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We are working in a CI environment, with Enterprise Cruise running our builds. Developers all have CCTray installed locally to notify us if a build breaks.

CCTray has a menu option Volunteer to fix build that you can use to let your team know that you are fixing the build. However this doesn't work in our environment (reasons: Fix build not currently supported on projects monitored via HTTP).

So the question is - does anyone have a technique that they use in their team that allows someone to indicate that they are fixing a broken build?

Danubian Sailor
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Richard Ev
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6 Answers6

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For me, Continuous Integration is not only about tools, but also about practices. One of them is the responsibility. In others words, the one who breaks the build is also the one who will fix it!

Brian Agnew
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Romain Linsolas
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  • That's our general process - but we're looking for a simple and non-invasive way of allowing that person to let the rest of the team know that they've seen their mistake, and are already fixing the issue. – Richard Ev Oct 05 '09 at 13:55
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    We use the teddy bear of shame to prompt this. A teddy with bandages is passed around the company. Generally one of the Senior Devs checks out a build failure, works out who is responsible and passes the bear/buck. – Quibblesome Oct 05 '09 at 14:26
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    Did you get the teddy at "Build" A Bear? :| – DrivenDevelopment Oct 05 '09 at 14:50
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    You can also use the CI Game plugin (http://wiki.hudson-ci.org/display/HUDSON/The+Continuous+Integration+Game+plugin) if you use Hudson to know who deserves this teddy bear :) – Romain Linsolas Oct 05 '09 at 14:51
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Shooting "I take it guys" is my prefered. ( in addition of the responsability romaintaz describe )

Antoine Claval
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We send an email to the Developer's mailing list to let everyone know you are taking ownership of the build break.

Phillip Ngan
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We're co-located, we all run cctray, and when the build breaks we have an audio alert (red alert from the Starship Enterprise). When it breaks we all shout "who broke the build"! Once we figure out who broke the build we harhass them until they tuck their tail between there legs, do that stupid embarassed laugh, and volunteer to fix the build.

It's worth noting that things that aren't monitored by the build and tests can change on a CI box. For example: maybe someone went onto the box and changed a permission. Then when the next checkin is made it looks like the person that made the checkin broke the build when really it was the person that made the manual change without telling anyone.

On the volunteer thing, tools can help but verbal face to face communication is still king.

DrivenDevelopment
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The onus is usually on who broke the build with their checkin. That's often obvious, even with multiple checkins from different individuals. After that there's a bit of negotiation if the build remains broken. Not particularly scientific or rigorous, but it seems to work.

Brian Agnew
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  • That's our general process - but we're looking for a simple and non-invasive way of allowing that person to let the rest of the team know that they've seen their mistake, and are already fixing the issue. – Richard Ev Oct 05 '09 at 13:55
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If the build brokes, then in CCtray there is an option for "Volunteer to fix the build". And it tells automatically to all the developers who is fixing the build

alice7
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  • Sadly this functionality in CCtray is not implemented if you're monitoring projects via HTTP (which we are doing alongside using Enterprise Cruise) – Richard Ev Jan 08 '10 at 09:18
  • Sorry I didn't your post completely otherwise I would have noticed – alice7 Jan 08 '10 at 15:44