};
 };
 
+
+static char last_hist_cmd[MAX_FILTER_STR_VAL];
+static char hist_err_str[MAX_FILTER_STR_VAL];
+
+static void last_cmd_set(char *str)
+{
+       if (!str)
+               return;
+
+       strncpy(last_hist_cmd, str, MAX_FILTER_STR_VAL - 1);
+}
+
+static void hist_err(char *str, char *var)
+{
+       int maxlen = MAX_FILTER_STR_VAL - 1;
+
+       if (!str)
+               return;
+
+       if (strlen(hist_err_str))
+               return;
+
+       if (!var)
+               var = "";
+
+       if (strlen(hist_err_str) + strlen(str) + strlen(var) > maxlen)
+               return;
+
+       strcat(hist_err_str, str);
+       strcat(hist_err_str, var);
+}
+
+static void hist_err_event(char *str, char *system, char *event, char *var)
+{
+       char err[MAX_FILTER_STR_VAL];
+
+       if (system && var)
+               snprintf(err, MAX_FILTER_STR_VAL, "%s.%s.%s", system, event, var);
+       else if (system)
+               snprintf(err, MAX_FILTER_STR_VAL, "%s.%s", system, event);
+       else
+               strncpy(err, var, MAX_FILTER_STR_VAL);
+
+       hist_err(str, err);
+}
+
+static void hist_err_clear(void)
+{
+       hist_err_str[0] = '\0';
+}
+
+static bool have_hist_err(void)
+{
+       if (strlen(hist_err_str))
+               return true;
+
+       return false;
+}
+
 static LIST_HEAD(synth_event_list);
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(synth_event_mutex);
 
                        continue;
 
                if (find_var_field(var_hist_data, var_name)) {
-                       if (found)
+                       if (found) {
+                               hist_err_event("Variable name not unique, need to use fully qualified name (subsys.event.var) for variable: ", system, event_name, var_name);
                                return NULL;
+                       }
 
                        found = file;
                }
                        hist_field = find_file_var(file, var_name);
                        if (hist_field) {
                                if (found) {
+                                       hist_err_event("Variable name not unique, need to use fully qualified name (subsys.event.var) for variable: ", system, event_name, var_name);
                                        return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
                                }
 
                char *assignment;
 
                if (attrs->n_assignments == TRACING_MAP_VARS_MAX) {
+                       hist_err("Too many variables defined: ", str);
                        ret = -EINVAL;
                        goto out;
                }
        if (var_field)
                ref_field = create_var_ref(var_field, system, event_name);
 
+       if (!ref_field)
+               hist_err_event("Couldn't find variable: $",
+                              system, event_name, var_name);
+
        return ref_field;
 }
 
        /* we support only -(xxx) i.e. explicit parens required */
 
        if (level > 3) {
+               hist_err("Too many subexpressions (3 max): ", str);
                ret = -EINVAL;
                goto free;
        }
        }
 
        if ((operand1_flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_TIMESTAMP_USECS) !=
-           (operand2_flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_TIMESTAMP_USECS))
+           (operand2_flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_TIMESTAMP_USECS)) {
+               hist_err("Timestamp units in expression don't match", NULL);
                return -EINVAL;
+       }
 
        return 0;
 }
        int field_op, ret = -EINVAL;
        char *sep, *operand1_str;
 
-       if (level > 3)
+       if (level > 3) {
+               hist_err("Too many subexpressions (3 max): ", str);
                return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+       }
 
        field_op = contains_operator(str);
 
        char *cmd;
        int ret;
 
-       if (target_hist_data->n_field_var_hists >= SYNTH_FIELDS_MAX)
+       if (target_hist_data->n_field_var_hists >= SYNTH_FIELDS_MAX) {
+               hist_err_event("onmatch: Too many field variables defined: ",
+                              subsys_name, event_name, field_name);
                return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+       }
 
        file = event_file(tr, subsys_name, event_name);
 
        if (IS_ERR(file)) {
+               hist_err_event("onmatch: Event file not found: ",
+                              subsys_name, event_name, field_name);
                ret = PTR_ERR(file);
                return ERR_PTR(ret);
        }
         * yet a registered histogram so we can't use that.
         */
        hist_data = find_compatible_hist(target_hist_data, file);
-       if (!hist_data)
+       if (!hist_data) {
+               hist_err_event("onmatch: Matching event histogram not found: ",
+                              subsys_name, event_name, field_name);
                return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+       }
 
