Moodle Production Server with GIT
GIT Repository scheme
This is the description of how we maintain our Moodle2 code at TU Berlin. Our Moodle has ca. 30000 active user with average 2000 online user 24/7. We have a lot of code changes and plugins, so it's essential for us to maintain the code as automated as possible.
Our Moodle is called ISIS. So further on everything what is named ISIS belongs to us, everything what is called MOODLE belongs to moodle.org.
We use several GIT-repositories. The scheme with branches looks like this
The main purpose for the ISIS remote repository is for backups. One can imagine a scenario without this remote server only with local repositories involved. If you use gitolite for your remote repository, it's even more comfortable to keep the code clean, because you are able the restrict access to branches for developer and integration manager individually.
The puzzle about the isis_rebase branch will be explained, when we come to a new moodle release.
Install the repositories
We start with the original moodle code. For orientation we suggest to read the very useful description Git_for_Administrators first. Instead of the advise there we won't clone the moodle.org-repository in the first place. We start over with creating an empty repository at the ISIS Integration server.
wendt@integ:~$ mkdir isis wendt@integ:~$ cd isis/ wendt@integ:~/isis$ git init Initialized empty Git repository in /home/wendt/isis/.git/ wendt@integ:~/isis$
Now we add moodle.org as remote repository.
wendt@integ:~/isis$ git remote add moodle git://git.moodle.org/moodle.git wendt@integ:~/isis$ git fetch moodle remote: Counting objects: 597378, done. remote: Compressing objects: 100% (141938/141938), done. remote: Total 597378 (delta 442383), reused 597378 (delta 442383) Receiving objects: 100% (597378/597378), 223.38 MiB | 11.16 MiB/s, done. Resolving deltas: 100% (442383/442383), done. From git://git.moodle.org/moodle * [new branch] MOODLE_13_STABLE -> moodle/MOODLE_13_STABLE * [new branch] MOODLE_22_STABLE -> moodle/MOODLE_22_STABLE . . . * [new branch] MOODLE_23_STABLE -> moodle/MOODLE_23_STABLE * [new branch] master -> moodle/master * [new tag] v1.3.5 -> v1.3.5 . . . * [new tag] v2.3.2 -> v2.3.2 wendt@integ:~/isis$
Next we create a local branch of the moodle 2.3 code.
wendt@integ:~/isis$ git branch --track MOODLE_23_STABLE remotes/moodle/MOODLE_23_STABLE Branch MOODLE_23_STABLE set up to track remote branch MOODLE_23_STABLE from moodle. wendt@integ:~/isis$ git checkout MOODLE_23_STABLE Switched to branch 'MOODLE_23_STABLE' wendt@integ:~/isis$
From this we fork our initial ISIS code.
wendt@integ:~/isis$ git checkout -b isis_contrib Switched to a new branch 'isis_contrib' wendt@integ:~/isis$
At this point we expect an empty ISIS remote repository, where we can initially push the ISIS code. First we add it as a remote repository to our local git-repository. then we push the isis_contrib branch into the different branches of the remote repository.
wendt@integ:~/isis$ git remote add isis git://isis.remote.tu-berlin.de/isis.git wendt@integ:~/isis$ git push isis isis_contrib:isis_contrib Counting objects: 472320, done. Delta compression using up to 4 threads. Compressing objects: 100% (117914/117914), done. Writing objects: 100% (472320/472320), 199.01 MiB | 17.92 MiB/s, done. Total 472320 (delta 347911), reused 464510 (delta 342938) To git://isis.remote.tu-berlin.de/isis.git * [new branch] isis_contrib -> isis_contrib wendt@integ:~/isis$ git push isis isis_contrib:isis_productive Total 0 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0) To git://isis.remote.tu-berlin.de/isis.git * [new branch] isis_contrib -> isis_productive wendt@integ:~/isis$ git push isis isis_contrib:isis_rebase Total 0 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0) To git://isis.remote.tu-berlin.de/isis.git * [new branch] isis_contrib -> isis_rebase wendt@integ:~/isis$
To stay in sync with the remote ISIS repository we track the remote branches to local ones now.
wendt@integ:~/isis$ git branch --track isis_productive remotes/isis/isis_productive Branch isis_productive set up to track remote branch isis_productive from isis. wendt@integ:~/isis$ git branch --track isis_rebase remotes/isis/isis_rebase Branch isis_rebase set up to track remote branch isis_rebase from isis. wendt@integ:~/isis$ git checkout isis_contrib Already on 'isis_contrib' wendt@integ:~/isis$ git branch --set-upstream remotes/isis/isis_contrib Branch remotes/isis/isis_contrib set up to track local branch isis_contrib. wendt@integ:~/isis$
Now we are ready to bring the code to the productive Server. You can pull the code from the remote ISIS repository, but you will have a lot of overhead this way. So we simply rsync the code to the server.
wendt@integ:~/isis$ git checkout isis_productive Switched to branch 'isis_productive' wendt@integ:~/isis$ cd .. wendt@integ:~$ rsync -a --delete --exclude=config.php --exclude=.htaccess --exclude=.git/ isis admin@www.isis.tu-berlin.de:/var/www/ admin@www.isis.tu-berlin.de's password: wendt@integ:~$
This rsync command will reappear later updating the production code as well. At this point you can start using your moodle and follow the install procedure of moodle.
