From ce0bcb51292273121588daed6316c8200006bd4f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "gerv%gerv.net" <> Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 11:47:12 +0000 Subject: General updates. I'm working through the entire guide, tidying it up. --- docs/en/xml/Bugzilla-Guide.xml | 14 +- docs/en/xml/about.xml | 237 ++++--- docs/en/xml/using.xml | 1374 +++++++++++++++++++++++----------------- 3 files changed, 961 insertions(+), 664 deletions(-) (limited to 'docs') diff --git a/docs/en/xml/Bugzilla-Guide.xml b/docs/en/xml/Bugzilla-Guide.xml index e639ae75f..bd0b3a4a1 100644 --- a/docs/en/xml/Bugzilla-Guide.xml +++ b/docs/en/xml/Bugzilla-Guide.xml @@ -20,13 +20,13 @@ - - - - - - -barnboy@trilobyte.net"> + + + + + + +Bugzilla"> diff --git a/docs/en/xml/about.xml b/docs/en/xml/about.xml index b594ce163..62e486573 100644 --- a/docs/en/xml/about.xml +++ b/docs/en/xml/about.xml @@ -1,29 +1,61 @@ + ] > --> About This Guide +
+ Purpose and Scope of this Guide + + Bugzilla is simply the best piece of bug-tracking software the + world has ever seen. This document is intended to be the + comprehensive guide to the installation, administration, + maintenance, and use of the Bugzilla bug-tracking system. + + + This release of the Bugzilla Guide is the + &bzg-ver; release. It is so named that it + may match the current version of Bugzilla. The numbering + tradition stems from that used for many free software projects, + in which even-numbered point releases (1.2, + 1.14, etc.) are considered "stable releases", intended for + public consumption; on the other hand, + odd-numbered point releases (1.3, 2.09, + etc.) are considered unstable development + releases intended for advanced users, systems administrators, + developers, and those who enjoy a lot of pain. + + + Newer revisions of the Bugzilla Guide follow the numbering + conventions of the main-tree Bugzilla releases, available at + &bz;. Intermediate releases will have + a minor revision number following a period. The current version + of Bugzilla, as of this writing (&bzg-date;) is &bz-ver;; if + something were seriously wrong with that edition of the Guide, + subsequent releases would receive an additional dotted-decimal + digit to indicate the update (&bzg-ver;.1, &bzg-ver;.2, etc.). + Got it? Good. + +
+ @@ -31,28 +63,44 @@ Disclaimer No liability for the contents of this document can be accepted. - Follow the instructions herein at your own risk. - This document may contain errors - and inaccuracies that may damage your system, cause your partner - to leave you, your boss to fire you, your cats to - pee on your furniture and clothing, and global thermonuclear - war. Proceed with caution. + Use the concepts, examples, and other content at your own risk. + As this is a new edition of this document, there may be errors + and inaccuracies that may damage your system. Use of this + document may cause your girlfriend to leave you, your cats to + pee on your furniture and clothing, your computer to cease + functioning, your boss to fire you, and global thermonuclear + war. Proceed with caution. + + + All copyrights are held by their respective owners, unless + specifically noted otherwise. Use of a term in this document + should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any + trademark or service mark. Naming of particular products or brands should not be seen as - endorsements, with the exception of the term "GNU/Linux". We - wholeheartedly endorse the use of GNU/Linux; it is an extremely - versatile, stable, + endorsements, with the exception of the term "GNU/Linux". We + wholeheartedly endorse the use of GNU/Linux in every situation + where it is appropriate. It is an extremely versatile, stable, and robust operating system that offers an ideal operating environment for Bugzilla. + + You are strongly recommended to make a backup of your system + before installing Bugzilla and at regular intervals thereafter. + If you implement any suggestion in this Guide, implement this one! + Although the Bugzilla development team has taken great care to - ensure that all exploitable bugs have been fixed, security holes surely - exist in any piece of code. Great care should be taken both in - the installation and usage of this software. The Bugzilla development - team members assume no liability for your use of Bugzilla. You have - the source code, and are responsible for auditing it yourself to ensure + ensure that all easily-exploitable bugs or options are + documented or fixed in the code, security holes surely exist. + Great care should be taken both in the installation and usage of + this software. Carefully consider the implications of installing + other network services with Bugzilla. The Bugzilla development + team members, Netscape Communications, America Online Inc., and + any affiliated developers or sponsors assume no liability for + your use of this product. You have the source code to this + product, and are responsible for auditing it yourself to insure your security needs are met. @@ -62,46 +110,33 @@
New Versions - This is the &bz-ver; version of The Bugzilla Guide. It is so named - to match the current version of Bugzilla. - - - - The latest version of this guide can always be found at , or checked out via CVS by - following the Mozilla - CVS instructions and check out the - mozilla/webtools/bugzilla/docs/ - subtree. However, you should read the version - which came with the Bugzilla release you are using. - - - The Bugzilla Guide, or a section of it, is also available in - the following languages: - German. - - - - In addition, there are Bugzilla template localisation projects in - the following languages. They may have translated documentation - available: - Belarusian, - Brazilian Portuguese, - Chinese, - French, - German, - Korean, - Russian and - Spanish. - - - - If you would like to volunteer to translate the Guide into additional - languages, please contact - Dave Miller. + This is the &bzg-ver; version of The Bugzilla Guide. If you are + reading this from any source other than those below, please + check one of these mirrors to make sure you are reading an + up-to-date version of the Guide. + + + This document can be found in the following places: + + + + + + bugzilla.org + + + + + The Linux + Documentation Project + + + + + + The latest version of this document can be checked out via CVS. + Please follow the instructions available at the Mozilla CVS page, and check out the mozilla/webtools/bugzilla/docs/ branch.
