No matter how good you think your code is there is always going to be a bug/defect of some kind. Defect numbers may range from 1 to thousands so it’s important to have a very good tracking tool. There are commercial tools out there but I figured I’d focus on the open source tools.
Below are some open source tracking tools that you can use for your projects to track bugs/defects, issues, enhancements and much more.
- Abuky: Abuky stands for the Aoo BUg tracKing sYstem, while AOO stands for Art Of Open Source. Abuky is a system for tracking bugs and aiding the developer to fix them, written in Java with JSP as web interface. Requirement: Linux, Windows, Solaris
- Anthill Bug Manager: A tool that aids code development by keeping track of bugs in a multi-project, multi-developer environment. It accomplishes this with a clean, simple, and fast interface that contains all the essential features
but avoids the enormous complexity associated with most other projects of this type. Requirement: OS Independent - BTsys: A lightweight desktop bug tracking system, written using C# and ADO.NET for small developer teams. Easy to install and learn how to use. Requirement:All 32-bit MS Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP)
- Bug-A-Boo: A web based bug reporting system for Linux. It runs on any web server providing CGI
functionality. Bug-A-Boo does not need any database server but brings along its own local tables it accesses with tdbengine.Requirement: Linux - BugBye: A web-based bugtracking system developed using ASP.NET technology and C# as scripting language. It offers all the features needed to manage improvement, bugs, and so on. It also provide statistics help-desk management, and further options which allow the user to simplify all the stage of project development and maintainance. Requirement: All 32-bit MS Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP)
- Bugfree: A lightweight and simple web-based bug tracking system available in Chinese and English. Requirement: Windows
- Buglog: Allows you to easily record bugs into a database along with description and screenshots of the bugs (file upload feature). The BLT allows tracking of all bugs on a project-wise basis thus making it a bug logging and tracking solution. BuglogV2 incorporates a powerful search feature allowing developers to locate bugs effortlessly. Requirement: All 32-bit MS Windows(95/98/NT/2000/XP)
- BugNet: A web based bug / issue tracking application programmed in C# and asp.net. The main goals are to keep the codebase simple, well documented, easy to deploy and scalable. Major features include: Generic DAL / XHTML and CSS layout. Requirement: All 32-bit MS Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP)
- BugRat: Java software that provides a sophisticated, flexible bug reporting and tracking system.
- BUGS – The Bug Genie: A web-based bug tracking tool, designed with ease of use as it’s foremost goal, but also features a high level of flexibility for developers and administrators. Requirement: PHP4 (or later) and MySQL.
- Bugs Online: Originally developed in 1997 to serve as the primary bug and issue tracking system to be utilized during a large development oriented project. The Bugs Online system is a very flexible and capable system for bug and issue tracking. Requirement: Windows NT 4.0 SP3+, MS IIS 3 w/ ASP
- BugtrackWeb based bug tracking system written in Perl/DBI. Supports multiple users, projects, components, versions and email notification. Requirement: Linux, Solaris, Windows
- BugTracker.NET: Web-based bug or issue tracker written using ASP.NET, C#, and Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE. It is in daily use by hundreds (maybe thousands) of development and support teams around the world. Requirement: All 32-bit MS Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP)
- Bugzilla: Features include: integrated, product-based granular security schema, inter-bug dependencies and dependency graphing, advanced reporting capabilities, a robust, stable RDBMS back-end, extensive configurability, a very well-understood and well-thought-out natural bug resolution protocol, email, XML, console, and HTTP APIs, available integration with automated software configuration management systems, including Perforce and CVS (through the Bugzilla email interface and checkin/checkout scripts), too many more features to list.
- CodeTrack: Bug database with a friendly web front end aimed at medium and small development shops. Particularly suited for intranet and extranet environments, CodeTrack includes built-in strong authentication, and allows custom access control to individual projects. No database is required as bug data and developer notes are stored using simple XML text files. Requirement: Apache and PHP
- Debian bug tracking software: The Debian bug tracking system is a set of scripts which maintain a database of problem reports. Requirement: Unix
- DITrack (Distributed Issue Tracker): Implemented in Python and runs in UNIX (*BSD, Linux, MacOS X) and Windows environment.
