About, Build Info, and Debug Dumps

Users and support cannot fix what they cannot identify. An About surface (dialog, pane, --version, or /version) plus a debug dump are core product features—not nice-to-haves.

See the framework: Software Product Essentials. Task guide: Add an About screen and debug dump.

What belongs in About

Show at least:

  • Product name and marketing version (e.g. 1.4.2)

  • Build identity — commit SHA (short), build number, CI run id, or equivalent

  • Channel (stable, beta, nightly, dev)

  • Target OS and architecture

  • License summary + link to full text

  • Optional: update status (“Up to date” / “Update available”) with a link into the updater

For libraries, “About” is usually package.version, registry metadata, and generated API docs—not a dialog. Still stamp builds in CI artifacts and release notes.

Build info: stamp at compile time

Bake metadata into the binary or a sidecar next to it:

  • Git describe / commit / dirty flag

  • Build timestamp (UTC)

  • Compiler and SDK versions

  • Feature flags / configuration hash when relevant

One source of truth feeds About, --version, crash headers, and update eligibility checks.

Prefer generating a small build-info module or JSON resource in CI over parsing git at runtime. Runtime git fails for end-user installs.

Debug dump button (or command)

A single user-facing action should produce a redacted archive or folder:

  • App version + build id + channel

  • OS version, locale, display scaling (GUI)

  • Config paths and non-secret settings

  • Last N log lines or rotated log files

  • Feature flags / experiments (names, not private payloads)

  • Optional: recent crash reports already on disk

    Never include by default

    API keys, tokens, passwords, private keys, full secret-store contents, auth cookies, or raw user documents.

Offer an advanced checkbox (“Include machine name / username”) only when needed, default off.

Surfaces by type

Type Typical dump trigger

GUI

Button on About: Copy debug info / Save debug dump…

CLI / TUI

app doctor --dump or app debug-dump > dump.zip

Game

Launcher or pause menu → Support → Save diagnostics

Service

appctl diagnostics or admin API gated behind auth

Library

Document how host apps should call your Diagnostics.collect() helper if you provide one

Support workflow

  1. User hits a bug → opens About → saves dump

  2. Bug report includes dump + short repro

  3. Maintainer matches build id to CI artifacts and changelog

Without build id, you are guessing across weeks of commits.

Checklist

  • About / --version / health shows marketing version and build id

  • Channel is visible

  • Metadata stamped at build time (not runtime git)

  • One-click or one-command redacted dump

  • Dump excludes secrets by default

  • Docs tell users where About lives and what to attach to issues

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