>> (2) Add a /l modifier to the trace command.  This makes it print the
>> backtrace using printf() instead of db_printf(), which has the nice
>> side-effect of also putting it into the message buffer.  A kernel with
>> ddb in it but disabled (ie, ddb.onpanic set to zero) will print a
>> backtrace (which ends up in the message buffer) before dumping (or
>> not, depending on the value of kern.dump_on_panic) and rebooting, but
>> if ddb is not disabled, the backtrace is not printed, and there's no
>> way to get it to display a backtrace such that you can retrieve it
>> after the dump.  The backtrace printed by gdb is sometimes a little
>> different.
>
>I don't think there's any reason why this support should be specific
>to "trace". It was my intent (for some time, sigh) to add a "diary"
>command to ddb, which, when toggled on, would cause all ddb output
>would go to the message buffer.

that sounds neat to me.

>I still think that's right, and that when that goes in, this should
>come out. Do you object?

the only thing i'd like to suggest is that diary mode (a) defaults to
off and (b) goes back off when you continue.  how does that sound?

-- 
|-----< "CODE WARRIOR" >-----|
codewarrior@daemon.org             * "ah!  i see you have the internet
twofsonet@graffiti.com (Andrew Brown)                that goes *ping*!"
werdna@squooshy.com       * "information is power -- share the wealth."