apport-bug

Report a bug about the whole system

$ apport-bug

$ apport-bug [package]

$ apport-bug [path/to/executable]

$ apport-bug [PID]

apport-bug [OPTIONS] {PACKAGE | PID | PATH | URL | ...additional arguments}

-p PACKAGE
    File a bug against a specific PACKAGE name.

-s SERVICE
    Report the bug to a specified bug reporting SERVICE (e.g., "ubuntu").

-c CRASH_REPORT
    Use an existing CRASH_REPORT file for the bug submission.

-u URL
    Report a bug related to a specific URL.

-f FILENAME
    File a bug against a particular FILENAME.

--no-info
    Do not collect any system information; only use user-provided details.

--dry-run
    Perform a test run without actually submitting the bug report.

--save FILE
    Save the generated report to a specified FILE instead of submitting.

--attach FILE
    Attach an additional FILE to the bug report.

-w, --wait
    Wait for the graphical Apport interface to close before exiting.

--launchpad-bug
    Force reporting the bug to Launchpad directly.

--bug-url URL
    Use a specific URL for the bug tracking system.

--version
    Display the version information of the command.

--help
    Show the command's help message and exit.

apport-bug is a command-line utility designed to simplify and automate the process of reporting bugs on systems using the Apport crash reporting system, primarily Ubuntu and Debian-based distributions.

When invoked, it intelligently gathers crucial information related to the problem, such as package versions, system logs, stack traces (for crashes), and other diagnostic data. This data is then presented to the user, who can add steps to reproduce the bug, expected behavior, and actual behavior. Finally, the tool facilitates submitting this comprehensive report to a designated bug tracking system, often Launchpad for Ubuntu. Its primary goal is to provide developers with detailed, actionable bug reports with minimal effort from the user.

apport-bug relies on the Apport system being installed and enabled on the Linux distribution, primarily found on Ubuntu and its derivatives. It may collect sensitive system information and logs, which users should review before submission. Network connectivity is required to submit reports to online bug trackers. While aiming for automation, user interaction is still necessary to describe the problem and its reproduction steps.

When run in a graphical environment, apport-bug typically launches a GTK/Qt wizard to guide the user through the bug reporting process, allowing for review of collected data and input of problem descriptions.

Using the --save FILE option, users can generate a report file offline, which can then be submitted later or transferred to another machine for submission.

Apport, and by extension apport-bug, was introduced in Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) with the goal of making bug reporting significantly easier and more effective for end-users. Before Apport, users had to manually gather system information, logs, and stack traces, which was often daunting. Apport automated this process, encouraging more users to report bugs and providing developers with richer data, thereby accelerating bug resolution and improving software quality within the Ubuntu ecosystem.

apport-collect(1), apport-unpack(1), apport-query(1), apport(1)