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diff --git a/docs/xml/faq.xml b/docs/xml/faq.xml index fbab94212..3e96a813a 100644 --- a/docs/xml/faq.xml +++ b/docs/xml/faq.xml @@ -14,165 +14,204 @@ <title>General Questions</title> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-general-license"> - <para> - What license is Bugzilla distributed under? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Bugzilla is covered by the Mozilla Public License. - See details at <ulink url="http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/"/>. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-general-license"> + <para> + What license is Bugzilla distributed under? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Bugzilla is covered by the Mozilla Public License. + See details at <ulink url="http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/"/>. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-general-support"> - <para> - How do I get commercial support for Bugzilla? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - <ulink url="http://bugzilla.org/consulting.html"/> - is a list of people and companies who have asked us to list them - as consultants for Bugzilla. - </para> - <para> - There are several experienced - Bugzilla hackers on the mailing list/newsgroup who are willing - to make themselves available for generous compensation. - Try sending a message to the mailing list asking for a volunteer. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-general-support"> + <para> + How do I get commercial support for Bugzilla? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + <ulink url="http:/www.bugzilla.org/support/consulting.html"/> + is a list of companies and individuals who have asked us to + list them as consultants for Bugzilla. + </para> + <para> + There are several experienced + Bugzilla hackers on the mailing list/newsgroup who are willing + to make themselves available for generous compensation. + Try sending a message to the mailing list asking for a volunteer. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-general-companies"> - <para> - What major companies or projects are currently using Bugzilla - for bug-tracking? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - There are <emphasis>dozens</emphasis> of major companies with public - Bugzilla sites to track bugs in their products. We have a fairly + <question id="faq-general-companies"> + <para> + What major companies or projects are currently using Bugzilla + for bug-tracking? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + There are <emphasis>dozens</emphasis> of major companies with public + Bugzilla sites to track bugs in their products. We have a fairly complete list available on our website at <ulink url="http://bugzilla.org/installation-list/"/>. If you have an installation of Bugzilla and would like to be added to the list, whether it's a public install or not, simply e-mail Gerv <email>gerv@mozilla.org</email>. - </para> - </answer> + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-general-maintainers"> - <para> - Who maintains Bugzilla? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - A - <ulink url="http://www.bugzilla.org/who_we_are.html">core team</ulink>, - led by Dave Miller (justdave@bugzilla.org). - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-general-maintainers"> + <para> + Who maintains Bugzilla? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + A <ulink url="http://www.bugzilla.org/developers/profiles.html">core + team</ulink>, led by Dave Miller (justdave@bugzilla.org). + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-general-compare"> - <para> - How does Bugzilla stack up against other bug-tracking databases? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - We can't find any head-to-head comparisons of Bugzilla against - other defect-tracking software. If you know of one, please - get in touch. However, from the author's personal - experience with other bug-trackers, Bugzilla offers - superior performance on commodity hardware, better price - (free!), more developer- friendly features (such as stored - queries, email integration, and platform independence), - improved scalability, open source code, greater - flexibility, and superior ease-of-use. - </para> - <para> - If you happen to be a commercial bug-tracker vendor, please - step forward with a list of advantages your product has over - Bugzilla. We'd be happy to include it in the "Competitors" - section. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-general-compare"> + <para> + How does Bugzilla stack up against other bug-tracking databases? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + We can't find any head-to-head comparisons of Bugzilla against + other defect-tracking software. If you know of one, please get + in touch. In the experience of Matthew Barnson (the original + author of this FAQ), though, Bugzilla offers superior + performance on commodity hardware, better price (free!), more + developer-friendly features (such as stored queries, email + integration, and platform independence), improved scalability, + greater flexibility, and superior ease-of-use when compared + to commercial bug-tracking software. + </para> + <para> + If you happen to be a vendor for commercial bug-tracking + software, and would like to submit a list of advantages your + product has over Bugzilla, simply send it to + <email>documentation@bugzilla.org</email> and we'd be happy to + include the comparison in our documentation. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-general-bzmissing"> - <para> - Why doesn't Bugzilla offer this or that feature or compatibility - with this other tracking software? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - It may be that the support has not been built yet, or that you - have not yet found it. Bugzilla is making tremendous strides in - usability, customizability, scalability, and user interface. It - is widely considered the most complete and popular open-source - bug-tracking software in existence. - </para> - <para> - That doesn't mean it can't use improvement! - You can help the project along by either hacking a patch yourself - that supports the functionality you require, or else submitting a - "Request for Enhancement" (RFE) using the bug submission interface - at <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=Bugzilla">bugzilla.mozilla.org</ulink>. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-general-bzmissing"> + <para> + Why doesn't Bugzilla offer this or that feature or compatibility + with this other tracking software? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + It may be that the support has not been built yet, or that you + have not yet found it. While Bugzilla makes strides in usability, + customizability, scalability, and user interface with each release, + that doesn't mean it can't still use improvement! + </para> + <para> + The best way to make an enhancement request is to <ulink + url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=Bugzilla">file + a bug at bugzilla.mozilla.org</ulink> and set the Severity + to 'enhancement'. Your 'request for enhancement' (RFE) will + start out in the UNCONFIRMED state, and will stay there until + someone with the ability to COMFIRM the bug reviews it. + If that person feels it to be a good request that fits in with + Bugzilla's overall direction, the status will be changed to + NEW; if not, they will probably explain why and set the bug + to RESOLVED/WONTFIX. If someone else has made the same (or + almost the same) request before, your request will be marked + RESOLVED/DUPLICATE, and a pointer to the previous RFE will be + added. + </para> + <para> + Even if your RFE gets approved, that doesn't mean it's going + to make it right into the next release; there are a limited + number of developers, and a whole lot of RFEs... some of + which are <emphasis>quite</emphasis> complex. If you're a + code-hacking sort of person, you can help the project along + by making a patch yourself that supports the functionality + you require. If you have never contributed anything to + Bugzilla before, please be sure to read the + <ulink url="http://www.bugzilla.org/docs/developer.html">Developers' Guide</ulink> + and + <ulink url="http://www.bugzilla.org/docs/contributor.html">Contributors' Guide</ulink> + before going ahead. