Benefits of Enforcing Platform Tests on Pull Requests to Release Branches

Oct 13, 2025 by pynkocean.com 3 views

As a Linux Maintainer, it is crucial to ensure that platform tests are enforced on pull requests to release branches. This is essential to prevent work from piling up and to identify failing tests early on, especially right before a release is published. In this article, we will discuss the importance of enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches and outline the necessary steps to achieve this.

Why Enforce Platform Tests on Pull Requests to Release Branches?

As a Linux Maintainer, it is essential to see failing platform tests as soon as possible. This is because work can quickly pile up, and identifying failing tests early on can prevent significant delays in the release process. By enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches, we can ensure that all changes are thoroughly tested before they are merged into the release branch.

What Would You Like to Be Added?

To enforce platform tests on pull requests to release branches, we need to add the following features:

Enable Branch Protection for Rel- Branches

We need to enable branch protection for all rel-* branches. This means that any changes to these branches must go through a pull request (PR) for review and approval. This will ensure that all changes are thoroughly reviewed and tested before they are merged into the release branch.

Automatically Trigger Platform Tests for Rel-* Branches

We need to automatically trigger platform tests for all rel-* branches. This can be done before the PR is merged, ensuring that all changes are thoroughly tested before they are merged into the release branch. Additionally, we need to ensure that only maintainers can trigger platform tests, and that images handed over to platform tests are clearly differentiated and cleaned up after tests in case of a PR.

Additional Notes

Handling of platform tests for current release branches (rel-1443 and rel-1592) is done differently than our next release branches (and main). We need to figure out the feasibility and effort required to adapt the current platform tests for these branches. Specifically, we need to consider the following:

Can We Use OpenTofu Tests for Rel-1443 and Rel-1592?

We need to determine if we can use OpenTofu tests for rel-1443 and rel-1592. If this is not feasible, we need to consider adapting the old platform tests with reasonable effort.

Can We Adapt Old Platform Tests with Reasonable Effort?

If we cannot use OpenTofu tests for rel-1443 and rel-1592, we need to consider adapting the old platform tests with reasonable effort. This will ensure that we can continue to use the existing platform tests for these branches.

Benefits of Enforcing Platform Tests on Pull Requests to Release Branches

Enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches has several benefits, including:

Early Identification of Failing Tests: By enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches, we can identify failing tests early on, preventing significant delays in the release process.
Improved Code Quality: Enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches ensures that all changes are thoroughly tested, improving code quality and reducing the risk of bugs and errors.
Increased Efficiency: By automating platform tests for rel-* branches, we can increase efficiency and reduce the time spent on testing and reviewing changes.

Conclusion

Enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches is essential to ensure that all changes are thoroughly tested and reviewed before they are merged into the release branch. By adding branch protection for rel-* branches, automatically triggering platform tests for rel-* branches, and adapting old platform tests with reasonable effort, we can achieve this goal. The benefits of enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches include early identification of failing tests, improved code quality, and increased efficiency.

Implementation Plan

To implement the enforcement of platform tests on pull requests to release branches, we need to follow the following steps:

Enable Branch Protection for Rel- Branches*: We need to enable branch protection for all rel-* branches, ensuring that any changes to these branches must go through a pull request (PR) for review and approval.
Automatically Trigger Platform Tests for Rel- Branches*: We need to automatically trigger platform tests for all rel-* branches, ensuring that all changes are thoroughly tested before they are merged into the release branch.
Adapt Old Platform Tests with Reasonable Effort: If we cannot use OpenTofu tests for rel-1443 and rel-1592, we need to adapt the old platform tests with reasonable effort, ensuring that we can continue to use the existing platform tests for these branches.

Timeline

We need to complete the implementation of the enforcement of platform tests on pull requests to release branches within the next 6 weeks. This will ensure that we can identify failing tests early on and prevent significant delays in the release process.

