Bardu Picks Up Improvements, Phoromatic Is Ready

It was just last week that Phoronix Test Suite 2.2 entered beta, but now the second beta of "Bardu" is ready and with the changes continuing to roll in for our multi-platform benchmarking / testing software. The official change-log for Phoronix Test Suite 2.2 Beta 2 is listed below, but some of the highlights include support for logging the test's installation script within the results file, more updates to the PTS module architecture, new test suites, various bug fixes in pts-core and Phodevi, and official support for the Phoromatic module.

Phoromatic is a service for the Phoronix Test Suite that we have been working on since 2.0 Sandtorg, but within the next 24 hours the public beta for Phoromatic will finally begin! Again, as is described at Phoromatic.com, this server software provides the following:

Phoromatic is a remote management system for the Phoronix Test Suite. Phoromatic allows the automatic (hence the name Phoromatic) scheduling of tests, remote installation of new tests, and the management of multiple test systems all through an intuitive, easy-to-use web interface. Tests can be scheduled to automatically run on a routine basis across multiple test systems. The test results are then available from this central, secure location.

Phoromatic is able to communicate with any system running Phoronix Test Suite 2.2 or newer whether it be running Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, or OpenSolaris. Creating a single-user account at Phoromatic.com is free, easy, and can then connect to one or even dozens of test systems running the Phoronix Test Suite. Phoromatic can also be installed on a LAN / intranet for professional and enterprise support customers of the Phoronix Test Suite.

Effectively you can now manage the Phoronix Test Suite running on a single system or a whole array of computers in a test farm all through a web-based interface, where you can also view all of the test results in this single, central location (effectively your own private Phoronix Global). With all of the management side being done remotely, you can benchmark systems across the world. Many enthusiasts and companies have been asking for this remote test management software, but tomorrow we will finally be providing a public beta of the free version. Stay tuned to Phoronix tomorrow for a full run-down on our plans for Phoromatic, screenshots, and some of the exciting capabilities that this allows.

Download Phoronix Test Suite 2.2 Beta 2 at Phoronix-Test-Suite.com. The official release of Phoronix Test Suite 2.2 "Bardu" is coming this month.

Phoronix Test Suite 2.2 Beta 2
November 3, 2009

- pts-core: With toggle_screensaver module, disable the display(s) from sleeping when on AC power in GNOME during testing
- pts-core: Clean-up more code used during the test execution process
- pts-core: Rename SaveSystemDetails user-config.xml option to SaveSystemLogs
- pts-core: Add option to archive a test's installation log to a sub-directory of the results file
- pts-core: Check for user-config-template.xml template in pts-core/static/
- pts-core: Add PTS Desktop Live user-config.xml template
- pts-core: Move txt file lists from pts-core/static/ to pts-core/static/lists/
- pts-core: Allow test options to be specified externally via PRESET_OPTIONS environmental variable (see commit for example)
- pts-core: Fix bug where from GTK2 GUI selecting to not save test results would prompt you from CLI to save results or not
- pts-core: Vastly re-work the pts-includes-run_options code
- pts-core: Move images to pts-core/static/images/
- pts-core: Create modules tag section in user-config.xml, move default modules to load into the LoadModules tag instead of text file
- pts-core: Start adding user-interface options to the user-config.xml
- pts-core: Updates for library / Phoromatic server usage
- pts-core: Don't ask user whether to try again on a failed test download when in automated/batch mode
- pts-core: When installing external dependencies fails, continue installing just the tests where the dependencies are satisfied]
- pts-core: Add __event_user_error hook to PTS module API
- phoromatic: Prevent overloading the Phoromatic server if the client module keeps trying to communicate too many times per minute
- phoromatic: Support for reporting system/PTS warnings to Phoromatic server
- phoromatic: Support for setting the default system title on the Phoromatic server as the test system's hostname
- phoromatic: Report new system software / hardware for test system to Phoromatic server when appropriate
- phoromatic: Add support for uploading Phoromatic-sanctioned test results to Phoronix Global, if Phoromatic server tells it to
- phoromatic: Add support for Phoromatic server to tell client whether or not to archive the test results locally upon completion
- phodevi: Improve phodevi smart caching, bring actual caching into pts-core and place the cache_store in the core.pt2so
- phodevi: Fix possible space when getting resolutions from xrandr
- phodevi: Don't report GPU memory clock in GPU string when GPU memory clock is 0MHz (NVIDIA reports this for at least some IGPs)
- pts: Add workstation test suite
- pts: Add disk-ssd test suite
- pts: Revamp server test suite
- documentation: Add a basic reviewer's guide