1 Linux Magic System Request Key Hacks
2 ====================================
4 Documentation for sysrq.c
6 What is the magic SysRq key?
7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9 It is a 'magical' key combo you can hit which the kernel will respond to
10 regardless of whatever else it is doing, unless it is completely locked up.
12 How do I enable the magic SysRq key?
13 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
15 You need to say "yes" to 'Magic SysRq key (CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ)' when
16 configuring the kernel. When running a kernel with SysRq compiled in,
17 /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq controls the functions allowed to be invoked via
18 the SysRq key. The default value in this file is set by the
19 CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ_DEFAULT_ENABLE config symbol, which itself defaults
20 to 1. Here is the list of possible values in /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq:
22 - 0 - disable sysrq completely
23 - 1 - enable all functions of sysrq
24 - >1 - bitmask of allowed sysrq functions (see below for detailed function
27 2 = 0x2 - enable control of console logging level
28 4 = 0x4 - enable control of keyboard (SAK, unraw)
29 8 = 0x8 - enable debugging dumps of processes etc.
30 16 = 0x10 - enable sync command
31 32 = 0x20 - enable remount read-only
32 64 = 0x40 - enable signalling of processes (term, kill, oom-kill)
33 128 = 0x80 - allow reboot/poweroff
34 256 = 0x100 - allow nicing of all RT tasks
36 You can set the value in the file by the following command::
38 echo "number" >/proc/sys/kernel/sysrq
40 The number may be written here either as decimal or as hexadecimal
41 with the 0x prefix. CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ_DEFAULT_ENABLE must always be
42 written in hexadecimal.
44 Note that the value of ``/proc/sys/kernel/sysrq`` influences only the invocation
45 via a keyboard. Invocation of any operation via ``/proc/sysrq-trigger`` is
46 always allowed (by a user with admin privileges).
48 How do I use the magic SysRq key?
49 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
52 You press the key combo `ALT-SysRq-<command key>`.
56 keyboards may not have a key labeled 'SysRq'. The 'SysRq' key is
57 also known as the 'Print Screen' key. Also some keyboards cannot
58 handle so many keys being pressed at the same time, so you might
59 have better luck with press `Alt`, press `SysRq`,
60 release `SysRq`, press `<command key>`, release everything.
63 You press `ALT-STOP-<command key>`, I believe.
65 On the serial console (PC style standard serial ports only)
66 You send a ``BREAK``, then within 5 seconds a command key. Sending
67 ``BREAK`` twice is interpreted as a normal BREAK.
70 Press `ALT - Print Screen` (or `F13`) - `<command key>`.
71 `Print Screen` (or `F13`) - `<command key>` may suffice.
74 If you know of the key combos for other architectures, please
75 submit a patch to be included in this section.
78 Write a single character to /proc/sysrq-trigger.
79 Only the first character is processed, the rest of the string is
80 ignored. However, it is not recommended to write any extra characters
81 as the behavior is undefined and might change in the future versions.
84 echo t > /proc/sysrq-trigger
86 Alternatively, write multiple characters prepended by underscore.
87 This way, all characters will be processed. E.g.::
89 echo _reisub > /proc/sysrq-trigger
91 The `<command key>` is case sensitive.
93 What are the 'command' keys?
94 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
96 =========== ===================================================================
98 =========== ===================================================================
99 ``b`` Will immediately reboot the system without syncing or unmounting
102 ``c`` Will perform a system crash and a crashdump will be taken
105 ``d`` Shows all locks that are held.
107 ``e`` Send a SIGTERM to all processes, except for init.
109 ``f`` Will call the oom killer to kill a memory hog process, but do not
110 panic if nothing can be killed.
112 ``g`` Used by kgdb (kernel debugger)
114 ``h`` Will display help (actually any other key than those listed
115 here will display help. but ``h`` is easy to remember :-)
117 ``i`` Send a SIGKILL to all processes, except for init.
119 ``j`` Forcibly "Just thaw it" - filesystems frozen by the FIFREEZE ioctl.
