4.2.1 Necessary information

To enable us to fix a bug, please include all the information below. If the bug was in compilation or installation, as opposed to in actually running one of the programs, the last two items are irrelevant. But in that case, please also make sure it is not a known problem before reporting it. See section 2.3 Problems.

You should include all of the following in your bug report:

• The version number of the program. You can get this from the top-level files `ChangeLog' or `GNUmakefile.in', or from the `-version' option which all the programs have.

• The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and version number.

• A description of the bug. For example, "The program gets a fatal signal," or "The baselines in the generated font are too high."

• All the command-line arguments you gave the program.

• The relevant input files. Since fonts and images are typically binary files, be sure to use `uuencode' or `btoa' before mailing them. Be sure to include the TFM file as well as the bitmap (GF or PK) or BZR file, if the program needs both as input.

  Bugs typically apply to a single character in a font; you can find out what character is being processed with the `-verbose' option. It should then be straightforward to cut that single character out of the font with either the `-range' option and/or the `fontconvert' program, to make a new (very small) font. It is easier for us to deal with small files. But if you don't want to take the time to break up the font, please send in the bug report anyway (with the entire font). We much prefer that to you not reporting the bug at all!

In other words, we need enough information so that we can run the offending program under the debugger, so we can find out what's happening. Without all the command-line arguments, or the input file in question, we cannot do this. Since you must have found the bug by running the program with a particular set of options and on a particular input file, you already have this information; all you need to do is send it!