Difference between revisions of "Debug Help"

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{{Help|BugFixes=*}}
This page's purpose is to make it easier for you to provide us with info to help fix bugs. You may be asked for the following details by a Linden so we can help you further, so bookmark this for future reference.
This page's purpose is to make it easier for you to provide us with info to help fix bugs. You may be asked for the following details by a Linden so we can help you further, so bookmark this for future reference.


== How do I send crash logs? ==
== How do I send crash logs? ==
This can be done automatically. In Second Life, '''Preferences > General tab > Crash reports''' should be set to "Always send" or "Ask before sending".
This is done automatically in current viewers.


Note that when the Crash Reporter is active, it may go slowly as it sends us your info. This is normal.
Note that when the Crash Reporter is active, it may go slowly as it sends us your info. This is normal.


== How do I find my system configuration? ==
== [[System_info|How do I find my system information?]] ==
There are a couple ways:
 
== Where do I find my SecondLife.log file? ==
<font color=red>'''IMPORTANT:''' This log contains your computer's system info and some local directory paths. It does ''not'' contain any personal/private account data, but if you feel uncomfortable providing the aforementioned publicly on the Issue Tracker, say so in the corresponding issue's comments in order to facilitate a Linden receiving it privately.</font>
 
===Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10===
 
The log file is usually in a directory like this:
 
C:\Users\[YOUR USERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\SecondLife\logs


* Start Second Life.
NOTE: [YOUR USERNAME] refers to the one used to identify you on your computer, not your Second Life Resident name.  
* On the login screen, click Preferences button.
* Click the About button.
* You'll see the About Second Life window containing your system configuration on the top pane. (Note that ironically due to a bug, the internal-only [https://jira.lindenlab.com/browse/SL-37394 SL-37394], you ''can't'' copy and paste this info.)


If you're able to login to Second Life, then:
Your drive letter may vary depending on your setup, but C: is the most common.


* Start Second Life.
To get there:
* On the login screen, click Connect button.
* ''Windows Vista:'' Click the taskbar's Start button > Run, then next to "Open:" type '''%appdata%''' and click OK.
* When inworld, go to Help menu > About Second Life.
* ''Windows 7:'' Click the taskbar's Start button > All Programs > Accessories > Run, then next to "Open:" type '''%appdata%''' and click OK.
* You'll see the About Second Life window containing your system configuration on the top pane. Copy and paste the whole thing into an issue. It'll look like this:
* ''Windows 8:'' Tap the taskbar's Start button (or the Windows key), type '''%appdata%''', then press {{K|Enter}}.


[[Image:About_Second_Life_-_1.17.2.png|thumbnail|none]]
Scroll down and look for the "SecondLife" folder, then inside that, open the "logs" folder.


== Where do I find my SecondLife.log file? ==
===Mac OS===
On Windows, it'll usually be in a directory like this:


: '''C:\Documents and Settings\[YOUR USERNAME]\Application Data\SecondLife\logs'''
The log file will usually be in a directory like this:


Your drive letter may vary depending on your setup, but C: is the most common. To get here, you can also click the taskbar's Start button > Run, then next to "Open:" type "%appdata%" and click OK. Scroll down and look for the "SecondLife" folder, then inside that, open the "logs" folder.
/Users/[YOUR USERNAME]/Library/Application Support/SecondLife/logs


On a Mac, it'll usually be in a directory like this:
{{KBtip|Can't find your Library folder on OS X Lion or later? While in the Finder, hold down the {{K|Opt}} key, and pick '''Go>Library''' from the top menu.}}


: '''[YOUR USERNAME]/Library/Application Support/SecondLife/logs'''
===Linux===


On Linux, the secondlife.log file is located on Linux in:
The log file is located in:


: '''~/.secondlife'''
~/.secondlife/logs/


where ~ is your home/user directory.
where ~ is your home/user directory.
Please note that "username" refers to the username used on your computer, not your Second Life Resident name.


== How do I get my Fast Timers results? ==
== How do I get my Fast Timers results? ==
Fast Timers are a set of scrolling bars which separate Second Life's resource usage into colored chunks. This is very useful for identifying if a certain category is using far more computer power than it should, and helps us pinpoint problems. It may look overwhelming at first, like something out of Star Trek, but as long as you can take a good screenshot and send it to us, that's what matters.
Fast Timers are a set of scrolling bars which separate Second Life's resource usage into colored chunks. This is very useful for identifying if a certain category is using far more computer power than it should, and helps us pinpoint problems. It may look overwhelming at first, like something out of Star Trek, but as long as you can take a good screenshot and send it to us, that's what matters.


First, you'll need the Client menu on:
First, you'll need the [[Develop menu]] on. Press:


* Press Ctrl-Alt-D on Windows and Linux.
* {{K|Ctrl|Alt|Q}} on Windows and Linux.


* Press Cmd-Ctrl-D on Mac.
* {{K|Ctrl|Opt|Q}} on Mac.


You should see it appear in the menu bar, to the right of the Help menu. (On some systems, you may need to press Ctrl-Alt-Shift-D.)
You should see it appear in the menu bar, to the right of the Help menu.


