[Caml-list] Attn: Development Editor, Latest OCaml Weekly News

[Alan Schmitt <alan.schmitt@polytechnique.org>]

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Hello

Here is the latest OCaml Weekly News, for the week of February 09 to 16,
2021.

Table of Contents
─────────────────

opam 2.0.8 release
opam 2.1.0~beta4
Set up OCaml 1.1.6
Set up OCaml 1.1.7
Old CWN


opam 2.0.8 release
══════════════════

  Archive: <https://discuss.ocaml.org/t/ann-opam-2-0-8-release/7242/1>


R. Boujbel announced
────────────────────

  We are pleased to announce the minor release of [opam 2.0.8].

  This new version contains some fixes, mainly for sandbox and fish
  scripts. You can find more information in this [blog post], and more
  detailed in the [release note].

  /opam is a source-based package manager for OCaml. It supports
  multiple simultaneous compiler installations, flexible package
  constraints, and a Git-friendly development workflow./


[opam 2.0.8] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/releases/tag/2.0.8>

[blog post] <https://opam.ocaml.org/blog/opam-2-0-8>

[release note] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/releases/tag/2.0.8>


opam 2.1.0~beta4
════════════════

  Archive: <https://discuss.ocaml.org/t/ann-opam-2-1-0-beta4/7252/1>


David Allsopp announced
───────────────────────

  On behalf of the opam team, it gives me great pleasure to announce the
  third beta release of opam 2.1. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss beta3 -
  we had an issue with a configure script that caused beta2 to report as
  beta3 in some instances, so we skipped to beta4 to avoid any further
  confusion!

  We encourage you to try out this new beta release: there are
  instructions for doing so in [our wiki]. The instructions include
  taking a backup of your `~/.opam' root as part of the process, which
  can be restored in order to wind back. _Please note that local
  switches which are written to by opam 2.1 are upgraded and will need
  to be rebuilt if you go back to opam 2.0_. This can either be done by
  removing `_opam' and repeating whatever you use in your build process
  to create the switch, or you can use `opam switch export
  switch.export' to backup the switch to a file before installing new
  packages. Note that opam 2.1 _shouldn’t_ upgrade a local switch unless
  you upgrade the base packages (i.e. the compiler).


[our wiki]
<https://github.com/ocaml/opam/wiki/How-to-test-an-opam-feature>

What’s new in opam 2.1?
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌

  • Switch invariants
  • Improved options configuration (see the new `option' and expanded
    `var' sub-commands)
  • Integration of system dependencies (formerly the opam-depext
    plugin), increasing their reliability as it integrates the solving
    step
  • Creation of lock files for reproducible installations (formerly the
    opam-lock plugin)
  • CLI versioning, allowing cleaner deprecations for opam now and also
    improvements to semantics in future without breaking
    backwards-compatibility
  • Performance improvements to opam-update, conflict messages, and many
    other areas
  • New plugins: opam-compiler and opam-monorepo


Switch invariants
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

  In opam 2.0, when a switch is created the packages selected are put
  into the “base” of the switch. These packages are not normally
  considered for upgrade, in order to ease pressure on opam’s
  solver. This was a much bigger concern early on in opam 2.0’s
  development, but is less of a problem with the default mccs solver.

  However, it’s a problem for system compilers. opam would detect that
  your system compiler version had changed, but be unable to upgrade the
  ocaml-system package unless you went through a slightly convoluted
  process with `--unlock-base'.

  In opam 2.1, base packages have been replaced by switch
  invariants. The switch invariant is a package formula which must be
  satisfied on every upgrade and install. All existing switches’ base
  packages could just be expressed as `package1 & package2 & package3'
  etc. but opam 2.1 recognises many existing patterns and simplifies
  them, so in most cases the invariant will be `"ocaml-base-compiler" {=
  4.11.1}', etc. This means that `opam switch create my_switch
  ocaml-system' now creates a _switch invariant_ of `"ocaml-system"'
  rather than a specific version of the `ocaml-system' package. If your
  system OCaml package is updated, `opam upgrade' will seamlessly switch
  to the new package.

