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Article #37

Re: Wanted: Tech Support / Help Desk software

#37
From: Colin Campbell
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 23:38
146 lines
7532 bytes
Hi,

Have you guys seen PTS? Here is the README:

Colin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
			ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
			===============

This document announces release of version 1.04 of the Problem Tracking
System (PTS), also known as the X Problem Tracking System.  PTS/Xpts is
FREE software.

SOFTWARE:	Problem Tracking System(PTS) / X Problem Tracking System(Xpts)

VERSION:	1.04

SYNOPSIS:	PTS/Xpts helps with system management.  It lets people
		report problems and lets sysops record their solutions
		to those problems.  It also helps automate other related
		communication activities.  Some might call this "help-desk"
		software or "groupware".

SYSTEM REQMTS:	The core of PTS is "xpts", an X11R4/X11R5 application
		which uses the Athena widgets.  Building PTS requires
		a Unix variant, an ANSI C compiler, lex, yacc, make
		and imake.  PTS should build on most AIX, HP-UX,
		OSF/1, SCO, SunOS, Solaris, Domain/OS, Linux,
		Ultrix, IRIX, SGI, and Intergraph systems, among others.

CAVEAT:		There is presently no text-mode interface or e-mail interface.

AUTHORS:	Dean Collins, Chris Hyde, Luke Sheneman, Brian Goff,
		and John Hunter, among others, known collectively
		(for convenience only) as "Zombie Software".

AVAILABILITY:	PTS/Xpts is free software.  Sources may be obtained from
		the following sites via anonymous-FTP, which are the
		"official" distribution sites:

			ftp.x.org		/contrib/applications/pts
			ftp.halcyon.com		/local/pts

		Source file is pts-1.04.tar.gz.  Look for patches and
		README files, too.  Also, the design documentation should
		be available wherever you obtain the source code in the
		file pts-1.0-doc.tar.gz.

		Numerous sites mirror the ftp.x.org site.  PTS may be
		available from the following locations, and many others,
		as well as the "official" sites:

	public.x.org		/contrib/applications/pts
	ftp.uu.net		/systems/window-sys/X/contrib/applications/pts
	ftp.cs.columbia.edu	/archives/X11R6/contrib/applications/pts
	ftp.germany.eu.net	/pub/X11/XConsortium/contrib/applications/pts
	ftp.inria.fr		/pub/X11/contrib/applications/pts
	ftp.luth.se		/pub/X11/contrib/applications/pts
	SunSITE.sut.ac.jp	/pub/archives/X11/contrib/applications/pts


		Also, the PTS source code is being distributed via
		Usenet and the alt.sources and/or comp.sources newsgroups.
		


DESCRIPTION
-----------
PTS is a tool for improving communication between system users
and support personnel (sysops) about problems encountered
with the system.  It consists of several programs, including
"xpts" and "ptsager".

In a nutshell:
Xpts is used by system users to report problems.  Support personnel
(sysops) also use it to log their activities on solving each problem.
Xpts also sends e-mail to problem reporters when their problems are solved.
Problems are stored in a permanent database for future reference.

The problems are organized in a tree-like structure.  For example, a
problem with "rn" might be reported in "/Software/News/rn".  A problem
with a computer monitor might be reported in "/Hardware/Monitor".  
The problem tree structure is completely configurable to meet your
particular needs.

Ptsager scans through the database once a day and sends electronic mail
to certain system users about problems that have remained unsolved for
several days.

While PTS was designed with managing a network of Unix workstations in
mind, it is general and versatile enough to be used in many other ways.
For example, at the University of Idaho, PTS was used by the PTS
design team to report problems with and take suggestions about early
versions of PTS.  We are very interested in hearing about unique
and creative ways in which you use PTS/Xpts.

PTS was designed and implemented by "Zombie Software", consisting of
me (Dean Collins), Chris Hyde, Luke Sheneman, Brian Goff, John Hunter,
Brent Heikkula, and Dayne Steed.  It was designed in great part on a
volunteer basis for the University of Idaho Computer Science Department.

I can't really provide much support for this free software,
but I'll help when I can.  I would appreciate help from others
in this project.  

PTS is being offered as a gift to the Internet community for it's 
generosity towards us.  Enjoy!


--
Dean Collins (dean@halcyon.com, dean@uidaho.edu)
Sat May 21 22:58:20 1994

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Miller (stevem@tyrell.net) wrote:
: Gerry Schenk (gschenk@showbz.video.rogers.com) wrote:

: :>My apologies if this is an inappropriate group to post this to.  I have 
: :>posted this request to comp.sources.wanted in the past, with limited success.

: :>I'm looking for problem tracking, technical support and possibly site 
: :>configuration info application that runs under UNIX.  I'm looking 
: :>for either freeware, shareware, or some relatively inexpensive commercial 
: :>application.  The program needs to support 5 active Technicians, who 
: :>would be operating off of the same database over slow speed links.  Due 
: :>to the limited bandwidth, a character based application would be preferred.

: :>These are some of the features that I am looking for.

: Good luck! I have been looking for such a program for a couple of
: years now. I have demo copies of two or three programs and literature
: for several others, but none are cheap. Most good ones require us
: to spend aroud $3500 - $5000 for only 3 users on a SCO Unix system.

: I have run across a couple of companies that are trying to develop
: a package and were willing to sell for a lot less if we could help
: develop it (Alpha test). We don't have the time. If you are interested
: in something like this, e-mail me and I will see if I still have
: their phone numbers.

: If you do find such a program (shareware, cheap) please let
: me know. TIA

: --
: Steve Miller
: stevem@tyrell.net                         (.sig pending)
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From: sgcccdc@citecub.citec.qld.gov.au (Colin Campbell)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.admin,comp.os.linux.help,biz.sco.general,comp.sys.sun.admin,comp.sys.sun.apps,comp.unix.solaris,comp.sources.wanted,biz.sco.opendesktop,comp.unix.admin
Subject: Re: Wanted: Tech Support / Help Desk software
Date: 31 May 1994 09:38:22 +1000
Organization: CITEC
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