[Python-Dev] Possible language summit topic: buildbots

[Paul Moore]

2009/10/25  <exarkun at twistedmatrix.com>:
> Perhaps this is a significant portion of the problem.  Maintaining a build
> slave is remarkably simple and easy.  I maintain about half a dozen slaves
> and spend at most a few minutes a month operating them. Actually setting one
> up in the first place might take a bit longer, since it involves installing
> the necessary software and making sure everything's set up right, but the
> actual slave configuration itself is one command:
>
>  buildbot create-slave <path> <master address> <slave name> <slave password>
>
> Perhaps this will help dispel the idea that it is a serious undertaking to
> operate a slave.
>
> The real requirement which some people may find challenging is that the
> slave needs to operate on a host which is actually online almost all of the
> time.  If you don't such a machine, then there's little point offering to
> host a slave.

I have been seriously considering setting up one or more buildslaves
for a while now. However, my biggest issue is that they would be
running as VMs on my normal PC, which means that it's the issue of
keeping them continually online that hurts me.

If I could (say) just fire the slaves up for a set period, or fire
them up, have them do a build and report back, and then shut down,
that would make my life easier (regular activities rather than ongoing
sysadmin works better for me).

It sounds like a buildslave isn't really what I should be looking at.
Maybe Titus' push model pony-build project would make more sense for
me.

Paul.