  This also allows you to have switches which automatically install new
  point releases of OCaml. For example:

  ┌────
  │ opam switch create ocaml-4.11 --formula='"ocaml-base-compiler" {>= "4.11.0" & < "4.12.0~"}'
  │ --repos=old=git+https://github.com/ocaml/opam-repository#a11299d81591
  │ opam install utop
  └────

  Creates a switch with OCaml 4.11.0 (the `--repos=' was just to select
  a version of opam-repository from before 4.11.1 was released). Now
  issue:

  ┌────
  │ opam repo set-url old git+https://github.com/ocaml/opam-repository
  │ opam upgrade
  └────

  and opam 2.1 will automatically offer to upgrade OCaml 4.11.1 along
  with a rebuild of the switch. There’s not yet a clean CLI for
  specifying the formula, but we intend to iterate further on this with
  future opam releases so that there is an easier way of saying “install
  OCaml 4.11.x”.


opam depext integration
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

  opam has long included the ability to install system dependencies
  automatically via the [depext plugin]. This plugin has been promoted
  to a native feature of opam 2.1.0 onwards, giving the following
  benefits:

  • You no longer have to remember to run `opam depext', opam always
    checks depexts (there are options to disable this or automate it for
    CI use). Installation of an opam package in a CI system is now as
    easy as `opam install .', without having to do the dance of `opam
    pin add -n/depext/install'. Just one command now for the common
    case!
  • The solver is only called once, which both saves time and also
    stabilises the behaviour of opam in cases where the solver result is
    not stable. It was possible to get one package solution for the
    `opam depext' stage and a different solution for the `opam install'
    stage, resulting in some depexts missing.
  • opam now has full knowledge of depexts, which means that packages
    can be automatically selected based on whether a system package is
    already installed. For example, if you have *neither* MariaDB nor
    MySQL dev libraries installed, `opam install mysql' will offer to
    install `conf-mysql' and `mysql', but if you have the MariaDB dev
    libraries installed, opam will offer to install `conf-mariadb' and
    `mysql'.


[depext plugin] <https://github.com/ocaml-opam/opam-depext>


opam lock files and reproducibility
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

  When opam was first released, it had the mission of gathering together
  scattered OCaml source code to build a [community repository]. As time
  marches on, the size of the opam repository has grown tremendously, to
  over 3000 unique packages with over 18000 unique versions. opam looks
  at all these packages and is designed to solve for the best
  constraints for a given package, so that your project can keep up with
  releases of your dependencies.

  While this works well for libraries, we need a different strategy for
  projects that need to test and ship using a fixed set of
  dependencies. To satisfy this use-case, opam 2.0.0 shipped with
  support for _using_ `project.opam.locked' files. These are normal opam
  files but with exact versions of dependencies. The lock file can be
  used as simply as `opam install . --locked' to have a reproducible
  package installation.

  With opam 2.1.0, the creation of lock files is also now integrated
  into the client:
  • `opam lock' will create a `.locked' file for your current switch and
    project, that you can check into the repository.
  • `opam switch create . --locked' can be used by users to reproduce
    your dependencies in a fresh switch.

  This lets a project simultaneously keep up with the latest
  dependencies (without lock files) while providing a stricter set for
  projects that need it (with lock files).


[community repository] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam-repository>


CLI Versioning
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

  A new `--cli' switch was added to the first beta release, but it’s
  only now that it’s being widely used. opam is a complex enough system
  that sometimes bug fixes need to change the semantics of some
  commands. For example:

  • `opam show --file' needed to change behaviour
  • The addition of new controls for setting global variables means that
    the `opam config' was becoming cluttered and some things want to
    move to `opam var'
  • `opam switch create 4.11.1' still works in opam 2.0, but it’s really
    an OPAM 1.2.2 syntax.