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-general-mysql"> - <para> - Why MySQL? I'm interested in seeing Bugzilla run on - Oracle/Sybase/Msql/PostgreSQL/MSSQL. - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> + <question id="faq-general-mysql"> + <para> + Why MySQL? I'm interested in seeing Bugzilla run on + PostgreSQL/Sybase/Oracle/Msql/MSSQL. + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> MySQL was originally chosen because it is free, easy to install, and was available for the hardware Netscape intended to run it on. - </para> + </para> <para> There is currently work in progress to make Bugzilla work on - PostgreSQL and Sybase in the default distribution. You can track - the progress of these initiatives in <ulink - url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=98304">bug 98304</ulink> - and <ulink - url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=173130">bug 173130</ulink> - respectively. + PostgreSQL; track the progress of this initiative in <ulink + url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=98304">bug 98304</ulink>. + </para> + <para> + Sybase support is no longer being worked on. Even if it eventually + happens, it's VERY unlikely to work without the end-user-company + having to stick a few developers on making several manual changes. + Sybase is just NOT very standards-compliant (despite all the hype), + and it turned out that way too much had to be changed to make it + work -- like moving half of the application logic into stored + procedures to get any kind of decent performance out of it. + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=173130">Bug + 173130</ulink> is the relevant bug. </para> <para> - Once both of these are done, adding support for additional - database servers should be trivial. + Red Hat once ran a version of Bugzilla that worked on Oracle, + but that was long, long ago; that version (Bugzilla 2.8) is + now obsolete, insecure, and totally unsupported. Red Hat's + current Bugzilla (based on Bugzilla 2.17.1) uses PostgreSQL, + and work is being done to merge those changes into the main + distribution. (See above.) At this time we know of no recent + ports of Bugzilla to Oracle. (In our honest opinion, Bugzilla + doesn't need what Oracle offers.) </para> - </answer> + <para> + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=237862">Bug + 237862</ulink> is a good bug to read through if you'd like to see + what progress is being made on general database compatibility. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-general-bonsaitools"> - <para> - What is <filename>/usr/bonsaitools/bin/perl</filename>? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Bugzilla used to have the path to perl on the shebang line set to - <filename>/usr/bonsaitools/bin/perl</filename> because when + <question id="faq-general-bonsaitools"> + <para> + What is <filename>/usr/bonsaitools/bin/perl</filename>? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Bugzilla used to have the path to perl on the shebang line set + to <filename>/usr/bonsaitools/bin/perl</filename> because when Terry first started writing the code for mozilla.org he needed a version of Perl and other tools that were completely under his control. This location was abandoned for the 2.18 release in favor @@ -182,52 +221,89 @@ anything else, such as Bonsai, using it and you don't intend to reinstall an older version of Bugzilla). </para> - </answer> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> <question id="faq-general-perlpath"> <para> - My perl is not located at <filename>/usr/bin/perl</filename>, is - there an easy way to change it everywhere it needs to be changed? + My perl is located at <filename>/usr/local/bin/perl</filename> + and not <filename>/usr/bin/perl</filename>. Is there an easy + to change that in all the files that have this hard-coded? </para> </question> <answer> <para> - Yes, the following bit of perl magic will change all the shebang - lines. Be sure to change <filename>/usr/local/bin/perl</filename> - to your path to the perl binary. + The easiest way to get around this is to create a link from + one to the other: + <command>ln -s /usr/local/bin/perl /usr/bin/perl</command>. + If that's not an option for you, the following bit of perl + magic will change all the shebang lines (that is to say, + the line at the top of each file that starts with '#!' + and contains the path) to something else: </para> <programlisting> perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl </programlisting> + <para> + Sadly, this command-line won't work on Windows unless you + also have Cygwin. However, MySQL comes with a binary called + <command>replace</command> which can do the job: + </para> + <programlisting> +C:\mysql\bin\replace "#!/usr/bin/perl" "#!C:\perl\bin\perl" -- *.cgi *.pl + </programlisting> + <note> + <para> + If your perl path is something else again, just follow the + above examples and replace + <filename>/usr/local/bin/perl</filename> with your own perl path. + </para> + </note> + <para> + If using Apache on Windows, you can avoid the whole problem + by setting the <ulink + url="http://httpd.apache.org/docs-2.0/mod/core.html#scriptinterpretersource"> + ScriptInterpreterSource</ulink> directive to 'Registry'. + (If using Apache 2 or higher, set it to 'Registry-Strict'.) + ScriptInterperterSource requires a registry entry + <quote>HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.cgi\Shell\ExecCGI\Command</quote> to + associate .cgi files with your perl executable. If one does + not already exist, create it with a default value of + <quote><full path to perl> -T</quote>, e.g. + <quote>C:\Perl\bin\perl.exe -T</quote>. + </para> </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-general-cookie"> - <para> - Is there an easy way to change the Bugzilla cookie name? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - At present, no. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-general-cookie"> + <para> + Is there an easy way to change the Bugzilla cookie name? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + At present, no. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-mod-perl"> - <para> - Does bugzilla run under <filename>mod_perl</filename>? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - At present, no. This is being worked on. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-mod-perl"> + <para> + Does bugzilla run under <filename>mod_perl</filename>? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + At present, no. Work is slowly taking place to remove global + variables, use $cgi, and use DBI. These are all necessary for + mod_perl (as well as being good for other reasons). Visit + <ulink url="https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=87406"> + bug 87406</ulink> to view the discussion and progress. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> </qandadiv> @@ -236,115 +312,118 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl <title>Managerial Questions</title> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-client"> - <para> - Is Bugzilla web-based, or do you have to have specific software or - a specific operating system on your machine? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - It is web and e-mail based. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-phb-client"> + <para> + Is Bugzilla web-based, or do you have to have specific software or + a specific operating system on your machine? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + It is web and e-mail based. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-priorities"> - <para> - Does Bugzilla allow us to define our own priorities and levels? Do we - have complete freedom to change the labels of fields and format of them, and - the choice of acceptable values? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Yes. However, modifying some fields, notably those related to bug - progression states, also require adjusting the program logic to - compensate for the change. - </para> - <para> - There is no GUI for adding fields to Bugzilla at this - time. You can follow development of this feature in - <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=91037">bug 91037</ulink> - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-phb-priorities"> + <para> + Does Bugzilla allow us to define our own priorities and levels? + Do we have complete freedom to change the labels of fields and + format of them, and the choice of acceptable values? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Yes. However, modifying some fields, notably those related to bug + progression states, also require adjusting the program logic to + compensate for the change. + </para> + <para> + There is no GUI for adding fields to Bugzilla at this + time. You can follow development of this feature in + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=91037">bug 91037</ulink> + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-reporting"> - <para> - Does Bugzilla provide any reporting features, metrics, graphs, etc? You - know, the type of stuff that management likes to see. :) - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Yes. Look at <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/report.cgi"/> + <question id="faq-phb-reporting"> + <para> + Does Bugzilla provide any reporting features, metrics, graphs, + etc? You know, the type of stuff that management likes to see. :) + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Yes. Look at <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/report.cgi"/> for samples of what Bugzilla can do in reporting and graphing. - </para> - <para> + Fuller documentation is provided in <xref linkend="reporting"/>. + </para> + <para> If you can not get the reports you want from the included reporting scripts, it is possible to hook up a professional reporting package such as Crystal Reports using ODBC. If you choose to do this, beware that giving direct access to the database does contain some security implications. Even if you give read-only access to the bugs database it will bypass the secure bugs features of Bugzilla. - </para> - </answer> + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-email"> - <para> - Is there email notification and if so, what do you see when you get an - email? