# sb-builder phase 4: hints Date: 2026-10-20 Status: approved Builds on: `2026-10-19-sb-builder-phase1-design.md` (helper, job model, GUI shell), `2026-10-19-sb-builder-phase2-design.md` (inventory, hint view, slackrepo jobs) ## Goal Manage slackrepo hint files from sb-builder: check upstream versions, update version hints, create and delete hints, and see a diff of every change with a way to revert it. Direction set by the user: the repo is run from the desktop, the VM shell is for upgrading Slackware only. The VM-side tools were built for a terminal; a tool may lose its in-VM usability if that makes sb-builder simpler. So the hint logic of mkhint moves into `sbb-remote` (Python, JSON answers) and the upstream check moves to the desktop. mkhint is not extended. ## Facts this design rests on Verified on the VM, in the mkhint source (`~/Programming/GIT/mkhintfile/mkhint`, 1.4.0, 2291 lines) and in slackrepo (`../GITHUB/slackrepo`): - The VM has 607 hints, all in `hintdir`, none in subdirectories and none in the SBo tree. 594 carry only `DELREQUIRES`, 13 carry `VERSION` + `ARCH` + `DOWNLOAD` + `MD5SUM`, one carries `OPTIONS`. No hint carries `NODOWNLOAD`. Pinned hints carry `DOWNLOAD_x86_64`/`MD5SUM_x86_64` lines, mostly empty (`claude-code`: `DOWNLOAD="UNSUPPORTED"` with the URL in `DOWNLOAD_x86_64`), and `ARCH="x86_64"`. - slackrepo reads `DOWNLOAD="no"` as "no download" and ignores `NODOWNLOAD`. `DOWNLOAD_$ARCH` replaces `DOWNLOAD` when set (`libexec/functions.d/parsefunctions.sh:457`), so `DOWNLOAD="no"` next to a `DOWNLOAD_x86_64` line has no effect. - mkhint's version update: back up to `.bak`, replace the old version by the new one everywhere in the file, also the `_` -> `-` form when either version contains `_`, also the dotless form of a dotted version inside URLs as a whole number (`_swap_dotless_url_version`), then for `DOWNLOAD`/`MD5SUM` and `DOWNLOAD_x86_64`/`MD5SUM_x86_64`: download the first URL and recompute its md5, keep the md5 of continuation URLs unless the user typed a new URL. `UNSUPPORTED`/`UNTESTED` values are skipped. - mkhint's new hint from `.info`: copy the `.info`, drop `PRGNAM`, `HOMEPAGE`, `MAINTAINER`, `EMAIL`, comment out `REQUIRES`, set `ARCH="x86_64"`, append `DELREQUIRES` for phantom deps in `REQUIRES`, then apply a version as above when one is given. - mkhint's `-F`: for every `.info` in the repo whose `REQUIRES` contains a phantom dep, merge those deps into the hint's `DELREQUIRES` (union, first seen order, `.bak` only when something changes, minimal hint created when absent). It edits only the `DELREQUIRES` line. sbshadow (slackrepo_setup) runs it after every sync: that is where the 594 DELREQUIRES-only hints come from, and why they exist (slackrepo must not build deps -current does not need). Until now sbshadow ran it on `--no` previews too. - The VM's nvchecker config has 64 stanzas named after the packages, plus a `[__config__]` with oldver, newver and keyfile. nvchecker v2.22 is installed on the desktop, with a GitHub token in `~/.config/nvchecker/keys.toml`. With `--logger json` it prints one JSON object per line on stdout: `{"name", "version", "event": "updated"}` per result, `{"name", "error", "level": "error"}` per failure; it exits 0 when entries fail and needs no oldver or newver to run. - A DELREQUIRES-only hint has no `VERSION`; mkhint's update cannot bump it. Updating one pins it from the `.info` first; the next `mkhint -F` keeps the pin. A package with a phantom dep always has such a hint, so `hint-new` never sees one. - slackrepo `update ` builds an item that exists, built or not (`update_command` calls `build_command`). - The phantom deps list on the VM (`/root/.config/mkhint/phantom-deps`) has 18 entries. - Two packages use bundled-dep manifests: neovim (url mode) and openvino (sha mode, GitHub submodules). That code is about 470 lines of mkhint. ## Scope In: upstream check, version update, new hint, delete hint, `--no-dl` as `DOWNLOAD="no"`, diff and revert. Out, for good (the Hints screen covers them): mkhint `--list`, `--versions`, `--review`, `--strip-version`, `--info`, `--clean`. Out, later (phase 4b, which then removes mkhint and nvchecker from the VM): bundled-dep reconcile for neovim and openvino, and a helper `fix-current` that sbshadow calls in place of `mkhint -F`, with the phantom deps list moved into the helper config as its single source. Also