From 22098763a10d9c1340827fcf6edab66f153b27f0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Linus Torvalds Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:27:00 -0700 Subject: Merge tag 'trace-v7.3-rc2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-trace Pull tracing fixes from Steven Rostedt: - Don't destroy user event fields when removal fails User event fields are destroyed before the event is removed from visibility. But that can fail leaving the still visible event with no fields. Move the destroying of the fields to after the event is successfully removed from visibility. - Initialize function graph state is fork before calling copy_exec_state() For non-CLONE_VM forks, copy_exec_state() allocates a new task_exec_state. If that allocation fails, ftrace_graph_exit_task() will free the tasks ret_stack pointer. Since that pointer is still using the parent's ret_stack, it mistakenly frees the parent's pointer too. Call ftrace_graph_init() on the task first which will NULL out the new tasks's ret_stack and if the copy fails, it will not free anything. - Remove FGRAPH_MAX_INDEX The macro FGRAPH_MAX_INDEX was added but never used. Remove it. - Save ent_size in function graph printing of nested functions The function graph tracer needs to look at the next event to see if the next event is the return of the current function entry. If it is, it prints a single line: ktime_get(); Otherwise it prints it like a nested function: tick_nohz_irq_exit() { ktime_get(); kcpustat_irq_exit(); } In order to look at the next event, it must save the current event so that it has the information to print from it. It saves the event in the iterator descriptor called "ent". What it doesn't save is the ent_size of the event which is now used to know if the function graph arguments are to be printed. The peek doesn't save the size so the size used happens to be that of the size of the last event that was seen. Save the entry event size in the iterator descriptor so that the correct size is used. - Fix several errors with freeing data in the histogram code The histogram code had a lot of leaked or or incorrect accounting when failures happen. Correct them. - Fix histogram regression of .percent and .graph modifiers Up until 6.3 histogram values could have "percent" or "graph" modifiers that changed how they were printed. But a change that added restricting histograms values from being strings, stack traces and other modifiers inadvertently prevented them from using the percent and graph modifiers, which were legal use cases for values. Put back the percent and graph modifiers. - Fix various typos in the comments - Set the trace_clock before initializing a histogram with clock argument The histogram API allows the user to specific which trace clock to use via a "clock=" string. The histogram is set up first before the clock is checked. If the passed in clock is not valid, it exits without fully fixing up the histogram leaving it on the list and a use-after-free can trigger. Update the clock argument first and if it fails then exit gracefully before the histogram trigger is placed on any lists. - Restore :mod: trailer after parsing in ftrace_set_clr_event The function ftrace_set_clr_event() modifies the parse string and needs to put it back to what was passed in. It searches for ":mod:" via a strsep() but fails to put back the first ':' in the string. Add back the ':' in the passed in string. - Take trace_array reference when opening a tracer options file The options files are dynamically created and some tracers add their own options. When a tracer adds their own list of options, the trace_array holding them has an array to hold the list of options for each tracer. This array increases in size via a krealloc(), and the new entry gets a newly allocated array to hold the options of the new tracer being added. The element in each entry of the tracer's option array holds a pointer back to the trace_array, a pointer to the tracer it is associated to, a pointer to the flags of the option. The issue is that these arrays are freed when the trace_array is freed when its instance it represents is removed from the instances directory. There's a race that an open of one of these options files can happen when the instance is being removed. Add a new helper function to be called by the open function of the options file to iterate all existing trace_arrays under a lock and find the one that has the given option element in one of it's tracer arrays. If found, then update the associated trace_array's reference counter to keep it from being freed. If not