Quick steps for the impatient
-----------------------------

First make sure you are running the latest version (check also
http://oer.equnet.org/testing). If so, then

./configure --enable-debug
make install
./oer+MySQL -c

oer+MySQL will now show debug messages on the screen. If your problem
isn't solved, read on.

First and most important
------------------------

Always get the latest version of oer+MySQL (released or in testing)
and see if it works for you. If not, read on.

There are total of 3 bug type categories, the procedure depends on
what kind of bug you are dealing with. With all bug types you should
always append the following information to E-mails:

- oer+MySQL version (info command while oer+MySQL is running)
- Operating system type & version (type "uname -a" in console)
- Compiler type & version (type "gcc -v" or "cc -V" in console)
- MySQL version ("mysqladmin version")

With "Operational bug" and "Fatal bug" bug types also append

- Database dump without data ("mysqldump -q -d")

Archive, configure, compilation & installation bugs
---------------------------------------------------

If there is something wrong with the oer+MySQL archive, send an E-mail
to equ@equnet.org with subject "oer+MySQL bug report: archive". In the
message describe the problem in detail.

If you think you have found a problem with "configure" send an E-mail
to equ@equnet.org with subject "oer+MySQL bug report: configure" and
attach the console output of "./configure", config.log and
config.status into the E-mail.

If there is a compiling warning or error send an E-mail to
equ@equnet.org with subject "oer+MySQL bug report: compilation" and
attach the console output into the E-mail.

If there is a problem with the installation ("make install") send an
E-mail to equ@equnet.org with subject "oer+MySQL bug report:
installation" and attach pre_install.log and the console output into
the E-mail.

Operational bug
---------------

If you think oer+MySQL missbehaves in some way but doesn't crash, you
will have to enable logging of console output and dump the contents of
table "output" with mysqldump (with data). Configure oer+MySQL with
"--enable-debug" and compile.  Enable the logging of output messages
by setting global flag "o" either in "make install", directly with
mysql (while oer+MySQL isn't running) or with /msg while oer+MySQL is
running. Make oer+MySQL quit and verify that it did. Dump the "output"
table with mysqldump (with data) and attach the database dump into the
E-mail sent to equ@equnet.org with the subject "oer+MySQL bug report:
operational".

Fatal bug
---------

If oer+MySQL terminates unexpectedly ("crashes") proceed as follows.
First off, configure oer+MySQL with the following options:

"./configure --enable-debug"

and compile. Then make sure that your command shell allows core dumps:

limit coredumpsize 10000 (bash)
ulimit -c 10000          (csh/tcsh)

Enable the logging of output messages by setting global flag "o"
either in "make install", directly with mysql (while oer+MySQL isn't
running) or with /msg while oer+MySQL is running. After oer+MySQL has
"crashed" dump the "output" table with mysqldump (with data) and start
gdb with "gdb oer+MySQL core". Then get a backtrace by writing
"bt". Send both, the database dump and the backtrace console output to
equ@equnet.org with the subject "oer+MySQL bug report: fatal".

Other types of bugs
------------------- 

If the bug or problem you are dealing with doesn't belong to any of
the above bug categories, send a E-mail to equ@equnet.org with subject
"oer+MySQL bug report: unknown" and describe the bug or problem in
detail.

        Thank you in advance