Linux System - Table 12 > Packages - Table 12 > dprobes

Dynamic Probes is a linux debugger that can be used to insert software probes dynamically into executing code modules. When a probe is fired, a user-written probe-handler is executed. The probe-handler is a program written in an assembly-like language, based on the Reverse Polish Notation (RPN). Instructions are provided to enable the probe-handler to access all the hardware registers, system data structures and memory. DProbes operates under the most extreme software conditions such as debugging a deep rooted operating system problem in a live environment, for example in the page-manager of the kernel or perhaps a problem that will not re-create easily in either a lab or production environment. For such inaccessible problem scenarios Dynamic Probes not only offers a technique for gathering diagnostic information but has a high probability of successful outcome without the need to build custom modules for debugging purposes.