// WSDG Chapter Introduction

[[ChapterIntroduction]]

== Introduction

[[ChIntroIntro]]

=== Introduction

This chapter will provide you with information about Wireshark
development in general.

[[ChIntroWhatIs]]

=== What is Wireshark?

Well, if you want to start Wireshark development, you might already
know what Wireshark is doing. If not, please have a look at the
link:{wireshark-users-guide-url}[Wireshark User’s Guide],
which will provide a lot of general information about it.

[[ChIntroPlatforms]]

=== Supported Platforms

Wireshark currently runs on most UNIX-like platforms and various Windows
platforms. It requires Qt, GLib, libpcap and some other libraries in
order to run.

As Wireshark is developed in a platform independent way and uses libraries (such
as the Qt GUI library) which are available for many different platforms,
it’s thus available on a wide variety of platforms.

If a binary package is not available for your platform, you should
download the source and try to build it. Please report your experiences
to mailto:{wireshark-dev-list-email}[].

Binary packages are available for the following platforms along with many
others:

==== Unix and Unix-like platforms

* Apple macOS

* FreeBSD

* HP-UX

* IBM AIX

* NetBSD

* OpenBSD

* Oracle Solaris

===== Linux

* Debian GNU/Linux

* Ubuntu

* Fedora

* Gentoo Linux

* IBM S/390 Linux (Red Hat)

* Mandrake Linux

* PLD Linux

* Red Hat Linux

* Rock Linux

* Slackware Linux

* Suse Linux

==== Microsoft Windows

Wireshark supports Windows natively via the
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_API[Windows API]. Note that in
this documentation and elsewhere we tend to use the terms
“Win32”, “Win”, and “Windows” interchangeably to refer to the
Windows API. Wireshark runs on and can be compiled on the following
platforms:

* Windows 10 / Windows Server 2016

* Windows 8.1 / Windows Server 2012 R2

* Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012

* Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008 R2

Development on Windows Vista, Server 2008, and older versions may be possible but
is not supported.

[[ChIntroDevelopment]]

=== Development and maintenance of Wireshark

Wireshark was initially developed by Gerald Combs. Ongoing development
and maintenance of Wireshark is handled by the Wireshark core developers,
a loose group of individuals who fix bugs and provide new functionality.

There have also been a large number of people who have contributed
protocol dissectors and other improvements to Wireshark, and it is
expected that this will continue. You can find a list of the people who
have contributed code to Wireshark by checking the About dialog box of
Wireshark, or have a look at the {wireshark-authors-url} page on the
Wireshark web site.

The communication between the developers is usually done through the developer
mailing list, which can be joined by anyone interested in the development
activities. At the time this document was written, more than 500 persons were
subscribed to this mailing list!

It is strongly recommended to join the developer mailing list, if you are going
to do any Wireshark development. See <<ChIntroMailingLists>> about the different
Wireshark mailing lists available.

==== Programming languages used

Most of Wireshark is implemented in plain ANSI C. A notable exception is
the code in _ui/qt_, which is written in {cpp}.

The typical task for a new Wireshark developer is to extend an existing,
or write a new dissector for a specific network protocol. As (almost) any
dissector is written in plain old ANSI C, a good knowledge about ANSI C
will be sufficient for Wireshark development in almost any case.

So unless you are going to change the build process of Wireshark
itself, you won't come in touch with any other programming language than
ANSI C (such as Perl or Python, which are used only in the Wireshark build
process).

Beside the usual tools for developing a program in C (compiler, make, ...),
the build process uses some additional helper tools (Perl, Python, Sed,
...), which are needed for the build process when Wireshark
is to be build and installed from the released source packages. If Wireshark
is installed from a binary package, none of these helper tools are needed on
the target system.

==== Open Source Software

Wireshark is an open source software (OSS) project, and is released under
the link:{gplv2-url}[GNU General Public License] (GPL).
You can freely use Wireshark on any number of computers you like, without
worrying about license keys or fees or such. In addition, all source
code is freely available under the GPL. Because of that, it is very easy
for people to add new protocols to Wireshark, either as plugins, or built
into the source, and they often do!