found, have the open call return -ENODEV. - Disable interrupts when acquiring the lock in rb_wake_up_waiters() The function rb_wake_up_waiters() assumes it will be called in interrupt context and does not disable irqs when taking cpu_buffer->reader_lock, which can be called in hard interrupt context. The issue is in PREEMPT_RT, this function is called in thread context leaving this lock open to a deadlock. Take the lock with interrupts disabled. - Use rcu_assign_pointer() for tmp_ops filter hash The tmp_ops used in update_ftrace_direct_mod() assigns its filter_hash field directly, but that field is annotated as __rcu and sparse complains. Assign it with rcu_assign_pointer() - Fix use-after-free in enable_trigger_private_data_free() The trace_event_call is accessed through the event_trigger_data's trace_event_file pointer to put the trace_event_call on freeing. The issue is that the trace_event_file data may have been freed already causing a use-after-free. Add a field to the event_trigger_data that points directly to the trace_event_call so that it can decrement its reference directly without needing to go through the trace_event_file. - Fix accounting of buffer data remote headers trace_buffer_desc_size() and trace_remote_alloc_buffer() undercount the number of pages is needed for the asked for size as it doesn't take into account the meta data on each page. Add a helper function to do the calculation properly and use that in these functions. - Catch nr_page_va overflow in ring_buffer_desc sizing The number of pages per remote ring buffer is capped by ring_buffer_desc::nr_page_va (32 bits). A buffer_size large enough to overflow that field would silently allocate a descriptor smaller than what was asked for. - Do not resize the subbuf order if any per_cpu buffer is disabled The mmapping of ring buffers disables resizing the subbuffers, but it is done per-cpu whereas the subbuf size change is done for all the per_cpu buffers under the buffer->mutex. It could change the size of some while the mapping is happening on others. Have the resize of the subbuf order check all the per_cpu buffers under the lock to see if any of them is disabled before starting and causing an inconsistency between buffers that are being mapped. * tag 'trace-v7.3-rc2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-trace: (25 commits) ring-buffer: Check resize_disabled before publishing the new subbuf order tracing/remotes: Catch nr_page_va overflow in ring_buffer_desc sizing tracing/remotes: Account for ring buffer page header in size calculation tracing: Don't dereference trace_event_file in deferred trigger free ftrace: Use rcu_assign_pointer() for tmp_ops filter hash ring-buffer: Acquire the lock with irqsave in rb_wake_up_waiters() tracing: Take trace_array reference when opening a tracer options file tracing: Fix ring_buffer_read_page_size() kernel-doc tracing: Restore :mod: trailer after parsing in ftrace_set_clr_event() tracing: Fix memory corruption from a "STACKTRACE" histogram key tracing: Fix memory corruption from the histogram stacktrace modifier tracing: Undo the registration when enabling the histogram trigger fails tracing: Take the reference before publishing the named histogram trigger tracing: Set the trace clock before registering the histogram trigger tracing: Fix typo "preceeded" in comment tracing: Fix typo "availabe" in comment tracing: Let histogram values keep the percent and graph modifiers tracing: Keep the entry count when the histogram stats allocation fails tracing: Free histogram the field rejected for a bad modifier tracing: Free histogram the var ref when its initialization fails ... --- Documentation/process/debugging/kgdb.rst | 916 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 916 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Documentation/process/debugging/kgdb.rst (limited to 'Documentation/process/debugging/kgdb.rst') diff --git a/Documentation/process/debugging/kgdb.rst b/Documentation/process/debugging/kgdb.