[PEP] Binary Release Process - Update Notes

[mrmundt]

This issue is intended to track the updates being made to the IDAES binary release process (per @Robbybp and @mrmundt ). The TODO list:

• High-level design discussion with relevant/interested stakeholders
  • What are the priorities?
  • How often are releases supposed to happen?
  • What are the implications if there is a failure / no one to take over?
  • How much can we feasibly automate?
• Complete a comprehensive (but not overkill) suite of binary tests
  • Write more fun tests in test script
  • cbc, clp, sensitivity tools, libraries (will be covered by cyipopt tests)
  • external functions
  • petsc
• Expand automated testing suite to include all necessary OS' (currently covers ubuntu x86, mac x86/aarch, win x86)
  • Move over to different docker containers for testing (ones that are maintained by folks who aren't us)
• Patch, test, and release 3.4.0 (to 3.4.1 3.4.2) release: ipopt.pc file / doesn't work with cyipopt
  • Install/test cyipopt in automated testing (does not work with 3.4.0; will need to be introduced in 3.4.1 3.4.2)
  • Distribute step: update IDAES to point to 3.4.1 3.4.2 binaries
  • Helper command to install cyipopt within get-extensions (new users may not want to do it from source). Per discussion about [WIP] Add a command to install CyIpopt idaes-pse#1474, we may not want to do this automatically, as I think there will always be at least one manual step of making the user set LD_LIBRARY_PATH at some point before the Python process starts.
• Generate new binaries with fresh HSL
• Automate/expedite binary generation/release process

[ksbeattie]

Still waiting on the HSL license agreement between Sandia, NETL.

[mrmundt]

The license agreement was miraculously signed, for those paying attention to this issue, and progress has been made again. The newest issue is, ironically, that there are failures with certain linear_solvers from HSL on MacOS arm64 (but they are built and work beautifully for MacOS Intel). The plan currently is to have a release candidate out this year for folks to play with.

[mrmundt]

Piece of feedback for myself: It should be 4.0.0 when it is released, not 5.0.0. Clearly my brain was not fully with it. Thanks, hyperfixation.