# MX

All MX Pmodules in use at PSI. One top-level directory per module, holding
exactly 4 files:

```
<Module>/
  build              # #!/usr/bin/env modbuild — bash, overrides pbuild::* hooks
  modulefile         # #%Module1.0 — Tcl, runtime env
  files/config.yaml  # format:1 — group/relstage/versions/deps/urls
  README.md          # description + module-specific pitfalls
```

Modules build on the **Ra** cluster (RHEL8) into `/opt/psi/MX/<name>/<version>`.
Upstream docs: https://github.com/Pmodules/Pmodules/wiki

## Getting the repo

Clone into your work folder on Ra (once). SSH access to Gitea is recommended:
generate a key ([how-to](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-on-the-Server-Generating-Your-SSH-Public-Key))
and add the public key at https://gitea.psi.ch/user/settings/keys.

```bash
cd /das/work/p21/p21515/          # adapt the p-group path to your own
git clone git@gitea.psi.ch:mx/MX_Pmodule.git
cd /das/work/p21/p21515/MX_Pmodule
```

Work on your own branch, not on main:

```bash
git switch main && git pull       # start from up-to-date main
git switch -c build-<module>      # e.g. build-dials
git push -u origin build-<module>
```

New to git? Start here: https://git-scm.com/doc

## Building on Ra - DO NOT write into /var/tmp !

`<Module>` below is one of the top-level directories of the cloned repo
(e.g. `/das/work/p21/p21515/MX_Pmodule/ccp4`):

> **!!!WARNING!!!: never write big files to `/var/tmp` — it is small and shared with
everyone on the login node. Please, please do not fill /var/tmp.**

Always pass `--tmpdir` and `--distdir` pointing to your p-group work folder —
the defaults are `/var/tmp/$USER` (see warning above) and
`~/.cache/Pmodules/distfiles` (home quota is too small). Adapt the p-group
path (`p21/p21515`) to your own:

```bash
module use unstable && module load modbuild/2.1.3
cd /das/work/p21/p21515/MX_Pmodule/<Module>
modbuild build \
    --tmpdir=/das/work/p21/p21515/.cache/Pmodules \
    --distdir=/das/work/p21/p21515/.cache/Pmodules \
    <version>
# verify it loads:
module use MX unstable && module load <Module>/<version>
```

If you already built without the flags, clean up what landed in the defaults:

```bash
rm -rf /var/tmp/$USER/<Module>-<version>
rm -rf ~/.cache/Pmodules/distfiles
```

- There is **no `build` subcommand**: usage is `modbuild [BUILD_SCRIPT] [options]
  <version>` — `build` above is the script's filename, so run inside the module dir.
- More flags: `--prep|--configure|--compile|--install|--all` (run *up to* that
  step), `--clean-install` (remove existing module first), `-f`/`--force-rebuild`,
  `-j N`, `-v`, `--debug` (make the otherwise silent long steps visible).
- `curl: (23) Failure writing output to destination` during a download means
  quota/disk full at the target dir, not a network error.

## Tips & tricks

1. Module names are `name/version`, never `name/name-version`.
2. New versions start `relstage: unstable`; promote to `stable` only after the
   module builds AND loads. A stable module may only depend on stable modules.
3. **Contaminated environment**: previously loaded modules can leak env vars
   into the build and make it fail in odd ways. Fix:
   `module purge && module load modbuild/2.1.3`, then build again.
4. Hooks run with `pipefail` + `nounset`: `yes | installer` dies via SIGPIPE —
   use `printf 'y\ny\n' | installer`.
5. Module-specific pitfalls live in the per-module README — read it before
   building. `ccp4/README.md` is the most battle-tested and also documents the
   common modbuild traps ("done" without success — no errexit in hooks,
   partial downloads reused silently, slow installs on shared /opt/psi).

## Building with an AI agent

The repo ships the **new-module** skill at `.claude/skills/new-module/`
(`SKILL.md` = workflow + decision tree, `REFERENCE.md` = full schema, hooks and
copy-paste templates). It scaffolds the 4 files for a new module from the right
install-type archetype and prints the Ra build recipe.

- **Claude Code**: opens the repo → skill is auto-discovered. Type
  `/new-module <tool, version, download URL, special requirements>` or simply
  describe the task ("package X as a module") and it triggers.
- **Other agents** (Cursor, Codex, generic LLM chat): the skill is plain
  Markdown — point the agent at `.claude/skills/new-module/SKILL.md` first,
  then `REFERENCE.md`, and ask it to follow them.
- **New software (or a known tool that moved to a new download site)**: give
  the agent the software's installation/download page as part of the context —
  the skill knows the repo's patterns, not vendor-specific install procedures.
- **The skill can be buggy** — use it with caution and double-check what it
  scaffolds before building; corrections are welcome (edit
  `.claude/skills/new-module/` and commit). Reading along while it works is
  also a good way to learn how these modules are put together.
- The skill copies from real modules in this repo as ground truth (`xds`,
  `careless`, `DIALS`, `ccp4`, ...) — keep those exemplary, and fold new
  lessons back into the skill files so the next build starts smarter.

## Pmodules background (from the wiki)

- Modules are organized in hierarchical groups; everything here is in the `MX`
  group (`module use MX`).
- Filesystem layout: modulefile at `$PREFIX/GROUP/modulefiles/NAME/VERSION`,
  installation at `$PREFIX/GROUP/NAME/VERSION`, per-version config at
  `$PREFIX/GROUP/modulefiles/NAME/.config-VERSION` (YAML).
- Release stages: **unstable**, **stable**, **deprecated**. New builds land in
  unstable; opt in with `module use unstable`.
- Pmodules automatically sets `$NAME_DIR`, `$NAME_HOME`, `$NAME_PREFIX`,
  `$NAME_VERSION` on load and prepends standard directories (`$PREFIX/bin` to
  `PATH`, ...) if they exist — no explicit `setenv`/`prepend-path` needed for
  those.

## Permissions

Members of the `unx-mx_adm` group can update `/opt/psi/MX` directly — no -adm
account needed. Permission problems: Ask May/Meitian/Dawn to be added to 
unx-mx_adm group.

## Resources

- Buildblock examples: https://github.com/Pmodules/buildblocks/tree/master
- modbuild documentation: https://pmodules.github.io/modbuild/
- Environment Modules: https://envmodules.io/

## Acknowledgements

Many thanks to [Achim Gsell](https://www.psi.ch/en/lsm/people/achim-gsell)
for giving the MX group the tutorial on 2026-08-18, and to
[Hans Viessmann](https://www.psi.ch/en/awi/people/hans-nikolai-viessmann)
for the support.

During the tutorial the following people worked on the modules:

- May — Phenix
- Filipa — Pymol
- Emma — CrystFEL
- Dennis — ccp4
- Milton — Xtrapol8

Thanks to all of them for their participation and contributions to the
scripts. As of 2026-08-19, all build* branches have been merged to main.