What is Gentoo's Bugzilla (bugs.gentoo.org)?

Updated

bugs.gentoo.org is the official bug tracking system for the Gentoo Linux project, running on Bugzilla (version 5.2 per the site's main page). It is where Gentoo developers and users report, search, browse, and track bugs and requests related to Gentoo. If you want to file a bug, look up whether an issue is already known, or follow what changed recently, this is the place to do it.

What you can do on the site

The main page presents a small set of entry points rather than a long menu:

  • File a Bug — start a new bug report.
  • Search — look for existing bugs before reporting.
  • New Account — register so you can file and comment.
  • Documentation — links to guidance, including the Gentoo Bug Reporting Guide.
  • Browse — explore bugs by product/component structure.
  • Reports and Requests — reporting views and request tracking.
  • Log In / Forgot Password — account access.

Common queries already built in

The main page surfaces ready-made queries so you don't have to construct a search:

Query What it shows
Bugs reported in the last 24 hours Newly filed bugs, past day
Bugs reported in the last 7 days Newly filed bugs, past week
Bugs changed in the last 24 hours Any bug activity, past day
Bugs changed in the last 7 days Any bug activity, past week
View Bugs Reported in the last 24 hours Reported-bug listing
View Bugs Reported in the last 12 hours Reported-bug listing, shorter window

These are useful for checking whether something you hit was already reported today, or for watching activity on a component you care about.

Before you report

The site states two rules directly on the main page:

  1. Read the Gentoo Bug Reporting Guide first. It is linked from the welcome text, and the page asks you to do this before reporting bugs.
  2. Do not include any work from AI in your bug reports, per Gentoo's AI policy.

There is also a Bot Policy for anyone running a spider, bot, or automated process against the Bugzilla instance — read it before pointing automation at the site.

When to use it

  • You found a defect, regression, or packaging problem in Gentoo and want it tracked.
  • You want to confirm a problem is already known before spending time on a report.
  • You want to follow a specific bug's status or see what changed recently.
  • You need to submit a request rather than a bug.

If you only want general Gentoo help or discussion, the main page's navigation points to Gentoo Home, Documentation, Forums, Lists, and Wiki — those are separate from the bug tracker.