Re: on debugging loadable modules...

lilo (lilo@lions.reseq.ungov)
Thu, 14 Mar 1996 11:01:16 -0600 (CST)


On Thu, 14 Mar 1996, Michael K. Johnson wrote:

> How about this simpler method: since insmod already has the ability
> to produce a fixed-up symbol table on load, have its *default*
> action be to write a file parallel to the module it loaded called
> "<module-name>.symtab". Each time the module is loaded, a new
> symtab file will be produced. If you can find the modules, you
> can find the symtabs. A listing (probably of /lib/modules/<ver>/)
> will show
> bar.o
> bar.symtab
> foo.o
> foo.symtab
> etc.
>
> Easy to use (no additional steps except for coding in modutils),
> easy for ksymoops to exploit (just needs to know where to find
> the modules; probably /lib/modules/<ver>/ unless it is given a
> command-line argument to the contrary). There are really very
> few points of failure here.
>
> Any opinions? Did I leave out anything important?

I'd rather see modprobe do things like this. It's got a config file and you
can plunk down a config option that specifies what directory this stuff goes
in. For me, personally, somewhere in /var would make sense.

Still, not everyone uses modprobe....maybe a command line option for insmod
that specifies where the file will go? Something that modprobe can also
drive via a config option.

lilo