Loader messages for environment variables are confusing and don't follow VK_LOADER_DEBUG or vk_loader_settings.json settings

[christophe-lunarg]

The issue was experienced on Windows.

• When stderr_log is set empty in vk_loader_settings.json, and VK_LOADER_DEBUG is unset (I tried to set it nothing too) I am still getting these loader messages:

WARNING: [Loader Message] Code 0 : env var 'VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS' defined and adding layers: VK_LAYER_KHRONOS_validation

• There is no log message for layers added with both VK_LOADER_LAYERS_ENABLE and 'VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS', I will only get:

WARNING: [Loader Message] Code 0 : env var 'VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS' defined and adding layers "VK_LAYER_KHRONOS_profiles"

If I unset 'VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS', I am getting:

WARNING: [Loader Message] Code 0 : Layer "VK_LAYER_KHRONOS_profiles" forced enabled due to env var 'VK_LOADER_LAYERS_ENABLE'

The messages are not consistent which is also unnecessary confusing.

[charles-lunarg]

I am 98% sure that those messages are because whatever application is being run is adding a Debug Utils messenger with the Error & Warning flags.

I cannot reproduce this in any other fashion on linux and windows.

[christophe-lunarg]

I am 98% sure that those messages are because whatever application is being run is adding a Debug Utils messenger with the Error & Warning flags.

I cannot reproduce this in any other fashion on linux and windows.

vulkaninfo is setting up a Debug Utils messenger?

[charles-lunarg]

Yes, vulkaninfo does create a debug report object. Not debug utils but the effect is the same.

[christophe-lunarg]

Ok then I think think it would be useful if the loader would report itself what layers are find using VK_LOADER_LAYERS_ENABLE VK_LOADER_LAYERS_DISABLE and VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS.

[christophe-lunarg]

I looked at vulkaninfo and didn't find the log message but I found it in the Vulkan Loader.

loader_log(inst, VULKAN_LOADER_WARN_BIT | VULKAN_LOADER_LAYER_BIT, 0, "env var \'%s\' defined and adding layers \"%s\"",

[charles-lunarg]

Yes, the loader creates that log message. The loader then calls the debug report callback that Vulkaninfo setup, and the callback makes the call to printf putting it in the console. The fact that only Warning and Error level messages appear in the output reinforces that this isn't a loader settings or VK_LOADER_DEBUG env-var bug, but expected behavior.

[christophe-lunarg]

So there are a type of log message filtered by VK_LOADER_DEBUG and other type of log messages for Debug Utils messenger?

I am not understanding this. Why only some messages goes to the Debug Utils messenger?

[charles-lunarg]

The Vulkaninfo debug report (not utils in this case, but debug utils has the same behavior) callback was setup with only warning and error level messages. When the loader logs anything, it checks to see if the message level matches what the callbacks want. So in loader_log, the loader doesn't call the callback if the message isn't a warning or error.

[christophe-lunarg]

Ahhhh, so WARNING: [Loader Message] Code 0 : env var 'VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS' defined and adding layers should appear twice, when VK_LOADER_DEBUG with warning or error is set?

I think that's the case, I'll double check tomorrow.

[charles-lunarg]

Yep! That would help explain why loader logs are so verbose sometimes.

[christophe-lunarg]

Closing this issue as I colelcted all the log improvements in this issue: #1595