CVSBUG(8)		    System Manager's Manual		     CVSBUG(8)



NAME
       cvsbug - send problem report (PR) about CVS to a central support site

SYNOPSIS
       cvsbug [ site ] [ -f problem-report ] [ -t mail-address ]
	       [ -P ] [ -L ] [ --request-id ] [ -v ]

DESCRIPTION
       cvsbug is a tool used to submit problem reports (PRs) to a central sup-
       port site.  In most cases the correct site will be the  default.	  This
       argument	 indicates the support site which is responsible for the cate-
       gory of problem involved.  Some sites may use  a	 local	address	 as  a
       default.	 site values are defined by using the aliases(5).

       cvsbug  invokes an editor on a problem report template (after trying to
       fill in some fields with reasonable default values).  When you exit the
       editor,	cvsbug	sends the completed form to the Problem Report Manage-
       ment System (GNATS) at a central support site.  At  the	support	 site,
       the  PR is assigned a unique number and is stored in the GNATS database
       according  to  its  category  and  submitter-id.	  GNATS	 automatically
       replies with an acknowledgement, citing the category and the PR number.

       To  ensure  that	 a  PR	is  handled  promptly,	it should contain your
       (unique) submitter-id and one of the available categories  to  identify
       the problem area.  (Use `cvsbug -L' to see a list of categories.)

       The cvsbug template at your site should already be customized with your
       submitter-id (running `install-sid submitter-id' to accomplish this  is
       part  of	 the installation procedures for cvsbug).  If this hasn't been
       done, see your system administrator for your submitter-id,  or  request
       one  from your support site by invoking `cvsbug --request-id'.  If your
       site does not distinguish between different user sites, or if  you  are
       not affiliated with the support site, use `net' for this field.

       The  more  precise  your problem description and the more complete your
       information, the faster your support team can solve your problems.

OPTIONS
       -f problem-report
	      specify a file (problem-report) which already  contains  a  com-
	      plete  problem  report.	cvsbug	sends the contents of the file
	      without invoking the editor.  If the value for problem-report is
	      `-', then cvsbug reads from standard input.

       -t mail-address
	      Change  mail  address  at	 the support site for problem reports.
	      The default mail-address is the address  used  for  the  default
	      site.   Use  the site argument rather than this option in nearly
	      all cases.

       -P     print the form specified by the environment variable PR_FORM  on
	      standard	output.	  If  PR_FORM  is  not set, print the standard
	      blank PR template.  No mail is sent.

       -L     print the list of available categories.  No mail is sent.

       --request-id
	      sends mail to the default support site, or  site	if  specified,
	      with a request for your submitter-id.  If you are not affiliated
	      with site, use a submitter-id of net'.

       -v     Display the cvsbug version number.

       Note: use cvsbug to submit problem reports  rather  than	 mailing  them
       directly.   Using  both the template and cvsbug itself will help ensure
       all necessary information will reach the support site.

ENVIRONMENT
       The environment variable EDITOR specifies the editor to invoke  on  the
       template.
       default: vi

       If  the	environment variable PR_FORM is set, then its value is used as
       the file name of the template for your problem-report editing  session.
       You can use this to start with a partially completed form (for example,
       a form with the identification fields already completed).

HOW TO FILL OUT A PROBLEM REPORT
       Problem reports have to be in a particular form so that a  program  can
       easily manage them.  Please remember the following guidelines:

       o  describe only one problem with each problem report.

       o  For  follow-up  mail,	 use  the  same subject line as the one in the
	  automatic acknowledgement. It consists of category,  PR  number  and
	  the  original synopsis line.	This allows the support site to relate
	  several mail messages to a particular PR and to record them automat-
	  ically.

       o  Please  try to be as accurate as possible in the subject and/or syn-
	  opsis line.

       o  The subject and the synopsis line are	 not  confidential.   This  is
	  because  open-bugs lists are compiled from them.  Avoid confidential
	  information there.

       See the GNU Info file cvsbug.info or the	 document  Reporting  Problems
       With cvsbug for detailed information on reporting problems

HOW TO SUBMIT TEST CASES, CODE, ETC.
       Submit  small  code  samples with the PR.  Contact the support site for
       instructions on submitting larger test  cases  and  problematic	source
       code.

FILES
       /tmp/p$$	    copy of PR used in editing session
       /tmp/pf$$    copy of empty PR form, for testing purposes
       /tmp/pbad$$  file for rejected PRs

INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION
       See INSTALL for installation instructions.

SEE ALSO
       gnats(l),  query-pr(1),	edit-pr(1),  gnats(8),	queue-pr(8), at-pr(8),
       mkcat(8), mkdist(8).

AUTHORS
       Jeffrey Osier, Brendan Kehoe, Jason Merrill,  Heinz  G.	Seidl  (Cygnus
       Support)

COPYING
       Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

       Permission  is  granted	to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
       manual provided the copyright notice and	 this  permission  notice  are
       preserved on all copies.

       Permission  is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
       manual under the conditions for verbatim	 copying,  provided  that  the
       entire  resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a per-
       mission notice identical to this one.

       Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this  man-
       ual into another language, under the above conditions for modified ver-
       sions, except that this permission notice may be included  in  transla-
       tions approved by the Free Software Foundation instead of in the origi-
       nal English.




February 1993			   xVERSIONx			     CVSBUG(8)