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Email notification is user-configurable. By default, the bug id and - summary of the bug report accompany each email notification, along with - a list of the changes made. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-phb-email"> + <para> + Is there email notification? If so, what do you see + when you get an email? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Email notification is user-configurable. By default, the bug id + and summary of the bug report accompany each email notification, + along with a list of the changes made. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-emailapp"> - <para> - Do users have to have any particular - type of email application? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Bugzilla email is sent in plain text, the most compatible mail format - on the planet. - <note> - <para> - If you decide to use the bugzilla_email integration features - to allow Bugzilla to record responses to mail with the associated bug, - you may need to caution your users to set their mailer to "respond - to messages in the format in which they were sent". For security reasons - Bugzilla ignores HTML tags in comments, and if a user sends HTML-based - email into Bugzilla the resulting comment looks downright awful. - </para> - </note> - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-phb-emailapp"> + <para> + Do users have to have any particular + type of email application? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Bugzilla email is sent in plain text, the most compatible + mail format on the planet. + <note> + <para> + If you decide to use the bugzilla_email integration features + to allow Bugzilla to record responses to mail with the + associated bug, you may need to caution your users to set + their mailer to <quote>respond to messages in the format in + which they were sent</quote>. For security reasons Bugzilla + ignores HTML tags in comments, and if a user sends HTML-based + email into Bugzilla the resulting comment looks downright awful. + </para> + </note> + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-data"> - <para> - Does Bugzilla allow data to be imported and exported? If I had outsiders - write up a bug report using a MS Word bug template, could that template be - imported into "matching" fields? If I wanted to take the results of a query - and export that data to MS Excel, could I do that? - </para> - </question> - <answer> + <question id="faq-phb-data"> + <para> + Does Bugzilla allow data to be imported and exported? If I had + outsiders write up a bug report using a MS Word bug template, + could that template be imported into <quote>matching</quote> + fields? If I wanted to take the results of a query and export + that data to MS Excel, could I do that? + </para> + </question> + <answer> <para> Bugzilla can output buglists as HTML (the default), CSV or RDF. The link for CSV can be found at the bottom of the buglist in HTML @@ -371,92 +450,189 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl but these scripts are not currently supported and included for educational purposes. </para> - </answer> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-l10n"> - <para> - Has anyone converted Bugzilla to another language to be used in other - countries? Is it localizable? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> + <question id="faq-phb-l10n"> + <para> + Has anyone converted Bugzilla to another language to be + used in other countries? Is it localizable? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> Yes. For more information including available translated templates, see <ulink url="http://www.bugzilla.org/download.html#localizations"/>. - The admin interfaces are still not included in these translated - templates and is therefore still English only. Also, there may be - issues with the charset not being declared. See <ulink + Some admin interfaces have been templatized (for easy localization) + but many of them are still available in English only. Also, there + may be issues with the charset not being declared. See <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=126266">bug 126226</ulink> for more information. - </para> - </answer> + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-reports"> - <para> - Can a user create and save reports? Can they do this in Word format? - Excel format? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Yes. No. Yes (using the CSV format). - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-phb-reports"> + <para> + Can a user create and save reports? + Can they do this in Word format? Excel format? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Yes. No. Yes (using the CSV format). + </para> + </answer> + </qandaentry> + + <qandaentry> + <question id="faq-phb-backup"> + <para> + Are there any backup features provided? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + MySQL, the database back-end for Bugzilla, allows hot-backup + of data. You can find strategies for dealing with backup + considerations at <ulink + url="http://www.mysql.com/doc/B/a/Backup.html"/>. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-midair"> - <para> - Does Bugzilla provide record locking when there is simultaneous access - to the same bug? Does the second person get a notice that the bug is in use - or how are they notified? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Bugzilla does not lock records. It provides mid-air collision detection, - and offers the offending user a choice of options to deal with the conflict. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-phb-maintenance"> + <para> + What type of human resources are needed to be on staff to install + and maintain Bugzilla? Specifically, what type of skills does the + person need to have? I need to find out what types of individuals + would we need to hire and how much would that cost if we were to + go with Bugzilla vs. buying an <quote>out-of-the-box</quote> + solution. + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + If Bugzilla is set up correctly from the start, continuing + maintenance needs are minimal and can be done easily using + the web interface. + </para> + <para> + Commercial Bug-tracking software typically costs somewhere + upwards of $20,000 or more for 5-10 floating licenses. Bugzilla + consultation is available from skilled members of the newsgroup. + Simple questions are answered there and then. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-backup"> - <para> - Are there any backup features provided? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - MySQL, the database back-end for Bugzilla, allows hot-backup of data. - You can find strategies for dealing with backup considerations - at <ulink url="http://www.mysql.com/doc/B/a/Backup.html"/>. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-phb-installtime"> + <para> + What time frame are we looking at if we decide to hire people + to install and maintain the Bugzilla? Is this something that + takes hours or days to install and a couple of hours per week + to maintain and customize, or is this a multi-week install process, + plus a full time job for 1 person, 2 people, etc? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + It all depends on your level of commitment. Someone with much + Bugzilla experience can get you up and running in less than a day, + and your Bugzilla install can run untended for years. If your + Bugzilla strategy is critical to your business workflow, hire + somebody to who has reasonable Perl skills, and a familiarity + with the operating system on which Bugzilla will be running, + and have them handle your process management, bug-tracking + maintenance, and local customization. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-livebackup"> - <para> - Can users be on the system while a backup is in progress? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Yes. However, commits to the database must wait - until the tables are unlocked. Bugzilla databases are typically - very small, and backups routinely take less than a minute. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-phb-cost"> + <para> + Is there any licensing fee or other fees for using Bugzilla? Any + out-of-pocket cost other than the bodies needed as identified above? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + No. Bugzilla, Perl, the Template Toolkit, and all other support + software needed to make Bugzilla work can be downloaded for free. + MySQL -- the database used by Bugzilla -- is also open-source, but + they ask that if you find their product valuable, you purchase a + support contract from them that suits your needs. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-cvsupdate"> + <question id="faq-phb-renameBugs"> + <para> + We don't like referring to problems as 'bugs'. Can we change that? