We realized early on that simply leaving bug reports in our email list would not work. We needed a system that would allow all of the developers to keep track of reports, including what had been done (dialog with problem submitter, answers, etc.). It also had to be simple for users to use and for us to install. We chose the req system [13]. This system allows users to send mail (without any format restrictions) to mpi-bugs@mcs.anl.gov; the bug report is kept in a separate system as well as being forwarded to a list of developers. Both GUI and command-line access to the bug reports is provided.
Over time, it became clear that some problems were much more common than
others. We developed a database of common problems, searchable by keyword,
which is also integrated into the manual. When a user sends in a bug report,
we can query the database for a standard response to the problem. For
example, if a user complains about getting the message ``Try Again,''
the command
> mpich/help/bin/fmsg 'Try Again'gives the information from the user's guide on the message ``Try Again'' (which comes not from MPICH but from rshd).
Announcements about new releases are sent to a mailing list (managed by majordomo) to which users are encouraged to subscribe when they first run the configure script.