Unity 5.4: What's new and a call for testing

Another couple weeks, and another Unity point release. The unity developers have been doing a great job of shipping us updates to try out on a regular cycle. Kudos to them. This means you and I get to preview the coming attractions and help test.
Unity 5.4 sees the reunion of HUD and unity again. This means HUD is going to be getting exposed to everyone running precise after this round of testing. You'll also happily notice the HUD has a much more appealing theme and set of testcases!


Installing
Prerequisites: Make sure you are running the latest version of precise, and all your packages are up to date. Unfortunately this cannot be installed on oneiric or any previous ubuntu release. 

1) Add the unity ppa (https://launchpad.net/~unity-team/+archive/ppa). You can do this by issuing the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:unity-team/ppa

2) Update apt and run a dist upgrade -- this should prompt you to upgrade unity and some indicators as well as install checkbox-unity.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

3) Restart your unity session by logging out and logging back in again.

Ok, hopefully the upgrade went smooth for you, but if not, head over to freenode #ubuntu-unity channel and let folks know what went wrong.

Testing
So, now that your up and running you can run the through the manual tests the unity team has prepared. Open the dash and type 'unity testing'. The Checkbox Unity Tests should launch. Checkbox will gather some information on your system and then ask you which tests you wish to run. Once complete you will see a link containing your system report and an option to publish it to launchpad. Use the text box below the link to enter your launchpad email address and then hit submit. This will ensure your results and feedback go to the unity developers.

Please ensure you have finished and submitted your testing results ASAP. As usual, the testing window will be closed this Thursday at 8am UTC, in order to give the unity developers time to finish fixing the bugs found. Then Unity 5.4 will be pushed to precise.

Filing Bugs
Please file bugs against unity package in launchpad (https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+filebug). When filing, please make sure to tag your bug '5.4-rc1' and mention your running Unity 5.4-rc1 in your description.

Giving Feedback
If you'd like to give feedback on design for unity, Check out the awesome http://unity.ubuntu.com/getinvolved/ site. If your wanting to contribute code or patches, visit the folks on the #ubuntu-unity on freenode.

Getting Help
Don't hesitate to reach out to the wonderful folks on freenode @ #ubuntu-unity, the unity web site, the ubuntu+1 forums, or myself if you have questions. Thanks for helping test ubuntu!

Call for Testing: Clickpad

EDIT: This post continues to get hits after 12.04 has been released. The functionality below ships with 12.04. However, if your looking to enable the right click button for your trackpad, see the wiki entry here. You do not need to install the ppa listed below any longer.

"Clickpad" devices are becoming more and more popular. A "clickpad" is a touchpad with buttons integrated into the touch surface. This includes many variations of Synaptics trackpads and all the multitouch Apple trackpads.

This ppa adds support for these devices, and supports the ability to do zone-based right clicking as well as 2 finger operations, such as a click and drag.
The timeframe for testing this PPA is until February 17th.

Installing

Please ensure you are comfortable with recovering your system using only the keyboard if necessary before continuing!

Prerequisites: Make sure you are running the latest version of precise, and all your packages are up to date. Unfortunately this cannot be installed on oneiric or any previous ubuntu release.

1) Add the clickpad ppa (https://launchpad.net/~chasedouglas/+archive/clickpad). You can do this by issuing the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:chasedouglas/clickpad

2) Update apt and run a dist upgrade -- this should prompt you to upgrade xserver-xorg-input-synaptics.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

3) Logout of your current session, and log in again for the changes to take effect.

4) Does your clickpad device work? If so, you can skip step 4. At the moment, many clickpad devices are not automatically recognized by the kernel. There is upstream kernel work going on that should alleviate this problem in the final precise kernel. In the meantime, you can force your device to operate in clickpad mode for this testing.

a) Obtain your device id by running xinput. You will see a listing similar to this -- pick out the id of your clickpad. In my case, the id is 10, the SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad.

nskaggs@permacultured:~$ xinput
⎡ Virtual core pointer                     id=2 [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer               id=4 [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad               id=10 [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                   id=3 [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard             id=5 [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                             id=6 [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                             id=7 [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sleep Button                             id=8 [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard             id=9 [slave  keyboard (3)]

b) Execute the following commands to download a script to force your device to be a clickpad:

wget http://people.canonical.com/~cndougla/enable-clickpad.sh
chmod a+x enable-clickpad.sh

c) Execute the script

./enable-clickpad.sh <device name|device id>

5) Optionally, you can also turn the lower right corner of the clickpad into a right button zone. This zone will allow you to click using one finger on the right lower corner of the touchpad and have the click register as a right click instead of a left click. "Two finger tapping" for right click hasn't changed by using this driver.

a) Execute the following commands to download a script to create a rightclick zone.

wget http://people.canonical.com/~cndougla/enable-rightbutton.sh
chmod a+x enable-rightbutton.sh

b) Execute the script

./enable-rightbutton.sh <device name|device id>

Ok, hopefully the upgrade went smooth for you, but if not, You may need to recover your system using ppa-purge and then file a bug on what went wrong.

