GNATS

When it comes to managing bug reports from users, GNU GNATS has you covered. This software suite provides a variety of tools to help track and manage issues reported by users to a central site, with flexible options for communication. All of the relevant details are stored in GNATS' databases and can be queried, edited, and maintained with ease. One of the standout features of GNATS is its flexibility - it supports multiple user interfaces, including a command line, e-mail, Emacs, and a network daemon that is commonly used with a web interface. Additionally, all of GNATS' databases and configuration can be stored in plain text files, which means you can add your own utilities using standard GNU tools.

Version 4.0 was a major leap forward for GNATS, introducing features like multiple database support, customized fields, and comprehensive WWW and Tk based front-ends. While there are a number of third-party interfaces and tools available that work with GNATS, the most popular ones are Gnatsweb and TkGnats, which can be found in the contrib subdirectory of the GNATS distribution. It's worth noting that these tools may not be in sync with the latest GNATS release, so be sure to check for updates.

Installing and configuring GNATS can be a bit involved, with a few steps that require root access. Before proceeding, you will need to have GNU Make and Texinfo version 4.2 or higher installed on your system. Once you're ready to start, you'll need to run `configure` with the appropriate options for your site, then compile the GNATS programs before creating an initial database with the `mkdb` command. Additionally, you'll need to set up periodic jobs using `cron`, configure mail aliases for GNATS, and install the various tools and utilities either locally or on each machine in your network. If you have users outside of your organization who need to work with GNATS, you may want to consider setting up a remote access interface like Gnatsweb instead.