2020-10-01 08:54:20

by Thorsten Leemhuis

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: [RFC PATCH v1 13/26] docs: reporting-bugs: point out the environment might be causing issue

Help users to avoid a few pitfalls, as they might be the real reason why
the kernel is acting up somehow.

Signed-off-by: Thorsten Leemhuis <[email protected]>
---
Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 34 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst
index d96b21512c03..2292b79cf462 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst
@@ -583,6 +583,40 @@ not part of the Linux kernel. Your package manager might thus force you to
remove those, too.


+Ensure a healthy environment
+----------------------------
+
+ *Make sure it's not the kernels surroundings that are causing the issue you
+ face.*
+
+Problems that look a lot like a kernel issue are sometimes caused by build
+or runtime environment. It's hard to rule out that problem completely, but you
+should minimize it:
+
+ * Use proven tools when building your kernel, as bugs in the compiler or the
+ binutils can cause the resulting kernel to misbehave.
+
+ * Ensure your computer components runs within their design specifications;
+ that's especially important for the main processor, the main memory, and the
+ motherboard. Therefore, stop overclocking when facing a potential kernel
+ issue.
+
+ * Try to make sure it's not faulty hardware that is causing your issue. Bad
+ main memory for example can result in a multitude of issues that will
+ manifest itself in problems looking like kernel issues.
+
+ * If you're dealing with a filesystem issue, you might want to check the file
+ system in question with ``fsck`` before trying to reproduce it again.
+
+ * When dealing with a regression, make sure it's not something else that
+ changed in parallel to updating the kernel. The problem for example might be
+ caused by another software that was updated at the same time. It can also
+ happen that a hardware component coincidentally just broke when you rebooted
+ into a new kernel for the first time. Updating the systems BIOS or changing
+ something in the BIOS Setup can also lead to problems that on the first sight
+ look like a regression.
+
+
.. ############################################################################
.. 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


2020-10-02 17:34:06

by Randy Dunlap

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH v1 13/26] docs: reporting-bugs: point out the environment might be causing issue

On 10/1/20 1:39 AM, Thorsten Leemhuis wrote:
> Help users to avoid a few pitfalls, as they might be the real reason why
> the kernel is acting up somehow.
>
> Signed-off-by: Thorsten Leemhuis <[email protected]>
> ---
> Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++
> 1 file changed, 34 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst
> index d96b21512c03..2292b79cf462 100644
> --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-bugs.rst
> @@ -583,6 +583,40 @@ not part of the Linux kernel. Your package manager might thus force you to
> remove those, too.
>
>
> +Ensure a healthy environment
> +----------------------------
> +
> + *Make sure it's not the kernels surroundings that are causing the issue you

kernel's

> + face.*
> +
> +Problems that look a lot like a kernel issue are sometimes caused by build
> +or runtime environment. It's hard to rule out that problem completely, but you
> +should minimize it:
> +
> + * Use proven tools when building your kernel, as bugs in the compiler or the
> + binutils can cause the resulting kernel to misbehave.
> +
> + * Ensure your computer components runs within their design specifications;

run

> + that's especially important for the main processor, the main memory, and the
> + motherboard. Therefore, stop overclocking when facing a potential kernel
> + issue.
> +
> + * Try to make sure it's not faulty hardware that is causing your issue. Bad
> + main memory for example can result in a multitude of issues that will
> + manifest itself in problems looking like kernel issues.
> +
> + * If you're dealing with a filesystem issue, you might want to check the file
> + system in question with ``fsck`` before trying to reproduce it again.
> +
> + * When dealing with a regression, make sure it's not something else that
> + changed in parallel to updating the kernel. The problem for example might be
> + caused by another software that was updated at the same time. It can also

by other software

> + happen that a hardware component coincidentally just broke when you rebooted
> + into a new kernel for the first time. Updating the systems BIOS or changing
> + something in the BIOS Setup can also lead to problems that on the first sight
> + look like a regression.
> +
> +
> .. ############################################################################
> .. 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.
>


--
~Randy

2020-10-03 10:02:49

by Thorsten Leemhuis

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH v1 13/26] docs: reporting-bugs: point out the environment might be causing issue

Am 02.10.20 um 19:32 schrieb Randy Dunlap:
> On 10/1/20 1:39 AM, Thorsten Leemhuis wrote:

Many thx for you comments, all suggestions implemented.



Ciao, Thorsten