@@ -109,38 +144,58 @@ Credits The people listed below have made enormous contributions to the - creation of this Guide, through their writing, dedicated hacking efforts, + creation of this Guide, through their dedicated hacking efforts, numerous e-mail and IRC support sessions, and overall excellent contribution to the Bugzilla community: + + Matthew P. Barnson + for pulling together the Bugzilla Guide and shepherding it to 2.14. + + + Terry Weissman + for initially writing Bugzilla and creating the + README upon which the UNIX installation documentation is largely based. + + + Tara + Hernandez for keeping Bugzilla development going + strong after Terry left Mozilla.org + + + Dave Lawrence for + providing insight into the key differences between Red Hat's + customized Bugzilla, and being largely responsible for the "Red + Hat Bugzilla" appendix + + + Dawn Endico for + being a hacker extraordinaire and putting up with my incessant + questions and arguments on irc.mozilla.org in #mozwebtools + + + Last but not least, all the members of the netscape.public.mozilla.webtools newsgroup. Without your discussions, insight, suggestions, and patches, this could never have happened. + + + Thanks also go to the following people for significant contributions + to this documentation (in no particular order): + + + Zach Liption, Andrew Pearson, Spencer Smith, Eric Hanson, Kevin Brannen, + Ron Teitelbaum, Jacob Steenhagen, Joe Robins. + + +
+ Translations - - Matthew P. Barnson - Kevin Brannen - Dawn Endico - Ben FrantzDale - Eric Hanson - Tara Hernandez - Dave Lawrence - Zach Lipton - Gervase Markham - Andrew Pearson - Joe Robins - Spencer Smith - Jacob Steenhagen - Ron Teitelbaum - Terry Weissman - Martin Wulffeld - . - - - - Also, thanks are due to the members of the - - netscape.public.mozilla.webtools - newsgroup. Without your discussions, insight, suggestions, and patches, - this could never have happened. + The Bugzilla Guide needs translators! Please volunteer your + translation into the language of your choice. If you will + translate this Guide, please notify the members of the + mozilla-webtools mailing list at + mozilla-webtools@mozilla.org, and arrange with + &bzg-auth; to check it into CVS.
@@ -163,7 +218,7 @@ sgml-local-ecat-files:nil sgml-minimize-attributes:nil sgml-namecase-general:t sgml-omittag:t -sgml-parent-document:("Bugzilla-Guide.xml" "book" "chapter") +sgml-parent-document:("Bugzilla-Guide.sgml" "book" "chapter") sgml-shorttag:t sgml-tag-region-if-active:t End: --> diff --git a/docs/en/xml/using.xml b/docs/en/xml/using.xml index b447ef9c0..6cb301d61 100644 --- a/docs/en/xml/using.xml +++ b/docs/en/xml/using.xml @@ -1,4 +1,5 @@ + + - Using Bugzilla +Using Bugzilla + + + What, Why, How, & Where? + +
What is Bugzilla? - - Bugzilla is one example of a class of programs called "Defect - Tracking Systems", or, more commonly, "Bug-Tracking Systems". Defect - Tracking Systems allow individual or groups of developers to keep track - of outstanding bugs in their product effectively. Bugzilla was originally - written by Terry Weissman in a programming language called "TCL", to - replace a crappy bug-tracking database used internally by Netscape - Communications. Terry later ported Bugzilla to Perl from TCL, and in Perl - it remains to this day. Most commercial defect-tracking software vendors - at the time charged enormous licensing fees, and Bugzilla quickly became - a favorite of the open-source crowd (with its genesis in the open-source - browser project, Mozilla). It is now the de-facto standard - defect-tracking system against which all others are measured. - - Bugzilla has matured immensely, and now boasts many advanced - features. These include: - - - Powerful searching - - - - User-configurable email notifications of bug changes - - - - Full change history - - - - Inter-bug dependency tracking and graphing - - - - Excellent attachment management - - - - Integrated, product-based, granular security schema - - - - Fully security-audited, and runs under Perl's taint mode - - - - A robust, stable RDBMS back-end - - - - Web, XML, email and console interfaces - - - - Completely customisable and/or localisable web user - interface - - - - Extensive configurability - - - - Smooth upgrade pathway between versions - - + + Bugzilla is one example of a class of programs called "Defect +Tracking Systems", or, more commonly, "Bug-Tracking Systems". Defect +Tracking Systems allow individual or groups of developers to keep +track of outstanding bugs in their product effectively. Bugzilla was +originally written by Terry Weissman in a programming language called +"TCL", to replace a crappy bug-tracking database used internally by +Netscape Communications. Terry later ported Bugzilla to Perl from +TCL, and in Perl it remains to this day. Most commercial +defect-tracking software vendors at the time charged enormous +licensing fees, and Bugzilla quickly became a favorite of the +open-source crowd (with its genesis in the open-source browser +project, Mozilla). It is now the de-facto standard defect-tracking +system against which all others are measured. + + + Bugzilla has matured immensely, and now boasts many advanced features. These include: + + + + integrated, product-based granular security schema + + + + + inter-bug dependencies and dependency graphing + + + + + advanced reporting capabilities + + + + + a robust, stable RDBMS back-end + + + + + extensive configurability + + + + + a very well-understood and well-thought-out natural bug resolution protocol + + + + + email, XML, console, and web interfaces + + + + + available integration with automated software + configuration management systems, including Perforce and + CVS (through the Bugzilla email interface and + checkin/checkout scripts) + + + + + too many more features to list + + +
- +
