Guidelines and HOWTOs/Bug triaging: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Mascot konqi-support-bughunt.png|thumbnail|right|Help [[Konqi]] catch some bugs!]]
[[File:Mascot konqi-support-bughunt.png|thumbnail|right|Help [[Konqi]] catch some bugs!]]
KDE bug triagers verify that Bugzilla tickets describe real bugs, are accurate and reproducible and that the reporter has given enough information. The goal is to save developers from doing this work, which helps them fix bugs more quickly and do more work on their software''
The '''KDE Bugsquad''' keeps track of incoming bugs in KDE software, and goes through old bugs. We verify that a bug exists, whether it is reproducible, and that the reporter has given enough information. '''Our goal is to save developers from doing this, which helps them fix bugs more quickly and do more work on KDE software.'''


You do not need any programming knowledge to be a bug triager, but experience has shown that members of this team often learn a lot in the course of dealing with bug reports, and many moves on to developing the software itself. If you are just starting to learn programming, it's a great way to gain familiarity with the components and give practical support to the KDE community.  
Getting involved in the Bugsquad is a good place to start. An existing member will help you out and mentor you. One of the great things about the Bugsquad and bug triaging is that '''you do not need any programming knowledge!''' That said, experience has shown that members of this team learn a lot about KDE and Qt programming during the course of dealing with bug reports, and many move on to developing the software itself. If you are just starting to learn programming, bug triaging is a great way to gain familiarity with the components and give practical support to the KDE community.


=Getting started=
For live chat, we have the '''#kde-bugs''' [[Internet_Relay_Chat|IRC channel]] on [https://freenode.net/ Freenode]. Please feel free to stop by! You can also connect via [https://matrix.org/ Matrix] if you prefer.
The sheer number of open bugs can be overwhelming at the start. Here are some hints on getting started more smoothly:
* Look at a single product at a time. For large applications (like Konqueror), you may want to further limit your search to a particular component.
* Don't try to find duplicates early on. Finding duplicates is hard until you have become familiar with the bugs in a component. Start out with verifying UNCONFIRMED bugs as described above. That's valuable work, and a great way to familiarize yourself with the bug database.
* Avoid very old bugs with many comments, and also bugs with many votes. This may seem counter-intuitive, but in most cases these bugs are hard, have gotten a lot of attention, and are probably on a developer's TODO list already. If it is from an older version of KDE, and there are no recent comments, verify them, make a notation, and move on.
* Don't be afraid to ask the reporter for more info. It's something you can even do without Bugzilla permissions. And reporters will generally prefer being asked one question too many, instead of their report never being dealt with. Just remember to be polite. Ask yourself how you would feel if you got the message you are thinking about sending to a user.
* Look at the incoming Bugzilla bugs. Or find the oldest bugs for your favorite software application.
* Look through the rest of our documentation for more information!


To join the Bugsquad, [https://phabricator.kde.org/project/update/290/join/ become a member] of our [https://phabricator.kde.org/project/profile/290/ project on Phabricator]. We organize Bug Days, where we focus on a specific product, with the goal of reviewing all open bugs by the end of the day. These meetings occur primarily on #kde-bugs.


=General Considerations=
We have a [https://phabricator.kde.org/calendar/query/Tp0Fc0J7sB6v/ Bugsquad calendar] you can view or export as ICS to your calendar of choice. The calendar lists all of the upcoming Bug Days and what product we will be focusing on. These days are great times to get involved and ask questions!
* '''Be polite''': when you need to request information or feedback be clear and polite and you will get more information in less time. 
Often Bugzilla is a place which involves discussions (about implementations or even about contributors). Try to be concise and polite, respecting the other's position while describing your own.


* Don't try to do too many things at the same time - you will end up with a headache!
= General considerations =
* '''Be polite.''' Bug triagers are the face of KDE. Be nice to bug reporters, even if they aren't nice to you! You have an opportunity to showcase the best of the KDE community, and turn skeptics into fans. Being nice is more impactful than being right.
* '''Explain your decisions.''' It can be very frustrating for a bug reporter if his/her report is suddenly closed without any reason. Write why you think that your action is the correct one, and don't establish your opinion as the all-ruling fact.
* '''Don't be afraid to make mistakes.''' Everybody does make mistakes, especially when starting out with bug triaging.
* KDE uses the Bugzilla bug tracker system. If you are not familiar with it, you may find this [[Bugsquad/Quick Introduction to Bugzilla|quick Introduction to Bugzilla]] useful.
* The [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/bugzillajs/ BugzillaJS add-on for Firefox] is highly recommended, as it greatly improves the user experience.


* If you are not familiar with the Bugzilla (KDE bug tracker system) interface, you may find this guide useful: [http://techbase.kde.org/Contribute/Bugsquad/Quick_Introduction_to_Bugzilla Quick Introduction to Bugzilla]
= Decide what to work on =
 
=== All bugs filed recently ===
* You may want to properly setup your Bugzilla account as mentioned at [http://techbase.kde.org/Contribute/Bugsquad/Quick_Introduction_to_Bugzilla#Configure_your_account_.28Important.29 Configure your account]
 
=Trying to reproduce the bugs=
 
An important step of bug triaging is trying to reproduce the bugs. This means that you use the information provided by the reporter and try to make the bug manifest in your own system.
 
