How Can I Reliably Debug Core Files Generated on Different Linux Distributions?

Debugging Core Files Generated on Different Distros

Core File Meaningfulness Across Distros

When debugging core files generated on a Linux distro other than the development environment, the stack trace may not be reliable. Dynamically linked executables use shared libraries that may have different implementations depending on the distro. GDB will attempt to use the library versions available in the development environment, which may differ from those on the customer's system. As a result, stack addresses may map to different routines or be located within instructions, indicating an inaccurate stack trace.

Resolving Meaningfulness Issues

To obtain a meaningful stack trace, acquire all shared libraries from the customer's system and set the solib-absolute-prefix path in GDB. This will redirect GDB to use the customer's libraries for symbol resolution.

Debugging Approach

Instead of advising customers to run a -g binary, it's recommended to:

1. Compile with -g -O2 to create a debug binary (myexe.dbg).
2. Remove debugging information (strip -g myexe.dbg) to create a production binary (myexe).
3. Distribute myexe to customers.
4. Use myexe.dbg when debugging customer-generated core files.

This approach provides full symbolic information without shipping a debug binary to customers or exposing sensitive source code.

Debugging Resources

For further debugging insights, consider referring to the following resources:

• Linux:

  • "Linux Debugging Tools" by Leonid Evdokimov
  • "Mastering System Debugging in Linux" by Paul Turner

• Solaris:

  • "Solaris System and Performance Tuning" by Mike Wilson
  • "Practical Solaris Performance Troubleshooting and Tuning" by Mark Burgess

These books offer real-life examples and advanced techniques for debugging on Linux and Solaris, including assembly analysis.

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