As covered on the Gentoo Devel list, "Gentoo Bugzilla HOWTO (your input please)", Monday, 27 Sep 2004 12:51:44 -0700, Author Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net>, Message-Id: <pan.2004.09.27.19.51.44.951521@cox.net> I was told posting a bug was appropriate, but am just getting toit... The severity descriptions for "blocker", "critical", "major", and "minor" need changed to be more in line with a from-source distribution such as portage. Currently, blocker is described as preventing testing or developing the software. With that description, anything that halts an emerge is "blocker", because the software can't be tested or developed if it can't be installed. The other levels likewise seem skewed toward run-time rather than install-time issues. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: Attempt to fill out a bug on a package that fails to merge. Try to figure out what severity to attach using the existing descriptions. Actual Results: With existing severity criteria as currently described, if those descriptions are taken literally, /any/ failed emerge gets bumped to "blocker" severity, because if it can't be installed, the problem is certainly preventing further testing and development of the software package. Why have a severity rating if according to the guidelines, most bugs should be rated "blocker"? Expected Results: Proposed redefined descriptions: Minor: Merges OK, but some loss of functionality. Normal: Merge fails but errors suggest workarounds, or merge succeeds but major loss of runtime functionality. Major: Merge failure, unhelpful errors, or merges but won't run. Problem likely to affect many users. Critical: Merge or runtime failure, other system apps affected. Blocker: Merge or runtime causes system crash or loss of data. System left in unusable or unbootable state. Proper severity level guidance should prove helpful to users filing bugs, and therefore to developers and wranglers managing them. (BTW, why does bugzilla ask for "emerge info" for a gentoo bugzilla bug? Am I supposed to have "emerge info" for bugs.gentoo.org?? <g>)
I'll take under advisement your suggestions for the next howto when I upgrade bugzilla. -jeffrey
