Interfaces for accessing kernel memory

[Mike Sullivan]

tchrist at convex.com (Tom Christiansen) writes:

>We've all written (or at least seen) programs that make kernel dives
>into /dev/mem using an nlist from /vmunix in order to figure out what
>some particular kernel variable looks like, or perhaps even to change
>it.
...

>arrays of structures?  Wouldn't it be nice to be able to get the first,
>then the next element until null, of the array?

>--tom

When I worked at Alliant our arrangement was very simple, we mapped the
kernel memory into the process (typically read only ;-) which needed
access.  Since my only interest was in the proc table, and a few other
structures which didn't have much call to change, it was immune to 
OS changes.  The direct mapping of kernel memory made linked lists very
easy to follow.

-- 
  ________________________
 /                    __  \  | Michael J. Sullivan    | "Used to be different,
| \  \  /  /\  |\ |  /  `  | | Wang Laboratories Inc. | Now you're the same,
|  \/ \/  /--\ | \|  \__T  | | mike at WANG.COM	      | Yawn as your plane"
 \________________________/  | 			      |	goes down in flames"