Re: [PATCH] kernel/trace: Add TRACING_ALLOW_PRINTK config option

Nicolas Boichat
2020-06-25T02:00:26Z

On Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 1:25 AM Alexei Starovoitov
<alexei.starovoitov@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Wed, Jun 24, 2020 at 9:07 AM Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org> wrote:
> >
> > On Wed, 24 Jun 2020 16:45:24 +0800
> > Nicolas Boichat <drinkcat@chromium.org> wrote:
> >
> > > trace_printk is only meant as a debugging tool, and should never be
> > > compiled into production code without source code changes, as
> > > indicated by the warning that shows up on boot if any trace_printk
> > > is called:
> > > ** NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE **
> > > ** **
> > > ** trace_printk() being used. Allocating extra memory. **
> > > ** **
> > > ** This means that this is a DEBUG kernel and it is **
> > > ** unsafe for production use. **
> > >
> > > If this option is set to n, the kernel will generate a build-time
> > > error if trace_printk is used.
> > >
> > > Signed-off-by: Nicolas Boichat <drinkcat@chromium.org>
> >
> > Interesting. Note, this will prevent modules with trace_printk from
> > being loaded as well.
>
> Nack.
> The message is bogus. It's used in production kernels.
> bpf_trace_printk() calls it.

Interesting. BTW, the same information (trace_printk is for debugging
only) is repeated all over the place, including where bpf_trace_printk
is documented:
https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/latest/source/include/linux/kernel.h#L757
https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/latest/source/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h#L706
https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/latest/source/kernel/trace/trace.c#L3157

Steven added that warning (2184db46e425c ("tracing: Print nasty banner
when trace_printk() is in use")), so maybe he can confirm if it's
still relevant.

Also, note that emitting the build error is behind a Kconfig option,
you don't have to select it if you don't want to (the default is =y
which allows trace_printk).

If the overhead is real, we (Chrome OS) would like to make sure
trace_printk does not slip into production kernels (we do want to
provide basic tracing support so we can't just remove CONFIG_TRACING
as a whole which would make trace_printk no-ops). I could also imagine
potential security issues if people print raw pointers/sensitive data
in trace_printk, assuming that the code is for debugging only.

Also, the fact that the kernel test robot already found a stray
trace_printk in drivers/usb/cdns3/gadget.c makes me think that this
change is working as intended ,-) (we're going to need to add a few
Kconfig deps though for other debugging options that intentionally use
trace_printk).