[darcs-devel] darcs BTS configured, ready for developer account sign-ups

[Mark Stosberg]

Hello,

I have now configured the darcs bug tracking system (BTS) to my satisfaction.
Here are the basic non-obvious things you may want to know about it: 

Access
-----

The are basically two levels of access now. 

* Everyone can: Create Tickets, Comment on tickets, Reply to tickets, 
and use the web interface to review status. Tickets are created
automatically by sending e-mail to: bugs at darcs.net.

* Developers have additional abilities including: taking ownership of a ticket
  and changing it's meta data, including 'resolving' the ticket, adjusting the
  priority, relating it to other tickets, and filing the 'severity' such as 'Important'
  or 'Wishlist'.

David and I are 'administrators'. About the only 'interesting' thing this allows us to 
is to create new developers. 

Getting a Developer account
---------------------------

I believe David is interested in giving a developer account to any contributor
who asks.  E-mail me and I'll set it up for you with a random password. You
change the password later-- the passwords are encrypted in the database, so we
won't be able to see what your new password is. 

E-mail features
---------------

David and I have worked to configure the system with the following e-mail
features:

- When a ticket is created, the message will be sent to the -devel list. 
  Subsequent follow-ups will /not/ be. Communication will remain between  
  the requestor, the ticket owner, and anyone who is "cc'ed" on the message.

- If a message that is sent to the '-devel' list looks like it's related to a bug,
  it will be copied into the bug system. Bug related messages have a subject line
  that includes this: [darcs #123]

- The address 'bugs at darcs.net' works as a two-way gateway between the ticket
  requestor and the owner. When one replies to it, it will go the other, including
  the message in the BTS.

- There is another address called 'bugs-comment at darcs.net'. Sending mail to
  this address adds a comment to the ticket without notifying the requestor. 

URLs:
----

Developer front page:
http://bugs.darcs.net/

Everyone else front page:
http://bugs.darcs.net/?user=guest;pass=guest


Interesting Potential Uses  of RT
--------------------------

- RT supports a "CLI", which would allow you to install a binary on your local
  machine, and manage some tickets from a remote command line. Unfortunately,
  this entire feature is not well documented. (I couldn't find a good "getting
  started" link to share today).

- RT is rather extensible and customizable. For example, this page explains 
  the basics of how it could be configured to allow to change the ticket status 
  via e-mail:
  http://wiki.bestpractical.com/index.cgi?PostQuestionsHere

Finally
-------

This entire setup is new. Feel free to suggest improvements, and be patient as
the kinks are ironed out.

	Mark

-- 
http://mark.stosberg.com/