As discussed two months ago, I have been collecting dmesg
outputs from NetBSD users for several purposes:

  1.  Create a database of people who are using or could test
    various device drivers.  When a developer wishes to make
    major changes to a driver, it can be tested more directly via
    private E-mail to those using the device, rather than
    `spamming' one of the general-purpose mailing lists.
    Similarly, if a developer suspects problems with a particular
    driver, the developer can ask these specific users whether
    they are also experiencing problems.

  2.  Obtain statistical information about which drivers are
    used the most/least, mostly for curiosity.

  3.  Allow everyone to contribute to the project -- someone who
    doesn't know C can still answer an E-mail and say "Yes, driver
    foo seems to work fine on my machine."

  4.  Spark a bit more of a close-knit community feeling --
    the foo driver users will be helping each other out through
    their involvement.
    

  I have some more details about the specifics at
http://lore.ece.utexas.edu/~bgrayson/dmesg.html, such as what
to do if you want to provide your dmesg for statistical reasons
but don't EVER want to be contacted for testing purposes.

  If you have a complaint, please flame me in private, and only
after reading the docs at that web page.  I've never set up
anything like this, but I think my initial plans are reasonable
from all points of view (privacy issues, spamming, web bots,
appropriate-use, etc.)

  Use of the database will be restricted at the beginning, until
I see if this is useful or not -- see the web page for my first
plans.  Any major administrative changes will only be done
after sufficient warning has been given, at which point you may
ask me to delete all of your previous dmesg outputs for privacy
reasons if you have a difference of opinion.  :)

  This is an experimental concept.  If it becomes wildly
successful, it may be changed significantly, in which case
appropriate notice will be provided to all volunteers.  If it
withers away, I'll kill it!

  Andrew Brown wrote up a patch for /etc/rc so that it
only sends dmesg output if the kernel version has changed:
Thanks, Andrew!

> --------8<--------8<--------8<--------8<--------8<--------
> --- rc-orig	Wed Apr 14 07:05:28 1999
> +++ rc	Thu May  6 19:46:06 1999
> @@ -370,7 +370,12 @@
>  	sysctl -n kern.version | sed 1q > $T
>  	echo "" >> $T
>  	sed '1,/^$/d' < /etc/motd >> $T
> -	cmp -s $T /etc/motd || cp $T /etc/motd
> +	if cmp -s $T /etc/motd ; then
> +		cp $T /etc/motd
> +		if checkyesno email_dmesg; then
> +			dmesg | mail -s "dmesg output" bgrayson+dmesg@ece.utexas.edu
> +		fi
> +	fi
>  	rm -f $T
>  fi
>  
> --------8<--------8<--------8<--------8<--------8<--------

  Thank you, those that have already submitted their dmesg output!

  Enjoy!

  Brian Grayson