ikdebug(8) System Manager's Manual ikdebug(8)
NAME
ikdebug - Integrated kernel debugger
DESCRIPTION
The ikdebug debugger is the integrated interactive mode of the kdebug kernel debugger. It provides interactive symbolic kernel debugging
without the need of a second host system to run dbx or kdbx. Its command syntax is derived from the Mach microkernel debugger ddb.
Configuration
This debugger is included as part of the kdebug kernel debugger module. It is configured by enabling the kdebug module in your system con-
figuration file. When the kernel is booted with this debugger, the following message will be displayed during boot: Loading vmunix symbol
table ... [XXX bytes]
If the kernel is booted with the k flag, the standard kdebug behavior is activated.
If the kernel is booted with the e flag, the kernel enters the interactive debugger. This allows breakpoints to be set early in the boot-
strap process. The normal bootstrap sequence is resumed using the debugger continue command.
If neither flag is specified, the kernel boots normally and the interactive debugger is available through a console escape sequence
described in the next section.
The following kernel tunable parameters are available: The console escape string is defined by this parameter. This string defaults to ""
(null) which disables the feature. It may be overridden by adding the following to the /etc/sysconfigtab file:
kdebug:
kdebug_escape = fred
As this is the value with which you invoke the debugger, the string should be easy to remember. Avoid strings that might cause you
to accidentally invoke the debugger.
Alternatively, the escape string can be changed at runtime by running the following command as root: # sysconfig -r kdebug kde-
bug_escape=ethyl
Also, the console escape can be disabled by setting the escape sequence to the null string using the following command: # sysconfig
-r kdebug kdebug_escape= Using this parameter, the debugger can be configured to stop automatically when a kernel panic occurs. By
default this feature is disabled. This parameter controls whether the debugger uses the kernel console driver or console firmware
callbacks to perform I/O to the console. A value of 1 selects the kernel console driver while value of 0 selects console firmware
callbacks. The debugger automatically selects the appropriate value depending on the system type. This parameter controls the
debugger use of the console SAVETERM function. A value of 1 causes the SAVETERM function to be called on debugger entry while a
value of 0 disables the SAVETERM function call. This tuneable is only meaningful when a graphics console is in use and the parameter
kdebug_unix_console is set to 0, enabling console firmware callbacks.
Entering and Exiting
The debugger is entered automatically during a kernel panic, after any system dump is generated, and before a reboot. To continue with the
reboot operation, use the continue or quit commands. The current thread will be the one that generated the panic. You may also invoke the
debugger manually. If you are logged in to the system console on a serial line, typing the kernel tuneable kdebug_escape string will drop
you into the debugger. The debugger escape sequence is recognized at all times.
You can exit the debugger by entering the continue command, or the command abbreviation c.
Interacting With ikdebug
When you enter the debugger (or if it is invoked automatically), ikdebug places you in the context of the task and thread that were active
just before the debugger assumed control. Note that all system activity on the current CPU is suspended until you enter a command to the
debugger's prompt.
Once invoked, the debugger's general command set allows you to examine or modify register and address space contents. You can also call
functions, set breakpoints, execute instructions a step at a time, and perform stack trace operations.
The debugger provides the abstraction of a current location, which, in keeping with UNIX style, is referred to as dot (.). This dot repre-
sents the address that the next command will use if you do not provide an alternate address.
The examine and write commands update dot to the address of the last line examined or the last location modified, and set next to the
address of the next location to be examined or changed. Other commands do not change dot, and set next to be the same as dot. See the Syn-
opsis section for an explanation of the command syntax.
Address Space Issues
No matter how the debugger is invoked, you always have access to the kernel's address space. You also have access to a single user address
space. If the system was executing in the context of a user task just before ikdebug assumed control, that task is the current task. Oth-
erwise, ikdebug sets the current task to the user task that was last executed. In either case, the address space of the current task is
the one available by default.
You may access a non-current user task's address space by naming a thread belonging to that task. You can use the "show" facility to deter-
mine such a task's identity.
In general, the accessibility of a given virtual address depends upon whether or not the corresponding page resides in main memory. If the
page is not resident, it is likely that you will not be able to access the contents.
Multipage Output Facility
The ikdebug debugger has a feature similar to the shell command more for managing the display of multipaged output. If an output line
exceeds the number set in the $lines variable, it displays the message --db_more-- and waits for a response. Valid responses are as fol-
lows: Press the Spacebar to display one more page Press the Return key to display one more line Press the Q key to abort the current com-
mand, and return to the command input mode.
