querybts1

Usage

Overview

querybts is designed to provide a convenient and easy-to-use interface to the Debbugs bug tracking system, as used by Debian and several other projects. You can specify a package name or one or more report numbers.

Options

The program follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes (`--'). A summary of options are included below.

-h, --help

Show summary of options.

--version

Show the version of querybts and exit.

-A, --archive

Browse archived bugs instead of current reports. Debbugs servers clear out closed reports after 28 days and place them in a separate archive; this option allows those older, resolved reports to be viewed (at least for servers that maintain an archive).

-B SYSTEM, --bts=SYSTEM

Instead of the Debian bug server, use the server specified by SYSTEM. Valid options are default and debian but check --help for an updated list.

-b, --buglist

Display a bugs list for the given package.

--latest-first

Display the bug reports list sorted and with the latest reports at the top.

--mbox-reader-cmd=MBOX_READER_CMD

Specify a command to open the bug reports mbox file. You can use %s to substitute the mbox file to be used, and %% to insert a literal percent sign. If no %s is specified, the mbox file name is supplied at the end of the argument list.

-m, --mbox

Retrieve the given bug number(s) or package name(s) as a mailbox file, instead of viewing it. It will be dumped to standard output.

--proxy=PROXY, --http_proxy=PROXY

Specify the WWW proxy server to use to handle the queries to the bug tracking system. You should only need this parameter if you are behind a firewall.

-s, --source

Query on source packages, rather than binary packages.

--timeout=SECONDS

Specify the network timeout, the number of seconds to wait for a resource to respond. If nothing is specified, a default timeout of 1 minute is selected.

In case of a network error, there are chances it's due to a too low timeout: try passing the --timeout option with a higher value than default.

-u INTERFACE, --ui=INTERFACE, --interface=INTERFACE

Specify the user interface to use. Valid options are text, urwid, gtk; default is taken from the reportbug configuration files.

-w, --web

Launch a web browser to view bug reports, instead of using the internal interface. This will also allow you to see the whole discussion about a particular bug at once, instead of one message at a time as querybts would do. (Only the first bug number on the command line will be opened.)

Configuration files

querybts supports a simple run control file syntax. Commands are read from /etc/reportbug.conf and $HOME/.reportbugrc with commands in the latter overriding those in the former.

Commands are not case sensitive, and currently take 0 or 1 argument; arguments containing whitespace must be enclosed in quotes.

Any line starting with # is taken to be a comment and will be ignored.

Generally, options corresponding to the long options for querybts are supported, without leading -- sequences. See the default /etc/reportbug.conf for all acceptable options and reportbug.conf(5) for all acceptable options and detailed information.

Options only supported by reportbug will be silently ignored.

Environment

http_proxy

Provides the address of a proxy server to handle the BTS query. This should be a valid http URL for a proxy server, including any required port number (simply specifying a hostname, or omitting a port other than 80, WILL NOT WORK).