Testing test releases: do not update

[Lamar Owen]

On Sunday 22 February 2004 07:17 pm, Gerry Tool wrote:
> I heartily agree with this.  The uncoordinated mixture of rawhide
> packages, fixed packages and original test release packages leaves a
> very ill defined state of a system on which to base bug reports.

Welcome to the real beta testing world.  IIRC, this is basically what things 
were like under the private beta test arrangement; at least that's how I 
remember the old process.

> Feeling impotent to help because my test sytem is hopelessly borked by
> rawhide updates.

During previous cycles I had similar issues, and did the 'lather/rinse/repeat' 
cycle numerous times on my test box.  Welcome to Beta Testing.  This is what 
it is like; if you can't handle that, wait on test2, 3, or 4.  Test1 is 
always rough around the edges.

One previous cycle saw me installing from scratch three dozen times on that 
particular test box.

Can it be done better?  Maybe.  Should it be done 'better'?  I don't think it 
should be, since Rawhide is just exactly that: RAW.  And, as beta testers, we 
have signed up (in my case at least) with that knowledge.  The test releases 
have big warnings about that.  In early tests, the developers can and will 
(and should not be prevented from) making large changes to packages; it does 
get better as the test number increases.

People wanted 'more open'; welcome to 'more open'.
-- 
Lamar Owen
Director of Information Technology
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute
1 PARI Drive
Rosman, NC  28772
(828)862-5554
www.pari.edu