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authorLinus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>2026-08-30 09:22:00 -0700
committerLinus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>2026-08-30 09:22:00 -0700
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Merge tag 'trace-v7.3-2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-tracegrafted
Pull tracing fixes from Steven Rostedt: - Fix error output of boot instance creation failure Currently if a boot instance creation fails, instead of printing out the name of the instance that failed, it prints "(null)". That is because it prints "cur_str" that had already been processed by strsep(). Print the saved name instead. While at it, print the error code of the failure. - Fix use-after-free for same named historgrams Histograms can be named so that they can be used in multiple events. But if the named histogram has a variable attached, the second event that uses the named histogram which duplicates it and needs to free the original after duplication leaves the old variable in place and still visible. If another histogram uses than variable, it will use the stale one which will try to reference the freed duplicate histogram and crash the kernel. Free the duplicate variables along with the duplicated histogram data. - Check return value of kthread_run() in event self test The events self tests uses a kthread for testing but does not check if it succeeded in creating a kthread. If the kthread creation were to fail, the code will still try to call kthread_stop() on the error returned. - Fix race between reading trace_pipe and updating subbuffer size If a user is reading the trace_pipe file at the same time they update the ring buffer sub-buffer size, can cause the trace_pipe read to read stale data. Add trace_access_lock() around updating the ring buffer sub-buffer size. - Fix eventfs_inode on failure path in creation of the events directory In the creation of the "events" directory, if after allocating the eventfs_inode a failure is detected, it calls cleanup_ei() which calls free_ei(). The free_ei() will test if eventfs_inode being freed has no children. It is a bug if it does. But on the failure case of the creation of the "events" directory, the children lists have not yet been initialized and the free will trigger a warning because list_empty() on an uninitialized list returns false. Move the initialization into init_ei() where it makes more sense and makes sure that a created eventfs_inode has its lists initialized upon creation. - Check return value of kthread_run() in ftrace direct sample code The sample code that shows how to use the ftrace direct calls does not test the return of kthread_run() to see if it succeeds. Return a failure if the kthread_run() doesn't succeed. - Clear user events state on fork in case of alloc failure On fork, the child gets a pointer to the parent's user events state. It makes a copy of it then updates the child's pointer to it. But if the allocation fails, the duplication function leaves the child with a pointer to its parent's descriptor. When the child cleans up its data, it will free the parent's descriptor while the parent is still using it. In the duplication function, set the child's user_event_mm to NULL before testing if the allocation succeeded, and when it exits it will not free the parent's descriptor. - Fix retry exhaustion in simple ring buffer reader swap simple_ring_buffer_swap_reader_page() starts with retry set to 8 and post-decrements it only after a failed link replacement. On the final attempt, a successful replacement leaves retry at zero, while a failed replacement leaves it at -1. But the check for success expects the retry value to be non-zero and exits with an error on zero. This is the opposite result. Fix it. - Fail nicely when the remote swap_reader_page() returns an error Currently, if the swap_reader_page() of a remote buffer fails, it triggers a WARN_ON_ONCE() and continues normally. Instead, have it exit with an error and a pr_warn() print instead of a full WARNING. * tag 'trace-v7.3-2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-trace: ring-buffer: Stop remote reader update when page swap fails tracing: Fix retry exhaustion in simple ring buffer reader swap tracing/user_events: Clear copied tracing state before fork duplication samples/ftrace: Fix kthread_stop() on ERR_PTR in ftrace-direct-multi-modify samples/ftrace: Fix kthread_stop() on ERR_PTR in ftrace-direct-modify eventfs: Initialize ei->children and ei->list in init_ei() tracing: Fix use-after-free in trace_pipe read on sub-buffer order change tracing: Fix crash passing ERR_PTR to kthread_stop() tracing: Fix use-after-free with same-name named triggers tracing: Fix logged instance name on creation failure
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+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+.. _bootconfig:
+
+==================
+Boot Configuration
+==================
+
+:Author: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
+
+Overview
+========
+
+The boot configuration expands the current kernel command line to support
+additional key-value data when booting the kernel in an efficient way.
+This allows administrators to pass a structured-Key config file.
+
+Config File Syntax
+==================
+
+The boot config syntax is a simple structured key-value. Each key consists
+of dot-connected-words, and key and value are connected by ``=``. The value
+string has to be terminated by the following delimiters described below.
+
+Each key word must contain only alphabets, numbers, dash (``-``) or underscore
+(``_``). And each value only contains printable characters or spaces except
+for delimiters such as semi-colon (``;``), new-line (``\n``), comma (``,``),
+hash (``#``) and closing brace (``}``).
+
+If the ``=`` is followed by whitespace up to one of these delimiters, the
+key is assigned an empty value.
