Recommended setup for public access

RT Users
1

Hello,

After evaluating several ticket tracking systems, I’ve decided that RT
seems to be the best candidate to handling the ticket tracking systems
for a city (40,000 people) ticket tracking system I’m working on.

I’ve got RT installed and have been reading through the docs, FAQ, and
old mailing list posts. I’m still hung up on this question: What’s the
recommended way to set up a “general public” interface, allowing people
to create tickets in the system?

I tried creating a user named “public” with a link like this:

http://website.com/rt/SelfService/Create.html?user=public;pass=public

However, the “Queue” field remains empty and it’s a required field, so
the form doesn’t work. (This could be considered a bug in the software–
If the form requires a queue but there are no possible options when the
form is being built, then there is no reason to display the form).

Examples or recommendations for implementing public web and e-mail
interfaces would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Mark

2

“MS” == Mark Stosberg mark@summersault.com writes:

MS> old mailing list posts. I’m still hung up on this question: What’s the
MS> recommended way to set up a “general public” interface, allowing people
MS> to create tickets in the system?

We just use a standard web based form to collect the necessary
information we want, and have the CGI program email a nicely formatted
message to the appropriate queue address. From then on, all
correspondence with the remote person is via email. They never access
RT directly.

Vivek Khera, Ph.D. Khera Communications, Inc.
Internet: khera@kciLink.com Rockville, MD +1-240-453-8497
AIM: vivekkhera Y!: vivek_khera http://www.khera.org/~vivek/

3

“MS” == Mark Stosberg mark@summersault.com writes:

MS> old mailing list posts. I’m still hung up on this question: What’s the
MS> recommended way to set up a “general public” interface, allowing people
MS> to create tickets in the system?

We just use a standard web based form to collect the necessary
information we want, and have the CGI program email a nicely formatted
message to the appropriate queue address.

That was going to be my suggestion, combined with:

Make the web mailform one page, and the “RT main page” saying “Don’t
already have an account with us? Submit a new ticket here” linked to it…

Use the automated password template, so that it gives them a password
so they can login using email and password in the future. This means that
only first time users will have to use the webform, and gain all of the
advantage of the rest of RT (such as looking up status, etc) as
unprivledged users.

From then on, all correspondence with the remote person is via email.
They never access RT directly.

This misses the advantage of having the web interface handy too.
The initial email can always make clear that either email or web can be
used.

Seth Cohn, General Manager of Eugene Free Community Network gm@efn.org

Businesses planned for service are apt to succeed; Phone 541-484-9637

Businesses planned for profit are apt to fail. - N. Butler

4

Mark Stosberg wrote:

I tried creating a user named “public” with a link like this:

http://website.com/rt/SelfService/Create.html?user=public;pass=public

You want an “&”, not a “;” there…

However, the “Queue” field remains empty and it’s a required field, so
the form doesn’t work.

You need to grant “public” the right to “SeeQueue” for any queues
you want to be visible there.

Phil Homewood, Systems Janitor, www.SnapGear.com
pdh@snapgear.com Ph: +61 7 3435 2810 Fx: +61 7 3891 3630
SnapGear - Custom Embedded Solutions and Security Appliances

5

http://website.com/rt/SelfService/Create.html?user=public;pass=public

You want an “&”, not a “;” there…

Thanks for the response Phil.

The use of the semicolon was intentional. Not only is it supported by
RT, it’s also recommended by the W3C as part of the HTML 4.01 spec:

http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/appendix/notes.html#h-B.2.2

It’s also supported by Perl’s CGI.pm module, among other places.

However, the “Queue” field remains empty and it’s a required field, so
the form doesn’t work.

You need to grant “public” the right to “SeeQueue” for any queues
you want to be visible there.

Thanks for the tip.

Mark

6

Mark Stosberg wrote:

The use of the semicolon was intentional. Not only is it supported by
RT, it’s also recommended by the W3C as part of the HTML 4.01 spec:

Performance, Implementation, and Design Notes

I stand corrected. :^) (the fsck.com RT instance seems to get very
stuck if I use a semicolon instead of an ampersand, incidentally.)
Phil Homewood, Systems Janitor, www.SnapGear.com
pdh@snapgear.com Ph: +61 7 3435 2810 Fx: +61 7 3891 3630
SnapGear - Custom Embedded Solutions and Security Appliances