Linux 5.10 Begins Landing The Long Overdue Revamp Of printk()

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux 5.10 Begins Landing The Long Overdue Revamp Of printk()

The Linux kernel's fundamental printk() function for printing messages at various log levels for then accessing via the likes of dmesg is beginning to see a significant overhaul...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-5.10-printk

[uid313]

Since it is so complicated, can they clean it up and make it less complicated?

[waxhead]

Since it is so complicated, can they clean it up and make it less complicated?

Did you see the video at all? this is exactly what they are trying to do.

[uid313]

Did you see the video at all? this is exactly what they are trying to do.

No, I only read the article, I didn't watch the 1 hour long video, it didn't seem like fun.

[waxhead]

No, I only read the article, I didn't watch the 1 hour long video, it didn't seem like fun.

Then I suggest doing it. There is a lot of complexity that needs to be cleaned up. Note that 'cleaned up' may necessarily not mean less complexity, but in this case I think it is more complexity, but structured better

[rene]

with everything so obvious to the author, I have the impression some talent in writing a whole OS kernel is lost. Maybe they should write there own, it obviously would be the best plumbed one ;-)

[polarathene]

I too am not fond of watching through an hour talk on the subject. The improvements sound nice, but does printk() have much relevance / impact on your average desktop user or server install? Or is this something more useful for kernel devs / debugging?

[waxhead]

I too am not fond of watching through an hour talk on the subject. The improvements sound nice, but does printk() have much relevance / impact on your average desktop user or server install? Or is this something more useful for kernel devs / debugging?

I suggest watching the video. There is quite a few surprised there.

[cl333r]

Does printk have something to do with printf() from C/C++?

[polarathene]

I suggest watching the video. There is quite a few surprised there.

Cool, would you like to go over an hour of content for something you're not all that interested in? (both of those you've responded to specifically said watching an hour long video isn't desirable) If each phoronix article required an hour of my time to understand why I should care as an end-user, I don't think I'd bother to visit the site.

As a developer, I read the article and understand how the improvements are nice, but I know nothing about printk() and why I should care. You watched it, that's awesome, but your advice to two people asking about an ELI5... is that we each waste an hour of our time in hopes of an answer?

Perhaps a valid suggestion if it interests you enough to really know, for me it doesn't so if no body wants to roughly explain how it has practical benefits to readers here, I'm not going to find out and I'm ok with that