path: root/assets/outbox/2025-11-08-test-failure-analysis.org

#+TITLE: Test Failure Analysis - VM Test Run 20251108-204202
#+AUTHOR: Craig Jennings & Claude
#+DATE: 2025-11-08

* Test Overview

Test ID: 20251108-204202
Date: 2025-11-08 21:16:11
VM: archsetup-test-20251108-204202
Result: **FAILED** (archsetup exited 0 but validation failed)

* Critical Findings

** PRIMARY ROOT CAUSE: Disk Space Exhausted

The 20GB VM disk ran out of space during package installation:

#+begin_example
error: Partition / too full: 90773 blocks needed, 9323 blocks free
error: not enough free disk space
error: failed to commit transaction (not enough free disk space)
#+end_example

This caused cascading failures of ~100+ packages after initial packages filled the disk.

*Impact:* Most package installation failures
*Severity:* CRITICAL
*Resolution:* ✅ FIXED - Increased VM disk size to 50GB (was 20GB)

** SECONDARY ROOT CAUSE: git.cjennings.net Server Unavailable

DWM, dmenu, and st failed to build due to 504 Gateway Timeout errors:

#+begin_example
Cloning into '/home/cjennings/.local/src/dwm'...
fatal: unable to access 'https://git.cjennings.net/dwm.git/': The requested URL returned error: 504
ERROR: cloning source code for dwm failed with error code 0
#+end_example

*Impact:* DWM validation check failed (critical)
*Severity:* HIGH
*Resolution:* ✅ RESOLVED - git.cjennings.net is working (verified 2025-11-08, transient 504 errors)

** VALIDATION FAILURE: DWM Not Found

Test validation checks:
- ✅ yay is installed
- ❌ DWM not found at /usr/local/bin/dwm

*Cause:* git.cjennings.net 504 errors prevented DWM build
*Impact:* Test marked as FAILED

* Error Summary

Total errors: 134

** Error Categories

*** Git Repository Access (3 errors)
- dwm clone/pull failed (504 error)
- dmenu clone/pull failed (504 error)
- st clone partially succeeded (permission warning)

*** Package Installation Failures (~100+ errors)
All caused by disk space exhaustion after initial packages installed.

Examples:
- emacs
- code (VS Code)
- virtualbox
- Many AUR packages (obsidian, warpinator, etc.)
- Standard packages (aspell, imagemagick, ffmpegthumbnailer, etc.)

*** Configuration Failures (2 errors)
- Dotfile restoration failed (error 128)
- Boot menu regeneration failed
- Blue light filter configuration failed

*** Other Errors
- prep to workaround tidal-dl issue failed

* Timeline of Failure

1. **20:44** - Dotfile restoration error (early warning sign)
2. **20:46** - Boot menu regeneration failed
3. **20:47-20:49** - git.cjennings.net 504 errors (DWM/dmenu/st)
4. **20:56** - First package failures start (nitrogen)
5. **21:03** - adwaita-color-schemes fails
6. **21:11** - Major package failures begin (disk full):
   - emacs
   - code
   - virtualbox
   - exercism-bin
   - And ~100+ more packages
7. **21:16** - archsetup completes (exit 0)
8. **21:16** - Validation fails (DWM not found)

* Affected Components

** Window Manager (Critical)
- ❌ DWM - Not built (git server error)
- ❌ dmenu - Not built (git server error)
- ⚠️  st - Partially built? (permission warning)

** Development Tools
- ❌ emacs
- ❌ code (VS Code)
- ❌ virtualbox
- ❌ exercism-bin
- ❌ libvips
- ❌ isync

** Desktop Applications
- ❌ obsidian
- ❌ warpinator
- ❌ valent
- ❌ nitrogen (wallpaper setter)
- ❌ foliate
- ❌ mcomix
- ❌ nsxiv

** System Utilities
- ❌ aspell / aspell-en
- ❌ imagemagick
- ❌ ffmpegthumbnailer
- ❌ 7zip
- ❌ fd
- ❌ And many more...

* Resolution Plan

** Immediate Actions (Before Next Test)

1. **✅ DONE - Increase VM Disk Size**
   - ✅ Changed from 20GB → 50GB
   - ✅ Updated create-base-vm.sh
   - ✅ Updated lib/vm-utils.sh
   - ✅ Updated scripts/testing/README.org
   - ✅ Updated docs/testing-strategy.org
   - ⏳ TODO: Re-create base VM

2. **✅ DONE - Verify git.cjennings.net Access**
   - ✅ Server is working (dwm cloned successfully)
   - ✅ 504 errors were transient network issues

3. **TODO - Re-run Test**
   - Re-create base VM with 50GB disk: ./scripts/testing/create-base-vm.sh
   - Run full test: ./scripts/testing/run-test.sh
   - Expected: Much fewer errors, all critical components should build

** Long-term Improvements

1. **Disk Space Monitoring**
   - Add disk usage checks during archsetup run
   - Warn if disk space < 5GB free
   - Fail fast if insufficient space detected early

2. **Repository Fallbacks**
   - Mirror critical repos to GitHub
   - Auto-fallback if primary git server unavailable
   - Document required repositories

3. **Better Error Reporting**
   - Distinguish "disk full" from "package doesn't exist"
   - Report root cause clearly
   - Group related failures

4. **Test Scenarios**
   - Add "minimum disk space" test
   - Add "offline installation" test (local package cache)
   - Add "repository unavailable" resilience test

* Lessons Learned

1. **20GB is insufficient** for full archsetup with all packages
   - Base system: ~3-5GB
   - Package downloads: ~5-10GB
   - AUR builds: ~5-10GB (tmpfs in VM?)
   - Installed packages: ~10-15GB
   - **Total needed: 40-50GB minimum**
   - **✅ FIXED: Increased to 50GB**

2. **External dependencies are fragile**
   - git.cjennings.net unavailability blocked critical components
   - Need fallback mechanisms
   - Consider hosting mirrors

3. **Cascading failures mask root cause**
   - Disk full caused 100+ package errors
   - Easy to miss the root cause in noise
   - Better error aggregation needed

4. **Validation checks are essential**
   - archsetup exited 0 (success) but system was broken
   - Validation caught DWM failure
   - Need more validation checks

* Next Test Expectations

After increasing disk to 50GB (git server was working, just transient 504s):

** Expected Results (with 50GB disk)
- ✅ archsetup exits with code 0
- ✅ User 'cjennings' created
- ✅ Dotfiles are stowed
- ✅ yay is installed
- ✅ DWM is built and installed
- ✅ Most/all packages installed successfully
- ✅ No disk space errors

** Acceptable Failures
- Some deprecated AUR packages may still fail
- Some optional packages may have build issues
- These should be < 10 errors, not 134

* Files Referenced

- Test report: [[file:../test-results/20251108-204202/test-report.txt]]
- Test log: [[file:../test-results/20251108-204202/test.log]]
- archsetup log: [[file:../test-results/20251108-204202/archsetup-2025-11-08-20-42-27.log]]
- Base VM creation: [[file:../test-results/create-base-vm-20251108-182022.log]]
- Auto-install script: [[file:../vm-images/auto-install.sh]]