nvme: do not print status message on default by dwsuse · Pull Request #3553 · linux-nvme/nvme-cli

dwsuse · 2026-07-06T18:22:08Z

Unix tools should remain silent on success and produce output only when
it is part of their functional result. Emitting status messages by
default violates the long-established convention that stdout is reserved
for machine-consumable data, while diagnostics and optional progress
reporting belong on stderr or behind an explicit verbose flag.

A core strength of Unix tooling is composability: commands are routinely
used in pipelines, shell scripts, automation frameworks, and other
programs. Unsolicited status output contaminates stdout, forcing
consumers to implement fragile filtering logic and making the tool
harder to integrate reliably. The absence of default status messages is
therefore not merely a stylistic preference but an interoperability
requirement.

This follows the traditional Unix principle that "no news is good news":
successful execution is indicated by the exit status, not by
human-readable confirmation text. Users who need operational visibility
can opt into it through verbose or progress-reporting options, while
automation and existing workflows continue to receive clean,
deterministic output.

Fixes: #2025
Replaces: #3416

After the final json_print_object add a newline so that the output doesn't interfere with the shell command line print afterwards. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <wagi@kernel.org>

Add variants of nvme_show_verbose_* which will only print when verbose mode is enabled. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <wagi@kernel.org>

Don't print empty json output. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <wagi@kernel.org>

There can only be one JSON root object, thus create it at after parsing the options and print it when existing the program. With this in place, it's possible remove embedded creation of json_r object. It will always exist when those code paths are hit. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <dwagner@suse.com>

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR aligns nvme-cli and its plugins with the Unix convention of being silent on success and keeping stdout clean for machine-consumable output, by moving many status/diagnostic messages behind verbose helpers and/or to stderr.

Changes:

Replaces many direct printf / fprintf(stderr, ...) / perror sites with nvme_show_* helpers for consistent routing/formatting.
Introduces verbose-only printing helpers (nvme_show_verbose_message, nvme_show_verbose_result/info, nvme_show_verbose_key_value) and updates multiple plugins to use them.
Adds explicit trailing newlines after some JSON prints to ensure valid line-oriented JSON output.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 55 out of 56 changed files in this pull request and generated 9 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
plugins/zns/zns.c	Moves ZNS plugin success/status/error messaging to `nvme_show_*` helpers and verbose-only output.
plugins/wdc/wdc-utils.c	Converts error printing to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/virtium/virtium-nvme.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and switches multiple user messages to `nvme_show_error` / verbose helpers.
plugins/transcend/transcend-nvme.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and switches “Device not found” output to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/toshiba/toshiba-nvme.c	Converts stderr diagnostics to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/solidigm/solidigm-workload-tracker.c	Minor message formatting change via `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/solidigm/solidigm-temp-stats.c	Switches a stderr error to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/solidigm/solidigm-telemetry.c	Reworks argument-validation errors to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_err`.
plugins/solidigm/solidigm-smart.c	Converts invalid-format error output to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/solidigm/solidigm-log-page-dir.c	Tweaks invalid-format message formatting via `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/solidigm/solidigm-latency-tracking.c	Routes errors to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_err` and success to verbose helpers.
plugins/solidigm/solidigm-internal-logs.c	Switches perror/printf success messages to `nvme_show_perror` and verbose helpers.
plugins/solidigm/solidigm-garbage-collection.c	Converts invalid-format message to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/shannon/shannon-nvme.c	Converts stderr/perror/status handling to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_err`.
plugins/sed/sedopal_cmd.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and converts many stderr messages to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/sed/sed.c	Converts stderr messages to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/seagate/seagate-nvme.c	Adds explicit `\n` after JSON output and converts several messages to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_err`.
plugins/scaleflux/sfx-nvme.c	Converts several messages to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_err` and gates success output behind verbose helpers.
plugins/sandisk/sandisk-utils.c	Converts stderr error messages to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/sandisk/sandisk-nvme.c	Converts many stderr messages to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_err` and adjusts telemetry/resize messaging.
plugins/registry/registry-nvme.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and converts user prompts/errors to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/ocp/ocp-telemetry-decode.c	Converts messages to `nvme_show_error` and removes some embedded newlines.
plugins/ocp/ocp-smart-extended-log.c	Converts stderr messages to `nvme_show_error` and adjusts GUID mismatch messaging.
plugins/ocp/ocp-print.c	Routes “unhandled output format” to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/ocp/ocp-hardware-component-log.c	Converts info-level stderr printing macro to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/ocp/ocp-fw-activation-history.c	Converts stderr messages to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/ocp/ocp-clear-features.c	Gates “Success” behind verbose helper and routes failures to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/netapp/netapp-nvme.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and converts many stderr diagnostics to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/micron/micron-utils-win.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and routes platform-not-supported messages to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/micron/micron-utils-linux.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and converts perror/printf to `nvme_show_perror` / `nvme_show_error` / verbose helpers.
plugins/memblaze/memblaze-nvme.c	Converts success/failure messaging to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_err` / verbose helpers.
plugins/lm/lm-print.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and routes “unhandled output format” to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/lm/lm-print-stdout.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and routes warnings to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/lm/lm-print-json.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and routes warnings to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/lm/lm-nvme.c	Gates several “Successful” messages behind verbose helpers.
plugins/intel/intel-nvme.c	Adds `\n` after JSON output and routes various messages through `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_perror` / verbose helpers.
plugins/innogrit/innogrit-nvme.c	Converts some printf error markers to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/ibm/ibm-nvme.c	Converts error messages to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_perror`.
plugins/huawei/huawei-nvme.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and routes allocation/open failures to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/feat/feat-nvme.c	Removes `nvme_show_init/finish` wrappers around some outputs.
plugins/fdp/fdp.c	Converts stderr/perror/success prints to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_err` / verbose helpers.
plugins/exclusion/exclusion-nvme.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and converts many stderr messages to `nvme_show_error`.
plugins/amzn/amzn-nvme.c	Converts stderr messages to `nvme_show_error`.
plugin.c	Routes invalid sub-command errors to stderr (instead of stdout).
nvme-rpmb.c	Converts many stderr prints to `nvme_show_error` / `nvme_show_perror` and uses `nvme_show_result` for data output.
nvme-print.h	Adds verbose result/info macros and new verbose helper declarations.
nvme-print.c	Refactors message/key-value helpers and introduces verbose variants.
nvme-print-stdout.c	Fixes negative-status strerror usage.
nvme-models.c	Adds `nvme-print.h` and routes several errors through `nvme_show_error`.
logging.c	Replaces some stdout debug prints with structured key/value helpers.
fabrics.c	Routes many messages through `nvme_show_error` / verbose helpers.

