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Author Topic: Notes on Bug Reporting  (Read 214097 times)

Dwarfu

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Notes on Bug Reporting
« on: August 11, 2010, 07:20:44 am »

A few notes for your bug reporting prowess:

  • SEARCH FIRST! (See below.) There's a good chance your bug has been reported already - better to add your findings to an already reported bug than to post yet another duplicate.
  • There is no need to 'bump' a report - Mantis isn't a forum.
  • A save is pretty much always helpful (required for crashes), please upload one to the Dwarf Fortress File Depot (http://dffd.wimbli.com/).
  • Besides reporting what version of the game you are using, also report what version you generated your fort under.
  • Is your save SDL or Legacy, or both?
  • If you have a bug related to specific part of your fortress or a workshop or even an individual dwarf, please have the save zoomed to the spot the bug seems to be taking place.
  • It is extremely helpful to be able to find things via the stock screen (such as making sure you have fuel, bugged tissues, forbidden status, etc.).  Please put your bookkeepers to work:  'n'obles screen, scroll to bookkeeper, 's'ettings.
  • Please set up a profile for your computer system, some problems are OS specific, etc. (Mantis:  My Account -> Profiles).
  • Does your errorlog.txt, located in the root DF directory, contain any messages that might be related to your problem?
  • If you are posting large text blocks (world gen parameters, raw quotes, etc.), please use a service like Pastebin.
  • Hauling problems?  Check the 'j'obs screen for some info.  Also, are you using burrows?
  • If you are using an older version of the game, read about changes either in the release notes.txt file (when you download a newer version), located in the root DF directory, or look at the Change Log (Mantis:  Change Log).
  • For crashes, how much memory was the game using near the crash time?
  • There are many common issues already accounted for, review the stickied issues first (Mantis:  View Issues, stickies will appear above a gray bar).
  • If you need to reopen a bug report that is resolved, please message a Manager on the forums, being:  Footkerchief, Dwarfu, Logical2U, Knight Otu, lethosor.

INTERNAL BUG TRACKER LINKS
  • To create an inline link to a bug report, use the hash/pound key '#' before the bug report number (you do not need the leading zeros).  This will include the title of the bug report when you mouseover the link.
  • To create an inline link to a note, use the tilde key '~' before the note number (you do not need the leading zeros).  This will include the name of the reporter that made the note when you mouseover the link.

HOW TO SEARCH

Your default view is the "MY VIEW" link on the  gray menu bar.  Click on the "VIEW ISSUES" link.



Below the blue and gray criteria fields is your search box.  Type in your search terms and click the "APPLY FILTER" button.



To reset your search, look to the right hand side of the screen on the same line as the search box.  Make sure "[Reset Filter]" is selected in the drop-down box and click the "USE FILTER" button.



Thank you.
« Last Edit: July 08, 2014, 02:21:20 pm by Dwarfu »
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vadia

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2010, 04:15:39 pm »

the search feature is hard to use but the top part (topical search) and you will not quite find what you look for.
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toupz

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2011, 08:25:39 pm »

I don't get the option to create a new thread to report a bug.....

Edit: May i have a confirmation email please?
« Last Edit: January 17, 2011, 08:29:58 pm by toupz »
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theTrueMikeBrown

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2011, 11:55:53 am »

I recently reported a bug that was marked as a duplicate of anther bug (and I personally do not believe it is a duplicate of the other bug)

I could be wrong, but the following note(s)

http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=1271#c4100
http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=2299#c8466

seems to indicate that returning the raws to their original state causes the crash to stop, and my crash is persistent. I have the raws in their original state and the game still crashes.

I don't mean to be a jerk and re-open the bug unless it is actually necessary, but I cannot find a way to add a note to a closed but (or to contact footkerchief directly)

I know he is on these forms a lot - perhaps he will show up and explain to me why this really is a duplicate :)

if that doesn't happen, then how would I go about adding a note to a closed bug?
« Last Edit: March 11, 2011, 12:16:00 pm by theTrueMikeBrown »
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Granite26

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2011, 01:52:12 pm »

Mike:  the forums have a pm/email system.  Open up his profile and click send pm.  Mantis has no message system.

Toupz:  bugs are tracked in mantis now, read the forum info.

