[Reportbug-maint] Bug#792744: reportbug: Default implementation (text-mode) is TERRIBLE

[Adam Connor]

Package: reportbug
Version: 6.6.3
Severity: normal

Dear Maintainer,

*** Reporter, please consider answering these questions, where appropriate
***

   * What led up to the situation?
   * What exactly did you do (or not do) that was effective (or
     ineffective)?
   * What was the outcome of this action?
   * What outcome did you expect instead?

*** End of the template - remove these template lines ***


-- Package-specific info:
** Environment settings:
INTERFACE="text"

** /home/adam/.reportbugrc:
reportbug_version "6.6.3"
mode novice
ui text
email "nowehavenobananas at gmail.com"
smtphost "smtp.gmail.com:465"
smtpuser "nowehavenobananas at gmail.com"
smtptls

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 8.1
  APT prefers stable-updates
  APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 3.16.0-4-amd64 (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages reportbug depends on:
ii  apt               1.0.9.8
ii  python            2.7.9-1
ii  python-reportbug  6.6.3
pn  python:any        <none>

reportbug recommends no packages.

Versions of packages reportbug suggests:
pn  claws-mail                                 <none>
pn  debconf-utils                              <none>
pn  debsums                                    <none>
pn  dlocate                                    <none>
pn  emacs23-bin-common | emacs24-bin-common    <none>
ii  exim4                                      4.84-8
ii  exim4-daemon-light [mail-transport-agent]  4.84-8
ii  file                                       1:5.22+15-2
ii  gnupg                                      1.4.18-7
ii  python-gtk2                                2.24.0-4
pn  python-gtkspell                            <none>
pn  python-urwid                               <none>
pn  python-vte                                 <none>
ii  xdg-utils                                  1.1.0~rc1+git20111210-7.4

Versions of packages python-reportbug depends on:
ii  apt               1.0.9.8
ii  python-debian     0.1.27
ii  python-debianbts  1.12
pn  python:any        <none>

python-reportbug suggests no packages.

-- no debconf information
I'm using the version that was installed with XFCE. If there was another
version I should have installed (e.g., graphical) then it should be
installed as the default.

I've used plenty of curses programs that were OK. This program is terrible:

   1. Completely modal questions -- there is no way to go back and easily
   edit prior answers. Ugh. In 1990 it might have been a good interface; in
   2015 it's awful.
   2. It asks the users smtp server questions, which is absurd. I use gmail
   and couldn't tell you what the port was. It's fine to have an advanced
   configuration interface for the small percentage of users who know it, but
   it shouldn't be a mainline question.
   3. Simliarly ridiculous questions about packages, even in the "simple"
   UI. Look, I get it that you would like the users to take a first pass at
   getting it to the right person, but the categories aren't very intuitive if
   you aren't a debian maintainer.
   4. If you "save" a report and get out, there is no obvious way to reuse
   it after re-configuring reportbug.


Sorry, I'm just frustrated by the experience of trying to file a bug report.
I greatly appreciate debian, and in 1990, I would have thought this was
fine.
But it needs to catch up with the times...
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