Improver (English version)
Most of the testing tasks for Mandriva/ROSA operating systems are to be done while running Improver, exept those which need data recollecting before running the system itself i.e. that concern installation and booting the system, as well as preparing bootable media and running system within virtual machines. For those kind of tests there are special protocols to be filled after performing the tests and recollecting the data. Improver is a kind of software dedicated to collection automatically the necessary data of the PC used for testing the system and running the tests as replies to questions or statements which the client software presents to a registered user according to testing plans downloaded from Improver's server. The whole Mandriva/Rosa's Improver includes
- client software
- server applications
- web-application
Client software is GUI utility called Improver_client. It creates user account, downloads testing plans from the server, and collects the hardware and system data from the user's PC. User selects desired testing plan form available list, fills report then the program sends it to the Improver's server.
Usage of Improver
User may run it from main menu --> "Applications" --> "Tests" or by the command `improver' in console. Administrative privileges are required because the program launches system utilities lshw and dmidecode, which collect system hardware information about hardware. welcome screen appears after launching the programm saying that the test system requires registration and showing port number which is used. After this appears the registration window, where user must submit its first name, second name, e-mail fnd some comments, optionally.
After the "next" button is clicked, programm connects to the server, sends registration information and retrieves lists of test-plans. Afer that appears window with the test-plans available for free downloading. User may select any test-plan from the list.
After selesting the test-plsn and clickung the "next" button, user sees the questions, with the number of current task and overall number of questions. The question text appears below. Below and to the left are possible answers and to the right appears comments field. If the answer is "yes" there is no need to comment, otherwise user must leave a comment describing the problem. Also there are hot keys: Alt+1 for "Yes" and Alt+2 for "No".
Below are the buttons for making a screenshots -- without delay and with the 3 seconds delay. The region to the righ shows atached files, it can be a screenshot or log-file or any user file in any format. Moving forward to the next question is done by pressing the "next" button and going back to the previous question by hitting the "back" button. if the programm was quit before copleting the full test, the next time it resumes from the question it was quit.
Having all questions answered, user sends report by clicking the button "Send the report". After this you may quit or run another test by pressing the button "Run another test". Before running the tests please prepare first the following data.
For MAIN
- Before rinnung this test, boot the system in safe mode, copy down the full text of errors if any (or take a photo of the screen). After that, booted into the graphical enviroment, get the output of demsg and attach it along with the Xorg.0.log.
For MEDIA
- Record bootable DVD-ROM with any available Windows utility. Copy down the full text of errors if any.
- Record bootable DVD-ROM with k3b or other LINUX GUI-utility (brasero, nautilus-cd-burner etc). Copy down the full text of errors if any.
- Record bootable DVD-ROM in Linux using dd command, as follows:
dd if=image.iso of=/dev/<disk>
(for more information see dd page on LQwiki http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Dd). Copy down the full text of errors if any.
When booting from the obtained DVD-ROM in Live mode all stages of the 1st launch must work properly. In case of errors, please, provide the full text of the errors, screenshot or take a photo of the screen.
After booting in the LIVE mode, check that:
- There is no unnecessary data requests (please, note down which data is requested)
- The algorithm Quit works properly
- The algorithm Lock works properly
- The algorithm Switch User works properly
- The algorithm Sleep Mode works properly
- The algorithm Reboot works properly. After you restart the system there should not be any changes to the hard drive of your PC. Especially check that the boot record of the hard disk is not damaged.
- The algorithm Switch off works properly. After you restart the system there should not be any changes to the hard drive of your PC. Especially check that the boot record of the hard disk is not damaged.
Create a bootable image on flash device with a command
livecd-iso-to-disk /path/to/image.iso /dev/USBPARTITIONNAME
The result should be a flash device with two folders DATA and SYSTEM. System should boot successfully from this device.
When booting from this USB-drive in live mode check that:
- all stages of the 1st launch work properly. In case of errors please copy down the full output of the errors.
- live user logs in automatically
- there is no unnecessary data requests during boot process (please, note down which data is requested, if not)
Make some custom changes to the system after booting from Live-USB: change the widgets, uninstall some rpm-packages. It is important to uninstall a package correctly, for example, the package kde-l10n-en_GB or any package with the option -nodeps. In a footnote you'll have to indicate that it is done and provide the output of rpm-qa | grep …
Reboot: after system restart all the changes must be present and work properly. In case of some changes unsaved you'll have to make a detailed report, as audited and the output of
cat /etc/sysconfig/draklive-install
Power off. After another booting of the system all your changes must be present. In case of unsaved changes, please, make a detailed report, indicate how did you check the changes, for example, provide the output of
cat /etc/sysconfig/draklive-install
Boot into this modified system on the flash-device and install the system on the hard disk from the Live enviroment (draklive-install in console) and make sure the changes made to the Live-USB system are saved and working in the system on your hard disk (provide the output of
rpm-qa | grep ...
and / or screenshots).
