Getting rid of the "machines" folder..

[Ejler]

The machines folder is great for inspirational scripts, but horrible in terms of sharing PyExpLabSys between different "installations".

Ideas to separate machines from PyExpLabSys?

[robertjensen]

I will suggest some variant over a theme like this:

• Each usergroup create and maintain their own repository with their own machines, in the same manner as:
  https://github.com/robertjensen/machines
  This repo is for my own installation at home, a similar repo (non-public) exists for HPNow and also Nanomade will soon get one
  It is of course preferred that such repos are public to allow mutual inspiration. We could even make a document in main PyExpLabSys with references to a few highlights

• A typical installation will consist of a checkout of PyExpLabSys, that will be pip-installed with --user as well as a checkout of the local relevant machines folder.

• Once this is done by all users with code in current PyExpLabSys/machines (ie. surfcat), remove machines from PyExpLabSys entirely (git rm -r machines/)

[KennethNielsen]

I think Roberts plan sounds good. My only input on this was that SurfCat could use a git submodule for machines. That way there would be a link between the PyExpLabSys source code and updates there and the machines repo. But, if you are going for a true separation, like what Robert is hintint at, which I think is better, then there is no need for this.

The bottom line is that it would be give you a slightly simpler setup and update, but at the expense of using the the semi-magical git submodules during development, so not worth it IMO.

[robertjensen]

Great, I will suggest that @Ejler initiate the work of making a stand-alone machines folder for surfcat. If you want to preserve git-history, you could fork and remove everything else, or you could simply copy the files and start a new repo.

[Ejler]

Sounds great. I'm on it.

[robertjensen]

If PyExpLabSys is installed with pip --user, should I then update bootstrap to also user --user in the pip step?

[KennethNielsen]

@robertjensen The need not to hose ones system dirs is of course smaller on RPi's, but still, I'm surprised it wasn't already, and since it is always the same user, that totally makes sense to me