Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesYou can’t make kernel developers fix a particular bug, but you can give them what they need to investigate it: a correctly routed, reproducible report with exact version details and evidence. The right route depends on whether you found a regression, want to propose a code fix, or are reporting a potential security vulnerability.
How do I report a Linux kernel bug?
Start by identifying the affected subsystem and following its instructions in the kernel’s official reporting guide. Kernel issues are commonly handled by subsystem maintainers and mailing lists; there is no single bug-tracker route that fits every issue.
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- Identify the subsystem. Use the relevant
MAINTAINERSentry to find its maintainers and reporting destinations. - Search the relevant archives. Look for an existing report or discussion. If one matches your problem, join it rather than creating a duplicate thread.
- Check whether the problem persists upstream. When feasible, test a suitable current mainline kernel; the reporting guide allows the latest stable kernel as an alternative in some cases. A distribution kernel may include vendor patches or configuration differences, so describe exactly what you tested.
- Send the report to the destination specified for that issue. Follow subsystem-specific instructions and include the appropriate maintainers and mailing lists.
When practical, use a vanilla kernel and an environment that has not been tainted by proprietary or out-of-tree modules. If that is not feasible, state the relevant configuration and modules rather than leaving maintainers to guess.
What should I include in a kernel bug report?
Make the report useful to someone who cannot see your machine. Describe the user-visible impact, the exact conditions, and the shortest reliable way to reproduce it. Keep distinct problems in separate reports.
#1 Best Overall
- Subject: Name the subsystem or symptom. Mark a regression clearly with
[REGRESSION]. - Impact: Explain what fails—for example, a crash, hang, data corruption, build failure, or performance change—and who or what is affected.
- Environment: Give the exact kernel version or commit, distribution and build details, hardware, relevant configuration, and recent changes that may matter.
- Reproduction: List the smallest reliable sequence of steps, then state what you expected and what happened instead.
- Evidence: Include relevant logs, traces, or crash details. Remove sensitive information where necessary without stripping out details needed to understand the failure.
- Comparison: For a regression, identify the last known working and first known failing versions. Add bisection results if you have them.
These are practical reporting elements drawn from the project’s issue-reporting guidance; a subsystem may ask for additional details or a different format.
Where should I report a Linux kernel regression?
A regression is a change in behavior between kernel versions: something that previously worked now fails or behaves worse. The reporting route depends on which kernel series is affected.
Rank #2
| Situation | Route | What to establish |
|---|---|---|
| Possible regression in a supported stable or long-term series | Check the relevant stable-series and archives, then use the stable and regressions reporting destinations specified by the official guide. | State which versions work and fail, and include subsystem contacts when relevant. |
| Other suspected kernel issue | Find the subsystem in MAINTAINERS, search its archives, and follow its reporting instructions. |
Provide the symptom, environment, reproduction steps, and evidence. |
For a distribution-kernel issue, check whether it also occurs on an appropriate upstream kernel before describing it as an upstream regression. Vendor changes and configuration differences can affect the result.
How do I bisect a Linux kernel regression?
First establish a useful version boundary: identify a kernel that works and a later one that fails, while keeping the test setup as consistent as possible. Then, if you can build and test multiple kernel images, use git bisect to narrow the interval to a change that may have introduced the behavior. Record the tested versions and results in the report.
A successful bisection can help maintainers identify the responsible change, but it can require many builds and tests. It is useful evidence, not a prerequisite for sending an initial report. If you identify a likely culprit commit, include it and relevant people in its sign-off chain when routing the report, as the reporting guide advises.
How do I propose a code fix?
If you have a patch, send it through the subsystem’s established review process rather than treating a code attachment as a substitute for a clear bug report. The kernel’s patch-submission guide emphasizes that every patch needs an underlying problem. As the guide puts it: “Whether your patch is a one-line bug fix or 5000 lines of a new feature, there must be an underlying problem that motivated you to do this work.”
- Explain the problem and impact. Describe the user-visible failure and why the change addresses it.
- Keep the patch focused. Make it solve one logical problem, and follow subsystem-specific contribution guidance.
- Choose the right recipients. Use
MAINTAINERSand relevant subsystem instructions to identify maintainers and lists. - Add references where appropriate. Use a
Fixes:tag to identify the commit that introduced the bug when known, and aCloses:reference for a public report where appropriate.
A Fixes: tag does not by itself guarantee that a change will be selected for a stable kernel. Stable releases have separate eligibility and submission requirements; consult the stable-kernel rules.
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Do not treat a potentially exploitable vulnerability as an ordinary public bug report. Follow the kernel project’s security-bug procedure; public disclosure may create risk. Provide a precise affected version range, using an exact version or commit rather than a vague label such as “latest.” The project’s security guidance explains how to handle the report.
What happens after I send the report?
Maintainers may need clarification, additional logs, a test on another kernel, or a retest of a proposed patch. Respond in the existing thread with the requested information and results when you can. Keep conclusions tied to what you actually tested, and update the discussion if a newer kernel changes the outcome.
A clear report improves the chances that the issue can be investigated; it cannot guarantee a response, a fix, or acceptance of a proposed patch. Kernel documentation describes the process, not an obligation or timetable for maintainers.
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