Improving Ubuntu: A Beginners Guide to Filing Bug Reports

Improving Ubuntu: A Beginners Guide to Filing Bug Reports

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OK stop! It looks like there is a lot of text here, but I promise you that submitting bug reports is not complicated. This post will attempt to walk you through filing good bug reports in Ubuntu's bug tracker, called Launchpad - specifically at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/

Due to the large volume of bugs that get reported, it is important that you file bugs correctly and with as much information as possible. As a bug triager, I assure you that this will significantly improve the chances of getting your bug looked at and fixed in a timely manner!

A Brief Background on Bugs:

What a bug is:

A "bug" exists in software when a program does something unexpected, usually causing problems for the user. Some examples include:

• a program crashing or closing unexpectedly
• a (simple) missing feature
• unexpected error messages, often preventing a program from continuing normal operation
• other unexpected behavior

What a bug is not:

• a support request (use the forums!)
• a missing feature that requires more than minimal work to implement
• a bad configuration on your machine (ask here on the forums for help tracking it down)

How do I know?

Those who are very new to Ubuntu and/or Linux in general should make posts here on the forums before filing bug reports. Many people run into problems that aren't really bugs, and many common problems that are bugs have already been filed (but please check for yourself!).
The forum community members can often help you work around bugs - please ask if they think you should file a bug report.

-> Before filing a bug report <-

• Make sure you have an account on Launchpad - you can't file a report without one. If you don't have one yet, go to "Log in / Register" at the top right of a Launchpad page, then follow the directions.
• Search Launchpad's Bugs in Ubuntu for duplicate reports - is there already a bug open for your problem? If so, respond to that bug report, and confirm it if possible (change the Status from New to Confirmed). If you find such a report, please be sure that it is for the exact same problem that you have. If it is a bug related to a specific piece of hardware, then you should also have that hardware (or one extremely similar). If it's not the same, file a new report and mention that other bug as a similar problem - a triager can help you determine if the problem is actually the same.

-> Steps for filing a bug report <-

In current versions of Ubuntu, the preferred method for filing bug reports is using Apport, which is an automated tool that ships with Ubuntu. This tool automatically attaches important data to the report, like version information and relevant logs. In some cases, it will automatically appear to help you file reports (like after program or system crashes).

1. In many programs in Ubuntu you can go to Help -> Report a Problem or Help -> Report a Bug and Apport will collect information automatically for you and take you to the bug filing page on Launchpad where you can elaborate on your problem.
   • Alternatively, from the terminal you can run the following to have Apport collect information automatically for you:
     
     Code:

     ubuntu-bug packagename

     It is important that you try to file the report under the right package. This can often be confusing, so try your best.
2. A browser window will open and navigate to Launchpad. If needed, login, then proceed.
3. Describe the bug in one short statement (this is the bug's title - be descriptive!). Click Continue.
4. A list of bugs that Launchpad thinks might be similar are listed - check them. If you don't find a match, click "No, I'd like to report a new bug".
5. Now you can describe your bug in more detail. Include steps to reproduce the bug, and methods you've tried to solve the bug or work around it.
6. If you need to attach any files (like screenshots) to the bug report, go to the "Include an attachment" section at the bottom and browse for the file. You can only upload one file at a time, so if you have multiple files to upload, you will need to add them in Comments after submitting the bug report.
7. When you believe there is enough information provided, click "Submit Bug Report".

-> After filing a bug report <-

• You can add extra comments and attachments by selecting "Add a comment/attachment" at the bottom of the bug report.
• You should receive emails about changes and responses to the bug report - follow up! A bug can't be completed until you provide all information that has been requested. Bookmark the bug report and check back regularly for updates.
• You may be asked to file a bug report upstream - this means doing something similar to what we did above, but at a website outside of Launchpad. This can get a little complicated, so feel free to ask how to proceed - more information is available here.
• You may also be asked to check if the bug exists in the development version of Ubuntu by using a LiveCD.

