Subject: Re: Correctness of core dumps
To: Chris G. Demetriou <cgd@netbsd.org>
From: Ignatios Souvatzis <is@jocelyn.rhein.de>
List: tech-kern
Date: 04/21/1999 21:52:41
On Tue, Apr 20, 1999 at 04:05:48PM -0700, Chris G. Demetriou wrote:
> "Neil A. Carson" <neil@causality.com> writes:
> > Q: Is core dumping of any device really that useful anyway, most of the
> > time?
> 
> I can think of some specific cases in which it is potentially useful,
> but in the general case, in my opinion, it's a wrong and dangerous
> thing to do.

Agreed.

About the only not dangerous devices I can think of are
- Video Frame buffers
- Amiga "CHIPMEM" (audio/floppy/builtinvideo special DMA memory).

There are devices around that MUST NOT be read (they write FF instead).

	-is