- Ditz: Open source distributed issue tracker designed to work with distributed version control systems written in Ruby
- eTraxis: A web-based bug tracking system with unlimited number of custom workflow templates. Some of the main features are: fully custom templates, advanced filters, LDAP support, email notifications, subscriptions, reminders, flexible permissions management, graphical project metrics, etc. Requirement: OS independent
- Eventum: A user-friendly and flexible issue tracking system that can be used by a support department to track incoming technical support requests, or by a software development team to quickly organize tasks and bugs. Requirement: PHP, MySQL
- Flyspray: Originally developed for the Psi project, Flyspray is an easy to use bug tracking system for those who do not require all the complexities of something like Bugzilla. It supports multiple users, file attachments, and Jabber notifications. Requirement: Web Environment
- FOSSology: Started out as an internal development effort at Hewlett Packard Company (HP).
- Gjallar: Highly customizable issue tracker with advanced email integration and ability to work offline and synchronize with server. Requirement: Windows
- GNATS: A portable incident/bug report/help request-tracking system which runs on UNIX-like
operating systems. It easily handles thousands of problem reports, has been in wide use since the early 90s, and can do most of its operations over e-mail. Several front end interfaces exist, including command line, emacs, and Tcl/Tk interfaces. There are also a number of Web (CGI) interfaces written in scripting languages like Perl and Python. Requirement: OS Independent - Helis: Iincludes the main features of most bug tracking systems. Requirement:Linux web server (php 4/mysql + cgi)
- Issue Tracker: by ASP.NET. Issues can be tracked, related issues can be displayed & more. Issue Tracker supports MS Access & MSSQL for storing the data.
- Issue Tracker Product: A straight forward and user friendly web application built on top of the Zope application server. Requirement: OS Independent, Zope
- itracker: An issue tracking system designed to support projects with independent user bases. Features include multiple versions and components, detailed issue histories and email notifications. Soon based on Java Spring 2.0 and Hibernate. Requirement: OS Independent
- JitterBug: A web based bug tracking system. JitterBug operates by receiving bug reports via email or a web form. Authenticated users can then reply to the message, move it between different categories or add notes to it. In some ways JitterBug is like a communal web based email system. This web page is itself a JitterBug page.
- jTrac: A generic issue-tracking web-application that can be easily customized by adding custom fields and drop-downs. Features include customizable workflow, field level permissions, e-mail integration, file attachments and a detailed history view. Requirement: OS Independent
- Kwok Information Server: IT web application, providing a centralized application for managing IT assets, software licenses, service contracts, issues, and contacts. Additional modules include portal, RSS, and blogs.
- Lighthouse Pro: ColdFusion bug tracking application. It lets you easily track bugs and issues for a project. With Lighthouse Pro, you can monitor the complete life cycle of an issue, from creation to QA to closure.
- Mantis: A php/MySQL/web based bugtracking system. Requirement: Windows, MacOS, OS/2, and a variety of Unix operating systems. Any web browser should be able to function as a clientWindows, MacOS, OS/2
- Ohloh: Is more than just a tracking database
- oops-easytrack: A Bug Tracking System, implemented as a LAN-based and a web-based version. Bugs are created, modified, logged or searched. Users, projects,components and releases can be administered. Reports of 4 types may be generated. Requirement: OS Independent
- Open Track: A problem tracking(PR) system that is table driven and easily
configurable/customizable for a variety of PR applications. Project defect tracking, help desk tracking, and requirements gathering can be easily handled by OpenTrack. - PEST: A bug tracking system written especially for a web enviroment. It supports good testing and bug tracking processes, as well as notification.
- phpBugTracker: Provides a codebase that is independent of the database and presentation layers. Requirement: webserver with PHP 4.1.0+
- Project Dune: Mostly a web-based issue tracker with integrated modules: Cocomo II estimates, Scrum tasks, timesheet, simple customer management and a browser-based document writer. Requirement: OS Independent
- Project Open: Web-based ERP/Project Management software for organizations with 2-2000 users
- RadTracker: A MYSQL-PHP web based issue tracking system built for healthcare but generic enough for most needs. Designed to ease the support of multiple idiosyncratic information systems needing their own knowledge base and support mechanism.
