Beta Objectives
The objectives of the Beta release are to:
- Publicly release installable media versions of a code complete test release: Beta is the last widely co-ordinated test release point in any given release cycle
- Finish testing Fedora 16 Features
- Identify as many F16Blocker bugs as possible
Beta Release Requirements
In order to be released to the general public, a compose must meet all of the following criteria. This is intended to make the decision process as clear and straightforward as possible. Mostly met items are incomplete until they are met. Optional and nice to have items should not be included in this list.
There may be times where a requirement is unmet only in a particular configuration, such as with some keyboard layouts but not others, or if a particular character is used in a username, password or passphrase. In such cases, the release team should use their judgement and refer to precedent to determine whether or not the issue should be considered to block the release. They should consider the number of users likely to be affected by the issue, the severity of the case when the issue is encountered, and the ease or otherwise with which the issue can be avoided by both informed and uninformed users.
The term release-blocking desktops means all the desktop environments in which bugs are currently considered capable of blocking a Fedora release. The current set of release-blocking desktops for x86_64 is GNOME and KDE, and for aarch64 is GNOME. Note that bugs in desktops that are not part of this set which would infringe these criteria automatically qualify for freeze exception status, according to the freeze exception bug process.
The term release-blocking images means all the images in which bugs are currently considered capable of blocking a Fedora release. The current set of release-blocking images includes the images defined by the three Editions - Server, Workstation and IoT - in their product requirement documents and/or technical specifications, the Everything network install image, key Cloud images, and the KDE live image. The canonical list of release-blocking images for Fedora 42 is on this page.
Release Requirements:
- All Fedora 16 Alpha Release Criteria must be met
- All bugs blocking the Beta tracker must be CLOSED
- The network installation image, DVD image, and live images for release-blocking desktops must meet current size requirements
- The installer must boot and run on systems using EFI other than Apple Macs
- The installer must be able to use the HTTP, FTP and NFS remote package source options
- At the package installation stage, the install should show no uncategorized package groups
- The installer must be able to use all kickstart delivery methods
- The installer must be able to create and install to software, hardware or BIOS RAID-0, RAID-1 or RAID-5 partitions for anything except /boot
- The installer must be able to successfully complete an upgrade installation from a clean, fully updated default installation (from any official install medium) of the previous stable Fedora release, either via preupgrade or by booting to the installer manually. The upgraded system must meet all release criteria
- The installer must be able to successfully complete a scripted installation, using the installer's preferred scripting system, which duplicates the default interactive installation as closely as possible
- Any installation method or process designed to run unattended must do so (there should be no prompts requiring user intervention)
- The rescue mode of the installer must be able to detect and mount (read-write and read-only) LVM, encrypted, and RAID (BIOS, hardware, and software) installations
- When booting a system installed without a graphical environment, or when using a correct configuration setting to cause an installed system to boot in non-graphical mode, the system should provide a working login prompt without any unintended user intervention when boot is complete, and all virtual consoles intended to provide a working login prompt should do so
- The release must be able host virtual guest instances of the same Fedora release, using Fedora's current preferred virtualization technology
- The release must install and boot successfully as a virtual guest in a situation where the virtual host is running the previous stable Fedora release, using Fedora's current preferred virtualization technology
- In most cases, the installed system must be able to play back sound with gstreamer-based applications (see Blocker_Bug_FAQ)
- No part of any release-blocking desktop's panel (or equivalent) configuration should crash or be entirely non-functional on boot of the installed system using default installation choices
- Automatic mounting on insertion of removable media must work in release-blocking desktops
- The default update manager in release-blocking desktops must not periodically check for updates when the system is booted live, but must periodically check for updates when running on an installed system
- All release-blocking desktops' offered mechanisms (if any) for shutting down, logging out and rebooting must work
Beta Blocker Bugs
A bug is considered a Beta blocker bug if any of the following criteria are met:
- A bug in a Critical Path package that:
- Cannot be fixed with a future stable update
- Has a severity rating of high or greater and no reasonable workaround (see definition of severity and priority)
- Bug hinders execution of required Beta test plans or dramatically reduces test coverage
- Bug relates to an unmet Beta Release Requirement
A Fedora Change being incomplete, in and of itself, does not constitute a blocker bug. The Change process is separate from this process. Changes are required to meet certain standards at certain points of the release cycle, but this is part of the Change process and managed, tracked and enforced separately from this process. However, if a proposed feature being incomplete causes any of the above criteria to be met, then the bug is a release blocker.
Contingency Plan
- If all of the Beta Release Requirements are not met by 20:00 UTC on Wednesday the week prior to release day, the release will be delayed by one week so that the Beta Release Requirements can be met.
- One week will be added to all remaining tasks in the release schedule, including the final release date.
- This decision will be made at the Go/No-Go Meeting.
Confirming Beta Requirements
QA has the responsibility of determining whether the criteria for the release has been met (as outlined above) through discussion with Development and Release Engineering. QA's findings will be reviewed and discussed at the Go/No-Go Meeting.