Re: printk while interrupts are disabled

[Crutcher Dunnavant <crutcher@datastacks.com>]

++ 02/10/01 13:37 +0200 - Norbert Roos:
> Hello!
> 
> Simple question: Do printk()s get printed while interrupts are disabled
> (after cli)?

They get stuffed into a buffer to be printed later. It is possible to
overflow that buffer, and lose some of your printk messages.

from krenel/printk.c:
/*
 * This is printk.  It can be called from any context.  We want it to
 * work.
 * 
 * We try to grab the console_sem.  If we succeed, it's easy - we log
 * the output and
 * call the console drivers.  If we fail to get the semaphore we place
 * the output
 * into the log buffer and return.  The current holder of the
 * console_sem will
 * notice the new output in release_console_sem() and will send it to
 * the
 * consoles before releasing the semaphore.
 *
 * One effect of this deferred printing is that code which calls
 * printk() and
 * then changes console_loglevel may break. This is because
 * console_loglevel
 * is inspected when the actual printing occurs.
 */
...
        /* This stops the holder of console_sem just where we want him
 * */
        spin_lock_irqsave(&logbuf_lock, flags);



-- 
Crutcher        <crutcher@datastacks.com>
GCS d--- s+:>+:- a-- C++++$ UL++++$ L+++$>++++ !E PS+++ PE Y+ PGP+>++++
    R-(+++) !tv(+++) b+(++++) G+ e>++++ h+>++ r* y+>*$