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..316b1d74e --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/process/debugging/kgdb.rst @@ -0,0 +1,916 @@ +================================================= +Using kgdb, kdb and the kernel debugger internals +================================================= + +:Author: Jason Wessel + +Introduction +============ + +The kernel has two different debugger front ends (kdb and kgdb) which +interface to the debug core. It is possible to use either of the +debugger front ends and dynamically transition between them if you +configure the kernel properly at compile and runtime. + +Kdb is simplistic shell-style interface which you can use on a system +console with a keyboard or serial console. You can use it to inspect +memory, registers, process lists, dmesg, and even set breakpoints to +stop in a certain location. Kdb is not a source level debugger, although +you can set breakpoints and execute some basic kernel run control. Kdb +is mainly aimed at doing some analysis to aid in development or +diagnosing kernel problems. You can access some symbols by name in +kernel built-ins or in kernel modules if the code was built with +``CONFIG_KALLSYMS``. + +Kgdb is intended to be used as a source level debugger for the Linux +kernel. It is used along with gdb to debug a Linux kernel. The +expectation is that gdb can be used to "break in" to the kernel to +inspect memory, variables and look through call stack information +similar to the way an application developer would use gdb to debug an +application. It is possible to place breakpoints in kernel code and +perform some limited execution stepping. + +Two machines are required for using kgdb. One of these machines is a +development machine and the other is the target machine. The kernel to +be debugged runs on the target machine. The development machine runs an +instance of gdb against the vmlinux file which contains the symbols (not +a boot image such as bzImage, zImage, uImage...). In gdb the developer +specifies the connection parameters and connects to kgdb. The type of +connection a developer makes with gdb depends on the availability of +kgdb I/O modules compiled as built-ins or loadable kernel modules in the +test machine's kernel. + +Compiling a kernel +================== + +- In order to enable compilation of kdb, you must first enable kgdb. + +- The kgdb test compile options are described in the kgdb test suite + chapter. + +Kernel config options for kgdb +------------------------------ + +To enable ``CONFIG_KGDB`` you should look under +:menuselection:`Kernel hacking --> Kernel debugging` and select +:menuselection:`KGDB: kernel debugger`. + +While it is not a hard requirement that you have symbols in your vmlinux +file, gdb tends not to be very useful without the symbolic data, so you +will want to turn on ``CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO`` which is called +:menuselection:`Compile the kernel with debug info` in the config menu. + +It is advised, but not required, that you turn on the +``CONFIG_FRAME_POINTER`` kernel option which is called :menuselection:`Compile +the kernel with frame pointers` in the config menu. This option inserts code +into the compiled executable which saves the frame information in registers +or on the stack at different points which allows a debugger such as gdb to +more accurately construct stack back traces while debugging the kernel. + +If the architecture that you are using supports the kernel option +``CONFIG_STRICT_KERNEL_RWX``, you should consider turning it off. This +option will prevent the use of software breakpoints because it marks +certain regions of the kernel's memory space as read-only. If kgdb +supports it for the architecture you are using, you can use hardware +breakpoints if you desire to run with the ``CONFIG_STRICT_KERNEL_RWX`` +option turned on, else you need to turn off this option. + +Next you should choose one or more I/O drivers to interconnect the debugging +host and debugged target. Early boot debugging requires a KGDB I/O +driver that supports early debugging and the driver must be built into +the kernel directly. Kgdb I/O driver configuration takes place via +kernel or module parameters which you can learn more about in the +section that describes the parameter kgdboc. + +Here is an example set of ``.config`` symbols to enable or disable for kgdb:: + + # CONFIG_STRICT_KERNEL_RWX is not set + CONFIG_FRAME_POINTER=y + CONFIG_KGDB=y + CONFIG_KGDB_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y + +Kernel config options for kdb +----------------------------- + +Kdb is quite a bit more complex than the simple gdbstub sitting on top +of the kernel's debug core. Kdb must implement a shell, and also adds +some helper functions in other parts of the kernel, responsible for +printing out interesting data such as what you would see if you ran +``lsmod``, or ``ps``. In order to build kdb into the kernel you follow the +same steps as you would for kgdb. + +The main config option for kdb is ``CONFIG_KGDB_KDB`` which is called +:menuselection:`KGDB_KDB: include kdb frontend for kgdb` in the config menu. +In theory you would have already also