# Docker-based Testing Framework Improvements

This document outlines the improvements made to the Docker-based testing framework for validating shell scripts and dotfiles across different environments.

## Issues Fixed

### 1. `local` Keyword Usage Outside Function

Fixed a syntax error where the `local` keyword was used outside of a function context:

```bash
# Before (incorrect):
for pkg in $packages; do
    local actual_pkg=$(get_package_name "$pkg")
    # ...
done

# After (correct):
for pkg in $packages; do
    actual_pkg=$(get_package_name "$pkg")
    # ...
done
```

### 2. Log Directory Handling

Enhanced log directory handling to ensure proper permissions and fallback mechanisms:

- Added better error handling for log directory creation and permissions
- Added validation to verify write permissions before proceeding
- Implemented fallback to /tmp if host volume mounting fails
- Added debugging information when log operations fail

### 3. Package Verification

Improved package detection, especially for packages like `cowsay` and `lolcat` that are typically installed in `/usr/games/`:

- Enhanced `test_package()` function to check in common alternate locations
- Added specific handling for packages that may be installed with different paths
- Added detailed debugging output for problematic packages 

### 4. Docker Container Configuration

Improved the Docker container configuration for more reliable testing:

- Added proper volume mounting with explicit read/write permissions
- Added timestamp consistency between host and container
- Added container type labels to log files for better tracking
- Enhanced error detection for volume mounting issues

## Implementation Details

### 1. Enhanced Logging System

- Timestamps are now synchronized between host and container
- Log file names include container type (ubuntu/debian) for clarity
- Added validation to confirm logs are properly saved to host

### 2. Container Environment Setup

- Improved `startup.sh` with better diagnostics before running tests
- Added permissions verification for mounted volumes
- Added write tests to confirm permissions are correctly set

### 3. Test Framework Improvements

- Improved error handling for better diagnostics
- Enhanced reporting for package detection issues
- Better isolation between test iterations

## Running Tests

To run tests with the improved framework:

```bash
# Test in Ubuntu container
./run-docker-tests.sh ubuntu

# Test in Debian container
./run-docker-tests.sh debian
```

The logs will be saved in the `./logs` directory with filenames that include the timestamp and container type.