1 $gControlHtml = <<HTML_END
2 <!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
5 <title>$gProject $gBug system - control mail server commands</title>
6 <link rev="made" href="mailto:$gMaintainerEmail">
10 <h1>Introduction to the $gBug control and manipulation mailserver</h1>
12 <p>In addition to the mailserver on <code>request\@$gEmailDomain</code>
13 which allows the retrieval of $gBug data and documentation by email,
14 there is another server on <code>control\@$gEmailDomain</code> which
15 also allows $gBug reports to be manipulated in various ways.</p>
17 <p>The control server works just like the request server, except that it
18 has some additional commands; in fact, it's the same program. The two
19 addresses are only separated to avoid users making mistakes and
20 causing problems while merely trying to request information.</p>
23 <a href="server-request.html#introduction">introduction to the request
24 server</a> available on the World Wide Web, in the file
25 <code>bug-log-mailserver.txt</code>, or by sending
26 <code>help</code> to either mailserver, for details of the basics of
27 operating the mailservers and the common commands available when
28 mailing either address.</p>
30 <p>The <a href="server-refcard.html">reference card</a> for the
31 mailservers is available via the WWW, in
32 <code>bug-mailserver-refcard.txt</code> or by email using the
33 <code>refcard</code> command.</p>
35 <h1>Commands available at the control mailserver</h1>
39 <dt><code>reassign</code> <var>bugnumber</var> <var>package</var>
41 <dd>Records that $gBug #<var>${gBug}number</var> is a $gBug in <var>package</var>.
42 This can be used to set the package if the user forgot the
43 pseudo-header, or to change an earlier assignment. No notifications
44 are sent to anyone (other than the usual information in the processing
47 <dt><code>reopen</code> <var>bugnumber</var>
48 [ <var>originator-address</var> | <code>=</code> | <code>!</code> ]
50 <dd>Reopens #<var>bugnumber</var> if it is closed.
52 <p>By default, or if you specify <code>=</code>, the original submitter is
53 still as the originator of the report, so that they will get the ack
54 when it is closed again.
56 <p>If you supply an <var>originator-address</var> the originator will be
57 set to the address you supply. If you wish to become the new
58 originator of the reopened report you can use the <code>!</code>
59 shorthand or specify your own email address.
61 <p>It is usually a good idea to tell the person who is about to be
62 recorded as the originator that you're reopening the report, so that
63 they will know to expect the ack which they'll get when it is closed
66 <p>If the $gBug is not closed then reopen won't do anything, not even
67 change the originator. There is no way to change the originator of an
68 open $gBug report (this is deliberate, so that you can't have a $gBug be
69 closed and then deleted $gRemoveAge days later without someone being told about
72 <dt><code>forwarded</code> <var>bugnumber</var> <var>address</var>
74 <dd>Notes that <var>bugnumber</var> has been forwarded to the upstream
75 maintainer at <var>address</var>. This does not actually forward the
76 report. This can be used to change an existing incorrect forwarded-to
77 address, or to record a new one for a $gBug that wasn't previously noted
78 as having been forwarded.
80 <dt><code>notforwarded</code> <var>bugnumber</var>
82 <dd>Forgets any idea that <var>bugnumber</var> has been forwarded to any
83 upstream maintainer. If the $gBug was not recorded as having been
84 forwarded then this will do nothing.
86 <dt><code>retitle</code> <var>bugnumber</var> <var>new-title</var>
88 <dd>Changes the title of a $gBug report to that specified (the default is
89 the <code>Subject</code> mail header from the original report).
91 <p>Unlike most of the other $gBug-manipulation commands when used on one of
92 a set of merged reports this will change the title of only the
93 individual $gBug requested, and not all those with which it is merged.
95 <dt><code>severity</code> <var>bugnumber</var> <var>severity</var>
97 <dd>Set the severity level for $gBug report #<var>bugnumber</var> to
98 <var>severity</var>. No notification is sent to the user who reported
101 <p>For <a href="Developer.html#severities">their meanings</a> please
102 consult the general developers' documentation for the $gBug system.
104 <dt><code>clone</code> <var>bugnumber</var> [ <var>new IDs</var> ]
106 <dd>The clone control command allows you to duplicate a $gBug report. It is
107 useful in the case where a single report actually indicates that multiple
108 distinct $gBugs have occurred. "<var>New IDs</var>" are negative numbers,
109 separated by spaces, which may be used in subsequent control commands to
110 refer to the newly duplicated $gBugs. A new report is generated for each
113 <p>Example usage:</p>
118 retitle -1 foo: foo sucks
120 retitle -2 bar: bar sucks when used with foo
124 retitle -2 foo: foo sucks
128 <dt><code>merge</code> <var>bugnumber</var> <var>bugnumber</var> ...