{{Warning|Testing bug reports may modify/alter your own desktop configuration; also, to try to reproduce some bugs you may need a clean pristine (or slightly modified) environment. We recommend you to perform tests on a separate KDE installation or a clean user. There is also a way to start KDE applications with a clean configuration, even under your current configuration (setting the KDEDIR environment variable at run-time to an empty directory).}}
 
You may want to use this reference text to setup your testing environment: [http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=84475 Preparing a testing environment]
 
{{Note|It is also important to have up-to-date KDE components installed to test bugs.}}
 
==How to test bug reproducibility==
 
# Read the '''complete''' bug report (including all the attached information). Note that some bits of information may look unrelated, but they might be useful
# Usually you will try to reproduce the bug based on the description, but sometimes the comments provide updated reproduction steps, so it makes sense to scan them before you start
# If you can reproduce the bug, go to the next step
#* If you can't reproduce with any scenario mentioned in the comments, you may want to try combined situations (a bit of the description of the original bug, plus a bit of the second one). Hopefully, you will find a combination that reproduces the bug reliably. Note down the newly found steps to reproduce so you can Include them in your comment
# Now that we have a result, we need to add our information/conclusions to the bug report
 
{{Tip|When faced with a report containing scattered pieces of information, try to identify a *common situation* (some data or context that is present in all (or most of) the cases). This kind of data may be the key to finding out the reproduction steps.}}
 
==Adding new information (and requesting feedback)==
 
* In any case, add the versions of your KDE components and your system information. Other kinds of configuration data might also be useful: "did you test it on a clean environment or in your existing configuration?"  "do you have library X installed and updated ?" "is your system 32- or 64-bit ?"
 
'''If you could reproduce the bug''':
* If you had to combine several steps to make your own "recipe" to reproduce, write them down. This kind of information is useful for the developers.
* If you had to use custom input data (text, or a file), you may want to attach it to the bug report
 
A template for a comment in this situation could be:
 
I can reproduce the bug here using KDE Frameworks x.y.z, Qt a.b.c on Distribution,
XX-bit Kernel d.e.f.
In order to reproduce I have to perform the following actions:
1. Action 1
2. Action 2
3. Action 3
4. Bug Appears
Note that you need to have the X configuration set to Y, and use the Z library.
Can anyone else confirm this?
 
'''If you could not reproduce the bug''':
* Write down the steps you performed to try to see the bug
 
* You may want to ask, if your steps missed something, or if anyone notices any other strange (or non-default) situation or configuration which may be related
 
* Also, if the report is several months old, you could try to ask the reporter if they can reproduce the bug in the latest stable KDE components releases or trunk (development version). The bug may be fixed already (but no one mentioned it in the bug report). If a comment indicates that the bug is resolved, close the bug as WORKSFORME, and refer to the comment in which the reporter indicated being unable to reproduce.
 
A template for a comment in this situation could be:
 
I couldn't reproduce the bug here using KDE Frameworks x.y.z, Qt a.b.c
on Distribution, XX-bit Kernel d.e.f.
I tried performing these actions:
1. Action 1
2. Action 2
or
1a. Action 1a
2a Action 2a
However, the bug didn't appear/the application didn't crash
Are you all using library X and this configuration?
Can you still reproduce this bug with updated KDE Frameworks?
 
Hopefully, you will get feedback from the reporters and you could gather more information to try to reproduce the bug or close the report as WORKSFORME (or FIXED).
 
=Get permission to work on the bug tracker=
Manpower is always needed in a bug tracker, but as any action taken on it may be potentially destructive to other people's work or it may mess things up (and consume the developers' or other triager's time) the tracker requires special permissions to perform changes in the fields of bug reports.
 
If you want to be able to change the field data in bug reports, you need to prove that you know what you are doing. Some examples of this proof are prior helpful comments and triaging action on KDE bugs, prior experience triaging bugs in a professional setting. To request access, ask in the '''#kde-bugs''' [[Internet Relay Chat | IRC channel]].
 
{{Note|every user is allowed to add comments in any bug report; this can mark the start of your bug triaging!}}
 
=Getting Started: Find what to work on (Different Approaches)=
 
You could use different techniques or approaches to triage the reports according to your current mood or the amount of work you want to do for example.
 
{{Tip|The two following techniques are complementary.}}
 
==Check all the bug reports of the day==
 
In this technique, you check all the bug reports (of all the products) which were filed today (or some days ago).
 
You can focus on crash, normal or wishlist reports individually (recommended) or all of them together.
 
'''Good:'''
* You get a complete view of all the reports
* You can easily recognize possible duplicates if the report titles are appropriate
* You can choose any report
* You can quickly clean the bugs that were filed recently (keeping them from rotting)
* You can get quick feedback from the reporter
 
'''Not so Good:'''
* You don't focus on one product
* You may not pay too much attention to every report, as you are triaging different kinds of reports
* You need a lot of attention to handle the different reports (at the ~same~ time)
 
===Bugzilla Links===
* All the bugs ('''any type''') reported [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bugidtype=include&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldfrom=1d&chfieldto=Now&bug_file_loc=&cmdtype=doit today] or the [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bugidtype=include&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldfrom=7d&chfieldto=Now&bug_file_loc=&cmdtype=doit last week]
* All the bugs ('''any type''') reported [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bugidtype=include&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldfrom=1d&chfieldto=Now&bug_file_loc=&cmdtype=doit today] or the [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bugidtype=include&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldfrom=7d&chfieldto=Now&bug_file_loc=&cmdtype=doit last week]
* All the '''crashes''' reported [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=crash&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=1d&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= today] or the [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=crash&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=7d&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= last week]
* All the '''crashes''' reported [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=crash&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=1d&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= today] or the [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=crash&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=7d&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= last week]
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* All the '''feature requests''' reported [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=wishlist&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=1d&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= today] or the [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=wishlist&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=7d&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= last week]
* All the '''feature requests''' reported [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=wishlist&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=1d&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= today] or the [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=wishlist&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=7d&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= last week]


==Check bug reports of a single product over a period of time==
=== All bug reports of a single product ===
 
You'll want to use the Advanced search for this: https://bugs.kde.org/query.cgi
Choose a product (application or library). Then choose a period of time like 1 month or 1 or 2 years (or "from the beginning of the current year", or even from the very beginning (like 2000)).
 
This technique is useful to audit old bugs or perform a deep clean (in case the bugs weren't triaged on a daily basis previously).


