CODEWITHSUNDEEP
clinux-kernelembeddedlinux-device-driverembedded-linux
彭浩翔
彭浩翔

Reputation: 103

Debug Linux kernel in a board without GDB

I am totally a fresh on an assignment of developing a driver on a board, which uses a "small" Linux. Every time I make everything and get a ".bin" file on PC and then ftp ".bin" to the board, the system will just work.

Now the problem come. I checked the system, it can not use gdb. So when the system crash, it will just provide a core dump file, which gives messy address info (seems not helping or at least I have no idea how to use this).

Any experienced embedded developer can kindly give some suggestions? How you debugging in your work?

By the way, if the console print crash info includes stack info and Call Trace, no epc and ra (I just learnt that). Can the epc(crashed address) be found still?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 622

Answers (1)

Jamey Hicks
Jamey Hicks

Reputation: 2370

Many kernel developers, including myself, do not use a debugger when developing device drivers. For many years, Linux did not support kernel debugging. Even now, not all CPU architectures support kernel debugging.

One of the easiest things you can do is to use printk to log events to the console. Also, increase the console UART speed. I often use 115200 baud.

The Linux kernel does support kgdb now, for some CPU architectures.

I also highly recommend Linux kernel developers read these two books:

Upvotes: 3

Related Questions