1583936 - bitbar workers: use g-w's multiuser engine

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Taskcluster :: Workers, enhancement)

Description

[Andrew Erickson [:aerickson]]

We're already using the single user variant of 16, use the multiuser version.

Comment 1

[Pete Moore [:pmoore][:pete]]

Give me a shout if you get stuck on anything.

See the generic-worker on linux installation guide for getting started.

Good luck! :-)

Comment 2

[Andrew Erickson [:aerickson]]

I've made an initial attempt at getting g-w multiuser working on the android-hw Bitbar Docker images. https://github.com/bclary/mozilla-bitbar-docker/pull/26 switches to the multiuser binary.

Step 3 of the directions at https://github.com/taskcluster/generic-worker#linux-simplemultiuserdocker-build is concerning.

android-hw TC jobs (that run on Bitbar infrastructure) start a fresh docker container that runs g-w for every run (more info at https://mana.mozilla.org/wiki/x/tB01BQ). Running gdm, gnome, and an X server is difficult for a few reasons.

Problems:

• g-w multiuser's process doesn't seem compatible with our current Docker image creation or test execution process.
  • Our Dockerfile would call g-w during the Docker build process to do initial setup?
    • We could just replicate what it does and make g-w think setup is already done.
  • The containers don't run an X server.
• Bitbar's cluster managers (the Docker hosts) don't have much free RAM and CPU.
• Adding gnome desktop to the Docker image would increase it's size and build time greatly.
  • Job execution time would also likely increase.

Could g-w multiuser be modified to work without an X server, GDM, and a desktop manager?

Comment 3

[Pete Moore [:pmoore][:pete]]

(In reply to Andrew Erickson [:aerickson] from comment #2)

Could g-w multiuser be modified to work without an X server, GDM, and a desktop manager?

I've created bug 1588799 for this.

I'd still be interested to meet up to talk about the current setup, to see if there is something we can do before bug 1588799 is ready, as at the moment we don't have this bug as a scheduled work item, so I'm not sure when it will be ready. However, we may be able to bump the priority if this is important, but I'd first like to discuss the options, in case there is a quicker win. Although it is certainly a nice-to-have, it isn't blocking other projects at the moment, so if this is the only project it is blocking, and there is a reasonable alternative, it may be worth doing until this feature is written.

Comment 4

[Bob Clary [:bc] (inactive)]

I suggest we bring this up in bitbar slack and discuss it with Sakari or Devarsh.

Comment 5

[Andrew Erickson [:aerickson]]

:pmoore, I've sent an invite to meet next Tuesday at 12:30PM east coast time. Let me know if that doesn't work.

Comment 6

[Andrew Erickson [:aerickson]]

:pmoore, please send me an invite to discuss when you're free.

Comment 7

[Pete Moore [:pmoore][:pete]]

Hi Andrew, sorry for late reply, today at 12:30PM east coast time is fine. Thanks!

Comment 8

[Chris Cooper [:coop] (he/him)]

Andrew: are you still working on this?

Comment 9

[Andrew Erickson [:aerickson]]

:coop, not actively, but yes. It blocks https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1534723 so I think we need to continue on it.

Peter and I met ~6 months ago and decided we'd pair on the changes required in q1 or q2 of 2020.

Comment 10

[Andrew Erickson [:aerickson]]

Closing due to inactivity. Please re-open when we're willing to invest time in changing how multiuser g-w works.