STRUCT KGDB_ARCH(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 struct kgdb_arch(9) — like, the Kernel API Manual, bestie ✨

okay so this is a page from the Kernel API Manual and it's literally the blueprint for struct kgdb_arch — the lil struct where each architecture gets to say "here's how my CPU does debugger stuff" 🎀 it's giving "describe architecture specific values" and honestly? iconic. no cap.

🌸 NAME 🌸

struct kgdb_arch — Describe architecture specific values. that's it, that's the whole vibe 💖

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

struct kgdb_arch {
    unsigned char           gdb_bpt_instr[BREAK_INSTR_SIZE];
    unsigned long           flags;
    int (*set_breakpoint)(unsigned long, char *);
    int (*remove_breakpoint)(unsigned long, char *);
    int (*set_hw_breakpoint)(unsigned long, int, enum kgdb_bptype);
    int (*remove_hw_breakpoint)(unsigned long, int, enum kgdb_bptype);
    void (*disable_hw_break)(struct pt_regs *regs);
    void (*remove_all_hw_break)(void);
    void (*correct_hw_break)(void);
 };

not me putting the whole struct up there verbatim — yes I did, because you're gonna need every single field spelled exactly right 🫶 don't be editing these, this is the main character struct 😭

🦋 Members 🦋

  • gdb_bpt_instr — the actual instruction that triggers a breakpoint 🔥 like the little "hey stop here" byte sequence, sized BREAK_INSTR_SIZE.
  • flags — flags for the breakpoint, and rn it's currently just KGDB_HW_BREAKPOINT. that's the whole cast, one flag, periodt 💅
  • set_breakpoint — lets an architecture specify how to set a software breakpoint. your arch, your rules ✨
  • remove_breakpoint — lets an architecture specify how to remove a software breakpoint. cleanup era 🧹
  • set_hw_breakpoint — lets an architecture specify how to set a hardware breakpoint. hardware girlies rise 👑
  • remove_hw_breakpoint — lets an architecture specify how to remove a hardware breakpoint. bye bestie 💀
  • disable_hw_break — lets an architecture specify how to disable hardware breakpoints for a single cpu. one cpu only, very exclusive 🙈
  • remove_all_hw_break — lets an architecture specify how to remove all hardware breakpoints. ALL of them. scorched earth, no survivors 🔥
  • correct_hw_break — lets an architecture specify how to correct the hardware debug registers. yes she does maintenance too, multi-talented 🌈

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

Kernel file ./include/linux/kgdb.h plus the whole friend group — go say hi:

ngl if you're writing arch-specific kgdb code, read the actual header too — ./include/linux/kgdb.h is the source of truth and she ate 💅

k that's the page!! sourced from ./include/linux, dated October 2026, filed under struct kgdb_arch(9) — go forth and debug, bestie, you got this 🎀✨💖

📦 where this page comes from