IPFS 0.5.0-rc4: ipfs daemon ignoring --routing switch

[pataquets]

Version information:

$ docker pull ipfs/go-ipfs
Using default tag: latest
latest: Pulling from ipfs/go-ipfs
Digest: sha256:9000b64a8e4cb5970ba4c2f75b7ab0c324a6e3604300dca6fdb7fe06dd800066
Status: Image is up to date for ipfs/go-ipfs:latest

$ docker run --rm -it --name=ipfs --net=host ipfs/go-ipfs --version --all
Changing user to ipfs
ipfs version 0.5.0-rc4
initializing IPFS node at /data/ipfs
generating 2048-bit RSA keypair...done
peer identity: QmVbYKyF3GoTtB7c2dydRcq8gzGwxN1NaruArgYoD8S6kz
to get started, enter:

	ipfs cat /ipfs/QmQPeNsJPyVWPFDVHb77w8G42Fvo15z4bG2X8D2GhfbSXc/readme

go-ipfs version: 0.5.0-rc4-116999a
Repo version: 9
System version: amd64/linux
Golang version: go1.13.10

Since I'm using :latest image tag, I've included the docker pull image digest.

Description:

Starting an IPFS container overriding the config file DHT setting by using the daemon command --routing switch, as per daemon --help:

$ docker run --rm -it --name=ipfs --net=host ipfs/go-ipfs daemon --migrate=true --routing=dhtclient
Changing user to ipfs
ipfs version 0.5.0-rc4
initializing IPFS node at /data/ipfs
generating 2048-bit RSA keypair...done
peer identity: QmPx1uFqwCRxq5cHvzFQEy9RKqVEVBK6UVyLnCW7QXodrn
to get started, enter:

	ipfs cat /ipfs/QmQPeNsJPyVWPFDVHb77w8G42Fvo15z4bG2X8D2GhfbSXc/readme

Initializing daemon...
go-ipfs version: 0.5.0-rc4-116999a
Repo version: 9
System version: amd64/linux
Golang version: go1.13.10
Swarm listening on /ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/4001
Swarm listening on /ip4/172.17.0.1/tcp/4001
Swarm listening on /ip4/172.18.0.1/tcp/4001
Swarm listening on /ip4/REDACTED_LAN_IP/tcp/4001
Swarm listening on /ip6/::1/tcp/4001
Swarm listening on /p2p-circuit
Swarm announcing /ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/4001
Swarm announcing /ip4/172.17.0.1/tcp/4001
Swarm announcing /ip4/172.18.0.1/tcp/4001
Swarm announcing /ip4/REDACTED_WAN_IP/tcp/4001
Swarm announcing /ip4/REDACTED_LAN_IP/tcp/4001
Swarm announcing /ip6/::1/tcp/4001
API server listening on /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/5001
WebUI: http://0.0.0.0:5001/webui
Gateway (readonly) server listening on /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/8080
Daemon is ready

Daemon keeps running OK. From another terminal, I check the configuration value:

$ docker exec -it ipfs ipfs config Routing.Type
dht

Also, a full config show outputs the same.

For completeness, let's check if it gets a manual configuration change:

$ docker exec -it ipfs ipfs config Routing.Type dhtclient

$ docker exec -it ipfs ipfs config Routing.Type
dhtclient

Works OK.

[Stebalien]

The --routing flag overrides the Routing.Type config value at runtime but doesn't actually change the config value. ipfs config Routing.Type will return the value in the config file.

[pataquets]

OK, I understand. Even if IPFS honors the switch, I see a problem here, at least from the UX standpoint. It kept me puzzled after re-reading the docs and double-checking everything. It even made me file a bug report :)
Initially I looked at the config file and saw "dht". But it was reasonable that, as a temporary override, it might not be persisted. So, I checked it also via ipfs config, afterwards, which I expected to actually return the setting value currently in effect, no matter what the config file says.
I think ipfs config should return the current setting value, but I understand that it might be quite involved. As a stopgap measure, a log message stating that the override is in effect might minimize/avoid some head scratching, meanwhile.

[Stebalien]

You're right, this is not good from a ux perspective.

Ideally, we'd implement #4180 and fix #8776. That way, we can have a "runtime" config and an "on disk" config.