OOo 2.2 release candidate; new chart2 preview; OOo 2.2.1

AndrewZ

OOo 2.2 release candidate available
OpenOffice.org final version 2.2 is due March 6, so if you want to report any show stoppers, you have a little time. Test it now or forever hold your peace. Smile

2.2 RC1 info (including downloads)
2.2 RC1 release notes (includes "What's New")
List of integrated performance improvements (may need updating)

New chart2 preview available

Milestone 11 of chart2 is available for testing and feedback. If you haven't heard, chart2 is a re-design of the OOo Calc chart module.

Version 2.2.1

Before, OpenOffice.org released a new version every three months. Now, every other release is a bug fix only release. The first bug-fix-only release is 2.2.1 (due June 5).
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anthfiat · General User Joined: 30 Mar 2005 Posts: 9

I've just tested the new charting tool and it is great! This was one major drawback with Calc and this preview is far superior to the existing tool. If this makes it into the next release I will be thrilled. I haven't had a hitch with it yet and I have been throwing everything I can at it. I have a renewed faith in Calc! Well done dev team.

AndrewZ · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject:

Good to hear. According to http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Features and http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Chart2 , the chart2 is due release 2.3. The page is out of date because 2.2.1 is due around June 2007 and 2.3 is due September 2007, so perhaps chart2 will be released as stable in September.
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noranthon · Super User Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 3318

anthfiat · General User Joined: 30 Mar 2005 Posts: 9

Not sure I agree that we need a year of bug fixes only. Most of the bugs are not show stoppers, just little minor bugs that do not affect most users. Ok I'm actually not stating a fact here.....most of the bugs listed have no affect on me, would be a more accurate statement.

In my opinion Calc actually requires some innovations to be functional. Like I stated in my earlier post the new charting tool is fantastic. I have tried every graphical model and it seems rock solid to me as is. I haven't had a single crash yet. On top of not crashing it is very intuitive. The ability to add a data series is easier now than ever. Now only if the non-linear regression component was upgraded I would be in spreadsheet heaven.

AndrewZ · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:48 pm Post subject:

Right, most users never notice most bugs. Also, if you are counting issues in the Issue Tracker, consider that many bugs are translation problems (so they only affect one language), or specific to a certain platform (such as Mac), or related to the build system (so only affect some programmers), etc.

I am a power user, and I notice only a very small number of the reported bugs in OOo. Even fewer of those are actually a problem.
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AndrewZ · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:14 am Post subject:

The 2.2 has seen quite a few release candidates, and m11 is the latest. I encourage people to test it before the final release March 14.

http://eis.services.openoffice.org/EIS2/cws.rss.CWSAnnounceNewsFeed/mws
http://download.openoffice.org/680/index.html
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noranthon · Super User Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 3318

Is there any point in testing it? We test released versions all the time and nothing much seems to come of it.

What happens if you discover something wrong in the short time left? Do you file an issue or shout from the roof top?
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AndrewZ · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:08 pm Post subject:

Any time you find any issue, report it to the Issue Tracker. As always, mark the appropriate priority level. Levels P1 and P2 are the most serious, and if the developers agree it's a "show stopper" (see P1 and P2 in , then it may delay the next release. Additionally, you can announce serious issues on the QA mailing list.

For example, a show stopper would be the inability to print to the non-default printer. In case no one remembers, that slipped through in version 1.0.3, so shortly after, version 1.0.3.1 was created.

Already, QA has pushed back the release of OOo 2.2.

AndrewZ · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:14 pm Post subject:

One more thing. If you don't like the quality of OpenOffice.org, volunteer on the QA team. One way to help is to be the first line for the dozens of issues that are filed every day. If volunteers do not handle the issues, then developers have to do it. The time developers spend handling simpler tasks means they spend less time coding.

For example, there's currently 954 unconfirmed defects. Who's going to sort through them? The highly-skilled developers with little time?
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noranthon · Super User Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 3318

Yes. I followed that suggestion when you made it in a similar context once before. I got "observer status", which I already had anyway. I had to subscribe to some mailing list which was a complete waste of time.

The requirement I was not prepared to meet is that you have to install the latest version, which, these days, is the buggiest. Another reason I don't want anything to do with the process is that as a result of the contact I've had with the developers, I don't have any faith in their competence.

I believe you've avoided the question. What can anyone effectively do as a result of testing the latest release candidate? It sounds like a dopey way to waste your time when the final release is scheduled for a few days hence.
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DaveRD · OOo Enthusiast Joined: 24 Jan 2007 Posts: 113

AndrewZ · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:14 am Post subject:

ftack · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:47 am Post subject:

Release Candidates are a different matter: it are versions that the developers consider to be ready in principle for production use, but that still need to be tested before they are declared stable. It makes sense that a broader user base of more experienced users already starts to use these releases to reduce the chance that serious show stoppers make it to the stable release. Filing good issues does make sense and does contribute greatly, although indeed it can be frustrating that some issues do not get solved for a long time..

noranthon · Super User Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 3318

I suppose my question was prompted mainly by the short time allowed for testing. When you add to that the fact that no methodology is provided, it seems to me to be another example of the organisation's incompetence. QA it ain't.
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