Feature template update [was Re: Anaconda is totally trashing the F18 schedule...]

[Adam Williamson]

On Thu, 2012-11-01 at 09:56 -0400, Matthew Miller wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 01, 2012 at 09:24:52AM +0200, Panu Matilainen wrote:
> > There are features and features... some of them are new versions of
> > leafnode packages or a just bunch of new packages which nothing else
> > depends on, and some of them affect *everything* in the distro.
> > Perhaps the invasive changes should have a considerably earlier
> > deadline, and if the deadline is not met then the feature would be
> > "automatically" postponed to next release.
> 
> Right now, the Feature template has this sections:
> 
>   == Scope ==
>   <!-- What work do the developers have to accomplish to complete the feature
>   in time for release?  Is it a large change affecting many parts of the
>   distribution or is it a very isolated change? What are those changes?-->
> 
> Maybe the explanation could be strengthened, and some "checkbox" options
> added:
> 
> Choose one of:
> 
>  ☐ "This is a "leaf" feature adding new, stand-alone functionality.
> 
>  ☐ This feature brings new functionality which changes the default user
>    experience for many users.
> 
>  ☐ This feature introduces changes which affect the user experience only in
>    its own area.

To make things clearer I think you could drop 'brings new functionality
which' from the second checkbox. The key thing we're trying to isolate
is whether the feature has implications for 'normal' usage; it doesn't
matter whether it's introducing new functionality.

I was rather thinking we can simply take advantage of the critical path
definition here. After all, when we came up with the critpath, the idea
was it was a general concept which could be useful beyond the idea of a
'critpath package'. So why don't we just introduce the concept of a
'critpath feature' - any feature with implications for the critical
path?
-- 
Adam Williamson
Fedora QA Community Monkey
IRC: adamw | Twitter: AdamW_Fedora | identi.ca: adamwfedora
http://www.happyassassin.net