From: jes@grendel.demon.co.uk (Jim Segrave) Subject: Re: Guidelines for reporting Linux bugs Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 00:41:28 +0000
In article <1992Jul28.134834.4764@dg-rtp.dg.com> welshm@snail.rtp.dg.com (Matt Welsh) writes:
> **** GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING LINUX BUGS ****
>
> Last updated: 20 Jul 92
>
> *** This file specifies how you should file bug reports and bug report
> *** updates (such as fixes and workaround reports). PLEASE READ before
> *** you do anything!!
>
> If you are having problems with Linux, the first thing you should do is
> POST your problem or possible bug to comp.os.linux or send it out on
> one of the several mailing lists. In this way, others can verify your
> problem and find out if it's actually a bug.
NO! NO! NO!
The first thing is - check the FAQ.
Then, think about the problem yourself - I've seen some fairly silly
Help with ... reports which seemed to assume that 'GCC/Linux/any of a
large number of other utillities must be broken because they don't work
for me'. Use simple logic - the volume of traffic in this group
indicates that most things *do* work, so if they don't work for you the
most likely reasons are that you didn't understand the (sometimes
sketchy) documentation or you didn't follow it, or you are running an
old version of Linux/gcc/whatever and trying to run software set up for
a more recent version, etc.
If you still can't solve it, see if there's someone
knowledgable you can ask - colleague at work, fellow student, etc.
If all this fails, then post the problem.
The benefits are:
1) You'll learn more by trying to solve the problem yourself.
2) You'll understand the problem better if you really do need to post
the report, and your report will be clearer. You'll be able to save
everyone sending you stock answers like 0.95's tar is broken, etc.
because you will have checked the FAQ, chekced your version of tar, etc.
and your message will be able to say I'm running this version...
3) There will be less pressure to split comp.os.linux because there
won't be as many silly bug reports/help requests which really have been
answered over and over again.
4) The experts who can answer your questions will be less likely to have
become tired of answering repetitive pleas for help.