Chapter 6 Debugging STREAMS/UX Modules and Drivers

Table of Contents

System V Debugging Tools Supported by STREAMS/UX

STREAMS/UX Tracing and Logging
cmn_err() and printf()
Dump Module Example
strdb and adb

STREAMS/UX Debugging Tool

Running strdb
strdb Commands
STREAMS/UX Subsystem Commands
Primary Commands
Data Structure Navigation Commands
Commands to Change strdb Session Characteristics
Debugging with strdb

HP-UX Kernel Debugging Tools

HP-UX Kernel Debugging Tools and strdb

What Is a System Panic?
Traps

Generating and Retrieving System Core Dumps

Setting Up Your System To Save a Core Dump
Manually Getting a Core File from the Swap Partition
Problems Encountered In Saving/Obtaining a Core Dump
Transfer of Control In Case of System Hang
Core File Size Requirements
Symbol Information

Using adb

Invoking adb
Context on Entry to adb
Debugging Hung Systems
Finding the Panic Message
Interpreting the Panic Stack Trace
Manual Stack Back-Tracing
Basic Stack Back-Tracing
Exceptions to the Four Steps
Mapping Assembly Language Locations to Source Code Lines
Obtaining Procedure Argument Values
Obtaining Important Kernel Global Variables
Obtaining Values from the Process Table Entry and User Area

Debugging Examples

Example 1
Example 2
Example 3

This chapter describes tools for debugging STREAMS/UX modules and drivers. STREAMS/UX supports many System V tools, and provides new ones. This chapter contains the following:

An overview of the System V tools supported by HP-UX.
A description of a new tool, strdb, that displays STREAMS/UX data structures in running systems and HP-UX core dumps. Examples are included to show the use of strdb in debugging driver and application problems.
An in depth discussion of an HP-UX tool, adb, that helps programmers analyze core dumps. Examples show how to use adb and strdb to debug STREAMS/UX drivers and modules.

Other sections of this manual also contain debugging information. You should run the strvf verification tool to check that STREAMS/UX is properly installed before trying to debug modules and drivers. The STREAMS/UX Synchronization section of Chapter 3 contains module and driver programming guidelines. Read through these guidelines and the design guidelines in Chapter 7 of the UNIX System V Release 4 Programmer's Guide: STREAMS before testing modules and drivers.

Chapter 6 Debugging STREAMS/UX Modules and Drivers

Technical documentation

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