annotate man/trouble.texi @ 38552:6319e783bf00

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author Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
date Wed, 25 Jul 2001 13:00:42 +0000
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children 0d3019db87ac
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1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
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2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
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4 @iftex
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5 @chapter Dealing with Common Problems
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6
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7 If you type an Emacs command you did not intend, the results are often
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8 mysterious. This chapter tells what you can do to cancel your mistake or
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9 recover from a mysterious situation. Emacs bugs and system crashes are
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10 also considered.
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11 @end iftex
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12
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13 @node Quitting, Lossage, Customization, Top
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14 @section Quitting and Aborting
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15 @cindex quitting
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16
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17 @table @kbd
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18 @item C-g
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19 @itemx C-@key{BREAK} @r{(MS-DOS only)}
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20 Quit: cancel running or partially typed command.
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21 @item C-]
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22 Abort innermost recursive editing level and cancel the command which
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23 invoked it (@code{abort-recursive-edit}).
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24 @item @key{ESC} @key{ESC} @key{ESC}
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25 Either quit or abort, whichever makes sense (@code{keyboard-escape-quit}).
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26 @item M-x top-level
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27 Abort all recursive editing levels that are currently executing.
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28 @item C-x u
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29 Cancel a previously made change in the buffer contents (@code{undo}).
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30 @end table
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31
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32 There are two ways of canceling commands which are not finished
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33 executing: @dfn{quitting} with @kbd{C-g}, and @dfn{aborting} with
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34 @kbd{C-]} or @kbd{M-x top-level}. Quitting cancels a partially typed
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35 command or one which is already running. Aborting exits a recursive
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36 editing level and cancels the command that invoked the recursive edit.
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37 (@xref{Recursive Edit}.)
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38
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39 @cindex quitting
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40 @kindex C-g
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41 Quitting with @kbd{C-g} is used for getting rid of a partially typed
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42 command, or a numeric argument that you don't want. It also stops a
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43 running command in the middle in a relatively safe way, so you can use
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44 it if you accidentally give a command which takes a long time. In
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45 particular, it is safe to quit out of killing; either your text will
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46 @emph{all} still be in the buffer, or it will @emph{all} be in the kill
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47 ring (or maybe both). Quitting an incremental search does special
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48 things documented under searching; in general, it may take two
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49 successive @kbd{C-g} characters to get out of a search
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50 (@pxref{Incremental Search}).
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51
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52 On MS-DOS, the character @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} serves as a quit character
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53 like @kbd{C-g}. The reason is that it is not feasible, on MS-DOS, to
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54 recognize @kbd{C-g} while a command is running, between interactions
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55 with the user. By contrast, it @emph{is} feasible to recognize
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56 @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} at all times. @xref{MS-DOS Input}.
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57
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58 @findex keyboard-quit
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59 @kbd{C-g} works by setting the variable @code{quit-flag} to @code{t}
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60 the instant @kbd{C-g} is typed; Emacs Lisp checks this variable
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61 frequently and quits if it is non-@code{nil}. @kbd{C-g} is only
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62 actually executed as a command if you type it while Emacs is waiting for
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63 input. In that case, the command it runs is @code{keyboard-quit}.
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64
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65 If you quit with @kbd{C-g} a second time before the first @kbd{C-g} is
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66 recognized, you activate the ``emergency escape'' feature and return to
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67 the shell. @xref{Emergency Escape}.
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68
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69 @cindex NFS and quitting
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70 There may be times when you cannot quit. When Emacs is waiting for
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71 the operating system to do something, quitting is impossible unless
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72 special pains are taken for the particular system call within Emacs
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73 where the waiting occurs. We have done this for the system calls that
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74 users are likely to want to quit from, but it's possible you will find
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75 another. In one very common case---waiting for file input or output
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76 using NFS---Emacs itself knows how to quit, but many NFS implementations
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77 simply do not allow user programs to stop waiting for NFS when the NFS
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78 server is hung.
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79
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80 @cindex aborting recursive edit
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81 @findex abort-recursive-edit
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82 @kindex C-]
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83 Aborting with @kbd{C-]} (@code{abort-recursive-edit}) is used to get
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84 out of a recursive editing level and cancel the command which invoked
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85 it. Quitting with @kbd{C-g} does not do this, and could not do this,
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86 because it is used to cancel a partially typed command @emph{within} the
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87 recursive editing level. Both operations are useful. For example, if
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88 you are in a recursive edit and type @kbd{C-u 8} to enter a numeric
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89 argument, you can cancel that argument with @kbd{C-g} and remain in the
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90 recursive edit.
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91
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92 @findex keyboard-escape-quit
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93 @kindex ESC ESC ESC
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94 The command @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC} @key{ESC}}
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95 (@code{keyboard-escape-quit}) can either quit or abort. This key was
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96 defined because @key{ESC} is used to ``get out'' in many PC programs.
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97 It can cancel a prefix argument, clear a selected region, or get out of
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98 a Query Replace, like @kbd{C-g}. It can get out of the minibuffer or a
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99 recursive edit, like @kbd{C-]}. It can also get out of splitting the
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100 frame into multiple windows, like @kbd{C-x 1}. One thing it cannot do,
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101 however, is stop a command that is running. That's because it executes
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102 as an ordinary command, and Emacs doesn't notice it until it is ready
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103 for a command.
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104
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105 @findex top-level
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106 The command @kbd{M-x top-level} is equivalent to ``enough'' @kbd{C-]}
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107 commands to get you out of all the levels of recursive edits that you
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108 are in. @kbd{C-]} gets you out one level at a time, but @kbd{M-x
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109 top-level} goes out all levels at once. Both @kbd{C-]} and @kbd{M-x
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110 top-level} are like all other commands, and unlike @kbd{C-g}, in that
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111 they take effect only when Emacs is ready for a command. @kbd{C-]} is
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112 an ordinary key and has its meaning only because of its binding in the
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113 keymap. @xref{Recursive Edit}.
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114
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115 @kbd{C-x u} (@code{undo}) is not strictly speaking a way of canceling
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116 a command, but you can think of it as canceling a command that already
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117 finished executing. @xref{Undo}, for more information
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118 about the undo facility.
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119
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120 @node Lossage, Bugs, Quitting, Top
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121 @section Dealing with Emacs Trouble
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122
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123 This section describes various conditions in which Emacs fails to work
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124 normally, and how to recognize them and correct them.
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125
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126 @menu
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127 * DEL Gets Help:: What to do if @key{DEL} doesn't delete.
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128 * Stuck Recursive:: `[...]' in mode line around the parentheses.
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129 * Screen Garbled:: Garbage on the screen.
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130 * Text Garbled:: Garbage in the text.
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131 * Unasked-for Search:: Spontaneous entry to incremental search.
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132 * Memory Full:: How to cope when you run out of memory.
