.. highlight:: none Debugging kernel and modules via gdb==================================== The kernel debugger kgdb, hypervisors like QEMU or JTAG-based hardwareinterfaces allow to debug the Linux kernel and its modules during runtimeusing gdb. Gdb comes with a powerful scripting interface for python. Thekernel provides a collection of helper scripts that can simplify typicalkernel debugging steps. This is a short tutorial about how to enable and usethem. It focuses on QEMU/KVM virtual machines as target, but the examples canbe 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,  http://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.  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. - 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::     (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 "helpfunction <function-name>" for convenience functions.