From 3b12c21ab34c1057aa7f1cf73139215e12e89b6c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Sharp Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 17:55:18 -0700 Subject: Trivial: docs: Remove six-space indentation in REPORTING-BUGS. Other paragraph format docs in Documentation don't use paragraph indentations, so conform REPORTING-BUGS to that. Re-wrap the paragraphs, keeping the doc to a 74-character line length, since that's what the original seemed to use. Signed-off-by: Sarah Sharp --- REPORTING-BUGS | 43 ++++++++++++++++++++++--------------------- 1 file changed, 22 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-) diff --git a/REPORTING-BUGS b/REPORTING-BUGS index 55a6074ccbb7..ad709e4ccb7c 100644 --- a/REPORTING-BUGS +++ b/REPORTING-BUGS @@ -1,30 +1,31 @@ [Some of this is taken from Frohwalt Egerer's original linux-kernel FAQ] - 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. +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. - 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. +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. + +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: - 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: perl scripts/get_maintainer.pl -f - 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 are totally stumped as to whom to send the report, send it to +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/). @@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ list. 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. - 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". -- cgit v1.2.3 From d60418bce5a2afe4ea838cda6a59c74ba8837c3f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Sharp Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 17:44:55 -0700 Subject: Docs: Step-by-step directions for reporting bugs. REPORTING-BUGS is pretty disorganized. Bug reporters are likely to be in a frustrated, stressed frame of mind, so introduce methodical step-by-step directions for how to report bugs. Use titles so people can skim it if necessary. Slight changes in procedures: 1. Encourage people to report bugs to maintainers and sub-system mailing lists, not LKML at first. I've seen way too many people get lost in the noise because they didn't Cc the maintainer or proper mailing list. 2. Link to bugzilla.kernel.org, and let people know that some maintainers prefer bugs filed there vs. the mailing lists. (Perhaps we need an entry in MAINTAINERS for which is preferred?) 3. If someone doesn't know where to report a bug, encourage them to both file a bugzilla entry and email LKML. Their report is less likely to get lost if there's a bugzilla entry. Preserve text about reporting security bugs, and get_maintainer.pl. More will be added/modified in upcoming patches. Signed-off-by: Sarah Sharp --- REPORTING-BUGS | 65 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------- 1 file changed, 46 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-) diff --git a/REPORTING-BUGS b/REPORTING-BUGS index ad709e4ccb7c..6ed518b6f715 100644 --- a/REPORTING-BUGS +++ b/REPORTING-BUGS @@ -1,3 +1,47 @@ +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. + +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 + +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/). + + [Some of this is taken from Frohwalt Egerer's original linux-kernel FAQ] What follows is a suggested procedure for reporting Linux bugs. You aren't @@ -9,25 +53,8 @@ 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. -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: - - perl scripts/get_maintainer.pl -f - -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 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/). +If it occurs repeatably try and describe how to recreate it. That is worth +even more than the oops itself. 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 -- cgit v1.2.3 From 7883a250fed9562e6eae8a093e5e2d173ef16662 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Sharp Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:11:26 -0700 Subject: Docs: Add "Gather info" section to REPORTING-BUGS. Add a sub-heading, and emphasize reproducibility. Suggest taking a picture of the oops message. (Did no one have cameras in 2006?) Signed-off-by: Sarah Sharp --- REPORTING-BUGS | 26 ++++++++++++++------------ 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-) diff --git a/REPORTING-BUGS b/REPORTING-BUGS index 6ed518b6f715..f86e500bc595 100644 --- a/REPORTING-BUGS +++ b/REPORTING-BUGS @@ -44,22 +44,24 @@ http://www.tux.org/lkml/). [Some of this is taken from Frohwalt Egerer's original linux-kernel FAQ] -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. +Gather information +------------------ -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. +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 