Bug Reporting - Revision history

Z64555: /* Basic Guidelines */ Edit again. Email isn't necessary since the issue tracker has ability for discussion. Also add discord link

2021-08-12T02:56:46Z

‎Basic Guidelines: Edit again. Email isn't necessary since the issue tracker has ability for discussion. Also add discord link

Z64555: /* Basic Guidelines */ Replace ICQ guideline with Discord and/or email.

2021-08-12T02:51:48Z

‎Basic Guidelines: Replace ICQ guideline with Discord and/or email.

PIe: /* Places to ask about or report bugs */

2018-09-02T21:36:23Z

‎Places to ask about or report bugs

Zacam: Link debug_filter.cfg to page

2010-09-26T03:24:56Z

Link debug_filter.cfg to page

Octurion: /* Basic Guidelines */ - formatting

2008-09-26T07:50:41Z

‎Basic Guidelines: - formatting

Mustang19: Freespace -> FreeSpace

2007-09-28T14:07:05Z

Freespace -> FreeSpace

Fractux: fixed broken link

2007-04-11T22:05:29Z

fixed broken link

Fractux: Just made the first section a little clearer and removed link to indiegames forum.

2007-04-11T22:03:29Z

Just made the first section a little clearer and removed link to indiegames forum.

Wanderer: fixes and small additions

2007-01-24T13:46:11Z

fixes and small additions

Wanderer: additions and link fixes etc

2007-01-24T12:41:55Z

additions and link fixes etc

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 # ALWAYS post what graphics options you are using (OpenGL/D3D).
 # Don't just post the bug. Post any and all relevant info, and if you aren't sure if something might be relevant - post it anyway.
-# If at all possible, please post contact info in the form of a Discord handle or email address.
+# If at all possible, please post contact info in the form of a Discord handle.  The Github Issue tracker does well for keeping relevant information about bugs stapled to the bug report, but sometimes a real-time conversation on [https://discord.gg/QFdueKEYrN Discord] is best.
 # If you've got the time, run a debug build and post any errors you get with it (Not all builds have a debug build with them though).
 # Keep track of any bugs you post (in)! Nothing is more annoying than not being able to close a bug simply because you don't know if it's solved or not.

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 # ALWAYS post what graphics options you are using (OpenGL/D3D).
 # Don't just post the bug. Post any and all relevant info, and if you aren't sure if something might be relevant - post it anyway.
-# If at all possible, post contact info. Nothing is more convenient for a dev than having an ICQ number you can use to talk with a person having a problem. It can also speed things up a lot.
+# If at all possible, please post contact info in the form of a Discord handle or email address.
 # If you've got the time, run a debug build and post any errors you get with it (Not all builds have a debug build with them though).
 # Keep track of any bugs you post (in)! Nothing is more annoying than not being able to close a bug simply because you don't know if it's solved or not.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 * All new bugs are submitted here:
-**[http://scp.indiegames.us/mantis/login_page.php Mantis bug reporting system]
+**[https://github.com/scp-fs2open/fs2open.github.com/issues GitHub issues page]
 * If you want to ask about bugs, you can do so on the forums:
-**[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/board,50.0.html FSSCP Forums]
+**[https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/board,50.0.html FSSCP Forums]
 == Basic Guidelines ==

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 Debug build builds new "fs2_open.log" file every time its run - even when there is no problems encountered - so make sure to gather the relevant data before running the debug build again. Posting the last five lines or so of "fs2_open.log" can be handy. Note that Notepad will not display it properly, so you'll have to open it up in Wordpad to view it properly. Posting the "fs2_open.log" in its full extent is not very useful as it contains a lot of information that debug build reports there.
 <br><br>
-In some cases it also helps to create an empty text file named "debug_filter.cfg" to the '''data''' directory under the 'root' FreeSpace 2 directory and then recreate the "fs2_open.log" file (that is to run debug build again) - with older "fs.log" file the "debug_filter.cfg" ought to be placed into 'root' FreeSpace 2 directory. This causes the debug build to gather a lot more data into the "fs2_open.log" file which may prove useful for debugging the actual issues. The "fs2_open.log" files created with "debug_filter.cfg" in use are easily over a megabyte in size often will not even open in Notepad.
+In some cases it also helps to create an empty text file named "[[debug_filter.cfg]]" to the '''data''' directory under the 'root' FreeSpace 2 directory and then recreate the "fs2_open.log" file (that is to run debug build again) - with older "fs.log" file the "[[debug_filter.cfg]]" ought to be placed into 'root' FreeSpace 2 directory. This causes the debug build to gather a lot more data into the "fs2_open.log" file which may prove useful for debugging the actual issues. The "fs2_open.log" files created with "debug_filter.cfg" in use are easily over a megabyte in size often will not even open in Notepad.
 <br><br>
 If you read the "fs2_open.log" file you may notice problematic sections by yourself as well but in general '''do not post the whole "fs2_open.log"''' file - just the last five or so lines. There are also other very important sections in the "fs2_open.log" file that may help in identifying the issues. Like the section that begins with '''Building file index...''' (search for this) and ends to '''Found 21 roots and 12326 files''' (numbers may vary) as it contains information of all the various vp files the game loads. Also other sections like OpenAL initialization or OpenGL/D3D initialization may be of some use

