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Diffstat (limited to 'REPORTING-BUGS')
| -rw-r--r-- | REPORTING-BUGS | 162 |
1 files changed, 134 insertions, 28 deletions
diff --git a/REPORTING-BUGS b/REPORTING-BUGS index 55a6074ccbb7..0cb8cdfa63bc 100644 --- a/REPORTING-BUGS +++ b/REPORTING-BUGS @@ -1,39 +1,103 @@ -[Some of this is taken from Frohwalt Egerer's original linux-kernel FAQ] +Background +========== - What follows is a suggested procedure for reporting Linux bugs. You -aren't obliged to use the bug reporting format, it is provided as a guide -to the kind of information that can be useful to developers - no more. +The upstream Linux kernel maintainers only fix bugs for specific kernel +versions. Those versions include the current "release candidate" (or -rc) +kernel, any "stable" kernel versions, and any "long term" kernels. - If the failure includes an "OOPS:" type message in your log or on -screen please read "Documentation/oops-tracing.txt" before posting your -bug report. This explains what you should do with the "Oops" information -to make it useful to the recipient. +Please see https://www.kernel.org/ for a list of supported kernels. Any +kernel marked with [EOL] is "end of life" and will not have any fixes +backported to it. + +If you've found a bug on a kernel version isn't listed on kernel.org, +contact your Linux distribution or embedded vendor for support. +Alternatively, you can attempt to run one of the supported stable or -rc +kernels, and see if you can reproduce the bug on that. It's preferable +to reproduce the bug on the latest -rc kernel. + + +How to report Linux kernel bugs +=============================== + + +Identify the problematic subsystem +---------------------------------- + +Identifying which part of the Linux kernel might be causing your issue +increases your chances of getting your bug fixed. Simply posting to the +generic linux-kernel mailing list (LKML) may cause your bug report to be +lost in the noise of a mailing list that gets 1000+ emails a day. - Send the output to the maintainer of the kernel area that seems to -be involved with the problem, and cc the relevant mailing list. Don't -worry too much about getting the wrong person. If you are unsure send it -to the person responsible for the code relevant to what you were doing. -If it occurs repeatably try and describe how to recreate it. That is -worth even more than the oops itself. The list of maintainers and -mailing lists is in the MAINTAINERS file in this directory. If you -know the file name that causes the problem you can use the following -command in this directory to find some of the maintainers of that file: +Instead, try to figure out which kernel subsystem is causing the issue, +and email that subsystem's maintainer and mailing list. If the subsystem +maintainer doesn't answer, then expand your scope to mailing lists like +LKML. + + +Identify who to notify +---------------------- + +Once you know the subsystem that is causing the issue, you should send a +bug report. Some maintainers prefer bugs to be reported via bugzilla +(https://bugzilla.kernel.org), while others prefer that bugs be reported +via the subsystem mailing list. + +To find out where to send an emailed bug report, find your subsystem or +device driver in the MAINTAINERS file. Search in the file for relevant +entries, and send your bug report to the person(s) listed in the "M:" +lines, making sure to Cc the mailing list(s) in the "L:" lines. When the +maintainer replies to you, make sure to 'Reply-all' in order to keep the +public mailing list(s) in the email thread. + +If you know which driver is causing issues, you can pass one of the driver +files to the get_maintainer.pl script: perl scripts/get_maintainer.pl -f <filename> - If it is a security bug, please copy the Security Contact listed -in the MAINTAINERS file. They can help coordinate bugfix and disclosure. -See Documentation/SecurityBugs for more information. +If it is a security bug, please copy the Security Contact listed in the +MAINTAINERS file. They can help coordinate bugfix and disclosure. See +Documentation/SecurityBugs for more information. + +If you can't figure out which subsystem caused the issue, you should file +a bug in kernel.org bugzilla and send email to +linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, referencing the bugzilla URL. (For more +information on the linux-kernel mailing list see +http://www.tux.org/lkml/). + + +Tips for reporting bugs +----------------------- + +If you haven't reported a bug before, please read: - If you are totally stumped as to whom to send the report, send it to -linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org. (For more information on the linux-kernel -mailing list see http://www.tux.org/lkml/). +http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html +http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html -This is a suggested format for a bug report sent to the Linux kernel mailing -list. Having a standardized bug report form makes it easier for you not to +It's REALLY important to report bugs that seem unrelated as separate email +threads or separate bugzilla entries. If you report several unrelated +bugs at once, it's difficult for maintainers to tease apart the relevant +data. + + +Gather information +------------------ + +The most important information in a bug report is how to reproduce the +bug. This includes system information, and (most importantly) +step-by-step instructions for how a user can trigger the bug. + +If the failure includes an "OOPS:", take a picture of the screen, capture +a netconsole trace, or type the message from your screen into the bug +report. Please read "Documentation/oops-tracing.txt" before posting your +bug report. This explains what you should do with the "Oops" information +to make it useful to the recipient. + +This is a suggested format for a bug report sent via email or bugzilla. +Having a standardized bug report form makes it easier for you not to overlook things, and easier for the developers to find the pieces of -information they're really interested in. Don't feel you have to follow it. +information they're really interested in. If some information is not +relevant to your bug, feel free to exclude it. - First run the ver_linux script included as scripts/ver_linux, which +First run the ver_linux script included as scripts/ver_linux, which reports the version of some important subsystems. Run this script with the command "sh scripts/ver_linux". @@ -65,4 +129,46 @@ summary from [1.]>" for easy identification by the developers. [X.] Other notes, patches, fixes, workarounds: -Thank you +Follow up +========= + +Expectations for bug reporters +------------------------------ + +Linux kernel maintainers expect bug reporters to be able to follow up on +bug reports. That may include running new tests, applying patches, +recompiling your kernel, and/or re-triggering your bug. The most +frustrating thing for maintainers is for someone to report a bug, and then +never follow up on a request to try out a fix. + +That said, it's still useful for a kernel maintainer to know a bug exists +on a supported kernel, even if you can't follow up with retests. Follow +up reports, such as replying to the email thread with "I tried the latest +kernel and I can't reproduce my bug anymore" are also helpful, because +maintainers have to assume silence means things are still broken. + +Expectations for kernel maintainers +----------------------------------- + +Linux kernel maintainers are busy, overworked human beings. Some times +they may not be able to address your bug in a day, a week, or two weeks. +If they don't answer your email, they may be on vacation, or at a Linux +conference. Check the conference schedule at LWN.net for more info: + https://lwn.net/Calendar/ + +In general, kernel maintainers take 1 to 5 business days to respond to +bugs. The majority of kernel maintainers are employed to work on the +kernel, and they may not work on the weekends. Maintainers are scattered +around the world, and they may not work in your time zone. Unless you +have a high priority bug, please wait at least a week after the first bug +report before sending the maintainer a reminder email. + +The exceptions to this rule are regressions, kernel crashes, security holes, +or userspace breakage caused by new kernel behavior. Those bugs should be +addressed by the maintainers ASAP. If you suspect a maintainer is not +responding to these types of bugs in a timely manner (especially during a +merge window), escalate the bug to LKML and Linus Torvalds. + +Thank you! + +[Some of this is taken from Frohwalt Egerer's original linux-kernel FAQ] |