Hiding modules

The newly introduced module-hide modulefile command enables to dynamically hide modulefiles, module aliases or symbolic versions specified to it:

$ cat /path/to/modulefiles/bar/.modulerc
#%Module4.6
module-version bar/1.0 old
# hide 'old' symbolic version
module-hide bar/old
# hide all version 2 and above
module-hide bar@2:
$ cat /path/to/modulefiles/.modulerc
#%Module4.6
# hide all versions of foo module
module-hide foo

module-hide commands should be placed in module rc files and can leverage the Advanced module version specifiers syntax as shown in the above example.

Hidden modules are excluded from available module search or module selection unless query refers to hidden module by its exact name:

$ ml av
--------------- /path/to/modulefiles ---------------
bar/1.0 bar/2.0
$ module load -v foo
ERROR: Unable to locate a modulefile for 'foo'
$ module load -v foo/1.0
Loading foo/1.0
$ module avail bar/old
--------------- /path/to/modulefiles ---------------
bar/1.0(old)

module-hide command accepts a --soft option to apply a lighter of hiding to modules:

$ cat /path/to/modulefiles/qux/.modulerc
#%Module4.6
# softly hide all qux modules
module-hide --soft qux

The soft hiding mode enables to hide modules from full availability listing yet keeping the ability to select such module for load without having to use module exact name:

$ ml av
--------------- /path/to/modulefiles ---------------
bar/1.0 bar/2.0
$ ml av qux
--------------- /path/to/modulefiles ---------------
qux/1.0 qux/2.0
$ module load -v qux
Loading qux/2.0

Alternatively, a --hard option can be set on module-hide command to ensure designated modules do not unveil even if referred by their exact name:

$ cat /path/to/modulefiles/qux/.modulerc
#%Module4.6
# softly hide all qux modules
module-hide --soft qux
# set highest version of qux hard hidden
module-hide --hard qux/3.0
$ ml av qux/3.0
$ ml qux/3.0
ERROR: Unable to locate a modulefile for 'qux/3.0'

Some users or groups can be set unaffected by hiding mechanism with the --not-user or --not-group options:

$ cat /path/to/modulefiles/quuz/.modulerc
#%Module4.6
# hiding does not apply to grp1 and grp2 groups
module-hide --not-group {grp1 grp2} quuz

$ id --groups --name
grp1 grp7
$ ml av quuz
--------------- /path/to/modulefiles ---------------
quuz/1.0 quuz/2.0
$ ml -v quuz
Loading quuz/2.0

Hiding mechanism can also be set effective only before or after a given date time with the --before and --after options. Accepted date time format is YYYY-MM-DD[THH:MM].

$ cat /path/to/modulefiles/fum/.modulerc
#%Module4.6
# hide only before a given date
module-hide --hard --before 2020-09-01T12:00 fum/1.0
# hide only after a given date
module-hide --hard --after 2020-09-01 fum/2.0

$ date
Fri 04 Sep 2020 06:21:48 AM CEST
$ ml av fum
--------------- /path/to/modulefiles ---------------
fum/1.0

Hidden modules can be included in available module searches if option --all/-a is set on avail, aliases, whatis or search sub-commands. Hard hidden modules are unaffected by this option and stay hidden.

$ ml av -a
--------------- /path/to/modulefiles ---------------
bar/1.0(old) foo/1.0 fum/1.0 quuz/2.0 qux/2.0
bar/2.0 foo/2.0 quuz/1.0 qux/1.0