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Date:      Fri,  4 Aug 2000 07:20:57 -0700 (PDT)
From:      jefblaine@mediaone.net
To:        freebsd-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   docs/20400: Building a kernel with debugging info section could use a rework
Message-ID:  <20000804142057.881E137BB54@hub.freebsd.org>

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>Number:         20400
>Category:       docs
>Synopsis:       Building a kernel with debugging info section could use a rework
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    freebsd-doc
>State:          open
>Quarter:        
>Keywords:       
>Date-Required:
>Class:          doc-bug
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Fri Aug 04 07:30:01 PDT 2000
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Jeff Blaine
>Release:        4.0-RELEASE
>Organization:
>Environment:
FreeBSD kickflop 4.0-RELEASE FreeBSD 4.0-RELEASE #0: Fri Jul 28 09:39:54 EDT 200
0     root@kickflop:/usr/src/sys/compile/BUNK  i386
>Description:
I was thinking that the 2.2.1 subsection of
http://www.freebsd.org/handbook/kerneldebug.html
could use a little bit of a reworking in those first 7 paragraphs
and show steps instead of just generalized information.  For
example, there are very specific steps to follow to get a kernel
built with debugging symbols in it, and that's the absolute first
step to doing any kernel debugging work from crashes and such.
One of those steps, the most important one(!), is using
'config -g KERNEL_CONFIG_FILE' and not 'config KERNEL_CONFIG_FILE'
as part of the build, regardless of the 'makeoptions DEBUG=-g' in
KERNEL_CONFIG_FILE, yet this step is casually mentioned at the end
of one of the paragraphs as 'Config your kernel using config -g'

What I have issue with is the casual (and not formal step-by-step)
nature of the first half of that subsection.  The part where it
shows how to fire up gdb -k (and from then on) is done in this
fashion, but the first half of the subsection is not.

Also, what's all this about 'kgdb' (in terminal type font as if it
is a command to type)?  If the command is 'gdb -k' nowadays, and has
been for some time, why give it this secret codeword?  Call it
'gdb in kernel debugging mode' or just 'gdb -k'...
>How-To-Repeat:

>Fix:


>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted:


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