Handle stable and longterm kernels in a subsection, as dealing with them
directly in the main part of the step-by-step guide turned out to make
it messy and hard to follow: it looked a bit like code with a large
amount of if-then-else section to handle special cases, which made the
default code-flow hard to understand.
Yet again each step will later be repeated in a reference section and
described in more detail.
Signed-off-by: Thorsten Leemhuis <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst | 49 ++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 49 insertions(+)
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst
index 203df36af55f..e0a6f4328e87 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst
@@ -156,6 +156,55 @@ After these preparations you'll now enter the main part:
yourself, if you don't get any help or if it is unsatisfying.
+Reporting issues only occurring in older kernel version lines
+-------------------------------------------------------------
+
+This section is for you, if you tried the latest mainline kernel as outlined
+above, but failed to reproduce your issue there; at the same time you want to
+see the issue fixed in older version lines or a vendor kernel that's regularly
+rebased on new stable or longterm releases. If that case follow these steps:
+
+ * Prepare yourself for the possibility that going through the next few steps
+ might not get the issue solved in older releases: the fix might be too big or
+ risky to get backported there.
+
+ * Check if the kernel developers still maintain the Linux kernel version line
+ you care about: go to `the front-page of kernel.org <https://kernel.org>`_
+ and make sure it mentions the latest release of the particular version line
+ without an '[EOL]' tag.
+
+ * Check the `archives of the Linux stable mailing list
+ <https://lore.kernel.org/stable/>`_ for existing reports.
+
+ * Install the latest release from the particular version line as a vanilla
+ kernel. Ensure this kernel is not tainted and still shows the problem, as the
+ issue might have already been fixed there.
+
+ * Search the Linux kernel version control system for the change that fixed
+ the issue in mainline, as its commit message might tell you if the fix is
+ scheduled for backporting already. If you don't find anything that way,
+ search the appropriate mailing lists for posts that discuss such an issue or
+ peer-review possible fixes. That might lead you to the commit with the fix
+ or tell you if it's unsuitable for backporting. If backporting was not
+ considered at all, join the newest discussion, asking if its in the cards.
+
+ * Check if you're dealing with a regression that was never present in
+ mainline by installing the first release of the version line you care about.
+ If the issue doesn't show up with it, you basically need to report the issue
+ with this version like you would report a problem with mainline (see above).
+ This ideally includes a bisection followed by a search for existing reports
+ on the net; with the help of the subject and the two relevant commit-ids. If
+ that doesn't turn up anything, write the report; CC or forward the report to
+ the stable maintainers, the stable mailing list, and those that authored the
+ change. Include the shortened commit-id if you found the change that causes
+ it.
+
+ * One of the former steps should lead to a solution. If that doesn't work out,
+ ask the maintainers for the subsystem that seems to be causing the issue for
+ advice; CC the mailing list for the particular subsystem as well as the
+ stable mailing list.
+
+
.. ############################################################################
.. Temporary marker added while this document is rewritten. Sections above
.. are new and dual-licensed under GPLv2+ and CC-BY 4.0, those below are old.
--
2.26.2
