[U-Boot] [RFC] Build errors in u-boot mainline and daily builds

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Remy,

In message <3efb10970901031205p5a54c743y2fdf4b7a82949e9f at mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
> 
> I will investigate some more on tools to use (e.g. buildbot), and if I
> cannot find anything suitable, I will stick to the shell script for
> the time being :-) (being pragmatic)

DUTS (http://www.denx.de/wiki/DUTS/DUTSDocs) makes such an approach,
too - but it goes one step further and adds automatic regression
testing, too.

> But (just thinking out loud), build failures are not allowed to
> happen, and when it happens at a certain time, is it so bad to sent it
> to the (or any) mailinglist?

Certain failures are known, and exist for a long time.

> So, for example:
> 1. build broken -> sent mail (goto step 2, or 3)

Nobody will remember this any more two weeks later.

> 2. build more broken-> sent another mail (goto step 2, or 3)
> 3. build repaired->sent mail...  (goto step 4)
> 4. and then (forever) silence... until step 1 happens again.

It's a tightrope walk. If you send a build failure report just  once,
it  may  be  easily  forgotten, so you have to send reminders. If you
send reminders too often, messages will be ignored quickly.

IMHO the only thing we can do is to use a bug tracking  system  where
broken  builds  are flagged, and where responsibility can be flagged,
too.

Unfortunately our gnats expert ran away leaving the last 10%  of  the
task of setting up bugs.denx.de undone.  [Any volunteers here?]


Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
The first 90% of a project takes 90% of the time, the last 10%  takes
the other 90% of the time.