Proposed: Elixir Livebook on Fedora 39

Metadata

Status: Proposed
Deciders: V-Sekai Team
Tags: Elixir, Livebook, Fedora 39

Backdrop

The goal is to utilize Elixir NX for data science and numerical computing applications relevant to V-Sekai.

Challenge

The challenge lies in ensuring a successful installation and configuration of Elixir Livebook on Fedora 39, which will serve as a development platform.

Strategy

Assess compatibility between Elixir Livebook and Fedora 39.
Identify all dependencies required for Elixir Livebook.
Develop comprehensive guidelines for the installation process.
Conduct a test run of the install procedure on a Fedora 39 system.

Create a dedicated user for running Livebook and determine an appropriate location for the installation, such as /opt/livebook.

sudo yum groupinstall -y 'Development Tools' 'C Development Tools and Libraries'
sudo dnf install -y \
  autoconf \
  ncurses-devel \
  wxGTK3-devel \
  wxBase3 \
  openssl-devel \
  java-1.8.0-openjdk-devel \
  libiodbc \
  unixODBC-devel.x86_64 \
  erlang-odbc.x86_64 \
  libxslt \
  fop \
  automake \
  readline-devel \
  git \
  gcc \
  unzip \
  curl
sudo dnf copr enable vbatts/bazel -y && dnf install bazel5 -y
sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cuda -y

# As root or using sudo
useradd --system --create-home --home-dir /opt/livebook livebook
chown -R livebook: /opt/livebook
su - livebook
cd /opt/livebook
git clone https://github.com/asdf-vm/asdf.git ~/.asdf
echo -e '\n. $HOME/.asdf/asdf.sh' >> ~/.bashrc
echo -e '\n. $HOME/.asdf/completions/asdf.bash' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
asdf plugin-add erlang https://github.com/asdf-vm/asdf-erlang.git
asdf install erlang 26.2.1
asdf global erlang 26.2.1
asdf plugin-add elixir https://github.com/asdf-vm/asdf-elixir.git
asdf install elixir 1.16-otp-26
asdf global elixir 1.16-otp-26
erl -version
elixir -v
mix do local.rebar --force, local.hex --force
mix escript.install hex livebook --force

To insert or overwrite the existing systemd service configuration for Elixir Livebook directly from the shell, you can use the following commands:

First, open your terminal and use cat combined with a here-document to overwrite the file with the new configuration:

sudo cat > /etc/systemd/system/livebook.service <<EOF
[Unit]
Description=Elixir Livebook server
After=network.target

[Service]
User=livebook
WorkingDirectory=/opt/livebook
ExecStart=/bin/bash -c '. /opt/livebook/.asdf/asdf.sh && exec /opt/livebook/.asdf/installs/elixir/1.16-otp-26/.mix/escripts/livebook server'
Environment=MIX_ENV=prod
Environment=LIVEBOOK_PORT=8080
Environment=LIVEBOOK_IP=0.0.0.0
Environment=LIVEBOOK_HOME=/opt/livebook
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to write to /etc/systemd/system/.

After saving the file, reload systemd to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable livebook.service
sudo systemctl restart livebook.service

Verify that the service is running correctly with:

sudo systemctl status livebook.service # Check this for the authentication token.

Debug the service with journalctl.

sudo journalctl -u livebook.service

Remember to adjust the path specified in the ExecStart directive if required and set any additional environment variables as needed.

Upside

Provides a real-time collaborative tool for Elixir development.
Helps in verifying Elixir NX’s capabilities through visualization.
Streamlines the code development cycle with instant feedback.

Downside

Time allocation needed for the seamless functioning of Livebook on Fedora 39.
Dependencies might add a layer of complexity in ongoing maintenance.
The initial setup could pose challenges for non-expert users.

Road Not Taken

Other tools and languages were assessed but did not fulfill V-Sekai’s requirements as effectively as Elixir Livebook.

Infrequent Use Case

Evaluating occasional usage to justify the demand for an efficient installation approach.

In Core and Done by Us?

Determining if this integration should be centralized within V-Sekai’s primary offerings and whether internal resources can achieve this implementation.