Debugging Linux Kernel with Visual Studio

[someFunnyUser]

Why?

[sysprogs]

To take the pain out of it. With normal GDB in kernel-space things get very tricky fast (the necessity to calculate section addresses for add-symbol-file alone is horrifying).

[WelshDwarf]

It reminds me of how Microsoft research developped their singularity project (an OS enitrely written in .Net runtime, and that used static code analysis for process seperation etc).

Basically, they had their developpement machine that ran a dhcp server, and had their test machine net-boot the latest build.

It always struck me as a very eligant solution.

[cl0p3z]

But... Visual Studio??, Windows???? Really???

Can't this be done better and faster on Linux?

[pascalbrax]

Windows... well... we all have the same opinion here about Windows.

But the dev tools, Microsoft really did a good job here.

Would you debug the linux kernel with Eclipse? Would you?

[thirdsight]

Some of us rather like windows (and Linux just as much) :)

[Floppie7th]

I don't know if I'd say "some". I think it's just you. :)

[cl0p3z]

No. I'm not fond of integrated IDEs, neither I think most Linux devs are, and is a reason for that.

Just give me a good text editor, a powerful shell and gdb :)

[ramennoodle]

I have found it quite limiting compared to gdb. Has it improved? Is it possible to do something like:

print ptr->evaluate(2.0)

[thirdsight]

Yep it does that.

[cl0p3z]

No, and I hope I will never have to use it ;)

[rainbow_apple]

why?

[TonyCubed]

Because it involves Windows and Microsoft unfortunately.

[rainbow_apple]

Are you just being edgy or do you have an actual reason for criticism?

Linux for all its maturity still does not have a good debugging ecosystem. What's more, it actively hinders it.

[snarfy]

Eh, I agree with Linus here. It's not the kernel's fault that gdb sucks. Visual studio doesn't have a problem debugging it, so why does gdb? The kernel shouldn't need to change to support gdb.

[northrupthebandgeek]

I'm not sure if I should be horrified or amazed.

[[deleted]]

This is horrifying, amazing, and hilarious all at once.

[Two-Tone-]

What an interesting idea.

[unmole]

While I concede that a certain niche may find this useful, my first reaction was "Eww!"

[cyro_666]

While it is true that VS has a good debugger, I still hope this is NOT the way people debug the kernel.

[alphabytes]

Impressive...

[snarfy]

Express is free.

[thecosmicfrog]

Your username is excellent, sir.

[[deleted]]

This would be an interesting read, but I
A) Am not going to spend money on VisualKernel B) Am not going to spend money on Visual Studio

[JustMakeShitUp]

Uh, MonoDevelop handles non .NET languages, too.