bootstrap
./configure # add required options for your system
make dist
tar -xf taler-$COMPONENT-$VERSION.tar.gz
cd taler-$COMPONENT-$VERSION
make install check
@end example


@subsection Wallet WebExtension

The version of the wallet is in @emph{manifest.json}.  The @code{version_name} should be
adjusted, and @emph{version} should be increased independently on every upload to
the WebStore.

@example
./configure
make dist
@end example

@c FIXME: selenium test cases


@subsection Upload to GNU mirrors

See @emph{https://www.gnu.org/prep/maintain/maintain.html#Automated-FTP-Uploads}

Directive file:

@example
version: 1.2
directory: taler
filename: taler-exchange-0.1.0.tar.gz
@end example

Upload the files in @b{binary mode} to the ftp servers.

@bye