Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
Patent
1997-03-17
1999-09-28
Kim, Kenneth S.
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
713 2, 395704, 395712, 395681, 714 38, G06F 9445
Patent
active
059580496
ABSTRACT:
A method of using a debugger for a computer operating system by providing a statically bound debugger driver which can be used early in the boot process, and further providing one or more dynamic debugger drivers which can be loaded after system initialization. The core portion of the operating system, such as the kernel for a UNIX-type workstation, makes a determination of whether any hardware device is connected to the computer that is of the type of debugger devices supported by the statically bound driver; if so, then the debugger can be used early in the boot process, but if not, provision is made for calling the dynamic debugger driver from some other portion of the operating system software, such as from the boot filesystem or PAL. The dynamic debugger driver may be selected from a plurality of dynamic debugger drivers, the particular selected dynamic debugger driver being associated with the particular hardware device that is actually connected to the computer. The computer's firmware may be designed to detect whether a hardware debugger device is connected to the computer that is of the appropriate type, so the firmware can pass this information to the core portion of the operating system. This approach simplifies testing of the operating system by allowing for the temporary connection of a debugger device which is supported by the statically bound driver.
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Mealey Bruce Gerard
Swanberg Randal Craig
Williams Michael Stephen
Dillon Andrew J.
Henkler Richard A.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Kim Kenneth S.
Musgrove Jack V.
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