[tahoe-lafs-trac-stream] [tahoe-lafs] #1310: separate "gateway state directory" from "client state directory" (was: If --node-url is present then --node-directory is mostly but not entirely ignored.)

[tahoe-lafs]

#1310: separate "gateway state directory" from "client state directory"
-----------------------------------+-----------------------
     Reporter:  zooko              |      Owner:  warner
         Type:  defect             |     Status:  reopened
     Priority:  major              |  Milestone:  undecided
    Component:  code-frontend-cli  |    Version:  1.8.1
   Resolution:                     |   Keywords:  usability
Launchpad Bug:                     |
-----------------------------------+-----------------------
Description changed by zooko:

Old description:

> I use multiple grids (pub grid, volunteergrid, and a private family
> grid), and I just now had a confusing error where I ran {{{tahoe
> backup}}} and it completed quickly but produced a backup directory full
> of links to files with 0 shares each.
>
> What happened, of course, was that I had previously run {{{tahoe backup
> --node-url=http://127.0.0.1:3458/}}} to backup these files to my family
> grid, and now I was running {{{tahoe backup --node-
> url=http://127.0.0.1:3457/}}} to backup these files to the volunteergrid,
> but I was unwittingly using the same {{{backupdb.sqlite}}}.
>
> I wonder if, when the {{{--node-url}}} option is present, then the CLI
> shouldn't look into {{{~/.tahoe}}} at all. Most of the configuration and
> state in {{{~/.tahoe}}} is specific to the gateway that the {{{--node-
> url}}} points to, and the CLI will ignore it anyway and instead whatever
> configuration is in the tahoe-base-dir that is used by the gateway will
> take effect.
>
> The only exception that I can think of right away is the
> {{{private/backupdb.sqlite}}}. Is that the only thing that affects the
> CLI when {{{--node-url}}} is present? Maybe it should be kept in a
> different directory.
>
> I think I'm a bit confused about this. I'm not sure what all it means
> that there exists a {{{~/.tahoe}}} when I'm actually using a gateway
> which runs as a separate user process, is specified by the {{{--node-
> url}}} option, and it has its own {{{~/.tahoe}}} in its own user account.
> As a work-around and a way to gain clarity, I'll probably start
> specifying {{{--node-directory}}} in addition to {{{--node-url}}}, but
> this really feels wrong as it isn't a node directory at all! It is a CLI
> directory. :-)

New description:

 I use multiple grids (pub grid, volunteergrid, and a private family grid),
 and I just now had a confusing error where I ran {{{tahoe backup}}} and it
 completed quickly but produced a backup directory full of links to files
 with 0 shares each.

 What happened, of course, was that I had previously run {{{tahoe backup
 --node-url=http://127.0.0.1:3458/}}} to backup these files to my family
 grid, and now I was running {{{tahoe backup --node-
 url=http://127.0.0.1:3457/}}} to backup these files to the volunteergrid,
 but I was unwittingly using the same {{{backupdb.sqlite}}}.

 I wonder if, when the {{{--node-url}}} option is present, then the CLI
 shouldn't look into {{{~/.tahoe}}} at all. Most of the configuration and
 state in {{{~/.tahoe}}} is specific to the gateway that the {{{--node-
 url}}} points to, and the CLI will ignore it anyway and instead whatever
 configuration is in the tahoe-base-dir that is used by the gateway will
 take effect.

 The only exception that I can think of right away is the
 {{{private/backupdb.sqlite}}}. Is that the only thing that affects the CLI
 when {{{--node-url}}} is present? Maybe it should be kept in a different
 directory.

 I think I'm a bit confused about this. I'm not sure what all it means that
 there exists a {{{~/.tahoe}}} when I'm actually using a gateway which runs
 as a separate user process, is specified by the {{{--node-url}}} option,
 and it has its own {{{~/.tahoe}}} in its own user account. As a work-
 around and a way to gain clarity, I'll probably start specifying
 {{{--node-directory}}} in addition to {{{--node-url}}}, but this really
 feels wrong as it isn't a node directory at all! It is a CLI directory.
 :-)

--

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://tahoe-lafs.org/trac/tahoe-lafs/ticket/1310#comment:10>
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