Chomp

Quick clone Launchpad Git branches for reviewing merge proposals.

The Launchpad Merge Proposal interface is extremely limited, so it is often helpful to open the changes in your local editor. However, it can be a little tedious to get the correct clone command, clone it into your repository directory with a different name (so you don't get it confused with the main version), open it up in your editor, and then delete it when your'e done.

Chomp automates that.

This was originally intended to go hand-in-hand with the Review Gator workflow on the Canonical Public Cloud team (ergo the name) but it works perfectly without it.

Installation

For Chomp to work, your Git must have the lp: shortcut configured globally (learn how here).

Copy or symlink the chomp file intp your environment path, e.g. in ~/.local/bin. I particularly recommend cloning the repository, and then symlinking chomp into ~/.local/bin via ln -s.

By default, Chomp will check out repositories in the directory ~/.chomp, but you can override this by setting the environment variable CHOMP_PATH.

Chomp uses VSCode to "open in editor" by default, namely with the 'code -n %P' command, where the path to the repository is subtituted for %P. You can override this command by setting the environment variable CHOMP_EDITOR.

Usage

To use Chomp, you only need the Launchpad repository and branch as it appears on the top of the Merge Request. It will always take the form ~user/group/+git/repo or ~user/group/+git/repo:branch.

For example: ~codemouse92/livecd-rootfs/+git/livecd-rootfs:hyperv-manifest

That line must always start with a tilde for Chomp to recognize it. To clone that repository and branch, simply run:

chomp ~codemouse92/livecd-rootfs/+git/livecd-rootfs:hyperv-manifest

It will clone the repository in Chomp's working directory with the name user.group.repo (e.g. codemouse92.livecd-rootfs.livecd-rootfs), and check out the appropriate branch (if one was specified, e.g. hyperv-manifest here). Then it will ask if you want to open the repository directory in your editor (and you only need to hit enter!)

Not sure if you've cloned this before? Not to worry. If Chomp finds the same repository again (from the same user), it'll let you decide if you want to reclone, switch branch, or just abort.

If you just want to edit a repository you've already checked out, run chomp edit, like this:

chomp edit ~codemouse92/livecd-rootfs/+git/livecd-rootfs:hyperv-manifest

That will also handle switching to the correct local branch. (Edit never pulls from remote.)

To see all the repositories (not the branches, though) you have cloned with Chomp, run chomp list.

Finally, when you're done with the repository and want it off your system, just run chomp remove:

chomp remove ~codemouse92/livecd-rootfs/+git/livecd-rootfs:hyperv-manifest

Easy as pie.