ANNOUNCEMENT!!! =============== This document announces the first wide release of the Problem Tracking System (PTS), also known as the X Problem Tracking System. PTS/Xpts is FREE software. SOFTWARE: Problem Tracking System(PTS) / X Problem Tracking System(Xpts) VERSION: 1.03 (first wide distribution) SYNOPSIS: PTS/Xpts helps with system management. It lets people report problems and lets sysops record their solutions to those problems. It also helps automate other related communication activities. Some might call this "help-desk" software. SYSTEM REQMTS: The core of PTS is "xpts", an X11R4/X11R5 application which uses the Athena widgets. Building PTS requires a Unix variant, an ANSI C compiler, lex, and yacc. AUTHORS: Dean Collins, Chris Hyde, Luke Sheneman, Brian Goff, and John Hunter, among others, known collectively as "Zombie Software". AVAILABILITY: PTS/Xpts is free software. Sources may be obtained from the following sites via anonymous FTP. You will also find it at other sites that mirror these sites. ftp.x.org /contrib ftp.uidaho.edu /pub/unix (slow) The following site mirrors the ftp.x.org:/contrib files: wuarchive.wustl.edu /packages/X11R5/contrib-pub Files are pts-1.03.tar.Z and pts-1.03.README. Look for patches, too. DESCRIPTION ----------- PTS is a tool for improving communication between system users and support personnel (sysops) about problems encountered with the system. It consists of several programs, including Xpts and ptsager. In a nutshell: Xpts is used by system users to report problems. Support personnel (sysops) also use it to log their activities on solving each problem. Xpts also sends e-mail to problem reporters when their problems are solved. Problems are stored in a permanent database for future reference. The problems are organized in a tree-like structure. For example, a problem with "rn" might be reported in "/Software/News/rn". A problem with a computer monitor might be reported in "/Hardware/Monitor". The problem tree structure is completely configurable to meet your particular needs. Ptsager scans through the database once a day and sends electronic mail to certain system users about problems that have remained unsolved for several days. While PTS was designed with managing a network of Unix workstations in mind, it is general and versatile enough to be used in many other ways. For example, at the University of Idaho, PTS was used by the PTS design team to report problems with and take suggestions about early versions of PTS. We are very interested in hearing about unique and creative ways in which you use PTS/Xpts. PTS was designed and implemented by "Zombie Software", consisting of me (Dean Collins), Chris Hyde, Luke Sheneman, Brian Goff, John Hunter, Brent Heikkula, and Dayne Steed. It was designed in great part on a volunteer basis for the University of Idaho Computer Science Department. I can't really provide much support for this free software, but I'll help when I can. I would appreciate help from others in this project. ***BREAKING NEWS!*** The company I'm working for is moving their Seattle R&D office to Atlanta, Georgia later this year. Since I've really become attached to Seattle I've decided to seek other employment here. If you know of any upcoming job openings in the Seattle area for someone with both system administration and software development talents please let me know at either my e-mail address or my snail-mail address. Thanks in advance! Dean Collins 15325 NE Redmond Way, #L1105 Redmond, WA 98052 dean@halcyon.com Note: My employer is in now way associated with the development of PTS. ******************* PTS is being offered as a gift to the Internet community for it's generosity towards us. Enjoy! Dean Collins Tue Feb 8 09:45:31 PST 1994 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dean Collins, Systems Administrator, The System Works, Redmond, WA dean@halcyon.com, dean@cs.uidaho.edu, dean@uidaho.edu or dean%tsw@uunet.UU.NET