Block the web UI for filing Ubuntu bugs

[Eleanor Berger]

Instead users should use Apport to file bugs.

Make this configurable per site, and allow overriding this option using a magic URL parameter.

[Noel J. Bergman (noeljb)]

So basically, people will have to run ubuntu-bug or apport-cli to report bugs? What about all of the bugs that have nothing to do with crashes?

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

We will point people to the following documentation, https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs, instead of having them immediately file a bug in Launchpad. Keep in mind that ubuntu-bug is not just for crash reports - it can be used for reporting any type of bug.

[Noel J. Bergman (noeljb)]

Brian, yes I realize that ubuntu-bug is not just for crash reports. :-) My comment about crash reports was related only to the description, above, which reads "users should use Apport to file bugs."

If the goal of this change is to enforce more complete bug content that's great. I understand the problem. But I would not want to see if backfire, and simply discourage users from filing bug reports.

For example, contrary to the ReportingBugs page, many times I do not see "Apport start automatically, raising an appropriate bug report for you to complete in Launchpad".

I often see Apport claim to upload, and then nothing. I've just tried it with Firefox to test. Also, Apport says that the package is firefox-3.0 3.0.13+nobinonly-0ubuntu3, despite the fact that I'm using Firefox 3.5.2. The apport log has:

apport (pid 21625) Thu Sep 3 16:54:13 2009: called for pid 21622, signal 5
apport (pid 21625) Thu Sep 3 16:54:13 2009: executable: /usr/lib/firefox-3.5.2/firefox (command line "/usr/lib/firefox-3.5.2/firefox https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox-3.0/+filebug/uaaTzrH81Utu5EyEImvrbNHdYew?")
apport (pid 21625) Thu Sep 3 16:54:13 2009: this executable already crashed 2 times, ignoring

Notice that it is referencing Firefox-3.0 instead of firefox-3.5.

For Nautilus, nothing happens at all.

And, as noted elsewhere, for many things, there's simply no such menu item. Perhaps a System menu item (e.g., File Bug Report) should be added, with a simple GUI to select a package name (and provide any other desired information) before sending them to Launchpad.

So while I support the idea of getting better bug reports, I'm concerned about unintended consequences.

[William Grant (wgrant)]

How do I file a bug about my machine being unbootable?

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

The description says "allow overriding this option using a magic URL parameter." This means that the +filebug url will still work just that the "Report a bug" button will take you to the ReportingBugs wiki page instead of the +filebug form.

[Diogo Matsubara (matsubara)]

Fixed in devel r9369.

[Curtis Hovey (sinzui)]

Fixed released in malone 3.0.