kerneloops

kerneloops [OPTIONS]

--syslog
    Read from syslog
Instructs the daemon to read kernel messages from the system's syslog.

--no-upload
    Disable upload
Prevents the collected oops data from being uploaded to a remote server.

--no-gui
    Disable GUI notifications
Suppresses any graphical user interface notifications or prompts upon detecting an oops.

--daemon
    Run as a daemon
Runs the kerneloops utility in the background as a daemon process.

--dump-oopses
    Dump collected oopses
Outputs the raw data of detected kernel oopses from the configured log file.

--dump-crash-reports
    Dump collected crash reports
Outputs processed crash report data.

--check-config
    Check configuration
Performs a check of the kerneloops configuration files for validity.

--oops-log-file=FILE
    Specify oops log file
Sets the path to the file where kernel oops information is logged.

--pid-file=FILE
    Specify PID file
Specifies the path for the PID file when running as a daemon.

--upload-url=URL
    Specify upload URL
Defines the URL to which kernel oops data should be uploaded.

--version
    Show version
Displays the version information of the kerneloops utility.

--help
    Show help
Displays a brief help message with available options.

The kerneloops utility and associated daemon are designed to detect, collect, and report kernel "oopses" and panics. A kernel oops indicates a bug in the kernel where it detects an internal inconsistency, but can often continue running, albeit in an unstable state. A kernel panic is a more severe, unrecoverable error, leading to a system halt. kerneloops typically runs as a background daemon, monitoring system logs (like syslog or dmesg) for these critical messages.

Upon detection, it extracts relevant information, such as the stack trace, register contents, and module information, and stores it for later analysis. Depending on its configuration, kerneloops can also provide a graphical notification to the user, and more importantly, upload the collected crash data to a bug tracking system (e.g., kerneloops.org, or integrated with distribution-specific tools like apport or abrt) to aid developers in identifying and fixing kernel bugs. This automated reporting significantly contributes to kernel stability and improvement by providing valuable diagnostic data from real-world usage scenarios.

The exact behavior and available options for kerneloops can vary significantly across different Linux distributions and versions. Some distributions might integrate kerneloops functionality into other crash reporting tools like abrt (Red Hat/Fedora) or apport (Ubuntu), or primarily use kerneloopsd as a background service without a direct user-invokable command. Direct manual invocation of kerneloops might not be the primary or recommended way to interact with the kernel oops handling system in modern distributions; it's often configured via systemd services or configuration files.

A kernel oops signifies a kernel bug where the kernel detects an internal inconsistency or an illegal operation. While serious, it often allows the system to continue running, though potentially unstably. A kernel panic is a more critical, unrecoverable error, indicating that the kernel has reached a state from which it cannot safely recover, leading to an immediate system halt or reboot.

When an oops or panic occurs, kerneloops (or its integrated system) collects vital diagnostic information, including the stack trace of the faulty process, CPU register states, information about loaded kernel modules, and details about the kernel version. This data is invaluable for pinpointing the source of the bug.

The primary goal of kerneloops is to facilitate the reporting of these events. Collected data can be uploaded to centralized repositories (like kerneloops.org), providing developers with a vast dataset of real-world kernel failures, which significantly aids in debugging and improving kernel stability across various hardware and software configurations.

The kerneloops project emerged as an open-source initiative aimed at collecting and centralizing kernel crash data from users worldwide. It gained prominence as a crucial tool for kernel developers, providing real-world diagnostic information that was otherwise difficult to gather. Initially a standalone utility and daemon, its functionality has been increasingly integrated or superseded by broader bug reporting frameworks like ABRT (Automatic Bug Reporting Tool) on Red Hat-based systems and Apport on Ubuntu, which offer more comprehensive crash detection and reporting capabilities for both kernel and userspace applications. While the standalone kerneloops utility might be less prevalent in direct user interaction today, its underlying principles and the concept of automated kernel crash reporting remain fundamental to Linux kernel development and stability.

dmesg(1), syslogd(8), journalctl(1), systemctl(1), abrt-cli(1), apport(1)