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133 * After a Crash:: Recovering editing in an Emacs session that crashed.
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134 * Emergency Escape:: Emergency escape---
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135 What to do if Emacs stops responding.
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136 * Total Frustration:: When you are at your wits' end.
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137 @end menu
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138
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139 @node DEL Gets Help
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140 @subsection If @key{DEL} Fails to Delete
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141 @cindex @key{DEL} vs @key{BACKSPACE}
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142 @cindex @key{BACKSPACE} vs @key{DEL}
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143 @cindex usual erasure key
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144
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145 Every keyboard has a large key, a little ways above the @key{RET} or
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146 @key{ENTER} key, which you normally use outside Emacs to erase the
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147 last character that you typed. We call this key @dfn{the usual
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148 erasure key}. In Emacs, it is supposed to be equivalent to @key{DEL},
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149 and when Emacs is properly configured for your terminal, it translates
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150 that key into the character @key{DEL}.
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151
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152 When Emacs starts up using a window system, it determines
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153 automatically which key should be @key{DEL}. In some unusual cases
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154 Emacs gets the wrong information from the system. If the usual
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155 erasure key deletes forwards instead of backwards, that is probably
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156 what happened---Emacs ought to be treating the @key{DELETE} key as
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157 @key{DEL}, but it isn't.
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158
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159 With a window system, if the usual erasure key is labeled
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160 @key{BACKSPACE} and there is a @key{DELETE} key elsewhere, but the
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161 @key{DELETE} key deletes backward instead of forward, that too
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162 suggests Emacs got the wrong information---but in the opposite sense.
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163 It ought to be treating the @key{BACKSPACE} key as @key{DEL}, and
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164 treating @key{DELETE} differently, but it isn't.
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165
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166 On a text-only terminal, if you find the usual erasure key prompts
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167 for a Help command, like @kbd{Control-h}, instead of deleting a
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168 character, it means that key is actually sending the @key{BS}
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169 character. Emacs ought to be treating @key{BS} as @key{DEL}, but it
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170 isn't.
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171
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172 In all of those cases, the immediate remedy is the same: use the
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173 command @kbd{M-x normal-erase-is-backspace-mode}. This toggles
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174 between the two modes that Emacs supports for handling @key{DEL}, so
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175 if Emacs starts in the wrong mode, it should switch to the right mode.
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176 On a text-only terminal, if you want to ask for help when @key{BS} is
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177 treated as @key{DEL}, use @key{F1}; @kbd{C-?} may also work, if it
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178 sends character code 127.
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179
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180 @findex normal-erase-is-backspace-mode
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181 To fix the problem automatically for every Emacs session, you can
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182 put one of the following lines into your @file{.emacs} file
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183 (@pxref{Init File}). For the first case above, where @key{DELETE}
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184 deletes forwards instead of backwards, use this line to make
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185 @key{DELETE} act as @key{DEL} (resulting in behavior compatible
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186 with Emacs 20 and previous versions):
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187
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188 @lisp
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189 (normal-erase-is-backspace-mode 0)
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190 @end lisp
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191
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192 @noindent
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193 For the other two cases, where @key{BACKSPACE} ought to act as
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194 @key{DEL}, use this line:
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195
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196 @lisp
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197 (normal-erase-is-backspace-mode 1)
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198 @end lisp
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199
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200 @vindex normal-erase-is-backspace
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201 Another way to fix the problem for every Emacs session is to
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202 customize the variable @code{normal-erase-is-backspace}: the value
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203 @code{t} specifies the mode where @key{BS} or @key{BACKSPACE} is
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204 @key{DEL}, and @code{nil} specifies the other mode. @xref{Easy
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205 Customization}.
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206
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207 With a window system, it can also happen that the usual erasure key
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208 is labeled @key{BACKSPACE}, there is a @key{DELETE} key elsewhere, and
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209 both keys delete forward. This probably means that someone has
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210 redefined your @key{BACKSPACE} key as a @key{DELETE} key. With X,
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211 this is typically done with a command to the @code{xmodmap} program
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212 when you start the server or log in. The most likely motive for this
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213 customization was to support old versions of Emacs, so we recommend
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214 you simply remove it now.
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215
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216 @node Stuck Recursive
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217 @subsection Recursive Editing Levels
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218
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219 Recursive editing levels are important and useful features of Emacs, but
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220 they can seem like malfunctions to the user who does not understand them.
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221
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222 If the mode line has square brackets @samp{[@dots{}]} around the parentheses
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223 that contain the names of the major and minor modes, you have entered a
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224 recursive editing level. If you did not do this on purpose, or if you
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225 don't understand what that means, you should just get out of the recursive
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226 editing level. To do so, type @kbd{M-x top-level}. This is called getting
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227 back to top level. @xref{Recursive Edit}.
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228
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229 @node Screen Garbled
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230 @subsection Garbage on the Screen
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231
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232 If the data on the screen looks wrong, the first thing to do is see
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233 whether the text is really wrong. Type @kbd{C-l} to redisplay the
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234 entire screen. If the screen appears correct after this, the problem
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235 was entirely in the previous screen update. (Otherwise, see the following
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236 section.)
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237
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238 Display updating problems often result from an incorrect termcap entry
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239 for the terminal you are using. The file @file{etc/TERMS} in the Emacs
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240 distribution gives the fixes for known problems of this sort.
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241 @file{INSTALL} contains general advice for these problems in one of its
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242 sections. Very likely there is simply insufficient padding for certain
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243 display operations. To investigate the possibility that you have this sort
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244 of problem, try Emacs on another terminal made by a different manufacturer.
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245 If problems happen frequently on one kind of terminal but not another kind,
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246 it is likely to be a bad termcap entry, though it could also be due to a
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247 bug in Emacs that appears for terminals that have or that lack specific
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248 features.
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249
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250 @node Text Garbled
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251 @subsection Garbage in the Text
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252
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253 If @kbd{C-l} shows that the text is wrong, try undoing the changes to it
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254 using @kbd{C-x u} until it gets back to a state you consider correct. Also
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255 try @kbd{C-h l} to find out what command you typed to produce the observed
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256 results.
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257
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258 If a large portion of text appears to be missing at the beginning or
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259 end of the buffer, check for the word @samp{Narrow} in the mode line.
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260 If it appears, the text you don't see is probably still present, but
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261 temporarily off-limits. To make it accessible again, type @kbd{C-x n
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262 w}. @xref{Narrowing}.
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263
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264 @node Unasked-for Search
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265 @subsection Spontaneous Entry to Incremental Search
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266
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267 If Emacs spontaneously displays @samp{I-search:} at the bottom of the
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268 screen, it means that the terminal is sending @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q}
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269 according to the poorly designed xon/xoff ``flow control'' protocol.
