[PATCH] printk: fix wrong number of CPUs required to increase the ring buffer

From: Sang-Heon Jeon

Date: Mon Sep 21 2026 - 12:46:43 EST


The default LOG_BUF_SHIFT is 17, which means 128 KB, and
LOG_CPU_MAX_BUF_SHIFT is 12, which means 4 KB per CPU.

By default the ring buffer is increased when
(num_possible_cpus() - 1) * 4 KB > 64 KB, which requires 18 or more CPUs.

Fix the wrong comment and help text.

Signed-off-by: Sang-Heon Jeon <ekffu200098@xxxxxxxxx>
---
init/Kconfig | 2 +-
kernel/printk/printk.c | 2 +-
2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/init/Kconfig b/init/Kconfig
index 60448fd4ee12..446cbb59a43b 100644
--- a/init/Kconfig
+++ b/init/Kconfig
@@ -843,7 +843,7 @@ config LOG_CPU_MAX_BUF_SHIFT
with more CPUs. Therefore this value is used only when the sum of
contributions is greater than the half of the default kernel ring
buffer as defined by LOG_BUF_SHIFT. The default values are set
- so that more than 16 CPUs are needed to trigger the allocation.
+ so that 18 or more CPUs are needed to trigger the allocation.

Also this option is ignored when "log_buf_len" kernel parameter is
used as it forces an exact (power of two) size of the ring buffer.
diff --git a/kernel/printk/printk.c b/kernel/printk/printk.c
index 00f8e1291564..c7d961256c88 100644
--- a/kernel/printk/printk.c
+++ b/kernel/printk/printk.c
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ static void __init log_buf_add_cpu(void)

cpu_extra = (num_possible_cpus() - 1) * __LOG_CPU_MAX_BUF_LEN;

- /* by default this will only continue through for large > 64 CPUs */
+ /* by default this will only continue through for 18 or more CPUs */
if (cpu_extra <= __LOG_BUF_LEN / 2)
return;


base-commit: b03d22ec8186f3f6b40b95a5a678100cf80116cb
--
2.43.0