remove deprecated branch.unprotect() method in community.general.gitlab_branch

[ethinx]

SUMMARY

branch.unprotect() method has been deprecated on upstream python-gitlab/python-gitlab

refer to the commit: python-gitlab/python-gitlab@9656a16

ISSUE TYPE

• Bugfix Pull Request

COMPONENT NAME

community.general.gitlab_branch

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

By using the latest python-gitlab, when delete branch, got error

An exception occurred during task execution. To see the full traceback, use -vvv. The error was: AttributeError: 'ProjectBranch' object has no attribute 'unprotect'

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[paytroff]

Hello,
What is replace this method .unprotected() in python-gitlab ?
If you do this modification in the module gitlab_branch, you you will not be able to delete protected branch and maybe create a break change in this module.

[nejch]

@ethinx, @paytroff is right, you need to use the protected branches API for this ( https://python-gitlab.readthedocs.io/en/stable/gl_objects/protected_branches.html - the delete() in that context simply unprotects it)

The deprecated protect()/unprotect() methods were removed in python-gitlab 3.0.0 (python-gitlab/python-gitlab@9656a16). The protectedbranches API however has been in the library since at least 2017 so it's safe to add it in place I'd say.

[ethinx]

Hi @paytroff & @nejch,

As I see there is another module gitlab_protected_branch handle some stuff for the protected branch, I simply remove the single line in gitlab_branch.py

and I just have a test on the protected branch, it could be removed successfully. Please let me know if the code need more adjustments at this position.

Thanks,

[nejch]

Hmm, that's odd, according to GitLab docs, you shouldn't be able to delete protected branches:
https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/protected_branches.html#who-can-modify-a-protected-branch

I can try and test independently as well. It's true the other module is used to actually manage protected branches, but for backwards compatibility I think you'd need to add some way of deleting protected branches here (unless as you say you can anyway).

Edit: ah sorry, looks like you can do this as a maintainer: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/protected_branches.html#delete-a-protected-branch. So this might be ok actually.

[felixfontein]

I guess the main question left is: can a non-maintainer unprotect a branch? If not, then deleting that line should be ok.

(I would be a bit surprised if a non-maintainer would be able to do that...)

[paytroff]

I was thinking that with API it was different that with UI last time I tested this module.
But if you tell me when you use this module with line ".unprotected()" deleted , it's always possible to delete a protected branch.
It's good to me.

[felixfontein]

In any case, this cannot be merged without a changelog fragment. @ethinx could you please add one? Thanks.

[nejch]

@felixfontein not according to the docs:

Users with at least the Maintainer role can manually delete protected branches by using the GitLab web interface:
...
Protected branches can only be deleted by using GitLab either from the UI or API. This prevents accidentally deleting a branch through local Git commands or third-party Git clients.

So this module has always silently required maintainer tokens in any case and I agree it's safe to remove.

[ethinx]

Thank you guys for reviewing, and changelog fragment added. @felixfontein

[felixfontein]

LGTM from my side then

[russoz]

LGTM

[patchback]

Backport to stable-3: 💔 cherry-picking failed — conflicts found

❌ Failed to cleanly apply a8abb1a on top of patchback/backports/stable-3/a8abb1a5bfbb9e8a39c2b799d5ef485be073ffcc/pr-4496

Backporting merged PR #4496 into main

1. Ensure you have a local repo clone of your fork. Unless you cloned it
   from the upstream, this would be your origin remote.
2. Make sure you have an upstream repo added as a remote too. In these
   instructions you'll refer to it by the name upstream. If you don't
   have it, here's how you can add it:

   $ git remote add upstream https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general.git

3. Ensure you have the latest copy of upstream and prepare a branch
   that will hold the backported code:

   $ git fetch upstream
   $ git checkout -b patchback/backports/stable-3/a8abb1a5bfbb9e8a39c2b799d5ef485be073ffcc/pr-4496 upstream/stable-3

4. Now, cherry-pick PR remove deprecated branch.unprotect() method in community.general.gitlab_branch #4496 contents into that branch:

   $ git cherry-pick -x a8abb1a5bfbb9e8a39c2b799d5ef485be073ffcc

   If it'll yell at you with something like fatal: Commit a8abb1a5bfbb9e8a39c2b799d5ef485be073ffcc is a merge but no -m option was given., add -m 1 as follows intead:

   $ git cherry-pick -m1 -x a8abb1a5bfbb9e8a39c2b799d5ef485be073ffcc

5. At this point, you'll probably encounter some merge conflicts. You must
   resolve them in to preserve the patch from PR remove deprecated branch.unprotect() method in community.general.gitlab_branch #4496 as close to the
   original as possible.
6. Push this branch to your fork on GitHub:

   $ git push origin patchback/backports/stable-3/a8abb1a5bfbb9e8a39c2b799d5ef485be073ffcc/pr-4496

7. Create a PR, ensure that the CI is green. If it's not — update it so that
   the tests and any other checks pass. This is it!
   Now relax and wait for the maintainers to process your pull request
   when they have some cycles to do reviews. Don't worry — they'll tell you if
   any improvements are necessary when the time comes!

🤖 @patchback
I'm built with octomachinery and
my source is open — https://github.com/sanitizers/patchback-github-app.

[patchback]

Backport to stable-4: 💚 backport PR created

✅ Backport PR branch: patchback/backports/stable-4/a8abb1a5bfbb9e8a39c2b799d5ef485be073ffcc/pr-4496

Backported as #4528

🤖 @patchback
I'm built with octomachinery and
my source is open — https://github.com/sanitizers/patchback-github-app.

[felixfontein]

@ethinx thanks for fixing this!
@paytroff @nejch @russoz thanks for reviewing!