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270
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271 If this happens to you, your best recourse is to put the terminal in a
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272 mode where it will not use flow control, or give it so much padding that
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273 it will never send a @kbd{C-s}. (One way to increase the amount of
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274 padding is to set the variable @code{baud-rate} to a larger value. Its
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275 value is the terminal output speed, measured in the conventional units
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276 of baud.)
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277
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278 @cindex flow control
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279 @cindex xon-xoff
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280 @findex enable-flow-control
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281 If you don't succeed in turning off flow control, the next best thing
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282 is to tell Emacs to cope with it. To do this, call the function
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283 @code{enable-flow-control}.
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284
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285 @findex enable-flow-control-on
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286 Typically there are particular terminal types with which you must use
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287 flow control. You can conveniently ask for flow control on those
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288 terminal types only, using @code{enable-flow-control-on}. For example,
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289 if you find you must use flow control on VT-100 and H19 terminals, put
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290 the following in your @file{.emacs} file:
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291
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292 @example
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293 (enable-flow-control-on "vt100" "h19")
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294 @end example
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295
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296 When flow control is enabled, you must type @kbd{C-\} to get the
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297 effect of a @kbd{C-s}, and type @kbd{C-^} to get the effect of a
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298 @kbd{C-q}. (These aliases work by means of keyboard translations; see
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299 @ref{Keyboard Translations}.)
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300
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301 @node Memory Full
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302 @subsection Running out of Memory
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303 @cindex memory full
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304 @cindex out of memory
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305
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306 If you get the error message @samp{Virtual memory exceeded}, save your
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307 modified buffers with @kbd{C-x s}. This method of saving them has the
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308 smallest need for additional memory. Emacs keeps a reserve of memory
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309 which it makes available when this error happens; that should be enough
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310 to enable @kbd{C-x s} to complete its work.
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311
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312 Once you have saved your modified buffers, you can exit this Emacs job
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313 and start another, or you can use @kbd{M-x kill-some-buffers} to free
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314 space in the current Emacs job. If you kill buffers containing a
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315 substantial amount of text, you can safely go on editing. Emacs refills
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316 its memory reserve automatically when it sees sufficient free space
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317 available, in case you run out of memory another time.
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318
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319 Do not use @kbd{M-x buffer-menu} to save or kill buffers when you run
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320 out of memory, because the buffer menu needs a fair amount of memory
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321 itself, and the reserve supply may not be enough.
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322
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323 @node After a Crash
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324 @subsection Recovery After a Crash
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325
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326 If Emacs or the computer crashes, you can recover the files you were
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327 editing at the time of the crash from their auto-save files. To do
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328 this, start Emacs again and type the command @kbd{M-x recover-session}.
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329
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330 This command initially displays a buffer which lists interrupted
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331 session files, each with its date. You must choose which session to
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332 recover from. Typically the one you want is the most recent one. Move
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333 point to the one you choose, and type @kbd{C-c C-c}.
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334
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335 Then @code{recover-session} asks about each of the files that you were
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336 editing during that session; it asks whether to recover that file. If
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337 you answer @kbd{y} for a file, it shows the dates of that file and its
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338 auto-save file, then asks once again whether to recover that file. For
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339 the second question, you must confirm with @kbd{yes}. If you do, Emacs
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340 visits the file but gets the text from the auto-save file.
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341
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342 When @code{recover-session} is done, the files you've chosen to
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343 recover are present in Emacs buffers. You should then save them. Only
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344 this---saving them---updates the files themselves.
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345
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346 @node Emergency Escape
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347 @subsection Emergency Escape
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348
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349 Because at times there have been bugs causing Emacs to loop without
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350 checking @code{quit-flag}, a special feature causes Emacs to be suspended
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351 immediately if you type a second @kbd{C-g} while the flag is already set,
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352 so you can always get out of GNU Emacs. Normally Emacs recognizes and
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353 clears @code{quit-flag} (and quits!) quickly enough to prevent this from
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354 happening. (On MS-DOS and compatible systems, type @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}}
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355 twice.)
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356
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357 When you resume Emacs after a suspension caused by multiple @kbd{C-g}, it
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358 asks two questions before going back to what it had been doing:
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359
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360 @example
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361 Auto-save? (y or n)
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362 Abort (and dump core)? (y or n)
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363 @end example
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364
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365 @noindent
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366 Answer each one with @kbd{y} or @kbd{n} followed by @key{RET}.
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367
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368 Saying @kbd{y} to @samp{Auto-save?} causes immediate auto-saving of all
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369 modified buffers in which auto-saving is enabled.
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370
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371 Saying @kbd{y} to @samp{Abort (and dump core)?} causes an illegal instruction to be
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372 executed, dumping core. This is to enable a wizard to figure out why Emacs
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373 was failing to quit in the first place. Execution does not continue
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374 after a core dump. If you answer @kbd{n}, execution does continue. With
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375 luck, GNU Emacs will ultimately check @code{quit-flag} and quit normally.
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376 If not, and you type another @kbd{C-g}, it is suspended again.
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377
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378 If Emacs is not really hung, just slow, you may invoke the double
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379 @kbd{C-g} feature without really meaning to. Then just resume and answer
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380 @kbd{n} to both questions, and you will arrive at your former state.
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381 Presumably the quit you requested will happen soon.
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382
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383 The double @kbd{C-g} feature is turned off when Emacs is running under
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384 the X Window System, since you can use the window manager to kill Emacs
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385 or to create another window and run another program.
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386
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387 On MS-DOS and compatible systems, the emergency escape feature is
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388 sometimes unavailable, even if you press @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} twice, when
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389 some system call (MS-DOS or BIOS) hangs, or when Emacs is stuck in a
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390 very tight endless loop (in C code, @strong{not} in Lisp code).
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391
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392 @node Total Frustration
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393 @subsection Help for Total Frustration
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394 @cindex Eliza
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395 @cindex doctor
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396
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397 If using Emacs (or something else) becomes terribly frustrating and none
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parents:
diff changeset
398 of the techniques described above solve the problem, Emacs can still help
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
399 you.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
400
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
401 First, if the Emacs you are using is not responding to commands, type
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
402 @kbd{C-g C-g} to get out of it and then start a new one.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
403
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
404 @findex doctor
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
405 Second, type @kbd{M-x doctor @key{RET}}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
406
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
407 The doctor will help you feel better. Each time you say something to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
408 the doctor, you must end it by typing @key{RET} @key{RET}. This lets
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
409 the doctor know you are finished.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
410
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
411 @node Bugs, Contributing, Lossage, Top
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
412 @section Reporting Bugs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
413
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
414 @cindex bugs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
415 Sometimes you will encounter a bug in Emacs. Although we cannot
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
416 promise we can or will fix the bug, and we might not even agree that it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
417 is a bug, we want to hear about problems you encounter. Often we agree
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
418 they are bugs and want to fix them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
419
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
420 To make it possible for us to fix a bug, you must report it. In order
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
421 to do so effectively, you must know when and how to do it.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
422
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
423 @menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
424 * Criteria: Bug Criteria. Have you really found a bug?