        /* See if a synthetic field variable has already been created */
        event_var = find_synthetic_field_var(target_hist_data, subsys_name,
                kfree(cmd);
                kfree(var_hist->cmd);
                kfree(var_hist);
+               hist_err_event("onmatch: Couldn't create histogram for field: ",
+                              subsys_name, event_name, field_name);
                return ERR_PTR(ret);
        }
 
        if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(event_var)) {
                kfree(var_hist->cmd);
                kfree(var_hist);
+               hist_err_event("onmatch: Couldn't find synthetic variable: ",
+                              subsys_name, event_name, field_name);
                return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
        }
 
        int ret = 0;
 
        if (hist_data->n_field_vars >= SYNTH_FIELDS_MAX) {
+               hist_err("Too many field variables defined: ", field_name);
                ret = -EINVAL;
                goto err;
        }
 
        val = parse_atom(hist_data, file, field_name, &flags, NULL);
        if (IS_ERR(val)) {
+               hist_err("Couldn't parse field variable: ", field_name);
                ret = PTR_ERR(val);
                goto err;
        }
 
        var = create_var(hist_data, file, field_name, val->size, val->type);
        if (IS_ERR(var)) {
+               hist_err("Couldn't create or find variable: ", field_name);
                kfree(val);
                ret = PTR_ERR(var);
                goto err;
        int ret = 0;
 
        onmax_var_str = data->onmax.var_str;
-       if (onmax_var_str[0] != '$')
+       if (onmax_var_str[0] != '$') {
+               hist_err("onmax: For onmax(x), x must be a variable: ", onmax_var_str);
                return -EINVAL;
+       }
        onmax_var_str++;
 
        var_field = find_target_event_var(hist_data, NULL, NULL, onmax_var_str);
-       if (!var_field)
+       if (!var_field) {
+               hist_err("onmax: Couldn't find onmax variable: ", onmax_var_str);
                return -EINVAL;
+       }
 
        flags = HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF;
        ref_field = create_hist_field(hist_data, NULL, flags, NULL);
        data->onmax.max_var_ref_idx = var_ref_idx;
        max_var = create_var(hist_data, file, "max", sizeof(u64), "u64");
        if (IS_ERR(max_var)) {
+               hist_err("onmax: Couldn't create onmax variable: ", "max");
                ret = PTR_ERR(max_var);
                goto out;
        }
 
                field_var = create_target_field_var(hist_data, NULL, NULL, param);
                if (IS_ERR(field_var)) {
+                       hist_err("onmax: Couldn't create field variable: ", param);
                        ret = PTR_ERR(field_var);
                        kfree(param);
                        goto out;
 
                param = strstrip(param);
                if (strlen(param) < 2) {
+                       hist_err("Invalid action param: ", param);
                        ret = -EINVAL;
                        goto out;
                }
                hist_field = find_event_var(hist_data, system, event, var);
        }
 
+       if (!hist_field)
+               hist_err_event("onmatch: Couldn't find onmatch param: $", system, event, var);
+
        return hist_field;
 }
 
        mutex_lock(&synth_event_mutex);
        event = find_synth_event(data->onmatch.synth_event_name);
        if (!event) {
+               hist_err("onmatch: Couldn't find synthetic event: ", data->onmatch.synth_event_name);
                mutex_unlock(&synth_event_mutex);
                return -EINVAL;
        }
                        continue;
                }
 
+               hist_err_event("onmatch: Param type doesn't match synthetic event field type: ",
+                              system, event_name, param);
                kfree(p);
                ret = -EINVAL;
                goto err;
        }
 
        if (field_pos != event->n_fields) {
+               hist_err("onmatch: Param count doesn't match synthetic event field count: ", event->name);
                ret = -EINVAL;
                goto err;
        }
                return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
        match_event = strsep(&str, ")");
-       if (!match_event || !str)
+       if (!match_event || !str) {
+               hist_err("onmatch: Missing closing paren: ", match_event);
                goto free;
+       }
 
        match_event_system = strsep(&match_event, ".");
-       if (!match_event)
+       if (!match_event) {
+               hist_err("onmatch: Missing subsystem for match event: ", match_event_system);
                goto free;
+       }
 
