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Debugging the FreeBSD Kernel Transparently

Posted by kdawson on from the deep-juju dept.

An anonymous reader writes "To debug the FreeBSD kernel core dump efficiently, it is best to set up a remote debugging session between a development machine and the target machine, and remotely debug the kernel using serial communication. This article shows you how you can debug as many kernel images as you want; it becomes transparent to users once debugging starts, and your system's performance is not affected at all."

2 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. I was just about to post this story.... by concernedadmin · · Score: 3, Informative

    Hehe, good to see others saw this as an influential story of the day.
    However, I have a question that perhaps others can answer.
    What does the diagram actually work out?
    Listing 1. 25-Pin NULL modem cabling

    2 3 Transmit Data
    3 2 Receive Data
    4 5 Request to Send
    5 4 Clear to Send
    6 20 Data Set Ready and Carrier Detect
    7 7 Signal Ground
    20 6 Data Terminal Ready

    What does that mean? I thought serial -> serial is merely a connection. Do I have to solder something?

    Regards

    1. Re:I was just about to post this story.... by ampmouse · · Score: 4, Informative

      What does the diagram actually work out?
      This is a Null modem adapter. It allows you to connect to terminals, such as computers, together without a modem. It is the serial equivalent of a ethernet crossover cable.