Better solution than MantisBT

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truefriend-cz
Posts: 66
Joined: 08 Jan 2019, 07:14

Better solution than MantisBT

Post by truefriend-cz »

Hi all.

Do you know about a better (without many errors and bugs) free solution than MantisBT?

Thanks
Mantis version: 2.23.0, OS: Windows, PHP: 7.3, Charset (PHP, Database): UTF-8, and: little, bad english
Starbuck
Posts: 219
Joined: 14 Feb 2006, 02:53
Location: USA
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Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by Starbuck »

Um, no. That's why we're here.

Seriously ... MantisBT has a lot of features and it's aggressively supported. Yes, there is a huge list of issues, but most of the "bugs" reported against this software are requests for enhancements, not really faults. So you can use the software and experience very few faults at all.

Compare this to other packages that are not actively supported or not supported as well. First, you don't get as many features. Second, if you do have an issue, you can't really do anything about it. Go ahead, report requests for changes to BitBucket, GitHub, or Bugzilla. See what happens.

Now, you don't seem to understand what Free and Open Source Software is about. It's not just Free as in beer or lunch. You are Free and at liberty to look at the software and do whatever you want with it. You have the Freedom to change this software to suit your needs.

If you don't know how to code, that's a choice that you have made.
If you do not want to ask, barter, bribe, beg, or pay someone to make changes that you want, that is another choice.
FOSS is all about choices. You can choose to look at some other package, but you're not going to get the features and stability that you get with this software ... at least, not for "free" ... and probably not even if you pay for it.

So, rather than looking elsewhere, I'm hoping you will briefly describe your environment and why you feel MantisBT is inadequate for your needs. I'm not just suggesting that you continue to use Mantis - your request doesn't have enough information for someone to provide a helpful answer. If you describe the "problem" to be solved, someone might be able to provide a "solution".

Good luck.
If you want Mantis to work differently, use or create a plugin. Visit the Plugins forums.
Ask developers to create a plugin that you need - and motivate them to help you!
truefriend-cz
Posts: 66
Joined: 08 Jan 2019, 07:14

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by truefriend-cz »

Developers is on highly professionals but does not solve the banality encountered by the user in common basic use, which are sometimes the essence of what works now.

For example, they work on the RSS reader, but the correct URL format, the correct prioritization of the fields, or the correct "sessions" are not addressed by anyone from the first versions of the product (1.x). This causes problems in different configurations even in basic usage.

Plus, the social age difference of developers also plays a role. The team consists not of young people. When I was looking for an alternative I found a lot of projects not as good as Mantis, but I found some dynamics with them (and stability, with minimum errors/bugs). Here, the developer"s environment is too static and it problem for new and young users who would like to contribute.
When I write here on a forum or on a bugtrace system it"s more like writing with the office and I do not feel like I could do something about it. Not at all in the social sphere.
Mantis version: 2.23.0, OS: Windows, PHP: 7.3, Charset (PHP, Database): UTF-8, and: little, bad english
cas
Posts: 1586
Joined: 11 Mar 2006, 16:08
Contact:

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by cas »

I guess you know Mantis and all developers after being here 2 weeks :roll:
There is plenty other systems around, please have a go to @ them. Just one word of advice, try not to harras other systems/people, that way you have a better chance of getting support :mrgreen:
https://blog.capterra.com/top-free-bug- ... g-software:
By the way, there is one you can skip but still 9 to challenge :idea:
truefriend-cz
Posts: 66
Joined: 08 Jan 2019, 07:14

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by truefriend-cz »

Mantis is in write in PHP. It is best.
Mantis version: 2.23.0, OS: Windows, PHP: 7.3, Charset (PHP, Database): UTF-8, and: little, bad english
cas
Posts: 1586
Joined: 11 Mar 2006, 16:08
Contact:

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by cas »

Tend to agre with you. Now if you start using it as intended, your troubles will be much less.FDor example instead of using Anoymous create one user to logon with and you can use much more of standard functionalities :mrgreen:
Starbuck
Posts: 219
Joined: 14 Feb 2006, 02:53
Location: USA
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Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by Starbuck »

Good points...

@cas is right that we need to use Mantis as-intended. It's not a tool for a site that already has very rigid rules. But my experience tells me that for a site that does not track issues effectively, that MantisBT helps to establish good practices. I have helped a few companies to establish and enforce issue tracking practices. Initially they groan and ask why, and they stumble with the details. But then they thank me for the great system and they use it a lot - as it was designed.

For a site that does not track issues the way Mantis suggests, I suggest you ask yourself and your departments : Why do we do it like this? This might be too "non-standard". Other companies do this differently and perhaps we should consider changes.

I rarely advocate changing business practices to suit software. However, when software helps us to standardize, and to adopt practices that work well, I think we should "listen" to the developers of the software and consider their advice and experience.

@truefriend-cz I agree about PHP. Bugzilla is written in Perl. I used to work with Perl, but it's not as current or popular as PHP now. That means that even for that Very popular software, that maintenance is difficult and I've chosen not to use it (and to migrate one site from Bugzilla to MantisBT).

Do note that both Bugzilla and MantisBT follow the same workflow patterns, so again, if you or your department do not have the same workflow, then you really need to reconsider why you're doing what you do that is so different from the rest of the world.

I also agree that the development team for Mantis is more mature than for other packages. To me, that means "stability". I don't worry about anyone related to this team being distracted by a girlfriend, a new job, summer break, a change in personal choice for the framework of the week, or any other distractions that kill other packages.

