matthew green wrote:
>    IMO, the energy spent on this would be better spent making programs not
>    access kernel memory directly.
>
>
> savecore has extra problems over normal kvm programs - it wants to copy
> the kernel program to the crash directory as well as the core file, so
> it needs to know where to copy it from.
>
> ideally it should use /dev/ksyms instead of /netbsd for name-lookup but
> right now that would require at least some interface change -- the -N
> option is used for both namelist and copying.
>
>
> i agree with the sentiment on making programs use well-define interfaces
> but how does that related to a @booted_kernel magic string?  isn't it
> just a handy thing for people who want it, ignored by the rest of us,
> like the rest of the magic strings?  i'm sure i can think of really
> horrible uses of those too, but we don't reject them for that.
>
>
>
>
>
> .mrg.
>   

My objection was that if we were going to change programs or kernel code
to support this, then that effort would be best spent just making them
use sysctl.  If, however, there are no kernel changes to support this,
and the changes to userland programs are trivial enough than any idiot
can make them, then I will withdraw my objection.

If a kernel developer is seen making these changes though, then he/she
should be smacked and the effort should be to make whatever program
needs this use sysctl instead.

-- 
Garrett D'Amore, Principal Software Engineer
Tadpole Computer / Computing Technologies Division,
General Dynamics C4 Systems
http://www.tadpolecomputer.com/
Phone: 951 325-2134  Fax: 951 325-2191