How to make Bugzilla more palatable in Firefox
- Bugzilla Triage Buttons This is an installation page of a Jetpack script that requires both Firefox and the Jetpack plug-in. With Jetpack extension installed click on the installation link and it will automatically install (asking for permission). This scripts adds additional buttons to a bug page on bugzilla which will create a stock response to a bug. NEEDINFO Reminder will not close the bug but send a reminder to the reporter that the maintainer is asking for information to resolve the bug. NO RESPONSE is the stock response and settings to close a bug that the reporter never gave sufficient information for. The buttons fill in the fields but do not submit the form, after selecting a button check the fields and click Save Changes. “Mark triaged” button will mark bug triaged according to the current rules.
Not all buttons are useful for everybody, some of them are useful only to Xorg maintainers, however it is not that difficult to change buttons without changes in the script for triaging other components (author will gladly help with it). Request for support, enhancement of the script or bug reports about the script itself, should be directed to its author <mcepl at redhat dot com> (or mcepl on IRC).
All Bugzappers are recommended to use this script. Even if you won't use additional buttons (and they are handy) it will automatically add a standard Bugzappers group signature to each comment you make in Bugzilla. This both shows that you are a member of the Bugzappers group so that reporters and maintainers understand why you are working on the bug, and promotes the work of the Bugzappers group.
Jetpack extension requires Firefox 3.5 and later, so for compatibility with older versions of Firefox, we are still maintaining (bugfixes only, unless somebody sends a patch) Greasemonkey version of the script. Contact mcepl for support in case something doesn't work (or if you want to share a patch). No further development will be done on it though. If you have Greasemonkey script already installed and you cannot upgrade to Jetpack, there is no need to change anything.
- Also helpful is a Jetpack script Skip Bugzilla process_bug.cgi which skips over unhelpful process_bug.cgi page.
- Link Widgets When browsing through bugs in a long query results, this add-on for Firefox makes Alt+[PgUp/PgDown] Firefox to jump to (following/previous) bug.
Making searches in Bugzilla without much effort
The Deskbar applet has a Fedora Bugzilla plugin, which allows you to open a specific bug number from the Deskbar search bar. To install:
- Run "yum install deskbar-applet" as root, if the RPM is not already installed.
- Right click on the GNOME panel.
- Select "Add to panel".
- Select "Deskbar" from the list.
- Right click on the Deskbar icon on the panel.
- Select "Preferences".
- Check the box to the left of the Fedora Bugzilla Module.
For a quick search method in Firefox see, KieranClancy's user page.
Let Thunderbird understand bugmail
For those who use Thunderbird (Evolution and KMail can be configured to do similar things without any plugins) there is an excellent Bugmail addon which makes life with bugmail much more easy.
Talk with Bugzilla from command line (or scripts)
- python-bugzilla contains bugzilla command
Metrics
A project has been started to create some useful metrics of the state of fedora bugs, or Fedora Metrics. This will allows us to identify areas that progress is being made, as well as where we need to direct our focus. At some point we also want to be able to start identifying and rewarding those that are making contributions.
In the meantime, progress is being tracked at BugZappers/components.