121 ``k`` Secure Access Key (SAK) Kills all programs on the current virtual
122 console. NOTE: See important comments below in SAK section.
124 ``l`` Shows a stack backtrace for all active CPUs.
126 ``m`` Will dump current memory info to your console.
128 ``n`` Used to make RT tasks nice-able
130 ``o`` Will shut your system off (if configured and supported).
132 ``p`` Will dump the current registers and flags to your console.
134 ``q`` Will dump per CPU lists of all armed hrtimers (but NOT regular
135 timer_list timers) and detailed information about all
138 ``r`` Turns off keyboard raw mode and sets it to XLATE.
140 ``s`` Will attempt to sync all mounted filesystems.
142 ``t`` Will dump a list of current tasks and their information to your
145 ``u`` Will attempt to remount all mounted filesystems read-only.
147 ``v`` Forcefully restores framebuffer console
148 ``v`` Causes ETM buffer dump [ARM-specific]
150 ``w`` Dumps tasks that are in uninterruptible (blocked) state.
152 ``x`` Used by xmon interface on ppc/powerpc platforms.
153 Show global PMU Registers on sparc64.
154 Dump all TLB entries on MIPS.
156 ``y`` Show global CPU Registers [SPARC-64 specific]
158 ``z`` Dump the ftrace buffer
160 ``0``-``9`` Sets the console log level, controlling which kernel messages
161 will be printed to your console. (``0``, for example would make
162 it so that only emergency messages like PANICs or OOPSes would
163 make it to your console.)
165 ``R`` Replay the kernel log messages on consoles.
166 =========== ===================================================================
168 Okay, so what can I use them for?
169 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
171 Well, unraw(r) is very handy when your X server or a svgalib program crashes.
173 sak(k) (Secure Access Key) is useful when you want to be sure there is no
174 trojan program running at console which could grab your password
175 when you would try to login. It will kill all programs on given console,
176 thus letting you make sure that the login prompt you see is actually
177 the one from init, not some trojan program.
181 In its true form it is not a true SAK like the one in a
182 c2 compliant system, and it should not be mistaken as
185 It seems others find it useful as (System Attention Key) which is
186 useful when you want to exit a program that will not let you switch consoles.
187 (For example, X or a svgalib program.)
189 ``reboot(b)`` is good when you're unable to shut down, it is an equivalent
190 of pressing the "reset" button.
192 ``crash(c)`` can be used to manually trigger a crashdump when the system is hung.
193 Note that this just triggers a crash if there is no dump mechanism available.
195 ``sync(s)`` is handy before yanking removable medium or after using a rescue
196 shell that provides no graceful shutdown -- it will ensure your data is
197 safely written to the disk. Note that the sync hasn't taken place until you see
198 the "OK" and "Done" appear on the screen.
200 ``umount(u)`` can be used to mark filesystems as properly unmounted. From the
201 running system's point of view, they will be remounted read-only. The remount
202 isn't complete until you see the "OK" and "Done" message appear on the screen.
204 The loglevels ``0``-``9`` are useful when your console is being flooded with
205 kernel messages you do not want to see. Selecting ``0`` will prevent all but
206 the most urgent kernel messages from reaching your console. (They will
207 still be logged if syslogd/klogd are alive, though.)
209 ``term(e)`` and ``kill(i)`` are useful if you have some sort of runaway process
210 you are unable to kill any other way, especially if it's spawning other
213 "just thaw ``it(j)``" is useful if your system becomes unresponsive due to a
214 frozen (probably root) filesystem via the FIFREEZE ioctl.
216 ``Replay logs(R)`` is useful to view the kernel log messages when system is hung
217 or you are not able to use dmesg command to view the messages in printk buffer.
218 User may have to press the key combination multiple times if console system is
219 busy. If it is completely locked up, then messages won't be printed. Output
220 messages depend on current console loglevel, which can be modified using
221 sysrq[0-9] (see above).
