service install scripts: surface errors loudly, fail fast #218

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opened 2026-05-06 17:07:17 +00:00 by mik-tf · 0 comments

mik-tf commented

2026-05-06 17:07:17 +00:00

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Overview

When a service_<name> nu-shell install/start path fails partway through, today's behaviour is to print the error to the line, keep going, and finish with a green-looking summary. Devs only find out something's wrong when the service doesn't actually run.

Why

Meeting 2026-05-06: "service install script to also show errors". Concrete recent examples where the failure mode bit us:

hero_skills#187 — install_bun fails silently when unzip is missing
hero_skills#185 — service_livekit hits redis-cli not-found and the error chain is unclear

Acceptance

Every service_*.nu install/start function aborts on the first non-zero subshell exit
Final banner is [OK] service_<name>: install complete only when every step succeeded; otherwise [FAIL] service_<name>: <step> exited <N> with the failing line
CI test: deliberately break one apt dep, assert the install path returns non-zero
Documented in hero_skills README as the install-script standard

Parent META: home#216

Source: meeting notes 2026-05-06.

## Overview When a `service_<name>` nu-shell install/start path fails partway through, today's behaviour is to print the error to the line, keep going, and finish with a green-looking summary. Devs only find out something's wrong when the service doesn't actually run. ## Why Meeting 2026-05-06: "service install script to also show errors". Concrete recent examples where the failure mode bit us: - [hero_skills#187](https://forge.ourworld.tf/lhumina_code/hero_skills/issues/187) — install_bun fails silently when unzip is missing - [hero_skills#185](https://forge.ourworld.tf/lhumina_code/hero_skills/issues/185) — service_livekit hits redis-cli not-found and the error chain is unclear ## Acceptance - [ ] Every `service_*.nu` install/start function aborts on the first non-zero subshell exit - [ ] Final banner is `[OK] service_<name>: install complete` *only* when every step succeeded; otherwise `[FAIL] service_<name>: <step> exited <N>` with the failing line - [ ] CI test: deliberately break one apt dep, assert the install path returns non-zero - [ ] Documented in `hero_skills` README as the install-script standard ## Related - Parent META: [home#216](https://forge.ourworld.tf/lhumina_code/home/issues/216) Source: meeting notes 2026-05-06.