[OPEN-ILS-DEV] Rethinking the release process: (was: Trac usage, EG Versions)

[James Fournie]

Thanks Joe and Dan for your great comments.

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 7:51 AM, Joe Atzberger
<jatzberger at esilibrary.com> wrote:
> I agree that time-based releases would be dependent on:
>
> fuller coverage of automated tests,
> a explicitly executable if not automated upgrade path,
> and a more automated (basically easier) release process.
>
> Defining categories and pairing people to them as default assignees is very
> much in line with the questions I was asking about versions.

I would like to add that it would be nice to see some of this testing
incorporated on the client side, testing the staff client on a variety
of linux distros (or simply a matter of checking what is required to
install the appropriate version of xulrunner) and also testing the
OPAC on a variety of web browsers just to make sure everything's
kosher.

>>   * Patch management: I've seen a few contributed patches get sent to
>> the list with little feedback from those of us with commit bits. Some
>> other projects more formally track the status of patches to ensure that
>> a given patch gets reviewed and that it is either accepted, rejected, or
>> that feedback is given and that a revised patch has been requested -
>> either via a wiki page, or via a regular list of patches sent to the
>> development mailing list. Someone, or someones, could be responsible for
>> tracking the disposition of all patches (and helping us ensure that we
>> give feedback to would-be contributors in a timely fashion).
>
> This is a good idea, but I'm not sure what the best (OSS) tools for the job
> are.  Trac (or bugzilla) can stand in for a lot of that functionality, by
> just having authors attach their patch to the bug or enhancement ticket that
> prompted it.  That covers all the not too large, not too small patchsets and
> allows for comments, feedback, revisions and instantaneous status.  However,
> this usage would also argue for opening up trac so that anybody could add or
> comment on a ticket.  It would have to be as open as the dev-list,
> effectively.

I think the tools aren't terribly important, Bugzilla and Trac seem to
be the most widely used.  I recall ages ago there was a Bugzilla
install on open-ils.org, but it was ill-maintained.  At the time,
there weren't many organizations using Evergreen that had the capacity
to submit those kinds of patches.

I think having a system like this would encourage would-be contributors.

~James Fournie
BC SITKA