Why Should We Use Bugzilla? - - For many years, defect-tracking software has remained principally - the domain of large software development houses. Even then, most shops - never bothered with bug-tracking software, and instead simply relied on - shared lists and email to monitor the status of defects. This procedure - is error-prone and tends to cause those bugs judged least significant by - developers to be dropped or ignored. - - These days, many companies are finding that integrated - defect-tracking systems reduce downtime, increase productivity, and raise - customer satisfaction with their systems. Along with full disclosure, an - open bug-tracker allows manufacturers to keep in touch with their clients - and resellers, to communicate about problems effectively throughout the - data management chain. Many corporations have also discovered that - defect-tracking helps reduce costs by providing IT support - accountability, telephone support knowledge bases, and a common, - well-understood system for accounting for unusual system or software - issues. - - But why should - you - - use Bugzilla? - - Bugzilla is very adaptable to various situations. Known uses - currently include IT support queues, Systems Administration deployment - management, chip design and development problem tracking (both - pre-and-post fabrication), and software and hardware bug tracking for - luminaries such as Redhat, Loki software, Linux-Mandrake, and VA Systems. - Combined with systems such as CVS, Bonsai, or Perforce SCM, Bugzilla - provides a powerful, easy-to-use solution to configuration management and - replication problems - - Bugzilla can dramatically increase the productivity and - accountability of individual employees by providing a documented workflow - and positive feedback for good performance. How many times do you wake up - in the morning, remembering that you were supposed to do - something - - today, but you just can't quite remember? Put it in Bugzilla, and you - have a record of it from which you can extrapolate milestones, predict - product versions for integration, and by using Bugzilla's e-mail - integration features be able to follow the discussion trail that led to - critical decisions. - - Ultimately, Bugzilla puts the power in your hands to improve your - value to your employer or business while providing a usable framework for - your natural attention to detail and knowledge store to flourish. + + + No, Who's on first... + + + + For many years, defect-tracking software has remained + principally the domain of large software development houses. + Even then, most shops never bothered with bug-tracking software, + and instead simply relied on shared lists and email to monitor + the status of defects. This procedure is error-prone and tends + to cause those bugs judged least significant by developers to be + dropped or ignored. + + + These days, many companies are finding that integrated + defect-tracking systems reduce downtime, increase productivity, + and raise customer satisfaction with their systems. Along with + full disclosure, an open bug-tracker allows manufacturers to + keep in touch with their clients and resellers, to communicate + about problems effectively throughout the data management chain. + Many corporations have also discovered that defect-tracking + helps reduce costs by providing IT support accountability, + telephone support knowledge bases, and a common, well-understood + system for accounting for unusual system or software issues. + + + But why should you use Bugzilla? + + + Bugzilla is very adaptable to various situations. Known uses + currently include IT support queues, Systems Administration + deployment management, chip design and development problem + tracking (both pre-and-post fabrication), and software and + hardware bug tracking for luminaries such as Redhat, Loki + software, Linux-Mandrake, and VA Systems. Combined with systems + such as CVS, Bonsai, or Perforce SCM, Bugzilla provides a + powerful, easy-to-use solution to configuration management and + replication problems + + + Bugzilla can dramatically increase the productivity and + accountability of individual employees by providing a documented + workflow and positive feedback for good performance. How many + times do you wake up in the morning, remembering that you were + supposed to do something today, but you + just can't quite remember? Put it in Bugzilla, and you have a + record of it from which you can extrapolate milestones, predict + product versions for integration, and by using Bugzilla's e-mail + integration features be able to follow the discussion trail that + led to critical decisions. + + + Ultimately, Bugzilla puts the power in your hands to improve + your value to your employer or business while providing a usable + framework for your natural attention to detail and knowledge + store to flourish. +
- +
How do I use Bugzilla? - - This section contains information for end-users of Bugzilla. If you - are administering a Bugzilla installation, please consult the Installing - and Administering Bugzilla portions of this Guide. - - There is a Bugzilla test installation, called - Landfill - - , which you are welcome to play with. However, it does not necessarily - have all Bugzilla features enabled, and often runs cutting-edge versions - of Bugzilla for testing, so some things may work slightly differently - than mentioned here. - + + + Hey! I'm Woody! Howdy, Howdy, Howdy! + + + + + Bugzilla is a large, complex system. Describing how to use it + requires some time. If you are only interested in installing or + administering a Bugzilla installation, please consult the + Installing and Administering Bugzilla portions of this Guide. + This section is principally aimed towards developing end-user + mastery of Bugzilla, so you may fully enjoy the benefits + afforded by using this reliable open-source bug-tracking + software. + + + Throughout this portion of the Guide, we will refer to user + account options available at the Bugzilla test installation, + + landfill.tequilarista.org. + Although Landfill serves as a great introduction to + Bugzilla, it does not offer all the options you would have as a + user on your own installation of Bugzilla, nor can it do more + than serve as a general introduction to Bugzilla. Additionally, + Landfill often runs cutting-edge versions of Bugzilla for + testing, so some things may work slightly differently than + mentioned here. + +
