sysrq documentation: document why the command header only is shown

[safe/jmp/linux-2.6] / Documentation / sysrq.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/sysrq.txt b/Documentation/sysrq.txt
index 265f637..9e592c7 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/sysrq.txt
+++ b/Documentation/sysrq.txt
@@ -210,6 +210,24 @@ within a function called by handle_sysrq, you must be aware that you are in
 a lock (you are also in an interrupt handler, which means don't sleep!), so
 you must call __handle_sysrq_nolock instead.
 
+*  When I hit a SysRq key combination only the header appears on the console?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Sysrq output is subject to the same console loglevel control as all
+other console output.  This means that if the kernel was booted 'quiet'
+as is common on distro kernels the output may not appear on the actual
+console, even though it will appear in the dmesg buffer, and be accessible
+via the dmesg command and to the consumers of /proc/kmsg.  As a specific
+exception the header line from the sysrq command is passed to all console
+consumers as if the current loglevel was maximum.  If only the header
+is emitted it is almost certain that the kernel loglevel is too low.
+Should you require the output on the console channel then you will need
+to temporarily up the console loglevel using alt-sysrq-8 or:
+
+    echo 8 > /proc/sysrq-trigger
+
+Remember to return the loglevel to normal after triggering the sysrq
+command you are interested in.
+
 *  I have more questions, who can I ask?
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 And I'll answer any questions about the registration system you got, also