Reporting Bugs & Getting Help

Reporting Bugs & Getting Help

We strive to make Solaris a robust and reliable application that enhances your computing experience. If you encounter an issue, have a question, or need assistance, your feedback is invaluable. This section outlines the best ways to report bugs and get the support you need.

How to Report a Bug Effectively

Encountering a bug can be frustrating, but reporting it effectively helps us diagnose and fix it quickly. Please follow these guidelines when submitting a bug report:

1. Check for Existing Issues: Before creating a new report, please search our GitHub Issues page to see if someone else has already reported the same problem. You might find a solution or contribute additional information to an existing thread.

2. Provide a Clear and Concise Title: Summarize the issue in a few words.

   • Good: "Brightness not adjusting on external monitor after sleep"
   • Bad: "App is broken"

3. Include Steps to Reproduce: This is the most crucial part. Describe the exact steps you took to encounter the bug, starting from launching Solaris.

   1. Open Solaris.
   2. Enable Circadian Mode.
   3. Put PC to sleep and wake it up.
   4. Observe that monitor X's brightness is stuck.

4. Describe Expected vs. Actual Behavior:

   • Expected: "I expected the monitor brightness to resume circadian adjustments after waking from sleep."
   • Actual: "The monitor brightness remained at 100% after waking, and Solaris showed no change in the UI."

5. Provide System Information: This helps us understand your environment.

   • Solaris Version: (e.g., 1.0.0-beta.5) — You can often find this in the application's settings or "About" section.
   • Operating System: Windows version and build (e.g., Windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.3086, Windows 11 23H2 Build 22631.2861).
   • Monitor Models: List the make and model of all connected monitors, especially those affected (e.g., Dell U2721DE, LG UltraGear 27GN950).
   • Connection Type: How your monitors are connected (e.g., DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-C).

6. Include Screenshots or Videos: Visuals can often convey more information than text. If possible, include screenshots of the issue or a short video demonstrating it.

7. Attach Error Messages/Logs: If Solaris displays any error messages, copy and paste them into your report. If requested by a maintainer, you may be asked to provide application logs (typically found in %APPDATA%/Solaris).

8. Specifics for Solaris:

   • DDC/CI Compatibility: Issues related to monitor control often stem from DDC/CI compatibility. Note if you've had issues with other brightness control software or if your monitor is known to have DDC/CI quirks.
   • Multi-Monitor Setup: Clearly specify which monitor(s) are affected if you have more than one.
   • Gaming Mode: If the issue is related to gaming mode, specify the game title and if it's on your application's whitelist or blacklist.

Once you have gathered this information, please open a new issue on our GitHub Issues page.

Getting General Help & Support

For general questions, feature requests, or discussions that aren't bug reports, we encourage you to:

• Consult the Documentation: Review other sections of this documentation for guides on setup, features, and troubleshooting.
• Join the Community Discussions: If available, check the GitHub Discussions section for community support, tips, and feature ideas.