Testing
Use your trackpad as normal. Are there any issues?
Attempt a click-and-drag with separate fingers. Did it work?
If you enable the right button zone, does a button press in the lower right corner cause a right click?
Does the trackpad behave as you would expect?

Filing Bugs
Please file bugs against xserver-xorg-input-synaptics package in launchpad (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-input-synaptics/+filebug).

Make sure when filing to tag it "clickpad", and mention you are testing from the test clickpad ppa. This will make sure your issue is seen by the developers and they will know it is in relation to this new package.

Giving Feedback
Send your comments and questions to the ubuntu-x mailing list with the subject "Re: CFT ClickPad Support". Don't worry if your not subscribed to the list; emails will be accepted from unsubscribed participants. In addition, you can chat on IRC by visiting the #ubuntu-x channel on freenode.

Getting Help
Don't hesitate to reach out to the wonderful folks on freenode @ #ubuntu-x, the ubuntu-x mailing list, the ubuntu+1 forums, or myself if you have questions. Thanks for helping test ubuntu!

Call for testing: ALSA 1.0.25

ALSA 1.0.25 was recently released, and has now been packaged and placed into the ubuntu audio dev ppa. The new alsa-utils needs tested for breakage before releasing into the archive. Note that the new version of alsa-lib is already in the precise archive.

The changes in this new version are detailed on the ALSA site. Check them out. In particular ARM  support has changed, so for anyone with ARM hardware it would get wonderful for you to test and make sure nothing is broken.

The timeline for testing alsa-utils is until Feburary 16th, so it can be finalized by the feature freeze for precise.

Installing
Prerequisites: Please make sure you are running the latest version of precise, and all your packages are up to date.

1) Add ubuntu audio dev ppa (https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-audio-dev/+archive/ppa). You can do this by issuing the following command:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-audio-dev/ppa

2) Update apt and run a dist upgrade -- this should prompt you to upgrade alsa-utils.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

3) Restart your unity sessions by logging out, and then logging back in

Can't hear any sounds now?  You may need to recover your system using ppa-purge and then file a bug on what went wrong.

Testing
Can you still hear sounds? If so, also check the following items to make sure nothing is broken:

Try rebooting your system. Can you still hear audio?
Ensure the /var/lib/alsa sound state files exists. Enter this command:

ls /var/lib/alsa

Do you see an asound.state file?
Are you using jack or another plugin from the alsa-plugins package? Is everything working correctly?
Does the libasound2-plugins documentation match up to the existing plugins provided?

Filing Bugs
If you find something is broken, please let the developers know. Please file bugs against the applicable alsa package in launchpad.

alsa-lib
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-lib/+filebug

alsa-utils
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-utils/+filebug

alsa-plugins
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-plugins/+filebug

alsa-driver
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-driver/+filebug

Make sure when filing to tag it "alsa-1.0.25", and mention you are testing from the ubuntu audio dev ppa. This will make sure your issue is seen by the developers and they will know it is in relation to this new package.

Giving Feedback
Feel free to provide any comments or feedback to the ubuntu-devel mailing list or by sending a message to TheMuso or diwicon on freenode @ #ubuntu-devel.

Submitting a patch
Got a fix for something broken? Submit your merge proposals to the ubuntu audio dev ppa. The ubuntu audio dev team would love to hear about them.

Getting Help
Don't hesitate to reach out to the wonderful folks on freenode @ #ubuntu-devel, the ubuntu-devel mailing list, the ubuntu+1 forums, or myself if you have questions. Thanks for helping test ubuntu!

Call for testing: Compiz 0.9.7.0-beta1

The ubuntu desktop team has packaged up a new version of compiz and is looking for people to help test for breakage before releasing into the archive. The testing will be taking place over the weekend, with early next week set as the target date for pushing the changes into the archive (including fixes for any bugs you may find! :-) ).

The changes in this new version of compiz are better performance and stability, but this needs testing to verify that is the case.

Installing
Prerequisites: Please make sure you are running the latest version of precise, and all your packages are up to date. Unfortunately this cannot be installed on oneiric or any previous ubuntu release. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH RECOVERING YOUR SYSTEM WITHOUT A GUI. This may break unity and you may need to recover via the command line.

1) Add didrocks ppa (https://launchpad.net/%7Edidrocks/+archive/ppa). You can do this by issuing the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:didrocks/ppa

2) Update apt and run a dist upgrade -- this should prompt you to upgrade compiz.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

3) Restart your computer

Ok, hopefully the upgrade went smooth for you, but if not, you may need to recover your system using ppa-purge and then file a bug on what went wrong. You may need to enter a VT session (ctrl+alt+f2 for example) and downgrade back to a stable version of compiz (using ppa-purge) and then reboot as your unity desktop likely won't come up in the event something didn't work.

Testing
Ok, so hopefully your rebooted PC brought you back to your unity desktop. Congratulations, you've done quite a bit of testing already! For this package, the rest of the testing is very generalized. Go about your normal workflow and see if you encounter any issues. For instance;

Did your pc report any weird errors while booting? (check the syslog, dmesg, etc)
Are you seeing any new UI rendering bugs?
Perhaps some of your compiz settings are no longer working?

