man apsfilter-bug (1): create a half-automatic bug report for apsfilter

SYNOPSIS

apsfilter-bug

OPTIONS

none

DESCRIPTION

With the apsfilter-bug script you can automatically create a bug report for apsfilter(1). A template report file is created which you can edit with your favourite editor ( emacs(1) by default, or whatever is entered in the environment variable EDITOR ).

You will see a couple of lines starting with '#'; these lines will be removed before the report is sent. So if you want to use the '#' character at the beginning of a line, just indent it with a space.

A very important piece of the bug report is the debugging log created by aps2file(1), probably with a command like

aps2file -D -o /dev/null [-P...] [-Z...] [input] 2> log.txt

Unless you don't even have a chance to create a debugging log, it is crucial for serious bug hunting.

After you have filled in as much (useful) information as possible, you must save the file under its original name, then exit your editor.

If you invoked apsfilter-bug by accident, or if you need some additional system information to include into the bug report, just exit your editor without saving the file.

NOTES

In addition to the stuff you've edited, some more information is appended to the bug report automatically:

apsfilter version: 7.2.6-stable
ghostscript version: (from 'gs --version')
system id: (from 'uname -a')
configure options: --prefix=/usr --sysconfdir=/etc --mandir=/usr/share/man --with-awk=/usr/bin/awk --with-sendmail=/usr/sbin/sendmail
shell executable: /bin/bash
awk executable: /usr/bin/awk
sendmail executable: /usr/sbin/sendmail

FILES

/usr/bin/aps2file: script to create debugging output

BUGS

See apsfilter software center - http://www.apsfilter.org/ - for new versions, bugfixes and known bugs.

Please use the new tool apsfilter-bug1 to release bug- or problem reports. It automatically presents you a form in an editor window which asks you some standard questions. If you save and quit the editor session, then this report is sent automatically via e-mail to the proper apsfilter mailinglist.

If apsfilter fails to print something or prints it in a way you wouldn't expect and you want to report an apsfilter error then please save the debugging output of one print session using the new aps2file(1) utility by typing aps2file -D -Z options file > /dev/null 2> file.debug and including the debugging output in the file file.debug into the edit session of the apsfilter-bug utility, so that it is included into the mail to the apsfilter mailinglist.

Please note that you need to run /bin/sh (Bourne Shell), bash or a compatible shell, so that the above mentioned output redirection works. Under C-shell (/bin/csh) or tcsh it would't work. If you don't know, then simply make sure you use the Bournce shell by typing /bin/sh or bash then you should have no problems with redirection of stdout and stderr (> /dev/null 2> file.debug).

DOCUMENTATION

See official apsfilter homepage

http://www.apsfilter.org/handbook.html: Apsfilter Handbook including the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

USER FORUM

Please send questions to the official apsfilter help channel [email protected] The above section BUGS and the file HOWTO-BUGREPORTS tells you how to report bugs. If you want to know how to troubleshoot your apsfilter installation, please read the manpage aps2file(1) and apsfilter-bug1 as well as the Apsfilter Handbook carefully.

HISTORY

The apsfilter-bug manpage has been written by Michael Loßin <[email protected]> and first appeared in apsfilter V 7.1.0.