Docs: Checking links makes check-docs target brittle

[matej-g]

Despite the measures to ignore some problematic links via config, I'm still seeing quite a few failures (e.g. the latest here https://github.com/thanos-io/thanos/pull/4726/checks?check_run_id=3790681280).

I'm wondering how reasonable it is to check availability of all links the different links from documentation, since these are various external resource and even if just one of them cannot be momentarily reached, the tests are failing. This increases the potential for test failures significantly.

[saswatamcode]

Yes. This is problematic, especially due to 0 status code errors like this. Retries for this were added to mdox but it still fails in some cases.

Currently, mdox checks all links (except config ones) on each PR and push to main. For this purpose, we're planning to add persistent caching to mdox using SQLite! So once checked, the links would be cached in GitHub Actions and would only be checked again after a specific time period (for eg, ~5d). This should reduce such failures and save time & resources. 🙂

[matej-g]

Awesome! Sounds like a cool solution 👍

[bwplotka]

👍🏽

[stale]

Hello 👋 Looks like there was no activity on this issue for the last two months.
Do you mind updating us on the status? Is this still reproducible or needed? If yes, just comment on this PR or push a commit. Thanks! 🤗
If there will be no activity in the next two weeks, this issue will be closed (we can always reopen an issue if we need!). Alternatively, use remind command if you wish to be reminded at some point in future.

[matej-g]

I think this is still needed, did you get a chance to take a look @saswatamcode? Any way I could support you?

[saswatamcode]

Yes, the cache PR still needs to be reviewed once, so if you can find the time to do so, that'd be great! It can then be merged when @bwplotka is back! 🙂

[stale]

Hello 👋 Looks like there was no activity on this issue for the last two months.
Do you mind updating us on the status? Is this still reproducible or needed? If yes, just comment on this PR or push a commit. Thanks! 🤗
If there will be no activity in the next two weeks, this issue will be closed (we can always reopen an issue if we need!). Alternatively, use remind command if you wish to be reminded at some point in future.

[matej-g]

Still relevant! I pinged @bwplotka to merge the upstream PR, after that nothing should be blocking us here

[matej-g]

The upstream feature has been merged 🎉 and @douglascamata graciously agreed to bring the new mdox release over to Thanos, which should resolve this 💪

[douglascamata]

Draft PR: #5500

[matej-g]

Nice job @douglascamata 💯, resolved via #5500