Create a Bugzilla Account - - If you want to use Bugzilla, first you need to create an account. - Consult with the administrator responsible for your installation of - Bugzilla for the URL you should use to access it. If you're - test-driving Bugzilla, use this URL: - - http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/ + + If you want to use Bugzilla, first you + need to create an account. Consult with the administrator + responsible for your installation of Bugzilla for the URL you + should use to access it. If you're test-driving the end-user + Bugzilla experience, use this URL: http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/ - - - Click the - Open a new Bugzilla account - - link, enter your email address and, optionally, your name in the - spaces provided, then click - Create Account - - . - - - - Within moments, you should receive an email to the address - you provided above, which contains your login name (generally the - same as the email address), and a password you can use to access - your account. This password is randomly generated, and can be - changed to something more memorable. - - - - Click the - Log In - - link in the yellow area at the bottom of the page in your browser, - enter your email address and password into the spaces provided, and - click - Login - - . - + + + Click the "Open a new Bugzilla account" link. + + + + + Enter your "E-mail address" and "Real Name" (or whatever + name you want to call yourself) in the spaces provided, + then select the "Create Account" button. + + + + + Within moments, you should receive an email to the address + you provided above, which contains your login name + (generally the same as the email address), and a password + you can use to access your account. This password is + randomly generated, and should be changed at your nearest + opportunity (we'll go into how to do it later). + + + + + Click the Log In link in the yellow area at + the bottom of the page in your browser, then enter your + E-mail address and Password + you just received into the spaces provided, and select + Login. + + + If you ever forget your password, you can come back to + this page, enter your E-mail address, + then select the E-mail me a password + button to have your password mailed to you again so + that you can login. + + + + - - You are now logged in. Bugzilla uses cookies for authentication, - so (unless your IP address changes) you should not have to log in - again. + + Congratulations! If you followed these directions, you now + are the proud owner of a user account on + landfill.tequilarista.org (Landfill) or your local Bugzilla + install. You should now see in your browser a page called the + Bugzilla Query Page. It may look daunting, but with this + Guide to walk you through it, you will master it in no time. +
- -
- Anatomy of a Bug - - The core of Bugzilla is the screen which displays a particular - bug. It's a good place to explain some Bugzilla concepts. - - Bug 1 on Landfill - - is a good example. Note that the names of most fields are hyperlinks; - clicking them will take you to context-sensitive help on that - particular field. - + +
+ The Bugzilla Query Page + + The Bugzilla Query Page is the heart and soul of the Bugzilla + user experience. It is the master interface where you can + find any bug report, comment, or patch currently in the + Bugzilla system. We'll go into how to create your own bug + report later on. + + + At this point, let's visit the query page. + + landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/query.cgi + + + The first thing you need to notice about the Bugzilla Query + Page is that nearly every box you see on your screen has a + hyperlink nearby, explaining what it is or what it does. Near + the upper-left-hand corner of your browser window you should + see the word Status underlined. Select it. + + + Notice the page that popped up? Every underlined word you see + on your screen is a hyperlink that will take you to + context-sensitive help. Click around for a while, and learn + what everything here does. To return to the query interface + after pulling up a help page, use the Back + button in your browser. + + + I'm sure that after checking out the online help, you are now + an expert on the Bugzilla Query Page. If, however, you feel + you haven't mastered it yet, let me walk you through making a + few successful queries to find out what there are in the + Bugzilla bug-tracking system itself. + - - - Product and Component - - : Bugs are divided up by Product and Component, with a Product - having one or more Components in it. For example, - bugzilla.mozilla.org's "Bugzilla" Product is composed of several - Components: - - - Administration: - - Administration of a Bugzilla installation. - - - Bugzilla-General: - - Anything that doesn't fit in the other components, or spans - multiple components. - - - Creating/Changing Bugs: - - Creating, changing, and viewing bugs. - - - Documentation: - - The Bugzilla documentation, including The Bugzilla Guide. - - - Email: - - Anything to do with email sent by Bugzilla. - - - Installation: - - The installation process of Bugzilla. - - - Query/Buglist: - - Anything to do with searching for bugs and viewing the - buglists. - - - Reporting/Charting: - - Getting reports from Bugzilla. - - - User Accounts: - - Anything about managing a user account from the user's perspective. - Saved queries, creating accounts, changing passwords, logging in, - etc. - - - User Interface: - - General issues having to do with the user interface cosmetics (not - functionality) including cosmetic issues, HTML templates, - etc. - - - - - - - Status and Resolution: - - A bug passes through several Statuses in its lifetime, and ends up - in the RESOLVED status, with one of a set of Resolutions (e.g. - FIXED, INVALID.) The different possible values for Status and - Resolution on your installation will be documented in the - context-sensitive help for those items. - - - - - Assigned To: - - The person responsible for fixing the bug. - - - - - URL: - - A URL associated with the bug, if any. - - - - - Summary: - - A one-sentence summary of the problem. - - - - - Status Whiteboard: - - (a.k.a. Whiteboard) A free-form text area for