Category Archives: startups - Page 2

Test Tools for Covert Operations

Posted by on September 24, 2009 3 comments

I have one of my clients to thank for this tip.

I was performing some software testing recently on a product that had both a software and hardware element to it. The unique setup of the laptop, and  peripheral equipment meant I that there was only one test environment available.  I was fortunate not to live to far away, but the developer lived in England and so would have to upload any fixes and new versions remotely.

The client insisted we use LogMeIn for the remote access.

Now, I like my software test environment to be stable at least for some fixed period. That way, I know that I’m not testing a moving target.

So when I heard that both the developer and I were to have remote access, I was a bit concerned as the developer  could upgrade software at any time without telling me.

Then I had a stroke of luck.

As any tester worth their salt would do, I immediately started checking out the LogMeIn software. I noticed that under Preferences, there was an Advanced Settings. So, I clicked on that.  To my delight, I found a ‘Screen Record’ option which allowed be to enable recording of anything that happens on the remote machine.

To a control freak like me, this was complete heaven. It was a way to not only know if an upgrade occurred, but also I could learn how the developer ‘tweeked’ the system.

I did at times feel like I was on some covert operation until I fessed up and told him I had it enabled.

Anyhow, if you ever in the same situation where perhaps your developer is not the most communicative, I heartily recommend you look at this free application.

In search of the ultimate bug tracking tool

Posted by on September 17, 2009 16 comments

As many of you know, I’ve been on the hunt for a bug tracking tool for a while now and I’m glad to say the hunt is over.

I needed this bug tracking tool to meet some key criteria.

1) It had to be easy to install. Startups don’t always have a reputation of up front planning and I wanted a tool I could recomend that was quick and easy to install.

2) It had to be open source. I didn’t want to pay for a bug tracking tool unless I had too. My clients feel the same way.

3) I wanted to embed the bug tracking tool into my website Testing Times and then provide it as a service for my clients who don’t have or want a bug tracking tool.

4) It had to be easy to use and secure. I wanted each client to have access to only their project.

TRAC got the heads up for being opensource, but was too hard to install in comparison to YouTrack, which beat it hands down. YouTrack only provided a temporary license though and I had trouble getting my hosting company to support Apache Tomcat. The effort to install something I may have to pay for later, made me feel it was pointless to pursue.

Tails was interesting and looked great, and if I had to pay for a tool, their pricing structure suited my needs. There is no messy install as it’s a hosted service but that meant that I wouldn’t be able to embed it onto my site.

Practitest had similar issues for me, and also the pay per month/user pricing structure didn’t suit my needs.

I was at a bit of a loss until BHARATH suggested Redmine.

Redmine is an opensource tracking tool that’s easy to install, easy to configure and secure.  It ticked all the boxes and it’s now sitting on my website. You can take a look at it at  http://bugs.testingtimes.ie if you like.

I have created a public project called Testing Times for those who want to investigate a bit further.

The real test of course will be my clients, their reaction and how much they use it.

So a hearty thanks to Bharath and a sigh of contentment from me.

Software Test Reports for Startups

Posted by on August 20, 2009 5 comments

My test reports have deviated a lot since the early days of testing.

Nowadays, first and foremost I provide an opinion of the software. I make sure I highlight both positives and negatives that I see in the product.

Naturally, I provide a list of bugs I find, but I also provide a list of suggestions on the software, for example new features or ways to improve the Usability. I find when testing, new ideas often come to me about features. I’m happy to provide them with a list. They can take it or leave it.

Finally, I list some recommendations on testing for the next release.

Why all the effort? I do this because my clients love it!  I provide more than just a list of bugs. I see it as adding more value.

Here’s the template pdf version:: Software Test Report Template

I wonder though, is this still testing, or  have I morphed into a new area of work?