Subject: Re: problem building egcs-1.1.2
From: Chris Faylor <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 23:14:55 -0500

On Mon, Mar 29, 1999 at 10:38:19PM -0500, [email-masked] wrote:
>In a message dated 3/29/99 7:28:14 PM Pacific Standard Time, [email-masked]
>writes:
>>Are you submitting bug reports on the snapshots?  If so these are not
>>adequate.  I don't know what "refused to run tar" means, for example.
>
>I'm not aware of bug reporting instructions for cygwin snapshots; only
>of the warning not to expect support and not even to use them without
>specific advice from one of the maintainers.  I'm using snapshots by
>trial and error to find those which solve some of the W95 problems.  As
>I could not get the Jan.  15 snapshot to run, but found that some of
>the subsequent snapshots accomplished the advertised fixes, I've been
>happy so far.

There are no specific bug reporting guidelines other than "provide
adequate details".

This means that you try avoid, at all costs, stand-alone phrases like:
"refuses to run", "doesn't work", "doesn't work for me", "blows up",
"screws up", "craps out", "dies", "had some kind of error message -- I
don't remember exactly", "displayed some kind of message -- I don't
remember exactly", "behaved terribly", and "had a problem".

Instead couple the phrases like:

The program ran for a little while then it blew up, producing a core file
which is attached.  Also, here is my cygcheck output.

or

When I tried to run program X with the "--cheddar" option, it refused to
run, displaying an error message:

    X --cheddar --convert milk
    X: I don't like cheese

I should also mention that I had previously reformatted my hard drive
and installed Norton Cheese Grater 1.97 and that I have my own custom
version of X.  I have added my own cheese extensions.

>I don't remember the exact message which comes out when I try to run
>tar with the last 2 snapshots (something about not having valid input),
>but it crashes and writes .core.  I didn't know if this meant the
>people who run the snapshots have to recompile utilities such as tar.

There should be no binary incompatibility with the snapshots and B20*
binaries.

Remember that you can always look at the ChangeLog entries prior to
downloading a snapshot.  They should provide a vague idea about what's
changed.

Finally, it is always tempting to believe that your audience will know
exactly what the problem is when you say "It doesn't work".  The reality
is that the more details you provide the more likely that is to be true.

-chris

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