You are welcome to modify Wireshark to suit your own needs, and it would be
appreciated if you contribute your improvements back to the Wireshark community.


You gain three benefits by contributing your improvements back to the
community:

* Other people who find your contributions useful will appreciate them, and you
  will know that you have helped people in the same way that the developers of
  Wireshark have helped you and other people.

* The developers of Wireshark might improve your changes even more, as there’s
  always room for improvement. Or they may implement some advanced things on top
  of your code, which can be useful for yourself too.

* The maintainers and developers of Wireshark will maintain your code as well,
  fixing it when API changes or other changes are made, and generally keeping it
  in tune with what is happening with Wireshark. So if Wireshark is updated
  (which is done often), you can get a new Wireshark version from the website
  and your changes will already be included without any effort for you.


The Wireshark source code and binary packages for some platforms are all
available on the download page of the Wireshark website:
{wireshark-download-url}.


[[ChIntroReleases]]

=== Releases and distributions

The officially released files can be found at {wireshark-download-url}.
A new Wireshark version is released after significant changes compared
to the last release are completed or a serious security issue is
encountered. The typical release schedule is about every 4-8 weeks
(although this may vary).  There are two kinds of distributions: binary
and source; both have their advantages and disadvantages.

[[ChIntroReleaseBinary]]

==== Binary distributions

Binary distributions are usually easy to install (as simply starting
the appropriate file is usually the only thing to do). They are available
for the following systems:

* Windows (.exe file). The typical Windows end user is used to getting
  a setup.exe file which will install all the required things for him.

* Win32 PAF (.paf.exe file). Another Windows end user method is to get a
  portable application file which will install all the required things for him.

* Debian (.deb file). A user of a Debian Package Manager (DPKG) based system
  obtains a .deb file from which the package manager checks the dependencies and
  installs the software.

* Red Hat (.rpm file). A user of a RPM Package Manager (RPM) based system
  obtains an .rpm file from which the package manager checks the dependencies
  and installs the software.

* macOS (.dmg file). The typical macOS end user is used to getting a .dmg file
  which will install all the required things for him.

* Solaris. A Solaris user obtains a file from which the package manager (PKG)
  checks the dependencies and installs the software.

However, if you want to start developing with Wireshark, the binary
distributions won't be too helpful, as you need the source files, of
course.

For details about how to build these binary distributions yourself,
e.g. if you need a distribution for a special audience, see
<<ChSrcBinary>>.

[[ChIntroReleaseSource]]

==== Source code distributions

It's still common for developers for UNIX-like platforms to give the
end user a source tarball and let the user compile it on their target
machine (configure make make install). However, for different UNIX
and UNIX-like systems, such as Linux distributions, it's becoming more
common to release binary packages (e.g., .deb or .rpm files) these days.

You should use the released sources if you want to build Wireshark from
source on your platform for productive use. However, if you going to
develop changes to the Wireshark sources, it might be better to use the
latest Git sources. For details about the different ways to get the
Wireshark source code see <<ChSrcObtain>>.

Before building Wireshark from a source distribution, make sure you have
all the tools and libraries required to build. The following chapters will
describe the required tools and libraries in detail.

[[ChIntroAutomated]]

=== Automated Builds (Buildbot)

The Wireshark Buildbot automatically rebuilds Wireshark on every
change of the source code repository and indicates problematic changes.
This frees the developers from repeating (and annoying) work, so time can
be spent on more interesting tasks.

==== Advantages

* Recognizing (cross platform) build problems - early. Compilation problems can
  be narrowed down to a few commits, making a fix much easier.

* "Health status" overview of the sources. A quick look at:
  https://buildbot.wireshark.org/wireshark-master/[] gives a good "feeling" if the sources
  are currently "well". On the other hand, if all is "red", an update of a
  personal source tree might better be done later ...

* "Up to date" binary packages are available. After a change was committed to
  the repository, a binary package / installer is usually available within a few
  hours at: https://www.wireshark.org/download/automated/[]. This can be quite
  helpful, e.g. a bug reporter can easily verify a bugfix by installing a recent
  build.

* Automated regression tests. In particular, the fuzz tests often indicate "real
  life" problems that are otherwise hard to find.

