[Lilug-dev-sig] Best way to troubleshoot

[Chris Knadle]

On Thursday 24 December 2009, Rob Wilkens wrote:
> I've got an issue that I would think would belong on the lilug main
> list, except I'm thinking of rather than complaining about the
>  problem I might try to download the source and see if i can fix it
>  myself.
> 
> I've got an issue with evolution, I just installed ubuntu 9.10 and
> evolution crashes with
> " 'assertion `name != NULL` failed " .. and gives a little more
> information  which it repeats until finally it says Segmentation
> fault.
> 
> I installed an IMAP and 2 POP accounts onto it just before it
>  crashed on me.
> 
> I'm probably going to be out the next day or two, and won't get
> started right away, but can someone help get me up to speed with
>  the best way to find the evolution source (google?) , the best
>  debugging tools to use (gdb? something better?) , any trace tools
>  worth installing, basically what i need to get started, presuming
>  i'm familiar with some basics like hopefully the language its
>  written in and general unix (not really x-windows or gnome)
>  programming.

I have a few initial suggestions.

-  Some applications have an optional "debug" packaged version of the 
application that have debugging symbols compiled in to help debug 
problems.  Evolution is one of those -- so try installing the 
"evolution-dbg" package to see if that gives you a more descriptive 
error.  This will also every much help you if you try using gdb, which 
also needs these debugging symbols.

-  Look at the Ubuntu/Debian bug reports to see if it's a known issue.  
It speeds the work up when you find out what others have found out 
about the problem already.

-  If the bug is new, write a bug report.  This lets you get in 
contact with the Ubuntu/Debian developer of the package and also helps 
others that are also having the problem.  Being descriptive, curteous, 
and avoiding speculation seems to help get to a resolution of the 
issue the quickest.


Other than that I'd say continue on the route you're already taking:
   - try using gdb (or equivalent)
   - install source via "sudo apt-get source evolution"
   - install source dependencies via "apt-get build-dep evolution"
   - when you're ready to try evolution after you've modified the
     source, build a package you can install via "debuild -us -uc"
     within source directory (it's part of the "devscripts" package)
   - As you make changes to the source, you might want to consider
     using source control (git, mecurial, etc)

And of course, good luck!

   -- Chris

-- 

Chris Knadle
Chris.Knadle at coredump.us