How do you know who is fixing the build?

Question

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?

Susceptible

Answer 1

Shooting "I take it guys" is my prefered. ( in addition of the responsability romaintaz describe )

Juli

Answer 2

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!

Racialism

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. – Susceptible

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. – Dull

Did you get the teddy at "Build" A Bear? :| – Cannibalism

You can also use the CI Game plugin (wiki.hudson-ci.org/display/HUDSON/…) if you use Hudson to know who deserves this teddy bear :) – Racialism

Answer 3

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

Sartor

Answer 4

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.

Cannibalism

Answer 5

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.

Afore

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. – Susceptible

Answer 6

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

Mulligatawny

Sadly this functionality in CCtray is not implemented if you're monitoring projects via HTTP (which we are doing alongside using Enterprise Cruise) – Susceptible

Sorry I didn't your post completely otherwise I would have noticed – Mulligatawny