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
425 * Understanding Bug Reporting:: How to report a bug effectively.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
426 * Checklist:: Steps to follow for a good bug report.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
427 * Sending Patches:: How to send a patch for GNU Emacs.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
428 @end menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
429
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
430 @node Bug Criteria
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
431 @subsection When Is There a Bug
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
432
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
433 If Emacs executes an illegal instruction, or dies with an operating
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
434 system error message that indicates a problem in the program (as opposed to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
435 something like ``disk full''), then it is certainly a bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
436
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
437 If Emacs updates the display in a way that does not correspond to what is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
438 in the buffer, then it is certainly a bug. If a command seems to do the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
439 wrong thing but the problem corrects itself if you type @kbd{C-l}, it is a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
440 case of incorrect display updating.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
441
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
442 Taking forever to complete a command can be a bug, but you must make
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
443 certain that it was really Emacs's fault. Some commands simply take a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
444 long time. Type @kbd{C-g} (@kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} on MS-DOS) and then @kbd{C-h l}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
445 to see whether the input Emacs received was what you intended to type;
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
446 if the input was such that you @emph{know} it should have been processed
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
447 quickly, report a bug. If you don't know whether the command should
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
448 take a long time, find out by looking in the manual or by asking for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
449 assistance.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
450
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
451 If a command you are familiar with causes an Emacs error message in a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
452 case where its usual definition ought to be reasonable, it is probably a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
453 bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
454
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
455 If a command does the wrong thing, that is a bug. But be sure you know
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
456 for certain what it ought to have done. If you aren't familiar with the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
457 command, or don't know for certain how the command is supposed to work,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
458 then it might actually be working right. Rather than jumping to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
459 conclusions, show the problem to someone who knows for certain.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
460
36388
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
461 Finally, a command's intended definition may not be the best
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
462 possible definition for editing with. This is a very important sort
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
463 of problem, but it is also a matter of judgment. Also, it is easy to
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
464 come to such a conclusion out of ignorance of some of the existing
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
465 features. It is probably best not to complain about such a problem
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
466 until you have checked the documentation in the usual ways, feel
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
467 confident that you understand it, and know for certain that what you
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
468 want is not available. If you are not sure what the command is
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
469 supposed to do after a careful reading of the manual, check the index
5835d43dcf93 (Bug Criteria): Reword a sentence.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36294
diff changeset
470 and glossary for any terms that may be unclear.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
471
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
472 If after careful rereading of the manual you still do not understand
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
473 what the command should do, that indicates a bug in the manual, which
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
474 you should report. The manual's job is to make everything clear to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
475 people who are not Emacs experts---including you. It is just as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
476 important to report documentation bugs as program bugs.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
477
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
478 If the on-line documentation string of a function or variable disagrees
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
479 with the manual, one of them must be wrong; that is a bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
480
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
481 @node Understanding Bug Reporting
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
482 @subsection Understanding Bug Reporting
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
483
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
484 @findex emacs-version
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
485 When you decide that there is a bug, it is important to report it and to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
486 report it in a way which is useful. What is most useful is an exact
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
487 description of what commands you type, starting with the shell command to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
488 run Emacs, until the problem happens.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
489
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
490 The most important principle in reporting a bug is to report
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
491 @emph{facts}. Hypotheses and verbal descriptions are no substitute for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
492 the detailed raw data. Reporting the facts is straightforward, but many
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
493 people strain to posit explanations and report them instead of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
494 facts. If the explanations are based on guesses about how Emacs is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
495 implemented, they will be useless; meanwhile, lacking the facts, we will
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
496 have no real information about the bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
497
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
498 For example, suppose that you type @kbd{C-x C-f /glorp/baz.ugh
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
499 @key{RET}}, visiting a file which (you know) happens to be rather large,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
500 and Emacs displayed @samp{I feel pretty today}. The best way to report
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
501 the bug is with a sentence like the preceding one, because it gives all
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
502 the facts.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
503
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
504 A bad way would be to assume that the problem is due to the size of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
505 the file and say, ``I visited a large file, and Emacs displayed @samp{I
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
506 feel pretty today}.'' This is what we mean by ``guessing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
507 explanations.'' The problem is just as likely to be due to the fact
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
508 that there is a @samp{z} in the file name. If this is so, then when we
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
509 got your report, we would try out the problem with some ``large file,''
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
510 probably with no @samp{z} in its name, and not see any problem. There
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
511 is no way in the world that we could guess that we should try visiting a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
512 file with a @samp{z} in its name.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
513
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
514 Alternatively, the problem might be due to the fact that the file starts
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
515 with exactly 25 spaces. For this reason, you should make sure that you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
516 inform us of the exact contents of any file that is needed to reproduce the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
517 bug. What if the problem only occurs when you have typed the @kbd{C-x C-a}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
518 command previously? This is why we ask you to give the exact sequence of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
519 characters you typed since starting the Emacs session.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
520
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
521 You should not even say ``visit a file'' instead of @kbd{C-x C-f} unless
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
522 you @emph{know} that it makes no difference which visiting command is used.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
523 Similarly, rather than saying ``if I have three characters on the line,''
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
524 say ``after I type @kbd{@key{RET} A B C @key{RET} C-p},'' if that is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
525 the way you entered the text.@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
526
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
527 So please don't guess any explanations when you report a bug. If you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
528 want to actually @emph{debug} the problem, and report explanations that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
529 are more than guesses, that is useful---but please include the facts as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
530 well.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
531
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
532 @node Checklist
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
533 @subsection Checklist for Bug Reports
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
534
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
535 @cindex reporting bugs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
536 The best way to send a bug report is to mail it electronically to the
36180
252e21b04fb1 Suggest copying problematical manual text into the bug report.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35874
diff changeset
537 Emacs maintainers at @email{bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org}, or to
252e21b04fb1 Suggest copying problematical manual text into the bug report.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35874
diff changeset
538 @email{emacs-pretest-bug@@gnu.org} if you are pretesting an Emacs beta
26021
4f5e4ec69f6a Add emacs-prestest-bug@gnu.org analogous to bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
539 release. (If you want to suggest a change as an improvement, use the
4f5e4ec69f6a Add emacs-prestest-bug@gnu.org analogous to bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
540 same address.)
