Re: [H-source-users] generalize (or eliminate) the distros white-list

[bill-auger]

On Wed, 03 Nov 2021 18:52:08 +1100 Yuchen wrote:
> there's distribution version, kernel,  And comments can be added to 
> descriptions.

ok, i see that distros and kernel versions are grouped nicely in
per-device reports already - the single value for: "does it work
with free software?" is still problematic though

consider this entry:

> tested on:
>   Parabola GNU/Linux
>   Trisquel 6.0 Toutatis
>   Trisquel 7.0 Belenos
>   Trisquel 8.0 Flidas
> 
> tested with the following kernel libre:
>   3.2.0-38-generic
>   3.12.7-gnu
>   3.13.0-88-lowlatency
>   4.4.0-119-generic
> 
> does it work with free software?
>   yes

it seems that "does it work with free software?", will be 'Yes'
if it works with _any_ kernel on _any_ distro - thats fine, but
the failures are just as informative as the successes - it seems
that information is thrown out?

say for example, an entry exists for dragora; but that hardware
does not work on dragora - would 'dragora' appear on that same
"tested on" list, or would it appear to have never been tested
on dragora? - or if all reports for that device suggest that it
does not work, would that device have any entry at all? - or
such an entry exists, would it indicate that it was tested on
dragora?

or say for example, that two entries exist for parabola, one
suggesting that it did not work; and the other suggesting that
it did work - perhaps that was on two different dates; and both
were true on those dates

i would prefer to see a more compact table like:

> tested on:
> | Kernel             | Distro                | Works? | Test Date  |
> | linux-libre 4.2.0  | Dragora 3.0           | No     | 2021-12-12 |
> | linux-libre 3.2.0  | Parabola GNU/Linux    | Yes    | 2020-02-02 |
> | linux-libre 4.2.0  | Parabola GNU/Linux    | No     | 2021-12-12 |
> | linux-libre 4.4.0  | Trisquel 8.0 Flidas   | No     | 2021-12-12 |

the current presentation is not able to capture that information
- once _any_ successful report id posted, that device will
display "works with free software? Yes" forever more - although,
as of kernal 4.2.0, it does not actually work anymore on any
distro, unless one uses an older kernel

that could be fixed, retaining the global "it works", by making
new reports clobber any existing ones; but then the historical
information (that it ever worked with any kernel) could be lost
- in the scenario above, with the current presentation, that
device would appear as "works with free software? No" until
someone posts a conflicting report

in fact (probably), the current presentation would never list
any distro twice; so once any "working" report came in for some
device from some distro, "tested with foo" and "works with free
software" will always be displayed, regardless of how many users
posted reports for that device from that distro, and regardless
of whether or not the reports conflict