This document introduces bts-link, a tool that links bugs reported in Debian to bugs reported in upstream projects. Bts-link runs periodically and sends commands to Debian's bug tracker to tag bugs based on status changes in upstream trackers like Bugzilla and Launchpad. It notifies maintainers and subscribers of changes but does not automatically update bug statuses in Debian. The presentation provides background on bts-link and is given in the context of the HELIOS research project.

1. Introduction to bts-link
HELIOS WP3 kick-off
Olivier Berger
<olivier.berger@it-sudparis.eu>
02/05/09
Presentation © Olivier Berger & IT SudParis, under CC By, SA license

2. Reference sheet
(http://bts-link.alioth.debian.org/)
 bts­link
 Written initially by Pierre Habouzit for the Debian
project
 Running twice a week (more or less)
 Working stand-alone but with a copy of Debian
bugtracker's database
 Send commands to Debian's bugtracker (debbugs)
 Commands results are notified to Debian
maintainers and package susbcribers
 Licence : BSD
 Language : Python
 Repository : git @ git.debian.org
page 2 Olivier Berger

3. Rationale
 Watch links between bugs reported in Debian and bugs
reported in “upstream” projects
 Links between bugs were already created manually and
stored in debbugs (tags forwarded­to)
 Supported remote bugtrackers :
• bugzilla (and issuezilla);
• gnats;
• launchpad;
• mantis;
• savane;
• sourceforge trackers;
• trac;
• gforge.
Olivier Berger

4. Forwarded-to links
Mantis1
Trac1 ...
Bugzilla2
Bugzilla1
1846
123 457 123
4372 5827 2310 1846 ...
debbugs@Debian
Attributes forwarded-to already set on existing Debian bugs :
#4372 forwarded­to http://buzilla1.com/show_bug?id=123
#5827 forwarded­to http://buzilla2.com/show_bug?id=457
#2310 forwarded­to http://trac1.org/ticket/1846
#1846 forwarded­to http://myproj.com/mantis/view.php?id=123
Olivier Berger

5. Bugs lifecycle
Closed
tag + fixed­upstream
LOCAL:Found LOCAL:Found
FORWARDED:OPEN FORWARDED:CLOSED
tags : fixed-upstream
Reopened
tag ­ fixed­upstream
 Bugstatus “categories” supported in remote
bugtrackers :
• OPEN (any non-closed states, actually)
• CLOSED : then, maybe analyse the “resolution”
- If WONTFIX : add also a tag + wontfix
- If DUPLICATE : fetch duplicate bug and iterate status comparison
(at least for bugzilla for the moment)
Olivier Berger

6. Commands (email) sent to debbugs
From: bts­link­upstream@lists.alioth.debian.org
control@bugs.debian.org
To:
Cc: linux­2.6@packages.debian.org
Subject: [bts­link] source package linux­2.6
# bts­link upstream status pull for source package linux­2.6
user bts­link­upstream@lists.alioth.debian.org
# remote status report for #497931
# * http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10487
# * remote status changed: NEW ­> RESOLVED
# * remote resolution changed: (?) ­> CODE­FIX
# * closed upstream
tags 497931 + fixed­upstream
usertags 497931 ­ status­NEW
usertags 497931 + status­RESOLVED resolution­CODE­FIX
thanks
Olivier Berger

7. Debbugs response (email) : notification
From: Debian Bug Tracking System <owner@bugs.debian.org>
To: bts­link­devel@lists.alioth.debian.org
Cc: Debian Kernel Team <debian­kernel@lists.debian.org>
Subject: Processed: [bts­link] source package linux­2.6
Processing commands for control@bugs.debian.org:
...
> # remote status report for #497931
> # * http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10487
> # * remote status changed: NEW ­> RESOLVED
...
> tags 497931 + fixed­upstream
Bug#497931: forcedeth: don't work after resume
There were no tags set.
Tags added: fixed­upstream
Olivier Berger

8. Summary
 No discovery of bugs linked together (need already set
URL as forwarded-to bug attribute)
 No automatic bug status change in debbugs
 Only tags bugs
 Send notitifications to maintainers and people
subscribed to the package
 Up to the maintainer to close bugs accordingly, apply
fixes, etc.
 Contribution from Helios through patches sent (public
git tree)... many thanks to Sandro Tosi ;-)
 May be extended/inspiring to address Debian + others
Olivier Berger

9. Annex : Context of this presentation
 HELIOS project (http://helios-platform.org/)
• Project French R&D cluster System@tic of Paris-Region area
(FLOSS special interest group)
• 2 years project (start date : 2008/09/01)
• Academia + Industry :
- Alcatel-Lucent (industry)
- Artenum (industry, SME)
- Institut TELECOM / TELECOM & Management SudParis (academia)
- Kalis (industry, SME)
- Mandriva (industry, SME)
- Thales (project leader – industry)
• Application Lifecycle Management with Open Source
tools
page 9 Olivier Berger