Assign a bug to a package¶

To ensure the right people see a bug report, every report should identify the software package related to the bug. When running ubuntu-bug (see Reporting Bugs), one must sometimes specify the package manually. This page explains how to identify the related package.

Common scenarios¶

In most situations, you can identify the problem package based on the scenario in which the bug occurs.

Applications¶

Applications in released versions of Ubuntu no longer have a Report a Problem menu item. Thus, you must first determine the executable name for the application and then find the package the executable belongs to.

Apport¶

Since Natty Narwhal (11.04) you can call ubuntu-bug with --window (or -w) which enables you to click on the application window and Apport will identify the package name by itself.

Determining the executable path¶

If you launched the application through the Main Menu, you can use the menu editor to find which command it runs:

GNOME

Launch System -> Preferences -> Main Menu

Select the item for the application (e.g., System -> Preferences -> Display)

Click Properties button

Write down the “Command” value – this is the executable name

Open a Terminal (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal)

In the terminal, type which [executable name]

Write down the value printed on the terminal – this is the full executable path

KDE

Open the Menu Editor by clicking on the K button (Kickoff Application Launcher) in the Desktop Panel with the right mouse button and selecting Menu Editor

Select the item for the application (e.g., System -> Dolphin (File Manager))

Write down the first value in the “Command” filed in the General tab – this is the executable name (e.g., “dolphin”)

Open a Terminal with Konsole (K -> Applications -> System -> Terminal)

In the terminal, type which <executable name> (e.g., which dolphin)

Write down the value printed on the terminal – this is the full executable path

Any other

If you did not launch the application through the Main Menu or cannot use the Menu Editor, you can use xprop to find the related executable:

Launch the application

Open a Terminal:

GNOME: Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal
KDE: K -> Applications -> System -> Terminal

In the terminal, type xprop WM_CLASS – your mouse pointer should now turn to crosshairs

Click anywhere in the application’s window

The terminal will now list a line like WM_CLASS(STRING) = "deja-dup", "Deja-dup"

Write down the first value (e.g. "deja-dup").

In the terminal, type locate -b "\[executable name]" (in this case, locate -b "\deja-dup") – the backslash (\) is important!

Write down the line printed on the terminal – this is the full executable path (if there are multiple lines, use the first one)

Find the package name¶

After you have found the executable path, you can find the package name by running:

dpkg -S [full executable path]

For example, dpkg -S /usr/bin/gnome-display-properties will print the package name for gnome-display-properties.

Another useful tool when triaging bugs is apt-file:

apt-file search terminator

This utility works like dpkg -S but searches all packages instead of only those you have installed.

When installing Ubuntu (or derivatives)¶

If you encounter a bug when installing Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu, or other derivatives, the bug is probably one of a small set of packages.

If you find the bug when booting the Live CD (or alternative installer), file the bug against the kernel
If you find the bug when installing Ubuntu from the Desktop CD), the package is ubiquity (see Debugging Ubiquity/Attaching Logs)
If you find the bug when installing from the Alternate or Server CDs, the package is debian-installer

When upgrading Ubuntu (or derivatives)¶

If you encounter a bug while upgrading Ubuntu (for example, from 24.04 to 24.10), the problem package is ubuntu-release-upgrader. Attach the log files found in /var/log/dist-upgrade/.

During boot¶

If you encounter a bug with the boot splash screen (typically an Ubuntu logo displayed during boot), the package is plymouth.
If the screen goes blank after the splash screen (about the time the login screen should come up), report the bug against xorg.
If the boot errors or freezes even in “recovery mode”, the bug should be reported against the kernel.

At the login screen¶

If you encounter a bug at the login screen, the package is the display manager:

In Ubuntu 11.10 to 17.04, it is LightDM – in previous versions of Ubuntu and Edubuntu it was gdm.
In Ubuntu 17.10 or above it is gdm3.
In Xubuntu 11.10 or above, it is LightDM – in previous versions of Xubuntu it was gdm.
In Kubuntu 15.04 or above, it is sddm – in previous versions of Kubuntu it was kdm.
In Lubuntu 18.10 or above, it is sddm – in Lubuntu 12.04 through 18.04 it was LightDM, and prior versions of Lubuntu it was lxdm.
In Ubuntu GNOME it is gdm3.
In Ubuntu MATE it is LightDM.
In Ubuntu Unity it is LightDM.

Graphical Environment¶

The Ubuntu graphical environment is provided by a combination of the Linux kernel and the X Window System (aka x.org).

The following symptoms typically are due to GPU issues in the kernel DRM driver (linux package):

Blank or solid-colored screen instead of login screen, or immediately after login.
System freezes completely.
Wrong default screen resolution.