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
541
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
542 If you'd like to read the bug reports, you can find them on the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
543 newsgroup @samp{gnu.emacs.bug}; keep in mind, however, that as a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
544 spectator you should not criticize anything about what you see there.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
545 The purpose of bug reports is to give information to the Emacs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
546 maintainers. Spectators are welcome only as long as they do not
38245
9ada58a02f7e Don't include data bigger than 500,000 bytes directly in the bug
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38230
diff changeset
547 interfere with this. In particular, some bug reports contain fairly
9ada58a02f7e Don't include data bigger than 500,000 bytes directly in the bug
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38230
diff changeset
548 large amounts of data; spectators should not complain about this.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
549
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
550 Please do not post bug reports using netnews; mail is more reliable
38245
9ada58a02f7e Don't include data bigger than 500,000 bytes directly in the bug
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38230
diff changeset
551 than netnews about reporting your correct address, which we may need
9ada58a02f7e Don't include data bigger than 500,000 bytes directly in the bug
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38230
diff changeset
552 in order to ask you for more information. If your data is more than
9ada58a02f7e Don't include data bigger than 500,000 bytes directly in the bug
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38230
diff changeset
553 500,000 bytes, please don't include it directly in the bug report;
9ada58a02f7e Don't include data bigger than 500,000 bytes directly in the bug
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38230
diff changeset
554 instead, offer to send it on request, or make it available by ftp and
9ada58a02f7e Don't include data bigger than 500,000 bytes directly in the bug
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38230
diff changeset
555 say where.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
556
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
557 If you can't send electronic mail, then mail the bug report on paper
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
558 or machine-readable media to this address:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
559
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
560 @format
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
561 GNU Emacs Bugs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
562 Free Software Foundation
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
563 59 Temple Place, Suite 330
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
564 Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
565 @end format
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
566
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
567 We do not promise to fix the bug; but if the bug is serious,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
568 or ugly, or easy to fix, chances are we will want to.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
569
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
570 @findex report-emacs-bug
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
571 A convenient way to send a bug report for Emacs is to use the command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
572 @kbd{M-x report-emacs-bug}. This sets up a mail buffer (@pxref{Sending
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
573 Mail}) and automatically inserts @emph{some} of the essential
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
574 information. However, it cannot supply all the necessary information;
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
575 you should still read and follow the guidelines below, so you can enter
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
576 the other crucial information by hand before you send the message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
577
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
578 To enable maintainers to investigate a bug, your report
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
579 should include all these things:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
580
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
581 @itemize @bullet
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
582 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
583 The version number of Emacs. Without this, we won't know whether there
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
584 is any point in looking for the bug in the current version of GNU
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
585 Emacs.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
586
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
587 You can get the version number by typing @kbd{M-x emacs-version
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
588 @key{RET}}. If that command does not work, you probably have something
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
589 other than GNU Emacs, so you will have to report the bug somewhere
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
590 else.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
591
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
592 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
593 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
594 version number. @kbd{M-x emacs-version @key{RET}} provides this
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
595 information too. Copy its output from the @samp{*Messages*} buffer, so
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
596 that you get it all and get it accurately.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
597
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
598 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
599 The operands given to the @code{configure} command when Emacs was
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
600 installed.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
601
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
602 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
603 A complete list of any modifications you have made to the Emacs source.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
604 (We may not have time to investigate the bug unless it happens in an
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
605 unmodified Emacs. But if you've made modifications and you don't tell
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
606 us, you are sending us on a wild goose chase.)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
607
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
608 Be precise about these changes. A description in English is not
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
609 enough---send a context diff for them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
610
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
611 Adding files of your own, or porting to another machine, is a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
612 modification of the source.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
613
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
614 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
615 Details of any other deviations from the standard procedure for installing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
616 GNU Emacs.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
617
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
618 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
619 The complete text of any files needed to reproduce the bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
620
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
621 If you can tell us a way to cause the problem without visiting any files,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
622 please do so. This makes it much easier to debug. If you do need files,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
623 make sure you arrange for us to see their exact contents. For example, it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
624 can often matter whether there are spaces at the ends of lines, or a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
625 newline after the last line in the buffer (nothing ought to care whether
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
626 the last line is terminated, but try telling the bugs that).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
627
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
628 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
629 The precise commands we need to type to reproduce the bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
630
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
631 @findex open-dribble-file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
632 @cindex dribble file
35705
6c05ec832ecc (Checklist): Add index entry for logging keystrokes.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 35239
diff changeset
633 @cindex logging keystrokes
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
634 The easy way to record the input to Emacs precisely is to write a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
635 dribble file. To start the file, execute the Lisp expression
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
636
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
637 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
638 (open-dribble-file "~/dribble")
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
639 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
640
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
641 @noindent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
642 using @kbd{M-:} or from the @samp{*scratch*} buffer just after
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
643 starting Emacs. From then on, Emacs copies all your input to the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
644 specified dribble file until the Emacs process is killed.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
645
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
646 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
647 @findex open-termscript
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
648 @cindex termscript file
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 27729
diff changeset
649 @cindex @env{TERM} environment variable
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
650 For possible display bugs, the terminal type (the value of environment
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 27729
diff changeset
651 variable @env{TERM}), the complete termcap entry for the terminal from
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
652 @file{/etc/termcap} (since that file is not identical on all machines),
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
653 and the output that Emacs actually sent to the terminal.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
654
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
655 The way to collect the terminal output is to execute the Lisp expression
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
656
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
657 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
658 (open-termscript "~/termscript")
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
659 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
660
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
661 @noindent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
662 using @kbd{M-:} or from the @samp{*scratch*} buffer just after
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
663 starting Emacs. From then on, Emacs copies all terminal output to the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
664 specified termscript file as well, until the Emacs process is killed.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
665 If the problem happens when Emacs starts up, put this expression into
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
666 your @file{.emacs} file so that the termscript file will be open when
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
667 Emacs displays the screen for the first time.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
668
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
669 Be warned: it is often difficult, and sometimes impossible, to fix a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
670 terminal-dependent bug without access to a terminal of the type that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
671 stimulates the bug.@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
672
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
673 @item
35239
a4e73c75cbca Ask for locale info in bug reports.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35188
diff changeset
674 If non-ASCII text or internationalization is relevant, the locale that
36497
1ba3f8033b3a (Checklist): Say that the example with LC_ALL and such is for a Unix shell.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36388
diff changeset
675 was current when you started Emacs. On GNU/Linux and Unix systems, or
1ba3f8033b3a (Checklist): Say that the example with LC_ALL and such is for a Unix shell.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36388
diff changeset
676 if you use a Unix-style shell such as Bash, you can use this shell
1ba3f8033b3a (Checklist): Say that the example with LC_ALL and such is for a Unix shell.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36388
diff changeset
677 command to view the relevant values:
35239
a4e73c75cbca Ask for locale info in bug reports.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35188
diff changeset
678
37580
ac2f45ecf299 Use @smallexample for the echo LC... command.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37508
diff changeset
679 @smallexample
37119
a4f474cb3812 (Checklist): Include more LC_* variables in the list, as suggested
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37087
diff changeset
680 echo LC_ALL=$LC_ALL LC_COLLATE=$LC_COLLATE LC_TYPE=$LC_TYPE \
a4f474cb3812 (Checklist): Include more LC_* variables in the list, as suggested
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37087
diff changeset
681 LC_MESSAGES=$LC_MESSAGES LC_TIME=$LC_TIME LANG=$LANG
37580
ac2f45ecf299 Use @smallexample for the echo LC... command.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37508
diff changeset
682 @end smallexample
35239
a4e73c75cbca Ask for locale info in bug reports.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35188
diff changeset
683
37087
f4039f11318f (Checklist): Mention the `locale' command as an alternative method of
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36791
diff changeset
684 Alternatively, use the @command{locale} command, if your system has it,
f4039f11318f (Checklist): Mention the `locale' command as an alternative method of
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36791
diff changeset
685 to display your locale settings.
