The Red Hat Kernel Quality Engineering (Kernel-QE) team is facing a critical issue as the upstream development community has decided to deprecate the old RunLTP framework in favor of the newer, more advanced Kirk[1] framework. This necessitates an essential upgrade for the QE team, which currently relies heavily on runltp for LTP execution. The Kirk framework enhanced features and improved test execution, which are vital for keeping up with the evolving demands of kernel testing and ensuring that RHEL remains a robust and secure operating system.

The upgrade process will require a detailed mapping and refactoring of the existing LTP tests to ensure they are compatible with the new Kirk framework. The refactoring will be a considerable effort due to the extensive use of LTP within RHEL testing, but it is a necessary step to harness the benefits of Kirk's advanced testing capabilities. The integration of Kirk within Red Hat's robust CI/CD pipeline is crucial to maintain the efficiency and reliability of the testing process.

To make sure the update goes smoothly and doesn't interrupt our kernel testing, we'll set out a clear plan with specific goals and check-in points. This way, we can keep an eye on our progress and make any needed changes without delay.

After we finish the update, the Kernel-QE team will thoroughly check that the new framework and the updated tests are working well together. The main goals are to ensure testing continues without a hitch, keep to our testing schedule, and not overburden our team. If we hit these targets and everything is running smoothly, that'll be the green light to fully adopt the Kirk framework, marking a new phase for our LTP testing.

[1] https://github.com/linux-test-project/kirk