alr publish with remote source archive does not work

[damaki]

Checklist

• I've included the output of alr version.
• I've included complete steps to reproduce my issue.

Describe the bug
I have a remote source archive (a .tar.gz file) in my project's release on GitHub and I'm trying to publish it with alr publish <URL> as per the documentation at https://alire.ada.dev/docs/#starting-with-a-remote-source-archive. The command does not work and produces an error message. It looks like Alire thinks its a VCS origin instead of a remote source archive.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Run alr publish https://github.com/damaki/nrf52-runtimes/releases/download/v14.0.0/light-nrf52832-14.0.0.tar.gz

The command produces the following error:

ERROR: Could not complete the publishing assistant:
ERROR:    A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin

Expected Behavior
I expect Alire to detect that it's a remote source archive for publishing, not a VCS origin, and continue with the publishing process.

alr version

APPLICATION
alr version:               2.0.2+9b80158
libalire version:          2.0.2+9b80158
compilation date:          2024-10-09 17:02:15
compiled with version:     14.2.0

CONFIGURATION
settings folder:           C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\alire\settings
cache folder:              C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\alire\cache
vault folder:              C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\alire\cache\releases
build folder:              C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\alire\cache\builds
temp folder:               C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\Temp
force flag:                FALSE
non-interactive flag:      FALSE
community index branch:    stable-1.3.0
compatible index versions: ^1.1 & <=1.3.0
indexes folder:            C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\alire\settings\indexes
indexes metadata:          OK
index #1:                  (community) git+https://github.com/alire-project/alire-index#stable-1.3.0
toolchain folder:          C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\alire\cache\toolchains
toolchain assistant:       disabled
tool #1 gnat:              gnat_arm_elf=14.2.1
tool #2 gprbuild:          gprbuild=22.0.1
system package manager:    not found: unknown package manager
distro detection disabled: FALSE

WORKSPACE
root status:               OUTSIDE
root release:              N/A
root load error:           N/A
root folder:               N/A
current folder:            C:\Users\Dan

SYSTEM
distribution:              DISTRIBUTION_UNKNOWN
host-arch:                 X86_64
os:                        WINDOWS
target:                    NATIVE
toolchain:                 USER
word-size:                 BITS_64

alr logs

$ alr -vv -d publish https://github.com/damaki/nrf52-runtimes/releases/download/v14.0.0/light-nrf52832-14.0.0.tar.gz
-->> Load config key: 'index.auto_update_asked' = 'TOML_BOOLEAN'
-->> Load config key: 'index.last_update' = 'TOML_INTEGER'
-->> Load config key: 'toolchain.assistant' = 'TOML_BOOLEAN'
-->> Load config key: 'toolchain.external.gnat' = 'TOML_BOOLEAN'
-->> Load config key: 'toolchain.external.gprbuild' = 'TOML_BOOLEAN'
-->> Load config key: 'toolchain.use.gnat' = 'TOML_STRING'
-->> Load config key: 'toolchain.use.gprbuild' = 'TOML_STRING'
-->> Load config key: 'user.email' = 'TOML_STRING'
-->> Load config key: 'user.github_login' = 'TOML_STRING'
-->> Load config key: 'user.name' = 'TOML_STRING'
-->> Looking for alire metadata at: C:\Users\Dan
-->> Looking for alire metadata at: C:\Users
-->> Looking for alire metadata at: C:\
-->> Root directory reached without finding alire metadata
-> Using default value for configuration 'distribution.disable_detection': 'FALSE'
-->> Registering variable for expressions: distribution
-->> Registering variable for expressions: os
-->> Registering variable for expressions: toolchain
-->> Registering variable for expressions: word-size
-->> Registering variable for expressions: host-arch
-->> alr platform configured
-->> Begin command line:
-->>    Arg 0 (len 34): C:\Program Files\Alire\bin\alr.exe
-->>    Arg 1 (len 3): -vv
-->>    Arg 2 (len 2): -d
-->>    Arg 3 (len 7): publish
-->>    Arg 4 (len 95): https://github.com/damaki/nrf52-runtimes/releases/download/v14.0.0/light-nrf52832-14.0.0.tar.gz
-->> End command line.
-->> Setenv PATH=C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\alire\cache\msys64\usr\bin;C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\alire\cache\msys64\usr\local\bin;C:\Users\Dan\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\usr\local\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin;C:\Users\Dan\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Oracle\Java\javapath;C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0;C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH;C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Common;C:\Program Files\Alire\bin;C:\Program Files\CMake\bin;C:\Coq\bin;C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\cmd;C:\Program Files\Mullvad VPN\resources;D:\GNATSTUDIO\bin;C:\Users\Dan\.cargo\bin;C:\Ruby31-x64\bin;C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Scripts;C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312;C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\vendor_perl;C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\core_perl
-->> Platform-specific initialization done.
-->> Looking for indexes at C:\Users\Dan\AppData\Local\alire\settings\indexes
-> Found 1 indexes
-->> Index auto-refresh not needed: 1h of 24h elapsed
-->> ---8<--- Exception dump begin ---8<---
-->> ALIRE.CHECKED_ERROR
-->> A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin
-->> raised ALIRE.CHECKED_ERROR : A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin
[C:\Program Files\Alire\bin\alr.exe]
0x7ff74900bc64 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alire-publish.adb:1234
0x7ff7488a42b2 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands-publish.adb:128
0x7ff7488a4550 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands-publish.adb:23
0x7ff748921628 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at clic-subcommand-instance.adb:749
0x7ff74892deeb Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands.adb:561
0x7ff7488016a0 Alr.Main at alr-main.adb:13
0x7ff748804f2e Main at b__alr-main.adb:2306
0x7ff74880133e __tmainCRTStartup at ???
0x7ff748801144 mainCRTStartup at ???
[C:\Windows\System32\KERNEL32.DLL]
0x7ff890907372
[C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll]
0x7ff891b9cc8f