+
+For arrays, the array values are comma (``,``) separated, and comments and
+line breaks with newline (``\n``) are allowed between array values for
+readability. Thus the first entry of the array must be on the same line as
+the key.::
+
+ KEY[.WORD[...]] = VALUE[, VALUE2[...]][;]
+
+Unlike the kernel command line syntax, white spaces (including tabs) are
+ignored around the comma and ``=``.
+
+If you want to use those delimiters in a value, you can use either double-
+quotes (``"VALUE"``) or single-quotes (``'VALUE'``) to quote it. Note that
+you can not escape these quotes.
+
+There can be a key which doesn't have value or has an empty value. Those keys
+are used for checking if the key exists or not (like a boolean).
+
+Key-Value Syntax
+----------------
+
+The boot config file syntax allows user to merge partially same word keys
+by brace. For example::
+
+ foo.bar.baz = value1
+ foo.bar.qux.quux = value2
+
+These can be written also in::
+
+ foo.bar {
+ baz = value1
+ qux.quux = value2
+ }
+
+Or more shorter, written as following::
+
+ foo.bar { baz = value1; qux.quux = value2 }
+
+In both styles, same key words are automatically merged when parsing it
+at boot time. So you can append similar trees or key-values.
+
+Same-key Values
+---------------
+
+It is prohibited that two or more values or arrays share a same-key.
+For example,::
+
+ foo = bar, baz
+ foo = qux # !ERROR! we can not re-define same key
+
+If you want to update the value, you must use the override operator
+``:=`` explicitly. For example::
+
+ foo = bar, baz
+ foo := qux
+
+then, the ``qux`` is assigned to ``foo`` key. This is useful for
+overriding the default value by adding (partial) custom bootconfigs
+without parsing the default bootconfig.
+
+If you want to append the value to existing key as an array member,
+you can use ``+=`` operator. For example::
+
+ foo = bar, baz
+ foo += qux
+
+In this case, the key ``foo`` has ``bar``, ``baz`` and ``qux``.
+
+Moreover, sub-keys and a value can coexist under a parent key.
+For example, following config is allowed.::
+
+ foo = value1
+ foo.bar = value2
+ foo := value3 # This will update foo's value.
+
+Note, since there is no syntax to put a raw value directly under a
+structured key, you have to define it outside of the brace. For example::
+
+ foo {
+ bar = value1
+ bar {
+ baz = value2
+ qux = value3
+ }
+ }
+
+Also, the order of the value node under a key is fixed. If there
+are a value and subkeys, the value is always the first child node
+of the key. Thus if user specifies subkeys first, e.g.::
+
+ foo.bar = value1
+ foo = value2
+
+In the program (and /proc/bootconfig), it will be shown as below::
+
+ foo = value2
+ foo.bar = value1
+
+Comments
+--------
+
+The config syntax accepts shell-script style comments. The comments starting
+with hash ("#") until newline ("\n") will be ignored.
+
+::
+
+ # comment line
+ foo = value # value is set to foo.
+ bar = 1, # 1st element
+ 2, # 2nd element
+ 3 # 3rd element
+
+This is parsed as below::
+
+ foo = value
+ bar = 1, 2, 3
+
+Note that you can NOT put a comment or a newline between value and delimiter
+(``,`` or ``;``). This means following config has a syntax error ::
+
+ key = 1 # comment
+ ,2
+
+
+/proc/bootconfig
+================
+
+/proc/bootconfig is a user-space interface of the boot config.
+Unlike /proc/cmdline, this file shows the key-value style list.
+Each key-value pair is shown in each line with following style::
+
+ KEY[.WORDS...] = "[VALUE]"[,"VALUE2"...]
+
+
+Boot Kernel With a Boot Config
+==============================
+
+There are two options to boot the kernel with bootconfig: attaching the
+bootconfig to the initrd image or embedding it in the kernel itself.
+
+Attaching a Boot Config to Initrd
+---------------------------------
+
+Since the boot configuration file is loaded with initrd by default,
+it will be added to the end of the initrd (initramfs) image file with
+padding, size, checksum and 12-byte magic word as below.
+
+[initrd][bootconfig][padding][size(le32)][checksum(le32)][#BOOTCONFIG\n]
+
+The size and checksum fields are unsigned 32bit little endian value.
+
+When the boot configuration is added to the initrd image, the total
+file size is aligned to 4 bytes. To fill the gap, null characters
+(``\0``) will be added. Thus the ``size`` is the length of the bootconfig
+file + padding bytes.
+
+The Linux kernel decodes the last part of the initrd image in memory to
+get the boot configuration data.
+Because of this "piggyback" method, there is no need to change or
+update the boot loader and the kernel image itself as long as the boot
+loader passes the correct initrd file size. If by any chance, the boot
+loader passes a longer size, the kernel fails to find the bootconfig data.