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Yes! As of Bugzilla 2.18, it is a simple matter to change the + word 'bug' into whatever word/phrase is used by your organization. + See the documentation on Customization for more details, + specifically <xref linkend="template-specific"/>. + </para> + </answer> + </qandaentry> + + </qandadiv> + + <qandadiv id="faq-admin"> + <title>Administrative Questions</title> + + <qandaentry> + <question id="faq-admin-midair"> + <para> + Does Bugzilla provide record locking when there is simultaneous + access to the same bug? Does the second person get a notice + that the bug is in use or how are they notified? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Bugzilla does not lock records. It provides mid-air collision + detection -- which means that it warns a user when a commit is + about to conflict with commits recently made by another user, + and offers the second user a choice of options to deal with + the conflict. + </para> + </answer> + </qandaentry> + + <qandaentry> + <question id="faq-admin-livebackup"> + <para> + Can users be on the system while a backup is in progress? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Yes, but commits to the database must wait until the tables + are unlocked. Bugzilla databases are typically very small, + and backups routinely take less than a minute. If your database + is larger, you may want to look into alternate backup + techniques, such as database replication, or backing up from + a read-only mirror. (Read up on these in the MySQL docs + on the MySQL site.) + </para> + </answer> + </qandaentry> + + <qandaentry> + <question id="faq-admin-cvsupdate"> <para> How can I update the code and the database using CVS? </para> @@ -513,120 +689,93 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl <warning> <para> Once you run checksetup.pl, the only way to go back is - to restore the database backups. You can't "downgrade" - the system cleanly under most circumstances. + to restore the database backups. You can't + <quote>downgrade</quote> the system cleanly under most + circumstances. </para> </warning> </listitem> </orderedlist> </para> + <para> + See also the instructions in <xref linkend="upgrade-cvs"/>. + </para> </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-maintenance"> - <para> - What type of human resources are needed to be on staff to install and - maintain Bugzilla? Specifically, what type of skills does the person need to - have? I need to find out if we were to go with Bugzilla, what types of - individuals would we need to hire and how much would that cost vs buying an - "out-of-the-box" solution? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - If Bugzilla is set up correctly from the start, continuing maintenance - needs are minimal and can be done easily using the web interface. - </para> - <para> - Commercial Bug-tracking software typically costs somewhere upwards - of $20,000 or more for 5-10 floating licenses. Bugzilla consultation - is available from skilled members of the newsgroup. Simple questions - are answered there and then. - </para> - </answer> - </qandaentry> - - <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-installtime"> - <para> - What time frame are we looking at if we decide to hire people to install - and maintain the Bugzilla? Is this something that takes hours or weeks to - install and a couple of hours per week to maintain and customize or is this - a multi-week install process, plus a full time job for 1 person, 2 people, - etc? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - It all depends on your level of commitment. Someone with much Bugzilla - experience can get you up and running in less than a day, and - your Bugzilla install can run untended for years. If your - Bugzilla strategy is critical to your business workflow, hire somebody - with reasonable UNIX or Perl skills to handle your process management and - bug-tracking maintenance & customization. - </para> - </answer> - </qandaentry> - - <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-phb-cost"> - <para> - Is there any licensing fee or other fees for using Bugzilla? Any - out-of-pocket cost other than the bodies needed as identified above? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - No. MySQL asks, if you find their product valuable, that you purchase - a support contract from them that suits your needs. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-admin-enable-unconfirmed"> + <para> + How do I make it so that bugs can have an UNCONFIRMED status? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + To use the UNCONFIRMED status, you must have the 'usevotes' + parameter set to <quote>On</quote>. You must then visit the + <filename>editproducts.cgi</filename> page and set the <quote> + Number of votes a bug in this product needs to automatically + get out of the UNCONFIRMED state</quote> to be a non-zero number. + (You will have to do this for each product that wants to use + the UNCONFIRMED state.) If you do not actually want users to be + able to vote for bugs entered against this product, leave the + <quote>Maximum votes per person</quote> value at '0'. + </para> + <para> + There is work being done to decouple the UNCONFIRMED state from + the 'usevotes' parameter for future versions of Bugzilla. + Follow the discussion and progress at <ulink + url="https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=162060">bug + 162060</ulink>. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> - </qandadiv> <qandadiv id="faq-security"> <title>Bugzilla Security</title> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-security-mysql"> - <para> - How do I completely disable MySQL security if it's giving me problems - (I've followed the instructions in the installation section of this guide)? - </para> - </question> - <!-- Should we really even answer this question? --> - <answer> - <para> - Run MySQL like this: "mysqld --skip-grant-tables". Please remember <emphasis>this - makes MySQL as secure as taping a $100 to the floor of a football stadium - bathroom for safekeeping.</emphasis> - </para> - <warning> - <para>This can't be stressed enough. Doing this is a bad idea. - Please consult <xref linkend="security-mysql"/> of this guide and - the MySQL documentation for better solutions. - </para> - </warning> - </answer> + <question id="faq-security-mysql"> + <para> + How do I completely disable MySQL security if it's giving + me problems? (I've followed the instructions in the installation + section of this guide...) + </para> + </question> + <!-- Should we really even answer this question? --> + <answer> + <para> + Run MySQL like this: <command>mysqld --skip-grant-tables</command>. + Please remember that <emphasis>this makes MySQL as secure as + taping a $100 to the floor of a football stadium bathroom for + safekeeping.</emphasis> + </para> + <warning> + <para> + This can't be stressed enough. Doing this is a bad idea. + Please consult <xref linkend="security-mysql"/> of this guide + and the MySQL documentation for better solutions. + </para> + </warning> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-security-knownproblems"> - <para> - Are there any security problems with Bugzilla? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - The Bugzilla code has undergone a reasonably complete security audit, - and user-facing CGIs run under Perl's taint mode. However, - it is recommended that you closely examine permissions on your Bugzilla - installation, and follow the recommended security guidelines found - in The Bugzilla Guide. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-security-knownproblems"> + <para> + Are there any security problems with Bugzilla? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + The Bugzilla code has undergone a reasonably complete security + audit, and user-facing CGIs run under Perl's taint mode. However, + it is recommended that you closely examine permissions on your + Bugzilla installation, and follow the recommended security + guidelines found in The Bugzilla Guide. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> </qandadiv> @@ -634,111 +783,138 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl <title>Bugzilla Email</title> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-email-nomail"> - <para> - I have a user who doesn't want to receive any more email from Bugzilla. - How do I stop it entirely for this user? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - The user should be able to set - this in user email preferences (uncheck all boxes) or you can add - their email address to the <filename>data/nomail</filename> file. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-email-nomail"> + <para> + I have a user who doesn't want to receive any more email + from Bugzilla. How do I stop it entirely for this user? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + The user can stop Bugzilla from sending any mail by unchecking + all boxes on the 'Edit prefs' -> 'Email settings' page. + (As of 2.18,this is made easier by the addition of a 'Disable + All Mail' button.) Alternately, you can add their email address + to the <filename>data/nomail</filename> file (one email address + per line). This will override their personal preferences, and + they will never be sent mail again. