CentOS Stream testing on CKI Project

src-git

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

When a developer pushes a merge request to the kernel source-git repository, it goes through automated build and test pipelines before it can be merged. The goal is to catch regressions early while keeping developers unblocked.

Build

A GitLab CI pipeline builds the kernel from the MR source. The resulting build artifacts are used for all subsequent testing stages.

dist-git

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The release pipeline picks up readyForMerge source-git MRs and produces a dist-git MR. This MR triggers an official build and tier 1 smoke testing before it can be merged.

Build

The dist-git MR triggers an official kernel build in Brew. If the build fails, the kernel maintainer investigates and fixes the issue, restarting the cycle.

Smoke testing (kt1)

Once the build succeeds, kernel tier 1 (kt1) smoke tests run against the official RPM build. Depending on the dist-git workflow variant, testing is triggered via the kernel-draft or kernel-gate schedule in qe-pipeline-definition (identical tests, different reporting). These tests cover areas important enough to block kernel delivery to customers: boot and basic functionality, real-time guarantees, RPM signing, and kernel module ABI stability. Test definitions live in kernel-tests (tagged with KernelTier1).

release

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Release testing is split by who owns the risk:

Y-stream (major releases like RHEL 9.8, 10.2): the entire OS is changing, so the functional kernel QE teams (networking, storage, realtime, etc.) and RTT own testing. They validate how the kernel integrates with everything else across multiple compose stages. Kernel maintainers have limited testing scope here.
Z-stream (errata updates like 9.6.z): targeted kernel-only changes with well-understood scope, so kernel maintainers (kmaint) own the verification. Functional kernel QE teams don’t need to re-validate because the change surface is small.

CentOS Stream testing on CKI Project

src-git

Build

dist-git

Build

Smoke testing (kt1)

release

Y-stream