Re: Exeter testing, next steps

[David Gibson <david@gibson.dropbear.id.au>]

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On Thu, Aug 14, 2025 at 10:00:30AM +0200, Stefano Brivio wrote:
> On Thu, 14 Aug 2025 14:57:43 +1000
> David Gibson <david@gibson.dropbear.id.au> wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, Aug 13, 2025 at 08:04:23PM +0200, Stefano Brivio wrote:
> > > On Wed, 6 Aug 2025 11:11:24 +1000
> > > David Gibson <david@gibson.dropbear.id.au> wrote:
> > >   
> > > > On Tue, Aug 05, 2025 at 09:52:41AM +0200, Stefano Brivio wrote:  
> > > > >  
> > > > > > If we can start introducing some exeter tests, the next step would be
> > > > > > to work on the support library stuff for constructing more complex
> > > > > > network environments from namespaces.  I have draft series with this
> > > > > > as well, but I was looking at splitting it into another mini-project
> > > > > > (tentative name "sinte" - Simulated Inter Network Test Environment).    
> > > > > 
> > > > > Neat! That sounds like the juicy part and surely one part we really
> > > > > miss at this point. I would go as far as proposing PESTO (playground
> > > > > environment simplifies test orchestration / spurs test opportunities)
> > > > > but "sinte" sounds good to me as well.    
> > > > 
> > > > I kind of love the "pesto" acronym, but the proposed expansions don't
> > > > quite work for me though: they don't say anything specifically about
> > > > networking, and it's really not about test orchestration - this is
> > > > about how to write a single test.  
> > > 
> > > I couldn't come up with much better (and didn't get to actually review
> > > the patches) yet, but I just wanted to quickly mention that by
> > > "orchestration" I was referring to juggling namespaces and virtual
> > > machines (at some point...?) with virtual links around, within a single
> > > test.  
> > 
> > That makes sense, but I don't think that meaning is obvious within the
> > name alone.
> > 
> > > And maybe at some point networking could be marginal in the whole thing.  
> > 
> > Hm.  Maybe.  At this point handling network environments and
> > specifically *inter* network environments is really my focus though.
> > 
> > > > The infuriating thing is I'm pretty sure I came up with a much better
> > > > tentative name months ago, and then forgot it.  
> > > 
> > > I know you meant it for something else, but I'm wondering if you're
> > > referring to NUDEL perhaps.  
> > 
> > No, I think I had a tentative name specifically for this network
> > simulation thingy.  *brainstorms*
> > 
> > One idea I had was
> > 
> > "instead" - Inter Network Simulated Test Environment <something
> > something>.  "with Arbitary Devices" maybe?  
> 
> averts disaster?
> 
> and description? deployment?

Also possibilities.

> > That might be the one I'm thinking of, but I think I had one I liked
> > better.
> > 
> > Had a chat with Gemini and came up with a handful more options:
> > 
> > "mimic" - Multi-host Inter-network Mock Infrastructure Construct
> > 
> > "isthmus" - Inter-network Simulation & Test Harness for Multiple
> > Underlying Systems
> > 
> > "ross" - "Routing & Orchestration Simulation System"
> > 
> > Or, maybe..
> > 
> > "tunbridge" - <backronym pending>
> > 
> > Tunbridge (like Exeter) is a town in Tasmania, and a bridge of tun
> > devices would likely be a common construct to build with it (though
> > not as common as a bridge of veths, admittedly).
> 
> It might be a bit confusing, but I think it's worth the pun.

I'm leaning towards this one.  I like the pun quite a lot, and unlike
some of the others, my searches aren't coming across anything remotely
likely to cause a name conflict.

"Test Users of Networks with Bridges, Routers, Interconnects anD
General Environments"

"Try Universal Nodes with Bridges and Routers in Isolated Deployed
General Emulator"

"network emulater with TUNnels and BRIDGEs"

Or just give up on a backronym and let the name stand alone.

> Or... if you want to stick to pasta that doesn't stick, I could propose
> "aldente", arbitrary layers deliver effective network testing
> environments.

Also pretty good.  I'd probably go with "arbitrary links...".

..and there is another project with the name

https://github.com/AppHouseKitchen/AlDente-Battery_Care_and_Monitoring

> It's two words (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/al_dente) actually (and
> "to" + il "the" -> al), but... Alfresco already broke the taboo for us?

I'm aware; fwiw, I think it's usually styled as two words in
Australian cookbooks and the like.

-- 
David Gibson (he or they)	| I'll have my music baroque, and my code
david AT gibson.dropbear.id.au	| minimalist, thank you, not the other way
				| around.
http://www.ozlabs.org/~dgibson

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