Any other character displays a single line, as for the Return key.
Commands and Parameters
The general command syntax is: command [/modifier] address [,count]
Specifying address sets dot to the address. Omitting the address uses the default address, dot. A missing count is taken to be 1 for
printing commands or infinity for stack traces. The string !! repeats the previous command, and the string "." repeats from the address
next with the same count and modifiers.
Multi-threaded debugging is supported by ikdebug. Thread-specific breakpoints can be set, and the address space and registers of a non-
current thread can be examined or modified if supported by machine dependent routines. For example, the command: break/t mach_msg_trap
$task11.0
sets a breakpoint at mach_msg_trap for the first thread of task 11 listed by a show all threads command.
In the example, $task11.0 is translated to the corresponding thread structure's address by the variable translation mechanism described
later in this reference page. If a default target thread is set in the variable $thread, the $task11.0 argument can be omitted. In gen-
eral, if t is specified as a modifier of a command line, the specified thread (or the current default target thread) is used for the com-
mand instead of the current thread -- the thread that was running when ikdebug was entered. The t modifier in a command line is not valid
in evaluating expressions in a command line. If you want to get a value indirectly from a specific thread's address space or access to its
registers within an expression, you have to specify a default target thread in advance, and to use the :t modifier immediately after the
indirect access or the register reference as follows: set $thread $task11.0 print $a0:t
The following are the commands accepted by ikdebug. Each command may be specified using the shortest unambiguous prefix of its name. In
addition, a few commands may be given as a single letter, even though this is not unambiguous. Commands specifiable with one letter are
indicated by putting the letter in parens after the command name, as in examine(x). Enables you to set a breakpoint at addr. If count is
supplied, the debugger continues count-1 times before stopping at the breakpoint. If the breakpoint is set, a breakpoint number is printed
with #. This number can be used in deleting the breakpoint. Set a breakpoint only for a specific thread. The thread is specified by the
thread parameter, or the default thread is used if the parameter is omitted. Set a breakpoint at a user-space address. It may be combined
with a t or T. option (plus a thread argument) to specify an address space other than the current one. This option is never required. With-
out it, supplying a user-space address will produce a warning, but will not cause an error. However, with the option, a kernel-space
address will cause an error. This option can be used only if it is supported by machine dependent routines. Set a breakpoint only for
threads in a specific task. It is like the t option except that the breakpoint is valid for all threads which belong to the same task as
the specified target thread. Set a breakpoint in shared user space address. It is like the u option, except that the breakpoint is valid
for all threads which share the same address space even if the t option is specified. The t option is used only to specify the target
shared space. Without the t option, u and U have the same meanings. The U option is useful for setting a user space breakpoint in non-
current address space with the t option such as in an emulation library space. This option can be used only if it is supported by machine
dependent routines.
Note
Note that if user text is shadowed by a normal user-space debugger, user-space breakpoints may not work correctly. Call the func-
tion named func passing it the parameters in arg-list. After the function runs, the debugger will display its return value.
A single exclamation point may be used as a shorthand for call, for example !rpcc()". Continue execution until a breakpoint. If c
is given, count instructions while executing. Some systems will also count loads and stores.
Note that, when counting, the debugger is really silently single-stepping. This means that the c option can easily cause unexpected
behavior, by single-stepping through low-level code. On an SMP system, switch the current CPU. This affects the identity of the
current context (task plus thread). A CPU must already be in the debugger to become the current CPU. If the command targets a CPU on
which ikdebug is inactive, the debugger ignores the command and prints an error message. Delete the breakpoint. The target break-
point can be specified by a breakpoint number with #, or by addr as specified in the break command. Display the addressed locations
according to the formats in the modifier. Multiple modifier formats display multiple locations. If no format is specified, the last
formats specified for this command is used. Address space other than that of the current thread can be specified with the t option
in the modifier and thread parameter. The format characters are: examine by bytes (8 bits) examine by half words (16 bits) examine
by long words (32 bits) examine by quad words (64 bits) print the location being displayed, symbolically if possible; any symbol
close enough to the location will be used print the location being displayed, symbolically if possible; only procedure names will be
used, and if possible the source-level file name and line number of the definition will be output display in unsigned hex display in
unsigned octal display in signed decimal display in unsigned decimal display in current output radix ($oradix), signed display low 8
bits as a character. Non-printing characters are displayed as an octal escape code ( 00). display the null-terminated string at
the location. Non-printing characters are displayed as octal escapes. display in unsigned hex with character dump at the end of
each line. The location is also displayed in hex at the beginning of each line. display as an instruction display as an instruction
including register contents Displays detailed help, a summary or usage for the specified command. If no command is specified, all
commands are displayed. Display detailed help for the specified command Display a command summary for the specified command Display
a command usage for the specified command Print addrs according to the modifier character. Valid formats are: a A x o d u r c.