  Changing the CLI is exceptionally painful since it can break scripts
  and tools which themselves need to drive `opam'.  CLI versioning is
  our attempt to solve this. The feature is inspired by the `(lang dune
  ...)' stanza in `dune-project' files which has allowed the Dune
  project to rename variables and alter semantics without requiring
  every single package using Dune to upgrade their `dune' files on each
  release.

  Now you can specify which version of opam you expected the command to
  be run against. In day-to-day use of opam at the terminal, you
  wouldn’t specify it, and you’ll get the latest version of the CLI. For
  example: `opam var --global' is the same as `opam var --cli=2.1
  --global'. However, if you issue `opam var --cli=2.0 --global', you
  will told that `--global' was added in 2.1 and so is not available to
  you. You can see similar things with the renaming of `opam upgrade
  --unlock-base' to `opam upgrade --update-invariant'.

  The intention is that `--cli' should be used in scripts, user guides
  (e.g. blog posts), and in software which calls opam. The only decision
  you have to take is the _oldest_ version of opam which you need to
  support. If your script is using a new opam 2.1 feature (for example
  `opam switch create --formula=') then you simply don’t support opam
  2.0. If you need to support opam 2.0, then you can’t use `--formula'
  and should use `--packages' instead. opam 2.0 does not have the
  `--cli' option, so for opam 2.0 instead of `--cli=2.0' you should set
  the environment variable `OPAMCLI' to `2.0'. As with _all_ opam
  command line switches, `OPAMCLI' is simply the equivalent of `--cli'
  which opam 2.1 will pick-up but opam 2.0 will quietly ignore (and, as
  with other options, the command line takes precedence over the
  environment).

  Note that opam 2.1 sets `OPAMCLI=2.0' when building packages, so on
  the rare instances where you need to use the `opam' command in a
  _package_ `build:' command (or in your build system), you _must_
  specify `--cli=2.1' if you’re using new features.

  There’s even more detail on this feature [in our wiki]. We’re still
  finalising some details on exactly how `opam' behaves when `--cli' is
  not given, but we’re hoping that this feature will make it much easier
  in future releases for opam to make required changes and improvements
  to the CLI without breaking existing set-ups and tools.


[in our wiki]
<https://github.com/ocaml/opam/wiki/Spec-for-opam-CLI-versioning>


What’s new since the last beta?
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌

  • opam now uses CLI versioning ([#4385])
  • opam now exits with code 31 if all failures were during fetch
    operations ([#4214])
  • `opam install' now has a `--download-only' flag ([#4036]), allowing
    opam’s caches to be primed
  • `opam init' now advises the correct shell-specific command for `eval
    $(opam env)' ([#4427])
  • `post-install' hooks are now allowed to modify or remove installed
    files ([#4388])
  • New package variable `opamfile-loc' with the location of the
    installed package opam file ([#4402])
  • `opam update' now has `--depexts' flag ([#4355]), allowing the
    system package manager to update too
  • depext support NetBSD and DragonFlyBSD added ([#4396])
  • The format-preserving opam file printer has been overhauled
    ([#3993], [#4298] and [#4302])
  • pins are now fetched in parallel ([#4315])
  • `os-family=ubuntu' is now treated as `os-family=debian' ([#4441])
  • `opam lint' now checks that strings in filtered package formulae are
    booleans or variables ([#4439])

  and many other bug fixes as listed [on the release page].


