The Importance of Version Locking in Software Development

Version locking is a critical practice in software development that helps ensure consistency and reliability across different environments.

A Real-World Example

Recently, I encountered an issue in a CI pipeline where a seemingly straightforward Python build process failed. Here's the original workflow:

name: Test Build Python Packages

on:
  pull_request:

jobs:
  test-build-packages:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Set up Python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
        with:
          python-version: '3.7'
      - name: Build packages
        run: |
          bash foreach.sh build

The pipeline failed with this error:

Error: The version '3.7' with architecture 'x64' was not found for Ubuntu 24.04.

What Went Wrong?

The issue arose because the workflow used ubuntu-latest, which automatically upgraded to Ubuntu 24.04. This newer version of Ubuntu doesn't support Python 3.7, creating an incompatibility that broke the build process.

Solutions and Best Practices

There are two immediate solutions to this problem:

1. Update Python Version:

   python-version: '3.10'  # Use a newer Python version
   

2. Lock Ubuntu Version:

   runs-on: ubuntu-22.04  # Lock to a specific Ubuntu version
   

However, this incident highlights a broader principle: the importance of version locking across your entire stack.

Why Version Locking Matters

Version locking provides several key benefits. It’s possible to list many of them, but these two are the most important, IMHO:

1. Reproducibility: Ensures that builds are consistent across different environments and times
2. Time Savings: Prevents unexpected failures that require immediate fixes

Updated Example

name: Test Build Python Packages

on:
  pull_request:

jobs:
  test-build-packages:
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Set up Python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
        with:
          python-version: '3.7'
      - name: Build packages
        run: |
          bash foreach.sh build

Conclusion

Remember: Version locking isn’t about avoiding updates; it’s about controlling when and how updates happen on your terms.

Save your time by avoiding unnecessary waste...

Links

https://github.com/espressif/pytest-embedded/issues/329