# Introduction

## What is Bugzilla?

Bugzilla is a bug- or issue-tracking system. Bug-tracking systems allow individual or groups of developers effectively to keep track of outstanding problems with their products.

Do we need more here?

## Why use a bug-tracking system?

Those who do not use a bug-tracking system tend to rely on shared lists, email, spreadsheets and/or Post-It notes to monitor the status of defects. This procedure is usually error-prone and tends to cause those bugs judged least significant by developers to be dropped or ignored.

Integrated defect-tracking systems make sure that nothing gets swept under the carpet; they provide a method of creating, storing, arranging and processing defect reports and enhancement requests.

## Why use Bugzilla?

Bugzilla is the leading open-source/free software bug tracking system. It boasts many advanced features, including:

- Powerful searching

- User-configurable email notifications of bug changes

- Full change history

- Inter-bug dependency tracking and graphing

- Excellent attachment management

- Integrated, product-based, granular security schema

- Fully security-audited, and runs under Perl's taint mode

- A robust, stable RDBMS back-end

- Completely customisable and/or localisable web user interface

- Additional XML, email and console interfaces

- Extensive configurability

- Smooth upgrade pathway between versions

Bugzilla is very adaptable to various situations. Known uses currently include IT support queues, Systems Administration deployment management, chip design and development problem tracking (both pre-and-post fabrication), and software and hardware bug tracking for luminaries such as Redhat, NASA, Linux-Mandrake, and VA Systems. Combined with systems such as CVS, Bonsai, or Perforce SCM, Bugzilla provides a powerful, easy-to-use configuration management solution.