'''Good:'''
You can see which products are most in need of bug triaging here, with links to their bug lists: https://bugs.kde.org/weekly-bug-summary.cgi?tops=50&days=7
* You focus only on one product / topic, so you don't need to pay too much attention


'''Not so Good:'''
Here are some common and popular KDE products in need of bug triaging:
* The reports of the other applications may rot if they aren't checked
* Plasma [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=crash&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506503&product=plasmashell&query_format=advanced bugs] / [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=wishlist&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506504&product=plasmashell&query_format=advanced feature requests]
* You may not get feedback if the report is too old or the reporter is not accessible anymore
* System Settings [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=crash&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506503&product=systemsettings&query_format=advanced bugs] / [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=wishlist&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506504&product=systemsettings&query_format=advanced feature requests]
* Dolphin [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=crash&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506503&product=dolphin&query_format=advanced bugs] / [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=wishlist&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506504&product=dolphin&query_format=advanced feature requests]
* Okular [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=crash&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506503&product=okular&query_format=advanced bugs] / [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=wishlist&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506504&product=okular&query_format=advanced feature requests]
* Gwenview [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=crash&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506503&product=gwenview&query_format=advanced bugs] / [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=wishlist&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506504&product=gwenview&query_format=advanced feature requests]
* Konsole [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=crash&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506503&product=konsole&query_format=advanced bugs] / [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=wishlist&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506504&product=konsole&query_format=advanced feature requests]
* Kate & KTextEditor framework [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=crash&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506507&product=frameworks-ktexteditor&product=kate&query_format=advanced bugs] / [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=wishlist&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506506&product=frameworks-ktexteditor&product=kate&query_format=advanced feature requests]
* KIO framework [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=crash&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506508&product=frameworks-kio&product=kio&product=kio-extras&query_format=advanced bugs] / [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?bug_severity=wishlist&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=CONFIRMED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&list_id=1506510&product=frameworks-kio&product=kio&product=kio-extras&query_format=advanced feature requests]


You can also filter out results (and be even more focused) if you select a custom component inside the product (a subsection of the application).
= Bug editing permissions =
All regular Bugzilla users can perform standard editing functions. You can change a number of fields, including the product, component, version, platform, status, and more. You are restricted from only a few abilities, such as bulk editing, changing the Priority and Severity fields (Importance), or re-opening CLOSED bugs. After getting comfortable with the KDE Bugzilla process, you can request "contributor" privileges from Sysadmin, which will allow you to perform those actions.


===Bugzilla Links===
= What to do with bug reports =
 
Now that you have a list of bug reports, pick one and start working! Here is the optimal bug triaging workflow:
* Template search for all the reports of any status, since 2008: [https://bugs.kde.org/query.cgi?bug_file_loc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_id=&bugidtype=include&chfield=%5BBug%20creation%5D&chfieldfrom=2008-01-01&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&email1=&email2=&emailassigned_to1=1&emailassigned_to2=1&emailcc2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailtype1=substring&emailtype2=substring&field-1-0-0=product&field-1-1-0=bug_severity&field0-0-0=noop&keywords=&keywords_type=allwords&long_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&product=plasma&query_format=advanced&remaction=&short_desc=&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&type-1-0-0=anyexact&type-1-1-0=anyexact&type0-0-0=noop&value-1-0-0=plasma&value-1-1-0=crash&value0-0-0=&votes= any kind of report], [https://bugs.kde.org/query.cgi?bug_file_loc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_id=&bug_severity=crash&bugidtype=include&chfield=%5BBug%20creation%5D&chfieldfrom=2008-01-01&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&email1=&email2=&emailassigned_to1=1&emailassigned_to2=1&emailcc2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailtype1=substring&emailtype2=substring&field-1-0-0=product&field-1-1-0=bug_severity&field0-0-0=noop&keywords=&keywords_type=allwords&long_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&product=plasma&query_format=advanced&remaction=&short_desc=&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&type-1-0-0=anyexact&type-1-1-0=anyexact&type0-0-0=noop&value-1-0-0=plasma&value-1-1-0=crash&value0-0-0=&votes= crashes], [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&product=plasma&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&emailassigned_to1=1&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailassigned_to2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailcc2=1&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=2008-01-01&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= normal bugs], [https://bugs.kde.org/query.cgi?bug_file_loc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_id=&bug_severity=wishlist&bugidtype=include&chfield=%5BBug%20creation%5D&chfieldfrom=2008-01-01&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&email1=&email2=&emailassigned_to1=1&emailassigned_to2=1&emailcc2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailtype1=substring&emailtype2=substring&field-1-0-0=product&field-1-1-0=bug_severity&field0-0-0=noop&keywords=&keywords_type=allwords&long_desc=&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&product=plasma&query_format=advanced&remaction=&short_desc=&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&type-1-0-0=anyexact&type-1-1-0=anyexact&type0-0-0=noop&value-1-0-0=plasma&value-1-1-0=crash&value0-0-0=&votes= feature requests]
* Template search for all the open reports, since 2008: [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&product=plasma&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&emailassigned_to1=1&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailassigned_to2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailcc2=1&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=2008-01-01&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= any kind of report], [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&product=plasma&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=crash&emailassigned_to1=1&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailassigned_to2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailcc2=1&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=2008-01-01&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= crashes], [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&product=plasma&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=critical&bug_severity=grave&bug_severity=major&bug_severity=normal&bug_severity=minor&emailassigned_to1=1&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailassigned_to2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailcc2=1&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=2008-01-01&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= normal bugs], [https://bugs.kde.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&product=plasma&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_severity=wishlist&emailassigned_to1=1&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailassigned_to2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailcc2=1&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=2008-01-01&chfieldto=Now&chfield=%5BBug+creation%5D&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0= feature requests]
 
=Workflow of the bug triaging activity=
 
Now that you have a list of bug reports, pick one and start working.


[[File:DarioAndres_GuideToBugTriaging_Workflow.png]]
[[File:DarioAndres_GuideToBugTriaging_Workflow.png]]


=Handling reports: What to do with a bug report=
{{Note|If at any point you aren't sure how to proceed, move onto the next bug or ask a KDE developer or another more experienced contributor.}}


There are several things that must be checked and "fixed" to make an initial bug report an interesting and useful piece of information for the developers to check.
== Identify duplicates ==
 
As KDE has so many users, we get a lot of reports about bugs which have already been reported (duplicates). Before putting any effort in the current report, check for an existing report. If you find a pre-existing bug report describing the same issue, mark this one as a duplicate of it.
{{Note|if at any point you don't really know how to continue, because you don't understand the issue properly, always ask the developers or related contributors}}
 
As KDE has so many users, we get a lot of reports about bugs which are already reported (duplicates). Before putting any effort in the current report we should check for an existing report.
 
