570797 - update current 3.6.4build6 release channels users to the beta channel

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Release Engineering :: General, defect, P2)

Description

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

During the Platform meeting today drivers requested that we updated the current 3.6.4build6 users on the release channel to the beta channel. I believe this is very similar to what we did in bug 518508 and should be no more complicated than that.

We don't want to bother doing builds 1 through 5, because those users don't seem to want to move anyways.

We'll need to make sure we turn it off before shipping the release as final.

Comment 1

[Chris Cooper [:coop] (he/him)]

(In reply to comment #0)
> We don't want to bother doing builds 1 through 5, because those users don't
> seem to want to move anyways.

It's the same (complete) updates being served though, right? Do we lose anything by making it available even if they choose not to update?

Comment 2

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

(In reply to comment #1)
> (In reply to comment #0)
> > We don't want to bother doing builds 1 through 5, because those users don't
> > seem to want to move anyways.
> 
> It's the same (complete) updates being served though, right? Do we lose
> anything by making it available even if they choose not to update?

It would be the same update, yeah. I don't recall exactly what the reasoning was. Christian, do you recall?

Comment 3

[Nick Thomas [:nthomas] (UTC+12)]

Attachment: tools/update-packaging hack

This diff is required to not exclude channel-prefs.js when calling make_full_update.sh.

Comment 4

[Nick Thomas [:nthomas] (UTC+12)]

Attachment: mar file to update to beta channel

Created with:
 ./make_full_update.sh update-channel-beta.mar target/
where make_full_update.sh and common.sh are copied from tools/update-packaging in m-c, I have a mar executable on the path, and 
$ find target
target
target/defaults
target/defaults/pref
target/defaults/pref/channel-prefs.js

channel-prefs.js is forced to this:
// Firefox 3.6.4build6 user converted from release to beta (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=570797)
pref("app.update.channel", "beta");

Bugzilla is going to screw up the line wrapping, the bug reference is on the comment line.

Comment 5

[LegNeato]

(In reply to comment #2)
> (In reply to comment #1)
> > (In reply to comment #0)
> > > We don't want to bother doing builds 1 through 5, because those users don't
> > > seem to want to move anyways.
> > 
> > It's the same (complete) updates being served though, right? Do we lose
> > anything by making it available even if they choose not to update?
> 
> It would be the same update, yeah. I don't recall exactly what the reasoning
> was. Christian, do you recall?

Basically we said these users haven't updated for multiple weeks, why bother targeting them when they won't install it? Also, it wasn't clear which would take priority the build #6 update or the beta channel update (though it was mentioned it is likely configurable).

I suppose a case can be made that if at least one user on builds < #6 install the beta channel update out beta channel is healthier. Of course, these "testers" aren't keeping up with the latest build and it might be better off to lose them back into release anyway.

Comment 6

[Nick Thomas [:nthomas] (UTC+12)]

Turns out you need a different mar file on mac because of the Contents/MacOS prefix. I've been writing docs over at 
 https://wiki.mozilla.org/Releases/Firefox_3.6.4/BuildNotes#Update_3.6.4build6_release_users_to_beta

Comment 7

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

Attachment: script to create snippets

Still doing spotchecks on this, seems to work at first glance.

Comment 8

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

Attachment: snippet script, updated to generate null snippets, too

Comment 9

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

Attachment: snippet creation script, final version

Fixed some extraneous warnings, added lang to the bouncer URL.

Comment 10

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

Attachment: super final snippet creation script

Had to fix the mac mar size.

Comment 11

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

Test updates have been pushed, currently running update verify.

Comment 12

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

Attachment: last one-real-real-real

One last update: Make the partial snippet really a partial.

Comment 13

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

Attachment: linux verify config

Comment 14

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

Attachment: mac verify config

Comment 15

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

Attachment: win32 verify config

Comment 16

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

We pushed this live. I've made a note in the build notes not to push 3.6.4 release channel updates until it is disabled.

Comment 17

[Nick Thomas [:nthomas] (UTC+12)]

Comment on attachment 450139 [details]
last one-real-real-real

for real ? :-)

>non_mac_locales=`wget -O- http://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-1.9.2/raw-file/41807e6bcb14/browser/locales/shipped-locales | grep -v mac | sed -e 's/ .*//' | tr '\n' ' '`

You can also replace the sed with |cut -f1 -d' '| and let bash handle the newlines.

Comment 18

[Umang]

From https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=570797#c0:

> We'll need to make sure we turn it off before shipping the release as final.

Doesn't look like that happened, as I was updated to 3.6.7build1 today, when I never asked for it. I'm going to manually edit ./defaults/pref/channel-prefs.js to

pref("app.update.channel", "release");

but it should have happened itself.

Comment 19

[Nick Thomas [:nthomas] (UTC+12)]

That comment was superseded when build 7 was created. The release -> beta shift offered to 3.6.4build6 was overwritten with 3.6.4build6 -> 3.6.4build7 without channel change.

Comment 20

[Umang]

So it was intended to have those who tested Lorentz shift to the beta channel by default?

As a user, I don't see any problem as long as this what is supposed to happen.

Comment 21

[Nick Thomas [:nthomas] (UTC+12)]

The lorentz build (3.6.3plugin1) defaulted to the beta channel though. Does that explain your confusion ? The current path from there is
 3.6.3plugin1 -> 3.6.4build1 -> 3.6.4build7 -> 3.6.7build1
admittedly a little roundabout. Does that look anything like what you see at Tools > Options > Advanced > Update > Show Update History ?

Comment 22

[Umang]

My update history doesn't indicate which build each version was (it shows 3.6.4 -> 3.6.4 -> 3.6.6 -> 3.6.7). 

Anyway, if it wasn't supposed it come back to "release" once 3.6.4 (final) was released, then I don't see anything confusing. I was confused because I though it was supposed to be set back to "release" after 3.6.4, but I only read the description.

Comment 23

[Nick Thomas [:nthomas] (UTC+12)]

Oh, there was no intention to convert people back from beta to release. The situation we wanted to avoid was 
* enable release -> beta change for people who have downloaded 3.6.4 from ftp.m.o
* 3.6.4build6 goes to general release
* Moms and Pops all converted to beta channel

The idea was to move the people who had demonstrated a willingness to run pre-release builds to beta, so that they get pre-release builds in the future.