(These are the same formats as for the examine command, except that the u format here corresponds to the u format there.) If no
modifier is specified, the last one specified to it is used. Each addr argument can be a string, which is printed literally, with
printf(3) style escape sequences. For example, print/x "pc = " $pc "
ra = " $ra "
"
will print the line pc = xxxxxx ra = yyyyyy Search memory for a value. This command might fail in interesting ways if it does not
find the searched-for value. This is because ikdebug does not always recover from touching bad memory. The optional count argument
limits the search. Set the named variable or register with the value of expr. Valid variable names are described below. Single
step count times. If -p option is specified, print each instruction at each step. Otherwise, only print the last instruction.
Warning
Depending on machine type, it may not be possible to single-step through some low-level code paths or user space code. On machines
with software-emulated single-stepping (i860), stepping through code executed by interrupt handlers is not recommended. Stack
trace. The /u option causes traces to include stack frames in user space; if omitted, traces include only frames in kernel space.
If the /t option is specified, it shows the stack trace of the specified thread or a default target thread. Otherwise, it shows the
stack trace of the current thread from the frame address specified by a parameter or from the current frame. The count is the num-
ber of frames to be traced. If the count is omitted, all frames are printed. The /T option outputs a trace for all threads within a
task. In this case only, <thread_addr> may refer either to a thread or to a task. To begin (or resume) tracing the threads of a task
at a thread other than thread 0, just name the desired thread (as in $task4.27).
Note
If the target thread's stack is not in the main memory at that time, the stack trace will fail. User space stack trace is valid
only if the machine dependent code supports it. Write the expressions at succeeding locations. The write unit size can be specified
in the modifier with a letter b (byte), h (half word), l (long word), or q (quad word) respectively. If omitted, long word is
assumed. Target address space can also be specified with /t option in the modifier and thread parameter. If the target is a user
task, you must include the /u option in the command.
Note
Since there is no delimiter between expressions, strange things may happen. It is best to enclose each expression in parentheses.
Examine forward. It executes an examine command with the last specified parameters, updated so that the location following the last
location previously displayed becomes the start address for the current command. Examine backward. It executes an examine command
with the last specified parameters, updated so that the start address of the previous command, minus the number of items displayed
by that command, becomes the start address for the current command. (This displays a "window" consisting of the items immediately
preceding the last group of items output.)
Show Commands
The debugger will display a number of interesting kernel-level data structures. The commands to do so all have the form show <name>, where
<name> is a tag related to the data structure in question. For some common cases where it is useful to inspect all instances of a given
structure with a single command, the debugger provides commands of the form: show all <name>
Unless otherwise indicated, each show command simply prints the interesting members of the structure indicated. Each member is labeled by
a name that is at least related to its C-language name. Display information for the thread specified by addr. If addr is omitted, informa-
tion on the current thread is displayed. If no modifier is given, the information displayed for the thread is its ID, the address of the
corresponding thread structure, and the state of the thread. The state is output as some combination of these letters: Thread is runnable.
Thread is waiting (has blocked itself); following the state output will appear the address of the event on which it is waiting, or zero, if
no event was asserted. Thread is suspended. Thread is swapped out. Thread is waiting uninterruptibly; if W appears without N, the wait
is interruptible. Thread has used the floating-point unit.
If /l is given, more information is displayed for the thread: the thread's ID the address of the thread structure the state of the
thread as explained above the swap state of the thread, indicated by one of the letters: Activation is unswappable. Activation is
swapped in. Activation is being swapped out. Activation is being swapped in. Activation is swapped out.
The letter will be followed by a T if the thread's task is being swapped, otherwise a hyphen will follow. the base of the thread's
kernel stack the thread's suspend count the priority of the thread, together with its scheduling policy, one of: for first-in/first-
out (no pre-emption) for round-robin (pre-empt only within priority level) for timesharing (degrade priority as thread executes) the
event, if any, on which the thread is waiting Display information on all tasks and threads. In all cases, this command shows task
and thread identification numbers, which can be used to specify a task or an thread symbolically in other commands (via task vari-
ables). The numbers are valid only in the current debugger session; if system execution is resumed, they may change. The currently-
executing thread is distinguished from others by a # after its id instead of :.
