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Handling SNAPSHOT Dependencies When Building Ergo Node#

When building the Ergo node from source, especially when working with development branches or Release Candidates (RCs), you might encounter build failures related to SNAPSHOT dependencies.

The Problem#

  • What are SNAPSHOTs? SNAPSHOT versions represent unstable, work-in-progress builds of libraries (like sigmastate-interpreter, scorex-util, etc.) that are not yet officially released.
  • Why they cause issues: The standard build process (sbt assembly) tries to download dependencies from remote repositories (like Maven Central). SNAPSHOT versions are typically not published to these public repositories.
  • Error Message: If the Ergo node version you are trying to build depends on a SNAPSHOT version (e.g., 6.0.0-RC2-SNAPSHOT) that isn't available remotely or locally, the build will fail with errors indicating unresolved dependencies or artifacts not found.

The Solution: sbt publishLocal#

To resolve this, you need to manually build the required SNAPSHOT dependency yourself and publish it to your local SBT repository (usually located at ~/.ivy2/local on Linux/macOS or %USERPROFILE%\.ivy2\local on Windows). The Ergo node build process can then find the dependency locally.

Steps#

  1. Identify the Required SNAPSHOT Dependency:

    • Check the build.sbt file in the root of the Ergo node source code (for the specific tag or branch you checked out, e.g., v6.0.0-RC2).
    • Look for lines defining versions for core libraries, like: 
      val sigmastateVersion = "6.0.0-RC2-SNAPSHOT" 
// or similar for scorexVersion, etc.
    • Note the exact SNAPSHOT version string (e.g., "6.0.0-RC2-SNAPSHOT") and the corresponding library's repository URL (usually found nearby in build.sbt or in the project's main README/documentation). For sigmastate-interpreter, it's typically https://github.com/ergoplatform/sigmastate-interpreter.git.
    • Important: Sometimes, specific Release Notes or developer announcements for an RC will specify the exact commit hash within the dependency's repository that corresponds to the required SNAPSHOT. Using the correct commit hash is crucial for compatibility. If unsure, check release notes or ask in developer channels.

  2. Clone the Dependency Repository:

    • Clone the repository of the required library: 
      # Example for sigmastate-interpreter
git clone https://github.com/ergoplatform/sigmastate-interpreter.git

  3. Navigate and Checkout the Correct Commit/Branch:

    • Change into the cloned dependency's directory: 
      cd sigmastate-interpreter
    • Check out the specific commit hash or branch corresponding to the required SNAPSHOT version identified in Step 1. 
      # Example using a specific commit hash
git checkout <commit_hash_specified_in_release_notes> 

# Or, if a specific branch is indicated (less common for SNAPSHOTs)
# git checkout <branch_name>

  4. Publish Locally:

    • Run the sbt publishLocal command within the dependency's directory. This compiles the library and installs the SNAPSHOT version into your local Ivy repository. 
      sbt publishLocal
    • Wait for the process to complete successfully.

  5. Return and Build Ergo Node:

    • Navigate back to the main Ergo node source directory: 
      cd ../ergo
    • Now, run the Ergo node build command again: 
      sbt assembly
    • The build should now find the locally published SNAPSHOT dependency and proceed.

Note: If the Ergo node version depends on multiple SNAPSHOT libraries, you will need to repeat steps 2-4 for each required dependency before attempting the final sbt assembly in the Ergo node directory. Always refer to the specific release information for the version you are building.