[alsa-devel] alsa-utils 1.1.8: axfer tests take ages tu run.

[Takashi Sakamoto]

Hi,

On Sun, Jan 27, 2019 at 11:03:04AM +0100, Elimar Riesebieter wrote:
> > I think it preferable to shorten the execution time of each unit test;
> > e.g. several minutes at maximum, however the purpose of unit test is to
> > detect bugs in advance and this program handles audio data frame between
> > the several types of buffer for I/O to sound device and the several
> > types of media container with combinations of many parameters. At
> > present it's reasonable to takes such long time to finish the tests.
> 
> This means you need a sound device on the building machine? Thats
> contra productive! I assume that at least our Debian buildd's don't
> have a sound device. How are those tests handled in that case? We
> need a properly solution for Linux distributions here!
 
Execution of unit test independent from actual sound device is one of
my intention for the tests, and actually the they performs. Executables
of the test include duplicated code of axfer for this intention. Please
refer to 'axfer/test/Makefile.am'.

> > Of course, we can shorten the duration time by eliminating the range
> > of parameters. Actually I've investigated to reduce iteration and reduce
> > for the number of audio data frames in buffer by 6 options. But any
> > reasonable explanation except for the duration time is required to be
> > worth for it, IMO.
> 
> Well, what do you think to outbound your tests to i.e.
> $PREFIX/doc/examples to let the user decide whether to run them or
> not. A configure option to cancel the tests in the build process
> would be an option to be decided by the distribution maintainer.

The alsa-utils uses GNU Automake to implement test. As long as I know,
any Makefile generated by GNU Automake doesn't run test unless
'check' target is given explicitly.
https://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/html_node/Tests.html

Thereore, it depends on yout configuration of debhelper to execute the
tests in building time of deb package. Please recheck your 'debian/rules'
and adds appropriate directives to suppress execution of test for axfer
(perhaps, 'override_dh_auto_test'). For example:

```
override_dh_auto_test:
        true
```

For your information, alsa-utils includes no other test programs.


Thanks

Takashi Sakamoto