[boost] [boost@home] revolutionary solution to create a testing farm

From: Janek Kozicki (janek_listy_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-06-07 08:24:34

Hi,

go ahead and call me crazy :) I couldn't sleep last night thinking
about the problems that boost has with the testing process.

Although the roots of my idea were different it turns out to be very
similar to well known SETI_at_Home project. Therefore I call it Boost_at_Home :)

Solution is simple in following steps:

1. create a vmware image with operating system and a single compiler
   installed. One vmware image per compiler to ease bugfix and upgrades
   in the vmware images.

2. let people download as many images (compilers) as they want. They
   will use it with freely available vmware-server to launch it.

3. After the virtual machine starts (with the compiler) a small
   program will be automatically executed to await instructions from
   boost.org.

4. The boost.org website will list the number of available virtual
   machines and which tests they are currently running. No interaction
   from the person who runs the virtual machine is required. Once it is
   launched it obeys instructions from the central boost.org server.

Problems:

1. vmware is free to use, but supports only x86 architectures.
   Fortunately (to my knowledge) every compiler supported by boost has
   some version working in x86 environment.

2. some compilers require propertiary windows OS. Giving away a clean
   install of windows is prohibited. We can use ReactOS intead: 
   http://www.reactos.org/
   and install the compilers there.

3. It's possible that not every compiler has a version available for
   free. I'm not sure - is that true? If yes then it's in their
   interest to help us:
     - we ask the to provide a free copy of their compiler for the
       sole purpose of being used by Boost_at_Home project.
     - alternatively we drop support for their compiler.

I have several machines lying around that could be used to help
boost. If deploying a testing farm will become as easy, as downloading
a vmware image and starting it - it's obvious that many people will
join this.

The capcity of boost testing farm can increase more than tenfold!

-- 
Janek Kozicki                                                         |