adding short notes - and tags to a bug. - - - - - Keywords: - - The administrator can define keywords which you can use to tag and - categorise bugs - e.g. The Mozilla Project has keywords like crash - and regression. - - - - - Platform and OS: - - These indicate the computing environment where the bug was - found. - - - - - Version: - - The "Version" field is usually used for versions of a product which - have been released, and is set to indicate which versions of a - Component have the particular problem the bug report is - about. - - - - - Priority: - - The bug assignee uses this field to prioritise his or her bugs. - It's a good idea not to change this on other people's bugs. - - - - - Severity: - - This indicates how severe the problem is - from blocker - ("application unusable") to trivial ("minor cosmetic issue"). You - can also use this field to indicate whether a bug is an enhancement - request. - - - - - Target: - - (a.k.a. Target Milestone) A future version by which the bug is to - be fixed. e.g. The Bugzilla Project's milestones for future - Bugzilla versions are 2.18, 2.20, 3.0, etc. Milestones are not - restricted to numbers, thought - you can use any text strings, such - as dates. - - - - - Reporter: - - The person who filed the bug. - - - - - CC list: - - A list of people who get mail when the bug changes. - - - - - Attachments: - - You can attach files (e.g. testcases or patches) to bugs. If there - are any attachments, they are listed in this section. - - - - - Dependencies: - - If this bug cannot be fixed unless other bugs are fixed (depends - on), or this bug stops other bugs being fixed (blocks), their - numbers are recorded here. - - - - - Votes: - - Whether this bug has any votes. - - - - - Additional Comments: - - You can add your two cents to the bug discussion here, if you have - something worthwhile to say. - + + + Ensure you are back on the Bugzilla Query + Page. Do nothing in the boxes marked "Status", + "Resolution", "Platform", "OpSys", "Priority", or + "Severity". The default query for "Status" is to find all + bugs that are NEW, ASSIGNED, or REOPENED, which is what we + want. If you don't select anything in the other 5 + scrollboxes there, then you are saying that "any of these + are OK"; we're not locking ourselves into only finding + bugs on the "DEC" Platform, or "Windows 95" OpSys + (Operating System). You're smart, I think you have it + figured out. + + + Basically, selecting anything on the + query page narrows your search down. Leaving stuff + unselected, or text boxes unfilled, broadens your search. + + + + + + You see the box immediately below the top six boxes that + contains an "Email" text box, with the words "matching + as", a drop-down selection box, then some checkboxes with + "Assigned To" checked by default? This allows you to + filter your search down based upon email address. Let's + put my email address in there, and see what happens. + + + Type "barnboy@trilobyte.net" in the top Email text box. + + + + + + Let's narrow the search some more. Scroll down until you + find the box with the word "Program" over the top of it. + This is where we can narrow our search down to only + specific products (software programs or product lines) in + our Bugzilla database. Please notice the box is a + scrollbox. Using the down arrow on + the scrollbox, scroll down until you can see an entry + called "Bugzilla". Select this entry. + + + + + Did you notice that some of the boxes to the right changed + when you selected "Bugzilla"? Every Program (or Product) + has different Versions, Components, and Target Milestones + associated with it. A "Version" is the number of a + software program. + + Some Famous Software Versions + + + Do you remember the hype in 1995 when Microsoft + Windows 95(r) was released? It may have been several + years ago, but Microsoft(tm) spent over $300 Million + advertising this new Version of their software. + Three years later, they released Microsoft Windows + 98(r), another new version, to great fanfare, and + then in 2000 quietly released Microsoft Windows + ME(Millenium Edition)(r). + + + Software "Versions" help a manufacturer + differentiate their current product from their + previous products. Most do not identify their + products by the year they were released. Instead, + the "original" version of their software will often + be numbered "1.0", with small bug-fix releases on + subsequent tenths of a digit. In most cases, it's + not a decimal number; for instance, often 1.9 is an + older version of the software + than 1.11, but is a newer + version than 1.1.1. + + + In general, a "Version" in Bugzilla should refer to + released products, not products + that have not yet been released to the public. + Forthcoming products are what the Target Milestone + field is for. + + + + + + A "Component" is a piece of a Product. + It may be a standalone program, or some other logical + division of a Product or Program. + Normally, a Component has a single Owner, who is responsible + for overseeing efforts to improve that Component. + + Mozilla's Bugzilla Components + + + Mozilla's "Bugzilla" Product is composed of several pieces (Components): + + Administration, + Administration of a bugzilla installation, including + editcomponents.cgi, + editgroups.cgi, + editkeywords.cgi, + editparams.cgi, + editproducts.cgi, + editusers.cgi, + editversions.cgi, and + sanitycheck.cgi. + + Bugzilla-General, + Anything that doesn't fit in the other components, or spans + multiple components. + + Creating/Changing Bugs, + Creating, changing, and viewing bugs. + enter_bug.cgi, + post_bug.cgi, + show_bug.cgi and + process_bug.cgi. + + Documentation, + The bugzilla documentation, including anything in the + docs/ directory and The Bugzilla Guide + (This document :) + + Email, + Anything to do with email sent by Bugzilla. + processmail + + Installation, + The installation process of Bugzilla. This includes + checksetup.pl and whatever else it evolves into. + + Query/Buglist, + Anything to do with searching for bugs and viewing the buglists. + query.cgi and + buglist.cgi + + Reporting/Charting, + Getting reports from Bugzilla. + reports.cgi and + duplicates.cgi + + User Accounts, + Anything about managing a user account from the user's perspective. + userprefs.cgi, saved queries, creating accounts, + changing passwords, logging in, etc. + + User Interface, + General issues having to do with the user interface cosmetics (not + functionality) including cosmetic issues, HTML templates, etc. + + + + + + + + A "Milestone", or "Target Milestone" is a often a planned + future "Version" of a product. In many cases, though, + Milestones simply represent significant dates for a + developer. Having certain features in your Product is + frequently tied to revenue (money) the developer will + receive if the features work by the time she reaches the + Target Milestone. Target Milestones are a great tool to + organize your time. If someone will pay you $100,000 for + incorporating certain features by a certain date, those + features by that Milestone date become a very high + priority. Milestones tend to be highly malleable + creatures, though, that appear to be in reach but are out + of reach by the time the important day arrives. + + + The Bugzilla Project has set up Milestones for future + Bugzilla versions 2.14, 2.16, 2.18, 3.0, etc. However, a + Target Milestone can just as easily be a specific date, + code name, or weird alphanumeric combination, like "M19". + + + + + + OK, now let's select the "Bugzilla" component from its scrollbox. + + + + + Skip down the page a bit -- do you see the "submit query" button? + Select it, and let's run + this query! + + + + + Congratulations! You've completed your first Query, and + have before you the Bug List of the author of this Guide, + Matthew P. Barnson (barnboy@trilobyte.net). If I'm doing + well, you'll have a cryptic "Zarro Boogs Found" message on + your screen. It is just a happy hacker's way of saying + "Zero Bugs Found". However, I am fairly certain I will + always have some bugs assigned to me that aren't done yet, + so you won't often see that message! + + -
- -
- Searching for Bugs - - The Bugzilla Search page is is the interface where you can find - any bug report, comment, or patch currently in the Bugzilla system. You - can play with it here: - - landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/query.cgi - - . - - The Search page has controls for selecting different possible - values for all of the fields in a bug, as described above. Once you've - defined a search, you can either run it, or save it as a Remembered - Query, which can optionally appear in the footer of your pages. - - Highly advanced querying is done using Boolean Charts, which have - their own - - context-sensitive help - - . -
- -
- Bug Lists - - If you run a search, a list of matching bugs will be returned. - The default search is to return all open bugs on the system - don't try - running this search on a Bugzilla installation with a lot of - bugs! - - The format of the list is configurable. For example, it can be - sorted by clicking the column headings. Other useful features can be - accessed using the links at the bottom of the list: - - - Long Format: - - this gives you a large page with a non-editable summary of the fields - of each bug. - - - Change Columns: - - change the bug attributes which appear in the list. - - - Change several bugs at once: - - If your account is sufficiently empowered, you can make the same - change to all the bugs in the list - for example, changing their - owner. - - - Send mail to bug owners: - - Sends mail to the owners of all bugs on the list. - - - Edit this query: - - If you didn't get exactly the results you were looking for, you can - return to the Query page through this link and make small revisions - to the query you just made so you get more accurate results. - + + I encourage you to click the bug numbers in the left-hand + column and examine my bugs. Also notice that if you click the + underlined links near the top of this page, they do not take + you to context-sensitive help here, but instead sort the + columns of bugs on the screen! When you need to sort your bugs + by priority, severity, or the people they are assigned to, + this is a tremendous timesaver. + + A couple more interesting things about the Bug List page: + + Change Columns: by selecting + this link, you can show all kinds of information in the + Bug List + Change several bugs at once: If + you have sufficient rights to change all the bugs shown in + the Bug List, you can mass-modify them. This is a big + time-saver. + Send mail to bug owners: If you + have many related bugs, you can request an update from + every person who owns the bugs in the Bug List asking them + the status. + Edit this query: If you didn't + get exactly the results you were looking for, you can + return to the Query page through this link and make small + revisions to the query you just made so you get more + accurate results. + + + + + There are many more options to the Bugzilla Query Page and + the Bug List than I have shown you. But this should be + enough for you to learn to get around. I encourage you to + check out the Bugzilla Home Page to learn about the Anatomy and Life Cycle of a Bug before continuing. + +
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- Filing Bugs - - Years of bug writing experience has been distilled for your - reading pleasure into the - - Bug Writing Guidelines - - . While some of the advice is Mozilla-specific, the basic principles of - reporting Reproducible, Specific bugs, isolating the Product you are - using, the Version of the Product, the Component which failed, the - Hardware Platform, and Operating System you were using at the time of - the failure go a long way toward ensuring accurate, responsible fixes - for the bug that bit you. - - The procedure for filing a test bug is as follows: - - - - Go to - - Landfill - - in your browser and click - - Enter a new bug report - - . - - - - Select a product - any one will do. - - - - Fill in the fields. Bugzilla should have made reasonable - guesses, based upon your browser, for the "Platform" and "OS" - drop-down boxes. If they are wrong, change them. - - - - Select "Commit" and send in your bug report. - - + Creating and Managing Bug Reports + + And all this time, I thought we were taking bugs out... + + +
