History log of /linux-master/Documentation/admin-guide/bootconfig.rst
Revision Date Author Comments
# b743852c 21-Feb-2023 Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@kernel.org>

Allow forcing unconditional bootconfig processing

The BOOT_CONFIG family of Kconfig options allows a bootconfig file
containing kernel boot parameters to be embedded into an initrd or into
the kernel itself. This can be extremely useful when deploying kernels
in cases where some of the boot parameters depend on the kernel version
rather than on the server hardware, firmware, or workload.

Unfortunately, the "bootconfig" kernel parameter must be specified in
order to cause the kernel to look for the embedded bootconfig file,
and it clearly does not help to embed this "bootconfig" kernel parameter
into that file.

Therefore, provide a new BOOT_CONFIG_FORCE Kconfig option that causes the
kernel to act as if the "bootconfig" kernel parameter had been specified.
In other words, kernels built with CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_FORCE=y will look
for the embedded bootconfig file even when the "bootconfig" kernel
parameter is omitted. This permits kernel-version-dependent kernel
boot parameters to be embedded into the kernel image without the need to
(for example) update large numbers of boot loaders.

Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20230105005838.GA1772817@paulmck-ThinkPad-P17-Gen-1/

Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@kernel.org>
Cc: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Cc: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>
Cc: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Cc: Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com>
Cc: Vlastimil Babka <vbabka@suse.cz>
Cc: Johannes Weiner <hannes@cmpxchg.org>
Cc: <linux-doc@vger.kernel.org>
Acked-by: Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <mhiramat@kernel.org>


# e378cb9a 02-Dec-2022 Kushagra Verma <kushagra765@outlook.com>

Documentation: Fixed a typo in bootconfig.rst

Fixed a typo in the word 'concatenated'.

Signed-off-by: Kushagra Verma <kushagra765@outlook.com>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/HK0PR01MB2801DA243B726141A97FE92EF8179@HK0PR01MB2801.apcprd01.prod.exchangelabs.com
Signed-off-by: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>


# 2f51efc6 05-Apr-2022 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

docs: bootconfig: Add how to embed the bootconfig into kernel

Add a description how to embed the bootconfig file into kernel.

Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/164921228987.1090670.16843569536974147213.stgit@devnote2

Cc: Padmanabha Srinivasaiah <treasure4paddy@gmail.com>
Cc: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>
Cc: Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@infradead.org>
Cc: Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com>
Cc: Sami Tolvanen <samitolvanen@google.com>
Cc: Nathan Chancellor <nathan@kernel.org>
Cc: Masahiro Yamada <masahiroy@kernel.org>
Cc: Linux Kbuild mailing list <linux-kbuild@vger.kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (Google) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# 26c9c72f 04-Sep-2021 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

docs: bootconfig: Add how to use bootconfig for kernel parameters

Add a section to describe how to use the bootconfig for
specifying kernel and init parameters. This is an important
section because it is the reason why this document is under
the admin-guide.

Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/163077086399.222577.5881779375643977991.stgit@devnote2

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Cc: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>
Cc: linux-doc@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# 0ff2bb7d 02-Jun-2021 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

docs: bootconfig: Update for mixing value and subkeys

Update document for the mixing value and subkeys on a key.

Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/162262196510.264090.15044943496205914148.stgit@devnote2

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# 9d54ee78 07-Jan-2021 Bhaskar Chowdhury <unixbhaskar@gmail.com>

docs: admin-guide: bootconfig: Fix feils to fails

s/feils/fails/p

Signed-off-by: Bhaskar Chowdhury <unixbhaskar@gmail.com>
Acked-by: Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@infradead.org>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20210107125610.1576368-1-unixbhaskar@gmail.com
Signed-off-by: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>


# 05227490 19-Nov-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

docs: bootconfig: Add the endianness of fields

Add a description about the endianness of the size and the checksum
fields. Those must be stored as le32 instead of u32. This will allow
us to apply bootconfig to the cross build initrd without caring
the endianness.

Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/160583936246.547349.10964204130590955409.stgit@devnote2

Reported-by: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Suggested-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# fbc6e1c6 18-Nov-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

docs: bootconfig: Update file format on initrd image

To align the total file size, add padding null character when appending
the bootconfig to initrd image.

Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/160576522916.320071.4145530996151028855.stgit@devnote2

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# c58b46cb 15-Jul-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

Documentation: bootconfig: Add bootconfig override operator

Add a sentence about bootconfig override operator (":=") to
bootconfig.rst.

Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/159482884682.126704.7198860675721719878.stgit@devnote2

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# 5f811c57 21-Feb-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

bootconfig: Add append value operator support

Add append value operator "+=" support to bootconfig syntax.
With this operator, user can add new value to the key as
an entry of array instead of overwriting.
For example,

foo = bar
...
foo += baz

Then the key "foo" has "bar" and "baz" values as an array.

Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/158227283195.12842.8310503105963275584.stgit@devnote2

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# 4e4694d8 21-Feb-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

bootconfig: Prohibit re-defining value on same key

Currently, bootconfig adds a new value on the existing key to the tail of an
array. But this looks a bit confusing because an admin can easily rewrite
the original value in the same config file.

This rejects the following value re-definition.

key = value1
...
key = value2

You should rewrite value1 to value2 in this case.

Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/158227282199.12842.10110929876059658601.stgit@devnote2

Suggested-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
[ Fixed spelling of arraies to arrays ]
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# a24d286f 20-Feb-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

bootconfig: Reject subkey and value on same parent key

Reject if a value node is mixed with subkey node on same
parent key node.

A value node can not co-exist with subkey node under some key
node, e.g.

key = value
key.subkey = another-value

This is not be allowed because bootconfig API is not designed
to handle such case.

Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/158220115232.26565.7792340045009731803.stgit@devnote2

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# 85c46b78 20-Feb-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

bootconfig: Add bootconfig magic word for indicating bootconfig explicitly

Add bootconfig magic word to the end of bootconfig on initrd
image for indicating explicitly the bootconfig is there.
Also tools/bootconfig treats wrong size or wrong checksum or
parse error as an error, because if there is a bootconfig magic
word, there must be a bootconfig.

The bootconfig magic word is "#BOOTCONFIG\n", 12 bytes word.
Thus the block image of the initrd file with bootconfig is
as follows.

[Initrd][bootconfig][size][csum][#BOOTCONFIG\n]

Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/158220112263.26565.3944814205960612841.stgit@devnote2

Suggested-by: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# 2e5b1886 09-Feb-2020 Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@infradead.org>

Documentation: bootconfig: fix Sphinx block warning

Fix Sphinx format warning:

lnx-56-rc1/Documentation/admin-guide/bootconfig.rst:26: WARNING: Literal block expected; none found.

Signed-off-by: Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@infradead.org>
Cc: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Acked-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/07b3e31f-9b1e-1876-aa60-4436e4dd6da0@infradead.org
Signed-off-by: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>


# 7495e092 04-Feb-2020 Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>

bootconfig: Only load bootconfig if "bootconfig" is on the kernel cmdline

As the bootconfig is appended to the initrd it is not as easy to modify as
the kernel command line. If there's some issue with the kernel, and the
developer wants to boot a pristine kernel, it should not be needed to modify
the initrd to remove the bootconfig for a single boot.

As bootconfig is silently added (if the admin does not know where to look
they may not know it's being loaded). It should be explicitly added to the
kernel cmdline. The loading of the bootconfig is only done if "bootconfig"
is on the kernel command line. This will let admins know that the kernel
command line is extended.

Note, after adding printk()s for when the size is too great or the checksum
is wrong, exposed that the current method always looked for the boot config,
and if this size and checksum matched, it would parse it (as if either is
wrong a printk has been added to show this). It's better to only check this
if the boot config is asked to be looked for.

Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/CAHk-=wjfjO+h6bQzrTf=YCZA53Y3EDyAs3Z4gEsT7icA3u_Psw@mail.gmail.com

Acked-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Suggested-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# a4798eb4 19-Jan-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

Documentation: bootconfig: Fix typos in bootconfig documentation

Fix typos in bootconfig.rst according to Randy's suggestions.

Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/157949059219.25888.16939971423610233631.stgit@devnote2

Suggested-by: Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@infradead.org>
Acked-by: Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@infradead.org>
Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# 47781947 10-Jan-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

Documentation: tracing: Add boot-time tracing document

Add a documentation about boot-time tracing options in
boot config.

Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/157867246028.17873.8047384554383977870.stgit@devnote2

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>


# 7b9b816f 10-Jan-2020 Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>

Documentation: bootconfig: Add a doc for extended boot config

Add a documentation for extended boot config under
admin-guide, since it is including the syntax of boot config.

Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/157867230658.17873.9309879174829924324.stgit@devnote2

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@goodmis.org>