Within the field of software development, bug tracking is an essential procedure that guarantees the detection, documentation, and correction of errors. MANTIS Bug Tracker is among the most widely used tools for this kind of work. A web-based bug tracking system called MANTIS is well-known for its dependability, extensibility, and simplicity. It helps teams monitor and manage software issues. This in-depth tutorial will walk you through MANTIS Bug Tracker.
![MANTIS Bug Tracker](https://directxdownload.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MANTIS-Bug-Tracker.png)
What is Mantis Bug Tracker?
Software flaws can be tracked for a variety of software projects using Mantis, an open source bug tracking program. Installing and downloading Mantis for your use is simple. Additionally, Mantisbt now offers a hosted version of the program. Using Mantis to map your software development workflow is simple to customize.
Some salient features of Mantis Bug Tracker are:
- Email notifications: It notifies the relevant stakeholders via email of changes, remarks, and resolutions.
- Access Control: At the project level, user access can be managed.
- Customize: Mantis is simply customizable to meet your needs.
- Mobile Support: Mantis offers compatibility for the iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone platforms for mobile devices.
- Plugins: An ever-growing collection of plugins that enable Mantis Issue Tracker to be customized with new features.
Setting Up MANTIS Bug Tracker
- Installation
Prerequisites:
- Web server (Apache, Nginx, IIS)
- PHP 7.2 or later
- Database server (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite)
Steps:
- Download MANTIS: Get the latest version from the official MANTIS website.
- Extract Files: Extract the downloaded files into your web server’s root directory.
- Create Database: Create a new database for MANTIS in your database server.
- Configure Database: Open the MANTIS directory and rename config_inc.php.sample to config_inc.php. Edit this file to include your database details.
- Run Installer: Navigate to http://your-domain/mantis and follow the installation wizard.
- Initial Configuration
Once installed, you need to configure MANTIS for your project needs.
Login as Administrator:
- Default username: administrator
- Default password: root
Change Default Password:
- Navigate to “My Account” and change the password for security reasons.
Set Up Projects:
- Go to “Manage” -> “Manage Projects” -> “Create New Project”.
- Enter project details such as name, status, view status (public/private), and description.
Create User Accounts:
- Go to “Manage” -> “Manage Users” -> “Create New Account”.
- Enter user details and assign appropriate roles (e.g., reporter, developer, manager).
Using MANTIS Bug Tracker
1. Reporting Issues
Steps:
- Select Project: Choose the project where the issue needs to be reported.
- Report Issue: Click on “Report Issue” in the main menu.
- Fill in Details: Provide details such as category, severity, reproducibility, summary, and description. Attach any relevant files or screenshots.
- Submit: Click “Submit Report” to log the issue.
2. Viewing and Managing Issues
Steps:
- View Issues: Click on “View Issues” to see the list of reported issues.
- Filter Issues: Use filters to narrow down the list based on criteria like status, severity, or assignee.
- Update Issue: Click on an issue to view its details and update its status, assign it to a developer, or add comments.
3. Workflow and Status Management
MANTIS allows you to customize the workflow and status of issues to match your project’s needs.
Customize Status:
- Go to “Manage” -> “Manage Configuration” -> “Workflow Thresholds”.
- Define statuses (e.g., new, feedback, acknowledged, confirmed, assigned, resolved, closed) and transitions between them.
Status Transitions:
- Set who can move issues between statuses (e.g., only developers can mark issues as resolved).
Best Practices for Using MANTIS Bug Tracker
- Consistent Reporting: Make sure that when reporting concerns, all team members follow the same format.
- Regular Updates: To keep the team informed, update issue statuses on a regular basis.
- Prioritize Issues: To efficiently handle issue resolution, make use of the severity and priority columns.
- Frequent Backups: To avoid data loss, make regular backups of the MANTIS database.
- Training: To guarantee that MANTIS is used effectively, give team members training.
Conclusion
A strong tool for tracking and managing software bugs is MANTIS Bug Tracker. It is the perfect option for teams of all sizes due to its flexible capabilities, strong features, and easy-to-use interface. You may improve the issue tracking procedure for your project by setting up, configuring, and using MANTIS efficiently by following this tutorial. MANTIS can help you enhance the quality of your software and optimize your problem management process, regardless of the size of your development team.