Proposal: Allow a way to create an idempotent index.yaml file

[colearendt]

Per discussion here, there is reluctance to depend on filesystem times for chart "created" time.

However, there are other occasions where being able to create an index.yaml file from a set of data that is reliable (i.e. GitHub tags, releases, git logs, etc.). As a result, it would be ideal to have a way to generate the index file in an idempotent fashion.

I believe the only piece of data that is not reproducible is the "created" time. As a result, it would be ideal to have a way to IndexFile.MustAdd() with deterministic input / output (i.e. allow specifying the timestamp). This would allow index file creation to be idempotent downstream, which could improve CI mechanisms, migration to different build systems, and migration to different helm repositories without losing timestamp data.

Relevant code:

helm/pkg/repo/index.go

Lines 120 to 146 in 657850e

	func (i IndexFile) MustAdd(md *chart.Metadata, filename, baseURL, digest string) error {
	if md.APIVersion == "" {
	md.APIVersion = chart.APIVersionV1
	}
	if err := md.Validate(); err != nil {
	return errors.Wrapf(err, "validate failed for %s", filename)
	}
	u := filename
	if baseURL != "" {
	_, file := filepath.Split(filename)
	var err error
	u, err = urlutil.URLJoin(baseURL, file)
	if err != nil {
	u = path.Join(baseURL, file)
	}
	}
	cr := &ChartVersion{
	URLs: []string{u},
	Metadata: md,
	Digest: digest,
	Created: time.Now(),
	}
	ee := i.Entries[md.Name]
	i.Entries[md.Name] = append(ee, cr)
	return nil
	}

Would a PR implementing such a solution be permissible? What approach would be preferable?

[yxxhero]

@colearendt Can you create a HIP for this feature. Thanks very much.

[colearendt]

Woops missed that process 😅 Thanks, will do!

[github-actions]

This issue has been marked as stale because it has been open for 90 days with no activity. This thread will be automatically closed in 30 days if no further activity occurs.

[colearendt]

I started a HIP for this - haven't submitted yet

[github-actions]

This issue has been marked as stale because it has been open for 90 days with no activity. This thread will be automatically closed in 30 days if no further activity occurs.

[colearendt]

I started on a HIP for this. Need to finish!

[github-actions]

This issue has been marked as stale because it has been open for 90 days with no activity. This thread will be automatically closed in 30 days if no further activity occurs.

[colearendt]

Grr. My HIP is stagnant. Still hoping to get back to this 🙈

[github-actions]

This issue has been marked as stale because it has been open for 90 days with no activity. This thread will be automatically closed in 30 days if no further activity occurs.

[colearendt]

Still hoping to get back here

[github-actions]

This issue has been marked as stale because it has been open for 90 days with no activity. This thread will be automatically closed in 30 days if no further activity occurs.