User Tools

Site Tools


deli:bugs:bugreports:conventions

Conventions for bug reports

Creating a bug report

I simplified the creation of bug reports a little. Just choose a package from the drop-down box, add a short description an hit Create Bugreport.

Of course, you can still use the manual method, which is below and still worth reading


To create a bugreport just create a page. Please try to use the following naming scheme:

bugs:bugreports:packagename:short_description

Where

  • packagename is the name of the package without version number, e. g. rsync, not rsync-2.6.8
  • short_descripton is a really short and informative description in telegraphic style, not more than 5 words, e. g.:
    • connect_via_ssh_fails
    • segfaults_in_xterm
    • weird_printoutput_on_HPLJ4
  • If you really need more than 5 words, try to concatenate them, like
    • connectto_windowsvistahost_fails_over_wlan
  • You can give a more readable description in the internal link later
  • Wrong descriptions are:
    • doesnt_work
    • really_sucks_because_software_xyz_does_this_job_a_hundred_times_better

First edit bugreports, copy the last line and change the content as you see fit. Give a readable description, including the name of the package, and most important, give it a bug number. You should give the lowest bug number available, which is mentioned at the bottom of the page. After this, increase the bugnumber by 1.

Example:

  * [[bugs:bugreports:rysnc:connect_via_ssh_fails|#24:rsync:Connection via ssh fails]]

**Lowest available bug number:** 25

Then save the page, click on the newly created entry and choose Create this page.

In the bug report itself you should mention

  • the description of the bug as headline
  • the version number of the package
  • the severity (see below)
  • tags (optional, see below)
  • and, of course, an extensive description under which circumstances the bug appears, how to repdoduce it, log entries, and so on
  • if you already have a solution to solve a bug, you can post it, too :-)
  • short patches (of a source file, a PKGBUILD or similiar) can be posted, but try not to exceed 30 lines. Enclose the patch with the <code> tags.

Reply to a bug report

Just insert a horizontal rule below the bug report and add your comments, tags, patches, and so on

Severity Levels

To simplify matters we will just use a subset of the Debian severity levels

  • critical: renders a package unusable
  • normal: is really annoying, but does not render the package complete unusable
  • wishlist: Make a wish …

If you think, the bug lies somwhere in between these grades, you can use the Debian levels, but this three should suffice

Tags

Again, we will use a subset of the Debian tags, but extend it with some of our own tags.

  • confirmed: You have reproduced the bug
  • unreproducible: You can't reproduce the bug
  • fixed: The bug is fixed (and will be closed)
  • upstream: This bug applies to the upstream part of the package. Thus we can't fix it and must wait for upstream
  • patch: You know a solution (and share it with us)
  • workaround: You know how to avoid the bug
  • notabug: This bug is not a bug at all, but a feature, user error or something else (and will be closed)

Example

=== foobar: segfaults when creating a connection to a Windows Vista host ===

version: 1.2.3-5

severity: normal

When I try to connect to a Windows Vista host with foobar it segfaults. Here is the debug output:

<code>
[root@deli:/root]# foobar vista.windows.ms.local
resolving vista.windows.ms.local ....
IP: 192.168.1.222
trying to connect to 192.168.1.222 ...
Negotiating...
Segmentation fault
[root@deli:/root]#
</code>
----
tags: confirmed

I can confirm the bug, I reproduced it with a connection to a host  running Windows Vista build 666.
----
tags: patch

I reproduced it too. And I found a solution. The problem is in winconnect.c. Here is a patch:

<code diff>
--- winconnect.c.orig     2004-11-07 13:49:19.926827944 -0600                                                                         
+++ winconnect.c  2004-11-07 13:49:30.113279368 -0600                                                                                 
@@ -103,8 +103,7 @@                                                                                                                 
int ident_winversion(winhost) {

 winver = get_versionstring(winhost);
+            if (winver == "VISTA") {
+               send_port("I LOVE DRM\n");
+            }


</code>
With this patch applied the connection to a Vista host runs without problems.

View this example

deli/bugs/bugreports/conventions.txt · Last modified: 2010/09/02 15:38 (external edit)