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| author | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-08-30 09:22:00 -0700 |
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| committer | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-08-30 09:22:00 -0700 |
| commit | 034dd340b08be1f2f0477ad16131d609f9dbd53c (patch) | |
| tree | 2536f4b2d7893ccd916b5abdf3c454ad6edc03c2 /Documentation/driver-api/console.rst | |
| download | linux-stable-034dd340b08be1f2f0477ad16131d609f9dbd53c.tar.gz linux-stable-034dd340b08be1f2f0477ad16131d609f9dbd53c.zip | |
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
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/driver-api/console.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/driver-api/console.rst | 152 |
1 files changed, 152 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/console.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/console.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..8394ad774 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/driver-api/console.rst @@ -0,0 +1,152 @@ +.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 + +=============== +Console Drivers +=============== + +The Linux kernel has 2 general types of console drivers. The first type is +assigned by the kernel to all the virtual consoles during the boot process. +This type will be called 'system driver', and only one system driver is allowed +to exist. The system driver is persistent and it can never be unloaded, though +it may become inactive. + +The second type has to be explicitly loaded and unloaded. This will be called +'modular driver' by this document. Multiple modular drivers can coexist at +any time with each driver sharing the console with other drivers including +the system driver. However, modular drivers cannot take over the console +that is currently occupied by another modular driver. (Exception: Drivers that +call do_take_over_console() will succeed in the takeover regardless of the type +of driver occupying the consoles.) They can only take over the console that is +occupied by the system driver. In the same token, if the modular driver is +released by the console, the system driver will take over. + +Modular drivers, from the programmer's point of view, have to call:: + + do_take_over_console() - load and bind driver to console layer + give_up_console() - unload driver; it will only work if driver + is fully unbound + +In newer kernels, the following are also available:: + + do_register_con_driver() + do_unregister_con_driver() + +If sysfs is enabled, the contents of /sys/class/vtconsole can be +examined. This shows the console backends currently registered by the +system which are named vtcon<n> where <n> is an integer from 0 to 15. +Thus:: + + ls /sys/class/vtconsole + . .. vtcon0 vtcon1 + +Each directory in /sys/class/vtconsole has 3 files:: + + ls /sys/class/vtconsole/vtcon0 + . .. bind name uevent + +What do these files signify? + + 1. bind - this is a read/write file. It shows the status of the driver if + read, or acts to bind or unbind the driver to the virtual consoles + when written to. The possible values are: + + 0 + - means the driver is not bound and if echo'ed, commands the driver + to unbind + + 1 + - means the driver is bound and if echo'ed, commands the driver to + bind + + 2. name - read-only file. Shows the name of the driver in this format:: + + cat /sys/class/vtconsole/vtcon0/name + (S) VGA+ + + '(S)' stands for a (S)ystem driver, i.e., it cannot be directly + commanded to bind or unbind + + 'VGA+' is the name of the driver + + cat /sys/class/vtconsole/vtcon1/name + (M) frame buffer device + + In this case, '(M)' stands for a (M)odular driver, one that can be + directly commanded to bind or unbind. + + 3. uevent - ignore this file + +When unbinding, the modular driver is detached first, and then the system +driver takes over the consoles vacated by the driver. Binding, on the other +hand, will bind the driver to the consoles that are currently occupied by a +system driver. + +NOTE1: + Binding and unbinding must be selected in Kconfig. It's under:: + + Device Drivers -> + Character devices -> + Support for binding and unbinding console drivers + +NOTE2: + If any of the virtual consoles are in KD_GRAPHICS mode, then binding or + unbinding will not succeed. An example of an application that sets the + console to KD_GRAPHICS is X. + +How useful is this feature? This is very useful for console driver +developers. By unbinding the driver from the console layer, one can unload the +driver, make changes, recompile, reload and rebind the driver without any need +for rebooting the kernel. For regular users who may want to switch from +framebuffer console to VGA console and vice versa, this feature also makes +this possible. (NOTE NOTE NOTE: Please read fbcon.txt under Documentation/fb +for more details.) + +Notes for developers +==================== + +do_take_over_console() is now broken up into:: + + do_register_con_driver() + do_bind_con_driver() - private function + +give_up_console() is a wrapper to do_unregister_con_driver(), and a driver must +be fully unbound for this call to succeed. con_is_bound() will check if the +driver is bound or not. + +Guidelines for console driver writers +===================================== + +In order for binding to and unbinding from the console to properly work, +console drivers must follow these guidelines: + +1. All drivers, except system drivers, must call either do_register_con_driver() + or do_take_over_console(). do_register_con_driver() will just add the driver + to the console's internal list. It won't take over the + console. do_take_over_console(), as it name implies, will also take over (or + bind to) the console. + +2. All resources allocated during con->con_init() must be released in + con->con_deinit(). + +3. All resources allocated in con->con_startup() must be released when the + driver, which was previously bound, becomes unbound. The console layer + does not have a complementary call to con->con_startup() so it's up to the + driver to check when it's legal to release these resources. Calling + con_is_bound() in con->con_deinit() will help. If the call returned + false(), then it's safe to release the resources. This balance has to be + ensured because con->con_startup() can be called again when a request to + rebind the driver to the console arrives. + +4. Upon exit of the driver, ensure that the driver is totally unbound. If the + condition is satisfied, then the driver must call do_unregister_con_driver() + or give_up_console(). + +5. do_unregister_con_driver() can also be called on conditions which make it + impossible for the driver to service console requests. This can happen + with the framebuffer console that suddenly lost all of its drivers. + +The current crop of console drivers should still work correctly, but binding +and unbinding them may cause problems. With minimal fixes, these drivers can +be made to work correctly. + +Antonino Daplas <adaplas@pol.net> |
