Responses

Revision 137 as of 2018-05-30 14:39:29

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Introduction

This page offers kernel bug triagers suggested responses that have been found effective in obtaining requested information.

Hardware and firmware requests

Request full computer model

For some computers, while the computer manufacturer is provided via the Bug Description, the full computer model isn't provided, or the data provided isn't accurate. Hence, if one is interested in reviewing the computer specifications from the vendor's website, one may request this via the following:

As per the sticker of the computer itself (not from the Bug Description, or the result of a terminal command), could you please provide the full computer model?

Request BIOS update

For some issues on some computers, the BIOS being outdated can cause various issues that seem due to Ubuntu itself. For example, hardware intermittently working, hardward not working at all, or what seems software dependent. Also, many upstream developers request this being updated, despite one having tested the latest mainline kernel, to help them rule out root causes. So, while it's not a requirement to have the BIOS updated before upstreaming, one is doing themselves, and upstream a great favor by ensuring it is. As a courtesy to the original reporter, one may provide the direct URL to the BIOS update, along with the version they would want to update to.

As per your computer vendor's website, an update for your computer's buggy, insecure, and outdated BIOS is available. When you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BIOSUpdate how does this improve the situation?

For more on BIOS updates and linux, please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs.

Please note your current BIOS is already in the Bug Description, so posting this on the old BIOS would not be helpful.

Also, you don't have to create a new report.

It is most helpful that after the BIOS is updated, if the problem is still reproducible:
1) Please provide the output of the following terminal command (not perform an apport-collect):
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
2) Please make a comment specifically advising on how this improves the situation.
3) Please mark this report Status Confirmed.

If it's not reproducible, please mark this as Invalid.

Thank you for your help.

Request testing kernels

Request testing latest mainline kernel

In order to allow additional upstream mainline kernel developers to examine the issue, at your earliest convenience, could you please test the latest mainline kernel available from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D ? Please keep in mind the following:
1) The one to test is at the very top line at the top of the page (not the daily folder).
2) The release names are irrelevant.
3) The folder time stamps aren't indicative of when the kernel actually was released upstream.
4) Install instructions are available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds .

If testing on your main install would be inconvenient, one may:
1) Install Ubuntu to a different partition and then test this there.
2) Backup, or clone the primary install.

If the latest kernel did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this, and continue to test the next most recent kernel version until you can test to the issue. Once you've tested the mainline kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this issue is not reproducible in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the Bug Description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Where X, and Y are the first two numbers of the kernel version, and Z is the release candidate number if it exists.

If the issue is reproducible with the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Also, you don't need to apport-collect further unless specifically requested to do so.

It is most helpful that after testing of the latest mainline kernel is complete, you mark this report Status Confirmed.

Lastly, to keep this issue relevant to upstream, please continue to test the latest mainline kernel as it becomes available.

Thank you for your help.

Request testing drm-intel kernel

If the original reporter has reproduced the issue in the mainline kernel, and the issue is suspected to be drm-intel related, it is helpful for the reporter to provide results while testing it.

This issue is suspected to be drm-intel related. In order to allow additional drm-intel developers to examine this issue, at your earliest convenience, could you please test drm-intel-nightly available from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D ? Please keep in mind the following:
1) The folder time stamps aren't indicative of when the kernel actually was released upstream.
2) Install instructions are available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds .

If testing on your main install would be inconvenient, one may:
1) Install Ubuntu to a different partition and then test this there.
2) Backup, or clone the primary install.

If this kernel did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this.

However, if you were able to test this kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested, and the results. If this issue is not reproducible, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the Bug Description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-drm-intel-nightly

If the problem is reproducible, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-drm-intel-nightly

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Also, you don't need to apport-collect further unless specifically requested to do so.

It is most helpful that after testing of this kernel is complete, you mark this report Status Confirmed.

Lastly, to keep this issue relevant to upstream, please continue to test newer versions of this kernel as it becomes available.

Thank you for your help.

Request bisect

The next step is to fully commit bisect from the most recent kernel version that worked to the next kernel version that did not, in order to identify the last good kernel commit, followed immediately by the first bad one. This will allow for a more expedited analysis of the root cause of your issue. Could you please do this following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection ? This article was written for folks who don't know anything about linux, so it's easy to follow.

Please note, finding adjacent kernel versions, or providing a commit without testing it and reverting it is not fully commit bisecting.

Also, the kernel release names are irrelevant for the purposes of bisecting.

It is most helpful that after the bad commit (not kernel version) has been confirmed via testing, you then mark this report Status Confirmed.

Thank you for your help.

Request reverse bisect

The next step is to fully reverse commit bisect from the most recent kernel veresion followed by the next kernel version that worked, in order to identify the earliest good kernel commit, preceded immediately by the first bad one. This will allow for a more expedited analysis of the root cause of your issue. Could you please do this following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection ? This article was written for folks who don't know anything about linux, so it's easy to follow.

Please note, finding adjacent kernel versions, or providing a commit without testing it and reverting it is not fully reverse commit bisecting.

Also, the kernel release names are irrelevant for the purposes of bisecting.

It is most helpful that after the fix commit (not kernel version) has been confirmed via testing, you then mark this report Status Confirmed.

Thank you for your help.

Request submit to upstream

It is most helpful to upstream that the original reporter provide all the information necessary for an upstream developer to begin working on it (ex. regressions bisected, latest upstream kernel tested, call trace captured, etc.). Also, it is helpful to original reporters to advise them which maintainer(s) to send this to, and which mailing list to CC as it is not always obvious.

DRM Intel

The issue you are reporting is an upstream one. Could you please report this problem to Intel following their instructions via https://01.org/linuxgraphics/documentation/how-report-bugs?

Please note, pre-built builds of the drm-tip branch are available for Ubuntu from https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds.

Please provide a direct URL to your report so that it may be tracked.

Thank you for your help.

All others

The issue you are reporting is an upstream one. Could you please report this problem following the instructions verbatim at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel to the appropriate mailing list?

Please provide a direct URL to your post to the mailing list when it becomes available so that it may be tracked.

Thank you for your help.