Mods:  is there a system in place for wiping all the saves on dffd after Toady is done with them, or are we responsible for that outselves.  Dffd doesn't have infinite space...

Dwarfu

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2011, 03:53:46 pm »

Granite26,

Mike was taken care of and Toupz meant he couldn't file a report on mantis...I'm not sure if s/he/it registered under a different name, but I don't see a Toupz on there.  There was a problem with confirmation emails at one point.

As far as the saves, I haven't heard of the admins worried about the space, but I'm all for preventative action.  For the sake of the cycle, don't remove anything attached to a report that is in anything but in a 'closed' (gray) state, unless we eventually hear otherwise.

And I have no idea what vadia was on about.
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Granite26

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2011, 05:21:03 pm »

Search feature.... is a pain in the butt, it remembers settings from the last time you searched, and that can trip you up if you aren't careful.

Footkerchief

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2011, 01:01:07 am »

Search feature.... is a pain in the butt, it remembers settings from the last time you searched, and that can trip you up if you aren't careful.

The persistent settings can be annoying, but otherwise it's pretty good.  You can do quoted phrases and stuff.
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Lac

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2011, 05:09:50 pm »

It's funny when you're on as Anonymous and wondering why only a few cases are showing and then realise you're being filtered on some random phrase like "phallic rock formations".
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nil

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2011, 09:49:49 pm »

I'm seeing some reports which give text from the "terminal," e.g. http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=4365 .  Is this a useful log, and if so how do I find it?

Footkerchief

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2011, 09:57:43 pm »

I don't think Toady finds the logs terribly useful, especially compared to a save.
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VonCede

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2011, 01:47:01 am »

Using Mantis, reports, tags and how?

Stupid noob reporter questions.

So I found a bug. A real one. I even used a search (with cleared filter) in tracker to make fairly sure that it is new one, and filled out the bug report.

Now there it is, new shiny bug report, awaiting a fix.

1) Do I need to, or should I, now attach any tags on this?

1b) If yes, what are common situations that are normally tagged on this point?

Someone noticed my report, surely It's now getting fixed. Oh, they are just asking an update, I'l fill that out. Wait, what? They tagged my report with "AWAITING UPDATE", what is that?

2) After giving a response, Do I need to do anything with tags? Like attach "UPDATE GIVEN"?

3) Any other useful hint and tips for new reporters how to use Mantis efficiently?
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Logical2u

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2011, 09:49:06 am »

1) Do I need to, or should I, now attach any tags on this?

1b) If yes, what are common situations that are normally tagged on this point?
Tags aren't necessary but are helpful. If you want to do it yourself that's fine but sometimes others will help too. The most common tags are usually just descriptors for the type of bug - eg biome, grass, etc.
Quote
Someone noticed my report, surely It's now getting fixed. Oh, they are just asking an update, I'l fill that out. Wait, what? They tagged my report with "AWAITING UPDATE", what is that?

2) After giving a response, Do I need to do anything with tags? Like attach "UPDATE GIVEN"?

3) Any other useful hint and tips for new reporters how to use Mantis efficiently?

AWAITING UPDATE is just a tag the managers and I use to keep tabs on reports that needed additional information. I'm not so great at keeping tabs on all of those tagged reports but I try. They might get removed if the reporter has responded to the concerns raised. There's no tag for 'update given' that I know of, and I can't really think of a great reason to have one (since I have to look through AWAITING UPDATE anyways from time to time to make sure there are no abandoned bugs).

You should get familiar with search techniques and strategies is really the only other advice I'd have. It took me a while to figure it out. Maybe create a good filter.
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Lightman

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2012, 01:23:39 am »

Should I attach files to a bug? Can I? I collected a memory dump of a crash during world generation for 34.01

Without it, my bug report might be useless.
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Logical2u

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Re: Notes on Bug Reporting
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2012, 08:34:49 am »

Should I attach files to a bug? Can I? I collected a memory dump of a crash during world generation for 34.01

Without it, my bug report might be useless.

Memory dumps might not be as useful as the save. You can't upload files directly to the tracker, but if you upload your save to some place like the Dwarf Fortress File Depot and include a link in your bug report, that would work fine.
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