==Identifying duplicates==


Please see [[Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging/Identifying_duplicates|the article on identifying duplicates]].
Please see [[Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging/Identifying_duplicates|the article on identifying duplicates]].


==Bugs caused by external issues (UPSTREAM/DOWNSTREAM)==
== Identify bugs caused by external issues (UPSTREAM/DOWNSTREAM) ==
 
Not all real bugs affecting KDE software are actually caused by a fault in KDE software. The issue may be "upstream" or "downstream" of KDE.
Check if the bug is caused by an external plugin/add-on or distribution issue
 
There are several bugs which may be caused by external add-ons. If you are sure this is the case, you should dismiss the report, telling the reporter to file a new bug in a different place.
 
* Applications which use plugins may be easier to affect (like Plasma when using custom Plasmoids/widgets)


Distributions can also bring some trouble, especially with packaging.
"Upstream" means that the problem lies in an underlying technology that KDE software uses (e.g. Qt, X11, the Linux kernel). Others who make use of KDE software (e.g Linux distributions, 3rd party Plasma plugins) are '''downstream''' of KDE.


Some problems that may cause bugs are:
Examples of Upstream issues:
* different versions of KDE packages (kdelibs at one version, kdebase at a different one)
* KDE app experiences a new behavioral issue after upgrading to a newer version of Qt
* missing plugins (broken packaging) causing crashes or missing features.
* KDE app crashes in QtQuick
* KDE app experiences an issue, but only when using the proprietary NVIDIA driver


Also, distributions can include their own add-ons (to bring their own branding or any other special function). If you know KDE software enough you may be able to recognize these unofficial add-ons.


If the reporter mentions an application or dialog you cannot identify, you could try requesting a screenshot. Other people may be able to recognize an external add-on.
Examples of Downstream issues:


{{Note|The '''UPSTREAM''' resolution refers to bugs caused by libraries/dependencies, upstream in the software stack (like Qt, glibc, X11).
* A KDE app crashes because a dependent package is not automatically installed by the user's distro
The '''DOWNSTREAM''' resolution refers to bug caused by the Distributions (broken packaging, ...) or by external plugins (unofficial Plasma widgets, other extensions, ...)}}
* Fonts are really hard to read, but only in certain distros
 
* Graphical corruption with a Plasma theme downloaded from store.kde.org
==Check the report quality (and ask for missing information)==


== Ask for any missing information ==
Now that you know that the bug report is unique and that it is not an external issue, you need to check that all the needed information is there.
Now that you know that the bug report is unique and that it is not an external issue, you need to check that all the needed information is there.


* Check that report is in English and that is easily understandable.
* If the reporter has not entered the Platform correctly (i.e., it is "unspecified/Linux"), then ask which platform/distro they are using. This can help determine if there are distro/downstream bugs. Mark the bug as NEEDSINFO/WAITINGFORINFO.
** If it is not in English you may want to look for someone in the KDE group (IRC channels) that may translate it for you. Alternatively, you can ask the reporter to use some online translation system (you won't get a clear explanation, but it is something).
* If the description is not written in English and you cannot understand it, you may want to ask other KDE contributors to translate it for you. Alternatively, you can ask the reporter to use some online translation system.
** 

If the explanation is not clear enough and you think that the bug could be described in an image, you may want to ask for a screenshot
* If the reporter has not indicated what versions of KDE Plasma, Qt, and KDE Frameworks they are using, ask them to provide that information. ([[Get Involved/Bug Reporting#Software_versions]])
* If the bug is a graphical glitch or issue, you may want to request a screenshot
* If the explanation is not clear enough, ask for clarification and concrete steps to reproduce. ([[Get Involved/Bug Reporting#Steps to Reproduce]])
* If the issue involves any other component (like the graphics card or drivers), you may need to ask for the versions and component names
* If the issue is hard to picture without a visual aid and there are no screenshots or a screen recording attached, ask for one. ([[Get Involved/Bug Reporting#Screenshots and screen recordings]])
* If the bug report is about a crash and the backtrace information is not really complete (and you couldn't perform a duplicate search) you need to ask the user to install the missing debug symbols package, reproduce the bug and generate a new backtrace. Template for this request:
* If the bug report is about a crash and the backtrace information is incomplete, ask the user to install the missing debug symbols package, reproduce the bug, and generate a new backtrace. ([[Guidelines and HOWTOs/Debugging/How to create useful crash reports]])
If you can reproduce the crash at will (or you experience this regularly),
can you install the "PACKAGENAME" package and post a complete backtrace here?
(you can get more information at http://techbase.kde.org/User:DarioAndres/Basic_Guide_about_Crash_Reporting)
Thanks


The names of the missing packages depend on the application and the distribution (as package naming schemes change). Look at the list of debug package names in several Distributions at the end of this article.


'''Useful information which could be also missing''':
{{Note| After asking for further information, mark the report as "NEEDSINFO" with resolution "WAITINGFORINFO" (or resolution "BACKTRACE" if you are waiting for a complete backtrace).}}
* Application version
* KDE Frameworks version
* Qt library version
* If the reporter is using a development version, request the Git or SVN revision of the KDE Frameworks and application


{{Note|Feel free to mark the report as "NEEDSINFO" with resolution "WAITINGFORINFO" after asking for further information (or resolution "BACKTRACE" if you are waiting for a complete backtrace)}}
== Reproduce the bug ==
At this point, the bug report enough is complete enough that you should use the information provided by the reporter and try to make the bug appear on your own system.