- Redmine: Flexible project management web application. Written using Ruby on Rails framework, it is cross-platform and cross-database. Requirement: Ruby and Ruby on Rails must be installed.
- Request Tracker: RT is an industrial-grade ticketing system. It lets a
group of people intelligently and efficiently manage requests submitted by a community of users. RT is used by systems administrators, customer support staffs, NOCs, developers and even marketing departments at over a thousand sites around the world. Requirement: Written in object-oriented Perl, RT
is a high-level, portable, platform independent system - Roundup Issue Tracker: Roundup is a simple-to-use and -install issue-tracking system with command-line, web and e-mail interfaces. It is based on the winning design from Ka-Ping Yee in the Software Carpentry “Track” design competition.
- Scarab: The goal of the Scarab project is to build an Issue / Defect tracking system that has the following features: A full feature set similar to those found in other Issue / Defect tracking systems: data entry, queries, reports, notifications to interested parties, collaborative accumulation of comments, dependency tracking In addition to the standard features, Scarab has fully customizable and unlimited numbers of Modules (your various projects), Issue types (Defect, Enhancement, etc), Attributes (Operating System, Status, Priority, etc), Attribute options (P1, P2, P3) which can all be defined on a per Module basis so that each of your modules is configured for your specific tracking requirements. Built using Java Servlet technology for speed, scalability, maintainability, and ease of installation. Import/Export ability via XML allowing for easy migration from other systems (like Bugzilla). Modular code design that allows manageable modifications of existing and new features over time. Fully customizable through a set of administrative pages. Easily modified UI look and feel. Can be integrated into larger systems by re-implementing key interfaces.
- Stabilizer: The Stabilizer bugtracking system aims to quickly stabilize buggy GUI applications so that people can get real work done with them. Users collaboratively and quickly stabilize a buggy GUI application simply by using the application normally and reporting any bugs that they encounter. As soon as a few people report the same bug, warnings will be issued to all users whenever they are about to trigger that bug and they will be given the opportunity to abort the input event — thus avoiding the bug altogether and keeping the application stable. Requirement: All POSIX (Linux/BSD/UNIX-like OSes), Linux
- The Bug Genie: Built with PHP, has multilanguage support & provides an easy to use interface.
- Trac: An enhanced wiki and issue tracking system for software development projects. Trac allows wiki markup in issue descriptions and commit messages, creating links and seamless references between bugs, tasks, changesets, files and wiki pages. A timeline shows all project events in order, making getting an overview of the project and tracking progress very easy. Requirement:Python, CGI-capable web server
- Track+: A web based issue tracking and project management application targeted at medium to large commercial development projects. Track+ can be used instantly, yet it is flexible and configurable. Track+ is easy to use, provides user centric as well as project centric views, has configurable workflows, supports e-mail submission of issues, and has a comprehensive time and cost tracking module. Track+ is free to academic institutions, open source projects, and charities, and generally free to anybody up to 10 active users in the database. Track+ comes with the complete source code. Requirement: OS Independent (Written in an interpreted language)
- TrackIt: A Web-based project tracking tool that incorporates defect tracking functionality. It is designed from the ground up to provide maximum flexibility, customization, and most importantly, usefulness to the developer. It has built-in support for various Extreme Programming constructs, as well as full CVS and Subversion integration. It also supports simple listings via HQL and advanced reporting via SQL. Requirement: JRE 1.5
- WebIssues is an open source, multi-platform system for issue tracking and team collaboration. The server can be installed on any host with PHP and MySQL, PostgreSQL, Firebird or SQL Server. The client is a native desktop application for both Windows and Linux.
- WREQ: Designed to be a distributed request/problem tracking system with builtin knowledge database to help systems personnel to stay on top of requests and to prompt knowledge sharing among all local support groups. Requirement: To use wreq, first you must have perl version 5 with GDBM support installed on your web server.
- zenTrack: Highly configurable bug tracking, project management, and help desk solution. Project focus is on configurability, usability, and clean code. Requirement: OS Independent
Please comment below on your thoughts about any of the tools listed above and/or if you know of any other tools that should be added.