==== What does the Buildbot do?

The Buildbot will do the following (to a different degree on the different
platforms):

* Check out from the source repository

* Build

* Create binary packages and installers

* Create source packages and run distribution checks

* Run regression tests

Each step is represented at the status page by a rectangle, green if it
succeeded or red if it failed. Most steps provide a link to the corresponding
console logfile, to get additional information.

The Buildbot runs on a platform collection that represents the different
"platform specialties" quite well:

* Windows 8.1 x86 (Win32, little endian, Visual Studio 2013)

* Windows Server 2012 R2 x86-64 (Win64, little endian, Visual Studio 2013)

* Ubuntu x86-64 (Linux, little endian, gcc, Clang)

* macOS x86-64 (BSD, little endian, Clang)

and two buildslaves that run static code analysis to help spot coding issues:

* Visual Studio Code Analysis (Win64, little endian, VS 2013)

* Clang Code Analysis (Linux, little endian, Clang)

Each platform is represented at the status page by a single column, the
most recent entries are at the top.

[[ChIntroHelp]]


=== Reporting problems and getting help

If you have problems, or need help with Wireshark, there are several
places that may be of interest to you (well, beside this guide of
course).

[[ChIntroHomepage]]

==== Website

You will find lots of useful information on the Wireshark homepage at
{wireshark-main-url}.

[[ChIntroWiki]]

==== Wiki

The Wireshark Wiki at {wireshark-wiki-url} provides a wide range
of information related to Wireshark and packet capturing in general.
You will find a lot of information not part of this developer’s guide. For
example, there is an explanation how to capture on a switched network,
an ongoing effort to build a protocol reference and a lot more.

And best of all, if you would like to contribute your knowledge on a
specific topic (maybe a network protocol you know well), you can edit the
Wiki pages by simply using your webbrowser.

[[ChIntroFAQ]]


==== FAQ

The "Frequently Asked Questions" will list often asked questions and
the corresponding answers.

Before sending any mail to the mailing lists below, be sure to read the
FAQ, as it will often answer any questions you might have. This will save
yourself and others a lot of time. Keep in mind that a lot of people are
subscribed to the mailing lists.

You will find the FAQ inside Wireshark by clicking the menu item
Help/Contents and selecting the FAQ page in the upcoming dialog.

An online version is available at the Wireshark website:
{wireshark-faq-url}. You might prefer this online version as it’s
typically more up to date and the HTML format is easier to use.

[[ChIntroOtherSources]]

==== Other sources

If you don't find the information you need inside this book, there are
various other sources of information:

* The file _doc/README.developer_ and all the other README.xxx files in the
  source code. These are various documentation files on different topics

[NOTE]
.Read the README
====
_README.developer_ is packed full with all kinds of details relevant
to the developer of Wireshark source code. Its companion file
_README.dissector_ advises you around common
pitfalls, shows you basic layout of dissector code, shows details of the
APIs available to the dissector developer, etc.
====

* The Wireshark source code

* Tool documentation of the various tools used
(e.g. manpages of sed, gcc, etc.)

* The different mailing lists. See <<ChIntroMailingLists>>

[[ChIntroQA]]

==== Q&amp;A Site

The Wireshark Q&amp;A site at {wireshark-qa-url} offers a resource where
questions and answers come together. You have the option to search what
questions were asked before and what answers were given by people who
knew about the issue. Answers are graded, so you can pick out the best
ones easily. If your issue isn't discussed before you can post one
yourself.

[[ChIntroMailingLists]]

==== Mailing Lists

There are several mailing lists available on specific Wireshark topics:

wireshark-announce:: This mailing list will inform you about new program
releases, which usually appear about every 4-8 weeks.

wireshark-users:: This list is for users of Wireshark. People post
questions about building and using Wireshark, others (hopefully)
provide answers.

wireshark-dev:: This list is for Wireshark developers. People post questions about
the development of Wireshark, others (hopefully) provide answers.
If you want to start developing a protocol dissector, join this list.

wireshark-bugs:: This list is for Wireshark developers. Every time a change to the bug
database occurs, a mail to this mailing list is generated.
If you want to be notified about all the changes to the bug
database, join this list. Details about the bug database can be
found in <<ChIntroBugDatabase>>.

wireshark-commits:: This list is for Wireshark developers. Every time a change to the Git
repository is checked in, a mail to this mailing list is generated.
If you want to be notified about all the changes to the Git
repository, join this list. Details about the Git repository can be
found in <<ChSrcGitRepository>>.

