binder, repo2docker builds failing due to python version and missing source

[itcarroll]

We include a simple environment.yml for binder and repo2docker users. It has no pinning and only installs the latest version of earthaccess. Until repo2docker gains some kind of lockfile support, we'll need to add a minimum Python version to match the minimum version earthaccess supports (currently 3.11).

[itcarroll]

Well, this is surprising.

1. repo2docker (and thus binder) don't appear to support minimum version pinning. so we need to pin with python==3.11
2. repo2docker copies the project to the build location AFTER installing environment.yml, which obviously fails

[chuckwondo]

To avoid confusion, we likely want to add the necessary files to a .binder/ directory rather than at the root of the repo.

[itcarroll]

We reference environment.yml in our contributing guide, so is the suggestion to leave that alone and create .binder folder that works for binder/repo2docker? Makes sense to me, too bad about the clutter.

[mfisher87]

1. repo2docker (and thus binder) don't appear to support minimum version pinning

Wat? Doesn't it just use mamba under the hood?

[chuckwondo]

We reference environment.yml in our contributing guide, so is the suggestion to leave that alone and create .binder folder that works for binder/repo2docker? Makes sense to me, too bad about the clutter.

We would not be able to leave environment.yml in the root of the repo, as repo2docker would see it there and use that one and ignore the .binder/ folder. If we want to keep one in the root for contributors to use, we would have to rename it so repo2docker does not recognize it. Frankly, I may be outnumbered, but I suggest eliminating the one at the root of the repo as an option for contributors. To simplify things, there should really be only 1 way to create a dev env for a contributor, but that's a bit tangential.

[mfisher87]

I suggest eliminating the one at the root of the repo as an option for contributors.

💯 💯 💯

I have also seen pushback to this, but I think this is the right way to go. And, personally, I think we should be pushing uv for developers. They will be happier that way (simpler UX, eliminates many pitfalls), and if they have a reason to reject uv they probably know how to use pip anyway.

[itcarroll]

Wat? Doesn't it just use mamba under the hood?

It does when it comes to updating the environment. But however repo2docker chooses which CondaBuildPack to use ignores the ">=" requirement.

as repo2docker would see it there and use that one and ignore the .binder/ folder

I don't think that's the case. I have both and repo2docker is choosing .binder/environment.yml first.