Re: [RFC] kernel, logbuf: add support for external log buffer

From: Heiko Schocher
Date: Wed Jul 11 2012 - 05:17:54 EST


Hello,

On 11.06.2012 08:13, Heiko Schocher wrote:
This merges support for the previously DENX-only kernel
feature of specifying an alternative, "external" buffer
for kernel printk messages and their associated metadata.
This patch is based on DENX-only kernel commit:

commit 212f61c7fd3b952a81d1459dd32a86a32ddfd4ce
Author: Igor Lisitsin<igor@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed Apr 18 14:55:19 2007 +0400

Add support for external log buffer.

Add support for external log buffer, for example passed by U-Boot,
which may already contain messages (from the boot loader and/or POST).

Signed-off-by: Igor Lisitsin<igor@xxxxxxxxxxx>

see:
http://git.denx.de/?p=linux-denx.git;a=commit;h=212f61c7fd3b952a81d1459dd32a86a32ddfd4ce

When this option is enabled, an architecture- or machine-specific log
buffer is used for all printk messages. This allows entities such as
boot loaders (e.g. U-Boot) to place printk-compatible messages into
this buffer and for the kernel to coalesce them with its normal
messages. This patch support this feature for arch/arm based
boards.

Signed-off-by: Heiko Schocher<hs@xxxxxxx>
Cc: Wolfgang Denk<wd@xxxxxxx>
Cc: Igor Lisitsin<igor@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Grant Erickson<gerickson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: linux-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Tim Bird<tim.bird@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: CE Linux Developers List<celinux-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Kay Sievers<kay@xxxxxxxx>

---
restage prior discussion from lkml:

https://lkml.org/lkml/2009/1/21/250

Discussion stopped, and I want to reanimate it, also there is a
Project Proposal on the "CE Linux Developers List" for such a feature,
see here:

http://www.mail-archive.com/celinux-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/msg00103.html

Maybe it is now the time to discuss this again?

Is it worth to try to get this old code in current kernel, or
should we investigate Kay Sievers proposal for a structured logging
system, which will alter the format of the messages as they are
stored in the log buffer, and discuss for this a "logbuffer support"?

See this discussion here:

http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1277619

arch/arm/mm/init.c | 25 ++++++++++
include/linux/logbuff.h | 51 ++++++++++++++++++++
init/Kconfig | 12 +++++
init/main.c | 5 ++
kernel/printk.c | 117 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
5 files changed, 206 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
create mode 100644 include/linux/logbuff.h

ping? I got no respond to this RFC ... no chance to get this to
mainline?

bye,
Heiko
--
DENX Software Engineering GmbH, MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
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