Re: BugTracker (Was: Re: 8.2 features status)

On Thu, Aug 17, 2006 at 07:00:21PM +0200, Magnus Hagander wrote:
> > These days I doubt there's anyone around the project who
> > refuses to use a web browser at all. However, I still
> > personally find it much more convenient to read and respond
> > to mailing-list postings than to have to go and visit random
> > web pages to find out if there's something I need to know
> > about. So my current take on this would be that the bug
> > tracker would have to have a reasonable "output" email
> > capability, but I'd not necessarily insist on being able to
> > "input" to it by mail. Red Hat's present bugzilla system
> > could be described that way --- and while I can't say I'm in
> > love with it, I can deal with it.
>
> Doesn't bugzilla insist on sending you the complete bug every time? Or
> am I confusing it with the gforge/pgfoundry trackers? If so, then it's a
> really bad idea, IMHO, since it sends new copies out all the time...

No. In fact, it's one of the few that doesn't do that. I agree that
sending the whole bug is a really dumb idea.

> > Now the other side of the coin is that people are used to
> > being able to email problem reports to pgsql-bugs, and that's
> > not going to stop anytime soon. If you don't mind having a
> > bug tracker that is clueless about some fair-size fraction of
> > what is going on, then you can set up a system that is
> > impervious to email input. Just don't expect people to trust
> > it very far.
>
> Whatever system is used (if one is), there definitly needs to be some
> people looking over what comes in on the mailinglists (or on IRC, for
> that matter) and pipe it off to the tracker in case it's not already
> there. Unless we want to force everybody to use *just* a web interface
> (which would be a horrible idea, btw), we won't get 100% coverage.
>
> (btw, istm that people email at least as many bugs directly to -hackers,
> or to -general or whatever, because the end user *does not know* when
> it's a bug from when it's a misconfiguration, or misunderstanding of the
> issue or whatnot)

Yes, there will have to be cross-checking. However, in practice, I've
found that users will enter the bug themselves if you send them a reply
asking them to, so I don't think it should pose too much additional
burden.
--
Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant jnasby(at)pervasive(dot)com
Pervasive Software http://pervasive.com work: 512-231-6117
vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf cell: 512-569-9461