linux-kernel-module-cheat/README.md

# Linux Kernel Module Cheat

Run one command, get into QEMU Buildroot BusyBox with several minimal Linux kernel 4.9 module example tutorials with GDB debug support. 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 see:

    head kernel_module/*.c

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>

We use Buildroot's default kernel version, you can confirm it after build with:

    grep BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_VERSION buildroot/.config

## 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 :-) See also: <https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/208260/how-to-scroll-up-after-a-kernel-panic>

If the system crashes, you can't can quit QEMU with `poweroff`, but you can use either:

    Ctrl-C X

or:

    Ctrl-C A
    quit

See also:

- <http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14165158/how-to-switch-to-qemu-monitor-console-when-running-with-curses>
- <https://superuser.com/questions/1087859/how-to-quit-qemu-monitor>
- <https://superuser.com/questions/488263/problems-switching-to-qemu-control-panel-with-nographics>
- <https://superuser.com/questions/1087859/how-to-quit-the-qemu-monitor-when-not-using-a-gui/1211516#1211516>

## 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.

### Kernel module debugging

Loadable kernel modules are a bit trickier since the kernel can place them at different memory locations depending on load other.

So we cannot set the breakpoints before `insmod`.

However, the Linux kernel GDB scripts offer the `lx-symbols` command, which takes care of that beautifully for us:

    ./runqemu -d
    ./rungdb

In QEMU:

    insmod /fops.ko

In GDB, hit `Ctrl + C`, and note how it says:

    scanning for modules in ../kernel_module-1.0/
    loading @0xffffffffa0000000: ../kernel_module-1.0//fops.ko

That's `lx-symbols` working! Now simply:

    b fop_write
    c

In QEMU:

    printf a >/sys/kernel/debug/kernel_module_cheat/fops

and GDB now breaks at our `fop_write` function!

Just don't forget to remove your breakpoints after `rmmod`, or they will point to stale memory locations.

TODO: why does `break work_func` for `insmod kthread.ko` not break the first time I `insmod`, but breaks the second time?

#### Bypassing lx-symbols

Useless, but a good way to show how hardcore you are. From inside QEMU:

    insmod /fops.ko
    cat /proc/modules

This will give a line of form:

    fops 2327 0 - Live 0xfffffffa00000000

And then tell GDB where the module was loaded with:

    Ctrl + C
    add-symbol-file ../kernel_module-1.0/fops.ko 0xfffffffa00000000

## 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)