selected an I/O driver such as the +``CONFIG_KGDB_SERIAL_CONSOLE`` interface if you plan on using kdb on a +serial port, when you were configuring kgdb. + +If you want to use a PS/2-style keyboard with kdb, you would select +``CONFIG_KDB_KEYBOARD`` which is called :menuselection:`KGDB_KDB: keyboard as +input device` in the config menu. The ``CONFIG_KDB_KEYBOARD`` option is not +used for anything in the gdb interface to kgdb. The ``CONFIG_KDB_KEYBOARD`` +option only works with kdb. + +Here is an example set of ``.config`` symbols to enable/disable kdb:: + + # CONFIG_STRICT_KERNEL_RWX is not set + CONFIG_FRAME_POINTER=y + CONFIG_KGDB=y + CONFIG_KGDB_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y + CONFIG_KGDB_KDB=y + CONFIG_KDB_KEYBOARD=y + +Kernel Debugger Boot Arguments +============================== + +This section describes the various runtime kernel parameters that affect +the configuration of the kernel debugger. The following chapter covers +using kdb and kgdb as well as providing some examples of the +configuration parameters. + +Kernel parameter: kgdboc +------------------------ + +The kgdboc driver was originally an abbreviation meant to stand for +"kgdb over console". Today it is the primary mechanism to configure how +to communicate from gdb to kgdb as well as the devices you want to use +to interact with the kdb shell. + +For kgdb/gdb, kgdboc is designed to work with a single serial port. It +is intended to cover the circumstance where you want to use a serial +console as your primary console as well as using it to perform kernel +debugging. It is also possible to use kgdb on a serial port which is not +designated as a system console. Kgdboc may be configured as a kernel +built-in or a kernel loadable module. You can only make use of +``kgdbwait`` and early debugging if you build kgdboc into the kernel as +a built-in. + +Optionally you can elect to activate kms (Kernel Mode Setting) +integration. When you use kms with kgdboc and you have a video driver +that has atomic mode setting hooks, it is possible to enter the debugger +on the graphics console. When the kernel execution is resumed, the +previous graphics mode will be restored. This integration can serve as a +useful tool to aid in diagnosing crashes or doing analysis of memory +with kdb while allowing the full graphics console applications to run. + +kgdboc arguments +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Usage:: + + kgdboc=[kms][[,]kbd][[,]serial_device][,baud] + +The order listed above must be observed if you use any of the optional +configurations together. + +Abbreviations: + +- kms = Kernel Mode Setting + +- kbd = Keyboard + +You can configure kgdboc to use the keyboard, and/or a serial device +depending on if you are using kdb and/or kgdb, in one of the following +scenarios. The order listed above must be observed if you use any of the +optional configurations together. Using kms + only gdb is generally not +a useful combination. + +Using loadable module or built-in +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +1. As a kernel built-in: + + Use the kernel boot argument:: + + kgdboc=,[baud] + +2. As a kernel loadable module: + + Use the command:: + + modprobe kgdboc kgdboc=,[baud] + + Here are two examples of how you might format the kgdboc string. The + first is for an x86 target using the first serial port. The second + example is for the ARM Versatile AB using the second serial port. + + 1. ``kgdboc=ttyS0,115200`` + + 2. ``kgdboc=ttyAMA1,115200`` + +Configure kgdboc at runtime with sysfs +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +At run time you can enable or disable kgdboc by writing parameters +into sysfs. Here are two examples: + +1. Enable kgdboc on ttyS0:: + + echo ttyS0 > /sys/module/kgdboc/parameters/kgdboc + +2. Disable kgdboc:: + + echo "" > /sys/module/kgdboc/parameters/kgdboc + +.. note:: + + You do not need to specify the baud if you are configuring the + console on tty which is already configured or open. + +More examples +^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +You can configure kgdboc to use the keyboard, and/or a serial device +depending on if you are using kdb and/or kgdb, in one of the following +scenarios. + +1. kdb and kgdb over only a serial port:: + + kgdboc=[,baud] + + Example:: + + kgdboc=ttyS0,115200 + +2. kdb and kgdb with keyboard and a serial port:: + + kgdboc=kbd,[,baud] + + Example:: + + kgdboc=kbd,ttyS0,115200 + +3. kdb with a keyboard:: + + kgdboc=kbd + +4. kdb with kernel mode setting:: + + kgdboc=kms,kbd + +5. kdb with kernel mode setting and kgdb over a serial