No description
  • C 96.8%
  • Assembly 0.9%
  • Rust 0.7%
  • Shell 0.6%
  • Python 0.5%
  • Other 0.3%
Find a file
Petr Mladek c83e3d2912 braille: nbcon: Allow to use a serial console with NBCON API as Braille console
The Braille console is not registered in console_list. Instead, it is
integrated with the virtual terminal (VT) and shows what is displayed
on the terminal. It writes the data using con->write*() callback
of the associated serial console driver.

braille_write() is called from the VT code under console_lock().
The associated serial console driver can be converted to the NBCON API
though. The situation is similar to flushing nbcon consoles in the legacy
loop when some boot consoles are still registered, see
nbcon_legacy_emit_next_record().

But there is a big difference though. braille_write() is not directly
called from the code paths flushing registered consoles. The VT code
expects that braille_write() succeeds. It does not replay the message
when it can't acquire the ownership. As a result, braille_write():

  + must try harder to get the ownership.

  + has to be synchronized only against non-printk serial console
    which depend nbcon_device_try_acquire() using NBCON_PRIO_NORMAL.

Let's look at it from another side and try to simulate the original
locking using the NBCON API:

  1. Take con->device_lock(), aka the port->lock in the legacy serial
     console driver.

  2. Acquire nbcon context to provide some synchronization for a panic()
     context. Use NBCON_PRIO_NORMAL because it contends only with
     nbcon_device_try_acquire() users. Do it in a busy loop. It should
     always succeed when con->device_lock() succeeded because all other
     users do the same. The only exception is when the context get acquired
     by a CPU handling panic.

  3. In panic, disable interrupts and try to acquire the nbcon context.
     Use NBCON_PRIO_PANIC. And try even an unsafe takeover because
     otherwise the Braille console won't see the text shown during panic().
     It is similar to the oops_in_progress/trylock handling in the legacy
     serial console driver.

Finally, avoid the newline prepending logic in the existing serial console
drivers when they are used as a Braille console. As explained above,
the Braille console shows the last modified line on the terminal (VT).
braille_write() is called when single characters are added. Most
messages are not ended by newline. Anyway, the VT code does not have
logic to reply partially printed messages.

Fixes: 13189fa73a ("printk: nbcon: Rely on kthreads for normal operation")
Reviewed-by: John Ogness <john.ogness@linutronix.de>
[pmladek@suse.com: Remove white space changes in braille_register_console(). Typo fix.]
Link: https://patch.msgid.link/20261001140727.124398-2-pmladek@suse.com
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek <pmladek@suse.com>
History 2026-10-02 10:26:42 +02:00
arch
block
certs
crypto
Documentation
drivers
fs
include
init
io_uring
ipc
kernel
lib
LICENSES
mm
net
rust
samples
scripts
security
sound
tools
usr
virt
.clang-format
.clippy.toml
.cocciconfig
.editorconfig
.get_maintainer.ignore
.gitattributes
.gitignore
.mailmap
.pylintrc
.rustfmt.toml
COPYING
CREDITS
Kbuild
Kconfig
MAINTAINERS
Makefile
README

Linux kernel
============

The Linux kernel is the core of any Linux operating system. It manages hardware,
system resources, and provides the fundamental services for all other software.

Quick Start
-----------

* Report a bug: See Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst
* Get the latest kernel: https://kernel.org
* Build the kernel: See Documentation/admin-guide/quickly-build-trimmed-linux.rst
* Join the community: https://lore.kernel.org/

Essential Documentation
-----------------------

All users should be familiar with:

* Building requirements: Documentation/process/changes.rst
* Code of Conduct: Documentation/process/code-of-conduct.rst
* License: See COPYING

Documentation can be built with make htmldocs or viewed online at:
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/


Who Are You?
============

Find your role below:

* New Kernel Developer: Getting started with kernel development
* Academic Researcher: Studying kernel internals and architecture
* Security Expert: Hardening and vulnerability analysis
* Backport/Maintenance Engineer: Maintaining stable kernels
* System Administrator: Configuring and troubleshooting
* Maintainer: Leading subsystems and reviewing patches
* Hardware Vendor: Writing drivers for new hardware
* Distribution Maintainer: Packaging kernels for distros
* AI Coding Assistant: LLMs and AI-powered development tools


For Specific Users
==================

New Kernel Developer
--------------------

Welcome! Start your kernel development journey here:

