gmane.linux.suse.opensuse.project

fdisk project - GSoC weekly report 1

Davidlohr Bueso — 2012-05-25T12:43:34

Hi,

This is my first report of what we've been doing regarding the fdisk
redesign project.

1) What's been done in previous weeks, before SoC development officially
started:

- Consolidate and agree on internal fdisk API and data structures with
Petr and mainstream util-linux community.

- Isolate DOS specific label logic. This is important since DOS
partition table context was deeply embedded in the heart of fdisk logic,
making it impossible to implement a new API. Now DOS, like all other
supported labels, has its own file and functions.

- Fixed two nasty bugs that are currently present in most distros.
http://git.kernel.org/?p=utils/util-linux/util-linux.git;a=commit;h=50f6100a960d96471980a9a5354d9ee426b00673
http://git.kernel.org/?p=utils/util-linux/util-linux.git;a=commit;h=44d2fc819840d821db8dc965decf1f490ae9cc95

- Generic code cleanups.

2) What's been done during week 1:

- Implemented and merged in mainstream the initial functions and data
structures of the new internal API.
http://git.kernel.org/?p=utils/util-linux/util-linux.git;a=commit;h=823f0fd107415ced8edde12306b9134058aafdc0

- Implement dynamic debug support. By reading environment variables
($FDISK_DEBUG) developers and users can quickly be informed of important
events during that occur during fdisk's entire execution.
http://git.kernel.org/?p=utils/util-linux/util-linux.git;a=commit;h=f7b1f75e68362071fd3f344fe13d1356f2047a6f

- Generic code cleanups.

3) What's immediately next?
- Add device topology and geometry to the API. We have decided to go
strictly with libblkid for the former, therefore fdisk will probably
depend 100% on it. This enables us not to reinvent the wheel, specially
since this blkid is also part of util-linux.

--
All in all I believe we have had a good, solid start. It really helps
that Petr, I and util-linux maintainer are quite familiar with the code,
thus making quick and important progress. Petr's willingness and
knowledge really make a difference and couldn't be happier working with
him.

Thanks,
Davidlohr

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Jim Henderson — 2012-05-23T22:50:02

I think the reason I'm not seeing that as the default is because I tend 
to just go to http://bugzilla.novell.com - but doing that now I see a 
version of the guided interface.  I remember back in January when I was 
entering bugs against a different product, though, I hadn't remembered 
seeing it walk me through the guided interface.

But it's good to know that that's changed now consistently.

Jim

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Jim Henderson — 2012-05-23T21:12:21

Sounds good.  I have updated the page on the wiki with a little more
information, and Andreas and I had a good IRC chat earlier today about
the current process that I'm using to help guide what I'm doing.

It appears that the reason I've lost access via gmane is
self-inflicted - I was grabbing headers from the NNTP interface to do
a traffic analysis for another project I'm involved in, and it was
detected as an "address harvesting activity" (shame on me for not
thinking about that) and the system blocked my entire DNS subdomain
out as a result.

Whoops. :(  Hopefully I can get them to unblock me, otherwise I'll be
catching up from the archives and getting the list sent via e-mail
instead (which I find less convenient).

Jim

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Helen South — 2012-05-23T21:08:39



Great. I'd been waiting out for further discussion about the use (or
not) of the wiki as a workspace.
I'm going to be a little bit snowed under for the next week or two,
starting a new job on monday plus two exams.

cheers
Helen

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Jim Henderson — 2012-05-23T15:39:41

Just to let you (and the list) know, I had a couple days that I had to
dedicate to another task (some forum infrastructure work), and now it
seems that gmane's NNTP interface is messed up and I'm not seeing new
posts through it.  I'll catch up and get directly on the list so this
can keep going.

I've had a look at the tool Henne pointed me at, and from a PM
perspective, that'll meet my needs, so I'll get a project set up there
so I can track it, and I'll spend time today working on this wiki page
as well.  Once it's set up, I'll post the link here so anyone who
wants to follow along can.

Sorry for vanishing abruptly - it just looked like the list had gone
quiet until I tried to follow-up.  I've notified the gmane site admin
that there's an issue, so hopefully they'll get that resolved soon.

Jim

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Henne Vogelsang — 2012-05-22T12:49:02

Hey,

On 05/21/2012 07:51 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:

It is the default for every new user since a couple of years AFAIR.

Henne

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Helen South — 2012-05-22T08:27:43

Going via googling for 'opensuse file a bug' -> first result looks
suitable - http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Submitting_bug_reports

--> developers and experienced users go here:
https://bugzilla.novell.com/index.cgi  and not being logged in, then I
pick 'enter a bug' (not knowing to search first... though being a
hypothetical  'experienced' user I probably should - it takes me to
Login page. and then I do see the guided page.

 I did end up at the non-guided page previously, but not sure how.

On the first opensuse.org page it does recommend beginners to go to
the forums first. So what's happening there when users say they've
found a bug?

It seems that at least so far, the filtering process isn't too bad;
possibly it could be a little bit clearer and bolder for those with
short attention spans, but it doesn't look as broken as I was
expecting.

This is part of why we need to gather information before making
decisions: what does the whole process really look like, and what are
the real issues. No point in "barking up the wrong tree"!

Re: Re: Does the project have a publicly accessible project management tool?

