actually, I don't think that's the appengine code. Still searching...

Found the code! For the record, it is here. https://chromium.googlesource.com/infra/infra/+/master/appengine/chromium_status/

+agable for question -- I believe this app is deployed under various instances, to serve as a status app for various unrelated projects. I see some static template files, but don't know how I would include instance-dependent information. (e.g. we want to include some extra text on the https://chromiumos-status.appspot.com/ instance that will not make sense for other instances).

The source that you found actually contains a deploy script which pushes it to all known instances. The only problem is that it has to be run by someone with at least Editor ACLs in all of those Google Cloud Projects.

Any opinion on instance-dependent content?

My guess is I want to muck around inside of BasePage and inject some extra content iff IS_CHROMIUMOS is set. But my appengine-fu is weak.

I don't think it has a built-in way to do instance-dependent content. We try hard to keep it consistent and not have forks floating around. It might make sense to add a butterbar/infobox functionality, and only display it if it is populated, and only populate it if google.appengine.api.app_identity.get_app_identity() == chromiumos-status.

E.g. something like https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/#/c/374001/ ?

Just replied on that review :)

The following revision refers to this bug:
  https://chromium.googlesource.com/infra/infra.git/+/f9bb190c0a734c66add8a07f79eb13c00cc42c64

commit f9bb190c0a734c66add8a07f79eb13c00cc42c64
Author: Aviv Keshet <akeshet@chromium.org>
Date: Fri Aug 26 17:03:31 2016

add instance-configurable preamble and postable to status page

BUG=chromium:639060
TEST=None

Change-Id: I8af5a1e42738ca9859279f1e6026acec4cc8022a
Reviewed-on: https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/374001
Reviewed-by: Aaron Gable <agable@chromium.org>
Commit-Queue: Aviv Keshet <akeshet@chromium.org>

[modify] https://crrev.com/f9bb190c0a734c66add8a07f79eb13c00cc42c64/appengine/chromium_status/appengine_module/chromium_status/base_page.py
[modify] https://crrev.com/f9bb190c0a734c66add8a07f79eb13c00cc42c64/appengine/chromium_status/appengine_module/chromium_status/status.py
[modify] https://crrev.com/f9bb190c0a734c66add8a07f79eb13c00cc42c64/appengine/chromium_status/templates/main.html

It's now possible to introduce some chromeos-specific instructions on our tree status page.

As the uber-sheriff, maybe you can take a first pass at drafting what these instructions should be?

Thank you Aviv.  How does one introduce such instructions?  Is it possible to experiment with it?

See my CL (linked in comment 11). The page now pulls a bit of text from the datastore entities for that project. So, you basically set this text by setting those datastore values.

You can do that here https://pantheon.corp.google.com/datastore/entities/query?project=chromiumos-status-hr&ns=&kind=GlobalConfig and I've given you editor rights on the project.

Thanks, I had seen the CL, but it didn't immediately answer my questions.

I went to the datastore link in #16, clicked on Create Entity, and added a "preamble" and "postamble" property.  Then I went to the private waterfall at https://uberchromegw.corp.google.com/i/chromeos/waterfall, and looked for the text I added, but did not find it.  Further advice is welcome!

Sorry I did not click on Create Entity.
I clicked on the existing entity, and added those properties.

I also looked at the page source but didn't find my postamble.  Am I doing something wrong, or not doing something I should be doing?

I see your snazzy preamble and postamble. https://chromiumos-status.appspot.com/

Thanks, I misunderstood and thought these were going to be near the tree status label in the waterfall.

One more thing.  How long does it take for the changes to propagate, and can the propagation be forced?  Thanks!

This may be the URL for the appengine console for chromiumos-status:

https://pantheon.corp.google.com/appengine?project=chromiumos-status

But there is some access control and I am not allowed to use it.

I have access to this one:

https://pantheon.corp.google.com/appengine/memcache?project=chromiumos-status-hr&serviceId=default

but I don't know the difference between chromiumos-status and chromiumos-status-hr.  In any case, flushing memcache for either https://chromiumos-status-hr.appspot.com/ or https://chromiumos-status.appspot.com/ has no immediate effect on the preamble and postamble settings.

OK---the pre/postambles finally updated on their own.  However, I am not sure this is a good solution.  Apparently, in order to push the change one needs access to the app engine (or just wait, but I am not sure how long in general).  Also, any HTML in the pre/postamble strings is quoted, so we cannot do any formatting with them.

we just dropped CQ+2.  i guess someone needs to go into the admin side and update the text ? :)

also, can you fix the links so they're actually <a> links and not plain text ?

Changed text here:

https://pantheon.corp.google.com/datastore/entities/query?project=chromiumos-status-hr&ns=&kind=GlobalConfig

from 

OPEN: everything OK; THROTTLED: sheriff must +2 CLs; CLOSED: CQ does not run (FAQ at https://goo.gl/TlkAdz)

to

OPEN: All OK; THROTTLED: CQ will not mark CLs -1; CLOSED: CQ runs manually   (FAQ: https://goo.gl/TlkAdz)

I cannot change the text into links because of what I said in #25.

There was also a verbal request to change ChromiumOS to Chromium OS.  I don't think this is configurable through that database.

I'd like to update the text to add information about the use of EXPERIMENTAL= in the tree status (see crbug/753390).

A couple concerns:

1. I don't seem to have access to do this

2. Looking back on the thread, it looks like the pre/postamble strings cannot be formatted, and I'm concerned that the description for EXPERIMENTAL= might end up being too verbose. Maybe it's best to point out that the feature exists here, and add a more detailed description to the FAQ.

Proposed new preamble:
OPEN: All OK; THROTTLED: CQ will not mark CLs -1; CLOSED: CQ runs manually;
 "EXPERIMENTAL=foo-paladin" in description treats foo-paladin as experimental (FAQ: https://goo.gl/TlkAdz)

A link to docs seems good.

Can/does the FAQ have some example status messages?

I just added a section to the FAQ under "What should I do if I see a commit-queue run that I know is doomed?", since that's one of the use cases of this feature. From there, there's a link to the "Tree Sherrifs" doc, which already had documentation and an example. Of course, we can update this documentation easily enough.

I still don't have access to update the preamble text. Could someone please either give me access, or update it to the one proposed in #28?