kerneloops

kerneloops [OPTION…]

-c, --config=FILE
    Read configuration from FILE (default: /etc/kerneloops.conf)

-h, --help
    Display help and exit

-V, --version
    Output version information and exit

-d, --debug
    Enable debug logging

-q, --quiet
    Suppress non-error messages

-v, --verbose
    Increase verbosity

--stdout
    Write decoded reports to stdout instead of submitting

--server=URL
    Submit reports to specified URL

-k, --key=KEY
    Use submission key KEY

--kversion=VERSION
    Assume kernel version VERSION for decoding

--ksymoops=KSYMOOPS
    Path to ksymoops binary for decoding

Kerneloops is a lightweight daemon designed to monitor Linux kernel logs, such as /var/log/kern.log or /var/log/messages, for kernel Oops or BUG messages indicating crashes.

Upon detection, it automatically decodes the oops using the running kernel's System.map, vmlinux, and loaded modules. The decoded stack trace, registers, and context are then packaged into a report and submitted to a central database (historically kerneloops.org) for aggregated statistics.

This aids kernel developers and distributors in identifying frequent crash patterns across user systems, improving stability. It runs as a background process, typically started via init scripts or systemd, and respects user privacy by anonymizing reports.

Configuration is handled through a simple INI-style file, allowing customization of submission servers, debug levels, and filtering. While the original service is defunct, the tool remains useful for local analysis or custom servers.

(~150 words)

Original kerneloops.org server offline since ~2013; reports fail without custom server. Requires root for log access and decoding files.

Uses /etc/kerneloops.conf with sections like [general]: ServerURL, DebugLevel=0-3, SubmitOops=yes/no, etc.
Restart daemon after changes.

Run with --stdout for decoding without submission: tail -f /var/log/kern.log | kerneloops --stdout.

Created by Miloslav Trmac (Red Hat) in 2006 to crowdsource kernel crash data. Widely packaged in distros like Fedora/Ubuntu until 2013 shutdown due to low traffic and maintenance. Source archived on GitHub.

ksymoops(8), crash(8), kdump(8), journalctl(1)