* Getting Started: Documentation/process/development-process.rst
* Your First Patch: Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst
* Coding Style: Documentation/process/coding-style.rst
* Build System: Documentation/kbuild/index.rst
* Development Tools: Documentation/dev-tools/index.rst
* Kernel Hacking Guide: Documentation/kernel-hacking/hacking.rst
* Core APIs: Documentation/core-api/index.rst

Academic Researcher
-------------------

Explore the kernel's architecture and internals:

* Researcher Guidelines: Documentation/process/researcher-guidelines.rst
* Memory Management: Documentation/mm/index.rst
* Scheduler: Documentation/scheduler/index.rst
* Networking Stack: Documentation/networking/index.rst
* Filesystems: Documentation/filesystems/index.rst
* RCU (Read-Copy Update): Documentation/RCU/index.rst
* Locking Primitives: Documentation/locking/index.rst
* Power Management: Documentation/power/index.rst

Security Expert
---------------

Security documentation and hardening guides:

* Security Documentation: Documentation/security/index.rst
* LSM Development: Documentation/security/lsm-development.rst
* Self Protection: Documentation/security/self-protection.rst
* Reporting Vulnerabilities: Documentation/process/security-bugs.rst
* CVE Procedures: Documentation/process/cve.rst
* Embargoed Hardware Issues: Documentation/process/embargoed-hardware-issues.rst
* Security Features: Documentation/userspace-api/seccomp_filter.rst

Backport/Maintenance Engineer
-----------------------------

Maintain and stabilize kernel versions:

* Stable Kernel Rules: Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
* Backporting Guide: Documentation/process/backporting.rst
* Applying Patches: Documentation/process/applying-patches.rst
* Subsystem Profile: Documentation/maintainer/maintainer-entry-profile.rst
* Git for Maintainers: Documentation/maintainer/configure-git.rst

System Administrator
--------------------

Configure, tune, and troubleshoot Linux systems:

* Admin Guide: Documentation/admin-guide/index.rst
* Kernel Parameters: Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst
* Sysctl Tuning: Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/index.rst
* Tracing/Debugging: Documentation/trace/index.rst
* Performance Security: Documentation/admin-guide/perf-security.rst
* Hardware Monitoring: Documentation/hwmon/index.rst

Maintainer
----------

Lead kernel subsystems and manage contributions:

* Maintainer Handbook: Documentation/maintainer/index.rst
* Pull Requests: Documentation/maintainer/pull-requests.rst
* Managing Patches: Documentation/maintainer/modifying-patches.rst
* Rebasing and Merging: Documentation/maintainer/rebasing-and-merging.rst
* Development Process: Documentation/process/maintainer-handbooks.rst
* Maintainer Entry Profile: Documentation/maintainer/maintainer-entry-profile.rst
* Git Configuration: Documentation/maintainer/configure-git.rst

Hardware Vendor
---------------

Write drivers and support new hardware:

* Driver API Guide: Documentation/driver-api/index.rst
* Driver Model: Documentation/driver-api/driver-model/driver.rst
* Device Drivers: Documentation/driver-api/infrastructure.rst
* Bus Types: Documentation/driver-api/driver-model/bus.rst
* Device Tree Bindings: Documentation/devicetree/bindings/
* Power Management: Documentation/driver-api/pm/index.rst
* DMA API: Documentation/core-api/dma-api.rst

Distribution Maintainer
-----------------------

Package and distribute the kernel:

* Stable Kernel Rules: Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
* ABI Documentation: Documentation/ABI/README
* Kernel Configuration: Documentation/kbuild/kconfig.rst
* Module Signing: Documentation/admin-guide/module-signing.rst
* Kernel Parameters: Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst
* Tainted Kernels: Documentation/admin-guide/tainted-kernels.rst

AI Coding Assistant
-------------------

CRITICAL: If you are an LLM or AI-powered coding assistant, you MUST read and
follow the AI coding assistants documentation before contributing to the Linux
kernel:

* Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst

This documentation contains essential requirements about licensing, attribution,
and the Developer Certificate of Origin that all AI tools must comply with.


Communication and Support
=========================

* Mailing Lists: https://lore.kernel.org/
* IRC: #kernelnewbies on irc.oftc.net
* Bugzilla: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/
* MAINTAINERS file: Lists subsystem maintainers and mailing lists
* Email Clients: Documentation/process/email-clients.rst