The new release of Bugzilla is the first to use an Oracle database, albeit in an experimental stage, according to the developers' status report. The open source databases MySQL and PostgreSQL are still the preferred mechanisms, although die-hard Oracle users can begin applying their favorite DBMS. Oracle has already put development time into the integration effort. But the Oracle linkup is not without its faults, warns the Bugzilla project.

To improve its user interface, the Mozilla folks instituted a Bugzilla interface team, or Bugzilla:UE. Part of their support comes from the Human-Computer Interaction department at NASA, one of Bugzilla's showcase users along with Red Hat and Facebook.

The bug editing page, show_bug.cgi, now provides one-step modifications of error statuses and their values. It includes new custom fields for free text, multiple selection and date/time display. You can also customize the status lists, transition between them, and require comments for certain status transitions.

Bugzilla 3.2 also has better UTF-8 multi-byte language support. From an appearance angle, the UI has a new, colorful default skin, called "Dusk." Installation should also be easier due to a perl script called install-module.pl that automatically downloads from the Web into the Bugzilla directory, hence leaving your perl directory untouched. The new release has perl v5.8.1 as its minimum requirement, with a number of new perl modules activated. The Bugzilla release notes include further details.

The Bugzilla team sees 3.2 as the first step in the direction 4.0. Its roadmap describes the path to the next major release, including tasks to clean up version branching and integrate OpenID.

The release of 3.2 ends support for the 2.2 branch, for which all bug fixes and security updates will be suspended. Bugzilla admins are encouraged to upgrade. Bugzilla is a project of the Mozilla Foundation that falls under the Mozilla Public License (MPL) and is ready for download. The code is available as tarball or CVS checkout and has a number of localized templates. The Bugzilla team provides a demo installation.