f4039f11318f (Checklist): Mention the `locale' command as an alternative method of
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36791
diff changeset
686
f4039f11318f (Checklist): Mention the `locale' command as an alternative method of
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36791
diff changeset
687 You can use the @kbd{M-!} command to execute these commands from
35239
a4e73c75cbca Ask for locale info in bug reports.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35188
diff changeset
688 Emacs, and then copy the output from the @samp{*Messages*} buffer into
36620
639ad3d05eb6 (Checklist): Mention that `getenv' can be used to get at the value
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36497
diff changeset
689 the bug report. Alternatively, @kbd{M-x getenv @key{RET} LC_ALL
639ad3d05eb6 (Checklist): Mention that `getenv' can be used to get at the value
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36497
diff changeset
690 @key{RET}} will print the value of @code{LC_ALL} in the echo area, and
639ad3d05eb6 (Checklist): Mention that `getenv' can be used to get at the value
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36497
diff changeset
691 you can copy its output from the @samp{*Messages*} buffer.
35239
a4e73c75cbca Ask for locale info in bug reports.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35188
diff changeset
692
a4e73c75cbca Ask for locale info in bug reports.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35188
diff changeset
693 @item
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
694 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
695 incorrect. For example, ``The Emacs process gets a fatal signal,'' or,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
696 ``The resulting text is as follows, which I think is wrong.''
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
697
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
698 Of course, if the bug is that Emacs gets a fatal signal, then one can't
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
699 miss it. But if the bug is incorrect text, the maintainer might fail to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
700 notice what is wrong. Why leave it to chance?
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
701
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
702 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
703 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
704 copy of the source is out of sync, or you have encountered a bug in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
705 C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might crash
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
706 and the copy here might not. If you @emph{said} to expect a crash, then
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
707 when Emacs here fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
708 happening. If you don't say to expect a crash, then we would not know
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
709 whether the bug was happening---we would not be able to draw any
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
710 conclusion from our observations.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
711
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
712 @item
36180
252e21b04fb1 Suggest copying problematical manual text into the bug report.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35874
diff changeset
713 If the bug is that the Emacs Manual or the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual
252e21b04fb1 Suggest copying problematical manual text into the bug report.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35874
diff changeset
714 fails to describe the actual behavior of Emacs, or that the text is
252e21b04fb1 Suggest copying problematical manual text into the bug report.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35874
diff changeset
715 confusing, copy in the text from the online manual which you think is
252e21b04fb1 Suggest copying problematical manual text into the bug report.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35874
diff changeset
716 at fault. If the section is small, just the section name is enough.
252e21b04fb1 Suggest copying problematical manual text into the bug report.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35874
diff changeset
717
252e21b04fb1 Suggest copying problematical manual text into the bug report.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35874
diff changeset
718 @item
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
719 If the manifestation of the bug is an Emacs error message, it is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
720 important to report the precise text of the error message, and a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
721 backtrace showing how the Lisp program in Emacs arrived at the error.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
722
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
723 To get the error message text accurately, copy it from the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
724 @samp{*Messages*} buffer into the bug report. Copy all of it, not just
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
725 part.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
726
37347
bd817d6f9ba3 Minor clarifications regarding DEL key.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37126
diff changeset
727 @findex toggle-debug-on-error
37508
e2849d417d6d (Checklist): Mention Edebug.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37498
diff changeset
728 @pindex Edebug
37347
bd817d6f9ba3 Minor clarifications regarding DEL key.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37126
diff changeset
729 To make a backtrace for the error, use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-error}
bd817d6f9ba3 Minor clarifications regarding DEL key.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37126
diff changeset
730 before the error happens (that is to say, you must give that command
bd817d6f9ba3 Minor clarifications regarding DEL key.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37126
diff changeset
731 and then make the bug happen). This causes the error to run the Lisp
bd817d6f9ba3 Minor clarifications regarding DEL key.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37126
diff changeset
732 debugger, which shows you a backtrace. Copy the text of the
bd817d6f9ba3 Minor clarifications regarding DEL key.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37126
diff changeset
733 debugger's backtrace into the bug report. @xref{Debugger,, The Lisp
bd817d6f9ba3 Minor clarifications regarding DEL key.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37126
diff changeset
734 Debugger, elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}, for information on
37508
e2849d417d6d (Checklist): Mention Edebug.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37498
diff changeset
735 debugging Emacs Lisp programs with the Edebug package.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
736
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
737 This use of the debugger is possible only if you know how to make the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
738 bug happen again. If you can't make it happen again, at least copy
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
739 the whole error message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
740
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
741 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
742 Check whether any programs you have loaded into the Lisp world,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
743 including your @file{.emacs} file, set any variables that may affect the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
744 functioning of Emacs. Also, see whether the problem happens in a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
745 freshly started Emacs without loading your @file{.emacs} file (start
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
746 Emacs with the @code{-q} switch to prevent loading the init file). If
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
747 the problem does @emph{not} occur then, you must report the precise
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
748 contents of any programs that you must load into the Lisp world in order
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
749 to cause the problem to occur.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
750
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
751 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
752 If the problem does depend on an init file or other Lisp programs that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
753 are not part of the standard Emacs system, then you should make sure it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
754 is not a bug in those programs by complaining to their maintainers
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
755 first. After they verify that they are using Emacs in a way that is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
756 supposed to work, they should report the bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
757
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
758 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
759 If you wish to mention something in the GNU Emacs source, show the line
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
760 of code with a few lines of context. Don't just give a line number.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
761
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
762 The line numbers in the development sources don't match those in your
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
763 sources. It would take extra work for the maintainers to determine what
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
764 code is in your version at a given line number, and we could not be
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
765 certain.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
766
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
767 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
768 Additional information from a C debugger such as GDB might enable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
769 someone to find a problem on a machine which he does not have available.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
770 If you don't know how to use GDB, please read the GDB manual---it is not
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
771 very long, and using GDB is easy. You can find the GDB distribution,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
772 including the GDB manual in online form, in most of the same places you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
773 can find the Emacs distribution. To run Emacs under GDB, you should
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
774 switch to the @file{src} subdirectory in which Emacs was compiled, then
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
775 do @samp{gdb emacs}. It is important for the directory @file{src} to be
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
776 current so that GDB will read the @file{.gdbinit} file in this
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
777 directory.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
778
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
779 However, you need to think when you collect the additional information
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
780 if you want it to show what causes the bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
781
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
782 @cindex backtrace for bug reports
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
783 For example, many people send just a backtrace, but that is not very
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
784 useful by itself. A simple backtrace with arguments often conveys
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
785 little about what is happening inside GNU Emacs, because most of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
786 arguments listed in the backtrace are pointers to Lisp objects. The
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
787 numeric values of these pointers have no significance whatever; all that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
788 matters is the contents of the objects they point to (and most of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
789 contents are themselves pointers).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
790
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
791 @findex debug_print
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
792 To provide useful information, you need to show the values of Lisp
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
793 objects in Lisp notation. Do this for each variable which is a Lisp
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
794 object, in several stack frames near the bottom of the stack. Look at
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
795 the source to see which variables are Lisp objects, because the debugger
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
796 thinks of them as integers.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
797
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
798 To show a variable's value in Lisp syntax, first print its value, then
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
799 use the user-defined GDB command @code{pr} to print the Lisp object in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
800 Lisp syntax. (If you must use another debugger, call the function
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
801 @code{debug_print} with the object as an argument.) The @code{pr}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
802 command is defined by the file @file{.gdbinit}, and it works only if you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
803 are debugging a running process (not with a core dump).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
804
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
805 To make Lisp errors stop Emacs and return to GDB, put a breakpoint at
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
806 @code{Fsignal}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
807
27729
75463d908406 *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 26021
diff changeset
808 For a short listing of Lisp functions running, type the GDB
75463d908406 *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 26021
diff changeset
809 command @code{xbacktrace}.
