Re: bug#29108: 25.3; ERC SASL support

[J.P.]

Amin Bandali <bandali@gnu.org> writes:

> Hey J.P., (all,)

Hey :)

> J.P. writes:
>
>> v14. Revised docs a bit and renamed some compat functions. Added a 900
>> handler to erc-backend. Added secrets-wrapping for auth-source-pass
>> results in erc-compat. Ditched hook indirection for AUTHENTICATE
>> handler.
>>
>
> Thanks!  I've pushed all of these patches.

Thanks for bailing me out. (This was fast becoming the "Swingers
answering machine" of bug threads.)

> All but one of them were committed without any additional changes; and
> that one was 0006-Add-non-IRCv3-SASL-module-to-ERC.patch, where I just
> added the missing entries for doc/misc/erc.texi and etc/ERC-NEWS to
> the commit message.

Oof. Thanks. I also forgot the bug number on

  0007-Accept-functions-in-place-of-passwords-in-ERC.patch

despite being kindly warned of that eventuality.

>> Subject: [PATCH 4/8] Support local ERC modules in erc-mode buffers
> [...]
>> diff --git a/doc/misc/erc.texi b/doc/misc/erc.texi
>> index 0d807e323e..b9c6e33d36 100644
>> --- a/doc/misc/erc.texi
>> +++ b/doc/misc/erc.texi
>> @@ -390,8 +390,11 @@ Modules
>>  
>>  There is a spiffy customize interface, which may be reached by typing
>>  @kbd{M-x customize-option @key{RET} erc-modules @key{RET}}.
>> -Alternatively, set @code{erc-modules} manually and then call
>> -@code{erc-update-modules}.
>> +When removing a module outside of the Custom ecosystem, you may wish
>> +to ensure it's disabled by invoking its associated minor-mode toggle,
>> +such as @kbd{M-x erc-spelling-mode @key{RET}}.  Note that, these days,
>> +calling @code{erc-update-modules} in an init file is typically
>> +unnecessary.
>
> What do you think about tweaking the last sentence to be more specific
> about when calling `erc-update-modules' may still be needed, maybe
> with a short example, please?

Right. Too cryptic. I've adjusted things in the second patch but am
happy to redo/revise, as always. (The first patch contains a bug fix.)

>> Subject: [PATCH 6/8] Add non-IRCv3 SASL module to ERC
> [...]
>> diff --git a/doc/misc/erc.texi b/doc/misc/erc.texi
> [...]
>
> What do you think about adding a few short examples to the manual
> showing the usage of each of the variants/mechanisms with a call to
> `erc-tls'?  Kind of like the ones in "Connecting to an IRC Server"
> that show how to use `:client-certificate' for instance.

Good call. I've attempted something like that in a separate "examples"
section (2nd patch). I'm hesitant about the last, "multi-network"
example, though. It sort of implies we're committing to supporting
let-binding as a means of specifying per-network local-module options,
going forward, which maybe also puts us on the hook for (eventually)
providing a mechanism to make options bookkeeping easier for would-be
local-module authors. OTOH, neither of those is as yet a realistic
problem.

Speaking of maintenance burdens, I think `erc-sasl-password' is too
overloaded and unwieldy, particularly WRT the "non-nil symbol" form. And
falling back on `:id' is redundant because `erc-auth-source-search'
already does that. So, as penance for my ugly API design, I've attached
a (third) patch that tries to corral some of the crazy by adding an
optional auth-source query function to house the more nuanced
functionality (for those actually wanting it) while sparing everyone
else the needless complexity. (That's the idea, anyway.)

> Many thanks for all of your work on implementing and landing SASL
> support for ERC, a feature that many ERC users (myself included)
> have wished for and looked forward to seeing in ERC for years!
>
> -amin

My pleasure! (Although I should've been quicker to admit that my older
POC efforts weren't suitable for prime time without serious reworking.)

0001-Add-erc-sasl-auth-source-function-to-cached-options.patch
Description: Text Data

0002-doc-misc-erc.texi-Revise-SASL-and-modules-chapters.patch
Description: Text Data

0003-Simplify-erc-sasl-s-auth-source-API.patch
Description: Text Data