abrt

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr abrt-cli

abrt-cli [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGUMENTS]

COMMANDS:
    abrt-cli operates with various subcommands to perform specific actions. Common commands include:

list
    Lists all detected problems.

info PROBLEM_ID
    Displays detailed information about a specific problem identified by its ID.

report PROBLEM_ID
    Initiates the process of reporting a problem to a configured bug tracking system.

process PROBLEM_ID
    Processes a problem, e.g., analyzes it, generates a backtrace, or prepares it for reporting.

remove PROBLEM_ID
    Removes a detected problem and all its associated data from storage.

status
    Shows the current status of the ABRT daemon and its activities.

config
    Manages ABRT configuration settings, allowing adjustments to reporting, storage, and monitoring behavior.

OPTIONS:
    General options applicable to the abrt-cli command:

-d, --debug
    Enables verbose debug output for troubleshooting and detailed information.

-v, --verbose
    Enables verbose output, providing more details on command execution.

-h, --help
    Displays a help message for the command or a specific subcommand and exits.

--version
    Displays version information for abrt-cli and exits.

ABRT (Automatic Bug Reporting Tool) is a suite of utilities designed to help users detect, analyze, and report software crashes, kernel oops, and other application problems on Linux systems. It acts as a proactive guardian, automatically intercepting unexpected program terminations or system errors.

When a problem occurs, ABRT collects relevant diagnostic information, such as core dumps, backtraces, and system logs, storing it in a structured format. This data is crucial for developers to identify the root cause of issues.

While abrtd (the ABRT daemon) runs in the background monitoring for problems, the primary command-line interface for user interaction with the ABRT system is abrt-cli. This command allows users to list detected problems, view detailed information about them, process problem data (e.g., analyze, pack), and report bugs to various bug tracking systems (like Bugzilla) or vendor-specific platforms.

ABRT aims to simplify the bug reporting process, making it accessible even for non-technical users, thereby improving the overall stability and quality of software.

ABRT collects sensitive system information, including potentially private data from crashed applications. Users should review the data being reported before submission to ensure privacy. It also consumes system resources for monitoring and data collection, which can be noticeable on systems with frequent crashes or very limited resources. Proper configuration is essential to manage disk space usage and reporting destinations.

The ABRT system consists of several components working in tandem:
abrtd: The core daemon that monitors for problems and dispatches problem data.
abrt-action-*: A series of modular plugins that perform specific actions (e.g., analyzing dumps, packing data, reporting to different services).
abrt-cli: The command-line interface for user interaction and management.
abrt-applet: A graphical user interface (GUI) for desktop environments, providing visual notifications and reporting options.

Problem data is typically stored under /var/spool/abrt/.

ABRT leverages systemd for its functionality, particularly for handling crashed processes and managing core dumps. systemd-coredump can be configured to integrate seamlessly with ABRT, ensuring that core dumps are processed and managed by the ABRT system for easier reporting and analysis, centralizing crash handling.

ABRT was initially developed by Red Hat and is a prominent feature in Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Its development began with the goal of simplifying the complex process of bug reporting, making it more accessible to a broader user base and improving the feedback loop between users and developers. It has evolved significantly to handle various types of crashes and integrate with different reporting backends.

abrtd(8), abrt-applet(1), coredumpctl(1), systemd(1), gdb(1)