CVSBUG(1)                 USER COMMANDS                 CVSBUG(1)

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  support  site.  In most cases the correct site will
     be the default.  This argument indicates  the  support  site
     which  is  responsible for the category 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  Management  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  complete  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:

     ·  describe only one problem with each problem report.

     ·  For follow-up mail, use the same subject line as the  one
        in  the automatic acknowledgent. 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 automatically.

     ·  Please try to be as accurate as possible in  the  subject
        and/or synopsis line.

     ·  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 permission notice identical
     to this one.

     Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of
     this  manual  into  another  language,   under   the   above
     conditions   for   modified   versions,   except  that  this
     permission notice may be included in  translations  approved
     by  the  Free Software Foundation instead of in the original
     English.

February 1993         Last change: xVERSIONx                    1