==Setting Bugzilla fields (and reassignation)==
{{Note|It is important to have up-to-date KDE components installed to test bugs. Only try to reproduce bugs using the latest versions of KDE software, or even development versions.}}


Often the bug reports aren't properly categorized, or they miss some information in the Bugzilla fields (which are useful for sorting and filtering):
{{Warning|Testing bug reports may modify/alter your own desktop configuration; also, to try to reproduce some bugs you may need a clean pristine (or slightly modified) environment. We recommend you to perform tests on a separate KDE installation or a clean user. There is also a way to start KDE applications with a clean configuration, even under your current configuration (setting the KDEDIR environment variable at run-time to an empty directory).}}


* '''Version''': if the report has an application version, you need to set the version in the Bugzilla field. Ideally the version field should reflect the latest version the bug is reproducible with, and of course the other information in the bug (backtrace, description) should also reflect that same version. In the process of triaging old bug reports the version field is a good indicator of a bug that needs newer information.
You may want to use this reference text to setup your testing environment: [http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=84475 Preparing a testing environment]
** If the version is missing in the list, please contact the software maintainer or the KDE Bugzilla admins to add the version in the system.
* '''Priority''': we don't use this field in the KDE bug tracker. The priority is used by the developers to organize their work, it should stay at normal and only be changed by the developers of the project.
* '''Severity''': If you are not really sure if a report describes a real bug or a feature or if you cannot diagnose the issue, you need to ask in the support channels or wait for other triagers or developers to check the report.
** some hints about the various severity options:
*** Critical: The software causes you to lose data.
*** Grave: The software is basically unusable now.
*** Major: A major feature is broken.
*** Crash: The software crashes or hangs.
*** Normal: It's a bug that should be fixed.
*** Minor: Minor loss of function and there is an easy workaround.
*** Wishlist: Request for a new feature or enhancement.
* '''Platform''': this field is only important if the bug is related to one distribution or a specific system (most of the bug reports are common to most of the platforms). Same with the OS field
 
===Renaming a report: Updating the summary===
 
Most of the time the reporter sets the bug report's summary and therefore it might not accurately represent the bug. You may want to update the summary to contain enough information to identify the issue properly.
 
A good summary may contain:
 
* A brief explanation of the root cause (if it was found)
* Some of the symptoms people are experiencing
* Additional comments in brackets/parentheses
 
{{Tip|Try to use complete and easily readable English sentences as the summary}}
 
* If the bug is about a crash, you may add the first useful ClassName::FunctionName pairs that identify it. You can put them inside square brackets at the end of the title
 
* If the report has additional information (like a testcase file, or an attached proposed patch) you may add those references as tags at the start of the summary (inside square brackets)
 
'''Examples''':
 
[patch] Plasma clock draws garbage when hovering it if the Ctrl key is pressed
 
Dolphin hangs when trying to view the properties of a big file
 
[testcase file] Plasma crashes when adding a special file to the panel
[Class1::Function1, Class1::Function2, Class2::Function3]
 
Applications that use Plasma themes crash when compositing is switched on/off
due an error in KPixmapCache [KPixmapCache::Private::mmapFile,
KPixmapCache::Private::init, KPixmapCache::discard]
 
[testcase url] Konqueror shows a graphical artefact in webpage's form when
scrolling
 
===Reassigning bug reports===
 
Some of the reports are assigned to the wrong product. This may happen because the original reporter didn't know which application/library the bug belongs to. It may happen if the Crash Handler dialog reports a crash about an unsupported application (or one that is not mapped properly)
 
{{Warning|Only perform reassignations if you are sure the bug is in the wrong product.}}
 
{{Note|Remember to check the [[Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging/Identifying_duplicates#List_of_related_KDE_technologies|KDE related technologies list]]}}
 
# Select the correct Bugzilla product.
# If you are sure the current assignee is the default for the current product, you need to click the checkbox to reset the assignee (so the assignee of the new Bugzilla product will get notified)
# Save the changes
# In the next page, select the correct Component and Version and save the changes
 
==Adding related people to the CC list==
 
Sometimes the reports describe general issues or are filed against common Bugzilla products (like "kde" or "kdelibs"). Conversely, they might be filed against specific products, but the underling root cause is in some specific library, not directly related to the current Bugzilla product assignee.
 
In both cases, if we don't need/want to reassign the report, we can add the assignee of the other related products, or other developer's mail address, to the CC list of the bug report.
This person (or people following a mailing list) will then get notified about this bug report and they might look at it.
 
To know who to add to the CC list you can:
* Look at the [https://bugs.kde.org/editproducts.cgi list of Bugzilla products and components] and find the current default assignee (this requires special "editcomponents" permissions)
* Look at the copyright of the source code related to the bug. You can always access the code using [https://websvn.kde.org/trunk/ WebSVN]
* Ask in the IRC support channels, if anyone knows which person is related to a specific KDE area (#kde-devel)


Common situation '''examples''':
If you can't reproduce with any scenario mentioned in the comments, you may want to try other related situations. Write down any newly discovered steps to reproduce.


* A report against "Dolphin" describes a Baloo-related error.  
=== If you cannot reproduce the bug under any circumstances ===
** Add the Baloo default assignee to the CC list
Write down the steps you performed. Ask the reporter if your steps missed something, or if anyone notices any other strange or non-default situation or configuration which may be related. Also ask the reporter for more information and mark it NEEDSINFO/WAITINGFORINFO.


* A report against "Plasma" describes an error which seems to be more general (at kdelibs level), but you are not really sure if you should reassign it.
Hopefully, you will get feedback from the reporters and you could gather more information to try to reproduce the bug or close the report as RESOLVED/WORKSFORME (or FIXED) after a short wait.
** Do not reassign and add "kdelibs-bugs___at___kde___dot___org" to the CC list


* A report against the "kde" Bugzilla product describes a Konqueror-related issue (and you are not sure it is a Konqueror-only issue)
=== If you can reproduce the bug ===
** Do not reassign and add "konq-bugs___at___kde___dot___org" to the CC list
If you had to combine several steps to make your own "recipe" to reproduce, write them down. This kind of information is useful for the developers. If you had to use custom input data (text, or a file), you may want to attach it to the bug report. Don't forget to mention the environment and circumstances under which you can reproduce the bug.


