CVSBUG(8)                                                     System Manager's Manual                                                    CVSBUG(8)

NAME

       cvsbug - send problem report (PR) about CVS to a central support site

SYNOPSIS

       cvsbug [ site ] [ -f problem-report ] [ -t mail-address ]
               [ -P ] [ -L ] [ --request-id ] [ -v ]

DESCRIPTION

       cvsbug is a tool used to submit problem reports (PRs) to a central support site.  In most cases the correct site will be the default.  This
       argument indicates the support site which is responsible for the category of problem involved.  Some sites may use a  local  address  as  a
       default.  site values are defined by using the aliases(5).

       cvsbug  invokes an editor on a problem report template (after trying to fill in some fields with reasonable default values).  When you exit
       the editor, cvsbug sends the completed form to the Problem Report Management System (GNATS) at a central  support  site.   At  the  support
       site,  the  PR is assigned a unique number and is stored in the GNATS database according to its category and submitter-id.  GNATS automati-
       cally replies with an acknowledgement, citing the category and the PR number.

       To ensure that a PR is handled promptly, it should contain your (unique) submitter-id and one of the available categories to  identify  the
       problem area.  (Use `cvsbug -L' to see a list of categories.)

       The cvsbug template at your site should already be customized with your submitter-id (running `install-sid submitter-id' to accomplish this
       is part of the installation procedures for cvsbug).  If this hasn't been done, see your system  administrator  for  your  submitter-id,  or
       request  one  from your support site by invoking `cvsbug --request-id'.  If your site does not distinguish between different user sites, or
       if you are not affiliated with the support site, use `net' for this field.

       The more precise your problem description and the more complete your information, the faster your support team can solve your problems.

OPTIONS

       -f problem-report
              specify a file (problem-report) which already contains a complete problem report.  cvsbug sends the contents  of  the  file  without
              invoking the editor.  If the value for problem-report is `-', then cvsbug reads from standard input.

       -t mail-address
              Change  mail  address  at  the support site for problem reports.  The default mail-address is the address used for the default site.
              Use the site argument rather than this option in nearly all cases.

       -P     print the form specified by the environment variable PR_FORM on standard output.  If PR_FORM is not set, print the standard blank PR
              template.  No mail is sent.

       -L     print the list of available categories.  No mail is sent.

       --request-id
              sends  mail to the default support site, or site if specified, with a request for your submitter-id.  If you are not affiliated with
              site, use a submitter-id of net'.

       -v     Display the cvsbug version number.

       Note: use cvsbug to submit problem reports rather than mailing them directly.  Using both the template and cvsbug itself will  help  ensure
       all necessary information will reach the support site.

ENVIRONMENT

       The environment variable EDITOR specifies the editor to invoke on the template.
       default: vi

       If  the  environment  variable PR_FORM is set, then its value is used as the file name of the template for your problem-report editing ses-
       sion.  You can use this to start with a partially completed form (for example, a form with the identification fields already completed).

HOW TO FILL OUT A PROBLEM REPORT

       Problem reports have to be in a particular form so that a program can easily manage them.  Please remember the following guidelines:

       o  describe only one problem with each problem report.

       o  For follow-up mail, use the same subject line as the one in the automatic acknowledgement. It consists of category, PR  number  and  the
          original  synopsis  line.   This allows the support site to relate several mail messages to a particular PR and to record them automati-
          cally.

       o  Please try to be as accurate as possible in the subject and/or synopsis line.

       o  The subject and the synopsis line are not confidential.  This is because open-bugs lists are compiled  from  them.   Avoid  confidential
          information there.

       See the GNU Info file cvsbug.info or the document Reporting Problems With cvsbug for detailed information on reporting problems

HOW TO SUBMIT TEST CASES, CODE, ETC.
       Submit  small  code  samples with the PR.  Contact the support site for instructions on submitting larger test cases and problematic source
       code.

FILES

       /tmp/p$$     copy of PR used in editing session
       /tmp/pf$$    copy of empty PR form, for testing purposes
       /tmp/pbad$$  file for rejected PRs

INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

       See INSTALL for installation instructions.

SEE ALSO

       gnats(l), query-pr(1), edit-pr(1), gnats(8), queue-pr(8), at-pr(8), mkcat(8), mkdist(8).

AUTHORS

       Jeffrey Osier, Brendan Kehoe, Jason Merrill, Heinz G. Seidl (Cygnus Support)

COPYING

       Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

       Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and this  permission  notice  are
       preserved on all copies.

       Permission  is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
       entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one.

       Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the  above  conditions  for  modified
       versions,  except  that  this  permission notice may be included in translations approved by the Free Software Foundation instead of in the
       original English.

February 1993                                                        xVERSIONx                                                           CVSBUG(8)