75463d908406 *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 26021
diff changeset
810
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
811 The file @file{.gdbinit} defines several other commands that are useful
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
812 for examining the data types and contents of Lisp objects. Their names
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
813 begin with @samp{x}. These commands work at a lower level than
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
814 @code{pr}, and are less convenient, but they may work even when
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
815 @code{pr} does not, such as when debugging a core dump or when Emacs has
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
816 had a fatal signal.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
817
35874
99572fa1c8c3 Remove the more arcane part of Emacs debug instructions. Replace
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 35705
diff changeset
818 @cindex debugging Emacs, tricks and techniques
99572fa1c8c3 Remove the more arcane part of Emacs debug instructions. Replace
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 35705
diff changeset
819 More detailed advice and other useful techniques for debugging Emacs
99572fa1c8c3 Remove the more arcane part of Emacs debug instructions. Replace
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 35705
diff changeset
820 are available in the file @file{etc/DEBUG} in the Emacs distribution.
99572fa1c8c3 Remove the more arcane part of Emacs debug instructions. Replace
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 35705
diff changeset
821 That file also includes instructions for investigating problems
99572fa1c8c3 Remove the more arcane part of Emacs debug instructions. Replace
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 35705
diff changeset
822 whereby Emacs stops responding (many people assume that Emacs is
36180
252e21b04fb1 Suggest copying problematical manual text into the bug report.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35874
diff changeset
823 ``hung,'' whereas in fact it might be in an infinite loop).
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
824
38130
7aad2fda759d Update how to find etc/DEBUG.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37976
diff changeset
825 To find the file @file{etc/DEBUG} in your Emacs installation, use the
7aad2fda759d Update how to find etc/DEBUG.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37976
diff changeset
826 directory name stored in the variable @code{data-directory}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
827 @end itemize
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
828
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
829 Here are some things that are not necessary in a bug report:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
830
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
831 @itemize @bullet
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
832 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
833 A description of the envelope of the bug---this is not necessary for a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
834 reproducible bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
835
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
836 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
837 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
838 changes will not affect it.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
839
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
840 This is often time-consuming and not very useful, because the way we
38130
7aad2fda759d Update how to find etc/DEBUG.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37976
diff changeset
841 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
7aad2fda759d Update how to find etc/DEBUG.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37976
diff changeset
842 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
7aad2fda759d Update how to find etc/DEBUG.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37976
diff changeset
843 You might as well save time by not searching for additional examples.
7aad2fda759d Update how to find etc/DEBUG.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37976
diff changeset
844 It is better to send the bug report right away, go back to editing,
7aad2fda759d Update how to find etc/DEBUG.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37976
diff changeset
845 and find another bug to report.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
846
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
847 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead} of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
848 the original one, that is a convenience. Errors in the output will be
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
849 easier to spot, running under the debugger will take less time, etc.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
850
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
851 However, simplification is not vital; if you can't do this or don't have
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
852 time to try, please report the bug with your original test case.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
853
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
854 @item
38230
ec2015ba505d Explain why don't mail a core dump.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38130
diff changeset
855 A core dump file.
ec2015ba505d Explain why don't mail a core dump.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38130
diff changeset
856
ec2015ba505d Explain why don't mail a core dump.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38130
diff changeset
857 Debugging the core dump might be useful, but it can only be done on
ec2015ba505d Explain why don't mail a core dump.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38130
diff changeset
858 your machine, with your Emacs executable. Therefore, sending the core
ec2015ba505d Explain why don't mail a core dump.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38130
diff changeset
859 dump file to the Emacs maintainers won't be useful. Above all, don't
ec2015ba505d Explain why don't mail a core dump.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38130
diff changeset
860 include the core file in an email bug report! Such a large message
ec2015ba505d Explain why don't mail a core dump.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38130
diff changeset
861 can be extremely inconvenient.
