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linux-kernel-module-cheat/README.md
2017-05-21 09:26:47 +01:00

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# Linux Kernel Module Cheat
Run one command, get into QEMU Buildroot BusyBox with several minimal Linux kernel 4.9 module example tutorials. Tested in Ubuntu 14.04 - 16.10 hosts.
Usage:
sudo apt-get install qemu
./run
First build will take a while (GCC, Linux kernel).
QEMU opens up, and you can run:
root
insmod /hello.ko
insmod /hello2.ko
rmmod hello
rmmod hello2
This should print to the screen:
hello init
hello2 init
hello cleanup
hello2 cleanup
which are `printk` messages from `init` and `cleanup` methods of those modules.
Each module comes from a C file under `kernel_module/`. For module usage do:
head *. use Buildroot's default kernel version, you can confirm it after build with:
grep BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_VERSION buildroot/.config
After the first build, you can also run just:
./runqemu
to save a few seconds. `./run` wouldn't rebuild everything, but checking timestamps takes a few moments.
We use `printk` a lot, and it shows on the QEMU terminal by default. If that annoys you (e.g. you want to see stdout separately), do:
dmesg -n 1
See also: <https://superuser.com/questions/351387/how-to-stop-kernel-messages-from-flooding-my-console>
## Text mode
Show serial output of QEMU directly on the current terminal, without opening a QEMU window:
./run -n
To exit, just do a regular:
poweroff
This is particularly useful to get full panic traces when you start making the kernel crashing :-)
In case of a panic, you want your terminal back with `Ctrl + C, A` and type `quit`. See also: <http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14165158/how-to-switch-to-qemu-monitor-console-when-running-with-curses>
See also: <https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/208260/how-to-scroll-up-after-a-kernel-panic>
## Debugging
To GDB the Linux kernel, first run:
./runqemu -d
This starts QEMU on the background of the shell, to prepare for running GDB.
If you want to break immediately at a symbol, e.g. `start_kernel` of the boot sequence, run:
./rungdb start_kernel
Now QEMU will stop there, and you can use the normal GDB commands:
l
n
c
To skip the boot, run just:
./rungdb
and when you want to break, do `Ctrl + C` from GDB.
To have some fun, you can first run inside QEMU:
/count.sh
which counts to infinity to stdout, and then:
Ctrl + C
break sys_write
And now you can control the counting from GDB:
continue
continue
continue
See also: <http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11408041/how-to-debug-the-linux-kernel-with-gdb-and-qemu>
If you are using text mode:
./runqemu -d -n
QEMU cannot be put on the background of the current shell, so you will need to open a separate terminal and run:
./rungdb
manually.
## Table of contents
1. [Introduction](introduction.md)
1. [Build](build.md)
1. [kmod](kmod.md)
1. [Bibliography](bibliography.md)
1. Examples
1. [Host](host/)
1. Buildroot
1. Debugging
1. [hello](kernel_module/hello.c)
1. [hello2](kernel_module/hello2.c)
1. [debugfs](kernel_module/debugfs.c)
1. [panic](kernel_module/panic.c)
1. [fops](kernel_module/fops.c)
1. Asynchronous
1. [workqueue](kernel_module/workqueue.c)
1. [sleep](kernel_module/sleep.c)
1. [kthread](kernel_module/kthread.c)
1. [timer](kernel_module/timer.c)
1. [work_from_work](kernel_module/work_from_work.c)