Wolfgang Rosenauer — 2012-05-22T08:15:23

Hi,

Am 21.05.2012 15:28, schrieb Henne Vogelsang:

I know the general meaning of namespaces and I can guess what portals are in the
wiki. It doesn't make sense to write a lot about it because I for sure do not
know details and that's maybe why "I find the structury highly confusing".


I do not get that question.


Aeh, for everyone involved in the project and interested persons?
I'm not sure what you want to say.

Let me explain what I wanted to say instead:

I use wikis sometimes but it's not my main task to write documentation in wikis.
I use the new openSUSE wiki rarely (even more rarely than the old one) because I
don't know the details about the above and I use my time for something else
instead of working through every detail of our wiki.

But from time to time I see that there is a need to write some FAQ or
documentation for stuff _I_ know.
The last time (which was quite a few weeks in the past) I failed miserably and
was not able to add a page
- because either I didn't know where it belongs
- or it failed for permission reasons
- yes, I asked on #opensuse-wiki and got no answer

I do not say it's impossible to work through that but I find it a high bar for
people not used to the system.

ATM I want to add some documentation and will hopefully work through during the
next days and in case it's needed I'll share my experience again with current data.

Wolfgang

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Per Jessen — 2012-05-22T06:31:55


Isn't the guided form the default?  It seems to be when I log in.

Re: Does the project have a publicly accessible project management tool?

Jim Henderson — 2012-05-21T21:46:41


Actually, I set up an account on the tool that Henne pointed me at and it 
seems that that tool is specifically set up for this - and uses Agile/
Scrum as a development methodology (which I think applies very well 
anyways because the goal is to keep things moving along).

Jim

Re: Re: Does the project have a publicly accessible project management tool?

Roger Luedecke — 2012-05-21T20:30:34

I don't like the idea of adapting the wiki for that. Its supposed to be
a knowledge base, and its already not terribly good for that.

Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Jim Henderson — 2012-05-21T17:51:13


Hmmm, I've never seen that one.  I'll make sure the forums staff knows 
about it so we point people using that URL rather than the URL to the 
standard bug reporting interface.

Jim

Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Jim Henderson — 2012-05-21T17:49:52


Ah, I see - thanks for the clarification, Vincent.

Jim

Re: Does the project have a publicly accessible project management tool?

Jim Henderson — 2012-05-21T17:35:17


Cool, I hadn't found that yet.  Sounds like a perfect fit, will take a 
look.

Thanks, Henne. :)

Jim

Re: Re: LinuxTag update

Jan Krings — 2012-05-21T15:23:54

Tommorow is the big Day. Especially the big prepare-booth-day. 

when and where do we meet? at the motel?

Jan


Am Donnerstag, 10. Mai 2012, 09:48:30 schrieb Jos Poortvliet:

Re: Re: Does the project have a publicly accessible project management tool?

Henne Vogelsang — 2012-05-21T13:40:54

Hey,

On 17.05.2012 18:03, Jim Henderson wrote:


If you haven't found it yet you can use http://retro.opensuse.org. It's 
there, it's maintained, it includes goal planner, story management, 
issue-tracker, simple wiki etc. Basically everything you said you need I 
think. The contact to get a project set up or anything else would be 
admin-stAJ6ESoqRxg9hUCZPvPmw< at >public.gmane.org

Henne

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Henne Vogelsang — 2012-05-21T13:32:20

Hey,

On 20.05.2012 00:56, Helen South wrote:


I guess Rajko already explained this but the "workspace" for planing or 
any other purposes of the openSUSE project is the namespace openSUSE:

I hope that helps you in you endeavors :)

Henne

Re: Re: Does the project have a publicly accessible project management tool?

Henne Vogelsang — 2012-05-21T13:28:18

Hey Wolfgang,

On 18.05.2012 08:01, Wolfgang Rosenauer wrote:


Can I ask you a personal favor? Can you take a couple of minutes from 
your busy schedule and elaborate on that as PM to me? In particular I 
would like you to answer the following questions from the top of your 
head (without looking it up I mean) if you can.

* What are Namespaces?
* What are Portals?
* How do you think people can collaborate in a wiki?
* For whom do you think is the openSUSE wiki?

That would be very helpful. Thanks

Henne

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Henne Vogelsang — 2012-05-21T13:15:40

Hey,

On 16.05.2012 18:41, Bryen M Yunashko wrote:


What do you find so daunting about the guided interface that we link to 
everywhere? Maybe we can improve that one.

https://bugzilla.novell.com/enter_bug.cgi?product=openSUSE+12.2&format=guided

But I fear you can't make bugreporting _much_ simpler without placing 
more burden on a first-level screening...

Henne

Re: Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Vincent Untz — 2012-05-21T08:08:19

Le jeudi 17 mai 2012, à 01:33 +0000, Jim Henderson a écrit :

Sorry, I guess I added some confusion with my mail :/ As far as I know,
we don't use the "FIXED -> VERIFIED -> CLOSED" workflow. I was really
just talking about old bugs that the reporters can test again in more
recent versions of openSUSE.

Vincent

Re: Improving the bug management lifecycle/process

Vincent Untz — 2012-05-21T08:06:49

Le jeudi 17 mai 2012, à 03:24 +0200, Carlos E. R. a écrit :

Do you still expect answers for openSUSE 10.3? My point is that
developers/packagers/triagers/etc. all try to close bugs when they're
fixed, but it happens that some bugs are just forgotten. And in that
case, the reporter can help too and say "oh, this 10.3 bug was fixed a
long time ago, let's close it" after checking things.

Cheers,

Vincent