Generating kernel crash dumps in elf core file format

Generating kernel crash dumps in elf core file format

[Amit S. Kale]

Hi,

We are thinking of implementing the generation of linux kernel crash dumps in 
elf core file format. This will enable users to analyze kernel crash dumps 
using gdb. It should be good tool to complement KGDB. KGDB could be used 
during development stage for live kernel analysis and LKCD-GDB could be used 
with the same capabilities for analysis of customer problems and in house 
release testing.

We would like to know if people think this will be useful or they are more 
comfortable with current way of kernel panic analysis using existing LKCD.

Any ideas/suggestions/pointers to existing work in this area are most welcome.

Thanks.
-Amit Kale

Re: Generating kernel crash dumps in elf core file format

[Vivek Goyal]

Hi Amit,

We are already working in this direction. Kexec based crash dump
approach exports a device interface to read/save the crash dump in elf
core file format and user shall be able to analyze the dumps using gdb.

Initial set of patches were posted by Hari on LKML for review. Please
have a look at following thread.

http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=109274443023485&w=2

Very soon Hari is going to post the final set of patches to be included
in -mm tree.

Thanks
Vivek

 
On Wed, 2004-09-08 at 13:13, Amit S. Kale wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> We are thinking of implementing the generation of linux kernel crash dumps in 
> elf core file format. This will enable users to analyze kernel crash dumps 
> using gdb. It should be good tool to complement KGDB. KGDB could be used 
> during development stage for live kernel analysis and LKCD-GDB could be used 
> with the same capabilities for analysis of customer problems and in house 
> release testing.
> 
> We would like to know if people think this will be useful or they are more 
> comfortable with current way of kernel panic analysis using existing LKCD.
> 
> Any ideas/suggestions/pointers to existing work in this area are most welcome.
> 
> Thanks.
> -Amit Kale
> -
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
> More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/
> 
> 

Re: Generating kernel crash dumps in elf core file format

[Amit S. Kale]

On Wednesday 08 Sep 2004 3:20 pm, Vivek Goyal wrote:
> Hi Amit,
>
> We are already working in this direction. Kexec based crash dump
> approach exports a device interface to read/save the crash dump in elf
> core file format and user shall be able to analyze the dumps using gdb.
>
> Initial set of patches were posted by Hari on LKML for review. Please
> have a look at following thread.
>
> http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=109274443023485&w=2
>
> Very soon Hari is going to post the final set of patches to be included
> in -mm tree.

Hi Vivek,

Nice!

Could you also tell us about the state of user level utilities required to 
save dumps in elf format? Are they going to be available any time soon?

Thanks.
-Amit

>
> Thanks
> Vivek
>
> On Wed, 2004-09-08 at 13:13, Amit S. Kale wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > We are thinking of implementing the generation of linux kernel crash
> > dumps in elf core file format. This will enable users to analyze kernel
> > crash dumps using gdb. It should be good tool to complement KGDB. KGDB
> > could be used during development stage for live kernel analysis and
> > LKCD-GDB could be used with the same capabilities for analysis of
> > customer problems and in house release testing.
> >
> > We would like to know if people think this will be useful or they are
> > more comfortable with current way of kernel panic analysis using existing
> > LKCD.
> >
> > Any ideas/suggestions/pointers to existing work in this area are most
> > welcome.
> >
> > Thanks.
> > -Amit Kale
> > -
> > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel"
> > in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
> > More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> > Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/

Re: Generating kernel crash dumps in elf core file format

[Vivek Goyal]

On Wed, 2004-09-08 at 17:19, Amit S. Kale wrote:
> On Wednesday 08 Sep 2004 3:20 pm, Vivek Goyal wrote:
> > Hi Amit,
> >
> > We are already working in this direction. Kexec based crash dump
> > approach exports a device interface to read/save the crash dump in elf
> > core file format and user shall be able to analyze the dumps using gdb.
> >
> > Initial set of patches were posted by Hari on LKML for review. Please
> > have a look at following thread.
> >
> > http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=109274443023485&w=2
> >
> > Very soon Hari is going to post the final set of patches to be included
> > in -mm tree.
> 
> Hi Vivek,
> 
> Nice!
> 
> Could you also tell us about the state of user level utilities required to 
> save dumps in elf format? Are they going to be available any time soon?

Hi Amit

Simple file copy commands like cp, scp can be used. No additional user
space utilities have to be written. /proc/vmcore interface itself shall
export the dump as ELF format file.

More details are available in documentation patch.

http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=109274464705867&w=2

Thanks 
Vivek
 
> 
> Thanks.
> -Amit
> 
> >
> > Thanks
> > Vivek
> >
> > On Wed, 2004-09-08 at 13:13, Amit S. Kale wrote:
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > We are thinking of implementing the generation of linux kernel crash
> > > dumps in elf core file format. This will enable users to analyze kernel
> > > crash dumps using gdb. It should be good tool to complement KGDB. KGDB
> > > could be used during development stage for live kernel analysis and
> > > LKCD-GDB could be used with the same capabilities for analysis of
> > > customer problems and in house release testing.
> > >
> > > We would like to know if people think this will be useful or they are
> > > more comfortable with current way of kernel panic analysis using existing
> > > LKCD.
> > >
> > > Any ideas/suggestions/pointers to existing work in this area are most
> > > welcome.
> > >
> > > Thanks.
> > > -Amit Kale
> > > -
> > > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel"
> > > in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
> > > More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> > > Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/
> 
>