1 @node Getting Support and Reporting Bugs
2 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
3 @chapter Getting Support and Reporting Bugs
11 @node Volunteer Support
12 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
13 @section Volunteer Support
15 Your primary source of SBCL support should probably be the mailing
16 list @strong{sbcl-help}: in addition to other users SBCL developers
17 monitor this list and are available for advice. As an anti-spam
18 measure subcription is required for posting:
20 @urlline{https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/sbcl-help}
22 Remember that the people answering your question are volunteers, so
23 you stand a much better chance of getting a good answer if you ask a
26 Before sending mail, check the list archives at either
28 @urlline{http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?forum_name=sbcl-help}
32 @urlline{http://news.gmane.org/gmane.lisp.steel-bank.general}
34 to see if your question has been answered already. Checking the bug
35 database is also worth it @xref{Reporting Bugs}, to see if the issue
38 For general advice on asking good questions, see
40 @urlline{http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html}.
42 @node Commercial Support
43 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
44 @section Commercial Support
46 There is no formal organization developing SBCL, but if you need a
47 paid support arrangement or custom SBCL development, we maintain the
48 list of companies and consultants below. Use it to identify service
49 providers with appropriate skills and interests, and contact them
52 The SBCL project cannot verify the accuracy of the information or the
53 competence of the people listed, and they have provided their own
54 blurbs below: you must make your own judgement of suitability from the
55 available information - refer to the links they provide, the CREDITS
56 file, mailing list archives, CVS commit messages, and so on. Please
57 feel free to ask for advice on the sbcl-help list.
60 @item Christophe Rhodes
61 is a long-time SBCL developer, available for custom programming.
63 Email: @email{csr21@@cam.ac.uk}
65 @item Steel Bank Studio Ltd
66 provides commercial SBCL support and custom development, is run by
67 SBCL developer @emph{Nikodemus Siivola}, and has another SBCL
68 developer @emph{Richard Kreuter} as an affiliated consultant.
70 Website: @url{http://sb-studio.net/}
72 Email: @email{info@@sb-studio.net}
76 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
77 @section Reporting Bugs
79 SBCL uses Launchpad to track bugs. The bug database is available at
81 @urlline{https://bugs.launchpad.net/sbcl}
83 Reporting bugs there requires registering at Launchpad. However, bugs
84 can also be reported on the mailing list @strong{sbcl-bugs}, which is
85 moderated but does @emph{not} require subscribing.
87 Simply send email to @email{sbcl-bugs@@lists.sourceforge.net} and the
88 bug will be checked and added to Launchpad by SBCL maintainers.
90 @subsection How to Report Bugs Effectively
92 Please include enough information in a bug report that someone reading
93 it can reproduce the problem, i.e. don't write
96 Subject: apparent bug in PRINT-OBJECT (or *PRINT-LENGTH*?)
97 PRINT-OBJECT doesn't seem to work with *PRINT-LENGTH*. Is this a bug?
103 Subject: apparent bug in PRINT-OBJECT (or *PRINT-LENGTH*?)
104 In sbcl-1.2.3 running under OpenBSD 4.5 on my Alpha box, when
105 I compile and load the file
106 (DEFSTRUCT (FOO (:PRINT-OBJECT (LAMBDA (X Y)
107 (LET ((*PRINT-LENGTH* 4))
110 then at the command line type
112 the program loops endlessly instead of printing the object.
115 A more in-depth discussion on reporting bugs effectively can be found
118 @urlline{http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html}.
120 @subsection Signal Related Bugs
122 If you run into a signal related bug, you are getting fatal errors
123 such as @code{signal N is [un]blocked} or just hangs, and you want to
124 send a useful bug report then:
129 Compile sbcl with ldb support (feature @code{:sb-ldb}, see
130 @file{base-target-features.lisp-expr}) and change @code{#define QSHOW_SIGNAL 0} to
131 @code{#define QSHOW_SIGNAL 1} in @file{src/runtime/runtime.h}.
134 Isolate a smallish test case, run it.
137 If it just hangs kill it with sigabrt: @code{kill -ABRT <pidof sbcl>}.
140 Print the backtrace from ldb by typing @code{ba}.
143 Attach gdb: @code{gdb -p <pidof sbcl>} and get backtraces for all threads:
144 @code{thread apply all ba}.
147 If multiple threads are in play then still in gdb, try to get Lisp
148 backtrace for all threads: @code{thread apply all call
149 backtrace_from_fp($ebp, 100)}. Substitute @code{$ebp} with @code{$rbp}
150 on x86-64. The backtraces will appear in the stdout of the SBCL
154 Send a report with the backtraces and the output (both stdout and
155 stderr) produced by SBCL.
158 Don't forget to include OS and SBCL version.
161 If available include, information on outcome of the same test with
162 other versions of SBCL, OS, ...