mirror of
https://codeberg.org/forgejo/docs.git
synced 2024-11-23 17:59:25 -05:00
100 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
100 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: 'The Basics of Issue Tracking'
|
|
license: 'CC-BY-SA-4.0'
|
|
origin_url: 'https://codeberg.org/Codeberg/Documentation/src/commit/85d333f48badb27f8e4371263db3354f70836dfd/content/getting-started/issue-tracking-basics.md'
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
Issues are an important mean of communication on Forgejo.
|
|
Besides their original purpose - reporting bugs to a project's maintainer -
|
|
they can be used to suggest enhancements, ask for new features, discuss a project's
|
|
direction, ask questions and much more.
|
|
|
|
### The Issue Tracker
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You can access the issue tracker of a project by clicking its "Issues" tab **(1)**.
|
|
|
|
There, you'll see a browsable and filterable **(2)** list of all issues.
|
|
Many projects use labels to categorize issues. If you want to contribute to a project,
|
|
a good label to look for is the "help wanted" label.
|
|
|
|
You can switch between issues that are still open, and those that are already resolved **(3)**.
|
|
|
|
Some projects define milestones **(4)**, to which issues can be assigned. They are good for
|
|
visualizing the progress of a project's development.
|
|
|
|
You can create an issue by clicking on the orange "New Issue" button **(5)** at the top right
|
|
of the issues list.
|
|
|
|
Issues in the issue tracker are public, and everyone is able to read and answer them.
|
|
|
|
An issue can have an assignee, meaning someone responsible for resolving or moderating
|
|
the issue. Their profile picture, with a link to their profile, can be seen in the issue
|
|
list.
|
|
|
|
### Life of an Issue
|
|
|
|
Once an issue in the Issue Tracker has been created, it will usually pass through a
|
|
process of review, discussion and closure, which can be more or less strictly defined,
|
|
based on the project you're contributing to.
|
|
|
|
The first thing that might happen is that your issue is categorized using labels.
|
|
Your issue may be reviewed by the project's maintainer(s) and evaluated whether it, i.e., is a bug report or feature request.
|
|
|
|
Then, depending on what type of issue it is, there might be additional questions
|
|
or a discussion and, if applicable, the implementation of a solution (or the rejection of
|
|
the issue).
|
|
|
|
Finally, the issue is closed and moved from the list of open issues to the closed one.
|
|
Issues might have dependencies on other issues or pull requests preventing them from being closed.
|
|
|
|
Occasionally, issues may become "stale". That's when there hasn't been any progress for
|
|
an extended period of time (usually months). You might consider reviving these, if there
|
|
is a strong interest in getting them resolved (and, preferably, if you can contribute
|
|
something to them).
|
|
|
|
> If you encounter an abandoned project and there's no way of contacting the maintainer(s),
|
|
> consider forking it, if you want to assume responsibility for it (or, rather, your fork).
|
|
|
|
### Things to consider
|
|
|
|
#### Security bugs
|
|
|
|
If the bug you have found has security implications, **do not create
|
|
an issue right away!** Instead try contacting the project's maintainers privately.
|
|
Many projects have a dedicated e-mail address for reporting security bugs. If the
|
|
project in question doesn't, consider writing an email directly to the project's
|
|
maintainer or ask for the address in the issue tracker.
|
|
|
|
> **⚠** What's important is that you **don't publicly expose security bugs before they are
|
|
> fixed _and_ the fixes are deployed**, because **otherwise, you might put the users of that
|
|
> project at severe risk**.
|
|
|
|
#### Existing issues
|
|
|
|
Before creating a new issue, please make sure that there isn't already an existing
|
|
issue about, i.e., the bug you want to report or the feature you want to request.
|
|
|
|
If there already is an existing issue, please consider commenting on that issue instead,
|
|
if there is something more that you can contribute to it.
|
|
|
|
You should also make sure that the issue has not already been solved by having a look
|
|
at the closed issues **(3)** as well.
|
|
|
|
#### Try to be precise and helpful
|
|
|
|
Project maintainers love precise information about why, i.e., a bug is happening.
|
|
|
|
Some projects may even have templates that specifically ask for information like
|
|
the operating system or database software used.
|
|
|
|
If you can provide that information, it will be easier for the project maintainer(s)
|
|
to quickly resolve your issue. And if you want it resolved even quicker,
|
|
consider writing a Pull Request solving the issue (if possible).
|
|
|
|
#### Be (reasonably) patient
|
|
|
|
Please remember that many project maintainers work on their free software projects
|
|
in their free time. Some maintainers may answer you within minutes, others within days.
|
|
Don't be discouraged if there isn't an immediate answer.
|