Comment 0 for bug 764414

Binary package hint: apport

Apport currently tracks the master bug as a private bug visible only to Ubuntu developers (bugcontrol) and makes duplicate bugs public after stripping their data.

This works well but has some downsides:
 - Launchpad cannot show the master bug to folk reporting bugs via apport (so they file new bugs always)
 - After users file a new bug apport detects its a dupliate and then they cannot see the master bug and get frustrated.

It would be nice to have:
 - the master bug be public so that reporters of dups can see it in the dupe finder and can see it if a dupe is detect post-filing.
 - Developers still have easy access to the raw crash data.
  - One way to do that that does not need much development would be to have a private bug exist, linked from the master bug (e.g. with a comment or in the description; something like 'Confidential crashdump for this bug is attached to bug 12345 - only visible to Ubuntu developers').

One way to achieve this is to have apport file a new public bug to be the master. This would have the necessary metadata and would include the link to the private bug + gather all the duplicates to itself. One downside is that Apport would appear to be the bug reporter for all crashdump based bug reports. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, but it may confuse people.

Another way would be to have apport file a new private bug, move the attachments over from the original bug, add explanation and metadata in the description, subscribe bugcontrol and then sanitise the original bug report the same way it sanitises public bugs today.