Rewrite hints as restructured text

Signed-off-by: Niels Thykier <niels@thykier.net>

doc/hints.rst

@@ -1,50 +1,30 @@
-#! TITLE: Britney hints documentation
+Hints
-#! SUBTITLE: How to override the britney policies
+=====
 
-# Britney hints
+This document describes the `britney hints` and the format of the hint
+file.  All hints are basically small instructions to britney.  The
+vast majority of them involve overriding a quality gating policy in
+britney.  However, there are a few hints that assist britney into
+finding solutions that it cannot compute itself.
 
-This document describes the "britney hints".  These are basically
+There are the following type of hints:
-small instructions to britney.  The vast majority of them involve
-overriding a quality gating policy in britney.  However, there are a
-few hints that assist britney into finding solutions that it cannot
-compute itself.
 
+ * Policy overrides
+ * Migration selections (with or without overrides)
+ * Other
 
-## Related configuration
+Please see :doc:`setting-up-britney` for how to configure hint files
+and for how to limit which hints are allowed in a given hint file.
 
-The configuration `HINTSDIR` determines which directory contains the
+Format of the hint file
-so called "hints files".  This is complimented with the `HINTS_<NAME>`
+-----------------------
-configurations that defines a "hint file" and the related hint
-permissions for it.
 
-For each `HINTS_<NAME>` configuration, britney will attempt to read
+All hints are read from hint files. The hint file is a plain text file
-`<HINTSDIR>/<name>`.  Note that it lowercases `<NAME>` when looking
+with line-based content.  Empty and whitespace-only lines are ignored.
-for the file.
+If the first (non-whitespace) character is a `#`, then britney
-
+considers it a comment and ignores it.  However, other tooling may
-
+interpret these comments (as is the case for e.g. some parts of the
-Configuration example:
+Debian infrastructure).
-
-    HINTSDIR = /etc/britney2/hints
-    HINTS_ANNA = ALL
-    HINTS_JOHN = STANDARD
-    HINTS_FREEZE = block block-all block-udeb
-    HINTS_AUTO-REMOVALS = remove
-
-There are no fixed rules for how to use hints files.  Though usually,
-each person with permissions to give hints to britney will have their
-own hint file along with write permissions for that file.  It can also
-make sense to create hint files for "roles".  Like in the above
-example there are two human hints (anna and john) plus two non-human
-hinters (freeze and auto-removals).
-
-
-## Format of the hint file
-
-The hint file is a plain text file with line-based content.  Empty and
-whitespace-only lines are ignored.  If the first (non-whitespace)
-character is a `#`, then britney considers it a comment and ignores
-it.  However, other tooling may interpret these comments (as is the
-case for e.g. some parts of the Debian infrastructure).
 
 The remaining lines are considered space-separated lists, where the
 first element must be a known hint.  The remaining elements will be
@@ -65,16 +45,8 @@ generally refers to the removal of said item rather than the migration
 of the hint.
 
 
-# Hints
+Policy override hints
-
+---------------------
-There are the following type of hints:
-
- * Policy overrides
- * Migration selections (with or without overrides)
- * Other
-
-
-## Policy override hints
 
 The policy override hints are used to disable or tweak various
 policies in britney.  Their effects are generally very precise ways of
@@ -84,7 +56,9 @@ Some of these items are built-in while others are related to specific
 policies.  In the latter case, they are only valid if the given policy
 is enabled (as the policy registers them when it is enabled).
 
-### block-all `<type>`
+
+block-all `<type>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Usually used during freezes to prevent migrations by default.
 
@@ -92,16 +66,19 @@ The `<type>` can be one of:
 
  * `source`: Blocks all source migrations.  This is a superset of
    `new-source`.
+
  * `new-source`: Block source migrations if the given source is not
-    already in the target suite.  (Side-effect: Removed packages will
+   already in the target suite.  (Side-effect: Removed packages will
-    not re-enter the taget suite automatically).
+   not re-enter the taget suite automatically).
 
 All variants of these can be overruled by a valid `unblock`-hint.
 
 Note that this does not and cannot restrict architecture specific
 migrations (e.g. binNMUs or first time builds for architectures).
 
-### block `<action list>`, block-udeb `<action list>`
+
+block `<action list>`, block-udeb `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Prevent the items in the `<action list>` from migrating until the hint
 is removed or overruled by the equivalent unblock hint (or a
@@ -117,7 +94,9 @@ release cycle.
 Note that this does not and cannot restrict architecture specific
 migrations (e.g. binNMUs or first time builds for architectures).
 
-### unblock `<action list>`, unblock-udeb `<action list>`
+
+unblock `<action list>`, unblock-udeb `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Enable the items in `<action list>` to migrate by overriding `block`-,
 `block-all`- or `block-udeb`-hints.  The `unblock`-hint (often under
@@ -133,7 +112,9 @@ release cycle.
 The two types of block hint must be paired with their corresponding
 unblock hint - i.e. an `unblock-udeb` does not override a `block`.
 
-### approve `<action list>`
+
+approve `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 A synonym of `unblock`.  The variant is generally used for approving
 migrations from suites that require approvals.
@@ -142,7 +123,9 @@ Aside from the tab-completion in the hint testing interface, which
 will give different suggestions to `approve` and `unblock`, the rest
 of britney will consider them identical.
 
-### age-days `<days>` `<action list>`
+
+age-days `<days>` `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Set the length of time which the listed action items must have been in
 unstable before they can be considered candidates.  This may be used
@@ -154,7 +137,9 @@ whichever is encountered first during parsing overrides the others.
 