You can subscribe to each of these lists from the Wireshark web site:
{wireshark-mailing-lists-url}. From there, you can choose which mailing
list you want to subscribe to by clicking on the
Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Options button under the title of the relevant
list. The links to the archives are included on that page as well.

[TIP]
.The archives are searchable
====
You can search in the list archives to see if someone previously asked the same
question and maybe already got an answer. That way you don't have to wait until
someone answers your question.
====

[[ChIntroBugDatabase]]

==== Bug database (Bugzilla)

The Wireshark community collects bug reports in a Bugzilla database at
{wireshark-bugs-url}. This database is filled with manually filed bug
reports, usually after some discussion on wireshark-dev, and automatic
bug reports from the Buildbot tools.

[[ChIntroReportProblems]]

==== Reporting Problems

[NOTE]
.Test with the latest version
====
Before reporting any problems, please make sure you have installed the
latest version of Wireshark. Reports on older maintenance releases are
usually met with an upgrade request.
====

If you report problems, provide as much information as possible. In general,
just think about what you would need to find that problem, if someone else sends
you such a problem report. Also keep in mind that people compile/run Wireshark
on a lot of different platforms.

When reporting problems with Wireshark, it is helpful if you supply the
following information:

. The version number of Wireshark and the dependent libraries linked with
it, e.g. Qt, GLib, etc. You can obtain this with the command
`wireshark -v`.

. Information about the platform you run Wireshark on.

. A detailed description of your problem.

. If you get an error/warning message, copy the text of that message (and
also a few lines before and after it, if there are some), so others may
find the build step where things go wrong.
Please don't give something like: "I get a warning when compiling x"
as this won't give any direction to look at.

[NOTE]
.Don't send large files
====
Do not send large files (>100KB) to the mailing lists, just place a note
that further data is available on request. Large files will only annoy a
lot of people on the list who are not interested in your specific problem.
If required, you will be asked for further data by the persons who really
can help you.
====

[WARNING]
.Don't send confidential information
====
If you send captured data to the mailing lists, or add it to your bug report,
be sure it doesn't contain any sensitive or confidential information,
such as passwords.  Visibility of such files can be limited to certain
groups in the Bugzilla database though.
====

==== Reporting Crashes on UNIX-like platforms

When reporting crashes with Wireshark, it is helpful if you supply the
traceback information (besides the information mentioned in
<<ChIntroReportProblems>>).

You can obtain this traceback information with the following commands:

----
$ gdb `whereis wireshark | cut -f2 -d: | cut -d' ' -f2` core >& bt.txt
backtrace
^D
$
----

[NOTE]
.Using GDB
====
Type the characters in the first line verbatim. Those are
back-tics there.

`backtrace` is a `gdb` command. You should
enter it verbatim after the first line shown above, but it will not be
echoed. The ^D
(Control-D, that is, press the Control key and the D key
together) will cause `gdb` to exit. This will
leave you with a file called
_bt.txt_ in the current directory.
Include the file with your bug report.

If you do not have `gdb` available, you
will have to check out your operating system’s debugger.
====

You should mail the traceback to mailto:{wireshark-dev-list-email}[] or attach it
to your bug report.

==== Reporting Crashes on Windows platforms

You can download Windows debugging symbol files (.pdb) from the following locations:

* 32-bit Windows: https://www.wireshark.org/download/win32/all-versions/

* 64-bit Windows: https://www.wireshark.org/download/win64/all-versions/

Files are named "Wireshark-pdb-win__bits__-_x_._y_._z_.zip" to match their
corresponding "Wireshark-win__bits__-_x_._y_._z_.exe" installer packages.

// XXX Show how to use the Visual Studio debugger

// End of WSDG Chapter Introduction