-->> --->8--- Exception dump end ----->8---
stderr: ALIRE.CHECKED_ERROR
stderr: A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin
stderr: raised ALIRE.CHECKED_ERROR : A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin
[C:\Program Files\Alire\bin\alr.exe]
0x7ff74900bc64 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alire-publish.adb:1234
0x7ff7488a42b2 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands-publish.adb:128
0x7ff7488a4550 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands-publish.adb:23
0x7ff748921628 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at clic-subcommand-instance.adb:749
0x7ff74892deeb Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands.adb:561
0x7ff7488016a0 Alr.Main at alr-main.adb:13
0x7ff748804f2e Main at b__alr-main.adb:2306
0x7ff74880133e __tmainCRTStartup at ???
0x7ff748801144 mainCRTStartup at ???
[C:\Windows\System32\KERNEL32.DLL]
0x7ff890907372
[C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll]
0x7ff891b9cc8f

stderr: Could not complete the publishing assistant
A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin
ERROR: Could not complete the publishing assistant:
ERROR:    A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin
-->> ---8<--- Exception dump begin ---8<---
-->> ALIRE.CHECKED_ERROR
-->> Could not complete the publishing assistant
A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin
-->> raised ALIRE.CHECKED_ERROR : alire-stored-error:1
[C:\Program Files\Alire\bin\alr.exe]
0x7ff7492cb6aa Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alire.adb:284
0x7ff74900c851 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alire-publish.adb:1266
0x7ff7488a42b2 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands-publish.adb:128
0x7ff7488a4550 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands-publish.adb:23
0x7ff748921628 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at clic-subcommand-instance.adb:749
0x7ff74892deeb Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands.adb:561
0x7ff7488016a0 Alr.Main at alr-main.adb:13
0x7ff748804f2e Main at b__alr-main.adb:2306
0x7ff74880133e __tmainCRTStartup at ???
0x7ff748801144 mainCRTStartup at ???
[C:\Windows\System32\KERNEL32.DLL]
0x7ff890907372
[C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll]
0x7ff891b9cc8f

-->> --->8--- Exception dump end ----->8---
stderr: ALIRE.CHECKED_ERROR
stderr: Could not complete the publishing assistant
A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin
stderr: raised ALIRE.CHECKED_ERROR : alire-stored-error:1
[C:\Program Files\Alire\bin\alr.exe]
0x7ff7492cb6aa Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alire.adb:284
0x7ff74900c851 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alire-publish.adb:1266
0x7ff7488a42b2 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands-publish.adb:128
0x7ff7488a4550 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands-publish.adb:23
0x7ff748921628 Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at clic-subcommand-instance.adb:749
0x7ff74892deeb Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alr-commands.adb:561
0x7ff7488016a0 Alr.Main at alr-main.adb:13
0x7ff748804f2e Main at b__alr-main.adb:2306
0x7ff74880133e __tmainCRTStartup at ???
0x7ff748801144 mainCRTStartup at ???
[C:\Windows\System32\KERNEL32.DLL]
0x7ff890907372
[C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll]
0x7ff891b9cc8f

ERROR: Could not complete the publishing assistant:
ERROR:    A commit id is mandatory for a VCS origin
ERROR: alr encountered an unexpected error, re-run with -d for details.
ERROR: error location: 0x7ff7492cb6aa Semantic_Versioning.Basic.Restrictions.First_Index at alire.adb:284

[Seb-MCaw]

This is fixed by #1736, which didn't make it into 2.0.2. I presume it will be in 2.1.0, @mosteo?

In the meantime, you can use the latest build of the master branch, or publish a local copy of the archive with

alr --force publish --skip-submit file:C:\some\path\light-nrf52832-14.0.0.tar.gz

then manually replace the file path with the public URL in the resulting manifest and submit a pull request to the index as instructed.

[damaki]

Thanks! I've used the latest build of the master branch and that has worked for me.

[mosteo]

This is fixed by #1736, which didn't make it into 2.0.2. I presume it will be in 2.1.0, @mosteo?

Yes, there are a few largish refactorings in main that I don't feel comfortable including in a patch release, so they'll go into 2.1.