port:: + + kgdboc=kms,kbd,ttyS0,115200 + +.. note:: + + Kgdboc does not support interrupting the target via the gdb remote + protocol. You must manually send a `SysRq-G` unless you have a proxy + that splits console output to a terminal program. A console proxy has a + separate TCP port for the debugger and a separate TCP port for the + "human" console. The proxy can take care of sending the `SysRq-G` + for you. + +When using kgdboc with no debugger proxy, you can end up connecting the +debugger at one of two entry points. If an exception occurs after you +have loaded kgdboc, a message should print on the console stating it is +waiting for the debugger. In this case you disconnect your terminal +program and then connect the debugger in its place. If you want to +interrupt the target system and forcibly enter a debug session you have +to issue a `Sysrq` sequence and then type the letter `g`. Then you +disconnect the terminal session and connect gdb. Your options if you +don't like this are to hack gdb to send the `SysRq-G` for you as well as +on the initial connect, or to use a debugger proxy that allows an +unmodified gdb to do the debugging. + +Kernel parameter: ``kgdboc_earlycon`` +------------------------------------- + +If you specify the kernel parameter ``kgdboc_earlycon`` and your serial +driver registers a boot console that supports polling (doesn't need +interrupts and implements a nonblocking read() function) kgdb will attempt +to work using the boot console until it can transition to the regular +tty driver specified by the ``kgdboc`` parameter. + +Normally there is only one boot console (especially that implements the +read() function) so just adding ``kgdboc_earlycon`` on its own is +sufficient to make this work. If you have more than one boot console you +can add the boot console's name to differentiate. Note that names that +are registered through the boot console layer and the tty layer are not +the same for the same port. + +For instance, on one board to be explicit you might do:: + + kgdboc_earlycon=qcom_geni kgdboc=ttyMSM0 + +If the only boot console on the device was "qcom_geni", you could simplify:: + + kgdboc_earlycon kgdboc=ttyMSM0 + +Kernel parameter: ``kgdbwait`` +------------------------------ + +The Kernel command line option ``kgdbwait`` makes kgdb wait for a +debugger connection during booting of a kernel. You can only use this +option if you compiled a kgdb I/O driver into the kernel and you +specified the I/O driver configuration as a kernel command line option. +The kgdbwait parameter should always follow the configuration parameter +for the kgdb I/O driver in the kernel command line else the I/O driver +will not be configured prior to asking the kernel to use it to wait. + +The kernel will stop and wait as early as the I/O driver and +architecture allows when you use this option. If you build the kgdb I/O +driver as a loadable kernel module kgdbwait will not do anything. + +Kernel parameter: ``kgdbcon`` +----------------------------- + +The ``kgdbcon`` feature allows you to see printk() messages inside gdb +while gdb is connected to the kernel. Kdb does not make use of the kgdbcon +feature. + +Kgdb supports using the gdb serial protocol to send console messages to +the debugger when the debugger is connected and running. There are two +ways to activate this feature. + +1. Activate with the kernel command line option:: + + kgdbcon + +2. Use sysfs before configuring an I/O driver:: + + echo 1 > /sys/module/debug_core/parameters/kgdb_use_con + +.. note:: + + If you do this after you configure the kgdb I/O driver, the + setting will not take effect until the next point the I/O is + reconfigured. + +.. important:: + + You cannot use kgdboc + kgdbcon on a tty that is an + active system console. An example of incorrect usage is:: + + console=ttyS0,115200 kgdboc=ttyS0 kgdbcon + +It is possible to use this option with kgdboc on a tty that is not a +system console. + +Run time parameter: ``kgdbreboot`` +---------------------------------- + +The kgdbreboot feature allows you to change how the debugger deals with +the reboot notification. You have 3 choices for the behavior. The +default behavior is always set to 0. + +.. tabularcolumns:: |p{0.4cm}|p{11.5cm}|p{5.6cm}| + +.. flat-table:: + :widths: 1 10 8 + + * - 1 + - ``echo -1 > /sys/module/debug_core/parameters/kgdbreboot`` + - Ignore the reboot notification entirely. + + * - 2 + - ``echo 0 > /sys/module/debug_core/parameters/kgdbreboot`` + - Send the detach message to any attached debugger client. + + * - 3 + - ``echo 1 > /sys/module/debug_core/parameters/kgdbreboot`` + - Enter