As I mentioned in my previous post, one of the newest Bistro features is the Troubleshooting Package. We've had some clients ask what information is included in the Troubleshooting Package, so here is more detail. First, it is important to note that sending this package to our help desk is always optional - when you submit a new request there is a checkbox to include the package (defaulted to checked) and when you respond to an existing request, there is a checkbox to update the package (defaulted to unchecked). When you sends in your Troubleshooting Package, the information included is:

• Web Server software and version (e.g. Apache 2 or IIS 6.0)
• PHP Version (e.g. PHP 5.0.5)
• MySQL Version (e.g. MySQL 3.23)
• The last 10 messages stored in your Bistro Error Log
• The last 10 messages stored in your Bistro Security Alarm Log
• The list of modules (names and versions) installed on your site
• The default email address configured for your site
• The number of Apache core dumps (if any) in your site

Now, in addition to this information, there are also a few elements that are stored with each help request that are necessary for us to properly respond to requests. These elements are submitted with every help request and response, regardless of whether a Troubleshooting Package is included:

• Bistro version
• Software branded name (e.g. Bistro to Easy Web CMS or something else)
• Submitter's Name and Email Address
• Whether you are a Super Admin or a Regular Admin
• Whether you have access to the Documentation
• The User-Agent string of the user

The last element on the above list gives us some particularly useful information, including which browser and operating system the user has on their computer - since many of the requests that are submitted deal with browser-specific issues, this information helps us better test and debug any questions that come through. We are continuously re-evaluating this list of information to make sure we are only collecting the minimum information required to provide support, so if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to drop us a line.