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-email-testing"> - <para> - I'm evaluating/testing Bugzilla, and don't want it to send email to - anyone but me. How do I do it? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Edit the "newchangedmail" Param. Replace "To:" with "X-Real-To:", - replace "Cc:" with "X-Real-CC:", and add a "To: <youremailaddress>". - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-email-testing"> + <para> + I'm evaluating/testing Bugzilla, and don't want it to send email + to anyone but me. How do I do it? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + New to 2.18: Go into <filename>BugMail.pm</filename> + and set the '$enableSendMail' value to '0'. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-email-whine"> - <para> - I want whineatnews.pl to whine at something other than new and - reopened bugs. How do I do it? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Try Klaas Freitag's excellent patch for "whineatassigned" - functionality. You can find it in <ulink - url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=6679">bug 6679</ulink>. This - patch is against an older version of Bugzilla, so you must apply - the diffs manually. - <!-- TODO: Mention Joel's "Fine Whine" patch. --> - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-email-whine"> + <para> + I want whineatnews.pl to whine at something other than new and + reopened bugs. How do I do it? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + For older versions of Bugzilla, you may be able to apply + Klaas Freitag's patch for <quote>whineatassigned</quote>, + which can be found in + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=6679">bug + 6679</ulink>. Note that this patch was made in 2000, so it may take + some work to apply cleanly to any releases of Bugzilla newer than + that, but you can use it as a starting point. + </para> + + <para> + An updated (and much-expanded) version of this functionality is + due to be released as part of Bugzilla 2.20; see + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=6679">bug + 185090</ulink> for the discussion, and for more up-to-date patches + if you just can't wait. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-email-mailif"> - <para> - How do I set up the email interface to submit/change bugs via email? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - You can find an updated README.mailif file in the contrib/ directory - of your Bugzilla distribution that walks you through the setup. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-email-mailif"> + <para> + How do I set up the email interface to submit/change bugs via email? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + You can find an updated README.mailif file in the contrib/ directory + of your Bugzilla distribution that walks you through the setup. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-email-sendmailnow"> - <para> - Email takes FOREVER to reach me from Bugzilla -- it's extremely slow. - What gives? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - If you are using <application>sendmail</application>, try enabling - <option>sendmailnow</option> in <filename>editparams.cgi</filename>. - <!-- TODO provide more info about this, possibly a link to admin --> - </para> - <para> - If you are using an alternate <glossterm linkend="gloss-mta">MTA</glossterm>, - make sure the options given in <filename>Bugzilla/BugMail.pm</filename> - and any other place where <application>sendmail</application> is called from - are correct for your MTA. You should also ensure that the - <option>sendmailnow</option> param is set to <literal>on</literal>. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-email-sendmailnow"> + <para> + Email takes FOREVER to reach me from Bugzilla -- it's + extremely slow. What gives? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + If you are using <application>sendmail</application>, try + enabling <option>sendmailnow</option> in + <filename>editparams.cgi</filename>. For earlier versions of + <application>sendmail</application>, one could achieve + significant performance improvement in the UI (at the cost of + delaying the sending of mail) by setting this parameter to + <literal>off</literal>. Sites with + <application>sendmail</application> version 8.12 (or higher) + should leave this <literal>on</literal>, as they will not see + any performance benefit. + </para> + <para> + If you are using an alternate + <glossterm linkend="gloss-mta">MTA</glossterm>, make sure the + options given in <filename>Bugzilla/BugMail.pm</filename> + and any other place where <application>sendmail</application> + is called are correct for your MTA. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-email-nonreceived"> - <para> - How come email from Bugzilla changes never reaches me? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Double-check that you have not turned off email in your user preferences. - Confirm that Bugzilla is able to send email by visiting the "Log In" - link of your Bugzilla installation and clicking the "Email me a password" - button after entering your email address. - </para> - <para> - If you never receive mail from Bugzilla, chances are you do not have - sendmail in "/usr/lib/sendmail". Ensure sendmail lives in, or is symlinked - to, "/usr/lib/sendmail". - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-email-nonreceived"> + <para> + How come email from Bugzilla changes never reaches me? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Double-check that you have not turned off email in your user + preferences. Confirm that Bugzilla is able to send email by + visiting the <quote>Log In</quote> link of your Bugzilla + installation and clicking the <quote>Email me a password</quote> + button after entering your email address. + </para> + <para> + If you never receive mail from Bugzilla, chances are you do + not have sendmail in "/usr/lib/sendmail". Ensure sendmail + lives in, or is symlinked to, "/usr/lib/sendmail". + </para> + <para> + If you are using an MTA other than + <application>sendmail</application> the + <option>sendmailnow</option> param must be set to + <literal>on</literal> or no mail will be sent. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> </qandadiv> @@ -746,85 +922,77 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl <title>Bugzilla Database</title> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-db-oracle"> - <para> - I've heard Bugzilla can be used with Oracle? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Red Hat's old version of Bugzilla (based on 2.8) worked on Oracle, - but it is now so old as to be obsolete, and is totally unsupported. - Red Hat's newer version (based on 2.17.1 and soon to be merged into - the main distribution) runs on PostgreSQL. At this time we know of - no recent ports of Bugzilla to Oracle; to be honest, Bugzilla - doesn't need what Oracle offers. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-db-corrupted"> + <para> + I think my database might be corrupted, or contain + invalid entries. What do I do? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Run the <quote>sanity check</quote> utility + (<filename>sanitycheck.cgi</filename>) from your web browser + to see! If it finishes without errors, you're + <emphasis>probably</emphasis> OK. If it doesn't come back + OK (i.e. any red letters), there are certain things + Bugzilla can recover from and certain things it can't. If + it can't auto-recover, I hope you're familiar with + mysqladmin commands or have installed another way to + manage your database. Sanity Check, although it is a good + basic check on your database integrity, by no means is a + substitute for competent database administration and + avoiding deletion of data. It is not exhaustive, and was + created to do a basic check for the most common problems + in Bugzilla databases. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-db-corrupted"> - <para> - I think my database might be corrupted, or contain invalid entries. What - do I do? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Run the <quote>sanity check</quote> utility - (<filename>sanitycheck.cgi</filename>) from your web browser to see! - If it finishes without errors, you're - <emphasis>probably</emphasis> OK. If it doesn't come back - OK (i.e. any red letters), there are certain things - Bugzilla can recover from and certain things it can't. If - it can't auto-recover, I hope you're familiar with - mysqladmin commands or have installed another way to - manage your database. Sanity Check, although it is a good - basic check on your database integrity, by no means is a - substitute for competent database administration and - avoiding deletion of data. It is not exhaustive, and was - created to do a basic check for the most common problems - in Bugzilla databases. - </para> - </answer> - </qandaentry> + <question id="faq-db-manualedit"> + <para> + I want to manually edit some entries in my database. How? