Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 02:06:00 -0400 From: Garance A Drosihn <drosih@rpi.edu> To: "Greg 'groggy' Lehey" <grog@FreeBSD.org>, Kris Kennaway <kris@obsecurity.org> Cc: cvs-src@FreeBSD.org, src-committers@FreeBSD.org, cvs-all@FreeBSD.org, "David E. O'Brien" <obrien@FreeBSD.org>, Nate Lawson <nate@root.org> Subject: Re: How to debug kernels (was: cvs commit: src/sys/conf kern.post.mk) Message-ID: <p06230912bf4ab634ddef@[128.113.24.47]> In-Reply-To: <20050912005134.GB2929@wantadilla.lemis.com> References: <20050911002229.51F4916A471@hub.freebsd.org> <432382BC.5080105@root.org> <p0623090bbf493c4e4b1e@[128.113.24.47]> <20050911022901.GA3090@xor.obsecurity.org> <20050912005134.GB2929@wantadilla.lemis.com>
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[this will be a repeat to Greg, but I'll mention it publicly...] At 10:21 AM +0930 9/12/05, Greg 'groggy' Lehey wrote: > >A lot must depend on how you use your debug kernel. One of the >biggest problems I've found is keeping the kernel and the sources >in sync. ... > >The method I use is described in >http://wwww.lemis.com/grog/Papers/Debug-tutorial/tutorial.pdf. This looks like a very useful document, which pulls together a lot of information for the benefit of those developers who want to work at the kernel-level. I've only skimmed it over, but I intend to read it in more detail later... But I think David's change is a significant help for those users who are not kernel developers, and who have no desire to become a kernel developer. Most of the time I am not debugging any kernel- change of my own, for instance. All I want from a debug kernel is to have the information around if some other developer asks: "Can you get a traceback from that coredump?". I'll only care about the debug information *IF* my system hits a panic, and that may not happen until weeks after I have built a kernel. A lot can happen in my /usr/obj directories in the course of two weeks! (especially if I am not *expecting* to need any of the information in it). More serious kernel developers would still want to check out the information and follow the advice included your tutorial. But there are many users who are not working at that level of detail. -- Garance Alistair Drosehn = gad@gilead.netel.rpi.edu Senior Systems Programmer or gad@freebsd.org Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or drosih@rpi.edu
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