Difference between revisions of "Features/Host Version"

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[[Category:Feature Page Incomplete]]
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[[Category:Feature|Host Version]]</noinclude>
  
 
== Summary ==
 
== Summary ==
''A sentence or two summarizing what this feature is and what it will do. This information is used for the overall feature summary page for each release.''
+
Using the "hosts" variable in the activity.info file to define the Sugar version for which an activity was designed and tested.
  
 
== Owner ==
 
== Owner ==
 
* Name: [[User:ChristophD| Christoph Derndorfer]]
 
* Name: [[User:ChristophD| Christoph Derndorfer]]
 
 
* Email: christoph AT olpcnews DOT com
 
* Email: christoph AT olpcnews DOT com
  
Line 15: Line 16:
  
 
== Detailed Description ==
 
== Detailed Description ==
''Expand on the summary, if appropriateA couple sentences suffices to explain the goal, but the more details you can provide the better.''
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With 0.86 being on the horizon, 0.84 being used on SoaS, 0.82 being widely used among the G1G1 community and some deployments and many deployment still using pre-0.82 software I think the issue of activity compatibility deserves some serious attention. Otherwise this has the potential to create '''a lot of confusion''' and frustration further down the road (especially with things like the XO-1.5 that supports 3D acceleration on the horizon).
 +
 
 +
: Not sure what the original plans wrt the technical implemention of this feature were but I would assume the harder part of solving this problem is spreading the word among activity developers to update their .xo bundles accordingly.
 +
:: iirc, the original idea was roughly to have a monotonically increasing series of host #s which would define the point in the sugar devolution when the activity was finished and tested, with the idea that a later version of Sugar would be likely to run an older activity but not vice versa. If you are thinking in terms of 'on which of six platforms has this been tested' then this .info field may not be ideally suited to the task[[User:Sj|+sj]]  [[User Talk:Sj|<font color="#ff6996">+</font>]]
 +
::: Mmm, that's a very good point. Do we want to distinguish just between progressing versions or also between different flavors of the same version? [[User:ChristophD|ChristophD]]]
 +
 
 +
Someone, preferably the activity authors themselves, would need to check activities against the various Sugar versions which are in use and document their findings. This however could also be a nice entry-level task for people who want to start contributing to Sugar.
  
 
== Benefit to Sugar ==
 
== Benefit to Sugar ==
''What is the benefit to the platform?  If this is a major capability update, what has changed?  If this is a new feature, what capabilities does it bring? Why will Sugar become a better platform or project because of this feature?''
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* avoid user confusion as to why some activities might potentially not work on the currently installed OS.
 +
* identify activity developers who don't know about compatibility issues and the importance of testing on specific versions of Sugar (they won't have updated their default .info file)
 +
 
  
 
== Scope ==
 
== 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?''
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TBD
  
 
== How To Test ==
 
== How To Test ==
''This does not need to be a full-fledged document.  Describe the dimensions of tests that this feature is expected to pass when it is done.  If it needs to be tested with different hardware or software configurations, indicate them.  The more specific you can be, the better the community testing can be.''
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TBD
  
''Remember that you are writing this how to for interested testers to use to check out your feature - documenting what you do for testing is OK, but it's much better to document what *I* can do to test your feature.''
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== User Experience ==
 +
Depends on the implementation but one way could be to fail gracefully by showing a warning when an activity that doesn't work on the specific Sugar version is downloaded/run. The warning message could also include information or a link to information on how to update the XO to the latest version.
  
''A good "how to test" should answer these four questions:''
+
Also, the ability to sort a.sl.o activities by host.  
 
 
* ''What special hardware / data / etc. is needed (if any)?
 
* ''How do I prepare my system to test this feature? What packages need to be installed, config files edited, etc.?
 
* ''What specific actions do I perform to check that the feature is working like it's supposed to?
 
* ''What are the expected results of those actions?''
 
 
 
== User Experience ==
 
''If this feature is noticeable by its target audience, how will their experiences change as a result? Describe what they will see or notice.''
 
