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Reporting

Step 3: Reporting back!

You tested the new version of Xubuntu and you noticed something that needs improving (bugs or usability suggestions). Great! Information you provide about what you noticed, can help make Xubuntu better, stronger.

Now Xubuntu needs to know what it is and what part of Xubuntu is giving trouble. So please report back to the Xubuntu community, so that it can be considered for fixing.

Below is a very simple overview to get you going. See the excellent Ubuntu Community Help Wiki for more info (remembering to substitute Xubuntu for Ubuntu in the IRC channel and mailing lists etc.)

Using the ISO Tracker

We have a wiki page devoted to using the iso tracker.

Sharing a screenshot

Sometimes it's easier to show than tell. So we've made sharing your screenshot easy. Just press the PrintScreen-button on your keyboard, select “host on imgur” and click “ok” to upload your screen to Imgur, and then the next dialogue contains the link that points to it. Copy the link into your bug-mail, the IRC-channel, or the bug report. Only need to share your active window? Press ALT-PrintScreen.

NB: Actually, sharing a screenshot is so easy, that you may forget to check if there is something in the screenshot -in the background, top panel, left, right- that you may not want to share on Imgur. Remember: your screenshot on Imgur is for all the world to see.

Launchpad

Xubuntu uses Launchpad for bug reporting. To report bugs you will need an account. An 'Ubuntu One' account, allows you to log in to all the Xubuntu and Ubuntu services and sites, including Launchpad.

Reporting issues

Several types of issues may occur:

  • an application crashes, with a dialogue to report the crash
  • an application crashed, without a dialogue to report the crash
  • you may not know which application has crashed
  • your whole system may crash
  • you may notice things that, though they work, are not quite right, could work better, are not user friendly enough.

In any of these cases you need an Launchpad-account «link to the right page» to report back.

An application crashes, and there's a dialogue to report the crash

In most cases the operating system will automatically start the “ubuntu-bug” application Apport to produce a crash report and show you a dialogue in which you can choose to report the issue. Simply follow the instructions.

An application crashes, but there is no dialogue to report the crash

You know the name of the application: If, after a crash, there is no dialogue asking you to report the crash, you can press ALT-F2, to open the Run Command dialogue, or press CTRL-ALT-T, to open a terminal, and type ubuntu-bug <package name> (substituting <package name>) and press ENTER. Simply follow the instructions.

You don't know the right package name of the application: If the application that crashed still has an open window: press ALT-F2, to open the Run Command dialogue, or press CTRL-ALT-T, to open a terminal, and type ubuntu-bug -w. An 'X' will appear. Then click on the window of the application you want to report against and follow the instructions.

You don't know which application has the problem

Here are instructions to find the right package.

Your whole system crashed

You might find Debugging System Crashes helpful. Reporting system crashes is slightly more complex. But don't worry if you don't manage: just start reporting 'normal bugs'. As you get in the swing of things you will learn how to do more and more.

You want to ask a question, notice things that should work better, need to be more user friendly

Even if there a no crashes you can head over to Launchpad. You can ask questions if anything is unclear, or you need help to determine if what you are seeing is a bug or not. You can also suggest improvements against a package by simply reporting it as a bug on Launchpad.

Reporting an issue directly to launchpad

It is possible to directly report a bug through Launchpad. Find the Launchpad page for the application by typing https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/PACKAGENAME/+filebug into the address bar of your browser, replacing PACKAGENAME by the packagename you want to report the bug against, and you will be able to report your issue. Example: to report a bug for xubuntu-meta, type https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xubuntu-meta/+filebug.

Duplicates

You may not be the first to notice the bug. In many cases the ubuntu-bug Apport application will check if the crash you experienced has been reported before. If so you will be directed to the appropriate place on launchpad, and you can then add any information you think helpful, and mark yourself as “affected too”.

If in doubt: do report a new bug, as no bug should remain unreported.