Generic lifecycle of a bug report:

• User experiences a problem and files a bug report
• If lucky, somebody else will confirm the bug report (do not confirm your own bugs!)
• A triager looks at the bug report. If more information is needed, the triager will request it. The bug reporter will provide the requested information. Repeat as necessary.
• When the triager is satisfied that there is enough data, the bug will be marked as Confirmed (or even better, as Triaged). The triager should set an Importance on the bug in most cases, and possibly assign it to a developer or team.
• A developer looks at the bug report - they will either ask for more info, fix the bug or reject it (either because it's not worth fixing, or it's not actually a bug).
• The bug report is closed with a Status of Fix Released, Won't Fix, or Invalid.

When fixes are released for bugs, the fixed version of the program is usually not made available in stable versions of Ubuntu unless it is a security fix or meets the criteria for a Stable Release Update. The fixed version of the program is usually placed into Ubuntu's development release (unstable).

Filing bugs manually (no Apport)

1. At https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu click "Report a bug"
2. Now continue from step 3 above under "Steps for filing a bug report." The only difference is that you need to do the following as well:
   • Step 4a: It is important that you (at least try to) file the report under the right package (since it wasn't done automatically via Apport). This can often be confusing, so try your best. Click on the package from the search box and it will be added.
   • Step 5a: Because we are doing this manually, no information is automatically attached. Please include the output of these terminal commands, which provide important information about your setup:
     • lsb_release -rd
     • uname -a
     • apt-cache policy packagename - substitute for packagename the name of the application that you are filing the bug report against.
3. Bug triagers or developers may ask you for more information. If you want to try and get a head start on what they might ask for, check out the generic Bug Responses page on the Ubuntu wiki - there are links with information needed to complete some specific types of bug reports, like hardware and kernel problems. This information is typically added automatically when you use Apport.

Some relevant and useful links:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Responses
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=734460 - This thread's predecessor (short and sweet)
Guia para reportar bugs - This guide translated in Spanish, thanks to sajnox.

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If you have further questions or feedback about filing bug reports, please feel free to ask in this thread.

Cheers,
Rocket2DMn

Suggestions on how to get your support questions answered as quickly as possible

Suggestions on how to get your support questions answered as quickly as possible

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When posting a question on the Ubuntu forums, there are some things you can do to make sure your question gets answered quickly.

General Guidelines

1. There are no stupid questions. You're not a stupid person simply because you do not know how to do something, or do not have the answer to a question. Everyone was a green user at one point in time.
2. Use the forum search first. Most problems have happened to at least one other person before, and have already been discussed in an existing thread. If you can find your solution this way, it will be much faster than waiting on someone else. The search box can be found in the upper-righthand corner of the page.
3. Post in the correct forum. At the end of this post is a list of forums that you can post your questions or comments in. If you post in a forum that is not meant for your question, then it will have to be moved by a moderator to the correct forum, which make support take longer. If you accidentally post in the wrong forum, ask a moderator to move it for you rather than making a new post, or one of your posts will get deleted.
4. Make the title of your thread meaningful and concise. For example, if you are having difficulty using your BroadCom card to connect to your wireless internet, the title "Cannot connect to wireless with BroadCom card" will attract people with experience with wireless internet and BroadCom cards. Titles like "Help me please!!!" or "I have a problem" may be overlooked by people who could otherwise help you.
5. Indicate your level of experience with Ubuntu and the topic of your problem. If you are new to Ubuntu, mention that at the beginning of your post. There are often many ways to solve a problem, and knowing your level of expertise will help others suggest the method that is best for you.
6. Explain how you installed or are installing Ubuntu. There are many different flavors of Ubuntu and even more ways to install it. Most people will assume you used the latest version of the Ubuntu Desktop Edition CD to install, so if you installed via Wubi, had Ubuntu preinstalled on your computer, or have any flavor of Ubuntu other than the latest Ubuntu Desktop Edition, say so.
7. Provide information relevant to your problem. Error messages usually contain valuable information, so include those in your post.
   
