GNU bug report logs - #12911
24.3.50; let users decide where (& perhaps whether) `emacs_backtrace.txt' files are written

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Message #17 received at 12911 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: "'Eli Zaretskii'" <eliz <at> gnu.org>,
	"'Stefan Monnier'" <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: 12911 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: RE: bug#12911: 24.3.50; let users decide where (& perhaps whether)
	`emacs_backtrace.txt'	files are written
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2012 09:38:10 -0800

BTW, just a thought, in ignorance - ignore if not helpful.

The backtrace file, wherever it might be saved: does it get overwritten when
there is a new crash, or is a new version of it created (e.g.
emacs_backtrace.txt~259~)?

In either case, I assume that it would be good for a user to send a bug report
with (at least) the latest such file.

Would it be possible/useful for a new Emacs session to (a) look for such a file,
(b) if found then automatically compose a bug-report message, and (c) ask the
user whether to send it?  And then (d) perhaps optionally delete the file?

IOW, isn't there some easy way for Emacs Dev to get such info semi-automatically
- upon user agreement/confirmation?

Emacs should know where to look for the file, or at least be able to recognize
it if seen by accident.  And Emacs should be able to pick up the latest such
file if there are multiple versions.  Or perhaps it could combine all such files
in a given directory into a single bug report, separating the backtraces and
timestamping them with the file dates.

Just a thought.  Seems like we are expecting users to do things that they might
not know, care, or bother about doing, when some of the more bothersome lifting
for that could perhaps be done automatically by a subsequent Emacs session.

Any such automatic activity must of course be able to be turned off/on by users,
i.e., an option (opt-in or opt-out).

I imagine that you guys have already thought about such things, and perhaps
dismissed the idea, but I thought I'd mention it anyway, just in case.  Again,
ignore if not helpful.

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