* A report against the "kde" Bugzilla product describes a Plasma issue
== Set Bugzilla fields ==
** Reassign the report to the "plasma" Bugzilla product; or
Often a bug report isn't properly categorized, or lacks some information in the Bugzilla fields (which are useful for sorting and filtering). If a field isn't mentioned below, you don't need to change it. All users have permission to change most Bugzilla fields.
** Add "plasma-bugs___at___kde___dot___org" to the CC list


==Other Situations and Cases==
=== Product ===
Many bug reports are reported against the wrong product. This may happen because the original reporter didn't know which application/library the bug belongs to. For example, many bugs filed to Dolphin are actually about KIO (the I/O framework) or Baloo (the search frameworks). Remember to check the [[Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging/Identifying_duplicates#List_of_related_KDE_technologies|KDE related technologies list]].


===One report per issue===
{{Warning|Only reassign if you are sure the bug is in the wrong product.}}
=== Component ===
As with the Product field, many bug reports are reported against the wrong component or none at all. Set the Component if you are able to determine a more appropriate one than the bug's current assignment.


There is a policy in the KDE bug tracker which establishes that different issues should not be mixed up in the same report, in order to keep the database clean and easy to read.
=== Version===
If the report has an application version, you need to set the version in the Bugzilla field. Ideally the version field should reflect the latest version the bug is reproducible with. If the version is missing from the list, please contact the software maintainer or the KDE Bugzilla admins to add the version.


If any user adds information which is unrelated to the current bug report, gently tell them to write it down in a different/new report. The new issue described may be already reported somewhere else. In that case, you need to include a reference to that bug report ID.
=== Platform  ===
This field is only important if the bug is related to one distribution or a specific system (the majority of bug reports are common to most platforms).


=Getting bug triaging support=
=== Severity ===
Mark the bug's severity. Some hints about the various severity options:
* '''Critical''': A widespread, easily reproducible issue that causes data loss.
* '''Grave''': The software is basically unusable, with no workaround.
* '''Major''': A major feature is broken, and the workaround (if any) is painful and difficult.
* '''Crash''': The software crashes or hangs.
* '''Normal''': It's a bug that should be fixed, possibly with a reasonable workaround.
* '''Minor''': Minor cosmetic issue or loss of function with an easy workaround.
* '''Wishlist''': Request for a new feature or enhancement.


During your work, you may need help on how to proceed. You can use these resources to get help:
=== Keywords ===
If the bug seems like it would be really easy to fix, add the "junior-jobs" keyword. Examples of issues that would be easy to fix:
* Inaccurate description or text label
* Visual layout inconsistencies
* Pixellated icons when an app is run in HiDPI mode
* User interface element is the wrong color when using Breeze Dark


* The '''#kde-bugs channel''' on IRC (Freenode.net). You can ask the whole channel.
New code contributors often start with "junior-jobs" bugs, so ensuring that there is a steady supply of bugs tagged with this keyword helps them get started with small, manageable tasks.
* The BugSquad mailing list <bugsquad ##at## kde ##dot## org>


=More Information=
If the bug involves a poor user interface or demands a tedious workflow, tag it with the "usability" keyword, and it will be considered a part of KDE's [https://phabricator.kde.org/T6831|"Usability & productivity" initiative].


==Special products and cases==
=== Status ===
If you can reproduce the issue, ''and you are confident that you have set all fields correctly'', set the bug report's status to CONFIRMED. This only applies to bugs; feature requests ("wishlist" items) don't need to be confirmed, since they're not bugs.


* "systemsettings" contain bug reports for the Shell application SystemSettings and kcmshell4 and reports for the configuration modules "kcm_*"
== Rename the bug report ==
** Try to find out, if the report is about the shell applications (and set the component to "general", "treeview" or "kcmshell") or about some of the configuration modules (and set the component to "kcm_*name*")
The bug report's summary might not accurately represent the bug, especially after you have triaged the bug and found the root cause or determined it to be another issue. You may want to update the summary to contain enough information to identify the issue properly. A good summary:


* Konqueror can use different engines, like KHTML or WebKit
* Is readable as a grammatically correct English sentence
** If the report is about a webkit-only issue, reassign to product "kdelibs", component "kdewebkit"
* Contains a brief explanation of the root cause (if it was found)
* Includes some of the symptoms people are experiencing
* Includes <tt>ClassName::FunctionName</tt> pairs if the bug describes a crash
* Isn't too long


{{Tip|When updating the Bugzilla product or component, do not forget to reset to the default assignee}}
= Special circumstances =
=== Bug describes multiple issues ===
You must close the bug report as RESOLVED/NOT A BUG with a '''humane''' explanation that bug reports can only contain a single issue. ([[Get Involved/Bug Reporting#One issue per bug report]])


==Useful Links==
=== Bug includes a patch ===
If the bug reporter or someone else included a patch, ask them to submit it using Phabricator, and remind them about [[Get Involved/Bug Reporting#Submit patches using Phabricator.2C not the bug tracker]].


* [http://techbase.kde.org/Contribute/Bugsquad BugSquad page on Techbase]
=== Reporter seems very technically knowledgeable ===
* [http://techbase.kde.org/Contribute/Bugsquad/Quick_Introduction_to_Bugzilla Quick introduction to Bugzilla]
Sometimes a very technically knowledgeable bug reporter will correctly identify the source of the issue, and maybe even the exact line of code that's causing the problem. Encourage them to submit a patch, and point them to https://community.kde.org/Get_Involved/development.
* [https://darioandreskde.wordpress.com/ Dario_Andres blog about bug triaging]
* [https://bugs.kde.org/page.cgi?id=fields.html A Bug's Life Cycle]
* [http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=84475 Preparing a testing environment]
* [http://techbase.kde.org/Contribute/Bugsquad/How_to_create_useful_crash_reports How to create useful crash reports]
* [http://techbase.kde.org/User:DarioAndres/Basic_Guide_about_Crash_Reporting Basic guide about crash reports]
* [http://aseigo.blogspot.com/2009/01/bugskdeorg.html aseigo's suggestions for bugs.kde.org]


==Glossary==
=== Same person reports a lot of bugs ===
Anybody who reports a lot of KDE bugs--especially if they are high quality bugs--is quite likely a committed KDE user who is a good candidate for becoming a more involved contributor over time. '''Stumbling on someone like this in the bug tracker is like striking gold.''' Take every opportunity to develop a relationship with this person and try to guide them through the KDE "[[Get Involved|get involved]]" pipeline. Oftentimes people who submit a lot of bugs move on to bug triaging and then later development.


