chore: remove dfx start --emulator mode

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 
 The `dfx cycles` command no longer needs nor accepts the `--cycles-ledger-canister-id <canister id>` parameter.
 
+### chore: removed the dfx start --emulator mode
+
+This was deprecated in dfx 0.15.1.
+
 ### chore: removed ic-ref from the binary cache
 
 ### chore: updated dependencies for new rust projects

docs/cli-reference/dfx-start.md

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ You can use the following optional flags with the `dfx start` command.
 |-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 | `--background`           | Starts the local canister execution environment and web server processes in the background and waits for a reply before returning to the shell.                                                                                              |
 | `--clean`                | Starts the local canister execution environment and web server processes in a clean state by removing checkpoints from your project cache. You can use this flag to set your project cache to a new state when troubleshooting or debugging. |
-| `--emulator`      | Starts the [IC reference emulator](https://github.com/dfinity/ic-hs) rather than the replica. (deprecated: will be discontinued soon)                                                                                                        |
 | `--enable-bitcoin` | Enables bitcoin integration.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
 | `--enable-canister-http` | Enables canister HTTP requests. (deprecated: now enabled by default)                                                                                                                                                                         |
 | `--use-old-metering` | Enables the old metering in the local canister execution environment. Please see the forum thread for more details or to report any issues: [forum.dfinity.org/t/new-wasm-instrumentation/](https://forum.dfinity.org/t/new-wasm-instrumentation/22080) |

src/dfx-core/src/config/model/local_server_descriptor.rs

@@ -98,11 +98,6 @@ impl LocalServerDescriptor {
         self.data_directory.join("icx-proxy-pid")
     }
 
-    /// This file contains the listening port of the ic-ref process
-    pub fn ic_ref_port_path(&self) -> PathBuf {
-        self.data_directory.join("ic-ref.port")
-    }
-
     /// This file contains the pid of the ic-btc-adapter process
     pub fn btc_adapter_pid_path(&self) -> PathBuf {
         self.data_directory.join("ic-btc-adapter-pid")
@@ -297,12 +292,11 @@ impl LocalServerDescriptor {
     /// Gets the port of a local replica.
     ///
     /// # Prerequisites
-    /// - A local replica or emulator needs to be running, e.g. with `dfx start`.
+    /// - A local replica needs to be running, e.g. with `dfx start`.
     pub fn get_running_replica_port(
         &self,
         logger: Option<&Logger>,
     ) -> Result<Option<u16>, NetworkConfigError> {
-        let emulator_port_path = self.ic_ref_port_path();
         let replica_port_path = self.replica_port_path();
 
         match read_port_from(&replica_port_path)? {
@@ -312,15 +306,7 @@ impl LocalServerDescriptor {
                 }
                 Ok(Some(port))
             }
-            None => match read_port_from(&emulator_port_path)? {
-                Some(port) => {
-                    if let Some(logger) = logger {
-                        info!(logger, "Found local emulator running on port {}", port);
-                    }
-                    Ok(Some(port))
-                }
-                None => Ok(self.replica.port),
-            },
+            None => Ok(self.replica.port),
         }
     }
 }

src/dfx/src/actors/mod.rs

@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
-use crate::actors;
 use crate::actors::btc_adapter::signals::BtcAdapterReadySubscribe;
 use crate::actors::btc_adapter::BtcAdapter;
 use crate::actors::canister_http_adapter::signals::CanisterHttpAdapterReadySubscribe;
 use crate::actors::canister_http_adapter::CanisterHttpAdapter;
-use crate::actors::emulator::Emulator;
 use crate::actors::icx_proxy::signals::PortReadySubscribe;
 use crate::actors::icx_proxy::{IcxProxy, IcxProxyConfig};
 use crate::actors::replica::{BitcoinIntegrationConfig, Replica};
@@ -20,7 +18,6 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 pub mod btc_adapter;
 pub mod canister_http_adapter;
-pub mod emulator;
 pub mod icx_proxy;
 pub mod replica;
 mod shutdown;
@@ -82,36 +79,6 @@ pub fn start_canister_http_adapter_actor(
     Ok(CanisterHttpAdapter::new(actor_config).start().recipient())
 }
 
-#[context("Failed to start emulator actor.")]
-pub fn start_emulator_actor(
-    env: &dyn Environment,
-    local_server_descriptor: &LocalServerDescriptor,
-    shutdown_controller: Addr<ShutdownController>,
-    emulator_port_path: PathBuf,
-) -> DfxResult<Addr<Emulator>> {
-    let ic_ref_path = env.get_cache().get_binary_command_path("ic-ref")?;
-
-    // Touch the port file. This ensures it is empty prior to
-    // handing it over to ic-ref. If we read the file and it has
-    // contents we shall assume it is due to our spawned ic-ref
-    // process.
-    std::fs::write(&emulator_port_path, "").with_context(|| {
-        format!(
-            "Failed to write/clear emulator port file {}.",
-            emulator_port_path.to_string_lossy()
-        )
-    })?;
-
-    let actor_config = actors::emulator::Config {
-        ic_ref_path,
-        port: local_server_descriptor.replica.port,
-        write_port_to: emulator_port_path,
-        shutdown_controller,
-        logger: Some(env.get_logger().clone()),
-    };
-    Ok(actors::emulator::Emulator::new(actor_config).start())
-}
-
 #[context("Failed to setup replica environment.")]
 fn setup_replica_env(
     local_server_descriptor: &LocalServerDescriptor,

src/dfx/src/actors/shutdown.rs

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub fn wait_for_child_or_receiver(
     loop {
         // Check if either the child exited or a shutdown has been requested.
         // These can happen in either order in response to Ctrl-C, so increase the chance
-        // to notice a shutdown request even if the emulator exited quickly.
+        // to notice a shutdown request even if the replica exited quickly.
         let child_try_wait = child.try_wait();
         let receiver_signalled = receiver.recv_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_millis(100));