+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
----------------------------------
http://www.tux.org/lkml/).
-[Some of this is taken from Frohwalt Egerer's original linux-kernel FAQ]
+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.
-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.
+Gather information
+------------------
-If it occurs repeatably try and describe how to recreate it. That is worth
-even more than the oops itself.
+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.
-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
+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
reports the version of some important subsystems. Run this script with
[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]
projects / karo-tx-linux.git / blobdiff