Feature handling for openSUSE reworked

openFATE, the feature tracking tool used in openSUSE has been completely reworked and the new version is live now on features.opensuse.org.

A team has started driving the handling of features and we’d like to update you with the current state and invite you to participate.

The new version is now live and contains a long list of new features so that features can be handled completely with the new web user interface. The interface uses the new openSUSE Bento theme to fit in better in the openSUSE site family, has several search options to allow the screening team to find features easily, it’s possible to edit all fields and also the product states.

Thanks to the openSUSE boosters, especially to Thomas Schmidt, for the new version.

The new team has defined a workflow to handle features and described it in the openSUSE wiki.

Features for openSUSE 11.4

openSUSE 11.4 has feature freeze with Milestone 5 to be published on December 16th. So, it’s too late for a full review of all 11.4 features in time - and thus the team will only a review and push a few features.

Marketplace - Seeking Developers

There are many great ideas and anybody can implement them. Just grab a feature that is in state “Marketplace” and implement it. If nobody steps up to do one, it will not be done!

The openFATE screening team plans to promote key features so that people know about them and can grab them.

Requesting Features

A new feature request can be added anytime, we just ask for some serious effort, especially telling us why this is useful and giving references.

The two main categories for features are “openSUSE distribution” for features in the distribution and “Package Wishlist” for new packages to add.

Call for Help

We need people to help us evaluating features (“domain experts”). We have a list of tags (“areas”) that we like to get handled. Evaluating features means going through features in state “new” and putting them into “marketplace” after checking that the feature is indeed wanted and possible to do.

To participate, add your name to the list and start evaluating features.

Contact

Discussion about openFATE happens on the opensuse-project mailing list. The openFATE screening team meets regularly on IRC, the next meeting is on December 9th at 14:00 UTC. For details, check the openSUSE wiki.

Detailed list of new changes

Since openFATE has no real announcement page, here’s a list of the most important changes:

• it’s way faster

• uses the bento design

• updates to your involved features shown on the frontpage

• Search:

  • Show features you have commented on

  • Show features where you are involved

  • Show features that need an action by you, eg. infoprovider

  • Search for tags

• Feature editing:

  • Improved UI

  • Products + product states fully editable

  • User roles fully editable

  • Search for other users by autocomplete

  • Edit fields with the embedded WYSIWYG editor

  • Adding relations (to other features, bugzilla, obs projects, urls)

  • Connection to hermes: see your own notification state and of others