This is the mail archive of the
systemtap@sourceware.org
mailing list for the systemtap project.
Re: kernel summit session on systemtap
On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 10:17:35AM +0100, R. J. Moore wrote:
> Why should you expect this (or kdump) to be solely for kernel
> developers? Its for debuggers, which may or may not be the same set of
> folks. And those who concern themselves with complex live scenarios are
> often not the same folks - at least not willingly so. This tired old
> view that stipulates all that goes on in a kernel is for an exclusive
> clique of kernel developers is a nonsense.
It is if the assumption is that the kernel developers are the ones
going to write and maintain the tapsets.... Who is that going to be?
I've heard many times from many systemtap developers, over many years,
from multiple companies, that they weren't kernel subsystem experts,
but rather tool people, and so they were expecting the kernel
developers to write the tapsets.
I suppose we could wait for the set of system administrators who are
willing to read and paw through kernel sources to write and maintain
tapsets, but the last time I went to LISA, I found that many system
administrators are specializing so highly that some sysadmins don't
even write perl scripts any more; to quote one of them, "I have
students/interns who do that for me." Does anyone really think that
is a winning strategy?
- Ted