SA.NEXT - SA feedback needed

[Volker Simonis]

Hi,

maybe slightly off-topic, but I want to ask if the SA agent needs the
vtable symbols of all HS classes which are exported by partially
generated mapfiles (make/linux/makefiles/build_vm_def.sh) during the
linking of the VM.

I recently found out (see this thread:
http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/hotspot-dev/2014-February/012426.html)
that compiling the HS with gcc 4.3 and later deasn't export this
symbols any more, even if they are listed in the map file.

So the simple question is - does the SA agent relies on the vtable
symbols beeing exported or not? If yes, we should think about a fix.
If not, we should remove the magic which generates the vtable symbols
in the map files (i.e. build_vm_def.sh) from the build.

Regards,
Volker

PS: I didn't use SA agent until now although I think it is an
intersecting tool. I mostly use the internal tools from
utilities/debug.cpp. Another possibility used by some colleagues is to
use the Python scripting capabilities offered by GDB to achieve a
similar functionality. The downside of that approach is of course that
is is platform-dependent (i.e. gdb-only).

On Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 3:19 PM, Dmitry Samersoff
<dmitry.samersoff at oracle.com> wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I would like to start a discussion about future of hotspot debugger,
> known as serviceability agent or SA.
>
> How you typically use it? What do you expect from it?  What is missed?
>
> Please, share your stories and wishes.
>
> And please, fill the small quiz:
>
> 1. How often do you use SA?
>
> 2. On what platform do you use SA?
>
> 3. Do you use it to analyze life processes or coredumps?
>
> 5. What other debuggers do you use to debug hotspot issues
>
> -Dmitry
>
> --
> Dmitry Samersoff
> Oracle Java development team, Saint Petersburg, Russia
> * I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the sources.