Re: Again: UML on s390 (31Bit)

From: Bodo Stroesser
Date: Fri Apr 29 2005 - 07:50:01 EST


Martin Schwidefsky wrote:
Yes, it is not a really good idea to add something to struct user. That will
affect the dump format and debugging tools. So it would be an additional ptrace
command like PTRACE_SETTRAP/PTRACE_GETTRAP. The only other solution I can think
of is to be more specific about what the debugger can indicate to the debuggee
what needs to be done after the first syscall_trace invocation. At the moment
it is either
1) a valid system call number, execute the new syscall, or
2) an invalid system call number, skip the system call but don't change
regs->traps and do system call restarting if another signal is pending
If we use more specific error codes instead of just any invalid syscall number
we could have e.g. this:
1) a vaild system call number, execute the new syscall,
2) -Exxx, skip the system call, store -1 to regs->trap and then continue
with restarting system calls if another system call is pending.
Typo with<->without?

Yes. That's what I suggested as a "special magic number". Only if that magic
is written as syscall number at the first interception, syscall_trace() would
modify regs->trap to -1.
Currently my patch uses -1 as the magic number, but there might be better
choices.

3) -Eyyy, skip the system call but leave regs->trap intact so that a pending
signal will restart the system call.
Not only -Eyyy, but all values unequal to "special magic number" could leave
regs->trap intact.


But we really have to be very careful not to break either strace or gdb if
we do this change. Probably it is much easier to introduce PTRACE_SET/GET_TRAP.
It's easier for s390-kernel, but from UML's point of view, the magic number
solution would be better.
Anyway, if you decide not to allow the magic number, we have to find a way
to use PTRACE_SETTRAP in UML without having to call it too often (Performance).
Because of UML's splitting in kernel-obj and user-obj, this might be a bit
tricky.

BTW: I see no reason to implement PTRACE_GETTRAP, as
PTRACE_SETOPTIONS/PTRACE_TRACESYSGOOD give us a way to distinguish between
syscall interceptions and other SIGTRAPs.

Regards, Bodo
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