From owner-freebsd-hackers  Tue Apr 23 04:30:54 1996
Return-Path: owner-hackers
Received: (from root@localhost)
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id EAA25821
          for hackers-outgoing; Tue, 23 Apr 1996 04:30:54 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from time.cdrom.com (time.cdrom.com [204.216.27.226])
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) with ESMTP id EAA25816
          Tue, 23 Apr 1996 04:30:51 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by time.cdrom.com (8.7.5/8.6.9) with SMTP id EAA04676; Tue, 23 Apr 1996 04:28:43 -0700 (PDT)
To: Greg Lehey <lehey.pad@sni.de>
cc: bde@zeta.org.au (Bruce Evans), smpatel@umiacs.UMD.EDU, current@FreeBSD.ORG,
        hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: request for a new "feature" as regards DDB 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Tue, 23 Apr 1996 12:00:43 MDT."
             <199604231000.MAA20823@nixpbe.pdb.sni.de> 
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 04:28:43 -0700
Message-ID: <4674.830258923@time.cdrom.com>
From: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@time.cdrom.com>
Sender: owner-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
Precedence: bulk

> I disagree completely.  If my machine dies in the middle of the night,
> I want to come in the next morning and be able to debug the live
> hardware, not a dump.  YMMV, but we should have the option.

However, there's a corrolary:

If your machine dies in the middle of the night (or when you're in
front of it, for that matter) and *you're sitting in the X server*
then you should be given a dump if you're not configured for a serial
console because we know that there's no way in hell you're going to be
debugging any live hardware.  A dump is the best you can ask for under
those circumstances.

Assuming that the same interface which the VT_GETACTIVE ioctl()
uses is available for determining if "curvty = vty0", it seems you
should be able to avoid going into DDB interaction mode if it's
not possible to do anything else.  You can simply call panic.

					Jordan