doc/packaging_apps_advanced.md

# Packing Applications : Advanced

Here come the time:
- you know all the [YEPs](/packaging_apps_guidelines)
- you masterise [apps packaging](/packaging_apps), [package_check](https://github.com/YunoHost/package_check), [example_ynh](https://github.com/YunoHost/example_ynh) and [experimnetal helpers](https://github.com/YunoHost-Apps/Experimental_helpers)
- you have integrated the [YunoHost Apps Group](https://yunohost.org/#/project_organization)
- you know what means `¯\_(ツ)_/¯`
- you use to say `Don't ask to ask, just ask` in the [YunoHost support room](https://yunohost.org/#/help)

And now you want to improve your packaging speed before climbing into [Yunohost Core developpement](/dev).

Here are few ideas that will help you.

There are things that slow you down:
- Installing your freshly done package because of dependencies installation or npm/rust/elixir/composer builds
- Waiting a package_check to see the level of your package
- etc...

The idea is to use YunoHost stuff to help you improve this lost time.

## Building your infrastructure
First idea is to build several VMs or LXCs with YunoHost to let you parallelize actions, like having the first one installing an apps, the second installing another apps, the third one debugging an apps upgrade, etc...

After first installation of those VMs/LXCs, each one has to be reacheable with its domain name, like for example:
- ynh1.mydomain.org
- ynh2.mydomain.org
- ynh3.mydomain.org

For that you will need a public IP for each one or reverse proxy... 
If your are lucky enough to have IPV6 and a /64 IPV6 scope, it won't be a problem to assign a public IPV6 to each YunoHost.

In addition, it's helpfull to have several domains names for each YunoHost, for example:
- ynh1.mydomain.org
  - test11.mydomain.org
  - test12.mydomain.org
  - test13.mydomain.org
- ynh2.mydomain.org
  - test21.mydomain.org
  - test22.mydomain.org
  - test23.mydomain.org
- ynh3.mydomain.org
  - test31.mydomain.org
  - test32.mydomain.org
  - test33.mydomain.org

With that you will be able to install two apps on the same YunoHost first one at https://test11.mydomain.org and a second app at https://test12.mydomain.org (let say the first app is nextcloud_ynh the second one is collabora_ynh or onlyoffice_ynh)

When your infrastructure is up and ready, you will have to do snapshots of each VMs/LXCs. Doing that, you will be able to revert back to an happy and healthy YunoHost after doing install/backup/restore/upgrade of and app...

Don't forget to regularly upgrade your YunoHosts VMs/LXCs to the last release doing: revert back to last happy/healthy YunoHost snapshot and doing `yunohost domain cert-renew --no-check && yunohost tools update && yunohost tools upgrade --apps && yunohost tools upgrade --system && apt autoremove`. Take a snapshot after that successfull full upgrade. And after some testings or one week later, remove old snapshot. PS: that can be automated...

Doing that you will have all the time a full/ready to go YunoHosts infrastructure for advanced packagers. And if require, you can have some VMs/LXCs runnning the YunoHost testing or YunoHost next Debian main version.

## Having your packages/commits available in each VMs/LXCs
There are several ways to have your freshly created package available from each VMs/LXCs
1- Do an ssh from the YunoHost VM/LXC to a central repository on your computer
2- rsync you central repository to each VM/LXC
3- use [syncthing](https://github.com/YunoHost-Apps/syncthing_ynh) to syncrhonise you main repository on each VM/LXC

## Shortcuts
Use and abuse of `yunohost app install` `--args` argument

You can do ugly thing considering mynewapp is the name/REPLACEBYYOURAPP of your app

To install your mynewapp app:

```bash
YNHAPP=mynewapp
yunohost app install /mycentralrepo/${YNHAPP}_ynh/ --debug --force --args domain=test11.mydomain.org&path=/myapp&admin=alice&is_public=true&language=en&password=awesomepassword
```

To remove your mynewapp app and reinstall it

```bash
YNHAPP=mynewapp 
yunohost app remove ${YNHAPP} --debug && yunohost app install /mycentralrepo/${YNHAPP}_ynh/ --debug --force --args domain=test11.mydomain.org&path=/myapp&admin=alice&is_public=true&language=en&password=awesomepassword
```

To backup your mynewapp app

```bash
YNHAPP=mynewapp 
yunohost backup create --apps ${YNHAPP} --debug
```

To restore your mynewapp app from the backup just made

```bash
YNHAPP=mynewapp 
yunohost backup restore XXXXXXXX-XXXXXX --apps ${YNHAPP} --debug
```

To upgrade your mynewapp

```bash
YNHAPP=mynewapp 
yunohost app upgrade ${YNHAPP} -f /mycentralrepo/${YNHAPP}_ynh/ --debug


```

With that, you will be able to launch different actions on differents YunoHost VMs/LXCs

## Package_check

With advanced packaging comes [CI_package_check](https://github.com/YunoHost/CI_package_check), it lets you serialize and automate package_check.


## Managing all the parallel packaging you are doing

When you do several things at the same time, sometimes you don't remember what is the next step for this or that app.
A good tool to keep your TODO list organized is to use a kaban like:
- [kanboard](https://github.com/YunoHost-Apps/kanboard_ynh)
- [wekan](https://github.com/YunoHost-Apps/wekan_ynh)