+ Writing a Great Bug Report + + Before we plunge into writing your first bug report, I + encourage you to read some bug-writing guidelines. If you + are reading this document as part of a Bugzilla CVS checkout + or un-tarred Bugzilla distribution, you should be able to + read them by clicking here. If you are reading this online, check out the Mozilla.org bug-writing guidelines at http://www.mozilla.org/quality/bug-writing-guidelines.html. While some of the advice is Mozilla-specific, the basic principles of reporting Reproducible, Specific bugs, isolating the Product you are using, the Version of the Product, the Component which failed, the Hardware Platform, and Operating System you were using at the time of the failure go a long way toward ensuring accurate, responsible fixes for the bug that bit you. + + + While you are at it, why not learn how to find previously + reported bugs? Mozilla.org has published a great tutorial + on finding duplicate bugs, available at http://www.mozilla.org/quality/help/beginning-duplicate-finding.html. + + + I realize this was a lot to read. However, understanding + the mentality of writing great bug reports will help us on + the next part! + + + + + Go back to http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/ in your browser. + + + + + Select the Enter a new bug report link. + + + + + Select a product. + + + + + Now you should be at the "Enter Bug" form. The + "reporter" should have been automatically filled out for + you (or else Bugzilla prompted you to Log In again -- + you did keep the email with your username and password, + didn't you?). + + + + + Select a Component in the scrollbox. + + + + + Bugzilla should have made reasonable guesses, based upon + your browser, for the "Platform" and "OS" drop-down + boxes. If those are wrong, change them -- if you're on + an SGI box running IRIX, we want to know! + + + + + Fill in the "Assigned To" box with the email address you + provided earlier. This way you don't end up sending + copies of your bug to lots of other people, since it's + just a test bug. + + + + + Leave the "CC" text box blank. Fill in the "URL" box + with "http://www.mozilla.org". + + + + + Enter "The Bugzilla Guide" in the Summary text box, and + place any comments you have on this tutorial, or the + Guide in general, into the Description box. + + + + + Voila! Select "Commit" and send in your bug report! Next + we'll look at resolving bugs. + +
+ +
+ Managing your Bug Reports + + OK, you should have a link to the bug you just created near + the top of your page. It should say "Bug XXXX posted", with + a link to the right saying "Back to BUG# XXXX". Select this + link. + + + + + Scroll down a bit on the subsequent page, until you see + the "Resolve bug, changing resolution to (dropdown box). + Normally, you would "Accept bug (change status to + ASSIGNED)", fix it, and then resolve. But in this case, + we're going to short-circuit the process because this + wasn't a real bug. Change the dropdown next to "Resolve + Bug" to "INVALID", make sure the radio button is marked + next to "Resolve Bug", then click "Commit". + + + + + Hey! It said it couldn't take the change in a big red + box! That's right, you must specify a Comment in order + to make this change. Select the "Back" button in your + browser, add a Comment, then try Resolving the bug with + INVALID status again. This time it should work. + + + + + You have now learned the basics of Bugzilla navigation, + entering a bug, and bug maintenance. I encourage you to + explore these features, and see what you can do with them! + We'll spend no more time on individual Bugs or Queries from + this point on, so you are on your own there. + + + But I'll give a few last hints! + + + There is a CLUE on the Query page that will teach you more how to use the form. + + + If you click the hyperlink on the Component box of the Query page, you will be presented a form that will describe what all the components are. + + + Possibly the most powerful feature of the Query page is the + Boolean Chart section. It's a bit confusing to use the first time, but can provide unparalleled flexibility in your queries, allowing you to build extremely powerful requests. + + + Finally, you can build some nifty Reports using the "Bug Reports" link near the bottom of the query page, and also available via the "Reports" link at the footer of each page. + +
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- User Preferences - - You can customise various aspects of Bugzilla, via the "Edit prefs" - link in the page footer, once you have logged in, e.g. to - - Landfill - - . The preferences are split into four tabs. - + Where can I find my user preferences? + + + Indiana, it feels like we walking on fortune cookies! + + + These ain't fortune cookies, kid... + + + + Customized User Preferences offer tremendous versatility to your + individual Bugzilla experience. Let's plunge into what you can + do! The first step is to click the "Edit prefs" link at the + footer of each page once you have logged in to Landfill. +
Account Settings - - On this tab, you can change your basic Account Settings, - including your password, email address and real name. For security - reasons, in order to change anything on this page you must type your - current - - password into the - Password - - field. If you attempt to change your email address, a confirmation - email is sent to both the old and new addresses, with a link to use to - confirm the change. This helps to prevent account hijacking. + + On this page, you can change your basic Account Settings, + including your password and full name. For security reasons, + in order to change anything on this page you must type your + current password into the Old + Password field. If you wish to change your + password, type the new password you want into the New + Password field and again into the Re-enter + new password field to ensure you typed your new + password correctly. Select the Submit button + and you are done. +
