about
Ubuntu Development Releases Testing Team
This wiki is under Development. Check https://launchpad.net/~U+1
Contact u+1@lists.launchpad.net or Effenberg0x0@GMail.com for further info.
Contents
About the team
Context
The Ubuntu+1 sub-forum at UbuntuForums.org
UbuntuForums.org hosts a sub-forum dedicated to Ubuntu Development Releases. This sub-forum is closed and has its contents archived at the end of every development release cycle. It is reopened when a new release cycle starts. The archived content can be accessed here (http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=237).<<BR>> From 2009 to 2011 (Intrepid Ibex to Precise Pangolin) users have gathered at this forum to report and discuss their experiences with Ubuntu+1": opinions, bugs found and even workarounds.
Some of these users gradually defined themselves as "testers" and engaged into tasks related to testing the development releases of Ubuntu. A Ubuntu+1 tester is typically an individual with some Linux and Ubuntu experience, with enough skills to understand and solve problems and challenges presented when running unstable software. Doing so, these testers create a knowledge base, spread into hundreds of threads and posts, regarding the specificities of the release under development. It's not unusual to see that, once a development cycle ends and a final version of Ubuntu is released, Ubuntu+1 testers jump into the common support areas of UbuntuForums (as well as other forums – including international ones) and share advanced knowledge about the new release. Having used, tested and discussed such releases since day one of alpha stage, their expertise on its particularities is not unexpected.
Changes at Ubuntu+1 during the Precise Pagolin development cycle
Up to the Oneiric Ocelot development cycle, the Ubuntu+1 area of UbuntuForums had hardly changed, if not for higher traffic and number of users. It had no official leadership, processes, objectives or integration with other Ubuntu teams. Change started to happen during the Precise Pangolin development cycle. Some moves towards consolidating Ubuntu+1 as a community and improving its integration to other teams and to Ubuntu processes were taken to the Community Team. One of the first actions towards publicizing Ubuntu+1 was its participations at UDW at a session named “Running the Development Release”.
Changes at Ubuntu during the Precise Pangolin development cycle
Also during the PP cycle, a new goal of keeping the development releases usable and buildable was defined (see https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/other-p-plusonemaint-priorities and https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PlusOneMaintenanceTeam/Specs/Priorities). That was triggered my Mark Shuttleworth as described at http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/938 .
Indirectly, these changes created new Development Release users (not properly testers) and thus a need to support them, as well as an opportunity to get new people involved in testing. The Ubuntu+1 forum section started receiving threads moved from other support areas and had to provide support to those users.
A naturally formed community
Ubuntu+1 has lost a few good testers in past cycles. Some felt like they should find other ways to contribute to Ubuntu, as Ubuntu+1 had no feedback from other Ubuntu areas and teams and was loosely integrated to Ubuntu structure. As a way to offer proper Ubuntu and community recognition to the work of testers, enhance the integration of their work to Ubuntu, retain current talents and attract new ones, it was acknowledged that it was time to make it an official team.
In order to do so, clear objectives, responsibilities, processes and leadership must be defined. These are detailed in the U+1 Team Plan.
The U+1 Team creation
The proposal for the creation of the U+1 team, including all of its processes, team roadmap, team leadership, etc) was drafted in this document and submit to Ubuntu Community Coordination. The team can operate as it is with no need of approval of the Ubuntu Community Council (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CommunityCouncil). In the future, if its contributions to the community prove valid and useful, the team can pledge the CC to be considered an Official Team.
The U+1 Team plan and processes
Team responsibilities
The U+1 Team will engage into activities related exclusively to the Development Releases of Ubuntu. Such activities may include:
- Intra-day updates testing and reporting;
- Milestone releases testing and reporting;
Custom Testing (e.g. CheckPoint, TestDrive, as well as answering to direct requests from developers).
- Creating high value-added Launchpad Bug Reports and working with triagers and developers to solve such bugs, if requested;
- Supporting new Development Release users;
- Attracting new talents to the team, retaining and motivating skilled testers;
- Developing, documenting and sharing testing procedures and techniques;
- Documenting its organizational and technical information and making it publicly accessible via Ubuntu Wiki;
Supporting other teams in activities that relate to the Development Releases (QA, learning, documentation, etc).
U+1 members will sign and follow the Code of Conduct (http://www.ubuntu.com/project/aboutubuntu/conduct), being respectful and responsible in all of its Ubuntu-related activities.
Team approval
Team governance and hierarchy
Team membership
Any Ubuntu user may apply for a 1-year U+1 Team Membership. In order to do so, the user must:
- Sign Ubuntu Code of Conduct and act according to it;
- Provide valuable contributions to the team activities and discussions;
- Engage productively into the team activities;
Be accepted by other members in a U+1 Team Meeting. Current members that attend to the meeting will vote for or against the membership application;
Observations:
- U+1 activities require some degree of technical knowledge. Team memberships will not be granted to users that don't actively contribute to the team activities and/or that have no technical skills to assume a role in the team.
The U+1 Team is submit to the Community Council governance. It can not offer Ubuntu Memberships to it's members. THat will only happen when and if the Community Council delegates the team governance to it's members.
Ubuntu Membership
U+1 Team Memberships are not the same as Ubuntu Memberships. EVery Ubuntu user can apply for an Ubuntu Membership by following the procedures at Ubuntuhttps://wiki.ubuntu.com/Membership.
Leadership
U+1 will be lead by one of it's members for the period of one development cycle. The team leader will be chosen by team members present at a previously scheduled IRC session.
Current Leadership
Future Leadership
If a team leader refuses the leadership role or resigns, an IRC session for voting on a new leader will be scheduled. Proponents (team members only) will announce their will to fill the position though the team mailing-list.
- Applicants for the team leadership will provide their links to a Launchpad page (to check if the Ubuntu CoC was signed) and to a Ubuntu Wiki page containing a full description of his ideas for U+1.
Decision Making Processes
Conflict Resolution
Delegation
Team and Members Evaluation
Team Technical Resources
Launchpad
The U+1 Team is registered at https://launchpad.net/~U+1. THis page lists general information about the team and it's members.
Mailing-List
The U+1 Team Mailing-List is hosted at U+1@lists.launchpad.net. It's not targeted at end-user support and used exclusively for U+1 members discussions and interaction with other teams and developers. It is a moderated list and it requires subscription (see https://launchpad;net/~U+1).
Forum
The Ubuntu+1 sub-forum at UbuntuForums.org is the main channel for end-user support. Using the forum for supports has some advantages, as it creates a searchable knowledge base, that can be accessed by other users (unlike IRC).
IRC Channel
U+1 uses an IRC channel for it's internal management, discussions and events.
There's currently not enough resources to use the IRC channel for end-user support. The Ubuntu+1 sub-forum at UbuntuForums.org is the main end-user support media. The channel is registered and moderated, and hosted at irc.ubuntu.com at #U+1.
Wiki
The wiki is hosted at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/U+1. Notice the uppercase letter 'U'.
Team Reports
Media
Regularity
Roadmap
Initial activities