* Testcase: custom file that triggers a bug in the application. A testcase can also be a custom code snippet or a set of steps.
= Policies =
* Bugs placed into NEEDSINFO status will receive a reminder if the ticket:
** Is at least 15 days old
** Has not received any comment within 15 days
* If a bug remains in NEEDSINFO for another 15 days with no comment, it will be closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME.
* If a bug remains in NEEDSINFO with a comment provided within less than 15 days, no action will be taken (as it does not meet the above criteria).

Revision as of 13:20, 13 November 2019

Help Konqi catch some bugs!

The KDE Bugsquad keeps track of incoming bugs in KDE software, and goes through old bugs. We verify that a bug exists, whether it is reproducible, and that the reporter has given enough information. Our goal is to save developers from doing this, which helps them fix bugs more quickly and do more work on KDE software.

Getting involved in the Bugsquad is a good place to start. An existing member will help you out and mentor you. One of the great things about the Bugsquad and bug triaging is that you do not need any programming knowledge! That said, experience has shown that members of this team learn a lot about KDE and Qt programming during the course of dealing with bug reports, and many move on to developing the software itself. If you are just starting to learn programming, bug triaging is a great way to gain familiarity with the components and give practical support to the KDE community.

For live chat, we have the #kde-bugs IRC channel on Freenode. Please feel free to stop by! You can also connect via Matrix if you prefer.

To join the Bugsquad, become a member of our project on Phabricator. We organize Bug Days, where we focus on a specific product, with the goal of reviewing all open bugs by the end of the day. These meetings occur primarily on #kde-bugs.

We have a Bugsquad calendar you can view or export as ICS to your calendar of choice. The calendar lists all of the upcoming Bug Days and what product we will be focusing on. These days are great times to get involved and ask questions!

General considerations

  • Be polite. Bug triagers are the face of KDE. Be nice to bug reporters, even if they aren't nice to you! You have an opportunity to showcase the best of the KDE community, and turn skeptics into fans. Being nice is more impactful than being right.
  • Explain your decisions. It can be very frustrating for a bug reporter if his/her report is suddenly closed without any reason. Write why you think that your action is the correct one, and don't establish your opinion as the all-ruling fact.
  • Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Everybody does make mistakes, especially when starting out with bug triaging.
  • KDE uses the Bugzilla bug tracker system. If you are not familiar with it, you may find this quick Introduction to Bugzilla useful.
  • The BugzillaJS add-on for Firefox is highly recommended, as it greatly improves the user experience.

Decide what to work on

All bugs filed recently

All bug reports of a single product

You'll want to use the Advanced search for this: https://bugs.kde.org/query.cgi

You can see which products are most in need of bug triaging here, with links to their bug lists: https://bugs.kde.org/weekly-bug-summary.cgi?tops=50&days=7

Here are some common and popular KDE products in need of bug triaging:

Bug editing permissions

All regular Bugzilla users can perform standard editing functions. You can change a number of fields, including the product, component, version, platform, status, and more. You are restricted from only a few abilities, such as bulk editing, changing the Priority and Severity fields (Importance), or re-opening CLOSED bugs. After getting comfortable with the KDE Bugzilla process, you can request "contributor" privileges from Sysadmin, which will allow you to perform those actions.

What to do with bug reports

Now that you have a list of bug reports, pick one and start working! Here is the optimal bug triaging workflow:

Note

If at any point you aren't sure how to proceed, move onto the next bug or ask a KDE developer or another more experienced contributor.


Identify duplicates

As KDE has so many users, we get a lot of reports about bugs which have already been reported (duplicates). Before putting any effort in the current report, check for an existing report. If you find a pre-existing bug report describing the same issue, mark this one as a duplicate of it.

Please see the article on identifying duplicates.

Identify bugs caused by external issues (UPSTREAM/DOWNSTREAM)

Not all real bugs affecting KDE software are actually caused by a fault in KDE software. The issue may be "upstream" or "downstream" of KDE.

"Upstream" means that the problem lies in an underlying technology that KDE software uses (e.g. Qt, X11, the Linux kernel). Others who make use of KDE software (e.g Linux distributions, 3rd party Plasma plugins) are downstream of KDE.

Examples of Upstream issues:

  • KDE app experiences a new behavioral issue after upgrading to a newer version of Qt
  • KDE app crashes in QtQuick
  • KDE app experiences an issue, but only when using the proprietary NVIDIA driver


Examples of Downstream issues:

  • A KDE app crashes because a dependent package is not automatically installed by the user's distro
  • Fonts are really hard to read, but only in certain distros
  • Graphical corruption with a Plasma theme downloaded from store.kde.org

Ask for any missing information

Now that you know that the bug report is unique and that it is not an external issue, you need to check that all the needed information is there.

  • If the reporter has not entered the Platform correctly (i.e., it is "unspecified/Linux"), then ask which platform/distro they are using. This can help determine if there are distro/downstream bugs. Mark the bug as NEEDSINFO/WAITINGFORINFO.
  • If the description is not written in English and you cannot understand it, you may want to ask other KDE contributors to translate it for you. Alternatively, you can ask the reporter to use some online translation system.
  • If the reporter has not indicated what versions of KDE Plasma, Qt, and KDE Frameworks they are using, ask them to provide that information. (Get Involved/Bug Reporting#Software_versions)
  • If the explanation is not clear enough, ask for clarification and concrete steps to reproduce. (Get Involved/Bug Reporting#Steps to Reproduce)
  • If the issue is hard to picture without a visual aid and there are no screenshots or a screen recording attached, ask for one. (Get Involved/Bug Reporting#Screenshots and screen recordings)
  • If the bug report is about a crash and the backtrace information is incomplete, ask the user to install the missing debug symbols package, reproduce the bug, and generate a new backtrace. (Guidelines and HOWTOs/Debugging/How to create useful crash reports)


Note

After asking for further information, mark the report as "NEEDSINFO" with resolution "WAITINGFORINFO" (or resolution "BACKTRACE" if you are waiting for a complete backtrace).