out: generating nvchecker stanzas for new packages (add them to `nvchecker.toml` by hand), free text hint editing, migration of `NODOWNLOAD=yes` lines (none exist). ## Part 1: upstream check, on the desktop - `nvchecker.toml` in the repo root: the VM's 64 stanzas, without `[__config__]`. Stanza name = package name. Git-tracked, edited by hand. - `sb_builder/upstream.py` runs nvchecker through `QProcess` (as `remote.py` runs `virsh`) with a fixed argv: `nvchecker -c /nvchecker.toml --logger json`. The temp dir holds a generated config: a `[__config__]` with `keyfile` (from the GUI config, when the file exists), followed by the repo file's text. No oldver, newver or `nvtake`: the comparison is against the hints. - Result: `{pkg: version}` and `{pkg: error}` from the JSON log. A package without a result, or a failed run (exit status, stderr), shows as `nvchecker error` with the reason in the tooltip. - Upstream versions are stored with `-` as `_` (mkhint's `_normalize_version`): `-` is illegal in a SlackBuild version, so upstream `2026-10-14` is packaged `2026_10_14`. The comparison and `hint-update` use that form. - A package is outdated when its upstream version differs from the hint `VERSION`, or from the `.info` `VERSION` when the hint has none. Versions are compared as strings; no ordering is attempted. GUI config gains `[hints] nvchecker_keyfile`, default `~/.config/nvchecker/keys.toml` (expanded). A missing keyfile is not an error: nvchecker runs without a token. ## Part 2: helper (`sbb-remote` 0.5.0) ### Config New key `manifest_packages` (below). `remote/config.example.toml` shows it. ### Arguments - package: `PKGNAME` and present in the repo (as for slackrepo jobs). - version: `^[A-Za-z0-9._+-]+$`, at most 64 characters. - hint path: always `/.hint`. If `find_hint` returns a different file for the package (a hint earlier in slackrepo's search order), every hint command refuses: "hint lives at , not managed". - packages with a bundled-dep manifest are named in config key `manifest_packages`, default `["neovim", "openvino"]`. `hint-update` and `hint-new` with a version refuse them: "bundled deps: use mkhint until phase 4b". ### Job kinds - `hint-update =... [--no-dl]`: per package, in order: compute the new text (apply the version, below), then back the hint up to `.bak` and write atomically. A failure (download, missing `.info` VERSION) leaves the hint and its old `.bak` untouched, logs `: failed: ` and continues with the next package. A package without a hint gets a new one built as `hint-new` does. The last log line is `SBB-RESULT {"ok": [pkg...], "failed": [[pkg, why]...]}`. Exit status 1 when any package failed. - `hint-new [] [--no-dl]` (since 0.6.0 `hint-new ... [--no-dl]`, no version, see the UI design): refuses when the hint exists. Builds the hint from the `.info` as mkhint does, without phantom deps (see the facts), then applies the version when given. No `.bak` (a stale one is removed); revert means delete. These jobs never sign, so they do not check the signing key. Their argv is the helper itself: `python3 sbb-remote _hint `, validated again there. Job ids now allow a hyphenated kind (`...-hint-update`). `job-result `: the last `SBB-RESULT` object of a job's log. ### Applying a version 1. A hint without `VERSION` is first pinned from the `.info`: its `VERSION`, `DOWNLOAD*` and `MD5SUM*` lines, plus `ARCH="x86_64"` when the hint has no `ARCH`, are put in front of the hint's text. Old version = the hint's `VERSION`. With no version given (`hint-new `), steps 2 and 3 are skipped. 2. Replace old by new everywhere in the file except inside `MD5SUM*` values. When either contains `_`, also the `-` forms. When old contains `.`, also its dotless form inside URLs, as a whole number (no digit before or after). 3. Without `--no-dl`: for `DOWNLOAD`/`MD5SUM` and `DOWNLOAD_x86_64`/`MD5SUM_x86_64`, split the values on whitespace (hint values may continue over lines with `\`). Skip a pair whose value is empty, `UNSUPPORTED` or `UNTESTED`. Download the first URL with `urllib` (timeout 60 s, streamed into `hashlib.md5`, nothing kept on disk) and replace its md5; keep the md5s of the other URLs. Write values back one URL per line with ` \` continuation, as mkhint does. 4. With `--no-dl`: nothing is downloaded. Every `DOWNLOAD*` and `MD5SUM*` assignment is removed (whole multi-line values) and `DOWNLOAD="no"` is written, because `DOWNLOAD_$ARCH` would override it. Hint text is edited as text, not regenerated, so comments, order and other keys stay as they are. An assignment is `KEY="..."