kadb(1M)                                                  System Administration Commands                                                  kadb(1M)

NAME

       kadb - a kernel debugger

SYNOPSIS

   SPARC
       ok boot device_specifier kadb [-d] [boot-flags]

   x86
       select (b)oot or (i)nterpreter: b kadb [-d] [boot-flags]

DESCRIPTION

       kadb,  an  interactive  kernel  debugger,  has been replaced by kmdb(1). For backwards compatibility, the methods used to load kadb will be
       interpreted as requests to load kmdb(1).  Unlike with the compatibility link from adb(1) to mdb(1), kmdb(1) will always load in its  native
       user interface mode, regardless of the name used to load it.

       kmdb(1)  is  based  on  mdb(1),  and thus shares mdb's user interface style and feature set. The mdb(1) man page describes the features and
       operation of mdb. The kmdb(1) man page describes the differences between mdb and kmdb. This man page describes the major changes and incom-
       patibilities between kadb and kmdb.

       Consult the Solaris Modular Debugger Guide for a detailed description of both mdb and kmdb.

   Major changes
       This section briefly lists the major differences between kadb and kmdb. It is not intended to be exhaustive.

       Debugger Loading and Unloading

           kmdb(1) may be loaded at boot, as with kadb. It may also be loaded after boot, thus allowing for kernel debugging and execution control
           without requiring a system reboot. If kmdb(1) is loaded after boot, it may be unloaded.

       mdb Feature Set

           The features introduced by mdb(1), including access to kernel type data, debugger  commands  (dcmds),  debugger  modules  (dmods),  and
           enhanced  execution  control facilities, are available under kmdb(1). Support for changing the representative CPU (:x) is available for
           both SPARC and x86. Furthermore, full execution-control facilities are available after the representative CPU has been changed.

   Significant Incompatibilities
       This section lists the significant features that have changed incompatibly between kadb and kmdb(1). It is not intended to  be  exhaustive.
       All  kmdb(1)  commands  referenced  here are fully described in the kmdb(1) man page. A description as well as examples can be found in the
       Solaris Modular Debugger Guide.

       Deferred Breakpoints

           The kadb-style "module#symbol:b" syntax is not supported under kmdb(1). Instead, use "::bp module`symbol".

       Watchpoints

           The ::wp dcmd is the preferred way to set watchpoint with kmdb. Various options are available to control the type  of  watchpoint  set,
           including  -p  for  physical  watchpoints (SPARC only), and -i for I/O port watchpoints (x86 only). $l is not supported, therefore, the
           watchpoint size must be specified for each watchpoint created.

       Access to I/O Ports (x86 only)

           The commands used to access I/O ports under kadb have been replaced with the ::in and ::out dcmds. These two dcmds allow both read  and
           write of all I/O port sizes supported by kadb.

ATTRIBUTES

       See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
       |      ATTRIBUTE TYPE         |      ATTRIBUTE VALUE        |
       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
       |Availability                 |SUNWcar                      |
       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+

SEE ALSO

       adb(1), mdb(1), kmdb(1), attributes(5)

       Solaris Modular Debugger Guide

SunOS 5.10                                                          2 Jul 2004                                                            kadb(1M)