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + There is no facility in Bugzilla itself to do this. It's also + generally not a smart thing to do if you don't know exactly what + you're doing. If you understand SQL, though, you can use the + <command>mysql</command> command line utility to manually insert, + delete and modify table information. There are also more intuitive + GUI clients available. Personal favorites of the Bugzilla team + are <ulink url="http://www.phpmyadmin.net/">phpMyAdmin</ulink> + and <ulink url="http://www.mysql.com/products/mysqlcc/">MySQL + Control Center</ulink>. + </para> - <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-db-manualedit"> - <para> - I want to manually edit some entries in my database. How? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - There is no facility in Bugzilla itself to do this. It's also generally - not a smart thing to do if you don't know exactly what you're doing. - However, if you understand SQL you can use the <command>mysql</command> - command line utility to manually insert, delete and modify table - information. There are also more intuitive GUI clients available. - Personal favorites of the Bugzilla team are <ulink - url="http://www.phpmyadmin.net/">phpMyAdmin</ulink> and <ulink - url="http://www.mysql.com/downloads/gui-mycc.html">MySQL Control - Center</ulink>. - </para> - </answer> + <para> + Remember, backups are your friend. Everyone makes mistakes, and + it's nice to have a safety net in case you mess something up. + Consider using <command>mysqldump</command> to make a duplicate + of your database before altering it manually. + </para> + + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-db-permissions"> - <para> - I think I've set up MySQL permissions correctly, but Bugzilla still can't - connect. - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Try running MySQL from its binary: "mysqld --skip-grant-tables". This - will allow you to completely rule out grant tables as the cause of your - frustration. If this Bugzilla is able to connect at this point then - you need to check that you have granted proper permission to the user - password combo defined in <filename>localconfig</filename>. + <question id="faq-db-permissions"> + <para> + I think I've set up MySQL permissions correctly, but Bugzilla still + can't connect. + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Try running MySQL from its binary: + <command>mysqld --skip-grant-tables</command>. + This will allow you to completely rule out grant tables as the + cause of your frustration. If this Bugzilla is able to connect + at this point then you need to check that you have granted proper + permission to the user password combo defined in + <filename>localconfig</filename>. </para> <warning> <para> @@ -833,34 +1001,36 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl as a troubleshooting step. </para> </warning> - </answer> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-db-synchronize"> - <para> - How do I synchronize bug information among multiple different Bugzilla - databases? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Well, you can synchronize or you can move bugs. Synchronization will - only work one way -- you can create a read-only copy of the database - at one site, and have it regularly updated at intervals from the main - database. - </para> - <para> - MySQL has some synchronization features builtin to the latest releases. - It would be great if someone looked into the possibilities there - and provided a report to the newsgroup on how to effectively - synchronize two Bugzilla installations. - </para> - <para> - If you simply need to transfer bugs from one Bugzilla to another, - checkout the "move.pl" script in the Bugzilla distribution. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-db-synchronize"> + <para> + How do I synchronize bug information among multiple + different Bugzilla databases? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Well, you can synchronize or you can move bugs. + Synchronization will only work one way -- you can create + a read-only copy of the database at one site, and have it + regularly updated at intervals from the main database. + </para> + <para> + MySQL has some synchronization features builtin to the + latest releases. It would be great if someone looked into + the possibilities there and provided a report to the + newsgroup on how to effectively synchronize two Bugzilla + installations. + </para> + <para> + If you simply need to transfer bugs from one Bugzilla to another, + checkout the <quote>move.pl</quote> script in the Bugzilla + distribution. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> </qandadiv> @@ -868,108 +1038,126 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl <title>Bugzilla and Win32</title> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-nt-easiest"> - <para> - What is the easiest way to run Bugzilla on Win32 (Win98+/NT/2K)? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Remove Windows. Install Linux. Install Bugzilla. - The boss will never know the difference. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-nt-easiest"> + <para> + What is the easiest way to run Bugzilla on Win32 (Win98+/NT/2K)? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Remove Windows. Install Linux. Install Bugzilla. + The boss will never know the difference. B^) + </para> + <para> + Seriously though, making Bugzilla work easily with Windows + was one of the major goals of the 2.18 milestone. If the + necessary components are in place (perl, a webserver, an MTA, etc.) + then installation of Bugzilla on a Windows box should be no more + difficult than on any other platform. As with any installation, + we recommend that you carefully and completely follow the + installation instructions in <xref linkend="os-win32"/>. + </para> + <para> + While doing so, don't forget to check out the very excellent guide + to <ulink url="http://www.bugzilla.org/docs/win32install.html"> + Installing Bugzilla on Microsoft Windows</ulink> written by + Byron Jones. Thanks, Byron! + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-nt-bundle"> - <para> - Is there a "Bundle::Bugzilla" equivalent for Win32? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Not currently. Bundle::Bugzilla enormously simplifies Bugzilla - installation on UNIX systems. If someone can volunteer to - create a suitable PPM bundle for Win32, it would be appreciated. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-nt-bundle"> + <para> + Is there a "Bundle::Bugzilla" equivalent for Win32? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Not currently. Bundle::Bugzilla enormously simplifies Bugzilla + installation on UNIX systems. If someone can volunteer to + create a suitable PPM bundle for Win32, it would be appreciated. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-nt-mappings"> - <para> - CGI's are failing with a "something.cgi is not a valid Windows NT - application" error. Why? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Depending on what Web server you are using, you will have to configure - the Web server to treat *.cgi files as CGI scripts. In IIS, you do this by - adding *.cgi to the App Mappings with the <path>\perl.exe %s %s as the - executable. - </para> - <para> - Microsoft has some advice on this matter, as well: - <blockquote> - <para> - "Set application mappings. In the ISM, map the extension for the script - file(s) to the executable for the script interpreter. For example, you might - map the extension .py to Python.exe, the executable for the Python script - interpreter. Note For the ActiveState Perl script interpreter, the extension - .pl is associated with PerlIS.dll by default. If you want to change the - association of .pl to perl.exe, you need to change the application mapping. - In the mapping, you must add two percent (%) characters to the end of the - pathname for perl.exe, as shown in this example: c:\perl\bin\perl.exe %s %s" - </para> - </blockquote> - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-nt-mappings"> + <para> + CGI's are failing with a <quote>something.cgi is not a valid + Windows NT application</quote> error. Why? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Depending on what Web server you are using, you will have to + configure the Web server to treat *.cgi files as CGI scripts. + In IIS, you do this by adding *.cgi to the App Mappings with + the <path>\perl.exe %s %s as the executable. + </para> + <para> + Microsoft has some advice on this matter, as well: + <blockquote> + <para> + <quote>Set application mappings. In the ISM, map the extension + for the script file(s) to the executable for the script + interpreter. For example, you might map the extension .py to + Python.exe, the executable for the Python script interpreter. + Note For the ActiveState Perl script interpreter, the extension + '.pl' is associated with PerlIS.dll by default. If you want + to change the association of .pl to perl.exe, you need to + change the application mapping. In the mapping, you must add + two percent (%) characters to the end of the pathname for + perl.exe, as shown in this example: + <command>c:\perl\bin\perl.exe %s %s</command></quote> + </para> + </blockquote> + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-nt-dbi"> - <para> - I'm having trouble with the perl modules for NT not being able to talk to - to the database. - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Your modules may be outdated or inaccurate. Try: - <orderedlist> - <listitem> - <para> - Hitting http://www.activestate.com/ActivePerl - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Download ActivePerl - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Go to your prompt - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Type 'ppm' - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - <prompt>PPM></prompt> <command>install DBI DBD-mysql GD</command> - </para> - </listitem> - </orderedlist> - I reckon TimeDate and Data::Dumper come with the activeperl. You can check - the ActiveState site for packages for installation through PPM. - <ulink url="http://www.activestate.com/Packages/"/>. