Researcher's Blog

Introduction
Bugzilla is a Web-based general-purpose bugtracker and testing tool originally developed and used by the Mozilla project, and licensed under the Mozilla Public License. Bugzilla is the most popular bug tracking system available today. Bugzilla’s popularity is due to its highly customizable interface, easy configuration, and a large community of very active users. With Bugzilla, you can begin configuring your products, users, and bugs within minutes of starting up the system. Bugzilla provides you with many features, including:

ü LDAP integration

ü Internationalized

ü User authentication, group security, and SSL support

ü Voting system

ü Shortcut flags

ü Custom fields

ü Keyword tagging

ü Saved searches

ü Voting module

ü Multiple report types
System Requirements
Bugzilla’s system requirements include:

ü A compatible database management system

MySQL: All Bugzilla versions support MySQL.
PostgreSQL: Bugzilla 2.22 and above contain complete, stable support for PostgreSQL.
Oracle: Bugzilla 3.2 and above have experimental support for Oracle.
MS-SQL: MS-SQL support is currently underway for Bugzilla 3.8.

ü A suitable release of Perl 5

ü An assortment of Perl modules

ü A compatible web server

ü A suitable mail transfer agent, or any SMTP server

Currently supported database systems are. Bugzilla is usually installed on Linux and runs using the Apache HTTP Server, but Microsoft Internet Information Services or any web server that supports CGI such as Lighttpd, Hiawatha, Cherokee can be used. Bugzilla’s installation process is command line driven and runs through a series of stages where system requirements and software capabilities are checked.

Features

Optimized database structure for increased performance and scalability
Excellent security to protect confidentiality
Advanced query tool that can remember your searches
Integrated email capabilities
Editable user profiles and comprehensive email preferences
Comprehensive permissions system
Proven under fire as Mozilla’s bug tracking system

For Users

ü Advanced Search Capabilities

ü Email Notifications Controlled By User Preferences

ü Bug Lists in Multiple Formats (Atom, iCal, etc.)

ü Scheduled Reports (Daily, Weekly, Hourly, etc.) by Email

ü Reports and Charts

ü Automatic Duplicate Bug Detection

ü File/Modify Bugs By Email

ü Time Tracking

ü Request System

ü Private Attachments and Comments

ü Automatic Username Completion or Drop-Down User Lists

ü Patch Viewer

ü “Watch” Other Users

ü Move Bugs Between Installs

ü Save and Share Searches

For Administrators

ü Excellent Security

ü Extension Mechanism for Highly Customizable Installations

ü Custom Fields

ü Custom Workflow

ü Full Unicode Support

ü Localization

ü mod_perl Support for Excellent Performance

ü Webservices (XML-RPC) Interface

ü Control Bug Visibility/Editing with Groups

ü Impersonate Users

ü Multiple Authentication Methods

ü Support for Multiple Database Engines

Bugzilla 3.0 Life Cycle

ü Sanity Check
Life Cycle

Benefits

Improve communication
Increase product quality
Improve customer satisfaction
Ensure accountability
Increase productivity
Bugzilla can adapt to multiple situations