Resources

We need to allocate the following resources to implement the enforcement of platform tests on pull requests to release branches:

Development Team: We need to allocate a development team to implement the branch protection for rel-* branches, automatically trigger platform tests for rel-* branches, and adapt old platform tests with reasonable effort.
Testing Team: We need to allocate a testing team to test the implementation of the enforcement of platform tests on pull requests to release branches and ensure that it meets the required standards.
Project Manager: We need to allocate a project manager to oversee the implementation of the enforcement of platform tests on pull requests to release branches and ensure that it is completed within the required timeline.

In our previous article, we discussed the importance of enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches. We outlined the necessary steps to achieve this, including enabling branch protection for rel-* branches, automatically triggering platform tests for rel-* branches, and adapting old platform tests with reasonable effort. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches.

Q: Why is it necessary to enforce platform tests on pull requests to release branches?

A: Enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches is necessary to ensure that all changes are thoroughly tested and reviewed before they are merged into the release branch. This helps to prevent significant delays in the release process and improves code quality.

Q: How do I enable branch protection for rel- branches?*

A: To enable branch protection for rel-* branches, you need to follow these steps:

Go to your repository settings and navigate to the "Branches" section.
Click on the "Edit" button next to the rel-* branch you want to protect.
In the "Branch permissions" section, select the "Require pull request reviews" option.
Click on the "Save" button to save the changes.

Q: How do I automatically trigger platform tests for rel- branches?*

A: To automatically trigger platform tests for rel-* branches, you need to follow these steps:

Go to your repository settings and navigate to the "Actions" section.
Click on the "New workflow" button and select the "Automated" option.
In the "Workflow" section, select the "Platform tests" option.
Configure the workflow to trigger platform tests for rel-* branches.
Click on the "Save" button to save the changes.

Q: How do I adapt old platform tests with reasonable effort?

A: To adapt old platform tests with reasonable effort, you need to follow these steps:

Review the old platform tests and identify the changes required to adapt them to the new platform.
Update the old platform tests to reflect the changes.
Test the updated platform tests to ensure they are working correctly.
Deploy the updated platform tests to the production environment.

Q: What are the benefits of enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches?

A: The benefits of enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches include:

Early Identification of Failing Tests: By enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches, you can identify failing tests early on, preventing significant delays in the release process.
Improved Code Quality: Enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches ensures that all changes are thoroughly tested and reviewed, improving code quality and reducing the risk of bugs and errors.
Increased Efficiency: By automating platform tests for rel-* branches, you can increase efficiency and reduce the time spent on testing and reviewing changes.

Q: How do I allocate resources for enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches?

A: To allocate resources for enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches, you need to follow these steps:

Identify the development team required to implement the branch protection for rel-* branches, automatically trigger platform tests for rel-* branches, and adapt old platform tests with reasonable effort.
Identify the testing team required to test the implementation of the enforcement of platform tests on pull requests to release branches and ensure that it meets the required standards.
Identify the project manager required to oversee the implementation of the enforcement of platform tests on pull requests to release branches and ensure that it is completed within the required timeline.

Q: What is the timeline for enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches?

A: The timeline for enforcing platform tests on pull requests to release branches is 6 weeks. This will ensure that you can identify failing tests early on and prevent significant delays in the release process.

Q: What are the resources required to enforce platform tests on pull requests to release branches?

A: The resources required to enforce platform tests on pull requests to release branches include:

Development Team: A development team is required to implement the branch protection for rel-* branches, automatically trigger platform tests for rel-* branches, and adapt old platform tests with reasonable effort.
Testing Team: A testing team is required to test the implementation of the enforcement of platform tests on pull requests to release branches and ensure that it meets the required standards.
Project Manager: A project manager is required to oversee the implementation of the enforcement of platform tests on pull requests to release branches and ensure that it is completed within the required timeline.

By following the steps outlined in this article, you can enforce platform tests on pull requests to release branches and improve code quality, reduce the risk of bugs and errors, and increase efficiency.