Don Armstrong:
Thanks for the report! On Sun, 24 Aug 2025, Niels Thykier wrote:nI feel debbugs could just auto-done these after a delay (like 30 days) once the last affected version disappears and there is at least one fixed version.The way to fix this is to not close bugs using fixed, but to close them using -done when they are first completed. Using -done notifies the submitter and has a bunch of other nice properties that just setting fixed doesn't.
I agree that this is the official best practice for how to close a bug, and I understand why it is the best practice. But it is also not a very useful answer to this problem, which is me questioning a failure mode where the official best practice was not followed. The bug being in a pseudo-open state like this does not notify the submitter any sooner nor trigger any of the nice properties of a proper -done. The bug just rots there forever...
I discovered these three by pure chance, and I only noticed them because they were RC in a package that was not scheduled for auto-removal (the RC bugs was listed on tracker.d.o).
I have run into this numerous time in the past, and I will run into this into the future if the status quo does not change. That is why I filed this bug. In my view, the status quo leads to zombie bugs that slowly rots forever.
There's an argument to be made that we should instead warn loudly if a bug has been fixed without having been -done so the person marking it fixed knows to send a message to -done as well.
That is certainly also a solution. However, whatever fix you go with, I would recommend it is something that tracker.d.o can display (emails get lost, I skip the bug pages for a package preferring to jump directly to known bugs, etc.). Added bonus, if it also reports the "when `found version` == `fixed version` then the bug is not fixed"-issue that has caught people by surprise as well (assuming that is still a thing).
Jumping to a solution / idea spewing mode: - Export a list of bugs per package that has one or more potential problems for tracker.d.o and other services.- When opening the bug itself, have in the top a "possible metadata issue(s)" warning a la:
- "The bug is marked fixed in some versions but is not done.
Remember to close the bug with a mail to `NNNNNN-done@bugs.d.o
to ensure the submitter gets a notification and the bug can be
archived later."
- "The bug is allegedly both fixed and found in version X. Either
remove the fixed or the found version for version X. For now,
the fixed version is ignored."
Best regards,
Niels
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