Mention full memor dumps, minidumps, and textdumps in the introduction

to kernel debugging, with consequences for debugging.

Mention that the default in more recent FreeBSD versions is to
automatically select a swap partition and use it as a dump partition,
and don't suggest changing the default.

This chapter could use rather serious updating.
This commit is contained in:
Robert Watson 2007-12-26 12:56:46 +00:00
parent 35785f6be9
commit 21c0c8925b
Notes: svn2git 2020-12-08 03:00:23 +00:00
svn path=/head/; revision=31159

View file

@ -53,14 +53,16 @@
<quote>swap device</quote> is synonymous with a <quote>swap <quote>swap device</quote> is synonymous with a <quote>swap
partition.</quote></para></note> partition.</quote></para></note>
<para>To be able to extract a usable core, it is required that at <para>Several types of kernel crash dumps are available: full memory
least one swap partition be large enough to hold all of the bits dumps, which hold the complete contents of physical memory,
in physical memory. When a kernel panics, before the system minidumps, which hold only memory pages in use by the kernel
reboots, the kernel is smart enough to check to see if a swap (&os;&nbsp; 6.2 and higher), and textdumps, which hold captured
device has been configured as a dump device. If there is a scripted or interactive debugger output (&os;&nbsp;8.0 and higher).
valid dump device, the kernel dumps the contents of what is in Minidumps are the default dump type as of &os;&nbsp;7.0, and in most
physical memory to the swap device.</para> cases will capture all necessary information present in a full
memory dump, as most problems can be isolated only using kernel
state.</para>
<sect2 id="config-dumpdev"> <sect2 id="config-dumpdev">
<title>Configuring the Dump Device</title> <title>Configuring the Dump Device</title>
@ -72,7 +74,10 @@
has been configured with &man.swapon.8;. This is normally has been configured with &man.swapon.8;. This is normally
handled by setting the <varname>dumpdev</varname> variable in handled by setting the <varname>dumpdev</varname> variable in
&man.rc.conf.5; to the path of the swap device (the &man.rc.conf.5; to the path of the swap device (the
recommended way to extract a kernel dump).</para> recommended way to extract a kernel dump) or
<filename>AUTO</filename> to use the first configured swap
device. <filename>AUTO</filename> is the default as of
&os;&nbsp;6.0.</para>
<para>Alternatively, the dump device can be hard-coded via the <para>Alternatively, the dump device can be hard-coded via the
<literal>dump</literal> clause in the &man.config.5; line of <literal>dump</literal> clause in the &man.config.5; line of
@ -140,10 +145,6 @@
space for the dump. Also, do not forget to specify the correct path to your swap space for the dump. Also, do not forget to specify the correct path to your swap
device as it is likely different than device as it is likely different than
<filename>/dev/ad0s1b</filename>!</para></tip> <filename>/dev/ad0s1b</filename>!</para></tip>
<para>The recommended, and certainly the easiest way to automate
obtaining crash dumps is to use the <varname>dumpdev</varname>
variable in &man.rc.conf.5;.</para>
</sect2> </sect2>
</sect1> </sect1>