Project:Quality Assurance/Inquiry

To ensure developers and users get helped in the best way possible; we shape a scope of what kind of problems the QA team can help with, as well as how to effectively bring the issue forward and whom to contact when the QA team can't help. This page has been set up as a part of documenting QA's workflow.

When do I ask the Quality Assurance team to look into a problem?
You can contact the QA team for help with the following types of technical issues:


 * Non controversial issues for which an action can be taken; these don't need extended discussion, thus a solution can be easily worked out.
 * Controversial issues that have been previously discussed; this discussion is important, we need to be aware of everyone's thoughts, we will further speak with them and look for a solution that is to the best interest of developers and users.

You cannot contact the QA team for help with the following types of issues:


 * Issues that aren't technical; for example, personal issues. Try to resolve this or contact ComRel.
 * Issues that the Council has made a final decision on. Try a different solution or ask the Council to revise the decision.

You can also contact the QA team about improvements related to the Portage tree and related quality tools and reporting, forming and ensuring policies and similar matters that improve the quality of the Portage tree.

How do I ask the Quality Assurance team to look into a problem?
File a bug on Bugzilla for issues that you expect the QA team to take an action on:


 * Clearly describe the problem; in particular, make note of the packages, involved policies, visible breakages and affected people.
 * Provide sufficient details; it's easier to act based on a case, than on an hypothetical example.
 * Provide context by referencing or attaching previous discussions to the matter; such that we can follow and understand, as well as to avoid controversial misunderstandings.

When you choose to CC us on an existing issue, consider to also provide these details; one summary works more effectively than a long comment history where we need to read between the lines.

You can contact us through mail or  on FreeNode if you want to discuss an issue, policy or improvement to the Portage tree:


 * If you want this issue or improvement to be discussed during the next QA meeting, please state so explicitly.
 * Given that this is an issue or improvement, an action is not always guaranteed; opposed to bugs, mails are harder to track on the QA alias (a magnet for 500+ bugs and 500+ spammers).

Who can I contact if the QA team ignores or rejects an issue or takes a different action than expected?
When you have an issue for which an action cannot be taken, that is controversial or hasn't been discussed; there are people you can contact before contacting the QA team:


 * The person whom maintains that what you have an issue with; maybe he is unaware of the issue or forget about it, thus could help you.
 * Talk to the related teams (projects, arches, ...); they might have a specific view on the issue that can help you, something that we might not see.
 * Talk to other people on IRC and the mailing lists; there are always people that want to help out, there might be a bike with a golden needle in that haystack of shedded bikes.

If you are unsatisfied with the QA team's resolution; after further discussion and confirmation that we don't reconsider it, you can further escalate the issue:


 * Technical disagreements can be raised to the Gentoo Council.
 * Personal disagreements can be raised to the Community Relations.