Issue Tracking

When you encounter an issue with your deployment or use of open source software, you will need to file an issue in the appropriate place so that the project developers are able to look into the issue and potentially solve it or help you solve your local issue. If you have never filed an issue before, you should follow the material below to learn how to file actionable bug reports. If you are already familiar with the concept of issue tracking, a basic review of how to file good bug reports will be helpful. You should work with your Mentor to look at examples of good bug reports for relevant projects and also at bad or incomplete ones. You should understand the lifecycle of how bugs are fixed and software patched or upgraded. You should also immediately start using an issue tracker as a way to stay organized on your own projects.

Goals/Objectives/Outcomes

• Understand the lifecycle of a bug and how they are fixed and software is patched or upgraded
• Understand how to find and use a projects bug tracker.
• Understand how to file actionable bug reports that have all the information necessary for someone to diagnose your problem or confirm that a bug exists
• Understand the importance of using Issue trackers on collaborative projects and start using them for all future projects.

Reference Material

Measures of Success

• Participant understands how and why issue trackers are used in collaborative software projects and how bugs are fixed and software patched and released.
• Participant is able to effectively use the issue tracker for an open source project to file issues or look for existing similar/related issues.
• Participant has setup a sample project issue tracker to explore basic concepts