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-nt-dbi"> + <para> + I'm having trouble with the perl modules for NT not being + able to talk to the database. + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Your modules may be outdated or inaccurate. Try: + <orderedlist> + <listitem> + <para> + Hitting http://www.activestate.com/ActivePerl + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Download ActivePerl + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Go to your prompt + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Type 'ppm' + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + <prompt>PPM></prompt> <command>install DBI DBD-mysql GD</command> + </para> + </listitem> + </orderedlist> + I reckon TimeDate and Data::Dumper come with the activeperl. + You can check the ActiveState site for packages for installation + through PPM. <ulink url="http://www.activestate.com/Packages/"/>. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> </qandadiv> @@ -978,108 +1166,166 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl <title>Bugzilla Usage</title> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-use-changeaddress"> - <para> - How do I change my user name (email address) in Bugzilla? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - New in 2.16 - go to the Account section of the Preferences. You will - be emailed at both addresses for confirmation. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-use-changeaddress"> + <para> + How do I change my user name (email address) in Bugzilla? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + New in 2.16 - go to the Account section of the Preferences. You + will be emailed at both addresses for confirmation. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-use-query"> - <para> - The query page is very confusing. Isn't there a simpler way to query? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - The interface was simplified by a UI designer for 2.16. Further - suggestions for improvement are welcome, but we won't sacrifice power for - simplicity. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-use-query"> + <para> + The query page is very confusing. + Isn't there a simpler way to query? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + The interface was simplified by a UI designer for 2.16. Further + suggestions for improvement are welcome, but we won't sacrifice + power for simplicity. + </para> + <para> + As of 2.18, there is also a 'simpler' search available. At the top + of the search page are two links; <quote>Advanced Search</quote> + will take you to the familiar full-power/full-complexity search + page. The <quote>Find a Specific Bug</quote> link will take you + to a much-simplified page where you can pick a product and + status (open,closed, or both), then enter words that appear in + the bug you want to find. This search will scour the 'Summary' + and 'Comment' fields, and return a list of bugs sorted so that + the bugs with the most hits/matches are nearer to the top. + </para> + <note> + <para> + Matches in the Summary will 'trump' matches in comments, + and bugs with summary-matches will be placed higher in + the buglist -- even if a lower-ranked bug has more matches + in the comments section. + </para> + </note> + <para> + Bugzilla uses a cookie to remember which version of the page + you visited last, and brings that page up when you next do a + search. The default page for new users (or after an upgrade) + is the 'simple' search. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-use-accept"> - <para> - I'm confused by the behavior of the "accept" button in the Show Bug form. - Why doesn't it assign the bug to me when I accept it? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - The current behavior is acceptable to bugzilla.mozilla.org and most - users. You have your choice of patches to change this behavior, however. - <simplelist> - <member><ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/showattachment.cgi?attach_id=8029"> - Add a "and accept bug" radio button</ulink></member> - <member><ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/showattachment.cgi?attach_id=8153"> - "Accept" button automatically assigns to you</ulink></member> - </simplelist> - Note that these patches are somewhat dated. You will need to apply - them manually. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-use-accept"> + <para> + I'm confused by the behavior of the <quote>Accept</quote> + button in the Show Bug form. Why doesn't it assign the bug + to me when I accept it? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + The current behavior is acceptable to bugzilla.mozilla.org and + most users. If you want to change this behavior, though, you + have your choice of patches: + <simplelist> + <member> + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug?id=35195">Bug 35195</ulink> + seeks to add an <quote>...and accept the bug</quote> checkbox + to the UI. It has two patches attached to it: + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/showattachment.cgi?attach_id=8029">attachment 8029</ulink> + was originally created for Bugzilla 2.12, while + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/showattachment.cgi?attach_id=91372">attachment 91372</ulink> + is an updated version for Bugzilla 2.16 + </member> + <member> + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug?id=37613">Bug + 37613</ulink> also provides two patches (against Bugzilla + 2.12): one to add a 'Take Bug' option, and the other to + automatically reassign the bug on 'Accept'. + </member> + </simplelist> + These patches are all somewhat dated now, and cannot be applied + directly, but they are simple enough to provide a guide on how + Bugzilla can be customized and updated to suit your needs. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-use-attachment"> - <para> - I can't upload anything into the database via the "Create Attachment" - link. What am I doing wrong? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - The most likely cause is a very old browser or a browser that is - incompatible with file upload via POST. Download the latest Netscape, - Microsoft, or Mozilla browser to handle uploads correctly. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-use-attachment"> + <para> + I can't upload anything into the database via the + <quote>Create Attachment</quote> link. What am I doing wrong? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + The most likely cause is a very old browser or a browser that is + incompatible with file upload via POST. Download the latest version + of your favourite browser to handle uploads correctly. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-use-keyword"> - <para> - How do I change a keyword in Bugzilla, once some bugs are using it? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - In the Bugzilla administrator UI, edit the keyword and it will let you - replace the old keyword name with a new one. This will cause a problem - with the keyword cache. Run sanitycheck.cgi to fix it. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-use-keyword"> + <para> + How do I change a keyword in Bugzilla, once some bugs are using it? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + In the Bugzilla administrator UI, edit the keyword and + it will let you replace the old keyword name with a new one. + This will cause a problem with the keyword cache; run + <command>sanitycheck.cgi</command> to fix it. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-use-close"> - <para> - Why can't I close bugs from the "Change Several Bugs at Once" page? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - The logic flow currently used is RESOLVED, then VERIFIED, then CLOSED. - You <emphasis>can</emphasis> mass-CLOSE bugs from the change several - bugs at once page. <emphasis>but</emphasis>, every bug listed on the - page has to be in VERIFIED state before the control to do it will show - up on the form. You can also mass-VERIFY, but every bug listed has to be - RESOLVED in order for the control to show up on the form. The logic - behind this is that if you pick one of the bugs that's not VERIFIED and - try to CLOSE it, the bug change will fail miserably (thus killing any - changes in the list after it while doing the bulk change) so it doesn't - even give you the choice. - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-use-close"> + <para> + Why can't I close bugs from the <quote>Change Several Bugs + at Once</quote> page? