micro release exception for bzr

[Martin Pool]

(Let me know if I should take this to a more specific forum than the TB.)

On 22 September 2010 13:09, Martin Pool <mbp at canonical.com> wrote:
> On 22 September 2010 03:05, Martin Pitt <martin.pitt at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>> Hello Martin,
>>
>> Martin Pool [2010-09-20 12:08 +1000]:
>>> Thanks, everyone.  Since there do not seem to be any objections, would
>>> one of you please add bzr to
>>> <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates/MicroReleaseExceptions>?
>>
>> The request was approved by the TB today, so I added it.
>>
>> The permission is coupled to those conditions:
>>
>>  * The test suite gets re-enabled during package builds.
>>  * SRU verification should include tunning the tests in an installed system.

We have just done our second bugfix release for the 2.2 series, which
shipped in Maverick[0], and requested an SRU for it as part of
<http://pad.lv/659590>.

The good news, with regard to our SRU MRE conditions, is that the test
suite now passes cleanly when run both during a build, and when run
from an installed package.  We've checked this for the specific source
packaged in 2.2.2.

However, the bad news is that we can't really meet this MRE condition
for Maverick.  To run its test suite, bzr needs the "python-testtools"
package[1], which is packaged in Universe while bzr itself is in
main[2].  This hasn't been a problem before because every other
command works without it, and attempting to run the tests just asks
you to install testtools.  I personally can't see any way to unlock
this: I presume we can't promote python-testtools into main in an SRU.

It would be pretty disappointing to stall bzr SRUs after what we've
done towards enabling them.

It seems to me the best course is:

 * grandfather the 2.2 series SRUs by running their tests in a
separate build, and manually after installation of the package
 * for Natty, pursue a main inclusion request
<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MainInclusionProcess> for python-testtools

I'd very much appreciate either an amended MRE exception to allow us
to do this for 2.2, or an alternative suggestion.

[0] <https://launchpad.net/bzr/2.2/2.2.2>
[1] <http://mumak.net/testtools/docs/>
[2] https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/bazaar/2010q4/071019.html

-- 
Martin