[maemo-developers] QA from extras-devel to extras-testing

[From: Quim Gil]

Hi,

The Fremantle beta SDK is out and now the real time starts for
application developers targeting Maemo 5.

The plan is to have the maemo.org extras repository active by default in
the Application Manager. This means that Maemo 5 users opening the AM
for the first time will see already the apps available there. In order
to do that we need to have a QA process in place, though.

The goal is basically to have only the applications there that:

- Install and deinstall flawlessly.
- Don't bring conflicts in dependencies.
- Don't drain batteries.
- Don't crash or freeze systems.
- Are feature complete: everything inside works.
- Have been tested by someone trusted before.
- Their info in the app manager is complete (icon, summary, URL to
project, updates info).
- Have decent page in maemo.org/downloads.
- Have a place to report issues to the developers.

These are many items but kind of makes sense to have them, isn't it.

The question is how to check and enforce them. What can be automated and
what can be evaluated via testers feedback.

The first question is how to jump from devel to testing, which ones of
the items above (and others missing, if any) should be applied already
there. And put it in practice now in Fremantle.

What we shouldn't do is to create extras-testing or extras and let
packages jump in without the QA process in place. Taking a buggy package
out because of a new policy is going to be much more complicated.

-- 
Quim Gil
open source advocate
Maemo Software @ Nokia