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natas
I think that's a really good idea! Would love to see this upstream
bri3d
It is? This is drm-panic qr codes from Linux 6.12. It’s a neat feature but I’m not sure why this random implementation is particularly interesting.
theowaway213456
Can't a phone decode a QR code natively? I don't even get what it does
[deleted]
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hamandcheese
If you decode it and open the link, you are potentially leaking data to whoever controls the domain of the URL.
creatonez
It's a possibility, but it's not how these kernel panic viewer websites are currently implemented. They do the decoding on the clientside, with the data stored in the URL fragment, which is not sent to the server by default.

Still good to have alternative implementations, though. The Javascript could be silently stealing the URL fragment on only specific requests, so there's no real way to audit it to be sure.

ranger_danger
This is why I like to use Binary Eye, it never acts on anything automatically when scanning a code, you have to tell it to.
catlifeonmars
You can decode a QR code by hand. It’s usually not worth your while but it’s understandable.
kzrdude
This is about a second step of decoding.

Qr -> URL -> Panic Log

jolmg
For context, kernel panic QR codes seem to sometimes be encoded as a URL by distros. The panic text is encoded as a numeric parameter. For example:

  https://jexposit.fedorapeople.org/drm-panic/#?a=x86_64&v=6.17.0-rc2+&z=640167080454085846813051618361759010657877897271730610040416716330885911862863637865629876538143479424501684305108526815246884351579112416213658591538197326904066495250432477741109137529913891705603204551637814390799863373567102735011646456675550848214802373263012070738317101764828501215130799514552173100464226323283035104742647807880303016111647745731220181725103046725626673798313499244415603609976795733414017504856193883754936010234315170039423982724526624590659186737336223463702[... many many more digits]
That's from the QR code image at:

https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/f45-change-proposal-d...

Seems this HN post is about having a script to not need someone else's server to decode.

userbinator
The panic text is encoded as a numeric parameter.

This script is to decode such kernel panics without needing to provide it to an external service.

WTF. A solution for an entirely self-inflicted problem.

jolmg
> self-inflicted

Distro and user are separate people. Also a person viewing the QR code is not necessarily the owner of the panicked system.

userbinator
Distro developers and user are separate people.

No, they don't have to be. How did this user-hostile attitude infect Linux too?

Also, a person viewing the QR code is not necessarily the owner of the panicked system.

So what? Stop hiding things from users. If they don't care they don't have to read. If they do, don't make them jump through additional hoops.

jolmg
It being user-hostile is debatable. It's meant to be friendlier, as described in the Fedora link I shared. Coincidentally though, I got a panic yesterday and my phone wasn't able to scan the QR code, lol, so who knows what the panic was.

The non-QR/textual panics can be restored with a kernel/module parameter.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel#QR_code_on_a_blue_sc...

The QR code can be made to provide the text itself (non-URL-encoded) by rebuilding the kernel with CONFIG_DRM_PANIC_SCREEN_QR_CODE_URL unset.

compsciphd
its not user hostile. As demonstrated here it doesn't require it going to an external service (its just constructed as such to make it easy for users)

its meant to make it easy to extract the panic as unless one has a serial console attached, wont have it in a text form that one can use in any manner.

userbinator
I hope this is Windows-inspired satire. If I get a kernel panic I want something I can actually read.