Merge the weekly moodle release
Now, having a working Moodle instance running at the Server, we have to merge the weekly Moodle releases, To be on the save side, you can always fork new test branches and test the merging process there, before you apply these to you productive branches. After practising it for 11 weeks everything still merges smoothly without any conflicts.
First we get the recent Moodle release in our tracked Moodle-branch.
wendt@bastet:~/isis$ git checkout MOODLE_23_STABLE Switched to branch 'MOODLE_23_STABLE' wendt@bastet:~/isis$ git pull remote: Counting objects: 4304, done. remote: Compressing objects: 100% (776/776), done. remote: Total 3014 (delta 2310), reused 2841 (delta 2155) Receiving objects: 100% (3014/3014), 733.24 KiB | 276 KiB/s, done. Resolving deltas: 100% (2310/2310), completed with 532 local objects. From git://git.moodle.org/moodle a8d6719..9fa159e MOODLE_21_STABLE -> moodle/MOODLE_21_STABLE a8ce907..10c3c37 MOODLE_22_STABLE -> moodle/MOODLE_22_STABLE 562dbe4..b1c5155 MOODLE_23_STABLE -> moodle/MOODLE_23_STABLE ccd90e7..7e8ae12 master -> moodle/master Updating 562dbe4..b1c5155 Fast-forward admin/cli/install.php | 14 +- admin/renderer.php | 2 +- admin/tool/customlang/locallib.php | 2 +- . . . version.php | 4 +- webservice/lib.php | 2 +- 104 files changed, 2211 insertions(+), 1248 deletions(-) create mode 100644 install/lang/ms/admin.php create mode 100644 install/lang/ms/install.php create mode 100644 install/lang/ms/moodle.php delete mode 100644 mod/lesson/importppt.php delete mode 100644 mod/lesson/importpptlib.php create mode 100644 pix/f/epub.png wendt@bastet:~/isis$
Develop and change local code
Our developers clone the ISIS remote repository to their local home directories, prepare and test their changes and push the results back to isis_contrib branch of the ISIS remote server.
develop1@mylaptop:~$ git clone git://isis.remote.tu-berlin.de/isis.git Cloning into isis... remote: Counting objects: 472320, done. remote: Compressing objects: 100% (112942/112942), done. remote: Total 472320 (delta 347910), reused 472320 (delta 347910) Receiving objects: 100% (472320/472320), 199.03 MiB | 23.88 MiB/s, done. Resolving deltas: 100% (347910/347910), done. warning: remote HEAD refers to nonexistent ref, unable to checkout. develop1@mylaptop:~$
To be aware of changes we track the remote isis_contrib branch to a local branch.
develop1@mylaptop:~$ cd isis/ develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$ git branch -av remotes/origin/isis_contrib 562dbe4 weekly release 2.3.2+ remotes/origin/isis_productive 562dbe4 weekly release 2.3.2+ remotes/origin/isis_rebase 562dbe4 weekly release 2.3.2+ develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$ git branch --track isis_contrib remotes/origin/isis_contrib Branch isis_contrib set up to track remote branch isis_contrib from origin. develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$
Lets fork a branch, where we put and test our code changes.
develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$ git checkout isis_contrib Switched to branch 'isis_contrib' develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$ git checkout -b isis_my_code1 Switched to a new branch 'isis_my_code1' develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$
Make code changes.
develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$ emacs theme/base/style/pagelayout.css develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$
After commiting it, we can push it to the ISIS remote server. Of course there 1000 ways of using git to develop and change code and to push it to remote repositories. This is just one and your a free to use, whatever you are used to.
develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$ git commit -a -m "base theme updated" [isis_my_code1 b5ec6cc] base theme updated 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-) develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$ git push origin isis_my_code1:isis_contrib Counting objects: 11, done. Delta compression using up to 4 threads. Compressing objects: 100% (6/6), done. Writing objects: 100% (6/6), 511 bytes, done. Total 6 (delta 5), reused 0 (delta 0) To git://isis.remote.tu-berlin.de/isis.git 562dbe4..b5ec6cc isis_my_code1 -> isis_contrib develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$
Don't forget before the next code change to update your isis_contrib branch.
develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$ git checkout isis_contrib Switched to branch 'isis_contrib' Your branch is behind 'origin/isis_contrib' by 1 commit, and can be fast-forwarded. develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$ git pull Updating 562dbe4..b5ec6cc Fast-forward theme/base/style/pagelayout.css | 2 +- 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-) develop1@mylaptop:~/isis$
Integrate code changes to productive
coming soon
Rebase on new Moodle version
coming soon
