Summary of BTS evaluations

[John Goerzen <jgoerzen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

Over the past day or two, I've looked at several different bug-tracking
systems (BTS).  Thanks for the suggestions.  Here are my findings:

ROUNDUP
Pros:
 * Written in Python and has a Python API
 * Quick install for a default configuration
 * Looks reasonably secure
 * Has a nice e-mail interface built-in
 * Nice way of parsing e-mail attachments and making them into bug
   attachments
Cons:
 * Making changes to the config requires editing cryptic text files or even
   deleting all info in the database and restarting
 * Not a lot of flexibility in the security part.  Either people can
   do everything or they can do nothing.
 * Interface is kinda ugly

BUGZILLA
Pros:
 * The most flexible and powerful system I looked at.
 * Configuration entirely through the web.
Cons:
 * Its code is ugly, hackish, and kludgy the whole way through, which makes
   me nervous.  If you've ever seen ugly, hackish, and kludgy Perl, it would
   make you nervous, too :-)
 * Requires mysql, which I do not currently run.  Postgres editions exist,
   but are even more hackish and kludgy, and the e-mail interface has not
   been ported to Postgres.
 * E-mail interface does not appear to accept free-form text for reports.
 * Interface is mediocre.

RT2
Pros:
 * Very nice interface
 * Not quite as flexible as Bugzilla, but still quite flexible.
 * Robust security system, again not quite as much as Bugzilla, but close.
 * Configuration almost entirely through the web.
Cons:
 * Requires login to access but does not have a "register yourself" feature.
   I would have to write that.
 * Requires mod_perl, which again I do not currently run.

GNATS
Pros:
 * Nice e-mail interface for some things
 * Ability to hide some data
Cons:
 * Security makes me nervous.  For instance, passwords are stored in a
   plaintext file locally.
 * Interfaces look dated but functional.
 * Buggy handling of attachments.

-- 
John Goerzen <jgoerzen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>    GPG: 0x8A1D9A1F    www.complete.org