Contributor documentation and nox set-up instructions incomplete

[arwedus]

Hello!

I've tried to run sphinx-needs nox test locally for testing sphinx-needs with python 3.8 on an Ubuntu 22.04 system. I have followed the contributing.rst file but got stuck.

These are the steps I have performed:

1. install pipx (sudo apt install pipx)

2. install poetry via pipx (cd sphinx-needs && pipx install poetry)

3. install nox and nox-poetry via pipx (pipx install nox && pipx inject nox nox-poetry)

4. install pyenv (curl https://pyenv.run | bash)

5. add pyenv to my .bashrc (pyenv prints the instructions after "install")

6. restart bash shell

7. Install pyenv install 3.8-> failure

8. Run on ubuntu:

   sudo apt update;
   sudo apt install build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev \
      libbz2-dev libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev curl \
      libncursesw5-dev xz-utils tk-dev libxml2-dev libxmlsec1-dev libffi-dev liblzma-dev
   

9. Retry step 7 -> now it works (pyenv versions shows system, which is 3.10, and 3.8.18)

10. restart bash shell

11. try nox -s 3.8. Gives error:

nox > Command /home/str2lr/.local/pipx/venvs/nox/bin/python -m virtualenv /home/str2lr/projects/public/sphinx-needs/.nox/tests-3-8-sphinx-5-0 -p python3.8 failed with exit code 1:
RuntimeError: failed to find interpreter for Builtin discover of python_spec='python3.8'

I think it somehow is related to nox not being installed in the "global" python environment, but I won't to that. I have to avoid that nox, poetry etc. with all their dependencies pollute my global or user python environment (it's also what the contributing.rst says -> "use a python environment". It does not explicitly mention which, though... so I thought the choice would be open).

Is nox actually tested? I see that the github actions pipeline doesn't use it.

[chrisjsewell]

Heya, From my side, I use nox via pipx, and have no problem:

$ pipx list
...
   package nox 2023.4.22, installed using Python 3.11.6
    - nox
    - tox-to-nox

$ nox -e "tests-3.10(sphinx='7.0')" -- tests/ -x
nox > Running session tests-3.10(sphinx='7.0')
...

I don't use pyenv though, jus a global installed python3.10 (technically Im in a base conda environment)

$ which python3.10
/Users/chrisjsewell/mambaforge/bin/python3.10

You might have to look for "generic" nox+pyenv help, like here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/71454022/nox-does-not-find-my-pyenv-versions-in-my-python-poetry-project

[arwedus]

@chrisjsewell: That doesn't look like a matrix test with different python versions. What I'm trying to achieve is running the tests for python 3.8 and 3.10. I don't think that this is possible without having two python versions installed. And since I have a managed machine and can't simply install python 3.8 globally, I've tried pyenv as suggested by the nox documentation.

How do you test with different python versions locally?

[arwedus]

You might have to look for "generic" nox+pyenv help, like here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/71454022/nox-does-not-find-my-pyenv-versions-in-my-python-poetry-project

Ah! pyenv local 3.8 system did the trick! Mind if I add this short step-by-step instructions to your contributing.rst?

[chrisjsewell]

How do you test with different python versions locally?

Honestly, I don't 😅, I just test test against one and let the CI handle the rest. I've never had a problem (and you've seen the amount of PRs I've merged 😄 )

(Obviously I didn't set up this project originally, but in basically all my other projects, I actually steer clear of poetry and nox, and use flit and tox + tox-conda (which does everything through conda environments, and works for multiple python versions)

[chrisjsewell]

Ah! pyenv local 3.8 system did the trick! Mind if I add this short step-by-step instructions to your contributing.rst?

Yeh no worries, I guess just add it as a tip for pyenv users

[arwedus]

How do you test with different python versions locally?

Honestly, I don't 😅, I just test test against one and let the CI handle the rest. I've never had a problem (and you've seen the amount of PRs I've merged 😄 )

(Obviously I didn't set up this project originally, but in basically all my other projects, I actually steer clear of poetry and nox, and use flit and tox + tox-conda (which does everything through conda environments, and works for multiple python versions)

Ah, the beauty of the Python ecosystem. Reminds me of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgxklT94W0I&t=20s :D

[chrisjsewell]

Love that guy

Maybe one day we'll get one-to-rule-them-all 😂