[Bug 1800670] Re: Improve error reporting to give clearer messages and context

[Steve Langasek]

A possible SRU regression has been reported against netplan.io
0.96-0ubuntu0.18.10.2 in LP: #1825206.  This version has been rolled
back to -proposed while the investigation is ongoing.

** Changed in: netplan.io (Ubuntu Cosmic)
       Status: Fix Released => Fix Committed

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Title:
  Improve error reporting to give clearer messages and context

Status in netplan:
  Fix Released
Status in netplan.io package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in netplan.io source package in Bionic:
  Fix Committed
Status in netplan.io source package in Cosmic:
  Fix Committed
Status in netplan.io source package in Disco:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  [Impact]
  All users of netplan.

  [Test case]
  1) Write an invalid netplan yaml (for each of the examples below)
  2) Validate the error is as expected.
  3) Verify that the error matches refers to a meaningful place in file (check line and column values).

  == Error due to missing fields ==

  network:
    version: 2
    ethernets:
      engreen:
        routing-policy:
          - table: 50
        addresses:
          - 192.168.14.2/24
          - 2001:FFfe::1/64

  Expected error:
  """
  /etc/netplan/01-network-manager-all.yaml:10:9: Error in network definition: IP routing policy must include either a 'from' or 'to' IP
          - table: 50
          ^
  """

  == Syntax error: unsupported features ==

  network:
    version: 2
    ethernets:
      engreen:
        dhcp4: *yes

  Expected error:
  """
  /etc/netplan/01-network-manager-all.yaml:9:14: Invalid YAML: aliases are not supported:
        dhcp4: *yes
               ^
  """

  == Syntax error: use of tabs in config ==

  network:
  <tab>version: 2
  <tab>renderer: NetworkManager

  Expected error:
  """
  /etc/netplan/01-network-manager-all.yaml:3:1: Invalid YAML: tabs are not allowed for indent:
  	version: 2
  ^
  """

  == Unsupported mix of features ==

  network:
    version: 2
    renderer: networkd
    tunnels:
      tun0:
        mode: isatap
        local: 1.1.1.1
        remote: 2.2.2.2
        addresses: [ 15.15.15.15/24 ]
        gateway4: 20.20.20.21

  Expected error:
  """
  /etc/netplan/01-network-manager-all.yaml:10:7: Error in network definition: tun0: ISATAP tunnel mode is not supported by networkd
        mode: isatap
        ^
  """

  [Regression potential]
  Minimal. Supported configurations remain unchanged. Users relying on automated parsing of netplan error messages (would that be a thing?) will find the messages have vastly changed. None of the strings are currently translatable/translated.

  ---

  Give more information about the error, including its exact location in
  the code.

  Make the error messages shorter but still understandable.

  Present clear context so people understand what we found was wrong, if
  not from line/column number, then from the extract from their file,
  with a marker to the error.

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