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 21 Changes
- Identify as many F21 Final blocker 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.
Process requirements
Alpha criteria met
All Fedora 21 Alpha Release Criteria must be met.
Beta blockers CLOSED
All bugs blocking the Beta tracker must be CLOSED.
Image size requirements
The release-blocking images must meet current size requirements.
Violations of this criterion for release-blocking images are considered "automatic blockers", they do not have to go through the review process. See QA:SOP_blocker_bug_process#Automatic_blockers for more details on the automatic blocker procedure.
Initialization requirements
Release-blocking images must boot
All release-blocking images must boot in their supported configurations.
Release-blocking live and dedicated installer images must boot when written to optical media of an appropriate size (if applicable) and when written to a USB stick with any of the officially supported methods.
This criterion differs from the similar Alpha criterion only in that it requires all supported methods of writing a Fedora USB stick to work, not just any single one.
Installer requirements
Remote package sources
When using the dedicated installer images, the installer must be able to use HTTP, FTP and NFS repositories as package sources.
The installer can handle two different types of NFS repository. It can either contain a package tree, as with HTTP and FTP repositories, or it can contain the DVD ISO image of the same release as the installer. For Beta, only one of these types must work - if one works and the other doesn't, that is OK.
This criterion differs from the similar Alpha criterion in that it requires both HTTP and FTP repositories to work (Alpha requires only one or the other), and adds the requirement for NFS repositories to work.
Test cases:
Direct kernel boot
It must be possible to install by booting the installation kernel directly (including via PXE) and correctly specifying a remote source for the installer itself.
All remote source types required to work for package retrieval in the relevant criterion at the current milestone must work in this case too.
This must work even if the remote source is not a complete package repository but contains only the files necessary for the installer itself to run. In this case, to complete a full installation, a separate package repository would also have to be specified in some way.
Installation interfaces
The installer must be able to complete an installation using the serial console interface.
Kickstart delivery
The installer must be able to use all available kickstart delivery methods.
The intent of available is that the installer developers get to define the set of supported kickstart methods. Available kickstart delivery method means 'an argument to the ks= parameter which is backed by code in the installer'. These should be documented at Anaconda/Kickstart#Chapter_6._Making_the_Kickstart_File_Available
- 'Available' rider added during major Fedora 19 criteria revision at request of anaconda team
- Test cases:
Guided partitioning
When using the guided partitioning flow, the installer must be able to:
- Cleanly install to a disk with a valid ms-dos or gpt disk label and partition table which contains existing data and sufficient unpartitioned space for a Fedora installation
- Complete an installation using any combination of disk configuration options it allows the user to select
- Remove existing storage volumes to free up space, at the user's direction
- Reject or disallow invalid disk and volume configurations without crashing.
Cleanly install' means that Fedora must be installed to the empty space, and if specified a bootloader should be installed to the MBR, but otherwise the disk should be left alone: the existing disk label and partitions must be untouched and no data may be lost.
Guided partitioning refers to the path where the user allows the installer to handle partitioning, as opposed to custom or manual partitioning where the user has full control over the partitioning process.
Disk configuration options refers to choices such as encryption and volume/partition type.
- Partitioning criteria differed prior to Fedora 18 rewrite of installer GUI
- First attempt to revise criteria for Fedora 18 was proposed 2012-10-01, implemented 2012-10-02
- Second attempt proposed 2012-10-11 after first changes seemed inadequate; never implemented
- Third revision made as part of major Fedora 19 criteria revision
- Test cases:
Custom partitioning
When using the custom partitioning flow, the installer must be able to:
- Correctly interpret, and modify as described below, any disk with a valid ms-dos or gpt disk label and partition table containing ext4 partitions, LVM and/or btrfs volumes, and/or software RAID arrays at RAID levels 0, 1 and 5 containing ext4 partitions
- Create mount points backed by ext4 partitions, LVM volumes or btrfs volumes, or software RAID arrays at RAID levels 0, 1 and 5 containing ext4 partitions
- Remove a planned storage volume from the planned layout
- Assign sizes to newly-created storage volumes and containers
- Encrypt newly-created storage volumes
- Remove existing storage volumes
- Assign mount points to existing storage volumes
- Reject or disallow invalid disk and volume configurations without crashing.
