Micro snap testing

micro-tests.md

Smoke tests for the micro snap

First, build and install the micro snap:

1. sudo apt install git snapcraft
2. git clone https://github.com/elopio/micro
3. cd micro
4. git checkout snapcraft
5. snapcraft
6. sudo snap install micro*.snap

Open the editor:

$ micro

Print the help:

Ctrl+e
> help

Close the help:

Ctrl+g

Save a file:

1. Enter some $TEXT.
2. Save the file with Ctrl+s.
3. Enter the $FILENAME.
4. Press Enter.
5. Exit the editor with Ctrl+q.
6. Print the file contents with cat $FILENAME.
   • Verify that the $TEXT is printed.

Edit an exiting file:

1. Create a file with echo test > $HOME/test.micro.
2. Open the file in the editor with `micro $HOME/test.micro``.
3. Edit the file adding some lines with text.
4. Save the file with Ctrl+s.
5. Exit the editor with Ctrl+q.
6. Print the file contents with cat $HOME/test.micro.
   • Verify that the original content and the added lines are printed.

Open a python file:

1. Copy a python file to the home directory. (Because the snap is isolated and only has access to the home directory and it's own storage)
2. Open the file with micro $HOME/$FILENAME.
   • Verify that the syntax is highlighted with different colors.

Use a plugin:

1. Open micro with the micro command.
2. Enter (, { and [.
   • Verify that the closing symbol is automatically written.

Run a shell command:

1. With the micro editor open, enter the command mode with Ctrl+e.
2. Enter run snapcraft.

Use the clipboard inside the editor:

1. With the micro editor open and some text written, select a part of the text with the mouse.
2. Enter Ctrl+c.
3. Move the cursor to a differet line in the editor.
4. Enter Ctrl+v.
   • Verify that the selected text was pasted to the new line.

Use the clipboard from outside of the editor:

1. With the micro editor open and some text wirtten, select a part of the text with the mouse.
2. Enter Ctrl+c.
3. Open an editor with a graphical user interface, like gedit.
4. Enter Ctrl+v.
   • Verify that the selected text was pasted to the GUI editor.

Tested in a clean and up-to-date Ubuntu xenial virtual machine with kvm.

Some problems:

• When I open the editor, I get:

Unable to load pre-installed syntax file pascal

Press enter to continue

• When I try to run a command, I get something like:
  snapcraft exited with error: exec: not started:
  It is being discussed in the mailing list how to securely give access to snaps to run other commands.
• The clipboard only works inside the editor. To make it work with other applications we can bundle xclip with the snap and use the X11 interface. I tested it and works, but it defeats a little the purpose of the confinement, as explained in https://askubuntu.com/questions/760803/security-of-snaps-under-x11. It can be easily added, just needs a discussion about the trade-offs.