Marcel Hilzinger wrote:
Many of the bugfixes you can only test with a fresh install, as you might have done something on your beta, which changes things.
I don't see that as so much of a problem - bang in the CD or USB-stick, get the install going, then try out the fix.
So the easiest way is to release betas often. I mean, it's better to install betaN+1 with fixes included, than betaN with additional fixes for testing.
I agree, but the key part being "with fixes included". When no fix has been forthcoming, and another beta has been released, I'm more or less forced to install N+1 even if it does me no good. I do agree that it makes no sense to be working on betaN when N+1 is out, but without fixes, the schedule itself is creating unnecessary work - for testers.
I never trust fixes :-) only if the bug has gone with the next release I assume, that it's really fixed. Even then it might come back with the next release. Sometimes a patch does not go in, the developer forgets about it etc.
I trust the fix if I apply it and the problem is gone, but I don't assume the patch has been applied in the next release, so I do test it again. /Per Jessen, Zürich