Using apport for better initial information collection for browsers

Registered by Micah Gersten

I think we can use apport to focus browser bug reports to the proper component without even needing a triager. If there are a series of apport hooks that we can call in any order needed, we can collect the proper information from the user initially. (i.e. problem not with browser, but with flash/java/other plugin/Ubuntu in general)

Blueprint information

Status:
Not started
Approver:
Chris Coulson
Priority:
Undefined
Drafter:
Micah Gersten
Direction:
Needs approval
Assignee:
Micah Gersten
Definition:
New
Series goal:
None
Implementation:
Unknown
Milestone target:
None

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we can use apport to focus browser bug reports to the proper component without even needing a triager. If there are a series of apport hooks that we can call in any order needed, we can collect the proper information from the user initially. (i.e. problem not with browser, but with flash/java/other plugin/Ubuntu in general)

symptoms
  - flash
  - java
  - sound
  - video
  - other

- file a bug based on content in browser (click to choose which plugin) (mdz)

- possibilty of collecting all plugin/extension info

- possibility of collecting the URL

- should we expose terms such as "flash" and "java" in the questions, as users may not be aware of what type of embedded content they have issues with

- the hook should handle the case where users report bugs against firefox that are completely browser unrelated

Related interactive questioning interfaces to take ideas from:
  Firefox: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/describekeywords.cgi
  Chrome:
    when you click the "report bug" menu item -- http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/request.py?contact_type=broken_website&format=inproduct
    when you somehow find our bug tracker -- http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/entry?template=Defect%20on%20Linux

Apport Interactive Decision Tree (totem is an example)
assumption report a bug against the browser

1st screen
What is the problem related to?
Flash
Browser - Video
Browser - Sound
Browser - General
Java
Non-Browser Related

2nd screen
Yes/No/Don't Know - Are other browsers impacted by the issue?
Yes -> file against plugin if known or against original browser if not able to tell
No/Don't know -> File against the browser

3rd screen
What URL are you experiencing this issue with?
The hook needs to only take the domain portion of the URL (Prepopulate with domain from current URL)

4th screen
Offer to run in a clean profile (specify directory for new profile as a flag)

5th screen (maybe chromium specific)
Offer to take a screenshot of the browser window

Chromium apport hook info:
about:plugins
versions of packages
WM and desktop env

Reference: mozilla upstream keywords: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/describekeywords.cgi
Reference: chromium bug reporting: http://www.chromium.org/for-testers/bug-reporting-guidelines http://www.chromium.org/for-testers/bug-reporting-guidlines-for-the-mac-linux-builds http://www.chromium.org/for-testers/bug-reporting-guidelines/hanging-tabs http://www.chromium.org/for-testers/bug-reporting-guidelines/reporting-crash-bug

We can possibly find out the plugins used in the current document, as the DOM seems to expose this - https://developer.mozilla.org/en/DOM/document.plugins

(?)

Work Items