NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       expand_dump  - Produces a non-compressed kernel crash dump
       file

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       /usr/sbin/expand_dump input-file output-file

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       By default, kernel crash dump files (vmzcore.#)  are  compressed
  during the crash dump.  Compressed core files can
       be examined by the latest versions of debugging tools that
       have  been  recompiled  to  support  compressed crash dump
       files.  However, not all debugging tools may  be  upgraded
       on a given system, or you may want to examine a crash dump
       from a remote system using an older  version  of  a  tool.
       The  expand_dump  utility produces a file that can be read
       by tools that have not been upgraded to support compressed
       crash dump files.  This non-compressed version can also be
       read by any upgraded tool.

       This utility can only be used with compressed  crash  dump
       files,  and  does not support any other form of compressed
       file.  You cannot use other decompression  tools  such  as
       compress, gzip, or zip on a compressed crash dump file.

       Note  that  the  non-compressed file will require significantly
 more disk  storage  space  as  it  is  possible  to
       achieve  compression  ratios  of  up  to  60:1.  Check the
       available disk space before running expand_dump and  estimate
  the  size of the non-compressed file as follows: Run
       tests by halting  your  system  and  forcing  a  crash  as
       described in the Kernel Debugging manual.  Use an upgraded
       debugger to determine the value of the variable  dumpsize.
       Multiply this vale by the 8Kb page size to approximate the
       required disk space of the non-compressed crash-dump.  Run
       expand_dump  and pipe the output file to /dev/null, noting
       the size of the file that is printed when expand_dump completes
 its task.

RETURN VALUES    [Toc]    [Back]

       Successful  completion of the decompression.  The user did
       not supply the correct number of command  line  arguments.
       The input file could not be read.  The input file is not a
       compressed dump, or is corrupted.  The output  file  could
       not be created or opened for writing and truncated.  There
       was some problem writing to the output  file  (probably  a
       full  disk).  The input file is not formated consistantly.
       It is probably corrupted.  The input  file  could  not  be
       correctly decompressed.  It is probably corrupted.

EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]

       expand_dump vmzcore.4 vmcore.4

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

       Commands: dbx(1), kdbx(8), ladebug(1), savecore(8)

       Kernel Debugging

       System Administration



                                                   expand_dump(8)