Should we remove the Message Relayer?

[smartcontracts]

I'd like to propose removing the Message Relayer tool. For anyone out of the loop, it's a tool that automatically relays messages to L1 when they're sent on L2. The problem with this tool is as follows:

1. It's not meant to be used in production environments.
2. Developers can't use it for real applications.
3. Developers might see our integration tests and assume they can use it for production applications.
4. It seems like magic.

Messages do not get relayed automatically, but the Message Relayer makes it seem like they do. This is backwards IMO. Instead, we should just provide good tools for developers to be able to relay messages and their tests will become much more explicit. Opening a discussion in the hopes that someone will give feedback about their experience with the tool.

[qbzzt]

So for L2 -> L1 messages they need to relay them "manually" (with a tool they write) before the challenge period can begin? Why aren't we making this easy on them?

[smartcontracts]

Yes exactly

[qbzzt]

Then don't have it in this repository. Maybe it belongs in https://github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism-tutorial, as something useful.

BTW, can it be used in production to spare users the need to remember to finalize their own transactions? Or does finalization have to come from the recipient?

[smartcontracts]

Ok I agree with that. We want to have something similar in production but it's a little more complex since it needs to be incentive compatible (users still have to pay for the cost of withdrawing somehow).

[qbzzt]

If we're willing to take the risk that gas price will rise between now and then, we can give them an option in the gateway to select it and have it done automatically (when possible) for a price.

Anyway, I opened INT-96 to move this to tutorials. Please don't delete before I do it.

[bova242]

ok, this makes for a more comfortable interaction

[smartcontracts]

DECIDED: We WILL be removing the message-relayer in a future release. We believe that the message-relayer creates an unnecessary discrepancy when testing against a local network and when testing against a testnet. We will make an announcement in advance and give you an alternative for relaying messages manually as part of your L2 => L1 message tests.

[platocrat]

POGGIES

[girayov]

What about tokens that haven't been executed yet in message relayer? @smartcontracts

[smartcontracts]

What about tokens that haven't been executed yet in message relayer? @smartcontracts

We only use the message relayer as a developer tool, it would not impact withdrawals on production networks.