the debugger on reboot notify. + +Kernel parameter: ``nokaslr`` +----------------------------- + +If the architecture that you are using enables KASLR by default, +you should consider turning it off. KASLR randomizes the +virtual address where the kernel image is mapped and confuses +gdb which resolves addresses of kernel symbols from the symbol table +of vmlinux. + +Kernel parameter: ``rodata`` +---------------------------- + +``CONFIG_STRICT_KERNEL_RWX`` is turned on by default and is not +visible to menuconfig on some architectures (arm64 for example), +you can pass ``rodata=off`` to the kernel in this case. + +Using kdb +========= + +Quick start for kdb on a serial port +------------------------------------ + +This is a quick example of how to use kdb. + +1. Configure kgdboc at boot using kernel parameters:: + + console=ttyS0,115200 kgdboc=ttyS0,115200 nokaslr + + OR + + Configure kgdboc after the kernel has booted; assuming you are using + a serial port console:: + + echo ttyS0 > /sys/module/kgdboc/parameters/kgdboc + +2. Enter the kernel debugger manually or by waiting for an oops or + fault. There are several ways you can enter the kernel debugger + manually; all involve using the `SysRq-G`, which means you must have + enabled ``CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ=y`` in your kernel config. + + - When logged in as root or with a super user session you can run:: + + echo g > /proc/sysrq-trigger + + - Example using minicom 2.2 + + Press: `CTRL-A` `f` `g` + + - When you have telneted to a terminal server that supports sending + a remote break + + Press: `CTRL-]` + + Type in: ``send break`` + + Press: `Enter` `g` + +3. From the kdb prompt you can run the ``help`` command to see a complete + list of the commands that are available. + + Some useful commands in kdb include: + + =========== ================================================================= + ``lsmod`` Shows where kernel modules are loaded + ``ps`` Displays only the active processes + ``ps A`` Shows all the processes + ``summary`` Shows kernel version info and memory usage + ``bt`` Get a backtrace of the current process using dump_stack() + ``dmesg`` View the kernel syslog buffer + ``go`` Continue the system + =========== ================================================================= + +4. When you are done using kdb you need to consider rebooting the system + or using the ``go`` command to resuming normal kernel execution. If you + have paused the kernel for a lengthy period of time, applications + that rely on timely networking or anything to do with real wall clock + time could be adversely affected, so you should take this into + consideration when using the kernel debugger. + +Quick start for kdb using a keyboard connected console +------------------------------------------------------ + +This is a quick example of how to use kdb with a keyboard. + +1. Configure kgdboc at boot using kernel parameters:: + + kgdboc=kbd + + OR + + Configure kgdboc after the kernel has booted:: + + echo kbd > /sys/module/kgdboc/parameters/kgdboc + +2. Enter the kernel debugger manually or by waiting for an oops or + fault. There are several ways you can enter the kernel debugger + manually; all involve using the `SysRq-G`, which means you must have + enabled ``CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ=y`` in your kernel config. + + - When logged in as root or with a super user session you can run:: + + echo g > /proc/sysrq-trigger + + - Example using a laptop keyboard: + + Press and hold down: `Alt` + + Press and hold down: `Fn` + + Press and release the key with the label: `SysRq` + + Release: `Fn` + + Press and release: `g` + + Release: `Alt` + + - Example using a PS/2 101-key keyboard + + Press and hold down: `Alt` + + Press and release the key with the label: `SysRq` + + Press and release: `g` + + Release: `Alt` + +3. Now type in a kdb command such as ``help``, ``dmesg``, ``bt`` or ``go`` to + continue kernel execution. + +Using kgdb / gdb +================ + +In order to use kgdb you must activate it by passing configuration +information to one of the kgdb I/O drivers. If you do not pass any +configuration information kgdb will not do anything at all. Kgdb will +only actively hook up to the kernel trap hooks if a kgdb I/O driver is +loaded and configured. If you unconfigure a kgdb I/O driver, kgdb will +unregister all the kernel hook points. + +All kgdb I/O drivers can be reconfigured at run time, if +``CONFIG_SYSFS`` and ``CONFIG_MODULES`` are enabled, by echo'ing a new +config string to ``/sys/module//parameters/