1 | <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
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2 | <!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
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3 | "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
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4 | <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../general.ent">
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5 | %general-entities;
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6 | ]>
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7 |
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8 | <sect1 id="prepare-abouttestsuites">
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9 | <?dbhtml filename="abouttestsuites.html"?>
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10 |
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11 | <title>About the Test Suites</title>
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12 |
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13 | <para>Most packages provide a test suite. Running the test suite for a
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14 | newly built package is a good idea because it can provide a <quote>sanity
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15 | check</quote> indicating that everything compiled correctly. A test suite
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16 | that passes its set of checks usually proves that the package is
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17 | functioning as the developer intended. It does not, however, guarantee
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18 | that the package is totally bug free.</para>
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19 |
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20 | <para>Some test suites are more important than others. For example,
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21 | the test suites for the core toolchain packages—GCC, Binutils, and
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22 | Glibc—are of the utmost importance due to their central role in a
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23 | properly functioning system. The test suites for GCC and Glibc can
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24 | take a very long time to complete, especially on slower hardware, but
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25 | are strongly recommended.</para>
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26 |
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27 | <note>
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28 | <para>Experience has shown that there is little to be gained from running
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29 | the test suites in <xref linkend="chapter-temporary-tools"/>. There can be
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30 | no escaping the fact that the host system always exerts some influence on
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31 | the tests in that chapter, often causing inexplicable failures. Because
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32 | the tools built in <xref linkend="chapter-temporary-tools"/> are temporary
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33 | and eventually discarded, we do not recommend running the test suites in
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34 | <xref linkend="chapter-temporary-tools"/> for the average reader. The
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35 | instructions for running those test suites are provided for the benefit of
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36 | testers and developers, but they are strictly optional.</para>
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37 | </note>
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38 |
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39 | <para>A common issue with running the test suites for Binutils and GCC
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40 | is running out of pseudo terminals (PTYs). This can result in a high
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41 | number of failing tests. This may happen for several reasons, but the
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42 | most likely cause is that the host system does not have the
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43 | <systemitem class="filesystem">devpts</systemitem> file system set up
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44 | correctly. This issue is discussed in greater detail in <xref
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45 | linkend="chapter-temporary-tools"/>.</para>
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46 |
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47 | <para>Sometimes package test suites will fail, but for reasons which the
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48 | developers are aware of and have deemed non-critical. Consult the logs located
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49 | at <ulink url="&test-results;"/> to verify whether or not these failures are
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50 | expected. This site is valid for all tests throughout this book.</para>
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51 |
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52 | </sect1>
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