CVSBUG(8)                                                                                                              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 val-
       ues).  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 automatically 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 admin-
       istrator 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 session.  You can use this to start with a partially completed form (for example, a form with the  identi-
       fication 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 automatically.

       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 per-
       mission 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  condi-
       tions  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)