If you have any of the following symptoms, the issue is with X and the package to report against is xorg (see X/Troubleshooting if you want to pin-point the problem):

The graphical session terminates and returns to the login screen.
Fonts are extremely big or small.

If your problem is with the actual desktop (for example, with desktop icons):

In Ubuntu and Edubuntu, the desktop is managed by the file browser, nautilus.

If your problem is with window management (for example, focus stealing):

If you are using compiz (visual effects), the package is compiz.
In Ubuntu and Edubuntu, the no-effects window manager is metacity.
In Xubuntu, the window manager is xfwm4.
In Kubuntu, the window manager is kwin.

If your problem is with the Administration authentication dialog (where you enter your password), the package is:

gksu in Ubuntu and Edubuntu.
kdesudo in Kubuntu.

If your problem is with the Notification System, the package is:

notify-osd in Ubuntu, Xubuntu and Edubuntu.

If your problem is with the lock screen itself, the package is gnome-screensaver until 13.10 or unity from 14.04 onwards. For more info, check How screen locking works.

Printing¶

All printing in Ubuntu is done via the Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS). The package is cups (see also Debugging Printing Problems).

Sound¶

See Debugging Sound Problems for reporting/triage instructions for sound problems.

You might want to try Sound Troubleshooting first.

Hardware Malfunctions¶

If a piece of hardware is malfunctioning, typically the problem package is the kernel. However, if the problem is with a storage device (internal or external) in 9.10 Karmic Koala or above, problems should be reported with ubuntu-bug storage. If you are triaging, see the “Use Storage Symptom” standard reply.

Network¶

Usual candidate packages are the kernel (file bugs under the linux package) and network-manager.

Suspend and Hibernate¶

Suspend and hibernate are treated as two completely different issues, needing one bug report for each. While there are many different packages responsible:

The kernel implements the actual suspending and resuming and is generally the responsible package when there are hardware-related failures after resume.

File all bugs against the package linux first, unless you know exactly the root cause commit in the code for the responsible package. The majority of suspend/hibernate bugs are due to outdated BIOS or buggy driver implementations, rather than userspace bugs.
gnome-power-manager (in Ubuntu and Edubuntu) is responsible for setting policy on when the system should be suspended or resumed, and signaling the system to do so.
pm-utils is responsible for getting the system into a state where it can be suspended or hibernated, and handling any cleanup after resume.

If you are unsure which package is causing the problem, a safe bet is the kernel (package: linux), but make sure the bug title includes “suspend” or “hibernate”.

Hotkeys¶

Hotkey handling, such as volume and suspend keys, involves multiple packages. See Hotkeys/Troubleshooting for specific packages involved and for troubleshooting instructions. If a hotkey does nothing or is mapped to the wrong function, the problematic package is likely udev.

Ubuntu mirror issues¶

Issues with Ubuntu Mirrors should be reported to mirrors@ubuntu.com and not as a bug on Launchpad.

Ubuntu Touch¶

See the Ubuntu Touch guidelines

Package-specific instructions¶

Some packages have changed names through versions of Ubuntu and others need special care while reporting. This section lists those special cases.

Filesystem problems¶

Usual suspects are the kernel, gvfs and mountall.

Kernel¶

The correct package for bugs about the kernel is linux.

Please read Kernel Team bug policies when reporting bugs against the kernel.

MySQL¶

Put MySQL bugs in the appropriate package depending on the version of MySQL:

mysql-5.5 - the default version in Trusty (14.04)
mysql-5.6
mysql-5.7
mysql-8.0

Incorrectly reported packages¶

The following packages often receive bug reports in error.

Incorrect package	Correct package
`chromium`	`chromium-browser`
`dash`	`unity`
`discover`	`plasma-discover`
`epiphany`	`epiphany-browser`
`gnome`	`gnome-shell` or `gnome-session`
`kernel-package`	`linux`
`snap`	`snapd`
`software-center`	`gnome software`[1]
`ubuntu-settings`	`gnome-control-center`

Bug reports for these packages should be moved to the correct packages so they reach those that can investigate and/or fix them.

Find the source package¶

Many “binary packages” (that is, packages containing the software you run) may be built from the same “source package” (developers’ source code), so bug reports are assigned to source packages and not binary packages. In rare cases, you must manually identify the source package from a binary package.

Go to Launchpad search where you can search for the source package from which the binary package is compiled. The source package is the package you should select when filing a bug.

For example: gnome-control-center belongs to the gnome-system-tools source package.

Alternatively, you can use apt-cache show kdm and look for the Source: line to find the source package.