223 Sometimes SysRq seems to get 'stuck' after using it, what can I do?
224 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
226 When this happens, try tapping shift, alt and control on both sides of the
227 keyboard, and hitting an invalid sysrq sequence again. (i.e., something like
230 Switching to another virtual console (`ALT+Fn`) and then back again
233 I hit SysRq, but nothing seems to happen, what's wrong?
234 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
236 There are some keyboards that produce a different keycode for SysRq than the
237 pre-defined value of 99
238 (see ``KEY_SYSRQ`` in ``include/uapi/linux/input-event-codes.h``), or
239 which don't have a SysRq key at all. In these cases, run ``showkey -s`` to find
240 an appropriate scancode sequence, and use ``setkeycodes <sequence> 99`` to map
241 this sequence to the usual SysRq code (e.g., ``setkeycodes e05b 99``). It's
242 probably best to put this command in a boot script. Oh, and by the way, you
243 exit ``showkey`` by not typing anything for ten seconds.
245 I want to add SysRQ key events to a module, how does it work?
246 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
248 In order to register a basic function with the table, you must first include
249 the header ``include/linux/sysrq.h``, this will define everything else you need.
250 Next, you must create a ``sysrq_key_op`` struct, and populate it with A) the key
251 handler function you will use, B) a help_msg string, that will print when SysRQ
252 prints help, and C) an action_msg string, that will print right before your
253 handler is called. Your handler must conform to the prototype in 'sysrq.h'.
255 After the ``sysrq_key_op`` is created, you can call the kernel function
256 ``register_sysrq_key(int key, const struct sysrq_key_op *op_p);`` this will
257 register the operation pointed to by ``op_p`` at table key 'key',
258 if that slot in the table is blank. At module unload time, you must call
259 the function ``unregister_sysrq_key(int key, const struct sysrq_key_op *op_p)``,
260 which will remove the key op pointed to by 'op_p' from the key 'key', if and
261 only if it is currently registered in that slot. This is in case the slot has
262 been overwritten since you registered it.
264 The Magic SysRQ system works by registering key operations against a key op
265 lookup table, which is defined in 'drivers/tty/sysrq.c'. This key table has
266 a number of operations registered into it at compile time, but is mutable,
267 and 2 functions are exported for interface to it::
269 register_sysrq_key and unregister_sysrq_key.
271 Of course, never ever leave an invalid pointer in the table. I.e., when
272 your module that called register_sysrq_key() exits, it must call
273 unregister_sysrq_key() to clean up the sysrq key table entry that it used.
274 Null pointers in the table are always safe. :)
276 If for some reason you feel the need to call the handle_sysrq function from
277 within a function called by handle_sysrq, you must be aware that you are in
278 a lock (you are also in an interrupt handler, which means don't sleep!), so
279 you must call ``__handle_sysrq_nolock`` instead.
281 When I hit a SysRq key combination only the header appears on the console?
282 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
284 Sysrq output is subject to the same console loglevel control as all
285 other console output. This means that if the kernel was booted 'quiet'
286 as is common on distro kernels the output may not appear on the actual
287 console, even though it will appear in the dmesg buffer, and be accessible
288 via the dmesg command and to the consumers of ``/proc/kmsg``. As a specific
289 exception the header line from the sysrq command is passed to all console
290 consumers as if the current loglevel was maximum. If only the header
291 is emitted it is almost certain that the kernel loglevel is too low.
292 Should you require the output on the console channel then you will need
293 to temporarily up the console loglevel using `alt-sysrq-8` or::
295 echo 8 > /proc/sysrq-trigger
297 Remember to return the loglevel to normal after triggering the sysrq
298 command you are interested in.
300 I have more questions, who can I ask?
301 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
303 Just ask them on the linux-kernel mailing list:
304 linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
309 - Written by Mydraal <vulpyne@vulpyne.net>
310 - Updated by Adam Sulmicki <adam@cfar.umd.edu>
311 - Updated by Jeremy M. Dolan <jmd@turbogeek.org> 2001/01/28 10:15:59
312 - Added to by Crutcher Dunnavant <crutcher+kernel@datastacks.com>