Re: Linux kernel file name

Andrew E. Mileski (aem@nic.ott.hookup.net)
Tue, 10 Dec 1996 13:33:54 -0500 (EST)


> > 1. There is an exported list of symbols, that are needed to allow linking
> > in the modules: /proc/ksyms.
> > This is not the complete symbol table.
>
> This makes that feature rather useless IMHO.

Agreed, but then it was not supposed to be a System.map file equivalent
that is HARDCODED (ie. excess baggage) in the kernel.

> Wouldn't it be good if there were a way to check if the System.map
> really matches the active kernel. What if we add the "kernel version
> stamp" as text to the System.map and then use the address from the
> System.mao where that value should be. If finally the value in the
> kernel is the one from System.map, the kernel finally must be
> compatible. (I don't know what syslogd does to obtain its result
> "System.map matches kernel", but it is not always correct).

The kernel version stamp is already in System.map
It has a silly name...something like "Version" :-)
It uses one byte to version part. Example: v2.1.14 = 0x0002010e

klogd doesn't check anything besides the version stamp.
If it would/could check a time stamp too, it would be much
more reliable.

What would be useful in addition, though it might already exist
(I've not looked) is a time stamp in the System.map file.

--
Andrew E. Mileski   mailto:aem@ott.hookup.net
Linux Plug-and-Play Kernel Project http://www.redhat.com/linux-info/pnp/
XFree86 Matrox Team http://www.bf.rmit.edu.au/~ajv/xf86-matrox.html