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 == Basic Guidelines ==
-. Look before you leap - make sure there isn't a similar bug before you post a new one. If there is a similar bug, post info on your particular circumstance.
+# Look before you leap - make sure there isn't a similar bug before you post a new one. If there is a similar bug, post info on your particular circumstance.
-<br><br>
+# ALWAYS post what build you're using (If it's named something like "fs2_open_r", post where you got it from and what date it was posted).
-. ALWAYS post what build you're using (If it's named something like "fs2_open_r", post where you got it from and what date it was posted).
+# ALWAYS post what command lines you're using (And which ones the bug happens with).
-<br><br>
+# ALWAYS post what graphics options you are using (OpenGL/D3D).
-. ALWAYS post what command lines you're using (And which ones the bug happens with).
+# Don't just post the bug. Post any and all relevant info, and if you aren't sure if something might be relevant - post it anyway.
-<br><br>
+# If at all possible, post contact info. Nothing is more convenient for a dev than having an ICQ number you can use to talk with a person having a problem. It can also speed things up a lot.
-. ALWAYS post what graphics options you are using (OpenGL/D3D).
+# If you've got the time, run a debug build and post any errors you get with it (Not all builds have a debug build with them though).
-<br><br>
+# Keep track of any bugs you post (in)! Nothing is more annoying than not being able to close a bug simply because you don't know if it's solved or not.
-. Don't just post the bug. Post any and all relevant info, and if you aren't sure if something might be relevant - post it anyway.
+# Make sure to include what mediaVPs you're using.
-<br><br>
 == Error logs ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:07, 28 September 2007
Line 29:		Line 29:
	== Error logs ==		== Error logs ==

−	Especially when using debug builds, ~~Freespace~~ 2 will generate files called "errorlog.txt" and more importantly "fs2_open.log" (new version of older "fs.log").	+	Especially when using debug builds, FreeSpace 2 will generate files called "errorlog.txt" and more importantly "fs2_open.log" (new version of older "fs.log").

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 == Error logs ==
-Especially when using debug builds, Freespace 2 will generate files called "errorlog.txt" and "fs.log".
+Especially when using debug builds, Freespace 2 will generate files called "errorlog.txt" and more importantly "fs2_open.log" (new version of older "fs.log").
 === errorlog.txt ===
@@ Line 50: / Line 61: @@
 *The first line - in this case '''fs2_open_r-P4 caused an Illegal Instruction in module fs2_open_r-P4.exe at 001b:005f11b7.''' - tells something about the error that occurred. It is also the line that ought to be included into to the error/bug reports.
 [[Category:Source Code Project]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 == Places to ask about or report bugs ==
-[http://lore.maxgaming.net/~scp/mantis/main_page.php Mantis bug reporting system]
+[http://scp.indiegames.us/mantis/login_page.php Mantis bug reporting system]
 <br>[http://www.hard-light.net/smf/index.php/board,11.0.html FSSCP Forums]
 <br>[http://scp.indiegames.us/forum.php FSSCP Backup Forums]
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 . Look before you leap - make sure there isn't a similar bug before you post a new one. If there is a similar bug, post info on your particular circumstance.
-. ALWAYS post what build you're using (If it's named something like "fs2_open_r", post where you got it from and what date it was posted).
+Especially when using debug builds, Freespace 2 will generate files called "errorlog.txt" and "fs.log".
-. ALWAYS post what command lines you're using (And which ones the bug happens with).
+=== errorlog.txt ===
-. Don't just post the bug. Post any and all relevant info, and if you aren't sure if something might be relevant - post it anyway.
+Posting the first chunk of data from the corresponding entry in errorlog.txt can be a big help, as it may tell the dev exactly what went wrong where. (This chunk is recognizable, as it should have the date and time that the crash occured).
-. If at all possible, post contact info. Nothing is more convenient for a dev than having an ICQ number you can use to talk with a person having a problem. It can also speed things up a lot.
+==== Example ====
-. If you've got the time, run a debug build and post any errors you get with it (Not all builds have a debug build with them though).
+*The first chunk from a "errorlog.txt" entry
-. Keep track of any bugs you post (in)! Nothing is more annoying than not being able to close a bug simply because you don't know if it's solved or not.
+<pre>fs2_open_r-P4 caused an Illegal Instruction in module fs2_open_r-P4.exe at 001b:005f11b7.
-. Make sure to include what mediaVPs you're using.
+*The first line - in this case '''fs2_open_r-P4 caused an Illegal Instruction in module fs2_open_r-P4.exe at 001b:005f11b7.''' - tells something about the error that occurred. It is also the line that ought to be included into to the error/bug reports.
-Especially when using debug builds, Freespace 2 will generate files called "errorlog.txt" and "fs.log". Posting the first chunk of data from the corresponding entry in errorlog.txt can be a big help, as it may tell the dev exactly what went wrong where. (This chunk is recognizable, as it should have the date and time that the crash occured).
+=== fs.log ===
-Additionally, posting the last five lines or so of "fs.log" can also be handy. Note that Notepad will not display it properly, so you'll have to open it up in Wordpad to view it properly.
+Debug build builds new "fs.log" file every time its run - even when there is no problems encountered - so make sure to gather the relevant data before running the debug build again. Posting the last five lines or so of "fs.log" can be handy. Note that Notepad will not display it properly, so you'll have to open it up in Wordpad to view it properly. Posting the "fs.log" in its full extent is not very useful as it contains a lot of information that debug build reports there.
 [[Category:Source Code Project]]