Stop checking switcher in docs build

Author: callumforrester

docs/conf.py

@@ -130,9 +130,8 @@
 github_repo = project
 github_user = "DiamondLightSource"
 switcher_json = f"https://{github_user}.github.io/{github_repo}/switcher.json"
-# Don't check switcher if it doesn't exist, but warn in a non-failing way
-check_switcher = requests.get(switcher_json).ok
-if not check_switcher:
+switcher_exists = requests.get(switcher_json).ok
+if not switcher_exists:
     print(
         "*** Can't read version switcher, is GitHub pages enabled? \n"
         "    Once Docs CI job has successfully run once, set the "
@@ -142,6 +141,14 @@
     )
 
 # Theme options for pydata_sphinx_theme
+# We don't check switcher because there are 3 possible states for a repo:
+# 1. New project, docs are not published so there is no switcher
+# 2. Existing project with latest skeleton, switcher exists and works
+# 3. Existing project with old skeleton that makes broken switcher,
+#    switcher exists but is broken
+# Point 3 makes checking switcher difficult, because the updated skeleton
+# will fix the switcher at the end of the docs workflow, but never gets a chance
+# to complete as the docs build warns and fails.
 html_theme_options = dict(
     logo=dict(
         text=project,
@@ -159,7 +166,7 @@
         json_url=switcher_json,
         version_match=version,
     ),
-    check_switcher=check_switcher,
+    check_switcher=False,
     navbar_end=["theme-switcher", "icon-links", "version-switcher"],
     external_links=[
         dict(