Re: new tests are not reproducible, e.g. tmac/tests/an_MR-works.sh

[Dave Kemper]

On 8/7/23, Bjarni Ingi Gislason <bjarniig@simnet.is> wrote:
> Brandon's answer is in comment #1
>
> "1.  I do not require this lecture."
>
>   This is in your mind.
>
>   What is this in other readers mind?

In my mind, the test suite is for the benefit of developers, and
groff's primary developer and author of 99% of the current tests gets
the loudest say in how they work.

> "2.  What surroundings?  Please attach the tmac/man.local file from
> your build tree."
>
>   Should you not be aware of your (programs) surroundings?
>
>   Why should (must) content of files influence the results of tests,
> instead of them being immune to it.

Tests exist to check the operation of the software.  The operation of
the software depends on the contents of various files.  There's no way
to make it "immune" from those files' contents: the software design
gives the user the power to customize.

Several of the savannah bugs you've opened have ended up being closed
as invalid because they were bugs in your personal branch of groff
rather than in the official code.  So, noting this pattern, a
developer asking to verify that some local customization isn't at the
root of the problem being reported seems like a commonsense way to
avoid wasting his time.