[Bug 2130649] Re: whoopsie drops the ShellJournal field

[Skia]

** Description changed:

- GNOME is generating error reports that include a `ShellJournal` field [1], but whoopsie doesn't allow it, and it's usually higher that 1KB, so gets dropped. This was discussed on Matrix [2].
- This is needed back to Noble.
+ [ Impact ]
+ 
+ This bug revolves around the error reporting story in Ubuntu, which is what's
+ behind https://errors.ubuntu.com .
+ 
+ GNOME is generating error reports that include a `ShellJournal` field [1], but
+ `whoopsie` (the service uploading the report) doesn't allow it.
+ That means the error reporting story for GNOME crashes isn't great, and slows
+ down the fixing of bugs in this particular situation.
+ 
+ More generally, the proposed fix would add the current `ShellJournal` field,
+ because it's the name currently in use in GNOME, but also adds a more generic
+ `JournalAll` field, that only has a better naming, in the goal of deprecating
+ the `ShellJournal` field when GNOME is updated.
+ `JournalAll` would in effect allow any other application to include generic
+ `journalctl` output.
+ 
+ [ Test Plan ]
+ 
+ TODO: actually develop what the test plan is. It boils down to "generate a
+ report with those two added fields and content bigger than 1KB, make `whoopsie`
+ upload it, and make sure the uploaded report still has the fields"
+ 
+  * detailed instructions how to reproduce the bug
+ 
+  * these should allow someone who is not familiar with the affected
+    package to reproduce the bug and verify that the updated package
+    fixes the problem.
+ 
+  * if other testing is appropriate to perform before landing this
+    update, this should also be described here.
+ 
+ [ Where problems could occur ]
+ 
+ * `whoopsie` is a C application doing networking and parsing. Many things could
+   go wrong, but the patch only adds two lines to an allow-list, so hopefully if
+   it's working today, it shouldn't break too much.
+ * `whoopsie` isn't directly useful to an Ubuntu system, and is actually not
+   enabled by default on Ubuntu Server. It's only triggered when some change
+   happen in `/var/crash` (like file creation). Hopefully if it's broken, the user
+   impact is very limited, and only Ubuntu development (crash reporting) would see
+   the effects.
+ 
+ [ Other Info ]
+ 
+ This was first discussed on Matrix [2], as well as in person with the
+ Desktop team.
  
  [1]: https://salsa.debian.org/gnome-team/gnome-shell/-/blob/ubuntu/latest/debian/source_gnome-shell.py?ref_type=heads#L42
  [2]: https://matrix.to/#/!QMtJBibTYYOCvXJEdv:ubuntu.com/$aZlRcLJiPXDNk_sWwfkDTtcKZrJ3L4iUaMZ_HvK1WdI?via=ubuntu.com&via=matrix.org&via=matrix.debian.social

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2130649

Title:
  whoopsie drops the ShellJournal field

Status in Whoopsie:
  Confirmed
Status in whoopsie package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in whoopsie source package in Noble:
  New
Status in whoopsie source package in Plucky:
  New
Status in whoopsie source package in Questing:
  New
Status in whoopsie source package in Resolute:
  New

Bug description:
  [ Impact ]

  This bug revolves around the error reporting story in Ubuntu, which is what's
  behind https://errors.ubuntu.com .

  GNOME is generating error reports that include a `ShellJournal` field [1], but
  `whoopsie` (the service uploading the report) doesn't allow it.
  That means the error reporting story for GNOME crashes isn't great, and slows
  down the fixing of bugs in this particular situation.

  More generally, the proposed fix would add the current `ShellJournal` field,
  because it's the name currently in use in GNOME, but also adds a more generic
  `JournalAll` field, that only has a better naming, in the goal of deprecating
  the `ShellJournal` field when GNOME is updated.
  `JournalAll` would in effect allow any other application to include generic
  `journalctl` output.

  [ Test Plan ]

  TODO: actually develop what the test plan is. It boils down to "generate a
  report with those two added fields and content bigger than 1KB, make `whoopsie`
  upload it, and make sure the uploaded report still has the fields"

   * detailed instructions how to reproduce the bug

   * these should allow someone who is not familiar with the affected
     package to reproduce the bug and verify that the updated package
     fixes the problem.

   * if other testing is appropriate to perform before landing this
     update, this should also be described here.

  [ Where problems could occur ]

  * `whoopsie` is a C application doing networking and parsing. Many things could
    go wrong, but the patch only adds two lines to an allow-list, so hopefully if
    it's working today, it shouldn't break too much.
  * `whoopsie` isn't directly useful to an Ubuntu system, and is actually not
    enabled by default on Ubuntu Server. It's only triggered when some change
    happen in `/var/crash` (like file creation). Hopefully if it's broken, the user
    impact is very limited, and only Ubuntu development (crash reporting) would see
    the effects.

  [ Other Info ]

  This was first discussed on Matrix [2], as well as in person with the
  Desktop team.

  [1]: https://salsa.debian.org/gnome-team/gnome-shell/-/blob/ubuntu/latest/debian/source_gnome-shell.py?ref_type=heads#L42
  [2]: https://matrix.to/#/!QMtJBibTYYOCvXJEdv:ubuntu.com/$aZlRcLJiPXDNk_sWwfkDTtcKZrJ3L4iUaMZ_HvK1WdI?via=ubuntu.com&via=matrix.org&via=matrix.debian.social

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