Would there be any value in setting up a project on sourceforge to make use
of their compile farm?  I know that it doesn't cover all platforms, but it
would perhaps be a start to mechanical compile and regression testing.

Just a thought...


MikeA



-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Lane [mailto:tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us]
Sent: 20 February 2001 15:51
To: Justin Clift
Cc: pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: [HACKERS] beta5 ... 


>> As a matter of curiosity, is each beta compiled and then regression
>> tested against *every* one of the known "supported" platforms before
>> release?

Who are you expecting to do that, exactly?

One of the differences between Postgres and a proprietary commercial 
database is that there is no vast support machinery behind the scenes.
What you see going on on this list is what you get: beta testing
consists of the activities performed and reported by list members.

Normally, if we are about to push out a beta then two or three people
will double-check that the current CVS tip builds and passes regression
on their personal machines.  But the "supported platforms" coverage
depicted in the docs consists of all the platforms that are reported to
us as working during the entire beta test period, including many that
the key developers have no direct access to.  There's no way that we
could reverse the process and cause that to happen before a beta release
instead of after; certainly no way that we could cause all that effort
to be repeated for each beta version.

If you are using a beta version then you are part of that testing
process, not a beneficiary of something that's happened behind closed
doors.

			regards, tom lane


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RE: [HACKERS] beta5 ... 


Would there be any value in setting up a project on sourceforge to make use of their compile farm?  I know that it doesn't cover all platforms, but it would perhaps be a start to mechanical compile and regression testing.
Just a thought...


MikeA



-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Lane [mailto:tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us]
Sent: 20 February 2001 15:51
To: Justin Clift
Cc: pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: [HACKERS] beta5 ... 


>> As a matter of curiosity, is each beta compiled and then regression
>> tested against *every* one of the known "supported" platforms before
>> release?

Who are you expecting to do that, exactly?

One of the differences between Postgres and a proprietary commercial 
database is that there is no vast support machinery behind the scenes.
What you see going on on this list is what you get: beta testing
consists of the activities performed and reported by list members.

Normally, if we are about to push out a beta then two or three people
will double-check that the current CVS tip builds and passes regression
on their personal machines.  But the "supported platforms" coverage
depicted in the docs consists of all the platforms that are reported to
us as working during the entire beta test period, including many that
the key developers have no direct access to.  There's no way that we
could reverse the process and cause that to happen before a beta release
instead of after; certainly no way that we could cause all that effort
to be repeated for each beta version.

If you are using a beta version then you are part of that testing
process, not a beneficiary of something that's happened behind closed
doors.

                        regards, tom lane



**********************************************************************
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify
Nick West - Global Infrastructure Manager.

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by
MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.

www.mimesweeper.com
**********************************************************************
Tue, 20 Feb 2001 16:26:10 -0000
Michael Ansley <Michael.Ansley@intec-telecom-systems.com>
RE: beta5 ... 
> Would there be any value in setting up a project on sourceforge to
> make use of their compile farm?  I know that it doesn't cover all
> platforms, but it would perhaps be a start to mechanical compile and
> regression testing.

I haven't looked at the platforms available in the compile farm
recently, but afaik regression coverage for over half a dozen platforms
already happens without (extra) effort: Tom Lane has three or more
platforms, I've got Linux, Bruce has BSDI, Marc has FreeBSD, we have
some active W32 developers, etc etc.

What would SF add to this mix?

                           - Thomas

Tue, 20 Feb 2001 16:40:22 +0000
Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu>
Re: beta5 ...
* Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu> [010220 10:51]:
> > Would there be any value in setting up a project on sourceforge to
> > make use of their compile farm?  I know that it doesn't cover all
> > platforms, but it would perhaps be a start to mechanical compile and
> > regression testing.
> 
> I haven't looked at the platforms available in the compile farm
> recently, but afaik regression coverage for over half a dozen platforms
> already happens without (extra) effort: Tom Lane has three or more
> platforms, I've got Linux, Bruce has BSDI, Marc has FreeBSD, we have
> some active W32 developers, etc etc.
I have a UnixWare 7.1.1 box I run PG on....
> 
> What would SF add to this mix?
> 
>                            - Thomas
-- 
Larry Rosenman                     http://www.lerctr.org/~ler
Phone: +1 972-414-9812                 E-Mail: ler@lerctr.org
US Mail: 1905 Steamboat Springs Drive, Garland, TX 75044-6749

Tue, 20 Feb 2001 10:57:14 -0600
Larry Rosenman <ler@lerctr.org>
Re: Re: beta5 ...
>> Would there be any value in setting up a project on sourceforge to
>> make use of their compile farm?  I know that it doesn't cover all
>> platforms, but it would perhaps be a start to mechanical compile and
>> regression testing.