Once it's open, go to Client menu > Consoles > Fast Timers. Like this:
Once it's open, go to Develop menu > Consoles > Fast Timers. Like this:


[[Image:Client_menu_-_Consoles_-_Fast_Timers.jpg|thumbnail|none]]
[[Image:Develop-Consoles-Fast-Timers.png|256px|none]]


You should see the bars appear, with an animated line graph below.
You should see the bars appear, with an animated line graph below.


[[Image:Fast_Timers.jpg|thumbnail|none]]
[[Image:Fast_Timers.jpg|256px|none]]


Each bar corresponds to a frame, so if your performance is slow, the bars will animate slowly too. (You can try going to a busy area with many avatars and compare that to being in a quiet place with no one else around.)
Each bar corresponds to a frame, so if your performance is slow, the bars will animate slowly too. (You can try going to a busy area with many avatars and compare that to being in a quiet place with no one else around.)


Feeling dizzy? Click on or near the bars to freeze the chart. Then, you can do the next step, which is to take a screen capture. There are a number of ways to do this:
Feeling dizzy? Click on or near the bars to freeze the chart.
 
You can click on labels to expand/contract them and show a more detailed breakdown, which Lindens may ask you to do depending on the situation. For example, if you click twice on "Render" — once to hide, once to open — it goes from this:
 
[[Image:Fast_Timers_-_Render_-_closed.png|256px|none]]
 
to this:
 
[[Image:Fast_Timers_-_Render_-_open.png|256px|none]]
 
This shows a breakdown of what's using the most "Render" time, which is helpful in diagnosing graphics-related slowdowns.
 
Then, you can do the next step, which is to take a screen capture. There are a number of ways to do this:


=== Using Second Life's built-in tools ===
=== Using Second Life's built-in tools ===
* Click Snapshot button on the toolbar.
* Click Snapshot button on the toolbar, or pick '''World>Snapshot''' from the menu.
* Click "Save snapshot to hard drive".
* Click "Save to My Computer".
* Check "Show interface in snapshot".
* Click the '''>>''' button to reveal Advanced Options.
* Click "New Snapshot". You should see a little preview which shows the Fast Timers.
* Check "Interface" in the Capture section.
* You should see a little preview which shows the your screen shot. Click the round arrow button so that the fast timer bars show.
* Click Save button. The first time you do this during a session, it'll ask you where you want to save the picture. Go ahead and save it somewhere you'll remember.
* Click Save button. The first time you do this during a session, it'll ask you where you want to save the picture. Go ahead and save it somewhere you'll remember.


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No matter what method you use, the important thing is making sure the whole Fast Timers are clearly visible.
No matter what method you use, the important thing is making sure the whole Fast Timers are clearly visible.


Next, if you saved the file as a BMP, TIFF, or another large file type, you'll want to compress the image into a web-friendly format to get a good balance of detail and filesize. This can generally be done like this:
Next, if you saved the file as a BMP or another large filetype, you'll want to compress the image into a web-friendly format to get a good balance of detail and filesize. This can generally be done like this:


* Open the file in the image editor.
* Open the file in the image editor.
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* Select "JPG" as format. You may may see an additional option to choose quality — preferably, the compressed image should be less than 500 KB, so aim for about 50-75% quality.
* Select "JPG" as format. You may may see an additional option to choose quality — preferably, the compressed image should be less than 500 KB, so aim for about 50-75% quality.


If you're not sure what to use, try free [http://www.xnview.com/ XnView] on Windows or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preview_(software) Preview] on Mac.
If you're not sure what to use, try [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_(software) Paint] on Windows or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preview_(software) Preview] on Mac. On very old versions of Windows or with very old viewers, [http://www.xnview.com/ XnView] may work out better than Paint.


=== Attaching the screenshot to an issue ===
=== Attaching the screenshot to an issue ===
Our [https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Issue_tracker Issue Tracker] allows you to attach images to an existing issue. If they're in a web-friendly format like JPG, there'll also be thumbnail previews for convenience. [https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-1478 See an example.]
See the [[Bug Tracker]] to file a new issue, there will be a spot to add attachments on the form.
 
You can also attach images to an existing issue. If they're in a web-friendly format like JPG, there'll also be thumbnail previews for convenience. [https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-1478 See an example.]


[[Image:VWR-1478.png|thumbnail|none]]
[[Image:VWR-1478.png|256px|none]]


All you have to do is:
All you have to do is:
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We've also got a more comprehensive and technical explanation of Fast Timers. [[Fast_Timers|Learn more]].
We've also got a more comprehensive and technical explanation of Fast Timers. [[Fast_Timers|Learn more]].


[[Category:Tutorials]]
[[Category:Tutorials]]  [[Category:Quality Assurance]]

Latest revision as of 15:18, 6 December 2021

This page's purpose is to make it easier for you to provide us with info to help fix bugs. You may be asked for the following details by a Linden so we can help you further, so bookmark this for future reference.

How do I send crash logs?

This is done automatically in current viewers.

Note that when the Crash Reporter is active, it may go slowly as it sends us your info. This is normal.

How do I find my system information?