Comparison of issue-tracking systems

General

System	Creator	License	Implementation language(s)	Back end	Launch Date
Assembla Tickets	Assembla	Proprietary, hosted. Available for free for open source projects	Ruby	MySQL	2008
Bontq	Bontq LLC	Proprietary, hosted. Available for free for open source projects	PHP, Java	PostgreSQL	2010
BugTracker.NET	Corey Trager	GPL	ASP.NET, C# on Windows	SQL Server, SQL Server Express	2002
Bugzilla	Mozilla Foundation	MPL	Perl	MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL	1998-09-19
Cerebro	CineSoft	Proprietary	C++, Qt	PostgreSQL	2009
codeBeamer	Intland Software	Proprietary, free version	Java	MySQL, Oracle, Apache Derby or Postgres	2002
Debbugs	Debian	GPL	Perl	Flatfile, Berkeley DB indexes	1994
FIT Issue Management	Alcea Technologies	Proprietary	Java	flat-file, optional extension for SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle (via JDBC)	2004
Flyspray	flyspray.org	LGPL	PHP	Mysql, PostgreSQL	2003
FogBugz	Fog Creek Software	Proprietary	ASP.NET on Windows, Mono on Mac, FreeBSD, and Linux	SQL Server, MySQL	2000
Fossil	D. Richard Hipp	BSD	C	SQLite	2006
Gemini	Countersoft	Proprietary, free for non profit / open source	ASP.NET, C#	Microsoft SQL Server	2003
GNATS	Free Software Foundation	GPL	C	MySQL	1992
GLPI	INDEPNET	GPL	PHP	MySQL	2003-11-17
Google Code Hosting	Google Code	Proprietary, hosted; available for open source projects	Python	BigTable	2004
HP Quality Center	Hewlett-Packard, formerly Mercury Interactive	Proprietary	C++ (Visual Studio.NET 2005) (client), Java (server)	SQL Server, Oracle	1995
IBM Rational ClearQuest	Rational Software	Proprietary	kernel: executables for several platforms; hooks: Perl and Visual Basic	IBM DB2, Oracle, SQL Server, Access, Sybase ASA	1998
IBM Rational Team Concert	Rational Software	Proprietary	kernel: Java; API: Java	IBM DB2, Oracle, SQL Server, Apache Derby	Unknown
ikiwiki	Joey Hess	mostly GPLv2 (mixed)	Perl	git, darcs, bzr, svn, monotone, mercurial, tla	Unknown
IssueNet	Elsinore Technologies Inc.	Proprietary	ASP.NET, C#, C++	SQL Server	Unknown
IssueTrak	IssueTrak Inc.	Proprietary, Hosted and On-Premises	ASP, JavaScript	Microsoft SQL Server	2000
iSupport	iSupport Software	Proprietary, Commercial, Source Code License available	ASP.NET, XHTML, C#	Microsoft SQL Server	1994
JIRA	Atlassian	Proprietary, Free for non-commercial use	Java	MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server	2003
Launchpad	Canonical Ltd.	AGPL, hosted. Available for free for open source projects	Python, JavaScript	PostgreSQL	2004
Liberum Help Desk	Doug Luxem	GPL	ASP	SQL Server, Access	2000
Kayako SupportSuite	Kayako	Proprietary, some parts GPL	PHP	MySQL	2001
LibreSource	Artenum	GPLv2	HTML, Java on all platforms	PostgreSQL	Unknown
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus	ZOHO Corporation	Proprietary	Java	MySQL, SQL Server	Unknown
MantisBT	Various (open source contributors)	GPLv2	PHP	ADOdb (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, etc.)	2000
Microsoft Dynamics CRM	Microsoft	Proprietary, Commercial	.NET	Microsoft SQL Server	2003
Mojo Helpdesk	Metadot	online / hosted only	Ruby on Rails	Unknown	Unknown
OnTime	Axosoft	Proprietary, Saas	C#, .NET	SQL Server	2002
org-mode	Carsten Dominik	GPLv3	Emacs Lisp	text file(s)	Unknown
OTRS	otrs.org	AGPL	Perl	MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server	2002
Planbox	Planbox	Proprietary, free version	PHP Java	MySQL	2009
Pivotal Tracker	Pivotal Labs	Proprietary, free version	Ruby on Rails	Ruby on Rails, MySQL, Memcached	2008
Plain Ticket	Turbine interactive	Proprietary, online, hosted.	Java	MySQL	2011
Projistics	Nagarro	Proprietary	C#, .NET, Com+	SQL Server	Unknown
Redmine	Jean-Philippe Lang	GPLv2	Ruby on Rails	MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite	2006
Remedy Action Request System	BMC Software	Proprietary	C	Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Informix, Sybase ASA	1992
Request Tracker	Best Practical Solutions, LLC	GPL	Perl	MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQLite	1999-10-13
Roundup	Ka-Ping Yee, Richard Jones	MIT license (ZPL v 2.0 for the template system)	Python	SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Berkeley DB	2001
StarTeam	originally Starbase Corporation, currently Borland	Proprietary	Java, C++, others	SQL Server recommended, Oracle, DB2 supported	Unknown
Supportworks	Hornbill Systems	Proprietary	Visual C++ and PHP	SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Sybase	1994
Team Foundation Server	Microsoft	Proprietary, Commercial	.NET	MS SQL Server 2005 & 2008	2005
Teamwork	Open Lab	Proprietary, some parts LGPL	Java	all relational (uses Hibernate)	2003
Trac	Edgewall Software	New BSD	Python	SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL	2006-10-01
Unawave	Unawave LLC	Proprietary	Unknown	Unknown	2010
Web Help Desk	MacsDesign Studio, LLC	Proprietary	Java	OpenBase, FrontBase, MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle	1999
Wrike	Wrike, Inc.	Proprietary, hosted	Java	PostgreSQL	2006
YouTrack	JetBrains s.r.o.	Proprietary, stand-alone and hosted, free version, free for open source projects	Java, MPS-based DSLs	JetBrains DB	2009
Zentrack	Wrike, Inc.	GPL	PHP	MySQL	Unknown
Zoho BugTracker	Zoho Corp.	Proprietary	Java	MySQL	2011

