The PrestoTools are continuously improved and updated along with new supported missions. The Agile software development method is encouraged when possible. As a consequence, we often offer beta versions to the users, in order to make sure the development fits their needs. To make this process more efficient, we had to automate some non-regression tests.
That's how VORTEX is born, in 2014, and it is now used by many of the PrestoTools' users. Despite it was firstly used for the PrestoTools, it is a fully generic tool that can be used for any software that can be invoked by command line, and produce outputs.
The PrestoTools are continuously improved and updated along with new supported missions. The Agile software development method is encouraged when possible. As a consequence, we often offer beta versions to the users, in order to make sure the development fits their needs. To make this process more efficient, we had to automate some non-regression tests.
The software is really easy to use and fully featured from configuring tests to analyzing results (textual and also image difference comparison). The main idea is to manage a list of tested-software versions, a list of tests, run tests against desired tested-software versions, and compare the differences. VORTEX won't tell you if some results are valid or not, but it will compare these results between two runs of two different versions ; it is then your job to check, if there are differences, if they are legitimate or regressions.
VORTEX targets the following operating systems:
VORTEX should also run fine on other Windows and Linux versions.
Since VORTEX uses Tk, it requires the X11 libraries to run, and a working X11 display. This is still the case even in batch mode.
On a headless machine, you may use Xvfb to provide VORTEX with a virtual X11 display. This can be done as follows:
# Start the virtual X server Xvfb :1 & # Keep the process ID XPID=$! # Run VORTEX on the new virtual display ./<binary-name.lnx> -display :1 -commandfile <your-command-file> -noshow -exit # Stop the virtual display kill $XPID
To install Xvfb on your system if it is not already available, please contact your system administrator.