Linux Conversations | Episode 11: Unlocking Linux Quality: A Deep Dive into openQA with Oliver Kurz and Jose Lausuch

Welcome back to “Linux Conversations,” our blog series where we explore the world of Linux with experts from SUSE. In this episode, we shine a light on openQA, SUSE’s powerful and unique open-source automated testing tool that ensures the unparalleled quality and reliability of SUSE Linux and beyond. We’re joined by two pivotal members of the Quality Engineering (QE) department: Oliver Kurz, Product Owner for QE tools, and Jose Lausuch, Project Manager for QE focusing on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16 and SAP.

Join us as Oliver and Jose explain openQA’s critical functionality, its vital role in SUSE’s development workflows and open-source projects like openSUSE Tumbleweed, and its increasing adoption by other distributions and partners. Discover how this robust, multi-architecture testing platform helps ensure a secure and stable software supply chain for everyone.

Interview Transcript:

Rick Spencer: Welcome, Oliver and Jose. Could you both please introduce yourselves and your roles at SUSE?

Oliver Kurz: Hi Rick, I’m Oliver Kurz, Product Owner in the QE department.

Jose Lausuch: And I’m Jose Lausuch, a Project Manager also in QE, focusing on SLES 16 and SAP. openQA is a critical tool for quality assurance for SUSE Linux, especially for SLES 16.

Rick Spencer: Oliver, can you explain openQA’s core functionality and its primary use cases?

Oliver Kurz: openQA is a system-level testing solution. We primarily use it for installer-based testing just as well as for a wide range of application stacks, including cloud images, container stacks and high-availability features.

Jose Lausuch: And it’s crucial for testing maintenance updates, what we call “incidents.” We apply patches to existing images and run tests to validate their functionality before releasing them. This is vital for SLES customers to quickly validate security fixes.

Oliver Kurz: For openSUSE Factory and Tumbleweed, openQA is absolutely essential. It enables their fast-paced rolling releases through continuous automated testing.

Rick Spencer: It sounds like openQA has a broader impact beyond SUSE. Are other open-source projects or partners using it?

Oliver Kurz: Yes, open-source projects like Fedora and Debian utilize openQA. Many SUSE partners also use it to test their SUSE-derived products.

Rick Spencer: That means the combination of Open Build Service and openQA offers partners a secure and robust solution for testing their complete solutions before offering them to customers.

Jose Lausuch: Exactly. Other departments within SUSE, like our Edge or Unified Core teams, also leverage openQA to validate images before the actual application workload testing.

Rick Spencer: Oliver, on the technical side, how does openQA perform its tests?

Oliver Kurz: openQA primarily uses virtual machine-based testing with QEMU. It also supports various backends like VMware, HyperV, and even bare metal testing.

Jose Lausuch: And for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, openQA supports four main architectures: x86_64, ARM, IBM Z, and Power.

Rick Spencer: So, an ISV building a solution on SLES could use Open Build Service and openQA to automate the validation of their new images and updates, ensuring a secure software supply chain?

Oliver Kurz: Precisely. While SUSE provides the core infrastructure, customers and partners can fully customize their testing workflows to validate specific update policies and ensure their solutions meet their quality standards.

Rick Spencer: How accessible is openQA for others to learn about or even use themselves?

Oliver Kurz: We have public openQA instances, like openqa.opensuse.org, which offer a visual showcase of the testing process, allowing users to view test results, videos, and screenshots. open.qa also serves as the main entry point for documentation, guiding users on how to set up their own openQA instance and create tests using a web UI wizard.

Conclusion:

As Oliver Kurz and Jose Lausuch have eloquently demonstrated, openQA is far more than just a testing tool; it is a cornerstone of SUSE’s commitment to quality and a powerful enabler for the entire open-source ecosystem. Its ability to perform automated, system-level, and multi-architecture testing, combined with its open nature and collaborative adoption by other distributions and partners, positions openQA as a gold standard in ensuring software reliability. For enterprises building on SUSE Linux, this means unparalleled confidence in the stability, security, and integrity of their mission-critical systems, from initial deployment to continuous updates.

More from this Series:

• Linux Conversations | Episode 1: Running Multi-Linux Environments in Production with Donald Vosburg
• Linux Conversations | Episode 2: The Future of SUSE Multi-Linux with Johannes Hahn
• Linux Conversations | Episode 3: Fixing the Unfixable with William Preston
• Linux Conversations | Episode 4: 25 Years of Linux Evolution with Matthias Eckermann
• Linux Conversations | Episode 5: Securing the Untrusted: How Confidential Computing Protects Your Data with Joerg Roedel
• Linux Conversations | Episode 6: 25 Years of SUSE Expertise on SAP Infrastructure Supporting SAP’s Hybrid Cloud Journey with Tobias Kutning
• Linux Conversations | Episode 7: SUSE Security – Protecting Enterprise Linux with Marcus Meissner
• Linux Conversations | Episode 8: Ensuring SAP Quality: The Collaborative Automation Journey with Haris Sehic
• Linux Conversations | Episode 9: SUSE Security – The Gold Standard of Enterprise Linux Security and Compliance with Dietrich Banschbach and Knut Trepte
• Linux Conversations | Episode 10: Powering Linux Innovation: SUSE’s Critical Silicon Partnerships with Jose Betancourt
• Linux Conversations | Episode 11: Unlocking Linux Quality: A Deep Dive into openQA with Oliver Kurz and Jose Lausuch

Stay tuned for more interviews in our Linux Conversations series—follow our blog or subscribe for the latest insights from SUSE Linux experts.

*Disclaimer: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability.*