From owner-cvs-all@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Sep 12 06:06:03 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: cvs-all@FreeBSD.org Delivered-To: cvs-all@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 710B716A41F; Mon, 12 Sep 2005 06:06:03 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from drosih@rpi.edu) Received: from smtp1.server.rpi.edu (smtp1.server.rpi.edu [128.113.2.1]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 01B8243D46; Mon, 12 Sep 2005 06:06:02 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from drosih@rpi.edu) Received: from [128.113.24.47] (gilead.netel.rpi.edu [128.113.24.47]) by smtp1.server.rpi.edu (8.13.0/8.13.0) with ESMTP id j8C661oj026565; Mon, 12 Sep 2005 02:06:01 -0400 Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: In-Reply-To: <20050912005134.GB2929@wantadilla.lemis.com> References: <20050911002229.51F4916A471@hub.freebsd.org> <432382BC.5080105@root.org> <20050911022901.GA3090@xor.obsecurity.org> <20050912005134.GB2929@wantadilla.lemis.com> Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 02:06:00 -0400 To: "Greg 'groggy' Lehey" , Kris Kennaway From: Garance A Drosihn Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" X-CanItPRO-Stream: default X-RPI-SA-Score: undef - spam-scanning disabled X-Scanned-By: CanIt (www . canit . ca) on 128.113.2.1 Cc: cvs-src@FreeBSD.org, src-committers@FreeBSD.org, cvs-all@FreeBSD.org, "David E. O'Brien" , Nate Lawson Subject: Re: How to debug kernels (was: cvs commit: src/sys/conf kern.post.mk) X-BeenThere: cvs-all@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: CVS commit messages for the entire tree List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 06:06:03 -0000 [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