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KVM(3) BSD Library Functions Manual KVM(3)
NAME
kvm -- kernel memory interface
LIBRARY
Kernel Data Access Library (libkvm, -lkvm)
DESCRIPTION
The kvm library provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. Access to
live systems is via /dev/mem while crash dumps can be examined via the core file generated by savecore(8). The interface behaves identically
in both cases. Memory can be read and written, kernel symbol addresses can be looked up efficiently, and information about user processes
can be gathered.
kvm_open() is first called to obtain a descriptor for all subsequent calls.
FILES
/dev/mem interface to physical memory
COMPATIBILITY
The kvm interface was first introduced in SunOS. A considerable number of programs have been developed that use this interface, making back-
ward compatibility highly desirable. In most respects, the Sun kvm interface is consistent and clean. Accordingly, the generic portion of
the interface (i.e., kvm_open(), kvm_close(), kvm_read(), kvm_write(), and kvm_nlist()) has been incorporated into the BSD interface.
Indeed, many kvm applications (i.e., debuggers and statistical monitors) use only this subset of the interface.
The process interface was not kept. This is not a portability issue since any code that manipulates processes is inherently machine depen-
dent.
Finally, the Sun kvm error reporting semantics are poorly defined. The library can be configured either to print errors to stderr automati-
cally, or to print no error messages at all. In the latter case, the nature of the error cannot be determined. To overcome this, the BSD
interface includes a routine, kvm_geterr(3), to return (not print out) the error message corresponding to the most recent error condition on
the given descriptor.
SEE ALSO
kvm_close(3), kvm_getargv(3), kvm_getenvv(3), kvm_geterr(3), kvm_getkernelname(3), kvm_getloadavg(3), kvm_getlwps(3), kvm_getprocs(3),
kvm_nlist(3), kvm_open(3), kvm_openfiles(3), kvm_read(3), kvm_write(3)
BSD
September 14, 2011 BSD
