Testing environment for the desktop that doesn't require 3d acceleration

Registered by Steve Langasek

At various points in the development cycle, we don't have 3d acceleration everywhere we need it (in VMs, on ARM). We need there to be a solution for being able to test desktop applications continuously during these periods, even if we're not able to test Unity itself at the time.

The main decision is to take lubuntu for this security tests.

Blueprint information

Status:
Not started
Approver:
Sebastien Bacher
Priority:
High
Drafter:
Didier Roche-Tolomelli
Direction:
Approved
Assignee:
Didier Roche-Tolomelli
Definition:
Approved
Series goal:
Accepted for raring
Implementation:
Not started
Milestone target:
milestone icon ubuntu-13.04-beta-1

Related branches

Sprints

Whiteboard

We need a desktop environment where we can do testing without 3d (llvmpipe is not in an usable state on e.g arm)
Possible solutions:
- disable effects -> not enough and going to slow down testing
- use gnome-fallback -> not maintained
- use another supported flavor -> xubuntu, lubuntu, ... lubuntu seems to be a popular option and it's the only image to have arm* images.
We don't want to:
- commit to maintain extra components or invest work in a fallback solution if not needed
- ship a fallback solution on the CD
We don't need to test desktop integration (appmenu, indicators, ...)

25/01/2013:
Postponing 2 items as:
- disabling the animate plugin alone is helping a lot under llvmpipe
- compiz and unity is working way better in raring with llvmpipe than it did on previous release
- compiz will probably be less and less our focus in the near future, so PS won't invest in doing it more fluid from now on
- the appmenu integration standalone tests are planned for next cycle in PS with some overall architecture refactoring

(?)

Work Items

Work items:
[didrocks] investigate which effects needs to be disabled in compiz (not a solution but will help for people doing testing in a vm): POSTPONED
[xnox] add compiz support to ubiquity-dm (lp:~xnox/ubiquity/compiz): DONE
[jibel] talk to QA about having the setup environment picking Ubuntu Desktop if there is a current iso (= 3d drivers working) or use lubuntu otherwise: TODO
[didrocks] investigate using the standalone appmenu tests on non unity sessions: POSTPONED