OS Manuals

/usr/bin/dmesg

Misc binaries for util-linux

From util-linux-misc 2.42.4-r2 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running dmesg --help (exit 0). permalink

Usage:
 dmesg [options]

Display or control the kernel ring buffer.

Options:
 -C, --clear                 clear the kernel ring buffer
 -c, --read-clear            read and clear all messages
 -D, --console-off           disable printing messages to console
 -E, --console-on            enable printing messages to console
 -F, --file <file>           use the file instead of the kernel log buffer
 -K, --kmsg-file <file>      use the file in kmsg format
 -f, --facility <list>       restrict output to defined facilities
 -H, --human                 human readable output
 -J, --json                  use JSON output format
 -k, --kernel                display kernel messages
 -L, --color[=<when>]        colorize messages (auto, always or never)
                               colors are enabled by default
 -l, --level <list>          restrict output to defined levels
 -n, --console-level <level> set level of messages printed to console
 -P, --nopager               do not pipe output into a pager
 -p, --force-prefix          force timestamp output on each line of multi-line messages
 -r, --raw                   print the raw message buffer
     --noescape              don't escape unprintable character
 -S, --syslog                force to use syslog(2) rather than /dev/kmsg
 -s, --buffer-size <size>    buffer size to query the kernel ring buffer
 -u, --userspace             display userspace messages
 -w, --follow                wait for new messages
 -W, --follow-new            wait and print only new messages
 -x, --decode                decode facility and level to readable string
 -d, --show-delta            show time delta between printed messages
 -e, --reltime               show local time and time delta in readable format
 -T, --ctime                 show human-readable timestamp (may be inaccurate!)
 -t, --notime                don't show any timestamp with messages
     --time-format <format>  show timestamp using the given format:
                               [delta|reltime|ctime|notime|iso|raw]
Suspending/resume will make ctime and iso timestamps inaccurate.
     --since <time>          display the lines since the specified time
     --until <time>          display the lines until the specified time

 -h, --help                  display this help
 -V, --version               display version

Supported log facilities:
    kern - kernel messages
    user - random user-level messages
    mail - mail system
  daemon - system daemons
    auth - security/authorization messages
  syslog - messages generated internally by syslogd
     lpr - line printer subsystem
    news - network news subsystem
    uucp - UUCP subsystem
    cron - clock daemon
 authpriv - security/authorization messages (private)
     ftp - FTP daemon
    res0 - reserved 0
    res1 - reserved 1
    res2 - reserved 2
    res3 - reserved 3
  local0 - local use 0
  local1 - local use 1
  local2 - local use 2
  local3 - local use 3
  local4 - local use 4
  local5 - local use 5
  local6 - local use 6
  local7 - local use 7

Supported log levels (priorities):
   emerg - system is unusable
   alert - action must be taken immediately
    crit - critical conditions
     err - error conditions
    warn - warning conditions
  notice - normal but significant condition
    info - informational
   debug - debug-level messages

For more details see dmesg(1).
Options (32)
OptionDescriptionSource
-C, --clearclear the kernel ring bufferhelp + man
-c, --read-clearClear the ring buffer after first printing its contents.help + man
-D, --console-offDisable the printing of messages to the console.help + man
-E, --console-onEnable printing messages to the console.help + man
-F, --file fileuse the file instead of the kernel log bufferhelp + man
-K, --kmsg-file fileRead the /dev/kmsg messages from the given file.help + man
-f, --facility listRestrict output to the given (comma-separated) list of facilities.help + man
-H, --humanEnable human-readable output.help + man
-J, --jsonUse JSON output format.help + man
-k, --kerneldisplay kernel messageshelp + man
-L, --color whencolorize messages (auto, always or never) colors are enabled by defaulthelp + man
-l, --level listRestrict output to the given (comma-separated) list of levels.help + man
-P, --nopagerDo not pipe output into a pager.help + man
-p, --force-prefixAdd facility, level or timestamp information to each line of a multi-line message.help + man
-r, --rawPrint the raw message buffer, i.e., do not strip the log-level prefixes, but all unprintable characters are still escaped (see also --noescape).help + man
--noescapeThe unprintable and potentially unsafe characters (e.g., broken multi-byte sequences, terminal controlling chars, etc.) are escaped in format x<hex> for security reason by default.help + man
-S, --syslogForce dmesg to use the syslog(2) kernel interface to read kernel messages.help + man
-s, --buffer-size sizeUse a buffer of size to query the kernel ring buffer.help + man
-u, --userspacedisplay userspace messageshelp + man
-w, --followWait for new messages.help + man
-W, --follow-newWait and print only new messages.help + man
-x, --decodeDecode facility and level (priority) numbers to human-readable prefixes.help + man
-d, --show-deltaDisplay the timestamp and the time delta spent between messages.help + man
-e, --reltimeDisplay the local time and the delta in human-readable format.help + man
-T, --ctimeshow human-readable timestamp (may be inaccurate!)help + man
-t, --notimedon't show any timestamp with messageshelp + man
--time-format formatPrint timestamps using the given format, which can be ctime, reltime, delta, iso or raw.help + man
--since timedisplay the lines since the specified timehelp + man
--until timedisplay the lines until the specified timehelp + man
-h, --helpDisplay help text and exit.help + man
-V, --versionDisplay version and exit.help + man
-n, --console-level levelSet the level at which printing of messages is done to the console. (in the manual page but not in --help)man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.