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diff --git a/Documentation/dev-tools/gdb-kernel-debugging.rst b/Documentation/dev-tools/gdb-kernel-debugging.rst deleted file mode 100644 index 895285c037c7..000000000000 --- a/Documentation/dev-tools/gdb-kernel-debugging.rst +++ /dev/null @@ -1,179 +0,0 @@ -.. highlight:: none - -Debugging kernel and modules via gdb -==================================== - -The kernel debugger kgdb, hypervisors like QEMU or JTAG-based hardware -interfaces allow to debug the Linux kernel and its modules during runtime -using gdb. Gdb comes with a powerful scripting interface for python. The -kernel provides a collection of helper scripts that can simplify typical -kernel debugging steps. This is a short tutorial about how to enable and use -them. It focuses on QEMU/KVM virtual machines as target, but the examples can -be transferred to the other gdb stubs as well. - - -Requirements ------------- - -- gdb 7.2+ (recommended: 7.4+) with python support enabled (typically true - for distributions) - - -Setup ------ - -- Create a virtual Linux machine for QEMU/KVM (see www.linux-kvm.org and - www.qemu.org for more details). For cross-development, - https://landley.net/aboriginal/bin keeps a pool of machine images and - toolchains that can be helpful to start from. - -- Build the kernel with CONFIG_GDB_SCRIPTS enabled, but leave - CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_REDUCED off. If your architecture supports - CONFIG_FRAME_POINTER, keep it enabled. - -- Install that kernel on the guest, turn off KASLR if necessary by adding - "nokaslr" to the kernel command line. - Alternatively, QEMU allows to boot the kernel directly using -kernel, - -append, -initrd command line switches. This is generally only useful if - you do not depend on modules. See QEMU documentation for more details on - this mode. In this case, you should build the kernel with - CONFIG_RANDOMIZE_BASE disabled if the architecture supports KASLR. - -- Build the gdb scripts (required on kernels v5.1 and above):: - - make scripts_gdb - -- Enable the gdb stub of QEMU/KVM, either - - - at VM startup time by appending "-s" to the QEMU command line - - or - - - during runtime by issuing "gdbserver" from the QEMU monitor - console - -- cd /path/to/linux-build - -- Start gdb: gdb vmlinux - - Note: Some distros may restrict auto-loading of gdb scripts to known safe - directories. In case gdb reports to refuse loading vmlinux-gdb.py, add:: - - add-auto-load-safe-path /path/to/linux-build - - to ~/.gdbinit. See gdb help for more details. - -- Attach to the booted guest:: - - (gdb) target remote :1234 - - -Examples of using the Linux-provided gdb helpers ------------------------------------------------- - -- Load module (and main kernel) symbols:: - - (gdb) lx-symbols - loading vmlinux - scanning for modules in /home/user/linux/build - loading @0xffffffffa0020000: /home/user/linux/build/net/netfilter/xt_tcpudp.ko - loading @0xffffffffa0016000: /home/user/linux/build/net/netfilter/xt_pkttype.ko - loading @0xffffffffa0002000: /home/user/linux/build/net/netfilter/xt_limit.ko - loading @0xffffffffa00ca000: /home/user/linux/build/net/packet/af_packet.ko - loading @0xffffffffa003c000: /home/user/linux/build/fs/fuse/fuse.ko - ... - loading @0xffffffffa0000000: /home/user/linux/build/drivers/ata/ata_generic.ko - -- Set a breakpoint on some not yet loaded module function, e.g.:: - - (gdb) b btrfs_init_sysfs - Function "btrfs_init_sysfs" not defined. - Make breakpoint pending on future shared library load? (y or [n]) y - Breakpoint 1 (btrfs_init_sysfs) pending. - -- Continue the target:: - - (gdb) c - -- Load the module on the target and watch the symbols being loaded as well as - the breakpoint hit:: - - loading @0xffffffffa0034000: /home/user/linux/build/lib/libcrc32c.ko - loading @0xffffffffa0050000: /home/user/linux/build/lib/lzo/lzo_compress.ko - loading @0xffffffffa006e000: /home/user/linux/build/lib/zlib_deflate/zlib_deflate.ko - loading @0xffffffffa01b1000: /home/user/linux/build/fs/btrfs/btrfs.ko - - Breakpoint 1, btrfs_init_sysfs () at /home/user/linux/fs/btrfs/sysfs.c:36 - 36 btrfs_kset = kset_create_and_add("btrfs", NULL, fs_kobj); - -- Dump the log buffer of the target kernel:: - - (gdb) lx-dmesg - [ 0.000000] Initializing cgroup subsys cpuset - [ 0.000000] Initializing cgroup subsys cpu - [ 0.000000] Linux version 3.8.0-rc4-dbg+ (... - [ 0.000000] Command line: root=/dev/sda2 resume=/dev/sda1 vga=0x314 - [ 0.000000] e820: BIOS-provided physical RAM map: - [ 0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000000009fbff] usable - [ 0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x000000000009fc00-0x000000000009ffff] reserved - .... - -- Examine fields of the current task struct(supported by x86 and arm64 only):: - - (gdb) p $lx_current().pid - $1 = 4998 - (gdb) p $lx_current().comm - $2 = "modprobe\000\000\000\000\000\000\000" - -- Make use of the per-cpu function for the current or a specified CPU:: - - (gdb) p $lx_per_cpu("runqueues").nr_running - $3 = 1 - (gdb) p $lx_per_cpu("runqueues", 2).nr_running - $4 = 0 - -- Dig into hrtimers using the container_of helper:: - - (gdb) set $next = $lx_per_cpu("hrtimer_bases").clock_base[0].active.next - (gdb) p *$container_of($next, "struct hrtimer", "node") - $5 = { - node = { - node = { - __rb_parent_color = 18446612133355256072, - rb_right = 0x0 <irq_stack_union>, - rb_left = 0x0 <irq_stack_union> - }, - expires = { - tv64 = 1835268000000 - } - }, - _softexpires = { - tv64 = 1835268000000 - }, - function = 0xffffffff81078232 <tick_sched_timer>, - base = 0xffff88003fd0d6f0, - state = 1, - start_pid = 0, - start_site = 0xffffffff81055c1f <hrtimer_start_range_ns+20>, - start_comm = "swapper/2\000\000\000\000\000\000" - } - - -List of commands and functions ------------------------------- - -The number of commands and convenience functions may evolve over the time, -this is just a snapshot of the initial version:: - - (gdb) apropos lx - function lx_current -- Return current task - function lx_module -- Find module by name and return the module variable - function lx_per_cpu -- Return per-cpu variable - function lx_task_by_pid -- Find Linux task by PID and return the task_struct variable - function lx_thread_info -- Calculate Linux thread_info from task variable - lx-dmesg -- Print Linux kernel log buffer - lx-lsmod -- List currently loaded modules - lx-symbols -- (Re-)load symbols of Linux kernel and currently loaded modules - -Detailed help can be obtained via "help <command-name>" for commands and "help -function <function-name>" for convenience functions. |