+
+To do this operation, Linux kernel provides ``bootconfig`` command under
+tools/bootconfig, which allows admin to apply or delete the config file
+to/from initrd image. You can build it by the following command::
+
+ # make -C tools/bootconfig
+
+To add your boot config file to initrd image, run bootconfig as below
+(Old data is removed automatically if exists)::
+
+ # tools/bootconfig/bootconfig -a your-config /boot/initrd.img-X.Y.Z
+
+To remove the config from the image, you can use -d option as below::
+
+ # tools/bootconfig/bootconfig -d /boot/initrd.img-X.Y.Z
+
+Then add "bootconfig" on the normal kernel command line to tell the
+kernel to look for the bootconfig at the end of the initrd file.
+Alternatively, build your kernel with the ``CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_FORCE``
+Kconfig option selected.
+
+Embedding a Boot Config into Kernel
+-----------------------------------
+
+If you can not use initrd, you can also embed the bootconfig file in the
+kernel by Kconfig options. In this case, you need to recompile the kernel
+with the following configs::
+
+ CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_EMBED=y
+ CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_EMBED_FILE="/PATH/TO/BOOTCONFIG/FILE"
+
+``CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_EMBED_FILE`` requires an absolute path or a relative
+path to the bootconfig file from source tree or object tree.
+The kernel will embed it as the default bootconfig.
+
+Just as when attaching the bootconfig to the initrd, you need ``bootconfig``
+option on the kernel command line to enable the embedded bootconfig, or,
+alternatively, build your kernel with the ``CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_FORCE``
+Kconfig option selected.
+
+Note that even if you set this option, you can override the embedded
+bootconfig by another bootconfig which attached to the initrd.
+
+Rendering Embedded kernel.* Keys at Build Time
+----------------------------------------------
+
+By default, the embedded bootconfig (``CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_EMBED=y``) is
+parsed at runtime, after ``parse_early_param()`` has already run. Early
+parameter handlers (``mem=``, ``earlycon=``, ``loglevel=``, ...) therefore
+cannot see values supplied via the embedded ``kernel`` subtree.
+
+``CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTCONFIG`` resolves this by rendering the
+``kernel`` subtree of ``CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_EMBED_FILE`` into a flat cmdline
+string at kernel build time (via ``tools/bootconfig -C``) and prepending
+it to ``boot_command_line`` during early architecture setup, so the keys
+are visible to ``parse_early_param()``.
+
+The option requires ``CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_EMBED=y``, a non-empty
+``CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_EMBED_FILE``, ``CONFIG_CMDLINE`` to be empty, and
+an architecture that selects ``CONFIG_ARCH_SUPPORTS_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTCONFIG``.
+Currently only x86 selects it; on other architectures the embedded
+bootconfig still works, but only through the late runtime parser.
+
+The same ``bootconfig`` opt-in applies as elsewhere: the rendered keys
+are prepended only when ``bootconfig`` (in any form) appears on the
+kernel command line, or when ``CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_FORCE`` is set, which
+defaults to ``y`` when ``CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_EMBED`` is set.
+
+For example, given::
+
+ kernel {
+ loglevel = 7
+ mem = 4G
+ }
+
+the kernel boots as if ``loglevel=7 mem=4G`` had been prepended to the
+bootloader command line, with the values visible to early-parsed
+handlers. Comma-separated values are still expanded into multiple
+cmdline entries per the bootconfig array convention -- the embedded
+``kernel.earlycon = "uart8250,io,0x3f8"`` must be quoted to land as a
+single ``earlycon=`` entry, exactly as for the runtime parser.
+
+If the rendered string would not fit in ``COMMAND_LINE_SIZE`` together
+with the existing command line, the prepend is skipped and an error is
+logged, so an oversized embedded bootconfig cannot brick a boot.
+
+Interaction with other command line and bootconfig sources
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+With ``CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTCONFIG=y`` the rendered ``kernel``
+subtree behaves like a build-time command line (similar to
+``CONFIG_CMDLINE``), not like a bootconfig source. It is prepended to
+``boot_command_line`` in ``setup_arch()``, before ``parse_early_param()``
+and long before the runtime parser looks at an initrd. Options can reach
+the kernel from up to four places:
+
+- Bootloader command line: the arguments the boot loader passes. The
+ embedded cmdline is prepended in front of them, so for last-one-wins
+ parameters a bootloader option still overrides the embedded value.
+ Visible in /proc/cmdline.
+- Embedded cmdline (this option): the rendered ``kernel`` subtree,
+ prepended early so it is seen by ``parse_early_param()``. Visible in
+ /proc/cmdline.
