Debugging a process that does fork on Intel Linux

Debugging a process that does fork on Intel Linux

[Datoda]

Hi,

    GDB has the concept of a catchpoint to catch a
fork syscall in the debuggee. Alas, it doesn't work
(yet) on intel linux. I put a little thought in it and
thinks that what's missing is a kernel support for
putting the parent and the child processes in a
stopped state when the fork syscall is complete. At
that point, the debugger can then attach to the child
process and bring it under control.

    I was wondering if such a kernel support exists?
If not, is there a plan for adding it? Or are there
other ideas for catching forks on Linux? TIA.





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Re: Debugging a process that does fork on Intel Linux

[Daniel Jacobowitz]

On Wed, Aug 21, 2002 at 12:11:35PM -0700, Datoda wrote:
> Hi,
> 
>     GDB has the concept of a catchpoint to catch a
> fork syscall in the debuggee. Alas, it doesn't work
> (yet) on intel linux. I put a little thought in it and
> thinks that what's missing is a kernel support for
> putting the parent and the child processes in a
> stopped state when the fork syscall is complete. At
> that point, the debugger can then attach to the child
> process and bring it under control.
> 
>     I was wondering if such a kernel support exists?
> If not, is there a plan for adding it? Or are there
> other ideas for catching forks on Linux? TIA.

I agree.  I finished the kernel support last week, coincidentally.  I'm
trying to get comments on it on linux-kernel before I port it to 2.4
and post the GDB bits (which work, but need some cleaning).

It may be a month or two.  When I get around to doing the 2.4 port,
I'll let the list know.

-- 
Daniel Jacobowitz
MontaVista Software                         Debian GNU/Linux Developer