Filing Bugs
If you find something is broken, please let the developers know. Please file bugs against the compiz-core package in launchpad (https://bugs.launchpad.net/compiz-core/+filebug). Make sure when filing to tag it "0.9.7.0-beta1". This will make sure your issue is seen by the developers and they will know it is in relation to this new package.

Giving Feedback
Feel free to provide any comments or feedback to the ubuntu desktop mailing list, or to the folks on freenode @ #ubuntu-unity.

Getting Help
Don't hesitate to reach out to the wonderful folks on freenode @ #ubuntu-unity, the ubuntu desktop mailing list, the ubuntu+1 forums, or myself if you have questions. Thanks for helping test ubuntu!

Opportunity: Writing application test cases

This post is part of the opportunity series designed to let you know about ways to get involved with QA inside ubuntu.

One of the types of testing the QA team performs is at an application level. Once we are assured we can install a system, we want to know if it can do more useful tasks than just boot! This is where application testing comes in. This wiki represents the application test cases that are utilized when testing applications.

http://testcases.qa.ubuntu.com/Applications

Currently the QA team is updating these application tests. This work is being done for several reasons. The first is to ensure all of the tests follow the same template and thus are easier to understand and maintain. The second is similar to the first; the tests need to be updated to be both correct (has something in the software changed?) and in the proper template. And finally the tests are being updated in anticipation of using a new tool to help maintain and run these test cases.

To do this work, the ubuntu qa mailing list along with a google doc have been employed. The google doc contains all of the application tests from the wiki. They are located on the 'All test cases from wiki' tab. The mailing list contains the discussions and reviews of the updated tests. Here is the basic workflow:

1) Copy the test case that needs to be re-written to the 'Test case rewrites' tab

2) Update the test case to conform to the new template and guidelines

3) Post a message to the mailing list with the test ids you have written, and ask someone to review

4) Update the test on the wiki to reflect the changes

5) Move the updated test case to the 'Completed test case rewrites' tab

This is a wonderful way to get involved. Do you have a favorite application? Consider writing and editing the test cases to make sure it works properly in ubuntu by getting some good test cases written. Do you not only understand technical jargon, but are also capable of writing? The community needs your skills! Join the mailing list, hop on #ubuntu-testing on IRC, or reply here with comment. I want to make sure you get plugged in with the rest of the wonderful folks helping make ubuntu great. Thanks!

Community QA Opportunities in Ubuntu

It's been a month since I began working with the wonderful QA community inside ubuntu. In that time I've learned there are a plethora of things going on and lots of different ways to get involved. I wanted to do a small series of posts on the available QA oppurtunites you can take part of today inside of ubuntu. There is an excellent list along with descriptions on the QA wiki site that you can read about here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/Activities.

You'll notice this work is broad-reaching encompassing many different skill-sets. The community can benefit from your help no matter what skills you have! This is one of the reasons why quality is such a neat way to get involved inside ubuntu. You'll have a chance to work with people doing the latest in cutting edge development, as well as those who are keeping the LTS releases rock solid and updated for 5 years after there release.

Ready to get involved? Be sure and watch this blog for more detailed opportunities. In the meantime, here's some suggestions;

Are you a someone who loves making sure everything is always running smooth? The ubuntu+1 maintenance team would love your help!

Are your a rock-solid developer, or perhaps someone new to coding but looking to expand your skills? There are different tools being built inside the ubuntu community for helping doing quality work. There's the set of launchpad scripts for helping deal with bugs, the apport tool which deals with crash and bug reporting on your desktop, and the checkbox folks who are helping . And we can't forget about website development! The ubuntu friendly folks could always use a hand in making that site a better experience. Pick one and start hacking! Or contribute something new to fill an itch not yet scratched.

Maybe your a tester. Someone who likes running bleeding edge code, or perhaps someone who can always find a bug. Your able to make even the most robust software quiver! There are many testing oppurtunites inside of ubuntu. I'll be detailing them further in future posts. For now, look at the Activities page on the wiki, join the mailing list and jump in as the calls for testing go out! In addition, check out the ubuntu+1 forums to chat and interact with others who share the same passion for ubuntu and testing.

How about being able to write? Are you able to explain technical jargon to others? There's opportunities for you as well. The wiki itself could always use some love, and there are test cases to write.  Specifically as of this writing the community is in need of your skills to help update and edit our suite of application test cases. Check out this post.

It's wonderful to be a part of the community. Join in!

Learning more about Unity by testing

Want to learn more about unity? Help with testing!

I was struck by this fact while running thru the Unity checkbox tests again. I didn't realize (or had forgotten) than double clicking the panel on a maximized window restores it's un-maximized state. Pretty cool! Did you also know that pressing 'alt-tab', selecting an application with tab, and then holding 'alt' will allow you to tab between the open windows of the application? This is the same effect as pressing 'alt+~'. For more neat Unity keyboard shortcuts, try pushing and holding the super key or running thru the Unity checkbox tests yourself!