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Posted on 2023-12-08
A few weeks ago, I discovered randomly a tool called `willow'[1]. This software goal is to track software releases whatever forge they are hosted on (github, gitlab, gitea/forgejo, sourcehut, bitbucket or raw git). Amolith[2] (creator) did a lightning talk about willow[3] at the ubuntu summit 2023 explaining willow origin and features in more details.
NOTA: The project is very new and still in early development phase, so don't expect a fully finished and polished project at this stage yet. I'm expecting things to change and break until it gets more advanced. Maybe that won't be the case but we never know.
I've been looking for this kind of tool for some time to keep my homelab up to date. I'm not a fan of full automated upgrade (that's how stuff breaks and you don't know what caused it), so until now, I tried to follow updates via different mechanism: Github RSS feed, project website RSS feed or other. But that wasn't practical as not all data were in the same place and not all projects were covered. Willow might be a game changer for all selfhosters and homelab nerds that want to keep an eye on staying up to date.
Since I move my homelab to proxmox (I need to write about that as my homelab is now *very* different than what I described on this blog couple of years ago, eg no more docker-swarm), I've decided to transform into scripts all installation I'm doing in different containers and virtual machines.
The script to install willow is available on source hut at this URL: [https://git.sr.ht/~bacardi55/proxmox-scripts/tree/main/item/franky/install-willow-debian.sh]
This script assume it runs on debian (tested on debian 12), so might need to adapt a bit. It will install go 1.21.5 (willow require go ≥ 1.21), create a dedicated `willow' user, install and configure willow and create a `systemd' service to run/reload/stop willow. Don't just execute it as is but read, understand and adapt it to your requirements (eg: the default willow user)! It should have enough comment for understanding it easily :).
NOTA: To compile willow and its dependencies, at least 1GB of RAM is required!
https://git.sr.ht/~bacardi55/proxmox-scripts/tree/main/item/franky/install-willow-debian.sh
I believe willow might be a (small) "game changer" for selfhoster to simplify our life. It still requires work and polishing but the idea is awesome. I hope that I'll find a bit of time to actually help and contribute, but looking at the 2nd half of this year and my lack of contribution on anything, I can't really be sure… But we'll see!
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Footnotes
[1]: Willow repository on sourcehut (HTTPS)