130 <dd>Merges two or more $gBug reports. When reports are merged opening,
131 closing, marking or unmarking as forwarded and reassigning any of the
132 $gBugs to a new package will have an identical effect on all of the
135 <p>Before $gBugs can be merged they must be in exactly the same state:
136 either all open or all closed, with the same forwarded-to upstream
137 author address or all not marked as forwarded, all assigned to the
138 same package or package(s) (an exact string comparison is done on the
139 package to which the $gBug is assigned), and all of the same severity.
140 If they don't start out in the same state you should use
141 <code>reassign</code>, <code>reopen</code> and so forth to make sure
142 that they are before using <code>merge</code>.
144 <p>If any of the $gBugs listed in a <code>merge</code> command is already
145 merged with another $gBug then all the reports merged with any of the
146 ones listed will all be merged together. Merger is like equality: it
147 is reflexive, transitive and symmetric.
149 <p>Merging reports causes a note to appear on each report's logs; on the
150 WWW pages this includes links to the other $gBugs.
152 <p>Merged reports are all expired simultaneously, and only when all of
153 the reports each separately meet the criteria for expiry.
155 <dt><code>unmerge</code> <var>bugnumber</var>
157 <dd>Disconnects a $gBug report from any other reports with which it may have
158 been merged. If the report listed is merged with several others then
159 they are all left merged with each other; only their associations with
160 the $gBug explicitly named are removed.
162 <p>If many $gBug reports are merged and you wish to split them into two
163 separate groups of merged reports you must unmerge each report in one
164 of the new groups separately and then merge them into the required new
167 <p>You can only unmerge one report with each <code>unmerge</code>
168 command; if you want to disconnect more than one $gBug simply include
169 several <code>unmerge</code> commands in your message.
171 <dt><code>tags</code> <var>bugnumber</var> [ <code>+</code> | <code>-</code> | <code>=</code> ] <var>tag</var>
173 <dd>Sets a particular tag for the $gBug report #<var>bugnumber</var> to
174 <var>tag</var>. No notification is sent to the user who reported the $gBug.
175 <code>+</code> means adding, <code>-</code> means subtracting, and
176 <code>=</code> means ignoring the current tags and setting them afresh.
177 The default action is adding.
179 <p>Available tags currently include <code>patch</code>, <code>wontfix</code>,
180 <code>moreinfo</code>, <code>unreproducible</code>, <code>help</code>,
181 <code>pending</code>, <code>fixed</code>, <code>security</code>,
182 <code>upstream</code>, <code>potato</code>, <code>woody</code>,
184 <code>sid</code> and <code>experimental</code>.
186 <p>For <a href="Developer.html#tags">their meanings</a> please consult the
187 general developers' documentation for the $gBug system.
189 <dt><code>close</code> <var>bugnumber</var>
191 <dd>Close $gBug report #<var>bugnumber</var>.
193 <p>A notification is sent to the user who reported the $gBug, but (in
194 contrast to mailing <var>bugnumber</var><code>-done@$gEmailDomain</code>) the
195 text of the mail which caused the $gBug to be closed is <strong>not</strong>
196 included in that notification. The maintainer who closes a report
197 should ensure, probably by sending a separate message, that the user
198 who reported the $gBug knows why it is being closed.
199 The use of this command is therefore deprecated.
201 <dt><code>quit</code>
202 <dt><code>stop</code>
203 <dt><code>thank</code>...
204 <dt><code>--</code>...
206 <dd>Tells the control server to stop processing the message; the remainder
207 of the message can include explanations, signatures or anything else,
208 none of it will be detected by the control server.
210 <dt><code>#</code>...
212 <dd>One-line comment. The <code>#</code> must be at the start of the line.
220 <li><a href="./">$gBug tracking system main contents page.</a>
221 <li><a href="Reporting.html">Instructions for reporting $gBugs.</a>
222 <li><a href="Access.html">Accessing the $gBug tracking logs other than by WWW.</a>
223 <li><a href="Developer.html">Developers' information regarding the $gBug processing system.</a>
224 <li><a href="server-request.html">Fundamentals of the mailserver and commands for retrieving $gBugs.</a>
225 <li><a href="server-refcard.html">Mailservers' reference card.</a>
226 <li><a href="db/ix/full.html">Full list of outstanding and recent $gBug reports.</a>
227 <li><a href="db/ix/packages.html">Packages with $gBug reports.</a>
228 <li><a href="db/ix/maintainers.html">Maintainers of packages with $gBug reports.</a>