Features

System	Dynamic documentation integration/generation	Test planning integration	Customizable workflow	Unicode support	Custom Fields	SLA	Plugin API	Multiple Projects
Assembla	Wiki syntax, email notification, linking to Subversion commits, document manager, charts, reports, notifications	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
BugTracker.NET	integrated charts and reports	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Bugzilla	reporting: integrated reports and charts, scheduled reports by mail	Yes^[3]	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
codeBeamer	Yes, Integrated document manager, Scrum, Kanban, waterfall project mgm, Wiki, custom dashboard, multiproject report, baselineing, release mgm, API, RSS, ActivityStream, notifications	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown
Debbugs	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Unknown
Flyspray	Yes, Roadmaps, overviews of projects, dependencies diagrams	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes^[9]	Yes
FogBugz	Integrated wiki	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes^[10]	Yes
Fossil	Yes, Integrated Wiki in addition to integrated versioned project documentation via web ui.	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes^[14]
Gemini	Yes, Integrated document manager, RSS, charts, reporting engine, remote API, notifications, custom fields/values for issues	Yes^[16]	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
GNATS	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Unknown
Google Code Hosting	Wiki syntax, email notification, linking to Subversion commits, custom fields/values for issues	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
HP Quality Center	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
IBM Rational ClearQuest	reporting: integrated charts and interface to Crystal Reports	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
IBM Rational Team Concert	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
ikiwiki	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Unknown
IssueNet	Advanced reporting, configurable dashboards, Microsoft Project integration	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Unknown
IssueTrak	Task management, Workflow, Custom reporting, Knowledge Base, dashboard, service level agreement, automatic assignment, file attachments, inbound and outbound email, active directory integration, Asset Management, escalation rules, surveys, global issues, projects	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
iSupport	Extensive workflow, automated or manual routing, service level agreements, ITIL, automatic assignment, statistical reports, Knowledge Base, advanced search, file attachments, inbound emails to issues, notifications, configurable dashboard, report writer, WMI based asset management, escalation rules, surveys, related issues, call scripts	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Unknown
JIRA	Workflow with triggers, timers, and conditions, dashboard with reporting widgets (Open Social), Customizable fields for each project, HTML, XML, RSS, PDF, Excel, Word, customizable charts, Confluence (Enterprise wiki)	Yes^[18]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes^[19]	Yes
Liberum Help Desk	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Unknown
LibreSource	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Unknown
Kayako SupportSuite	Knowledgebase builder, reports, integrated download manager, step-by-step troubleshooter builder	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown
MantisBT	Yes, Integration of MediaWiki, DokuWiki, XWiki	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Microsoft Dynamics CRM	reporting: integrated charts and reports, export to Excel, Mail Merge	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Unknown
Mojo Helpdesk	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Unknown
OnTime	Wiki, SVN, VSS, Vault, Email Notification, Subversion	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
org-mode	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Unknown
OTRS	Advanced reporting, configurable dashboards	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown
Planbox	Yes, thru File sharing, RSS, User story backlog, charts, reporting engine, Open API, email notifications, custom fields for issues, time tracking, searchable labels.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pivotal Tracker	Yes, real time collaborative story backlog, integrated reports, email notification	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Plain Ticket	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Projistics	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Unknown
Redmine	Yes, integrated wiki, discussion forums, news blogs, email integration, calendars, Gantt Charts, export to PDF, export to Excel/CSV	Yes^[25]	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Remedy Action Request System	With RKM, the Remedy Knowledge Base product from BMC	No	Yes^[28]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown
Request Tracker	Yes, MediaWiki^[30]	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes^[31]	Yes^[32]	Yes
Roundup	wiki can be integrated or linked	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
StarTeam	No	Yes^[36]	No	No	No	No	No	Unknown
Supportworks	Yes – Integrated reporting wizard, customizable PHP reporting tool, dashboard, optional interface with Crystal Reports, export to Microsoft Excel/CSV, knowledge base, optional asset management tool	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes^[37]	Unknown
Team Foundation Server	Yes – workflow definitions, process documentation	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Teamwork	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Trac	Yes, integrated wiki	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes^[39]	No
Unawave	Yes, works within Google Wave	No	No	Unknown	No	No	No	Unknown
Web Help Desk	Dynamic request forms based on category choice, Dynamic auto-routing of request tickets, Auto FAQ generation, Integrated charts and reports, context sensitive help	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Unknown
Wrike	real-time customized reports, export to Excel, scheduled reports by mail, alerts, discussions, Gantt charts,	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Unknown
YouTrack	Yes: Wiki syntax, custom workflow, custom issue attributes, notifications (email, jabber, RSS, etc.), email integration, reports, export to HTML and CSV, integration with VCSs.	Yes^[43]	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No^[44]	Yes
Zentrack	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Unknown
Zoho BugTracker	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes

Installation List
A large number of companies, organizations, and projects use Bugzilla. This page showcases a few particularly high-profile or otherwise interesting installations, and also contains a complete list of known Bugzillas.