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Sorry to be somewhat off-topic, but I have a Linux kernel bug question. I found a very small kernel bug (no obvious security implication, only affecting 32-bit

Sorry to be somewhat off-topic, but I have a Linux kernel bug question. I found a very small kernel bug (no obvious security implication, only affecting 32-bit builds) at work a few weeks back while working on a custom kernel patch. I sent an email to the maintainers for that kernel subsystem, but didn't hear back. I'm not quite sure if I should keep pestering them until I get a response, or if I should be doing something else to get it addressed. Any suggestions from someone with experience?

tych0 5y ago
Standard advice is to wait two full weeks, then bump your thread (or rebase the patch and send a v2 if there's new conflicts with the maintainer's tree).
- charcircuit 5y ago
  It sounded like he just filed a bug.
- jakeinspace 5y ago
  It’s a 1-line patch, I didn’t send it in my initial email but maybe that was a faux pas.
  - tych0 5y ago
    I'd say sending the patch with git send-email --in-reply-to=<the header of your last email> is good. A patch is much easier to apply than write :)
    - jakeinspace 5y ago
      Thanks! Would you recommend I send to the maintainer(s), and Cc the mailing list?
      - tych0 5y ago
        Yeah, I'd just use whatever the output of ./scripts/get_maintainer.pl says. It will also suggest any recent committers to that area of the code, which I've found useful in the past. Usually I put the maintainers as To:, and everyone else as Cc:.
sweettea 5y ago
There are both maintainers and lists listed in MAINTAINERS (L: entries) -- did you Cc the mailing list? It might be good to bump the mailing list email if it's been several weeks, asking if there's more information you could provide.
- jakeinspace 5y ago
  This is for timekeeping, which doesn’t look to have its own mailing list (just points me to the vger linux-kernel mail list). I didn’t Cc that mailing list, although I could.
  - avar 5y ago
    The LKML is still the right place to send patches that don't fall under one of the other subsystem mailing lists. When in doubt you can ask the LKML about the right place to send a patch.
bonzini 5y ago
What subsystem is it?
- jakeinspace 5y ago
  Timekeeping
  - worthless-trash 5y ago
    You'd be surprised that some time_t bugs are actually security related.
onphonenow 5y ago
If you are filing a bug you will be ignored (or could be ignored) forever. If you send in a patch - you are MUCH MUCH more likely to get a response. As it should be. What is obvious to you as a patch may not be obvious to others, so if you can write and test your patch that would go a long way towards getting things to move forward. Bug reports are noise to many maintainers (they know there are lots, their focus is on code that fixes bugs).

tych0 5y ago

Standard advice is to wait two full weeks, then bump your thread (or rebase the patch and send a v2 if there's new conflicts with the maintainer's tree).

charcircuit 5y ago
It sounded like he just filed a bug.
jakeinspace 5y ago
It’s a 1-line patch, I didn’t send it in my initial email but maybe that was a faux pas.
- tych0 5y ago
  I'd say sending the patch with git send-email --in-reply-to=<the header of your last email> is good. A patch is much easier to apply than write :)
  - jakeinspace 5y ago
    Thanks! Would you recommend I send to the maintainer(s), and Cc the mailing list?
    - tych0 5y ago
      Yeah, I'd just use whatever the output of ./scripts/get_maintainer.pl says. It will also suggest any recent committers to that area of the code, which I've found useful in the past. Usually I put the maintainers as To:, and everyone else as Cc:.

sweettea 5y ago

There are both maintainers and lists listed in MAINTAINERS (L: entries) -- did you Cc the mailing list? It might be good to bump the mailing list email if it's been several weeks, asking if there's more information you could provide.

jakeinspace 5y ago
This is for timekeeping, which doesn’t look to have its own mailing list (just points me to the vger linux-kernel mail list). I didn’t Cc that mailing list, although I could.
- avar 5y ago
  The LKML is still the right place to send patches that don't fall under one of the other subsystem mailing lists. When in doubt you can ask the LKML about the right place to send a patch.

bonzini 5y ago

What subsystem is it?

jakeinspace 5y ago
Timekeeping
- worthless-trash 5y ago
  You'd be surprised that some time_t bugs are actually security related.

onphonenow 5y ago

If you are filing a bug you will be ignored (or could be ignored) forever. If you send in a patch - you are MUCH MUCH more likely to get a response. As it should be. What is obvious to you as a patch may not be obvious to others, so if you can write and test your patch that would go a long way towards getting things to move forward. Bug reports are noise to many maintainers (they know there are lots, their focus is on code that fixes bugs).