3 ## Debian Bug-Tracking System ##
5 ********************************
7 ### What is Debbugs ###
8 Debbugs is a stable, scaleable bug reporting and issue tracking system. Debbugs has a web interface for viewing and searching issues in the database but unlike other bug tracking systems, Debbugs has no web interface for editing bug reports - all modification is done via email.
12 This bug tracking system was developed by Ian Jackson from 1994-1997,
13 with assistance from nCipher Corporation Limited in 1997. nCipher allowed
14 Ian to redistribute modifications he made to the system while working as an
17 Since then, it has been developed by the various administrators of
18 bugs.debian.org, including Darren Benham, Adam Heath, Josip Rodin, Anthony
19 Towns, and Colin Watson. As in the case of Ian, nCipher allowed Colin to
20 redistribute modifications he made while working as an employee of nCipher.
22 ### System Requirements ###
26 * Perl 5 (5.005 is known to work)
27 * Mailtools and MIME-tools perl modules to manipulate email
29 * The bug system requires its own mail domain. It comes with code
30 which understands how exim, qmail and sendmail deliver mail for such a
32 * A webserver. For the old system of static HTML pages generated for
33 bug reports and index pages, this is easiest if the bug system can
34 write directly to the webspace; for the new system of CGI scripts
35 that generate web pages on the fly, write access is not required.
36 * Somewhere to run CGI scripts (unless you don't need the web forms for
37 searching for bugs by number, package, maintainer or submitter).
39 ### Installation Instructions ###
41 Install the Debian package and read `/usr/share/doc/debbugs/README.Debian` file.
43 If you can't use the `.deb`, do the following:
45 1. Run `make install` from the source directory.
47 2. Edit the config files in `/etc/debbugs/` directory to suit your needs.
48 Re-run debbugsconfig when you're finished to regenerate the documentation.
50 3. Set up the mail arrangements to deliver mail to the right place, and to set
51 up a blackhole mail alias if you need one. Ensure that `owner@bugs`, the
52 address of the BTS owner, if that's what you're using, is handled by the MTA.
53 All other email should be piped into the receive script.
55 4. Set up your HTTP server to point people looking for bug reports to
56 `/var/lib/debbugs/www` and set `/var/lib/debbugs/www/cgi` as a valid CGI
59 5. Test things a bit, by sending mail messages to the bug system and running
60 `/usr/lib/debbugs/processall` and/or `/usr/lib/debbugs/rebuild`. The latter
61 updates index files used by the CGI scripts. If you're feeling brave, you
62 can link `/var/lib/debbugs/spool/index.db` to `index.db.realtime` and
63 `.../index.archive` to `index.archive.realtime` to remove the need for the
64 rebuild script; this is still semi-experimental.
66 6. If all seems well then install the crontab from
67 `/usr/share/doc/debbugs/examples/crontab`.
69 Note that each line of `/etc/debbugs/Maintainers` file needs to be formatted as
72 package maintainer name <email@address>
74 If you need a template, look in `/usr/share/doc/debbugs/examples/` directory.
76 ### Contributing to Debbugs ###
78 #### Getting the Source Code ####
80 Debbugs is managed in git. You can clone the repository into your local
83 git clone http://bugs-master.debian.org/debbugs-source/debbugs.git
85 Additional branches are available from:
87 * [Don Armstrong](http://git.donarmstrong.com/debbugs.git/)
89 Make a working branch for your code and check it out to start working:
91 git checkout -b example-branch
93 Stage and commit your changes using appropriate commit messages
97 git commit -m "Created an example file to demonstrate basic git commands."
99 #### Submitting a Patch ####
101 Submitting a patch can be done using git format-patch.
105 git format-patch origin/master
107 Creates `.patch` files for all commits since the branch diverged from master.
109 Debbugs bugs are tracked using debbugs (what else). Patches should therefore be
110 attached to the bug report for the issue. This can be done by emailing the
111 `.patch` files to `xxxx@bugs.debian.org` (where xxxx is the bug number).
113 Feature patches can also be emailed to the maintaining list at
114 [Debugs mailing list](debian-debbugs@lists.debian.org)
116 ### Further Information ###
120 * Mailing List <debian-debbugs@lists.debian.org>
122 * To subscribe to the mailing list, email
123 <debian-debbugs-request@lists.debian.org> with the word "subscribe" in the
128 * [Code](https://bugs.debian.org/debbugs-source/debbugs.git/)
129 * [Debbugs Team](https://wiki.debian.org/Teams/Debbugs|Debbugs Team)
131 ### Copyright and Lack-of-Warranty Notice ###
133 * Copyright 1999 Darren O. Benham
134 * Copyright 1994-1997 Ian Jackson
135 * Copyright 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Limited
137 This bug system is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
138 under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
139 Software Foundation; version 2 of the License.
141 This program and documentation is distributed in the hope that it will be
142 useful, but without any warranty; without even the implied warranty of
143 merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. See the GNU General
144 Public License for more details.
146 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
147 with this program, or one should be available above; if not, write to the
148 Free Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA