Software testing of Open Source projects VS commercial projects

Discussing the business of software development projects often involve themes of staff motivation, team building. Important each team member individually and collectively, as a whole. To do this, conducted corporate training programs, team building and whatnot, so that each was a hero, and all as one, too, could operate for the benefit of the project.

Especially interesting will be to describe the process of software testing services in Open Source, which has obvious differences from the testing of a commercial product.

Let’s start from the beginning: the formation of the team testing. The commercial product all clear from this stage: the NT, or attract employees from other departments, or something, and more. Each of them understands their role in the project: 40 hours a week, he will do that and then some. What with the team testing in Open Source projects? There is not so obvious.

Projects can be small, in which there is a dedicated and marked with the role of tester. In this case, the test lies on the shoulders of the developers who are doing public work, try to make it as good. There are still users of this Open Source product, found that write buggy discussed at the forum the pros and cons of the product, offer new features. There are large projects that have tested as an isolated activity. Usually, it’s already taken place and the development of the project, such as a line of Mozilla.

For such projects are involved enthusiasts, fans of different ways. Firstly, it is the users, the adherents of this product, who decided to make a contribution to your favorite product (or are not the favorite, but the perspective and standing in their opinion). Secondly, it is the users who are involved in various community through advocacy: calls on the forums, videos, word of mouth, special sites that are dedicated to finding volunteers for Open Source projects and so on. There is also a practice of participation of students who are taking the first steps to increase their skills on a live project. Foreign professors involve students in participating Open Source projects to bring the labs to the real conditions, to teach students to work in a team.

Thus, there is a certain group of people who agree to participate (perhaps not quite sure) to test a certain Open Source project. But the crowd - this is not a command. It remains no less important task - to make the team (in which an unknown number of people), to establish a transparent process of testing and the interaction between team members.

In order to educate the novice, in a commercial project is not usually an established and regulated process. In the Open Source project, on the contrary, it is a very important point that needs careful consideration and documentation. For example, a person who wishes to participate in software testing of Open Source project.

First of all, he must understand how the product works, then, as The Company now testing process, which is active, what tools to help, what help is waiting for his project. Typically, for these purposes is a study document, “We are glad to see you”, or wiki pages containing information and links. Matter how clear and transparent, this initial information, some energy charges his reader, depends, will volunteer to test whether this project or not. Therefore, documentation, “We are glad to see you” paid much attention. It is used from the very beginning, “we - the team is important to us is your contribution, to bring doubt newcomer to a minimum.

Drawing teams from independent and randomly people present, in my opinion, is the art and talent, there is likely talented person. Test Manager appears in the role of master of all trades. He plans to all kinds of activity, makes a document / page on the wiki, the speed of light spreads, all scheduled for a short period (usually a week - two) tasks among the project participants, with a shortage of people broadcasting in broadband mode , calling for help enthusiasts make reports, analyze, weaknesses in the project. And most importantly, he has no confidence in the fact that all planned to be done. People come and go, they can not put pressure, they can only carry along.

Here’s a savory picture emerges. But there are people who want every day to live on a knife edge. Probably, they perform the role of test manager open source project.

To all the participants were a team, you must provide a common space for communication, in this collective help mailing and chat rooms, meetings. And, again, is a very important point - the selection of collective decisions, the issues of correspondence or meetings on a shared resource, so that nothing is lost and gone with the man into oblivion. This open source and commercial projects are similar, only open source project release all information on a shared resource - a vital activity.

The approach to the means test deserves attention and consideration. System bug-trekking, framework for automatic cases, storage cases are usually either open source, or self writing, which is not surprising.
For the open source project a priority and it is important automatic testing, because once written test will be a long time to serve the project after the departure of its author. Test automation services give green light to other participants in the project after the assembly. Again, it is important not only to write a bug \ test, and documentation. Everything is built on the fact that writing bug \ test is not currently understood, and others. Your job is public, and it organizes. Often, in commercial projects to document their work are not so scrupulous.

Some people come, others go, but the testing process goes … Everything is kept on a personal motivation. Strange, where pay money, are constantly looking for motivated employees. In open source project looking for people with motivation, others just pass by.

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