Open Test Lab

http://tree.celinuxforum.org/CelfPubWiki/OpenTestLab

The purpose of the lab is, at the highest level, the same as the purpose of the forum, which is to help enhance Linux and Linux technologies for use in Consumer Electronics products.

The lab exists to provide testing and quality assurance benefits to the entire Linux community, including CE Linux forum members.

The core of the lab is located in San Jose, but a satellite lab (an extension to the main lab) is planned for Tokyo, and additional lab nodes may be added to the lab as part of a completely distributed lab model.

The lab is available for use by CE Linux Forum members, and will be made available to open source community members as well.

The lab provides resources for a number of different testing activities:


 * Interactive board usage via remote access - In this mode, an individual developer reserves a target board in the lab, and interactively compiles the kernel and other software, loads it on the target board, and runs tests on the board. This mode allows a developer to have access to hardware which they don't have on their own desk.
 * Automated multi-platform testing - A developer can also request that the same test be performed across multiple platforms. This is useful to see whether a particular feature or fix works on multiple platforms, or to compare performance or functionality results between platforms.
 * Nightly regression tests - The test lab will be configured with a set of tests to run at periodic intervals (e.g. nightly), using software updated to latest versions. This will be used to test for regression of features or functionality, and results will be provided to the public. In particular, the results are intended to be useful to the open source community, to notify developers about problems in new versions of Linux software.
 * Private test usage - In addition to public use of lab hardware, and publishing of open results, tests from the lab will be made available for private use. That is, a client can use the tests and test infrastructure of the lab to test a board locally. The lab infrastructure should make this very easy. The intent of this is to make the lab useful for internal quality assurance testing, whether for private individuals or large corporations.

Possible tests
Some automated tests were considered for the lab:
 * Lab Test Kernel Size Regression
 * Lab Test Preset Loops Per Jiffy
 * Lab Test Printk Times

A template for new lab test wiki pages is at: Lab Test Template

Other pages related to the test lab

 * Test Lab Architecture
 * Test Farm Project
 * Test Lab Board Suppliers Guide
 * Test Lab Programs

Test Lab Hardware
The hardware for the lab is described here. Some of this equipment has been purchased, and some target boards have been delivered already.

Here are some of the individual hardware items that will be used in the lab:


 * server - accessible from the outside: See http://testlab.celinuxforum.org/
 * firewall
 * host/target combinations
 * control modules
 * Target Switch Control From Parallel Port - this page has information about how to build your own module to control target switches using the parallel port on a standard PC (the host)
 * how to use a USB-to-serial converter for serial console access
 * web-controlled power control module - http://www.digital-loggers.com/EPC.html
 * http://sispmctl.sourceforge.net/ - four controllable power sockets with very nice Linux command line tool
 * http://www.audon.co.uk/pporl8.html - a relay board for parallel port, we use this to reset boards and automate various other physical configuration changes.

Additional information about the hardware for the lab is kept in the internal wiki for lab administrators.