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Email Settings - - On this tab you can reduce or increase the amount of email sent - you from Bugzilla, opting in our out depending on your relationship to - the bug and the change that was made to it. (Note that you can also do - client-side filtering using the X-Bugzilla-Reason header which Bugzilla - adds to all bugmail.) - - By entering user email names, delineated by commas, into the - "Users to watch" text entry box you can receive a copy of all the - bugmail of other users (security settings permitting.) This powerful - functionality enables seamless transitions as developers change - projects, managers wish to get in touch with the issues faced by their - direct reports, or users go on vacation. - - - This option may not be available in all Bugzilla installations. - Ask your administrator. - +
+ Email Notification + + Here you can reduce or increase the amount of email sent you + from Bugzilla. Although this is referred to as + Advanced Email Filtering Options, they are, + in fact, the standard email filter set. All of them are + self-explanatory, but you can use the filters in interesting + ways. For instance, some people (notably Quality Assurance + personnel) often only care to receive updates regarding a + bug when the bug changes state, so they can track bugs on + their flow charts and know when it is time to pull the bug + onto a quality assurance platform for inspection. Other + people set up email gateways to + or , and + restrict which types of Bugzilla information are fed to + these systems.. + +
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+ New Email Technology + + + This option may not be available in all Bugzilla + installations, depending upon the preferences of the + systems administrator responsible for the setup of your + Bugzilla. However, if you really want this functionality, + ask her to "enable newemailtech in Params" and "make it + the default for all new users", referring her to the + Administration section of this Guide. + + + + Disregard the warnings about "experimental and bleeding + edge"; the code to handle email in a cleaner manner than + that historically used for Bugzilla is quite robust and + well-tested now. + + + I recommend you enable the option, "Click here to sign up + (and risk any bugs)". Your email-box will thank you for it. + The fundamental shift in "newemailtech" is away from + standard UNIX "diff" output, which is quite ugly, to a + prettier, better laid-out email. + +
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+ "Watching" Users + + + This option may not be available in all Bugzilla + installations, depending upon the preferences of the + systems administrator responsible for the setup of your + Bugzilla. However, if you really want this functionality, + ask her to "enable watchers in Params". + + + + By entering user email names into the "Users to watch" text + entry box, delineated by commas, you can watch bugs of other + users. This powerful functionality enables seamless + transitions as developers change projects, managers wish to + get in touch with the issues faced by their direct reports, + or users go on vacation. If any of these three situations + apply to you, you will undoubtedly find this feature quite + convenient. + +
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Page Footer - - By default, this page is quite barren. However, if you explore - the Search page some more, you will find that you can store numerous - queries on the server, so if you regularly run a particular query it is - just a drop-down menu away. Once you have a stored query, you can come - here to request that it also be displayed in your page footer. + + + By default, this page is quite barren. However, go explore + the Query Page some more; you will find that you can store + numerous queries on the server, so if you regularly run a + particular query it is just a drop-down menu away. On this + page of Preferences, if you have many stored queries you can + elect to have them always one-click away! + + + + If you have many stored queries on the server, here you will + find individual drop-downs for each stored query. Each + drop-down gives you the option of that query appearing on the + footer of every page in Bugzilla! This gives you powerful + one-click access to any complex searches you may set up, and + is an excellent way to impress your boss... + + + By default, the "My Bugs" link appears at the bottom of + each page. However, this query gives you both the bugs you + have reported, as well as those you are assigned. One of + the most common uses for this page is to remove the "My + Bugs" link, replacing it with two other queries, commonly + called "My Bug Reports" and "My Bugs" (but only referencing + bugs assigned to you). This allows you to distinguish those + bugs you have reported from those you are assigned. I + commonly set up complex Boolean queries in the Query page + and link them to my footer in this page. When they are + significantly complex, a one-click reference can save hours + of work. +
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Permissions - - This is a purely informative page which outlines your current - permissions on this installation of Bugzilla - what product groups you - are in, and whether you can edit bugs or perform various administration - functions. + + This is a purely informative page which outlines your current + permissions on this installation of Bugzilla. If you have + permissions to grant certain permissions to other users, the + "other users" link appears on this page as well as the footer. + For more information regarding user administration, please + consult the Administration section of this Guide. +
+ +
+ Using Bugzilla-Conclusion + + Thank you for reading through this portion of the Bugzilla + Guide. I anticipate it may not yet meet the needs of all + readers. If you have additional comments or corrections to + make, please submit your contributions to the mozilla-webtools mailing list/newsgroup. The mailing list is mirrored to the netscape.public.mozilla.webtools newsgroup, and the newsgroup is mirrored to mozilla-webtools@mozilla.org + +
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