Purpose: Summarize the gotchas/concerns from the release that just went out, and brainstorm ways on improving for 10.04.4 and subsequent LTS point releases.
10.04.3 Release Feedback
Manifest Clarity
- Concern: Lack of clarity on what images needed to be produced. For example, Kubuntu DVDs were missed from manifest, time wasted figuring out if were going to do ARM images or not. No record other than IRC log of Xubuntu's plans. No equivalent of manifest signoff for point releases.
Proposed Solution: Start equivalent of ReleaseImageContacts for point releases, and get signoff on candidate images at time of freeze. ACTION: Kate
Adapting to late kernel changes
- Comment: Took calculated risk by letting kernel change in to fix regression after freeze. Was actively managed to accelerate SRU kernel process QA and Cert so could include in candidate images.
- Concern: Was impact too high on QA and CERT teams? Tradeoff against better quality acceptable?
- Feedback: large part of iso testing is automated, but triggers manually. Need to have visual feedback in some cases, on virtual machine on real hardware. James Page Jenkin - automation on development only, stable release still needs to be considered. Needs to have an ISO for auto to be used. Mini-ISO.
Proposed Solution: Get LTS Images at each of the point release points? 2 months, 3 weeks, 6 days?? QA ask can we generate images weekly on ISOs for stable LTS. Kate to work with release team to figure what's possible?
- AI: Carlos to make ideal proposal for images, and then we'll look at resourcing. Fall back is the 3 weeks do new set of images.
Web links used for prior releases don't have appropriate redirects
Comment: 10.04.2 announce had http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download and http://www.ubuntu.com/server/get-ubuntu/download.
- Feedback: ?
Proposed Solution:
Would be good if http://www.ubuntu.com/server/get-ubuntu/download redirected to http://www.ubuntu.com/download/server/download
- Can links started for reaching LTS be preserved through life of LTS point release? (by redirects at least)
- Push information to stakeholders?? on web image changes.
- Explicit exit.
Time Zone decision/technical coverage
- Concern: due to the late re-spins to pick up fixes, we ran into a couple of times when things were blocked based on release team skills, hardware certification coordination skills, or QA coordination skills
- Feedback: would like to see European/North American TZ designated contacts/decision makers for each of the teams.
- Not sure if this is really needed or not. Some inefficiency was observed, but generally best outcome possible seemed to occur due to community member spirit.
Proposed Solution: aim for 16 hours out of 24, know who to talk to. At 6 days before, establish primary and backups across timezones.
AI: Kate to put a proposal out to identify 6 days before development and point releases, key contacts.
Eucalyptus images not booting bug
- Concern: This bug had been lurking unreported in the SRU updated image for probably 5 weeks, and wasn't caught before ISO testing, yet this is a key piece of functionality. Believed cause is a java security update. Fix was required in Kernel to make Eucalyptus boot.
- FeedbacK: Boot testing of key applications for a release should be automatable and added to regression infrastructure. Could QA sniff test or hardware cert testing have caught this? Why didn't we hear about this before the ISO testing? (Hggdh2: currently we only test UEC/Eucalyptus for milestones. Perhaps we need to expand to... (what? All? a subset of packages?; every day/week tests against proposed/updates?)
- We need to extend regression tests, System test to catch these early, rather than at point release.
- More unit testing, integration, testing needs to be happening.
Proposed Solution: Weekly automated testing of ISO images is ideal SRU. Minimal is to add a step to do iso image generated at 3 weeks before, then 6 days before. Brainstorming at UDS? How to get better SRU unit and integration testing?
Manual copying
- Concern: some kernel load modules were missing on images, and it wasn't clear on the check list. mvo need to update for each of release.
- Feedback: can changelog.ubuntu.com updates be automated? part of publication process; at publication points?
Proposed Solution: Added step to check for this in point release checklist. ACTION: Kate - Done.
Better communciation of point release events
- Concern: clarity on why we do point release; need more background on why we do this and why? Release crept up on people. More broadcasting when candidates available... ? IRC log
Proposed Solution:
- better communication on #ubuntu-devel. More periodic. .
- Put internal milestones, and development cycle onto calendars, and do more broadcasting.
- Putting Freezes into calendar - google calendar. ical as well? how done?
- Fridge is good calender, investigate how this can be done.