[Bf-committers] Beta Testing for pre-release versions?

[bf-committers@blender.org]

I do think a way of better testing would be good. Most of the coders 
aren't really "artists" (some of you are) but a lot of you aren't. I 
dabble but I'm certainly no artist. Maybe a little more time between 
total freeze and release would be in order. I certainly don't think 
there is any harm in it. You can add my name to an official beta 
tester list if you want :-)

On a related but different note I think once a lot of the code has 
been better reorganized and becomes less fragmented a lot of these 
bugs in old features will cease to happen. Right now there are a lot 
of places where changing one thing means changing it in a whole lot 
of functions. That makes it really difficult even for the veteran 
coder to keep from breaking something.
On 14 May 2004 at 22:20, Juan J. Pena Mena wrote:

> 
> Don't you find annoying that each new version of Blender ships with 
> new bugs, and most of the time those bugs are related to things that 
> used to work fine on previous releases (while one would expect to 
> find more bugs related to new features) :-/ Some better quality 
> control measures should be put in practice.
> 
> I know that there is a Test Release forum at BO, and it works really 
> fine when it comes to testing new/experimental features, but it falls 
> flat out when it comes to caching bugs non related to the spectacular 
> new feature of the moment. Most of the bugs showing on new releases 
> are quite obvious, but still managed to make it into the final 
> release. See 2.33a: First day of release and already two QUITE 
> obvious bugs related to the interface !!!
> 
> I would suggest for the platform managers to post the final compiled 
> versions (built after the CVS is TOTALLY frozen) a fixed number of 
> days on the forum before the releases are made official. i.e. The 
> just released 2.33a would be posted today on the forum, have bugs 
> reports come in, and 7 days from today then 2.33a would be officially 
> released if there isn't any fix to be made.
> 
> Even further, I would like to see some sort of official beta testers 
> group, not just the casual forum passer-by. 
> 
> I know that by taking this approach the release cycle would be 
> extended for a week each time (or even more, depending on the bugs), 
> but it is outrageous how blender has been shipping release after 
> release with so many bugs. Certainly the bugs eventually get into 
> the bug tracker and are sorted out, but isn't it better if the bugs 
> where detected BEFORE the release goes public.
> 
> Shall the trend continue, and sooner than later Blender will be known 
> as =A8The free 3D app with an odd interface and always many bugs=A8, and=
 
> I don't need to explain how hard is to erase those kind of negative 
> images from the public's mind.
> 
> Apollux.
> 
> P.D. If the official beta-tester groups are formed, I volunteer for 
> the Linux platform. 
> 
>