` (the value may span lines inside the quotes) or `KEY=word`, at line start. ### Commands (answer at once, not jobs) - `hint-diff `: `{"bak": text|null, "current": text|null}`. Both null is an error ("no backup"). - `hint-revert `: when a `.bak` exists, move it over the hint (also recreating a deleted hint); when there is no `.bak` and the hint exists, delete the hint (reverting a `hint-new`). Returns `{"ok": true}`. - `hint-delete `: move the hint to `.bak`. Errors when there is no hint. `.bak` is one level deep and overwritten by each change, the mkhint convention. ### Version `VERSION` 0.5.0 in `remote/sbb-remote` and `sb_builder/__init__.py`. ## Part 3: GUI ### Hints screen (`sb_builder/hints_tab.py`, ribbon entry and `Open > Hints`) - Rows: every package with a stanza in `nvchecker.toml` or a hint in `hintdir`. Columns: checkbox, package, hint version, `.info` version, upstream, state. Versions come from the existing `inventory` call. - States: `outdated`, `current`, `no stanza`, `not checked`, `nvchecker error` (stderr in the tooltip). Filter chips per state and a text filter on the name, as in the Packages tab. - Buttons: - **Check upstream**: runs Part 1 over the whole file, fills the upstream column, checks the outdated rows. Results live for the session. - **Update selected**: starts `hint-update pkg=ver ...` for the checked rows that have an upstream version; a **No download** checkbox adds `--no-dl`. - **Delete hint**: confirm dialog, then `hint-delete` for the current row. - Jobs go through the Jobs tab like every other job. ### After a hint job When a `hint-update` or `hint-new` job ends, the GUI reads its `SBB-RESULT` line and opens a dialog with one entry per changed package: a unified diff (`difflib`) of `hint-diff`, and a **Revert** button per package. Failed packages are listed with their reason. The dialog ends with **Build these**, which starts `slackrepo update --preview` for the changed packages that were not reverted (update builds unbuilt items too), and **Close**. Revert is offered once per package: a second one would delete the restored hint. After Revert or Delete the inventory is reloaded. Each diff is fetched when its package is selected. ### Packages detail pane - No hint: **New hint**, with an optional version field and a **No download** checkbox, starts `hint-new`. - Hint present: **Open in Hints** selects the package in the Hints screen. ## Error handling - Bad arguments, unmanaged hint paths and manifest packages are refused by the helper before a job starts; the GUI shows the message. - A download failure (HTTP status, timeout, DNS) fails that package only and leaves its hint as it was. - Writes are atomic (temp file in the same directory, `os.replace`). - nvchecker missing or failing on the desktop affects only the upstream column; the rest of the screen works. - A job without an `SBB-RESULT` line (killed, lost) opens no dialog; the log shows what happened and `hint-diff` still works per package. ## Testing - `test_remote.py`: an `http.server` thread serves fixture files for md5. Version swap forms (plain, `_`/`-`, dotless in URL only, md5 hex not touched), multi-line `DOWNLOAD`/`MD5SUM` with continuation md5s kept, `UNSUPPORTED` skipped, `--no-dl` removing `DOWNLOAD_x86_64` and writing `DOWNLOAD="no"`, a download failure restoring the hint while the next package still updates, `SBB-RESULT` contents, `hint-new` from `.info`, a DELREQUIRES-only hint pinned from the `.info`, new -> revert, update -> diff -> revert, delete -> revert, manifest package refusal, unmanaged hint path refusal, bad version and package rejection. - `test_upstream.py`: generated config, JSON log parsing, states (hint version, `.info` fallback), the repo file has no `[__config__]`, `Checker` against a fake `nvchecker` on `PATH` and a missing one. No network. - `test_gui.py`: Hints screen with a fake remote and injected upstream results (states, checked rows, Update selected argv), diff dialog Revert call. ## Deploy (asks first) 1. `./install.sh --remote` with helper 0.5.0. 2. slackrepo_setup's sbshadow, which no longer runs `mkhint -F` on `--no`. 3. mkhint, nvchecker and `/root/.config/{mkhint,nvchecker}` stay on the VM until phase 4b.