ChannelSwitching/ChannelSwitchingFeature

Feature	Status	ETA	Owner
Channel Switching	Backend work to be reviewed today (04/07). Front end patches checked in. Some branding work to be done.	2011-04-11 (hopefully sooner)	Sheila Mooney

Summary

Means by which users on our new Experimental, Beta and Final channels can switch the channel they are on.

In order to support our new shorter release cycle, we need a mechanism by which users can switch the release channel they are on and get on a different update path. This applies to users who are on the experimental(new), beta and final channels.

The nightly channel is a separate path and they will continue to receive the nightly updates from mozilla-central. In order for those users to get on a different channel ie: beta, they must first download a beta build.

Implementation includes some back end work as well as minimal front-end UI for doing the switching. This feature is being coordinated with another effort on how to message the channels to users and migrate them to the right place.

Release Requirements

• Both the front-end and backend pieces need to be implemented and linked together.
• We need to have the experimental channel setup so we can test this.
• We can potentially test this without having the experimental channel in place - we can add a config value so we can switch to the nightly channel just to test the mechanism.

Next Steps

Most of the backend implementation is complete. The UI design work is done and we are waiting on the front-end development.

The team is currently working out a plan for how to evangelize the new channels, migrate users, messaging and other coordination.

Related Bugs & Dependencies

These are the bugs we are using the track this work...

• bug 644517 - UI work
• bug 386760 - backend work
• bug 646236 - engagement piece
• bug 648011 - new about:home logos for nightly and aurora channels
• bug 648587 - not for Apr 12th

Use Cases

• 1. User of nightly builds
  • a. Go to the download page for the Aurora builds and get the latest build. Go to about dialog to see you are on the Aurora channel.
  • b. Go to the download page for the Beta builds and get the latest build. Go to about dialog to see you are on the Beta channel.
  • c. Go to the download page for the Release and get the release build. Go to about dialog to see you are on the Release channel.

• 2. On Beta channel
  • a. Go to about dialog, select the Aurora channel and click Apply Update.
  • b. Go to the about dialog, select the Release channel and click Apply Update.
  • c. Go to the about dialog, select the Beta channel and click Apply Update.

• 3. On Aurora channel
  • a. Go to about dialog, select the Aurora channel and click Apply Update.
  • b. Go to the about dialog, select the Release channel and click Apply Update.
  • c. Go to the about dialog, select the Beta channel and click Apply Update.

• 4. On Release channel (will not work Apr 12)
  • a. Go to about dialog, select the Aurora channel and click Apply Update.
  • b. Go to the about dialog, select the Release channel and click Apply Update.
  • c. Go to the about dialog, select the Beta channel and click Apply Update.

• Notes:
  • If you use the nightlies, you will not get the channel switcher UI unless you first proactively go and download a build for release, beta or aurora.
  • The branding on the product (right logos) will not appear when you simply switch channels, you need to actually get a build and restart to see the new logos ie: logo on about dialog will not change.
  • There is a hack in place to test the mechanism. Go to about:config and there's a pref app.update.desiredChannel. If you set this to different channel than you are on, you can verify you made the switch. Once you get a real update, the pref disappears.

Team

• Rob Strong - updater change and will work with releng
• Nick Thomas is probably the right person from releng
• Margaret - person to implement front end UI
• Geo, Anthony - QA
• Limi - UI design
• Laura and Mayumi on the marketing side
• Rob Sayre - engineering - owner of new release process
• Christian - release management
• Curtis Koenig - Security
• Sheila - PM

The team meets weekly on Wed @10:00am in Zombocom.

Designs

Design details and mockups can be found in bug 644517.