I understand your note about "writing with the office" and the social sphere. There is a small but dedicated number of people who know Mantis deeply and help with the project. They work on this for us in their free time, as with most FOSS projects of passion. You may notice that @atrol supports this forum almost entirely on his own. He _is_ the center of this social sphere. I have tried to help in my small way by pulling some of the customization requests to the new plugin forum secion, and I encourage others to contribute to this community in whatever way they can as well. This is how we build a social sphere. Until then, it Must be like communicating with an office.

Mantis has faults. It's difficult to customize the UI in v2. There are tickets for bugs and features that go back over a decade without being moved out of "New" status. WordPress has the same problem and they are suggesting purging any old ideas that haven't been processed yet. That's HORRIBLE! But it is a reality of FOSS where there are limited resources.

Again, I will ask about your environment. Describe your team. Report each concern you have in a separate thread. Be brief and specific. Give people a chance to respond. When the final response is that Mantis does not do what you need, consider custom code. What can You do to help at least define a plugin or core change that does what you want? With a good definition of a problem, we are much closer to a solution. And what can You do to motivate someone to help you with custom code? You must be able to motivate people, with pizza, beer, smiles, pictures of your city (Prague?), code, advice, or Something. Debates and finger pointing in public forums are not motivational. They do not contribute to the social sphere.
If you want Mantis to work differently, use or create a plugin. Visit the Plugins forums.
Ask developers to create a plugin that you need - and motivate them to help you!
truefriend-cz
Posts: 66
Joined: 08 Jan 2019, 07:14

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by truefriend-cz »

It's not about Mantis as a system but about the initial approach of some people from the project to new users.
I have no good experience with him. I do not want to convince anyone or talk like someone who is wicked or worthy or does not speak good English, etc., but to deal with things straight. What English I can do is program and not describe Step-By-Step, and others. When the problem character does not need reproduction. Yes, is better if I write more, but I can not write more because I can not speak English well and not always more must is needed.

Bottom line.
In the social system, I find myself often confronted with the fact that I am limited and penalized for writing less. And other people turn it back when I write a lot. I do not thank or reward anyone for describing or writing anything. So it's just a matter of time before I get some excitement. The social system does not remove this property from other people, and rather it spoils it because of the political system because it is trying to make money that people have disputes between themselves. Even when someone is murdered in such a way, there is no limit, and it is happening several times a day for many years repeatedly.
Mantis version: 2.23.0, OS: Windows, PHP: 7.3, Charset (PHP, Database): UTF-8, and: little, bad english
acoder2020
Posts: 53
Joined: 11 Jan 2024, 19:32

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by acoder2020 »

truefriend-cz wrote: 22 Jan 2019, 21:19 Mantis is in write in PHP. It is best.
I don't understand why it's MySQL connector is so strict with installation. The same user/pw combination works fine via command line, with phpMyAdmin, ect, but Mantis says no, rejects with bad password.

I google the same error "Attempting to connect to database as admin BAD. Does administrative user have access to the database?" and see a long string of posts going back to the early 2010's.

Not wanting support here, I submitted a bug request and have a separate forum post.

I realize there is a lot of volunteer labor that goes into maintaining this project, and we all are appreciative of that. If you don't encounter the admin access error on installation, it appears to work pretty good for many.

Having the weird MySQL issue happen to the point where I can't use the product at all is disappointing.
Starbuck
Posts: 219
Joined: 14 Feb 2006, 02:53
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by Starbuck »

Let's focus on the topic.

1) There is a request for information about other issue trackers.
Info has been provided.

2) There is a complaint about MySQL.
This has been addressed in other threads.

3) There is a complaint about social communications here.
Please create a new thread about this specific topic. Add quotes and links to examples of your complaint. Write your notes in your own language and then let Google Translate or ChatGPT translate the text into English for you.

Am I missing anything?
If you want Mantis to work differently, use or create a plugin. Visit the Plugins forums.
Ask developers to create a plugin that you need - and motivate them to help you!
acoder2020
Posts: 53
Joined: 11 Jan 2024, 19:32

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by acoder2020 »

Starbuck wrote: 18 Jan 2024, 18:282) There is a complaint about MySQL.
This has been addressed in other threads.
Addressed, but not resolved.

This is how it goes with open source sometimes. I'd love to personally help somehow, but the install error referenced above has been around for a very long time so it makes me feel like the decision makers are okay with not fixing it, since some do not experience this error during installation.

I'd love to assist again, if I knew I'd make a difference esp with the basic installation of the product.

I like TRAC, but it's based on python and has its own quirks. Our team has used TRAC for 15+ years. I couldn't recommend it honestly as an alternative to MantisBT.
mushu
Posts: 349
Joined: 04 Jan 2017, 17:41

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by mushu »

Perhaps there is a plugin to allow for voting on a topic? That would then give everyone a chance to prioritize things for the devs to focus on, similar to how Plex does it on their forum. And they have a TON of users globally, so something like that was needed.
Starbuck
Posts: 219
Joined: 14 Feb 2006, 02:53
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by Starbuck »

Friends - my point was that this thread asks a specific question. You're going off on other topics.
Don't hijack threads. Create threads that are dedicated to your preferred topics.
If you want Mantis to work differently, use or create a plugin. Visit the Plugins forums.
Ask developers to create a plugin that you need - and motivate them to help you!
cas
Posts: 1586
Joined: 11 Mar 2006, 16:08
Contact:

Re: Better solution than MantisBT

Post by cas »

mushu wrote: 18 Jan 2024, 19:50 Perhaps there is a plugin to allow for voting on a topic? That would then give everyone a chance to prioritize things for the devs to focus on, similar to how Plex does it on their forum. And they have a TON of users globally, so something like that was needed.
For Mantis there is such a plugin, not sure for phpBBB :cry:
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