Reproduce the bug

At this point, the bug report enough is complete enough that you should use the information provided by the reporter and try to make the bug appear on your own system.

Note

It is important to have up-to-date KDE components installed to test bugs. Only try to reproduce bugs using the latest versions of KDE software, or even development versions.


Warning

Testing bug reports may modify/alter your own desktop configuration; also, to try to reproduce some bugs you may need a clean pristine (or slightly modified) environment. We recommend you to perform tests on a separate KDE installation or a clean user. There is also a way to start KDE applications with a clean configuration, even under your current configuration (setting the KDEDIR environment variable at run-time to an empty directory).


You may want to use this reference text to setup your testing environment: Preparing a testing environment

If you can't reproduce with any scenario mentioned in the comments, you may want to try other related situations. Write down any newly discovered steps to reproduce.

If you cannot reproduce the bug under any circumstances

Write down the steps you performed. Ask the reporter if your steps missed something, or if anyone notices any other strange or non-default situation or configuration which may be related. Also ask the reporter for more information and mark it NEEDSINFO/WAITINGFORINFO.

Hopefully, you will get feedback from the reporters and you could gather more information to try to reproduce the bug or close the report as RESOLVED/WORKSFORME (or FIXED) after a short wait.

If you can reproduce the bug

If you had to combine several steps to make your own "recipe" to reproduce, write them down. This kind of information is useful for the developers. If you had to use custom input data (text, or a file), you may want to attach it to the bug report. Don't forget to mention the environment and circumstances under which you can reproduce the bug.

Set Bugzilla fields

Often a bug report isn't properly categorized, or lacks some information in the Bugzilla fields (which are useful for sorting and filtering). If a field isn't mentioned below, you don't need to change it. All users have permission to change most Bugzilla fields.

Product

Many bug reports are reported against the wrong product. This may happen because the original reporter didn't know which application/library the bug belongs to. For example, many bugs filed to Dolphin are actually about KIO (the I/O framework) or Baloo (the search frameworks). Remember to check the KDE related technologies list.

Warning

Only reassign if you are sure the bug is in the wrong product.

Component

As with the Product field, many bug reports are reported against the wrong component or none at all. Set the Component if you are able to determine a more appropriate one than the bug's current assignment.

Version

If the report has an application version, you need to set the version in the Bugzilla field. Ideally the version field should reflect the latest version the bug is reproducible with. If the version is missing from the list, please contact the software maintainer or the KDE Bugzilla admins to add the version.

Platform

This field is only important if the bug is related to one distribution or a specific system (the majority of bug reports are common to most platforms).

Severity

Mark the bug's severity. Some hints about the various severity options:

  • Critical: A widespread, easily reproducible issue that causes data loss.
  • Grave: The software is basically unusable, with no workaround.
  • Major: A major feature is broken, and the workaround (if any) is painful and difficult.
  • Crash: The software crashes or hangs.
  • Normal: It's a bug that should be fixed, possibly with a reasonable workaround.
  • Minor: Minor cosmetic issue or loss of function with an easy workaround.
  • Wishlist: Request for a new feature or enhancement.

Keywords

If the bug seems like it would be really easy to fix, add the "junior-jobs" keyword. Examples of issues that would be easy to fix:

  • Inaccurate description or text label
  • Visual layout inconsistencies
  • Pixellated icons when an app is run in HiDPI mode
  • User interface element is the wrong color when using Breeze Dark

New code contributors often start with "junior-jobs" bugs, so ensuring that there is a steady supply of bugs tagged with this keyword helps them get started with small, manageable tasks.

If the bug involves a poor user interface or demands a tedious workflow, tag it with the "usability" keyword, and it will be considered a part of KDE's "Usability & productivity" initiative.

Status

If you can reproduce the issue, and you are confident that you have set all fields correctly, set the bug report's status to CONFIRMED. This only applies to bugs; feature requests ("wishlist" items) don't need to be confirmed, since they're not bugs.

Rename the bug report

The bug report's summary might not accurately represent the bug, especially after you have triaged the bug and found the root cause or determined it to be another issue. You may want to update the summary to contain enough information to identify the issue properly. A good summary:

  • Is readable as a grammatically correct English sentence
  • Contains a brief explanation of the root cause (if it was found)
  • Includes some of the symptoms people are experiencing
  • Includes ClassName::FunctionName pairs if the bug describes a crash
  • Isn't too long

Special circumstances

Bug describes multiple issues

You must close the bug report as RESOLVED/NOT A BUG with a humane explanation that bug reports can only contain a single issue. (Get Involved/Bug Reporting#One issue per bug report)

Bug includes a patch

If the bug reporter or someone else included a patch, ask them to submit it using Phabricator, and remind them about Get Involved/Bug Reporting#Submit patches using Phabricator.2C not the bug tracker.

Reporter seems very technically knowledgeable

Sometimes a very technically knowledgeable bug reporter will correctly identify the source of the issue, and maybe even the exact line of code that's causing the problem. Encourage them to submit a patch, and point them to https://community.kde.org/Get_Involved/development.

Same person reports a lot of bugs

Anybody who reports a lot of KDE bugs--especially if they are high quality bugs--is quite likely a committed KDE user who is a good candidate for becoming a more involved contributor over time. Stumbling on someone like this in the bug tracker is like striking gold. Take every opportunity to develop a relationship with this person and try to guide them through the KDE "get involved" pipeline. Oftentimes people who submit a lot of bugs move on to bug triaging and then later development.

Policies

  • Bugs placed into NEEDSINFO status will receive a reminder if the ticket:
    • Is at least 15 days old
    • Has not received any comment within 15 days
  • If a bug remains in NEEDSINFO for another 15 days with no comment, it will be closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME.
  • If a bug remains in NEEDSINFO with a comment provided within less than 15 days, no action will be taken (as it does not meet the above criteria).