   A picture or a screenshot is worth a thousand words. To take a screenshot in Ubuntu, press the "prt sc" button near the upper-righthand corner of your keyboard. You will be given a chance to save your screenshot to a file, which you can then attach to your post.
   
   If your problem is related to any specific hardware, (for example, wireless or video problems), then include a model number for that piece of hardware. If you don't know how to find your model number, look at the "Hardware Information" section below.
8. Use proper grammar and punctuation. Most members of the forum won't get stuck up on grammar, spelling or punctuation, but grammar is still important when communicating your problem. This makes it easier for those on the receiving end of your message to understand what you meant, especially for those who are not native English speakers. At minimum you should mark the end of your sentences.
9. Don't ramble. Some background information on your problem is necessary, but try to keep all the information in your post relevant to your problem.
10. Follow the Ubuntu Forums Code of Conduct. The UF Code of Conduct details the forum rules that all users must abide by. These rules can generally be summed up to one phrase: Be friendly to everyone. If you follow that one rule, there should be no problems. Section II of the Code of Conduct also gives some advice on asking for technical support.
11. Check back on your thread and answer any questions others have about your problem. Sometimes more information will be required to fix your problem, and a forum member will respond to your thread with instructions on how to get that information. If you do not like to check back on the thread page, you can use the "Subscribe to this Thread" feature from the Thread Tools menu near the upper-lefthand corner of the page.
12. Let us know when it's fixed. When your problem is solved, mark your thread as [SOLVED] by using the Thread Tools menu near the upper-righthand corner of the page, and remember to thank those who helped fix your problem. This lets us know that we are doing some good with our time, and encourages us to keep at it.

Hardware Information.
Often times, it is helpful to include information about the hardware attached to your system. For example, if you are having graphical problems, information about your video card is helpful.

The quickest way to get your hardware information is by opening a terminal from Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal. From here you can type and run commands that will give you information about your hardware.

To find out what video card you have, copy and paste this command into the terminal. (If you like to use keyboard shortcuts to copy/paste, you will have to use Ctrl+Shift+V rather than Ctrl+V when pasting to the terminal)

lspci | grep VGA

and press enter. The text displayed will include information about your video card including its manufacturer and model number.

To find out what wireless card you have, use

Code:

lspci | grep Wireless

This command can be modified to find any kind of PCI card attached to your computer. For example, if you want to see all the cards attached to your computer that were made by ATI, run

Code:

lspci | grep ATI

To simply list all PCI cards (i.e. All the extra pieces of hardware attached to your system), use

Code:

lspci

You can get an exhaustive, detailed list of hardware on your computer. This requires doing things that need administrative privilegens, so this command will have you type your password. When you type your password into a terminal, you will not see any characters, not even asterisks. This is perfectly normal and your password is typing just fine.

Code:

sudo lshw

If you prefer a graphical view, you can install lshw-gtk. To do this either, use Synaptic, The Ubuntu Software Center, or the following command:

Code:

sudo apt-get install lshw-gtk

Once lshw-gtk is installed, press Alt+F2 and paste this command

Code:

gksu lshw-gtk

Also, remember that you can copy and paste the information from a terminal straight into your post rather than retyping them. Just highlight the text you want to copy with your mouse, then you can either right-click and choose "copy", or if you are more of a keyboard person, press Ctrl+Shift+C (Ctrl+C doesn't work because the terminal uses it for other things). You can then paste the text you've copied into your post with the right-click menu or Ctrl+V.

The support forums
There are several support forums where you can post your questions. Please post your question in only one forum. Double-posting is frowned upon and will usually result in one of your threads being locked