it occurs repeatably try and describe how to recreate it. That is worth -even more than the oops itself. +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 to the Linux kernel mailing -list. Having a standardized bug report form makes it easier for you not to +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 reports the version of some important subsystems. Run this script with -- cgit v1.2.3 From 2c97a63f6fec91db91241981808d099ec60a4688 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Sharp Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:40:55 -0700 Subject: Docs: Add info on supported kernels to REPORTING-BUGS. One of the most common frustrations maintainers have with bug reporters is the email that starts with "I have a two year old kernel from an embedded vendor with some random drivers and fixes thrown in, and it's crashing". Be specific about what kernel versions the upstream maintainers will fix bugs in, and direct bug reporters to their Linux distribution or embedded vendor if the bug is in an unsupported kernel. Suggest that bug reporters should reproduce their bugs on the latest -rc kernel. Signed-off-by: Sarah Sharp --- REPORTING-BUGS | 22 ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 22 insertions(+) diff --git a/REPORTING-BUGS b/REPORTING-BUGS index f86e500bc595..c1f6e43f06f3 100644 --- a/REPORTING-BUGS +++ b/REPORTING-BUGS @@ -1,3 +1,25 @@ +Background +========== + +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. + +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 ---------------------------------- -- cgit v1.2.3 From bc6bed481ff3fbe2050f4290f59d27fad30b62a7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Sharp Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:30:48 -0700 Subject: Docs: Expectations for bug reporters and maintainers Outline how often it's polite to ping kernel maintainers about bugs, and suggest that kernel maintainers should respond to bugs in 1 to 5 business days. Emphasize that regressions, userspace breakage, and kernel crashes are exceptions to that rule. Suggest escalation to LKML and Linus if these bugs are ignored during the merge window. Signed-off-by: Sarah Sharp Acked-by: Linus Torvalds --- REPORTING-BUGS | 42 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 41 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/REPORTING-BUGS b/REPORTING-BUGS index c1f6e43f06f3..327b33b43d63 100644 --- a/REPORTING-BUGS +++ b/REPORTING-BUGS @@ -117,4 +117,44 @@ 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! -- cgit v1.2.3 From bf6adaf50131cee0be3307cc65f97b43c5a65717 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Sharp Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:25:13 -0700 Subject: Docs: Add a tips section to REPORTING-BUGS. Lots of grumpy maintainers would love to have annoying newbies and disorganized bug reporters read Eric S. Raymond's "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way". Simon Tatham's "How to Report Bugs Effectively" is also relevant. It's likely no one will bother to read these, but it does give maintainers something to point to. Signed-off-by: Sarah Sharp --- REPORTING-BUGS | 13 +++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+) diff --git a/REPORTING-BUGS b/REPORTING-BUGS index 327b33b43d63..d397e9181b97 100644 --- a/REPORTING-BUGS +++ b/REPORTING-BUGS @@ -64,6 +64,19 @@ 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: + +http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html +http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html + +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. + [Some of this is taken from Frohwalt Egerer's original linux-kernel FAQ] Gather information -- cgit v1.2.3 From b7ca36ae3bdd1d8e336ee76f06d7aa4b0af84959 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sarah Sharp Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:17:08 -0700 Subject: Docs: Move ref to Frohwalt Egerer to end of REPORTING-BUGS The document is largely not the same as the original that was crafted from Frohwalt Egerer's document, but leave it in as a historical thank you footnote. Signed-off-by: Sarah Sharp --- REPORTING-BUGS | 3 ++- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/REPORTING-BUGS b/REPORTING-BUGS index d397e9181b97..0cb8cdfa63bc 100644 --- a/REPORTING-BUGS +++ b/REPORTING-BUGS @@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ threads or separate bugzilla entries. If you report several unrelated bugs at once, it's difficult for maintainers to tease apart the relevant data. -[Some of this is taken from Frohwalt Egerer's original linux-kernel FAQ] Gather information ------------------ @@ -171,3 +170,5 @@ 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] -- cgit v1.2.3