With no options given, this command displays the same information for each task and thread as show task and show thread would do,
when they're given with no arguments. The /u option expands the output shown for each task just as it does for show task. The /l
option expands the output shown for each thread just as it does for show thread or show task. For each task, perform show task.
Show all breakpoints currently set. The information displayed for each breakpoint is: the ID (number) of the breakpoint the address
space (kernel, user-space or taskn) in which the breakpoint is set the scope of the breakpoint, one of all (if it is global), taskn
(if it is specific to task id n), or taskn.m (if it is specific to thread m of task id n) the count specified when the breakpoint
was established the address at which the breakpoint is set Display the register set. Target thread can be specified with t option
and thread parameter. If u option is specified, it displays user registers instead of kernel or currently saved one.
Note
The support of t and u option depends on the machine. If not supported, incorrect information will be displayed. For each proces-
sor set defined in the system, displays each occupied run queue (i.e., each run queue where at least one thread resides). For each
run queue, the queue priority is output, followed by the task plus thread ID of each thread on that queue. Display information for
the task specified by <addr>, or for the current task if <addr> not given. Information is also displayed for all threads in the
task. If no options are given, the information displayed for the task is its ID, the address of the corresponding task structure,
and the number of threads the task contains; information displayed for each thread is the same as for show threads with no options
given.
If the /l option is given, this command shows more information for each thread -- the same information as show threads will with /l
given.
If the /u option is given, this command shows more information for the task itself: the task ID the address of the task structure
the address of the task's map (vm_map_t) the total number of threads in the task the number of resident (swapped-in) threads in the
task the task's suspend count the task's priority the task's swap state, indicated by one of the letters: Task is swapped in. Task
is swapped out. Task is being swapped out. Task is being swapped in. Task is unswappable. any UNIX process information available
for the task Display the current values of all debugger variables.
Variables
The debugger accesses registers and variables as <name>. Register names are as in the show registers command. Some variables are suffixed
with numbers, and may have some modifier following a colon immediately after the variable name. For example, register variables can have u
and t modifier to indicate user register and that of a default target thread instead of that of the current thread, such as $eax:tu.
Built-in variables currently supported are: Set if the console device will "autowrap" (i.e., insert a CR/LF pair) when its output width is
exceeded. Controls automatic completion of symbol names (see below). If zero, completion is disabled. Otherwise, controls at what point
all the current alternatives for completion are displayed. (If more than this number of alternatives exist, they won't be displayed.) The
number of lines. It is used by "more" feature. Addresses are printed as 'symbol'+offset unless offset is greater than maxoff. The width
of the displayed line. Input radix Output radix Tab stop width. Task or thread structure address. The xx and yy are task and thread
identification numbers printed by a show all threads command respectively. This variable is read only. The value of xx can be 1 to 10.
The default target thread. The value is used when t option is specified without explicit thread structure address parameter in command
lines or expression evaluation. Work variable. The value of xx can be 0 to 31.
Expressions
Almost all expression operators in C are supported except ~, ^, and unary &. However, operator precedence is decidedly different. From low-
est to highest, precedence levels are: logical or (||) logical and (&&) relational ops (==, !=, <, <=, >=, >) bitwise shift (<<, >>) "addi-
tive" (+, -, |) "multiplicative" (*, /, %, #, &) unary (+, -, !)
Special rules in ikdebug are: name of a symbol. It is translated to the address (or value) of it. The characters fullpoint (.) and colon
(:) can be used in the identifier.
If supported by an object format dependent routine:
[<file_name>:]<func>[:<line_number>] [<file_name>:]<variable> <file_name>[:<line_number>]
can all be accepted as a symbol.
By default, symbols may be specified using a unique (or near-unique) prefix. When a symbol name is being entered, the debugger will
attempt to complete it on receipt of a <tabcharacter. Any unique substring of the name that follows the portion so far specified
will be completed immediately. If the name is not totally specified after that completion, then the debugger will display all the
symbols that match the name so far completed, so long as the count of matching symbols does not exceed the value of the $completion
variable. radix is determined by the first two letters: 0x: hex, 0o: octal, 0t: decimal, otherwise, follow current radix. dot next
address of the start of the last line examined. Unlike dot or next, this is only changed by examine or write command. last address
explicitly specified. register name or variable. It is translated to the value of it. It may be followed by a : and modifiers as
described above. a binary operator which rounds up the left hand side to the next multiple of right hand side. indirection. It
may be followed by a ':' and modifiers as described above.
SEE ALSO
Commands: dbx(1), kdbx(8)
Kernel Debugging
ikdebug(8)