Communicating with Linux kernel developers

Question

What is the correct protocol for communicating with Linux kernel developers with a question or potential bug in a particular section of code?

I can do git blame -e and email the person who last touched the code, but they may not be the best person to look into it, and if they are on vacation (or too busy to respond) it could be a black hole.

I can ask on [email protected], but that looks like a very high volume mailing list and I'd be concerned about the email being lost in the noise or bothering too many people about a very specific question.

I can ask on this site, but if it's a highly specific question about code that isn't easily understandable, it is unlikely I'd get a good response.

Is there an officially recommended way to determine who is the best person to ask about a section of Linux kernel code?

Answer 1

You could use the get_maintainer.pl script to see who's responsible for the specific file in question. Use it like so from the linux dir:

perl scripts/get_maintainer.pl [OPTIONS] -f <file>

The kernel newbies mailing list can also be a good place to start.