Linux Trace Kernel
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From: Vincent Donnefort <vdonnefort@google.com>
To: rostedt@goodmis.org, mhiramat@kernel.org,
	 linux-trace-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Cc: mathieu.desnoyers@efficios.com, kernel-team@android.com,
	 linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
	Vincent Donnefort <vdonnefort@google.com>
Subject: [PATCH v3 17/18] Documentation: tracing/remotes: Add detailed tracefs layout
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:36:02 +0100	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260721103603.342266-18-vdonnefort@google.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260721103603.342266-1-vdonnefort@google.com>

Add a description for each tracefs file available in a trace remote
instance.

Signed-off-by: Vincent Donnefort <vdonnefort@google.com>

diff --git a/Documentation/trace/remotes.rst b/Documentation/trace/remotes.rst
index 1f9d764f69aa..b02ebed4a03f 100644
--- a/Documentation/trace/remotes.rst
+++ b/Documentation/trace/remotes.rst
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ for which the host kernel can see and expose to user space.
 
 Register a remote
 =================
-A remote must provide a set of callbacks `struct trace_remote_callbacks` whom
-description can be found below. Those callbacks allows Tracefs to enable and
+A remote must provide a set of callbacks `struct trace_remote_callbacks` whose
+description can be found below. Those callbacks allow Tracefs to enable and
 disable tracing and events, to load and unload a tracing buffer (a set of
 ring-buffers) and to swap a reader page with the head page, which enables
 consuming reading.
@@ -28,8 +28,66 @@ consuming reading.
 .. kernel-doc:: include/linux/trace_remote.h
 
 Once registered, an instance will appear for this remote in the Tracefs
-directory **remotes/**. Buffers can then be read using the usual Tracefs files
-**trace_pipe** and **trace**.
+directory **remotes/**. The files within this directory allow configuring
+and reading the remote buffer (see `The File System` below).
+
+The File System
+===============
+A remote tracing instance is represented by a directory in Tracefs under
+**remotes/**. The layout and files within it are very similar to standard ftrace
+instances. Inside the remote directory, the following files and directories are
+available:
+
+  tracing_on
+	This file allows enabling or disabling the remote tracing.
+
+  buffer_size_kb
+	This file displays and allows changing the size of the per-CPU ring
+	buffers used by the remote. It also shows if the buffer is **loaded** or
+	**unloaded**. To change the size, the remote buffers must be unloaded
+	first. Remote buffers are automatically unloaded when **tracing_on** is
+	off, no one is reading the buffer (either by accessing **trace_pipe** or
+	when **dmesg** is on) and no events remain in the buffer.
+
+  trace
+	Display the human-readable content of the remote buffers. Reading this
+	file is non-consuming. Writing to this file clears the ring buffers.
+
+  trace_pipe
+	Similar to **trace** but reading it consumes the events from the ring
+	buffers (consuming read). It blocks if there are no new events.
+
+  dmesg
+	When enabled, all events from the remote are redirected to the kernel
+	dmesg. This is similar to the **tp_printk** option for in-kernel events.
+	It counts as a reader of the remote buffers and prevents unloading.
+
+  dump_on_panic
+	When enabled, the remote tracing buffer is dumped to the console when a
+	kernel panic occurs.
+
+  poll_ms
+	Modifies the polling interval for the trace_remote.
+
+  per_cpu/
+	This directory contains subdirectories for each possible CPU (e.g.,
+	**cpu0/**, **cpu1/** ...)
+
+  per_cpu/cpuX/trace
+	This is similar to the **trace** file, but it will only display the data
+	specific for the CPU. If written to, it only clears the specific CPU
+	buffer.
+
+  per_cpu/cpuX/trace_pipe
+	This is similar to the **trace_pipe** file, and is a consuming read, but
+	it will only display (and consume) the data specific to the CPU.
+
+  events/
+	This directory contains remote events that can be enabled or disabled.
+
+  events/enable
+	Allows enabling or disabling all the remote events.
+
 
 Declare a remote event
 ======================
-- 
2.55.0.229.g6434b31f56-goog


  parent reply	other threads:[~2026-07-21 10:36 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 19+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-07-21 10:35 [PATCH v3 00/18] tracing/remotes: Add printk, dump_on_panic and boot parameters Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 01/18] tracing/remotes: Gate tracefs files opening on trace remote registration Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 02/18] tracing/remotes: Release tracefs,eventfs on registration failure Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 03/18] tracing/remotes: Use kstrtobool for boolean tracefs files Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 04/18] tracing/remotes: Use a single per-remote polling work Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 05/18] tracing/simple_ring_buffer: Add support for compressed length Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 06/18] tracing/remotes: Add dmesg tracefs file Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 07/18] tracing/remotes: selftests: Add a test for the " Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 08/18] tracing/remotes: selftests: Prefix hypervisor folder Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 09/18] ring-buffer: Use irqsave for the reader lock in ring_buffer_poll_remote Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 10/18] ring-buffer: Use panic-friendly locking in ring_buffer_iter interface Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 11/18] ring-buffer: Add ring_buffer_read_remote_meta_page() Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 12/18] ring-buffer: Add kerneldoc for ring_buffer_poll_remote Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 13/18] tracing/remotes: Add dump_on_panic tracefs file Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:35 ` [PATCH v3 14/18] tracing/remotes: selftests: Add a test for the " Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:36 ` [PATCH v3 15/18] tracing/remotes: Add poll_ms " Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:36 ` [PATCH v3 16/18] tracing/remotes: Add trace_remote cmdline options Vincent Donnefort
2026-07-21 10:36 ` Vincent Donnefort [this message]
2026-07-21 10:36 ` [PATCH v3 18/18] Documentation/kernel-parameters: Add trace_remote Vincent Donnefort

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