ec2015ba505d Explain why don't mail a core dump.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38130
diff changeset
862
ec2015ba505d Explain why don't mail a core dump.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38130
diff changeset
863 @item
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
864 A system-call trace of Emacs execution.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
865
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
866 System-call traces are very useful for certain special kinds of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
867 debugging, but in most cases they give little useful information. It is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
868 therefore strange that many people seem to think that @emph{the} way to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
869 report information about a crash is to send a system-call trace. Perhaps
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
870 this is a habit formed from experience debugging programs that don't
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
871 have source code or debugging symbols.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
872
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
873 In most programs, a backtrace is normally far, far more informative than
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
874 a system-call trace. Even in Emacs, a simple backtrace is generally
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
875 more informative, though to give full information you should supplement
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
876 the backtrace by displaying variable values and printing them as Lisp
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
877 objects with @code{pr} (see above).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
878
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
879 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
880 A patch for the bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
881
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
882 A patch for the bug is useful if it is a good one. But don't omit the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
883 other information that a bug report needs, such as the test case, on the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
884 assumption that a patch is sufficient. We might see problems with your
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
885 patch and decide to fix the problem another way, or we might not
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
886 understand it at all. And if we can't understand what bug you are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
887 trying to fix, or why your patch should be an improvement, we mustn't
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
888 install it.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
889
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
890 @ifinfo
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
891 @xref{Sending Patches}, for guidelines on how to make it easy for us to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
892 understand and install your patches.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
893 @end ifinfo
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
894
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
895 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
896 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
897
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
898 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even experts can't guess right about
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
899 such things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
900 @end itemize
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
901
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
902 @node Sending Patches
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
903 @subsection Sending Patches for GNU Emacs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
904
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
905 @cindex sending patches for GNU Emacs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
906 @cindex patches, sending
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
907 If you would like to write bug fixes or improvements for GNU Emacs,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
908 that is very helpful. When you send your changes, please follow these
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
909 guidelines to make it easy for the maintainers to use them. If you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
910 don't follow these guidelines, your information might still be useful,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
911 but using it will take extra work. Maintaining GNU Emacs is a lot of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
912 work in the best of circumstances, and we can't keep up unless you do
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
913 your best to help.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
914
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
915 @itemize @bullet
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
916 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
917 Send an explanation with your changes of what problem they fix or what
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
918 improvement they bring about. For a bug fix, just include a copy of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
919 bug report, and explain why the change fixes the bug.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
920
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
921 (Referring to a bug report is not as good as including it, because then
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
922 we will have to look it up, and we have probably already deleted it if
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
923 we've already fixed the bug.)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
924
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
925 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
926 Always include a proper bug report for the problem you think you have
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
927 fixed. We need to convince ourselves that the change is right before
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
928 installing it. Even if it is correct, we might have trouble
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
929 understanding it if we don't have a way to reproduce the problem.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
930
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
931 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
932 Include all the comments that are appropriate to help people reading the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
933 source in the future understand why this change was needed.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
934
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
935 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
936 Don't mix together changes made for different reasons.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
937 Send them @emph{individually}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
938
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
939 If you make two changes for separate reasons, then we might not want to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
940 install them both. We might want to install just one. If you send them
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
941 all jumbled together in a single set of diffs, we have to do extra work
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
942 to disentangle them---to figure out which parts of the change serve
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
943 which purpose. If we don't have time for this, we might have to ignore
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
944 your changes entirely.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
945
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
946 If you send each change as soon as you have written it, with its own
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
947 explanation, then two changes never get tangled up, and we can consider
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
948 each one properly without any extra work to disentangle them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
949
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
950 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
951 Send each change as soon as that change is finished. Sometimes people
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
952 think they are helping us by accumulating many changes to send them all
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
953 together. As explained above, this is absolutely the worst thing you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
954 could do.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
955
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
956 Since you should send each change separately, you might as well send it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
957 right away. That gives us the option of installing it immediately if it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
958 is important.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
959
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
960 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
961 Use @samp{diff -c} to make your diffs. Diffs without context are hard
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
962 to install reliably. More than that, they are hard to study; we must
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
963 always study a patch to decide whether we want to install it. Unidiff
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
964 format is better than contextless diffs, but not as easy to read as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
965 @samp{-c} format.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
966
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
967 If you have GNU diff, use @samp{diff -c -F'^[_a-zA-Z0-9$]+ *('} when
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
968 making diffs of C code. This shows the name of the function that each
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
969 change occurs in.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
970
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
971 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
972 Avoid any ambiguity as to which is the old version and which is the new.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
973 Please make the old version the first argument to diff, and the new
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
974 version the second argument. And please give one version or the other a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
975 name that indicates whether it is the old version or your new changed
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
976 one.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
977
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
978 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
979 Write the change log entries for your changes. This is both to save us
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
980 the extra work of writing them, and to help explain your changes so we
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
981 can understand them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
982
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
983 The purpose of the change log is to show people where to find what was
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
984 changed. So you need to be specific about what functions you changed;
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
985 in large functions, it's often helpful to indicate where within the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
986 function the change was.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
987
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
988 On the other hand, once you have shown people where to find the change,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
989 you need not explain its purpose in the change log. Thus, if you add a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
990 new function, all you need to say about it is that it is new. If you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
991 feel that the purpose needs explaining, it probably does---but put the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
992 explanation in comments in the code. It will be more useful there.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
993
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
994 Please read the @file{ChangeLog} files in the @file{src} and @file{lisp}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
995 directories to see what sorts of information to put in, and to learn the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
996 style that we use. If you would like your name to appear in the header
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
997 line, showing who made the change, send us the header line.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
998 @xref{Change Log}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
999
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1000 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1001 When you write the fix, keep in mind that we can't install a change that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1002 would break other systems. Please think about what effect your change
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1003 will have if compiled on another type of system.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1004
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1005 Sometimes people send fixes that @emph{might} be an improvement in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1006 general---but it is hard to be sure of this. It's hard to install
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1007 such changes because we have to study them very carefully. Of course,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1008 a good explanation of the reasoning by which you concluded the change
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1009 was correct can help convince us.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1010
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1011 The safest changes are changes to the configuration files for a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1012 particular machine. These are safe because they can't create new bugs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1013 on other machines.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1014
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1015 Please help us keep up with the workload by designing the patch in a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1016 form that is clearly safe to install.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1017 @end itemize
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1018
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1019 @node Contributing, Service, Bugs, Top
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1020 @section Contributing to Emacs Development
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1021
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1022 If you would like to help pretest Emacs releases to assure they work
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1023 well, or if you would like to work on improving Emacs, please contact
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 27729
diff changeset
1024 the maintainers at @email{bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org}. A pretester
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1025 should be prepared to investigate bugs as well as report them. If you'd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1026 like to work on improving Emacs, please ask for suggested projects or
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1027 suggest your own ideas.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1028
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1029 If you have already written an improvement, please tell us about it. If
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1030 you have not yet started work, it is useful to contact
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 27729
diff changeset
1031 @email{bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org} before you start; it might be
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1032 possible to suggest ways to make your extension fit in better with the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1033 rest of Emacs.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1034
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1035 @node Service, Command Arguments, Contributing, Top
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1036 @section How To Get Help with GNU Emacs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1037
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1038 If you need help installing, using or changing GNU Emacs, there are two
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1039 ways to find it:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1040
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1041 @itemize @bullet
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1042 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1043 Send a message to the mailing list
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 27729
diff changeset
1044 @email{help-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org}, or post your request on
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1045 newsgroup @code{gnu.emacs.help}. (This mailing list and newsgroup
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1046 interconnect, so it does not matter which one you use.)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1047
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1048 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1049 Look in the service directory for someone who might help you for a fee.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1050 The service directory is found in the file named @file{etc/SERVICE} in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1051 Emacs distribution.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1052 @end itemize