[00:09] <gf2> Hello. I am finding bugs that are at incomplete status since 2014. Why weren't they removed/expired?
[00:21] <gf2> Hello. I am finding bugs that are at incomplete status since 2007. Why weren't they removed/expired?
[00:30] <gf2> Hi can someone answer a question please?
[19:47] <gf2> Hello hggdh, if a reporter says the bug is not a problem anymore and to close the ticket, that means that the problem was fixed. I have been using "Invalid" status to close tickets. Should I be using "fix released" for the situation above?
[19:58] <rbasak> gf2: Fix Released implies that there was a valid bug and the source was somehow changed to fix that bug.
[19:59] <rbasak> gf2: far more often somebody reports a problem as a "bug" and then discovers some way to fix the problem with no source code change. In that case the bug was always "Invalid".
[19:59] <rbasak> (ie. user error, etc)
[20:00] <rbasak> gf2: I'd err on Invalid over Fix Released, since otherwise somebody affected by a similar problem is going to start asking which version it was fixed in to try that, etc, which I think is misleading.
[20:00] <rbasak> That's just my opinion.
[20:04] <gf2> ok, good, rbasak! Thanks for the clarification. I was unsure. One reporter insisted that it had to be "fix released" and that made me wonder. Thanks.
[20:05] <gf2>  On a different question, rbasak: 	How do I test the beta version of TB without messing up my existing install?
[20:07] <rbasak> gf2: yeah I'd just to politely explain that if there's no fix it can't have been released and to say so may be misleading to others.
[20:07] <rbasak> gf2: try a container or VM maybe? A container should work well enough. There are instructions on how to let it connect to your X server etc.
[20:11] <gf2> OK. thanks. It is the Mozilla people who are saying that version 52 of thunderbird is almost end of life and asking me if it is an issue in version 60. Version 52 is the standard release. Version 60 is the beta. I am not sure if the bug triager is supposed to be testing bugs on beta versions? Do you know if I should be doing that?
[20:12] <rbasak> You're volunteering your time, so it's entirely up to you how far you want to go with it.
[20:13] <rbasak> If it turns out to still affect version 60, then it will have been helpful to the community for you to have identified that and reported it as such upstream.
[20:13] <rbasak> Since then upstream might be able to take care of fixing it.
[20:14] <gf2> True. Also, if I test it in beta and say the bug isn't a problem in the beta, do I tell the reporter to just wait until the next version comes out?
[20:14] <rbasak> If it turns out not to affect version 60, then it is helpful for others to know that (they can plan to wait or a developer can attempt a backport etc), but ultimately it makes no difference in the long run.
[20:16] <rbasak> Waiting isn't the only option. A volunteer developer could fix it in a stable release in Ubuntu even.
[20:17] <rbasak> The main thing is to set the reporter's expectations on what will, won't and may happen. I wouldn't want to make "just wait" final, since that implies that it won't be fixed in a stable release, and that's not quite true - valid bugs generally just need developers to address them.
[20:17] <rbasak> "just"
[20:17] <rbasak> OTOH, I wouldn't advise the reporter that a fix for a stable release of Ubuntu is around the corner unless there's a developer committed to working on it.
[20:18] <rbasak> I usually try to make sure the reporter understands that something awaits a volunteer.
[20:18] <gf2> ok, thanks, rbasak. That gives me a lot to think about. I am working on really old tickets and it feels weird to ask someone to wait yet again.
[20:18] <gf2> But explaining about "awaits a volunteer" is a good idea :)
[20:18] <rbasak> Working on old bugs is particular difficult IMHO, since reporters sometimes get reminded about having reported something and get angry about it not having been addressed previously.
[20:19] <gf2> I've had mostly positive responses :)
[20:19] <rbasak> Great!
[20:19] <gf2> Some sarcastic
[20:19] <gf2> not bad
[20:20] <hggdh> rbasak: thank you for answering :-)
[20:20] <rbasak> IMHO it's all about setting expectations. People get less frustrated if they know that something isn't going to happen unless something volunteers, vs. expecting that something is about to happen just because they reported something.
[20:20] <rbasak> You're welcome :)
[20:21] <gf2> But I have covered 990 tickets in 2 weeks. It has been a good experience and I am learning a lot. You are right about expectations. Very true :)
[20:21] <hggdh> gf2: just so you know, my ral-life work is completely different. Usually, weekends I am dealing with the normal real-life thingies, and rarely at the keyboard
[20:22] <gf2> so sorry, hggdh . I thought you were the head bug triager :)
[20:22] <gf2> rbasak has been answering my questions :)
[20:23] <hggdh> gf2: no problem. bdmurray is the actual bug meister
[20:23] <gf2> Many thanks to rbasak! and bd murray, who has helped me in the past.
[20:24] <hggdh> but -- in general -- any of us here can answer. I have been a bit off re. Ubuntu for a while, due to this thing of earning money
[20:25] <gf2> is there a timezone thing? Are you all in England/Europe? I am in Canada and 5 hours behind you
[20:26] <hggdh> gf2: I live in the US, rbasak around London (give or take a few hundred miles), I think. It is a truly international setup
[20:27] <rbasak> I'm in Europe/London. I work on Ubuntu full time, so am generally around UK office hours but have IRC open so I see things if I use a computer at other times.
[20:28] <gf2> ok, that helps. I work full time and work on bug triaging in evenings and on weekends. I started only recently and sometimes have questions. Thanks for all your help, you two! :)
[20:28] <hggdh> gf2: you are welcome, we we appreciate the help
[20:29] <gf2> There are 79 people in the room. Are they actually all there? or just absent from their keyboard?
[20:35] <hggdh> gf2: sort of. Some of us that deal/dealt with bugs tend to stay here (logged in). This does not mean we are actually looking at what goes on in the channel, or even at the keyboard
[20:35] <hggdh> but we tend to have a go at the backlog when we come back to the channel
[20:36] <gf2> OK, thanks for the info, hggdh.  Have a great night everyone. :)
[20:36] <hggdh> gf2: good night