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 	if (err < 0)
 		nvme_show_error("ERROR: nvme_lm_cdq() failed: %s", libnvme_strerror(errno));
 	else if (err)
 		nvme_show_status(err);
 	else
-		printf("Create CDQ Successful: CDQID=0x%04x\n",
+		nvme_show_verbose_result("Create CDQ Successful: CDQID=0x%04x",
 			NVME_GET((__u32)cmd.result, LM_CREATE_CDQ_CDQID));



Unix tools should remain silent on success and produce output only when it is part of their functional result. Emitting status messages by default violates the long-established convention that stdout is reserved for machine-consumable data, while diagnostics and optional progress reporting belong on stderr or behind an explicit verbose flag. A core strength of Unix tooling is composability: commands are routinely used in pipelines, shell scripts, automation frameworks, and other programs. Unsolicited status output contaminates stdout, forcing consumers to implement fragile filtering logic and making the tool harder to integrate reliably. The absence of default status messages is therefore not merely a stylistic preference but an interoperability requirement. This follows the traditional Unix principle that "no news is good news": successful execution is indicated by the exit status, not by human-readable confirmation text. Users who need operational visibility can opt into it through verbose or progress-reporting options, while automation and existing workflows continue to receive clean, deterministic output. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <wagi@kernel.org>

The error code is stored in status not errno. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <wagi@kernel.org>

igaw · 2026-07-07T08:02:49Z

While this not addressing all the issues the code base has, it is going into the right direction. There are more cleanups needed. Let's get this in and fixup the rest piece by piece. There is no point trying to fix everything in one go.

igaw and others added 4 commits July 6, 2026 11:34

plugins: add newline after json output

95f279f

After the final json_print_object add a newline so that the output doesn't interfere with the shell command line print afterwards. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <wagi@kernel.org>

nvme-print: add nvme_show_verbose_* helpder

d9c2840

Add variants of nvme_show_verbose_* which will only print when verbose mode is enabled. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <wagi@kernel.org>

nvme-print-json: only output json if none empty

5d2b9e1

Don't print empty json output. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <wagi@kernel.org>

igaw force-pushed the do-not-print-status-messages branch from a09d12e to 4dea663 Compare July 7, 2026 07:28

igaw mentioned this pull request Jul 7, 2026

nvme: do not print status message on default #3416

Closed

igaw requested a review from Copilot July 7, 2026 07:32

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of igaw July 7, 2026 07:32 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Jul 7, 2026

View reviewed changes

igaw force-pushed the do-not-print-status-messages branch from 4dea663 to 9c93b8f Compare July 7, 2026 07:55

igaw added 2 commits July 7, 2026 09:59

nvme-print: use status variable instead of errno

5b9e34a

The error code is stored in status not errno. Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <wagi@kernel.org>

igaw force-pushed the do-not-print-status-messages branch from 9c93b8f to 5b9e34a Compare July 7, 2026 08:00

igaw merged commit 15aa31e into linux-nvme:master Jul 7, 2026
31 of 32 checks passed

This was referenced Jul 7, 2026

how to handle nvme-cli output behavior change linux-blktests/blktests#247

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json: review/update object allocation #3502

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nvme: do not print status message on default#3553

nvme: do not print status message on default#3553
igaw merged 6 commits into
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dwsuse:do-not-print-status-messages

dwsuse commented Jul 6, 2026 •

edited by igaw

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Pull request overview

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igaw commented Jul 7, 2026

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dwsuse commented Jul 6, 2026 •

edited by igaw

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