Why printk() is so complicated (and how to fix it)

The kernel's printk() function seems like it should be relatively simple; all it does is format a string and output it to the kernel logs. That simplicity hides a lot of underlying complexity, though, and that complexity is why kernel developers are still unhappy with printk() after 28 years. At the 2019 Linux Plumbers Conference, John Ogness explained where the complexity in printk() comes from and what is being done to improve the situation.

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