en/glep/glep-0048.txt

GLEP: 48
Title: QA Team's Role and Purpose
Version: $Revision: 1.1 $
Last-Modified: $Date: 2006/04/24 17:26:48 $
Author: Mark Loeser <halcy0n@gentoo.org>,
Status: Final
Type: Standards Track
Content-Type: text/x-rst
Created: 24 April 2006
Post-History: 24-Apr-2006


Abstract
========

This GLEP outlines the abilities and purpose of the Quality Assurance team
for Gentoo.

Motivation
==========

For years now developers have been saying how we need an empowered QA team to
handle problems concerning the tree.  This GLEP provides the structure for
such a team and specifies the roles the team would fulfill.

Specification
=============

The QA team should be given certain abilities to look out for the best
interests of all developers, as well as our users.  The QA team should also
work to ensure developers have the information they need, and that packages
are maintained.

* The QA team's purpose is to provide cross-team assistance in keeping the
  tree in a good state. This is done primarily by finding and pointing out
  issues to maintainers and, where necessary, taking direct action.
* In case of emergency, or if package maintainers refuse to cooperate,
  the QA team may take action themselves to fix the problem.  The QA team
  does not want to override the maintainer's wishes by default, but only
  wish to do so when the team finds it is in the best interest of users and
  fellow developers to have the issue addressed as soon as possible.
* The QA team may also offer to fix obvious typos and similar minor issues,
  and silence from the package maintainers can be taken as agreement in such
  situations.  Coding style issues fall under this category, and while they
  are not severe, they can make automated checks of the tree more difficult.
* There will be cases when our tools are incapable of handling a certain
  situation and policy must be broken in order to get something working
  completely.  This will hopefully not occur very often but each time it
  does occur, the QA team and the maintainer will come to some agreement on
  an interim solution and it is expected that a bug will be opened with the
  appropriate team to work towards a correct solution.
* In the case of disagreement among QA members the majority of established
  QA members must agree with the action.  Some examples of disagreements are:
  whether the percieved problem violates the policy or whether the solution
  makes the situation worse.
* In the event that a developer still insists that a package does not break
  QA standards, an appeal can be made at the next council meeting. The package
  should be dealt with per QA's request until such a time that a decision is
  made by the council.
* Just because a particular QA violation has yet to cause an issue does not
  change the fact that it is still a QA violation.
* If a particular developer persistently causes breakage, the QA team
  may request that devrel re-evaluates that developer's commit rights.
  Evidence of past breakages will be presented with this request to devrel.
* The QA team will maintain a list of current "QA Standards" with explanations
  as to why they are problems, and how to fix the problem.  The list is not
  meant by any means to be a comprehensive document, but rather a dynamic
  document that will be updated as new problems are discovered.  The QA team
  will also do their best to ensure all developer tools are in line with the
  current QA standards.
* In order to join the QA team, you must be a developer for at least 4 months
  and must ask the current lead for approval.
* The QA team will work with Recruiters to keep related documentation and
  quizzes up to date, so that up and coming developers will have access to all
  of the necessary information to avoid past problems.
* QA will take an active role in cleaning up and removing from the tree
  unmaintained packages as they are found to be broken.  It is also
  encouraged of members of the QA team to assist in mentoring new developers
  that wish to take over unmaintained packages/herds.


Backwards Compatibility
=======================

Not a problem for this GLEP.

Copyright
=========

This document has been placed in the public domain.

1	GLEP: 48
2	Title: QA Team's Role and Purpose
3	Version: $Revision: 1.1 $
4	Last-Modified: $Date: 2006/04/24 17:26:48 $
5	Author: Mark Loeser <halcy0n@gentoo.org>,
6	Status: Final
7	Type: Standards Track
8	Content-Type: text/x-rst
9	Created: 24 April 2006
10	Post-History: 24-Apr-2006
11
12
13	Abstract
14	========
15
16	This GLEP outlines the abilities and purpose of the Quality Assurance team
17	for Gentoo.
18
19	Motivation
20	==========
21
22	For years now developers have been saying how we need an empowered QA team to
23	handle problems concerning the tree. This GLEP provides the structure for
24	such a team and specifies the roles the team would fulfill.
25
26	Specification
27	=============
28
29	The QA team should be given certain abilities to look out for the best
30	interests of all developers, as well as our users. The QA team should also
31	work to ensure developers have the information they need, and that packages
32	are maintained.
33
34	* The QA team's purpose is to provide cross-team assistance in keeping the
35	tree in a good state. This is done primarily by finding and pointing out
36	issues to maintainers and, where necessary, taking direct action.
37	* In case of emergency, or if package maintainers refuse to cooperate,
38	the QA team may take action themselves to fix the problem. The QA team
39	does not want to override the maintainer's wishes by default, but only
40	wish to do so when the team finds it is in the best interest of users and
41	fellow developers to have the issue addressed as soon as possible.
42	* The QA team may also offer to fix obvious typos and similar minor issues,
43	and silence from the package maintainers can be taken as agreement in such
44	situations. Coding style issues fall under this category, and while they
45	are not severe, they can make automated checks of the tree more difficult.
46	* There will be cases when our tools are incapable of handling a certain
47	situation and policy must be broken in order to get something working
48	completely. This will hopefully not occur very often but each time it
49	does occur, the QA team and the maintainer will come to some agreement on
50	an interim solution and it is expected that a bug will be opened with the
51	appropriate team to work towards a correct solution.
52	* In the case of disagreement among QA members the majority of established
53	QA members must agree with the action. Some examples of disagreements are:
54	whether the percieved problem violates the policy or whether the solution
55	makes the situation worse.
56	* In the event that a developer still insists that a package does not break
57	QA standards, an appeal can be made at the next council meeting. The package
58	should be dealt with per QA's request until such a time that a decision is
59	made by the council.
60	* Just because a particular QA violation has yet to cause an issue does not
61	change the fact that it is still a QA violation.
62	* If a particular developer persistently causes breakage, the QA team
63	may request that devrel re-evaluates that developer's commit rights.
64	Evidence of past breakages will be presented with this request to devrel.
65	* The QA team will maintain a list of current "QA Standards" with explanations
66	as to why they are problems, and how to fix the problem. The list is not
67	meant by any means to be a comprehensive document, but rather a dynamic
68	document that will be updated as new problems are discovered. The QA team
69	will also do their best to ensure all developer tools are in line with the
70	current QA standards.
71	* In order to join the QA team, you must be a developer for at least 4 months
72	and must ask the current lead for approval.
73	* The QA team will work with Recruiters to keep related documentation and
74	quizzes up to date, so that up and coming developers will have access to all
75	of the necessary information to avoid past problems.
76	* QA will take an active role in cleaning up and removing from the tree
77	unmaintained packages as they are found to be broken. It is also
78	encouraged of members of the QA team to assist in mentoring new developers
79	that wish to take over unmaintained packages/herds.
80
81
82	Backwards Compatibility
83	=======================
84
85	Not a problem for this GLEP.
86
87	Copyright
88	=========
89
90	This document has been placed in the public domain.
91