Zack's Kernel News
Zack's Kernel News

In Kernel News; Retargeting the Magic SysRq Key; and The Seventh Circle of Bug-Tracking Hell.
Retargeting the Magic SysRq Key
Andrzej Pietrasiewicz pointed out that not all computers had a "Magic SysRq" key on their keyboard. The SysRq key is generally the same key as Print Screen (PrtScn) on QWERTY keyboards, and the Linux kernel uses it to perform various operations even when the computer is completely locked up. It's invoked as Alt+SysRq+another key, where that other key is how you tell Linux what you want done. For example, Alt+SysRq+B will immediately reboot the system, without unmounting any drives or syncing any data.
Andrzej's patch allowed the user to configure a different key to have those magic powers instead of the SysRq key. By default, he felt that the F10 key would be appropriate.
He had submitted a similar patch in June 2020, which got a lukewarm reception, and now Andrzej was trying it out again, rebased onto the latest Linux kernel.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs Transitions to Linux
Another major organization has decided to kick Microsoft Windows and Office to the curb in favor of Linux.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.