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Simple answer; you can. + </para> + + <para> + The logic behind the page checks every bug in the list to + determine legal state changes, and then only shows you controls + to do things that could apply to <emphasis>every</emphasis> bug + on the list. The reason for this is that if you try to do something + illegal to a bug, the whole process will grind to a halt, and all + changes after the failed one will <emphasis>also</emphasis> fail. + Since that isn't a good outcome, the page doesn't even present + you with the option. + </para> + + <para> + In practical terms, that means that in order to mark + multiple bugs as CLOSED, then every bug on the page has to be + either RESOLVED or VERIFIED already; if this is not the case, + then the option to close the bugs will not appear on the page. + </para> + + <para> + The rationale is that if you pick one of the bugs that's not + VERIFIED and try to CLOSE it, the bug change will fail + miserably (thus killing any changes in the list after it + while doing the bulk change) so it doesn'teven give you the choice. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> @@ -1090,15 +1336,15 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl <qandaentry> <question id="faq-hacking-templatestyle"> - <para> - What kind of style should I use for templatization? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Gerv and Myk suggest a 2-space indent, with embedded code sections on - their own line, in line with outer tags. Like this:</para> - <programlisting><![CDATA[ + <para> + What kind of style should I use for templatization? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Gerv and Myk suggest a 2-space indent, with embedded code sections on + their own line, in line with outer tags. Like this:</para> + <programlisting><![CDATA[ <fred> [% IF foo %] <bar> @@ -1113,111 +1359,119 @@ perl -pi -e 's@#\!/usr/bin/perl@#\!/usr/local/bin/perl@' *cgi *pl </fred> ]]></programlisting> - <para> Myk also recommends you turn on PRE_CHOMP in the template - initialization to prevent bloating of HTML with unnecessary whitespace. - </para> + <para> Myk also recommends you turn on PRE_CHOMP in the template + initialization to prevent bloating of HTML with unnecessary whitespace. + </para> - <para>Please note that many have differing opinions on this subject, - and the existing templates in Bugzilla espouse both this and a 4-space - style. Either is acceptable; the above is preferred.</para> - </answer> + <para>Please note that many have differing opinions on this subject, + and the existing templates in Bugzilla espouse both this and a 4-space + style. Either is acceptable; the above is preferred.</para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-hacking-bugzillabugs"> - <para> - What bugs are in Bugzilla right now? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - Try <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&product=Bugzilla"> - this link</ulink> to view current bugs or requests for - enhancement for Bugzilla. - </para> - <para> - You can view bugs marked for &bz-nextver; release - <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?product=Bugzilla&target_milestone=Bugzilla+&bz-nextver;">here</ulink>. - This list includes bugs for the &bz-nextver; release that have already - been fixed and checked into CVS. Please consult the - <ulink url="http://www.bugzilla.org/"> - Bugzilla Project Page</ulink> for details on how to - check current sources out of CVS so you can have these - bug fixes early! - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-hacking-bugzillabugs"> + <para> + What bugs are in Bugzilla right now? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + Try <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&product=Bugzilla"> + this link</ulink> to view current bugs or requests for + enhancement for Bugzilla. + </para> + <para> + You can view bugs marked for &bz-nextver; release + <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?product=Bugzilla&target_milestone=Bugzilla+&bz-nextver;">here</ulink>. + This list includes bugs for the &bz-nextver; release that have already + been fixed and checked into CVS. Please consult the + <ulink url="http://www.bugzilla.org/"> + Bugzilla Project Page</ulink> for details on how to + check current sources out of CVS so you can have these + bug fixes early! + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-hacking-priority"> - <para> - How can I change the default priority to a null value? For instance, have the default - priority be "---" instead of "P2"? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <para> - This is well-documented in <ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=49862"> - bug 49862</ulink>. Ultimately, it's as easy as adding the "---" priority field to your - localconfig file in the appropriate area, re-running checksetup.pl, and then changing the - default priority in your browser using "editparams.cgi". - </para> - </answer> + <question id="faq-hacking-priority"> + <para> + How can I change the default priority to a null value? + For instance, have the default priority be <quote>---</quote> + instead of <quote>P2</quote>? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <para> + This is well-documented in <ulink + url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=49862">bug + 49862</ulink>. Ultimately, it's as easy as adding the + <quote>---</quote> priority field to your localconfig file + in the appropriate area, re-running checksetup.pl, and then + changing the default priority in your browser using + <command>editparams.cgi</command>. + </para> + </answer> </qandaentry> <qandaentry> - <question id="faq-hacking-patches"> - <para> - What's the best way to submit patches? What guidelines should I follow? - </para> - </question> - <answer> - <blockquote> - <orderedlist> - <listitem> - <para> - Enter a bug into bugzilla.mozilla.org for the <quote><ulink + <question id="faq-hacking-patches"> + <para> + What's the best way to submit patches? What guidelines + should I follow? + </para> + </question> + <answer> + <blockquote> + <orderedlist> + <listitem> + <para> + Enter a bug into bugzilla.mozilla.org for the <quote><ulink url="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=Bugzilla">Bugzilla</ulink></quote> product. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Upload your patch as a unified diff (having used "diff -u" against - the <emphasis>current sources</emphasis> checked out of CVS), - or new source file by clicking - "Create a new attachment" link on the bug page you've just created, and - include any descriptions of database changes you may make, into the bug - ID you submitted in step #1. Be sure and click the "Patch" checkbox - to indicate the text you are sending is a patch! - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Announce your patch and the associated URL - (http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=XXXXXX) for discussion in - the newsgroup (netscape.public.mozilla.webtools). You'll get a really - good, fairly immediate reaction to the implications of your patch, - which will also give us an idea how well-received the change would - be. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - If it passes muster with minimal modification, the person to whom - the bug is assigned in Bugzilla is responsible for seeing the patch - is checked into CVS. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Bask in the glory of the fact that you helped write the most successful - open-source bug-tracking software on the planet :) - </para> - </listitem> - </orderedlist> - </blockquote> - </answer> + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Upload your patch as a unified diff (having used <quote>diff + -u</quote> against the <emphasis>current sources</emphasis> + checked out of CVS), or new source file by clicking + <quote>Create a new attachment</quote> link on the bug + page you've just created, and include any descriptions of + database changes you may make, into the bug ID you submitted + in step #1. Be sure and click the <quote>Patch</quote> checkbox + to indicate the text you are sending is a patch! + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Announce your patch and the associated URL + (http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=XXXXXX) + for discussion in the newsgroup + (netscape.public.mozilla.webtools). You'll get a + really good, fairly immediate reaction to the + implications of your patch, which will also give us + an idea how well-received the change would be. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + If it passes muster with minimal modification, the + person to whom the bug is assigned in Bugzilla is + responsible for seeing the patch is checked into CVS. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Bask in the glory of the fact that you helped write + the most successful open-source bug-tracking software + on the planet :) + </para> + </listitem> + </orderedlist> + </blockquote> + </answer> </qandaentry> |