Debug Snapshot Tool/Script? [WAS:Re: Linksys WPC54g v4, NDIS, & Kernel Panics]

[jfarmer at goldsword.com]

Quoting Torfinn Ingolfsen <torfinn.ingolfsen at broadpark.no>:

> On Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:58:22 -0600
> jfarmer at goldsword.com wrote:
>
>> What about creating a simple "snapshot grabber" or similar tool that
>> would grab
>> the output of such commands and stuff them into a file?  Then the user
>
> You mean like script(1)?
>
> Sheesh, if people can't or won't read, how can anyone help them?

script doesn't do what I was suggesting.

even with Script, what I was pointing out was that all to often, we have
something like this happen:

1.   User has a problem, reads a bit on the on-line docs (not always that
helpful :^<)
2.   When he can't find an answer there, he comes to one (or more) lists and
posts a question.
3.   Someone replies with "Have you read....?"
4.   Answer, "Yes, but I didn't see how to XXX..."
5.   Someone else replies with "Could post the results of "XYZZY -viy"
6.   Answer, posted results of "XYZZY -viy"
7.   Someone else replies with "No, We need the results of XYZZY -ViyQ"
8.   Answer, posted results of "XYZZY -ViyQ"
9.   Some replies with "Have you read...?"  and "Try rolling back your 
update to
before..."
10.  User "??!?!?!"
11.  repeat steps 2 through 10 until they leave either with an answer or they
install Linux...:^<

All script does is capture the results of them executing one or more 
commands. My suggestion is to have one command 
"Get_All_Known_Spells_for_Wizards" for
users that would short-cut steps 4 through 10.  The idea is to make it 
easy for
users to provide the information needed for developers and more experienced
users to help them, either to spot what they are doing incorrectly or to
uncover a bug.

John

-------------------------------------------------------------------
John T. Farmer          Owner & CTO              GoldSword Systems
jfarmer at goldsword.com   865-691-6498             Knoxville TN
   Consulting, Design, & Development of Networks & Software