 Provided by the `age` policy.
 
-### urgent `<action list>`
+
+urgent `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Approximately equivalent to `age-days 0 <action list>`, with the
 distinction that an "urgent" hint overrides any "age-days" hint for
@@ -162,7 +147,9 @@ the same action item.
 
 Provided by the `age` policy.
 
-### ignore-rc-bugs `<bugs>` `<action list>`
+
+ignore-rc-bugs `<bugs>` `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 The `<bugs>` argument is a comma separated list <bugs> of bugs that
 affect the items in `<action list>`.  Britney will ignore these bugs
@@ -175,7 +162,8 @@ migration item.
 
 Provided by the `bugs` policy
 
-### ignore-piuparts `<action list>`
+ignore-piuparts `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 The items in `<action list>` will not be blocked by regressions in
 results from piuparts tests.  All items in `<action list>` must be
@@ -183,7 +171,9 @@ versioned items.
 
 Provided by the `piuparts` policy
 
-### force `<action list>`
+
+force `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Override all policies that claim the items in `<action list>` have
 regressions or are otherwise not ready to migrate.  All items in the
@@ -194,7 +184,9 @@ This hint does not guarantee that they will migrate.  To ensure that,
 you will have to combine it with a `force-hint`.  However, please read
 the warning in the documentation for `force-hint` before you do this.
 
-## Migration selection hints
+
+Migration selection hints
+-------------------------
 
 All migration selection hints work on an "action list".  This consists
 of at least 1 or more of the following (in any combination):
@@ -207,7 +199,9 @@ All elements in the action list must be valid at the time the hint is
 attempted.  Notably, if one action has already been completed, the
 entire hint is rejected as invalid.
 
-### easy `<action list>`
+
+easy `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Perform all the migrations and removals denoted by `<action list>` as if
 it were a single migration group.  If the end result is equal or better
@@ -221,7 +215,8 @@ Note that for `easy` the `<action list>` must have at least two
 elements.  There is no use-case where a single element for easy will
 make sense (as britney always tries those).
 
-### hint `<action list>`
+hint `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Perform all the migrations and removals denoted by `<action list>` as if
 it were a single migration group.  After that, process all remaining
@@ -246,7 +241,9 @@ undesireable changes to the target suite.  In practise, this is rather
 rare but the hinter is letting britney decide what "repairs" the
 situation.
 
-### force-hint `<action list>`
+
+force-hint `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 The provided `<action list>` is migrated as-is regardless of what is
 broken by said migration.  This often needs to be paired with a
@@ -260,11 +257,13 @@ desirable than the resulting breakage.
 change can have long lasting undesireable consequences on the end
 result.
 
-## Other hints
+Other hints
+-----------
 
 This section cover hints that have no other grouping.
 
-### remove `<action list>`
+remove `<action list>`
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 Britney should attempt to remove all items in the `<action list>` from
 the target suite.  The `<action list>` must consist entirely of

doc/index.rst

@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ Welcome to britney2's documentation!
    short-intro-to-migrations
    solutions-to-common-policy-issues
    contributing-to-britney
+   hints
+   setting-up-britney
 
 * :ref:`search`
 

doc/setting-up-britney.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+How to setup britney
+====================
+
+This document describes how to install, configure and run britney in
+your infrastructure.
+
+Installing britney
+------------------
+
+TODO
+
+Configuring britney
+-------------------
+
+TODO
+
+hints - Configuring who can provide which hints
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Britney reads all hints from a set of `hints` files.  These files must
+be placed in the directory denoted by the `HINTSDIR` configuration.
+This is complimented with the `HINTS_<NAME>` configurations that
+defines a "hint file" and the related hint permissions for it.
+
+For each `HINTS_<NAME>` configuration, britney will attempt to read
+`<HINTSDIR>/<name>`.  Note that it lowercases `<NAME>` when looking
+for the file.
+
+
+Configuration example::
+
+    HINTSDIR = /etc/britney2/hints
+    HINTS_ANNA = ALL
+    HINTS_JOHN = STANDARD
+    HINTS_FREEZE = block block-all block-udeb
+    HINTS_AUTO-REMOVALS = remove
+
+In the above example, we have defined 4 hints files named `anna`,
+`john`, `freeze` and `auto-removals`.  These must be placed in
+`/etc/britney2/hints` and be readable by britney.  Furthermore, they
+must be writable by (only) the people that are allowed to use the
+particular hints file (apply `chown`, `chmod` and `setfacl` as
+neccesary).
+
+The values on the right hand side of the `=` decides which hints are
+permitted in the files.  With the above definitions:
+
+ * The file `anna` may use any known hint (including potentially
+   dangerous ones like `force` and `force-hint`)
+
+ * The file `john` may use most of the known hints.  The STANDARD
+   includes a lot of hints for overriding most policies when it
+   can be done without (additional) side-effects.  However, it
+   excludes `force` and `force-hint` as they can cause unintional
+   results.
+
+ * The file `freeze` can use any of the hints `block`, `block-all`
+   and `block-udeb`.
+
+ * The file `auto-removals` can only use the hint called `remove`.
+
+There are no fixed rules for how to use hints files.  Though usually,
+each person with permissions to give hints to britney will have their
+own hint file along with write permissions for that file.  It can also
+make sense to create hint files for "roles".  Like in the above
+example there are two human hinters (`anna` and `john`) plus two
+non-human hinters (`freeze` and `auto-removals`).
+
+Please see :doc:`hints` for which hints are available and what they
+can do.
+
+
+Using the results from britney
+------------------------------
+
+TODO
+