Custom partitioning refers to the path where the user chooses to take full control over partitioning, as opposed to guided partitioning where the user allows the installer to handle partitioning.
The requirement "assign mount points to existing storage volumes" is considered to cover the common operation of re-using an existing /home partition without formatting it. For all other mount points, it is acceptable if re-use requires them to be re-formatted.
- Partitioning criteria differed prior to Fedora 18 rewrite of installer GUI
- First attempt to revise criteria for Fedora 18 was proposed 2012-10-01, implemented 2012-10-02
- Second attempt proposed 2012-10-11 after first changes seemed inadequate; never implemented
- Third revision made as part of major Fedora 19 criteria revision
- Test cases:
Hardware and firmware RAID
- The installer must be able to detect and install to hardware or firmware RAID storage devices.
System-specific bugs don't necessarily constitute an infringement of this criterion. It is not unusual that support for some specific firmware RAID controller, for instance, might be broken. In the case of such system-specific bugs, whether the bug is considered to infringe the criterion will be a subjective decision based on the severity of the bug and how common the hardware in question is considered to be. See Blocker_Bug_FAQ for more discussion of this.
- Partitioning criteria differed prior to Fedora 18 rewrite of installer GUI; hardware, firmware and software RAID were combined
- Software RAID was rolled into partitioning criteria and firmware/hardware RAID left as a standalone criterion as part of major Fedora 19 criteria revision
- Test cases: QA:Testcase_Install_to_BIOS_RAID, QA:Testcase_Install_to_Hardware_RAID
Scripted installation
The installer must be able to complete a scripted installation which duplicates the default interactive installation as closely as possible.
- Proposed 2011-08-23, implemented 2011-09-08
- Test case: QA:Testcase_Kickstart_Http_Server_Ks_Cfg (incomplete)
Unattended installation
Any installation method or process designed to run unattended must do so. There should be no prompts requiring user intervention.
- Proposed 2011-03-17, implemented 2011-03-29
- Test case: QA:Testcase_Kickstart_Http_Server_Ks_Cfg (incomplete)
Rescue mode
The rescue mode of the installer must be able to detect and mount any installation performed according to the applicable criteria, and provide a shell with access to utilities capable of performing typical recovery operations.
- Test case: QA:Testcase_Anaconda_rescue_mode
Upgrade requirements
For each one of the release-blocking package sets, it must be possible to successfully complete an upgrade from a fully updated installation of the previous stable Fedora release with that package set installed.
The release-blocking package sets are the minimal set, and the sets for each one of the release-blocking desktops.
This criterion applies to the recommended upgrade mechanisms only.
The upgraded system must meet all release criteria.
- Initial upgrade criterion was part of initial Fedora 13 criteria revision
- Adjusted to require upgraded system to work 2011-03-28
- Adjusted to refer to 'officially supported upgrade mechanisms' rather than specifying particular methods: proposed 2012-09-24, implemented 2012-10-03
- Wording slightly re-organized as part of the major Fedora 19 criteria revision
- Interpreted to require all fedup methods to work (or at least both repository and ISO file) in 2013-12-02 blocker review meeting
- Test cases:
Virtualization requirements
Self hosting virtualization
The release must be able host virtual guest instances of the same release.
This rather concise criterion means effectively means that both virtual host and virtual guest functionality must work - it's implied, if you think about it. It also means that there must be no showstopper bugs in the installer when installing to a virtual machine...
...when using Fedora's recommended virtualization technology, that is. This criterion applies only to the recommended Fedora virtualization tools - the qemu/kvm - libvirt - virt-manager stack.
