10.0;mkapr (make_a_problem_report), revision 1.0, 88/05/12
mkapr (make_a_problem_report) - make an Apollo product report.
usage: mkapr [-v]
NAME
mkapr - make an Apollo product report
DESCRIPTION
The mkapr command creates a product report. This command replaces the
crucr (create a user change request form) utility available in prior
software releases.
Mkapr can be used to generate more than one product report without
exiting and restarting the program. Please make a separate report for
each problem or issue you have with an Apollo Computer product.
Output from mkapr may be in either (or both) of two forms:
1. Printed, human-readable copy; or
2. Encoded, transmittable form.
Printed product reports should be sent to:
APR Administrator/Customer Services
M/S CHG 01 CS
Apollo Computer Inc.
330 Billerica Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824
Encoded product reports may be sent to Apollo Customer Services via the
UUCP network. The network address is:
apollo!apr_cs_admin
Recommended paths to Apollo are via attunix, mit-eddie, or decwrl!decvax.
These paths may change with time; check with your site administrator.
Apollo is registered with the ARPA Internet. If your site has access,
our Internet address is:
apr_cs_admin@apollo.com
Customer Services will acknowledge all product reports received. Do not
assume your product report has been received until you receive a reply.
Security-conscious sites should not send confidential material.
Voluminous submissions should be sent via magnetic media.
OPTIONS
Mkapr supports only one option, -v. This will assert verbose mode; any
system services called by by mkapr will be allowed to send output to the
standard output and/or standard error devices. Normal mode operation is
for mkapr to invoke the system services silently.
SERVICES SUPPORTED
In addition to creating Apollo Problem Reports online, mkapr will make
available viewing, editing, printing and mailing services if they exist
(and mkapr can find them). The mailing service known to mkapr is:
Unix environment - sendmail
The print services known to mkapr are:
Aegis environment - prf
BSD environment - lpr
SysV environment - lp
If a desired service is not available to mkapr, a product report (print
or send) file will be saved in the current directory for printing or
sending at a later time.
DIALOG INTERFACE
mkapr will make use of the DIALOG graphic interface environment of the
Apollo Domain system whenever possible. This interface is intended to be
easy to learn and use. It is active when the cursor (arrow) is in the
mkapr display window. Pressing the F2 function key or the middle mouse
button will display a brief help message that will go away when the key
or button is released.
COMMAND DRIVEN INTERFACE
If the display environment you are using does not support the graphic
interface, you will see the following prompt:
mkapr>
Entering the command 'help' will display the available commands. Here is
the list of commands for reference:
Command Description
help [mkapr]
List Commands. To display the help file, use the mkapr option.
change Change APR Information Fields.
edit Edit the detailed Problem Description.
view View the current APR.
print Print the current APR.
send Send the current APR.
exit Save current customer information changes (if any) and exit.
another Create another product report without leaving mkapr.
You need only enter as much of any command as is necessary to uniquely
identify it. For example, you need only type ch for the change command.
change This allows you to provide the information needed to complete a
product report. Some information is extracted automatically
from the system mkapr is running on. You may change these
default values (the date can't be changed). Some information
comes from an initialization file, .aprinit. Other information
you must provide yourself.
Within the change command, the prompt becomes
mkapr..change>
All current input values are displayed by field. You will be
asked to enter the field number to change, then asked to enter
the new value (pressing <RETURN> will leave the field value
unchanged). The cycle is then repeated. If you reply 'h' or
'help' at this point, you will get the following help message
for the change command:
Change Command
Description
help [mkapr]
List commands. To display the help file, use the
mkapr option.
display fields
Display all fields and their respective values.
change field n
Request to change the value of field # n. Pressing
the RETURN key at the prompt
enter new value ==>
will leave the value unchanged.
exit Exit the change command.
edit An editor will be invoked using available system services. You
should enter a detailed problem description, save it, and exit
the editor using the appropriate editor commands. You will
then be returned to the mkapr> prompt.
view The current mkapr information will be displayed using available
system services.
print The current mkapr information will be printed to the default
printer using the available system services.
send The current mkapr information will be sent to the destination
specified by the MAIL_PATH entry in the .aprinit file using
available system services.
exit If any changes to customer information occurred during this
session, save all customer information to the non-system
.aprinit file, then exit mkapr.
another Create another product report without leaving mkapr. Be sure
you have done something appropriate with the current product
report before issuing this command (Send, Print, or View).
This command resets all product report field values to their
initial values, except for the customer contact, name, address,
and telephone number fields.
INITIAL FIELD VALUES
The fields of an Apollo Problem Report that are collectively known as
customer information Fields are initialized from a file read when mkapr
starts up. These fields contain such information as the name of the
customer contact, the name (company name) of the customer, and the
customer's address and telephone number. The initialization file has the
name .aprinit and the mkapr program will search for it. The search order
for the initialization file is:
1. Look in the current working directory
2. Look in the home directory as given by the shell variable HOME
3. Look in the system directory /etc/apr
It is not an error for no initialization file to exist; mkapr will leave
the customer information fields blank. The fields can be edited and the
initialization file will be updated when mkapr exits.
The file /etc/apr/.aprinit is a special case; mkapr will not write to
this file. The system administrator (or other privileged account) must
create the directory /etc/apr with appropriate access permissions, then
run mkapr to create a local copy of the file .aprinit and copy or move
the file to the directory.
The initialization file is an ASCII text file that may be created and
modified using any of the text editors available to you. The body of the
.aprinit file created by mkapr is reproduced here:
# Comment lines begin with '#'
# Non-comment lines have the following form:
# FIELD_NAME : FIELD_VALUE : IGNORED
# The field name must not be changed.
# The ':' character delimits fields.
# The field value may be changed; it must not contain ':'.
# unless the field value is quoted by either ' ' or " " pairs.
# Anything after the second ':' is thrown away.
#
customer_contact : A. Random User : 14
customer_name : Apollo Computer, Inc. : 21
customer_addr1 : CHG 01 CS : 9
customer_addr2 : 330 Billerica Road : 18
customer_addr3 : Chelmsford, MA 01824 : 21
customer_addr4 : USA : 3
customer_phone : 1-508-256-6600 : 14
mail_path : apollo!apr_cs_admin : 19
#
NOTES
Since mkapr assumes that the site mail facility (probably sendmail) knows
how to get from your site to Apollo, you must edit the mail_path field
value in .aprinit to give mkapr the correct path. Be sure that your mail
facility is set up correctly. See your site administrator for help.
Run /usr/ucb/newaliases at least once before attempting to use mkapr's
send function.
Offsite mailing may not be allowed by your site. If so, you must make
other arrangements to get mail to Apollo. See your site administrator
for help.
FILES
/usr/apollo/bin/mkapr The executable object
/usr/man/cat1/mkapr.1 This manual page (UNIX)
/sys/help/mkapr.hlp This help file (AEGIS)
/sys/dm/fonts/vt100l.* Display fonts
/sys/dialog/dp_* Display fonts
Initial field values (search order):
.aprinit (1st) (updated)
$HOME/.aprinit (2nd) (updated)
/etc/apr/.aprinit (last) (read only)
/tmp/apr.* Temporary files:
apr.*.v Product report view file
apr.*.p Product report print file
apr.*.s Product report send file
apr.*.c Product report send command file
apr.*.e Problem description edit file