Re: 2.5.64-mm6

[Eli Carter <eli.carter@inet.com>]

Andrew Morton wrote:
> ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/akpm/patches/2.5/2.5.64/2.5.64-mm6/
[snip]
> kgdb.patch

I'm interested in this patch in your tree.  (Just to warn you of my 
biases, I'm currently working with the XScale/ARM arch.)  I've noticed 
some things about it in an initial look, namely:

There appears to be some code duplication between hex() and stubhex() in 
arch/i386/kernel/gdbstub.c.

Also, the bulk of gdbstub.c appears to be generic code.  There are a 
number of functions that have x86 asm in them, but it looks to me on 
initial viewing, that most of the logic is applicable to other arches. 
Am I understanding that correctly?
Right now it looks like an arch would need to provide a way to:
- reboot the processor
- implement 'continue at address' and 'step one instruction from address'
- handle_exeption()
- printexception()
- correct_hw_break()
- regs_to_gdb_regs() and gdb_regs_to_regs()
     Hmm, there's probably some more to that part...
The above is just for the gdbstub.c.  I'm still reading the patch. :)

Would breaking the arch-independent parts out to linux/kernel/gdbstub.c 
be a reasonable change or is that a dumb question? ;)

Thanks,

Eli
--------------------. "If it ain't broke now,
Eli Carter           \                  it will be soon." -- crypto-gram
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