How to force Bamboo to build on Linux

So let’s talk about build servers for a minute. I manage the company’s Bamboo server, which we use to do builds and continuous integration. I don’t know if this is an unusual use case or what, but some of my builds require Windows and others perform best on Linux. So we have Windows agents and Linux agents. Some things you would think are intuitive are not. For example, there’s no way to differentiate in a Script Task between CMD and Bash. Continue reading

Cucumber is Magic, Right?

Everywhere I go, I see talk about BDD and Cucumber. Cucumber is the promised messiah, the single technology that bridges the world of the business and the world of the programmer, allowing your BA to write executable test cases so you don’t have to spend time automating once you have a solid framework. It’s the future, the new order, and it’s here, now, ready for prime time. Who wouldn’t want to learn it, right? Continue reading

Teatime: Intro to Security Testing

Welcome back to Teatime! This is a weekly feature in which we sip tea and discuss some topic related to quality. Feel free to bring your tea and join in with questions in the comments section. Tea of the week: It was my birthday this past Sunday; for my birthday some years ago, my grandmother bought me some Dragon Pearls from Teavana, which instantly made my all-time favorites list. They’re expensive, but soooo worth it. Continue reading

Teatime: Continuous Integration

Welcome back to Teatime! This is a weekly feature in which we sip tea and discuss some topic related to quality. Feel free to bring your tea and join in with questions in the comments section. Tea of the week: Oprah Chai. I expected this to be boring and gimmicky, but it was surprisingly bold, and a pleasant drink all-around. I tried it at a Starbucks before I bought some, which is a nice perk. Continue reading

Teatime: Containers and VMs

Welcome back to Teatime! This is a weekly feature in which we sip tea and discuss some topic related to quality. Feel free to bring your tea and join in with questions in the comments section. Tea of the week: Ceylon by Sub Rosa Tea. This is a nice, basic, bold tea, very astringent; it’s great for blending so long as you don’t choose delicate flavors to blend with. It really adds a kick! Continue reading

Teatime: Programming Paradigms

Welcome back to Teatime! This is a weekly feature in which we sip tea and discuss some topic related to quality. Feel free to bring your tea and join in with questions in the comments section. Tea of the week: Rootbeer Rooibos from Sub Rosa Tea. A nice change from my typical tea-flavored-teas and chais, this fun, quirky tea really brightens up a dull day. Today’s Topic: Programming Paradigms Programming languages come in many forms, and are intended to be used in many different ways. Continue reading

Teatime: Measuring Maintainability

Welcome back to Teatime! This is a weekly feature in which we sip tea and discuss some topic related to quality. Feel free to bring your tea and join in with questions in the comments section. Tea of the week: Today I’m living it up with Teavana’s Monkey-picked Oolong tea. A lot of people have complained that it’s not a very good Oolong, but I’m a black tea drinker most of the time, and I found it quite delightful. Continue reading