[Qemu-devel] KVM call minutes for Apr 5

[Chris Wright <chrisw@redhat.com>]

KVM Forum
- save the date is out, cfp will follow later this week
- abstracts due in 6wks, 2wk review period, notifications by end of May

Improving process to scale project
- Trivial patch bot
- Sub-maintainership

Trivial patch monkeys^Wteam
- small/simple patches posted can fall through the cracks (esp. for
  areas that aren't well maintained)
- patches should be simple, easy to review (
- aiming to gather a team, so that the position can rotate
- patch submitter can rest assured
- Stefan and possibly Mike Roth are volunteering to get this started
- Cc: qemu-trivial@nongnu.org to send patches to the Trivial patch monkey
- details here:
  
  http://wiki.qemu.org/Contribute/TrivialPatches

Sub-maintainership
- have MAINTAINERS file
  - need to add git tree URLs
  - needs another pass to make sure there are no missing subsystems
  - make it clearer how maintained the subsystems are
- adding a wiki page to show how to become a subsystem maintainer
  - one valuable step...write testing around the subsystem
    - means you've had to learn the subsystem (builds expertise)
    - allows for regression testing the subsystem (esp. validating new patches)
- sub-maintainers sometimes disappear
  - can add another maintainer
  - actively poke the maintainer when patches are languishing
  - if you're going to be away, be sure to let list or backup know
- systematic patch tracking would help, patchwork doesn't quite cut it
- who receives pull request
  - list + blue swirl/aurelien for tcg, anthony picking up plenty of
    other bits
- infrastructure subsystems (qdev, migration, etc..)
  - big invasive changes done externally, effective flag day for full merge
  - subsystem localized change (e.g. vmstate fix for a specific device)
    maintainers can work it out, be sure to have both
- facilitating patch review and hopefully improving subsystem over time

kvm-autotest
- roadmap...refactor to centralize testing (handle the xen-autotest split off)
- internally at RH, lmr and cleber maintain autotest server to test
  branches (testing qemu.git daily)
  - have good automation for installs and testing
- seems more QA focused than developers
  - plenty of benefit for developers, so lack of developer use partly
    cultural/visibility...
  - kvm-autotest team always looking for feedback to improve for
    developer use case
- kvm-autotest day to have folks use it, write test, give feedback?
  - startup cost is/was steep, the day might be too much handholding
  - install-fest? (to get it installed and up and running)
- buildbot or autotest for testing patches to verify building and working
- one goal is to reduce mailing list load (patch resubmission because
  they haven't handled basic cases that buildbot or autotest would have
  caught)
- fedora-virt test day coming up on April 14th.  lucas will be on hand and
  we can piggy back on that to include kvm-autotest install and virt testing
- kvm autotest run before qemu pull request and post merge to track
  regressions, more frequent testing helps developers see breakage
  quickly
  - qemu.git daily testing already, only the "sanity" test subset 
    - run more comprehensive "stable" set of tests on weekends
- one issue is the large number of known failures, need to make these
  easier to identify (and fix the failures one way or another)
- create database and verify (regressions) against that
  - red/yellow/green (yellow shows area was already broken)
- autotest can be run against server, not just on laptop
- how to do remote client display testing (e.g. spice client)
  - dogtail and LDTP
  - graphics could be tested w/ screenshot compares
- WHQL testing automated as well