- Initial virtualization criterion was part of initial Fedora 13 criteria revision
- Revision to explicitly cover both guest and host functionality was proposed 2011-09-07
- Proposal was heavily amended after discussion, particularly a suggestion by Albert Graham, to be more concise and to cover guest functionality when host runs previous release
- Amended proposal was implemented 2011-10-14
- Test cases: QA:Testcase_Install_to_Current_KVM, QA:Testcase_install_to_VirtIO
Guest on previous release
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.
This criterion applies only to the recommended Fedora virtualization tools - the qemu/kvm - libvirt - virt-manager stack.
- Initial virtualization criterion was part of initial Fedora 13 criteria revision
- Revision to explicitly cover both guest and host functionality was proposed 2011-09-07
- Proposal was heavily amended after discussion, particularly a suggestion by Albert Graham, to be more concise and to cover guest functionality when host runs previous release
- Amended proposal was implemented 2011-10-14
- Test case: QA:Testcase_Install_to_Previous_KVM
Post-install requirements
Except where otherwise specified, each of these requirements applies to all supported configurations described above.
Expected installed system boot behavior
A system installed without a graphical package set must boot to a working login prompt without any unintended user intervention, and all virtual consoles intended to provide a working login prompt must do so.
This criterion differs from the similar Alpha criterion by requiring that a login prompt be present without user intervention, and that all virtual consoles provide login prompts: the Alpha criterion is satisfied even if only a single console provides a login prompt, and it is not the one presented to the user after boot.
- Requirement for graphical installs to boot to desktop was in original Fedora 13 criteria revision
- Changes to cover non-graphical installs were proposed 2010-08-12, implemented 2010-08-16: this included the distinct Alpha and Beta requirements
- Test case: QA:Testcase_base_startup
Working sound
The installed system must be able to play back sound with gstreamer-based applications.
System-specific bugs don't usually constitute an infringement of this criterion. It is meant to cover bugs which completely prevent sound playback from working in any hardware configuration. See Blocker_Bug_FAQ for more discussion of this.
- Part of original Fedora 13 criteria revision
- Test case: QA:Testcase_audio_basic
Desktop panel
No part of any release-blocking desktop's panel (or equivalent) configuration may crash on startup or be entirely non-functional.
- Part of original Fedora 13 criteria revision
- Test case: QA:Testcase_desktop_panel_basic
Automatic mounting
Automatic mounting of removable media on insertion must work in release-blocking desktops.
This criterion applies to optical discs, USB storage devices and hotpluggable eSATA hard disks, and any other similar devices that are supported.
- Part of original Fedora 13 criteria revision (later broadened from 'default desktop' to 'release-blocking desktops')
- Test case: QA:Testcase_desktop_automount
Updates
The installed system must be able to download and install updates with the default graphical package manager in all release-blocking desktops.
A bug in some particular update package will not usually constitute a violation of this criterion. It's really about the update mechanism functioning correctly. So if yum is working fine, but the update transaction fails because there happen to be two conflicting packages in the repositories, that's not a release blocking problem.
- Requirement was in force in Alpha for 'default desktop' in original Fedora 13 criteria revision.
- Modification to cover 'release-blocking desktops' was proposed 2011-05-17, implemented 2011-05-31.
- Modification to move graphical update requirement to Beta or Final agreed during 2013-09-18 blocker review meeting.
- Test case: QA:Testcase_desktop_updates
Update notification
Release-blocking desktops must notify the user of available updates, but must not do so when running as a live image.
Shutdown, reboot, logout
Shutting down, logging out and rebooting must work using standard console commands and the mechanisms offered (if any) by all release-blocking desktops.
Similar to the Alpha criterion for shutting down, shutdown and reboot mechanisms must take storage volumes down cleanly and correctly request a shutdown or reboot from the system firmware. Logging out must return the user to the environment from which they logged in, working as expected.
- Proposed 2010-06-24, implemented 2010-06-29
- Revision to cover console logout and reboot proposed 2014-07-18, clarified 2014-07-22, implemented 2014-07-29
- Test case: QA:Testcase_desktop_login
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.