---
name: "proc_kmsg"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "man-pages"
version: "6.19-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/proc_kmsg"
---

# proc\_kmsg(5)

kernel messages

## NAME

/proc/kmsg - kernel messages

## DESCRIPTION

- */proc/kmsg*

  This file can be used instead of the [**syslog**(2)](/syslog/2.md) system call to read kernel messages. A process must have superuser privileges to read this file, and only one process should read this file. This file should not be read if a syslog process is running which uses the [**syslog**(2)](/syslog/2.md) system call facility to log kernel messages.

-

  Information in this file is retrieved with the [**dmesg**(1)](/dmesg/1.md) program.

## SEE ALSO

[**proc**(5)](/proc/5.md)