Bug 73181 – Bugzilla Severity ratings inapproriate for a from-src system (from devel list)

• Product: Gentoo Infrastructure
• Status: RESOLVED REMIND

[Description Duncan 2004-12-02 18:00:54 UTC]

As covered on the Gentoo Devel list, "Gentoo Bugzilla HOWTO 
(your input please)",
Monday, 27 Sep 2004 12:51:44 -0700, 
Author Duncan <[e-mail]>, 
Message-Id:
<[e-mail]>

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>)

[Comment 1 Jeffrey Forman (RETIRED) 2005-05-15 08:14:26 UTC]

I'll take under advisement your suggestions for the next howto when I upgrade bugzilla.

-jeffrey