Message-ID: <72dc704c18af85ea8b5a80b9c3714588235d0797.1761481839.git.linux@leemhuis.info>
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2025 13:42:06 +0100
From: Thorsten Leemhuis <linux@...mhuis.info>
To: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>
Cc: workflows@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-doc@...r.kernel.org,
	regressions@...ts.linux.dev,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH v1 15/30] docs: reporting-issues: improve text on classifying the bug

Fine-tune the instructions about classifying the bug.

This drops support for "really severe problems", this is a rare special
case not woth spending much thought on.

Signed-off-by: Thorsten Leemhuis <linux@...mhuis.info>
---
 .../admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst          | 62 +++++++++----------
 1 file changed, 29 insertions(+), 33 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst
index 623feb55caae97..be0e49046ec913 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst
@@ -128,10 +128,13 @@ following the others is usually in your own interest.
 
  [:ref:`details <checkloreone_repiref>`]
 
+.. _specialtreat_repisbs:
 
- * See if the issue you are dealing with qualifies as regression, security
-   issue, or a really severe problem: those are 'issues of high priority' that
-   need special handling in some steps that are about to follow.
+* Evaluate if the issue you are dealing with qualifies as a regression or
+  security issue, as those receive special treatment in some of the following
+  steps.
+
+ [:ref:`details <specialtreat_repiref>`]
 
  * Create a fresh backup and put system repair and restore tools at hand.
 
@@ -647,37 +650,30 @@ While doing so, keep in mind:
 [:ref:`back to step-by-step guide <checkloreone_repisbs>`]
 
 
-Issue of high priority?
------------------------
+.. _specialtreat_repiref:
+
+Issues receiving special treatment
+----------------------------------
+
+  *Evaluate if the issue you are dealing with qualifies as a regression or
+  security issue, as those* [:ref:`... <specialtreat_repisbs>`]
+
+Check if you face an issue that receives special treatment in the Linux
+development process:
+
+* You deal with a regression, if some application or practical use case running
+  fine with one Linux kernel version works worse or not at all with a newer
+  version compiled using a similar configuration; the 'no regression' rule
+  forbids that. The document
+  Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-regressions.rst explains these and
+  additional aspects in more detail, but everything important is covered in
+  this document.
+
+* What qualifies as a security issue is left to your judgment. Consider reading
+  Documentation/process/security-bugs.rst before proceeding, which
+  provides instructions on handling security issues.
 
-    *See if the issue you are dealing with qualifies as regression, security
-    issue, or a really severe problem: those are 'issues of high priority' that
-    need special handling in some steps that are about to follow.*
-
-Linus Torvalds and the leading Linux kernel developers want to see some issues
-fixed as soon as possible, hence there are 'issues of high priority' that get
-handled slightly differently in the reporting process. Three type of cases
-qualify: regressions, security issues, and really severe problems.
-
-You deal with a regression if some application or practical use case running
-fine with one Linux kernel works worse or not at all with a newer version
-compiled using a similar configuration. The document
-Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-regressions.rst explains this in more
-detail. It also provides a good deal of other information about regressions you
-might want to be aware of; it for example explains how to add your issue to the
-list of tracked regressions, to ensure it won't fall through the cracks.
-
-What qualifies as security issue is left to your judgment. Consider reading
-Documentation/process/security-bugs.rst before proceeding, as it
-provides additional details how to best handle security issues.
-
-An issue is a 'really severe problem' when something totally unacceptably bad
-happens. That's for example the case when a Linux kernel corrupts the data it's
-handling or damages hardware it's running on. You're also dealing with a severe
-issue when the kernel suddenly stops working with an error message ('kernel
-panic') or without any farewell note at all. Note: do not confuse a 'panic' (a
-fatal error where the kernel stop itself) with a 'Oops' (a recoverable error),
-as the kernel remains running after the latter.
+[:ref:`back to step-by-step guide <specialtreat_repisbs>`]
 
 
 Prepare for emergencies
-- 
2.51.0

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