Can't Copy Crash Report Details to Clipboard

[Lonnie Lee Best]

Often times, after receiving a crash report, if I click the "Continue" button it doesn't launch the browser for me to submit my crash to launchpad.net.

Because of this, I'd always like to copy the crash report to my clipboard before clicking the continue button, so that I can manually provide this information into a bug report to launchpad.net.

However, this option is not available.

More over, there is absolutely *no way* to copy any text from this crash report's dialog window!

1) You cannot ctrl-a to select all.
2) Ctrl-c doesn't copy anything
3) Right-clicking doesn't produce a context menu where you can select "Copy".

This is an unfinished design. You should always give the user the ability to copy any text displayed in the UI.

Next to the "Show/Hide details" button, I suggest adding a "Copy to Clipboard" button. If not this, please offer some way to achieve this from the GUI.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: apport-gtk 2.13.2-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-5.20-generic 3.13.0
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-5-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportLog:

ApportVersion: 2.13.2-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Tue Jan 28 10:21:00 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-07 (113 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: apport
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-01-08 (19 days ago)

[Lonnie Lee Best (launchpad-startport)]

Here's a screen shot of a crash report that I was unable to copy to my clipboard:
http://neartalk.com/ss/2014-01-28_10:35:04.png

[Lonnie Lee Best (launchpad-startport)]

Where are these crash reports kept on the file system? The GUI allows no way to copy the report. Plus, you can't even maximize the windows so that you might at least do a screenshot of the entire report.

This is the kind of crap I'd expect from M$.

[Jordan Bowman (jordanbowman)]

I vehemently agree. This is most definitely an egregious design flaw. As even a neophyte developer, when I encounter this sort of thing it makes me smack my forehead. I understand that nobody's perfect and we can't write bug-free software, but I can't count the number of times I've tried to simply copy/paste ONE line from a crash report for a quick Google only to be reminded it isn't possible, let alone the entire report - which is exactly what a developer wants from you when trying to help solve an issue. PLEASE add this very basic and intuitive functionality!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Guntbert Reiter (guntbert)]

jordanbowman, why don't you add yourself to the "affects me too" list?

[Jordan Bowman (jordanbowman)]

guntbert, because I didn't know it existed until you pointed it out and I went and found it ;)

[Ola Asfalt (3tub1410)]

@Lonnie Lee Best #3:

The crash report is stored in:

    /var/crash/

as a .crash file. When sent a .upload and .uploaded file is added.

It includes a CoreDump: base64 field that can be quite huge though.

[Lonnie Lee Best (launchpad-startport)]

Here's another example:
http://neartalk.com/ss/2015-02-01_019_827x523.png

Remmina has been crashing like crazy. When I send this report it does not pull up bugs.launchpad.net for me to detail what was happening when the crash happened. I have no clue whether the bug report is getting sent to bugs.launchpad.net or not.

Plus, getting back to the top of this bug, you can't copy any of the information details from this dialog. I'd expect this kind of crap from Microsoft Windows, but not Ubuntu!

Please add an option to this dialog so I can *copy details to clipboard*, so that I can file an explicit bug report after the the " Send error report" feature fails to launch bugs.launchpad.net

I never want to see any text on my screen that I cannot copy and paste! This is UI 101 stuff.

[Lonnie Lee Best (launchpad-startport)]

@Ola Asfalt: Thanks for telling me where these details can be copied.

Never the less, (though) however, the purpose of this bug report is so that a normal user of Ubuntu doesn't have to be told by Ola Asfalt in a bug report, where to find the details of a crash.

It should be copy and paste. Don't show a user text he cannot copy and paste. This a golden rule that should be followed.

[corrado venturini (corradoventu)]

Same problem on Xenial, Yakkety and Zesty ...

[corrado venturini (corradoventu)]

remember: to easily view crash report you may add your userid to group whoopsie:
sudo adduser your-userid whoopsie

[corrado venturini (corradoventu)]

Same problem with other system windows. see screenshot.
I know, I can copy same info from terminal using 'last' command...

[corrado venturini (corradoventu)]

also in ubuntu 17,10 artful

[mgsloan (mgsloan)]

Agreed that this should really be resolved. It is particularly problematic for packages that are not in ubuntu repos - when submitting bug reports to 3rd parties.

It would also be far easier to check if the report is leaking any secrets if you could easily open it in a text editor and use ctrl+f. I suppose that wouldn't handle the coredump bits, but eh.

[Lonnie Lee Best (launchpad-startport)]

This bug was submitted 4 years ago and still applies to each additional Ubuntu release.

What is the next step that could actually contribute progress on this issue?

To me it is kind of ironic that a bug regarding the bug reporting system itself could go so long unfixed.

[corrado venturini (corradoventu)]

Still this problem in Ubuntu 18.10 Cosmic

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Shashank Nimje (shashanknimje)]

I am currently having this issue on the below release.

Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS
Release: 20.04
Codename: focal

The system dialog for any crash report does not allow me to copy the text from within the dialog box. Nothing works; no right click context menu option, no ctrl + c, no ctrl + a, nothing.

[Andreas (chromanet)]

This is still an annoying issue in Ubuntu 21.04 (hirsute).