Operating system debugger using kernel and dynamic extension with debugger drivers to support different output devices
US5958049A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 17, 1997 |
| Grant date | Sep 28, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 17, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/3698
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
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 …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.