> I haven't looked at the platforms available in the compile farm
> recently, but afaik regression coverage for over half a dozen platforms
> already happens without (extra) effort: Tom Lane has three or more
> platforms, I've got Linux, Bruce has BSDI, Marc has FreeBSD, we have
> some active W32 developers, etc etc.

I run HPUX and Linux/PPC routinely, so that's only two here.  Still, we
have reasonable coverage among the core team and a bunch more platforms
used by active pgsql-hackers people.  Also, the project does have an
Alpha in-house at hub.org (if Marc ever gets it back into commission
after that failed OS reinstall...)

> What would SF add to this mix?

The current list of machines at cf.sourceforge.net seems to be

                 lqqqqqqqChoose compile farm server...qqqqqqqk
                 x A. [x86] Linux 2.2 (Debian 2.2)           x
                 x C. [x86] FreeBSD (4.2-stable)             x
                 x                                           x
                 x G. [Alpha] Compaq Tru64 (5.1)             x
                 x H. [Alpha] Linux 2.2 (RedHat 7.0)         x
                 x                                           x
                 x L. [Sparc - E240] Linux 2.2 (Debian 2.2)  x
                 x M. [Sparc - E240] Sun Solaris (8)         x
                 x                                           x
                 x Exit                                      x
                 mqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqj

I think I'll go try a build on that Solaris 8 machine, since we've heard
some reports of problems on Solaris.  However, I'm not sure that we need
any organized use of their compilefarm.  If they made it easy to
*automatically* run build/install/regress test on multiple machines,
I could see the facility being useful (especially so once a few more
platforms are offered).  But right now it looks like it's just shell
access to platforms other than your own, which is not going to help us
all that much.

			regards, tom lane

Tue, 20 Feb 2001 15:10:47 -0500
Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Re: Re: beta5 ... 
As well as Linux I run Solaris 8 SPARC (32-bit not 64), Solaris 7 SPARC
(SMP, 32-bit not 64), Solaris 7 Intel (both SMP and uni-processor) and
Solaris 8 Intel (both SMP and uni-processor).

I can be counted on to do testing of these as required in about 2 weeks
from now, after I get a new permanent connection here.

With luck I'll additionally have the finances to buy some SPARC 64-bit
machines in a few months.

Regards and best wishes,

Justin Clift
Database Administrator

Tom Lane wrote:
> > What would SF add to this mix?
> 
> The current list of machines at cf.sourceforge.net seems to be
> 
>                  lqqqqqqqChoose compile farm server...qqqqqqqk
>                  x A. [x86] Linux 2.2 (Debian 2.2)           x
>                  x C. [x86] FreeBSD (4.2-stable)             x
>                  x                                           x
>                  x G. [Alpha] Compaq Tru64 (5.1)             x
>                  x H. [Alpha] Linux 2.2 (RedHat 7.0)         x
>                  x                                           x
>                  x L. [Sparc - E240] Linux 2.2 (Debian 2.2)  x
>                  x M. [Sparc - E240] Sun Solaris (8)         x
>                  x                                           x
>                  x Exit                                      x
>                  mqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqj
> 
> I think I'll go try a build on that Solaris 8 machine, since we've heard
> some reports of problems on Solaris.  However, I'm not sure that we need
> any organized use of their compilefarm.  If they made it easy to
> *automatically* run build/install/regress test on multiple machines,
> I could see the facility being useful (especially so once a few more
> platforms are offered).  But right now it looks like it's just shell
> access to platforms other than your own, which is not going to help us
> all that much.
> 
>                         regards, tom lane

Wed, 21 Feb 2001 11:35:25 +1100
Justin Clift <aa2@bigpond.net.au>
Re: Re: beta5 ...