package hooks needed an apport-retrace back-office

[C de-Avillez]

Binary package hint: apport-retrace

Release of Ubuntu: 9.10 Karmic
Package Version:
apport-retrace:
  Installed: 1.3-0ubuntu2
  Candidate: 1.3-0ubuntu2
  Version table:
 *** 1.3-0ubuntu2 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages

We are working on a sanitising script for GDB [thread]stacktraces. The objectives are:

(1) to simplify a triager' work when opening/adding a comment to an upstream bug: currently we need to manually inspect the stacktrace to find private data (usernames, passwords, fully-qualified server names, IP addresses, etc) and mask them out;
(2) to allow an otherwise born-private bug to be set public with minimal effort -- which would allow for reporters to look at it and subscribe instead of opening a new bug.

I expect this cleanup to require a hook for each package: after all, the variable naming is a programmer's choice, and there is no guarantee that a general hook will match on all possible naming.

I have already written a first-approach to a package hook for Evolution; it seems to work, but it is restricted to running on the user's machine (I am also collecting a bit of gconf data). But the sanitising of the GDB traces seem to work.

Finally: please take pity: this is my first Python programme, and I am certain that there are many better ways of doing whatever I am doing; I am wide open to lessons, though ;-).

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

pitti -- when chatting with you the other day you suggested it would be nice to have a way of downloading a whole apport report (and called it apport-download). Well, here you have a first approach.

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

Setting as wishlist.

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

Another point: after apport-retrace successfully finishes processing a bug (i.e., it *does* generate good backtraces), would it be a good idea to delete the original Stacktrace & ThreadStacktrace? If not, we will have to consider all four of them -- the originals and the '(retraced).

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

In principle we can delete the original ones, either by changing description (for inline traces) or deleting the attachments. This requires some thought to not hardcode Launchpad specifics into the core apport code, I'll ponder that.

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for apport (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]