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I am looking for a gratis bug tracker for a Linux server to which I don't have much access. It's just for me, the developer, and a single tester. Nothing too fancy is needed.

I would have been happy with Bugzilla, if that is any help, feature-wise, but the server does not have a modern enough Perl and they won't upgrade it.

Preferably something where I just run a single script to install / configure.

I think that it is going to have to be an SQLite database, which is good for simplicity. The server does have MySQL, but it does not allow scripts to create databases (I could create the database manually, then run the script).

I am busy with a while bunch of "real work", so just want something incredibly easy to install. I don't mind having extras which I don't use.

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I'm using Gitea here for a similar purpose. It's like a "mini Github", letting you maintain your Git repos together with issues and wikis (you can even mirror remote ones with it). It's lightweight and easy to use and fast responding (I have it running on my BananaPi, it uses almost no resources), and can easily deal with multiple projects (and also multiple users).

Let's check it against your requirements:

  • gratis: Yes.
  • for Linux: Yes, for many other platforms as well.
  • Nothing too fancy: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder – but I'd rather define it useful than fancy.
  • just run a single script to install / configure: a single binary drop-in – and updating is as simple as replacing that. A singe config file, which also can be maintained via the WebUI
  • have to be an sqlite database: Exactly.
  • incredibly easy to install: again in the eye of the beholder – but it's not too difficult. First time takes a little longer – updates are a snap of the fingers.

Looks and feels a bit like Github, so you should also have an easy way getting started to use it. I'm using it myself for more than a year already, and am quite satisfied with it.

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    I don't use GitHub, but will install this this evening (if I have time) and play with it & give feedback. It certainly looks like what I asked for :-)
    – Mawg
    Commented Jan 22, 2018 at 8:35
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    I saw Izzy mention this tool quite some time ago (perhaps on one of my own questions), and I tried it - to this day, I appreciate the tools functionality and simplicity.
    – DankyNanky
    Commented Jan 22, 2018 at 10:33
  • I run and couldn't access from the browser, so hit Ctrl-c and looked in log/serv.log and got Failed to connect to database: unknown database type, I added [database] DB_TYPE = sqlite3 and [server] HTTP_ADDR = xx.xx.xx.xx, I still can't access from the browser, but now no log file is created (no error?).
    – Mawg
    Commented Jan 22, 2018 at 19:24
  • I also copied the sample config & tweaked it appropriately, with the same result. The app runs, but I can't access it from the browser. Note that I don't fully control my server, but can telnet in
    – Mawg
    Commented Jan 22, 2018 at 19:30
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    @Mawg please check that the user running Gitea has read/write access to the PATH specified in [database] – that's the only thing I can imagine being at fault here. You could also first experiment on some machine where you have full control; might make it easier to check things.
    – Izzy
    Commented Jan 22, 2018 at 21:46
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I'm using Mantis, which is a pure bug tracking system (unlike Gitea suggested by @Izzy).

  • gratis: yes, GPL licensed.
  • for Linux: yes, according the system requirements (and because I run it on Debian myself)
  • nothing too fancy: quite nice looking I'd say, but it does not use too much JavaScript (which is why I like it as well)
  • single script to install / configure: it has a Install routine which runs as a PHP script
  • SQLite: you mentioned the possibility of MySQL.
  • easy to install: IMHO, one of the easiest I found so far. Much easier than Bugzilla and Gitlab at least.
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  • I am upvting this, Thomas, as it will help others. I have used mantis in the past (and hacked it a little, as it it written in PHP). Where I might have a problem is that my host won't allow scripts to create databases. I can create them manually and alter the script from CREATE DATABASE to CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS, if needed, or just cur that line, and see what happens; it ought to work.
    – Mawg
    Commented Jan 23, 2018 at 7:23

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