Re: Noob testing on Win32....

[Alan Horkan <horkana tcd ie>]

On Wed, 30 Oct 2002, Nick Fisher wrote:

> Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2002 16:32:21 -0500
> From: Nick Fisher <Nick nickdafish com>
> Reply-To: dia-list gnome org
> To: dia-list gnome org
> Subject: Noob testing on Win32....
>
> > > Hummmm.....
> > > I'm afraid I use Gentoo (Not Debian) and I don't use X.
> > you dont need x to help test compile, that is the great thing.
> > It could even be automated.
> Except I'm going to be missing stacks of libs.... no?

Probably

> > Ahh, can you try installing the debian source packages under gentoo?
> > there must be way to convert, I will look into that.
> Havn't a clue. I think their quite different, Gentoo uses BSD style ports
> called ebuilds rather than packages. Maybe I can install the debian

i thought it was called 'portage' but anyway

> package manager but everything is probbaly going to be in the wrong
> places. Gentoo is conforms to FSH 1.1 but not your standard RedHat SystemV
> stuff.

If you could find where it breaks and help to figure out what changes
would be need to be made to the makefiles to get it to compile on
Gentoo.

> > > Sorry. Is there any straight up Win32 testing I can help with?
> > Maybe you can alien out the exes and libs for testing?

Alien is a program for converting between package formats (and as such
extracting binaries from non native packages).  Google for Alien and RPM
or package should turn up something, the homepage for Alien might be on
sourceforge but i forget and i dont have time to check right now.

I empathise with your situation.

Providing binaries makes testing easier for everyone, i almost never
compile anything.  Other projects keep the version in CVS so that
it can always be easily built and some have regular automated
builds every day.  It is all about lowering the barrier to entry
and making it as easy as possible for those who are willing to help
to get involved.  It is hard to convince developers that the work required
to build infrastructure and community is worth it in the longer run, and
frankly it is not as interesting work.

Release early release often.

I really have no choice but to practice what i preach and get off my ass
and start compiling Dia myself.

> I was trained as a C coder many moons ago on a BSD system and I'm a
> NT/Win2k MCSE. My Unix admin skills are purely from my spare time goofing

getting Dia to compile cleaning on various platforms would be very useful
work.

if you are looking for suggestions perhaps you might grab 'valgrind'
(similar in function to Rational Purify) and hunt down memory leaks.

> off. I recon I can put a few hours a week into a bit of Dia testing but
> you may have to give me links and help on the tools I've not used before

ill provide links tomorrow if you want, but not now 28k dialup sucks
rocks.

> (Like alien). In all it sounds like fun. Let me know.....

I am always happy to pass on my limited knowledge and welcome anyone who
is willing to help.

Later
Alan