Where do I find my SecondLife.log file?

IMPORTANT: This log contains your computer's system info and some local directory paths. It does not contain any personal/private account data, but if you feel uncomfortable providing the aforementioned publicly on the Issue Tracker, say so in the corresponding issue's comments in order to facilitate a Linden receiving it privately.

Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10

The log file is usually in a directory like this: 

C:\Users\[YOUR USERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\SecondLife\logs

NOTE: [YOUR USERNAME] refers to the one used to identify you on your computer, not your Second Life Resident name.

Your drive letter may vary depending on your setup, but C: is the most common.

To get there:

  • Windows Vista: Click the taskbar's Start button > Run, then next to "Open:" type %appdata% and click OK.
  • Windows 7: Click the taskbar's Start button > All Programs > Accessories > Run, then next to "Open:" type %appdata% and click OK.
  • Windows 8: Tap the taskbar's Start button (or the Windows key), type %appdata%, then press Enter ↵.

Scroll down and look for the "SecondLife" folder, then inside that, open the "logs" folder.

Mac OS

The log file will usually be in a directory like this: 

/Users/[YOUR USERNAME]/Library/Application Support/SecondLife/logs
KBtip2.png Tip: Can't find your Library folder on OS X Lion or later? While in the Finder, hold down the Opt ⌥ key, and pick Go>Library from the top menu.

Linux

The log file is located in: 

~/.secondlife/logs/

where ~ is your home/user directory.

How do I get my Fast Timers results?

Fast Timers are a set of scrolling bars which separate Second Life's resource usage into colored chunks. This is very useful for identifying if a certain category is using far more computer power than it should, and helps us pinpoint problems. It may look overwhelming at first, like something out of Star Trek, but as long as you can take a good screenshot and send it to us, that's what matters.

First, you'll need the Develop menu on. Press:

  • Ctrl+Alt+Q on Windows and Linux.
  • Ctrl+Opt ⌥+Q on Mac.

You should see it appear in the menu bar, to the right of the Help menu.

Once it's open, go to Develop menu > Consoles > Fast Timers. Like this:

Develop-Consoles-Fast-Timers.png

You should see the bars appear, with an animated line graph below.

Fast Timers.jpg

Each bar corresponds to a frame, so if your performance is slow, the bars will animate slowly too. (You can try going to a busy area with many avatars and compare that to being in a quiet place with no one else around.)

Feeling dizzy? Click on or near the bars to freeze the chart.

You can click on labels to expand/contract them and show a more detailed breakdown, which Lindens may ask you to do depending on the situation. For example, if you click twice on "Render" — once to hide, once to open — it goes from this:

Fast Timers - Render - closed.png

to this:

Fast Timers - Render - open.png

This shows a breakdown of what's using the most "Render" time, which is helpful in diagnosing graphics-related slowdowns.

Then, you can do the next step, which is to take a screen capture. There are a number of ways to do this:

Using Second Life's built-in tools

  • Click Snapshot button on the toolbar, or pick World>Snapshot from the menu.
  • Click "Save to My Computer".
  • Click the >> button to reveal Advanced Options.
  • Check "Interface" in the Capture section.
  • You should see a little preview which shows the your screen shot. Click the round arrow button so that the fast timer bars show.
  • Click Save button. The first time you do this during a session, it'll ask you where you want to save the picture. Go ahead and save it somewhere you'll remember.

Using external tools

No matter what method you use, the important thing is making sure the whole Fast Timers are clearly visible.

Next, if you saved the file as a BMP or another large filetype, you'll want to compress the image into a web-friendly format to get a good balance of detail and filesize. This can generally be done like this:

  • Open the file in the image editor.
  • Go to File menu > Save As.
  • Select "JPG" as format. You may may see an additional option to choose quality — preferably, the compressed image should be less than 500 KB, so aim for about 50-75% quality.

If you're not sure what to use, try Paint on Windows or Preview on Mac. On very old versions of Windows or with very old viewers, XnView may work out better than Paint.

Attaching the screenshot to an issue

See the Bug Tracker to file a new issue, there will be a spot to add attachments on the form.

You can also attach images to an existing issue. If they're in a web-friendly format like JPG, there'll also be thumbnail previews for convenience. See an example.

VWR-1478.png

All you have to do is:

  • On the left side, click "Attach file to this issue". A form will appear.
  • Click Browse button and locate the image where you saved it.
  • Enter a comment as appropriate — it could simply say, "Here are my Fast Timers results.", and click Attach button.
  • Wait a few seconds, and if it succeeded, you'll end up back on the issue's main page, now showing your attached Fast Timers screenshot.

For power users

If you know what you're doing, you don't even have to save to disk: a much quicker way is to capture the screen to clipboard, then on the issue's main page, click "Attach screenshot to this issue" and click Paste button. It should appear in the preview box, then you can customize the file name, make a comment, then attach it.

Related, see JIRA maker Atlassian's documentation.

We've also got a more comprehensive and technical explanation of Fast Timers. Learn more.

Retrieved from "https://wiki.secondlife.com/w/index.php?title=Debug_Help&oldid=1210382"