GForge AS v6.2.1 Released

Today we are happy to announce the immediate availability of GForge Advanced Server v6.2.1.  This release is primarily a bug-fix release with a few minor, but powerful features added in.  Here are some of the key updates to v.6.2.1:

Download GForge Advanced Server v6.2.1 Now!

Improved Git Integration

Git integration prior to v6.2.1 was pretty good but we’ve improved it in many ways:

  • Work Branch Tracker Integration – Use #-notation in your work branch name to ensure all commits on that branch are tied to the given tracker item.  For example, if you create a work branch in Git called bug-fix-#10001, once you make some commits to the branch to push it back to GForge all the commits will be tied to tracker item #10001.
  • Improved Commit Tracker Integration – While you can use the #-notation in your Git work branch as shown above, you can still tie individual commits using [#XXXX]-notation in your commit message (e.g. #> git commit -m “[#10001] Addresses CSS issue in login DIV”).  You could already do this but we’ve improve the commit hooks in GForge so you will see feedback from GForge letting you know the association(s) were actually made.  Also, this particularly feature works in CVS and Subversion as well.
  • Git Pushes on Multiple Branches – Prior to v6.2.1 there was a bug where GForge only successfully processed the first branch it saw in the push.  This has been fixed to include all updated branches in the push.
  • Require Tracker Item IDs On All Commits – Under the left navigation under Git->Admin you can now configure your Git repository to require a tracker ID either in the work branch using #-notation or in the commit message using [#XXXX]-notation.  Prior to v6.2.1 this only worked for CVS and Subversion. When enabled, pushes that fail this check will receive a user-friendly error letting the user know the Tracker Item ID is required.
  • Client-Side Pull Requests – We will be adding server-side pull requests to next generation of GForge Advanced Server.  In the meantime we have included a script, /opt/gforge/tools/git-scripts/git-process, that provides users on Unix/Linux/MacOSX a similar workflow.  The script takes the work branch and destination branch as arguments (e.g. #>git-process bug-fix-#10001 master).  This will produce a DIFF and then launch the pre-configured DIFF tool (located in ~/.gitconfig).  Once you are done reviewing the DIFF it will then ask you if you want to merge and push the changes back to GForge.

Various UI Improvements

GForge AS v6.2.1 also include a few user-interface updates that will make working with GForge more enjoyable.

  • Wiki Improvements – The old wiki tabs have been moved to the top of the page and now more resemble a MediaWiki-style interface.  Also, if you happen to navigate to a non-existent Wiki entry and your account has edit privileges, you will be presented with the Wiki editor immediately.
  • Tracker Item Browse Page – One of the most used features in GForge is the Tracker Item browse page so we’ve improved this a bit.  We now allow you to choose a pre-defined Tracker Query or select “Quick Filter…” which allows you to customize the search criteria the browse page uses.  Additionally we’ve added the total record count to the Tracker Item browse page so you always know how many Tracker Items matched the current query or filter.
  • GForge Specific 404 Page – Instead of giving the traditional Apache 404 error page, GForge v6.2.1 now gives a stylized 404 page that allows users a chance to search for whatever it is they are looking for.
  • Improved Left Navigation Bar – Long project names never did fit well in the project left hand navigation bar.  This has been fixed by moving the title of the project to the main content area.

Notable Miscellaneous Improvements

There are also a few other improvements that warrant a quick mention:

  • We’ve improved the Project->Reporting->Project Activity page to allow you to filter all activity by project member.  This will prove useful in agile shops in preparing for their stand-up meetings.
  • Project->Reporting now includes a burn down report.  While not explicitly a velocity report, this gives project members a good feel for the velocity of the project and can give you a rough ETA on the completion of the current sprint/version.
  • Tracker Item Follow-ups are now included in exported Tracker queries.
  • We’ve replaced the confusing “Assignee/Admin” role with a simple “Assigner” role.  This will be much less confusing for project administrators.
  • The GForge Jenkins plugin got a minor refresh. It is now integrated (partially) with project chat.  Organizations exploring continuous integration and build automation can leverage Jenkins immediately for their GForge projects which includes the ability to create new tracker items on failed builds (e.g. failed unit tests or builds that fall below the pre-configured code coverage standard)
  • We’ve added the ability for Discussion Administrators to delete messages from Live Discussions.
  • The GForge Eclipse Plugin now works with latest version of Eclipse.

BugFixes

As we said already, GForge v6.2.1 includes a number of bug fixes…too many to enumerate here so please have a look at the Complete GForge v6.2.1 ChangeLog

Download GForge Advanced Server v6.2.1 Now!