-       if (IS_ERR(event_file(tr, match_event_system, match_event)))
+       if (IS_ERR(event_file(tr, match_event_system, match_event))) {
+               hist_err_event("onmatch: Invalid subsystem or event name: ",
+                              match_event_system, match_event, NULL);
                goto free;
+       }
 
        data->onmatch.match_event = kstrdup(match_event, GFP_KERNEL);
        if (!data->onmatch.match_event) {
        }
 
        strsep(&str, ".");
-       if (!str)
+       if (!str) {
+               hist_err("onmatch: Missing . after onmatch(): ", str);
                goto free;
+       }
 
        synth_event_name = strsep(&str, "(");
-       if (!synth_event_name || !str)
+       if (!synth_event_name || !str) {
+               hist_err("onmatch: Missing opening paramlist paren: ", synth_event_name);
                goto free;
+       }
 
        data->onmatch.synth_event_name = kstrdup(synth_event_name, GFP_KERNEL);
        if (!data->onmatch.synth_event_name) {
        }
 
        params = strsep(&str, ")");
-       if (!params || !str || (str && strlen(str)))
+       if (!params || !str || (str && strlen(str))) {
+               hist_err("onmatch: Missing closing paramlist paren: ", params);
                goto free;
+       }
 
        ret = parse_action_params(params, data);
        if (ret)
 
        if (WARN_ON(val_idx >= TRACING_MAP_VALS_MAX + TRACING_MAP_VARS_MAX))
                return -EINVAL;
+
        if (find_var(hist_data, file, var_name) && !hist_data->remove) {
+               hist_err("Variable already defined: ", var_name);
                return -EINVAL;
        }
 
                }
 
                if (hist_field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF) {
+                       hist_err("Using variable references as keys not supported: ", field_str);
                        destroy_hist_field(hist_field, 0);
                        ret = -EINVAL;
                        goto out;
 
                        var_name = strsep(&field_str, "=");
                        if (!var_name || !field_str) {
+                               hist_err("Malformed assignment: ", var_name);
                                ret = -EINVAL;
                                goto free;
                        }
 
                        if (n_vars == TRACING_MAP_VARS_MAX) {
+                               hist_err("Too many variables defined: ", var_name);
                                ret = -EINVAL;
                                goto free;
                        }
                        hist_trigger_show(m, data, n++);
        }
 
+       if (have_hist_err()) {
+               seq_printf(m, "\nERROR: %s\n", hist_err_str);
+               seq_printf(m, "  Last command: %s\n", last_hist_cmd);
+       }
+
  out_unlock:
        mutex_unlock(&event_mutex);
 
                if (named_data) {
                        if (!hist_trigger_match(data, named_data, named_data,
                                                true)) {
+                               hist_err("Named hist trigger doesn't match existing named trigger (includes variables): ", hist_data->attrs->name);
                                ret = -EINVAL;
                                goto out;
                        }
                                test->paused = false;
                        else if (hist_data->attrs->clear)
                                hist_clear(test);
-                       else
+                       else {
+                               hist_err("Hist trigger already exists", NULL);
                                ret = -EEXIST;
+                       }
                        goto out;
                }
        }
  new:
        if (hist_data->attrs->cont || hist_data->attrs->clear) {
+               hist_err("Can't clear or continue a nonexistent hist trigger", NULL);
                ret = -ENOENT;
                goto out;
        }
        char *trigger, *p;
        int ret = 0;
 
+       if (glob && strlen(glob)) {
+               last_cmd_set(param);
+               hist_err_clear();
+       }
+
        if (!param)
                return -EINVAL;
 
        /* Just return zero, not the number of registered triggers */
        ret = 0;
  out:
+       if (ret == 0)
+               hist_err_clear();
+
        return ret;
  out_unreg:
        cmd_ops->unreg(glob+1, trigger_ops, trigger_data, file);