Absolute Beginner Talk - The perfect starting place to find out more about computers, Linux and Ubuntu.
General Help - All your general support questions for Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu and Xubuntu.
Installation & Upgrades - For questions about upgrading and installation of your new Ubuntu OS.
Hardware & Laptops - Problems with hardware & laptops not being detected or supported during or after install.
Security Discussions - Discuss security flaws/updates/notices in the various Ubuntu releases.
Server Platforms - Discussion regarding the Ubuntu Server Edition. For more information on the Ubuntu Server Team, please visit their wiki page or Launchpad page.
Desktop Environments - Support for your Ubuntu desktop. Including Gnome, KDE and XFCE.
Multimedia & Video - Have multimedia question? ATI, Nvidia, Sound cards. Just ask here.
Multimedia Production - Discussions about Ubuntu Studio and other multimedia production applications.
Networking & Wireless - Having problems getting connected to the internet or getting your wireless card to work? Ask here.
Ubuntu One - Discuss the Ubuntu One service and the Ubuntu One Music Store.
Apple Users - Discussions for users who are using Apple Intel or PPC based systems with Ubuntu.
Dell Ubuntu Support - Got a Dell powered by Ubuntu? Or thinking about getting one? Discuss it here.
System76 Support - Support for System76 Ubuntu Laptops and Desktops.
Ubuntu Moblin Remix - Questions and discussion of the Ubuntu Moblin Remix Developer Edition.

For a complete list of all the forums on this site, including non-support forums, go to the UF index page.

If you have any suggestions on improving this post, let me know by posting in this thread.

Also, a special thanks to matthew for stickying this post, and to aysiu, Sef, and 2hot6ft2 for helping improve it.

Free Beginners Guide

Keir Thomas, author of Ubuntu Kung Fu, has release a free pocket guide to Ubuntu. This 170 page great beginners guide to installing and using Ubuntu.

This guide can be found at http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/.

Digg It

The Arts Portal 2

The western Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century saw artistic depictions of physical and rational certainties of the clockwork universe, as well as politically revolutionary visions of a post-monarchist world, such as Blake's portrayal of Newton as a divine geometer, or David's propagandistic paintings. This led to Romantic rejections of this in favor of pictures of the emotional side and individuality of humans, exemplified in the novels of Goethe. The late 19th century then saw a host of artistic movements, such as academic art, Symbolism,
impressionism and fauvism among others.

The Arts Portal1

Art
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the general concept of art. For the categories of different artistic disciplines, see The arts.
For the arts that are visual in nature, see Visual arts.
For other uses, see Art (disambiguation).

Measuring weight

Weight is commonly measured using one of two methods. A spring scale or hydraulic or pneumatic scale measures local weight, the local force of gravity on the object (strictly apparent weight force). Since the local force of gravity can vary by up to 0.5% at different locations, spring scales will measure slightly different weights for the same object (the same mass) at different locations. To standardize weights, scales are always calibrated to read the weight an object would have at a nominal standard gravity of 9.80665 m/s2 (approx. 32.174 ft/s2). However, this calibration is done at the factory. When the scale is moved to another location on Earth, the force of gravity will be different, causing a slight error. So to be highly accurate, and legal for commerce, spring scales must be re-calibrated at the location at which they will be used.

A balance on the other hand, compares the weight of an unknown object in one scale pan to the weight of standard masses in the other, using a lever mechanism – a lever-balance. The standard masses are often referred to, non-technically, as "weights". Since any variations in gravity will act equally on the unknown and the known weights, a lever-balance will indicate the same value at any location on Earth. Therefore, balance "weights" are usually calibrated and marked in mass units, so the lever-balance measures mass by comparing the Earth's attraction on the unknown object and standard masses in the scale pans. In the absence of a gravitational field, away from planetary bodies (e.g. space), a lever-balance would not work. Some balances can be marked in weight units, but since the weights are calibrated at the factory for standard gravity, the balance will measure standard weight, i.e. what the object would weigh at standard gravity, not the actual local force of gravity on the object.

If the actual force of gravity on the object is needed, this can be calculated by multiplying the mass measured by the balance by the acceleration due to gravity – either standard gravity (for everyday work) or the precise local gravity (for precision work). Tables of the gravitational acceleration at different locations can be found on the web.

Gross weight is a term that generally is found in commerce or trade applications, and refers to the total weight of a product and its packaging. Conversely, net weight refers to the weight of the product alone, discounting the weight of its container or packaging; and tare weight is the weight of the packaging alone.