+- Initrd bootconfig: parsed late in ``setup_boot_config()``; its
+ ``kernel`` keys are placed ahead of ``boot_command_line``, i.e. before
+ the embedded cmdline, so last-wins favors the embedded values. As a
+ bootconfig source, an initrd bootconfig still replaces the embedded
+ bootconfig. Visible in /proc/cmdline and /proc/bootconfig.
+- Embedded bootconfig (runtime): parsed late, only when no initrd
+ bootconfig is present. Visible in /proc/cmdline and /proc/bootconfig.
+
+So with this option the embedded ``kernel.*`` values take precedence
+over an initrd bootconfig's ``kernel.*`` values: for early parameters
+the initrd is not parsed yet, and for ordinary parameters the embedded
+keys land later in the command line. If you need an initrd bootconfig to
+override the embedded ``kernel.*`` keys, leave this option off and rely
+on the runtime parser.
+
+The rendered string is part of the command line, so it appears in
+/proc/cmdline. It is deliberately not shown in /proc/bootconfig: that
+file keeps reporting the parsed bootconfig tree -- the initrd bootconfig
+if present, otherwise the embedded bootconfig -- independent of whether
+build-time cmdline rendering is enabled.
+
+Kernel parameters via Boot Config
+=================================
+
+In addition to the kernel command line, the boot config can be used for
+passing the kernel parameters. All the key-value pairs under ``kernel``
+key will be passed to kernel cmdline directly. Moreover, the key-value
+pairs under ``init`` will be passed to init process via the cmdline.
+The parameters are concatenated with user-given kernel cmdline string
+as the following order, so that the command line parameter can override
+bootconfig parameters (this depends on how the subsystem handles parameters
+but in general, earlier parameter will be overwritten by later one.)::
+
+ [bootconfig params][cmdline params] -- [bootconfig init params][cmdline init params]
+
+Here is an example of the bootconfig file for kernel/init parameters.::
+
+ kernel {
+ root = 01234567-89ab-cdef-0123-456789abcd
+ }
+ init {
+ splash
+ }
+
+This will be copied into the kernel cmdline string as the following::
+
+ root="01234567-89ab-cdef-0123-456789abcd" -- splash
+
+If user gives some other command line like,::
+
+ ro bootconfig -- quiet
+
+The final kernel cmdline will be the following::
+
+ root="01234567-89ab-cdef-0123-456789abcd" ro bootconfig -- splash quiet
+
+
+Config File Limitation
+======================
+
+Currently the maximum config size is 32KB and the total key-words (not
+key-value entries) must be under 1024 nodes.
+Note: this is not the number of entries but nodes, an entry must consume
+more than 2 nodes (a key-word and a value). So theoretically, it will be
+up to 512 key-value pairs. If keys contains 3 words in average, it can
+contain 256 key-value pairs. In most cases, the number of config items
+will be under 100 entries and smaller than 8KB, so it would be enough.
+If the node number exceeds 1024, parser returns an error even if the file
+size is smaller than 32KB. (Note that this maximum size is not including
+the padding null characters.)
+Anyway, since bootconfig command verifies it when appending a boot config
+to initrd image, user can notice it before boot.
+
+
+Bootconfig APIs
+===============
+
+User can query or loop on key-value pairs, also it is possible to find
+a root (prefix) key node and find key-values under that node.
+
+If you have a key string, you can query the value directly with the key
+using xbc_find_value(). If you want to know what keys exist in the boot
+config, you can use xbc_for_each_key_value() to iterate key-value pairs.
+Note that you need to use xbc_array_for_each_value() for accessing
+each array's value, e.g.::
+
+ vnode = NULL;
+ xbc_find_value("key.word", &vnode);
+ if (vnode && xbc_node_is_array(vnode))
+ xbc_array_for_each_value(vnode, value) {
+ printk("%s ", value);
+ }
+
+If you want to focus on keys which have a prefix string, you can use
+xbc_find_node() to find a node by the prefix string, and iterate
+keys under the prefix node with xbc_node_for_each_key_value().
+
+But the most typical usage is to get the named value under prefix
+or get the named array under prefix as below::
+
+ root = xbc_find_node("key.prefix");
+ value = xbc_node_find_value(root, "option", &vnode);
+ ...
+ xbc_node_for_each_array_value(root, "array-option", value, anode) {
+ ...
+ }
+
+This accesses a value of "key.prefix.option" and an array of
+"key.prefix.array-option".
+
+Locking is not needed, since after initialization, the config becomes
+read-only. All data and keys must be copied if you need to modify it.
+
+
+Functions and structures
+========================
+
+.. kernel-doc:: include/linux/bootconfig.h
+.. kernel-doc:: lib/bootconfig.c
+