[#4385] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/pull/4385>

[#4214] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/issues/4214>

[#4036] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/issues/4036>

[#4427] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/pull/4427>

[#4388] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/pull/4388>

[#4402] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/pull/4402>

[#4355] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/issues/4355>

[#4396] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/pull/4396>

[#3993] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/issues/3993>

[#4298] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/pull/4298>

[#4302] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/pull/4302>

[#4315] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/issues/4315>

[#4441] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/pull/4441>

[#4439] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/issues/4439>

[on the release page]
<https://github.com/ocaml/opam/releases/tag/2.1.0-beta4>


New Plugins
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌

  Several features that were formerly plugins have been integrated into
  opam 2.1.0. We have also developed some _new_ plugins that satisfy
  emerging workflows from the community and the core OCaml team. They
  are available for use with the opam 2.1 beta as well, and feedback on
  them should be directed to the respective GitHub trackers for those
  plugins.


opam compiler
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

  The [`opam compiler'] plugin can be used to create switches from
  various sources such as the main opam repository, the ocaml-multicore
  fork, or a local development directory. It can use Git tag names,
  branch names, or PR numbers to specify what to install.

  Once installed, these are normal opam switches, and one can install
  packages in them. To iterate on a compiler feature and try opam
  packages at the same time, it supports two ways to reinstall the
  compiler: either a safe and slow technique that will reinstall all
  packages, or a quick way that will just overwrite the compiler in
  place.


[`opam compiler'] <https://github.com/ocaml-opam/opam-compiler>


opam monorepo
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

  The [`opam monorepo'] plugin lets you assemble standalone dune
  workspaces with your projects and all of their opam dependencies,
  letting you build it all from scratch using only Dune and OCaml. This
  satisfies the “monorepo” workflow which is commonly requested by large
  projects that need all of their dependencies in one place. It is also
  being used by projects that need global cross-compilation for all
  aspects of a codebase (including C stubs in packages), such as the
  MirageOS unikernel framework.


[`opam monorepo'] <https://github.com/ocamllabs/opam-monorepo>


Next Steps
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌

  This is anticipated to be the final beta in the 2.1 series, and we
  will be moving to release candidate status after this. We could really
  use your help with testing this release in your infrastructure and
  projects and let us know if you run into any blockers. If you have
  feature requests, please also report them on [our issue tracker] – we
  will be planning the next release cycle once we ship opam 2.1.0
  shortly.


[our issue tracker] <https://github.com/ocaml/opam/issues>


Set up OCaml 1.1.6
══════════════════

  Archive: <https://discuss.ocaml.org/t/ann-set-up-ocaml-1-1-6/7276/1>


Sora Morimoto announced
───────────────────────

  This release includes a change to make the OCaml CI workflow on
  Windows faster!

        I tested this on one of my repos where the build itself is
        mere seconds. Before this change, setup-ocaml needed an
        average of 5:39 to install OCaml+opam and 1:53 to build
        the dependencies of the library. After this change, it
        needs an average of 3:15 for the installation and 1:27 for
        the deps.


Changed
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌

  • Windows installs Cygwin to `D:\cygwin', using faster Azure temporary
    storage.

  <https://github.com/avsm/setup-ocaml/releases/tag/v1.1.6>


Set up OCaml 1.1.7
══════════════════

  Archive: <https://discuss.ocaml.org/t/ann-set-up-ocaml-1-1-7/7279/1>


Sora Morimoto announced
───────────────────────

Changed
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌

  • Ubuntu and macOS runners no longer display "No switch is currently
    installed." before building the compiler.
  • Ubuntu no longer installs the system ocaml packages.
  • macOS no longer builds two compilers on every run.
  • Upgrade opam to 2.0.8 for Linux VMs.

  <https://github.com/avsm/setup-ocaml/releases/tag/v1.1.7>


Old CWN
═══════

  If you happen to miss a CWN, you can [send me a message] and I'll mail
  it to you, or go take a look at [the archive] or the [RSS feed of the
  archives].

  If you also wish to receive it every week by mail, you may subscribe
  [online].

  [Alan Schmitt]


[send me a message] <mailto:alan.schmitt@polytechnique.org>

[the archive] <https://alan.petitepomme.net/cwn/>

[RSS feed of the archives] <https://alan.petitepomme.net/cwn/cwn.rss>

[online] <http://lists.idyll.org/listinfo/caml-news-weekly/>

[Alan Schmitt] <https://alan.petitepomme.net/>


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