On July 2, 2026 7:13:26 PM GMT+01:00, Bradley Morgan <[email protected]>
wrote:
>On July 2, 2026 10:09:41 AM GMT+01:00, Petr Mladek <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>>On Mon 2026-06-29 13:54:18, Bradley Morgan wrote:
>>> On 29 June 2026 12:40:52 BST, Feng Tang <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>> >On Fri, Jun 26, 2026 at 02:14:14PM +0200, Petr Mladek wrote:
>>> >> On Fri 2026-06-26 12:23:50, Petr Mladek wrote:
>>> >> > On Thu 2026-06-25 15:25:58, Bradley Morgan wrote:
>>> >> > > panic_other_cpus_shutdown() handles SYS_INFO_ALL_BT before
>>stopping
>>> >the
>>> >> > > other CPUs. Do not ask sys_info() to handle that bit again later
>>in
>>> >the
>>> >> > > panic path.
>>> >> > > 
>>> >> > > Use sys_info_with_filter() so panic_print=all_bt does not
>request
>>> >more
>>> >> > > output after the CPUs are stopped.
>>> >> > > 
>>> >> > > Fixes: a9af76a78760 ("watchdog: add sys_info sysctls to dump sys
>>> >info on system lockup")
>>> >> > > Cc: [email protected]
>>> >> > > Signed-off-by: Bradley Morgan <[email protected]>
>>> >> > > ---
>>> >> > >  kernel/panic.c | 2 +-
>>> >> > >  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
>>> >> > > 
>>> >> > > diff --git a/kernel/panic.c b/kernel/panic.c
>>> >> > > index 213725b612aa..eb842823df61 100644
>>> >> > > --- a/kernel/panic.c
>>> >> > > +++ b/kernel/panic.c
>>> >> > > @@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ void vpanic(const char *fmt, va_list args)
>>> >> > >       */
>>> >> > >      atomic_notifier_call_chain(&panic_notifier_list, 0, buf);
>>> >> > >  
>>> >> > > -    sys_info(panic_print);
>>> >> > > +    sys_info_with_filter(panic_print, SYS_INFO_ALL_BT);
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > Hmm, this prevents printing backtraces from all CPUs completely.
>>> >> > But what if they were not printed?
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > They might be printed by:
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > static void panic_other_cpus_shutdown(bool crash_kexec)
>>> >> > {
>>> >> >        if (panic_print & SYS_INFO_ALL_BT)
>>> >> >                panic_trigger_all_cpu_backtrace();
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > [...]
>>> >> > }
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > But it checks only "panic_print" variable. It won't do anything
>>> >> > when (panic_print == 0).
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > In this case, we might still want to print the backraces when
>>> >> > SYS_INFO_ALL_BT is set in kernel_si_info.
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > >      kmsg_dump_desc(KMSG_DUMP_PANIC, buf);
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > Of course, we might fix panic_other_cpus_shutdown() to check also
>>> >> > kernel_si_info.
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > But it all becomes very hairy. We have several levels:
>>> >> > 
>>> >> >    + watchdog-all_bt-specific option, e.g.
>>> >sysctl_hardlockup_all_cpu_backtrace
>>> >> > 
>>> >> >    + watchdog-specific si_info preferences, e.g.
>hardlockup_si_mask
>>> >> > 
>>> >> >    + panic-specific si_info: panic_print
>>> >> > 
>>> >> >    + universal fallback for any layer: kernel_si_info
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > Now, we try to check all these variables back and forth to
>>> >> > trigger all backtraces or to avoid triggering them.
>>> >> > And it clearly does not work well and the code is more and more
>>> >> > hairy.
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > I think about another approach. The word "waterfall" comes to my
>>mind.
>>> >> > Instead of checking all the settings back and forth, let's process
>>> >> > each setting one by one and just remember what has been done and
>>> >> > skip this in the next level.
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > All the si_info actions seems to dump a global system state.
>>> >> > So, it would make sense to remember the state in a global variable
>>> >> > even when it might be modified by more CPUs in parallel.
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > I am going to think more about it.
>>> >> 
>>> >> I have created a POC using Gemini. I haven't tested it.
>>> >> But it looks acceptable. And the logic seems to be more
>>> >> straightforward.
>>> >> 
>>> >> One drawback is that it requires adding the _reset()
>>> >> call for all sys_info() callers. It is fine in principle
>>> >> but it might complicate back-porting because all changes
>>> >> have to be done in one patch.
>>> >> 
>>> >> But honestly, this is a nice to have fix. Most people could
>>> >> live happily without it.
>>> >> 
>>> >> From 3c66436d9978030845a96bfaedd6b914536e2ac4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00
>>2001
>>> >> From: Petr Mladek <[email protected]>
>>> >> Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:55:41 +0200
>>> >> Subject: [POC] sys_info: Introduce state-tracking APIs to prevent
>>> >duplicate
>>> >>  backtraces
>>> >> 
>>> >> In watchdog, panic, and hung task detection scenarios, sys_info()
>can
>>> >> be called multiple times or alongside direct backtrace triggers like
>>> >> trigger_allbutcpu_cpu_backtrace(). This results in identical
>>backtraces
>>> >> being dumped repeatedly from all CPUs, cluttering the kernel log and
>>> >> delaying or obscuring critical debug details.
>>> >> 
>>> >> Introduce a state tracking bitmask and associated helpers:
>>> >> - sys_info_done(mask): Marks specific sys_info bits as already
>>printed.
>>> >> - sys_info_reset(): Resets the tracking state.
>>> >> - sys_info_is_done(mask): Checks if all bits in the mask have been
>>> >printed.
>>> >> 
>>> >> Update sys_info() to automatically filter out already printed bits
>>> >> using this state. Integrate these APIs with the generic hardlockup
>>> >> and softlockup watchdogs, the PowerPC watchdog, the hung task
>>detector,
>>> >> and the panic core. This ensures that each piece of system
>>information
>>> >> and backtrace output is printed at most once per lockup/panic event,
>>> >> and the state is reset cleanly when a lockup does not trigger a
>>panic.
>>> >> 
>>> >> Races between sys_info() callers are ignored. It should be
>acceptable
>>> >> because the output from various watchdogs has never been
>>synchronized.
>>> >> And panic() never returns.
>>> >> 
>>> >> Assisted-by: gemini-1.5-flash
>>> >> Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek <[email protected]>
>>> >
>>> >Yep. There are cases that people want panic on task-hung or sw/hw
>>lockup,
>>> >and this could remove much duplication of sys info dump, thanks!
>>> >
>>> >Reviewed-by: Feng Tang <[email protected]>
>>> 
>>> Thanks,
>>> 
>>> im feeling a new file to do all the force panic jazz, but putting tape
>>> on sys_info.c isn't bd either.
>>
>>I wonder how to move forward with this.
>>
>>Honestly, I am not sure what exactly you mean by creating another
>>API for tracking the reports so I could not judge it. Feel free
>>to sent some POC.
>>
>>Otherwise, I would go with my proposal to remember the printed states
>>by the sys_info API. I am not sure whether I should send a proper
>>patch or you would like to somehow improve it.
>>
>>Best Regards,
>>Petr
>>
>
>
>sup petr, here's my poc
>
>
>This should make my entire thing make sense




Actually, looks like churn to me.

we shouldn't do that.

It is on that gist though.

As in, I'm thinking about doing a new API to perhaps, make sys_info better?


But it's very complicated, and may need discussion, feel free to ignore
that POC...


crappy old me, need a coffee heh.

Thanks!

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