  
 
== Dependencies ==
 
== Dependencies ==
''What other packages (RPMs) depend on this package?  Are there changes outside the developers' control on which completion of this feature depends?  In other words, completion of another feature owned by someone else and might cause you to not be able to finish on time or that you would need to coordinate?  Other upstream projects like python?''
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TBD
  
 
== Contingency Plan ==
 
== Contingency Plan ==
''If you cannot complete your feature by the final development freeze, what is the backup plan?  This might be as simple as "None necessary, revert to previous release behaviour."  Or it might not.  If you feature is not completed in time we want to assure others that other parts of Sugar will not be in jeopardy.''
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None yet
  
 
== Documentation ==
 
== Documentation ==
''Is there upstream documentation on this feature, or notes you have written yourself?  Link to that material here so other interested developers can get involved.''
+
None yet
  
 
== Release Notes ==
 
== Release Notes ==
''The Sugar Release Notes inform end-users about what is new in the release. An Example is [[0.84/Notes]]. The release notes also help users know how to deal with platform changes such as ABIs/APIs, configuration or data file formats, or upgrade concerns.  If there are any such changes involved in this feature, indicate them here.  You can also link to upstream documentation if it satisfies this need.  This information forms the basis of the release notes edited by the release team and shipped with the release.''
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TBD
  
 
== Comments and Discussion ==
 
== Comments and Discussion ==
* See [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|discussion tab for this feature]] <!-- This adds a link to the "discussion" tab associated with your page.  This provides the ability to have ongoing comments or conversation without bogging down the main feature page -->
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* See [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|discussion tab for this feature]]
  
 
[[Category:Feature Page Incomplete]]
 
[[Category:Feature]]
 
 
----
 
----
 
''You can add categories to tie features back to real deployments/schools requesting them, for example <nowiki>[[</nowiki>Category:Features requested by School Xyz]]''
 
''You can add categories to tie features back to real deployments/schools requesting them, for example <nowiki>[[</nowiki>Category:Features requested by School Xyz]]''

Latest revision as of 01:56, 18 October 2009

Summary

Using the "hosts" variable in the activity.info file to define the Sugar version for which an activity was designed and tested.

Owner

Current status

  • Targeted release: 0.86
  • Last updated: 2009-07-21
  • Percentage of completion: 0%

Detailed Description

With 0.86 being on the horizon, 0.84 being used on SoaS, 0.82 being widely used among the G1G1 community and some deployments and many deployment still using pre-0.82 software I think the issue of activity compatibility deserves some serious attention. Otherwise this has the potential to create a lot of confusion and frustration further down the road (especially with things like the XO-1.5 that supports 3D acceleration on the horizon).

Not sure what the original plans wrt the technical implemention of this feature were but I would assume the harder part of solving this problem is spreading the word among activity developers to update their .xo bundles accordingly.
iirc, the original idea was roughly to have a monotonically increasing series of host #s which would define the point in the sugar devolution when the activity was finished and tested, with the idea that a later version of Sugar would be likely to run an older activity but not vice versa. If you are thinking in terms of 'on which of six platforms has this been tested' then this .info field may not be ideally suited to the task. +sj +
Mmm, that's a very good point. Do we want to distinguish just between progressing versions or also between different flavors of the same version? ChristophD]

Someone, preferably the activity authors themselves, would need to check activities against the various Sugar versions which are in use and document their findings. This however could also be a nice entry-level task for people who want to start contributing to Sugar.

Benefit to Sugar

  • avoid user confusion as to why some activities might potentially not work on the currently installed OS.
  • identify activity developers who don't know about compatibility issues and the importance of testing on specific versions of Sugar (they won't have updated their default .info file)


Scope

TBD

How To Test

TBD

User Experience

Depends on the implementation but one way could be to fail gracefully by showing a warning when an activity that doesn't work on the specific Sugar version is downloaded/run. The warning message could also include information or a link to information on how to update the XO to the latest version.

Also, the ability to sort a.sl.o activities by host.

Dependencies

TBD

Contingency Plan

None yet

Documentation

None yet

Release Notes

TBD

Comments and Discussion


You can add categories to tie features back to real deployments/schools requesting them, for example [[Category:Features requested by School Xyz]]