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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mira.net.au!news.netspace.net.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.Hawaii.Edu!news.caldera.com!enews.sgi.com!nntprelay.mathworks.com!howland.erols.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!startide.ctr.columbia.edu!wpaul From: wpaul@ctr.columbia.edu (Bill Paul) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: Turning on crash dumps? Date: 2 Jul 1997 19:25:23 GMT Organization: Columbia University Center for Telecommunications Research Lines: 50 Message-ID: <5pe9v4$ces$1@sol.ctr.columbia.edu> References: <5pdmn1$e4p@netaxs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: startide.ctr.columbia.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:43829 Daring to challenge the will of the almighty Leviam00se, A. Karl Heller (heller@socko.cdnow.com) had the courage to say: : Under 2.2.2 I have the following in /etc/rc.conf: : savecore_enable="YES" # Save kernel crashdumps for debugging (or NO)." : # Save kernel crashdumps for debugging (or NO). : dumpdev="/dev/sd0s1b" # Device name to crashdump to (if enabled)." : # Device name to crashdump to (if enabled). : Where /dev/sd0s1b is : : # Device Mountpoint FStype Options Dump Pass# : /dev/sd0s1b none swap sw 0 0 This looks correct. The swap device has to be at least as large as your physical RAM to hold the full dump, but this is usually the case anyway. : Can anyone tell me, then, why this machine isn't keeping core dumps? Not keeping them or not generating them? : Everyday this machine just reboots ( according to "last" ), however I have : the feeling something else is wrong, but I have no way to track it down without : a dump. 'Just reboots' is not the same as 'panicks.' A crash dump will only be created after a panic. You say it reboots 'according to "last"' which to me indicates you haven't actually been there to witness it. It is possible for the system to reset rather than panicking, in which case a crash dump won't be produced. : Any suggestions? One: try recompiling your kernel with 'options DDB' in the config file to enable the kernel debugger. If you are fortunate, the system will drop into the debugger instead of just plain resetting, and you'll be able to force a crash dump by typing 'panic' at the debugger prompt a few times. -Bill -- ============================================================================= -Bill Paul (212) 854-6020 | System Manager, Master of Unix-Fu Work: wpaul@ctr.columbia.edu | Center for Telecommunications Research Home: wpaul@skynet.ctr.columbia.edu | Columbia University, New York City ============================================================================= "Now, that's "Open" as used in the sentence "Open your wallet", right?" =============================================================================