Linux kernel debug configs | Silicon Signals

This document is a concise reference guide to the most important Linux Kernel debugging configurations. It talks about important kernel-level debug options like CONFIG_DEBUG_KERNEL, CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO, CONFIG_DYNAMIC_DEBUG, and parameters for tracing, memory, and lock debugging.
This cheat sheet gives embedded engineers and kernel developers a structured overview of the most common kernel debug settings, organized by General Debugging, Early Debugging, Dynamic Debugging, Tracing & Profiling, and Memory & Object Debugging. It covers everything from early printk support to runtime tracing and memory object tracking.

1. LINUX KERNELLINUX KERNEL
DEBUGDEBUG
CONFIGSCONFIGS
LINUX KERNEL
DEBUG
CONFIGS

2. 1. CONFIG_DEBUG_KERNEL: ENABLE KERNEL DEBUGGING
2. CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO: GENERATE ADDITIONAL DEBUG INFO
3. CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_REDUCED: REDUCED DEBUGGING INFO
4. CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_SPLIT: SPLIT DEBUG INFO INTO SEPARATE FILES
GENERAL DEBUGGING:

3. 5. CONFIG_DEBUG_FS: ENABLE DEBUGFS FILESYSTEM
6. CONFIG_DEBUG_LL: LOW-LEVEL DEBUGGING SUPPORT
7.CONFIG_DEBUG_LL_INCLUDE: INCLUDE SPECIFIC LOW-LEVEL DEBUGGING
SUPPORT
8.CONFIG_EARLY_PRINTK: ENABLE EARLY PRINTK
9.CONFIG_EARLY_PRINTK_DBGP: EARLY PRINTK USING DEBUG PORT
10. CONFIG_EARLY_PRINTK_EFI: EARLY PRINTK USING EFI FACILITIES
11. CONFIG_EARLY_PRINTK_USB: EARLY PRINTK VIA USB
EARLY DEBUGGING:

4. 12. CONFIG_DYNAMIC_DEBUG: ENABLE DYNAMIC DEBUGGING MESSAGES
DYNAMIC DEBUGGING:
13. CONFIG_TRACING: ENABLE KERNEL TRACING
14.CONFIG_FUNCTION_TRACER: FUNCTION TRACING SUPPORT
TRACING AND PROFILING:

5. 13. CONFIG_DEBUG_SLAB: DEBUG MEMORY ALLOCATION WITH SLAB
14. CONFIG_DEBUG_STACK_USAGE: ENABLE STACK USAGE DEBUGGING
15. CONFIG_DEBUG_BUGVERBOSE: VERBOSE BUG() REPORTING
16.CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCK_ALLOC: LOCK DEBUGGING: DETECT DEADLOCKS
17. CONFIG_PROVE_LOCKING: LOCK VALIDATOR (PROVING LOCKING
CORRECTNESS)
18. CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCKDEP: LOCK DEPENDENCY VALIDATOR
19. CONFIG_DEBUG_ATOMIC_SLEEP: VERBOSE ATOMIC SLEEP DEBUGGING
20.. CONFIG_DEBUG_ATOMIC_SLEEP_SKIP: SKIP ATOMIC SLEEP DEBUGGING
21. CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCKING_API_SELFTESTS: LOCKING API SELFTESTS
MEMORY AND OBJECT DEBUGGING:

6. 22. CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCKUP_DETECTOR: DETECT SOFT LOCKUPS
23. CONFIG_DETECT_HUNG_TASK: DETECT HUNG TASKS
24. CONFIG_DEBUG_KOBJECT: DEBUGGING ASSERTIONS FOR KERNEL OBJECT
MANAGEMENT
25. CONFIG_DEBUG_RT_MUTEXES: DEBUGGING FOR REAL-TIME MUTEXES
26. CONFIG_DEBUG_SPINLOCK: SPINLOCK AND RW-LOCK DEBUGGING
27. CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES: MUTEX DEBUGGING
28. CONFIG_DEBUG_WW_MUTEX_SLOWPATH: SLOWPATH CHECKS FOR THE
WW MUTEX
29. CONFIG_DEBUG_PREEMPT: PREEMPTION DEBUGGING
30. CONFIG_DEBUG_RT_MUTEXES: REAL-TIME MUTEX DEBUGGING
MEMORY AND OBJECT DEBUGGING (CONTINUE)

7. 31. CONFIG_DEBUG_RT_MUTEX_LOCKS: LOCKDEP RULES FOR RT MUTEXES
32. CONFIG_DEBUG_RT_MUTEXES_TEST: RT MUTEX SELF-TESTS
33. CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEX_TESTER: MUTEX TESTER SUPPORT
34.CONFIG_DEBUG_SPINLOCK: SPINLOCK AND RW-LOCK DEBUGGING
35. CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES: MUTEX DEBUGGING
36. CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCK_ALLOC: LOCK DEBUGGING: DETECT DEADLOCKS
MEMORY AND OBJECT DEBUGGING (CONTINUE)

8. 37. CONFIG_STACKTRACE: STACK BACKTRACE SUPPORT
38. CONFIG_STACKTRACE_SUPPORT: STACK BACKTRACE SUPPORT
39. CONFIG_DEBUG_STACKOVERFLOW: DEBUG STACK OVERFLOW DETECTION
40. CONFIG_DEBUG_VIRTUAL: DEBUGGING SUPPORT FOR VIRTUAL MEMORY
41. CONFIG_DEBUG_MEMORY_INIT: DEBUG MEMORY ALLOCATION DURING
INITIALIZATION
42. CONFIG_DEBUG_MEMORY_INIT_CLEAR: CLEAR UNINITIALIZED MEMORY
DURING BOOT
43. CONFIG_DEBUG_PAGEALLOC: DEBUG PAGE ALLOCATOR
44. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS: DEBUG MEMORY OBJECTS
45. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_FREE: TRACK FREED MEMORY OBJECTS
46. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_TIMERS: DEBUG TIMER OBJECTS
47. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_WORK: DEBUG WORKQUEUE OBJECTS
48. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_PERCPU_COUNTER: DEBUG PERCPU COUNTER
OBJECTS
STACK AND MEMORY DEBUGGING:

9. 44. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS: DEBUG MEMORY OBJECTS
45. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_FREE: TRACK FREED MEMORY OBJECTS
46. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_TIMERS: DEBUG TIMER OBJECTS
47. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_WORK: DEBUG WORKQUEUE OBJECTS
48. CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_PERCPU_COUNTER: DEBUG PERCPU COUNTER
OBJECTS
STACK AND MEMORY DEBUGGING: (CONTINUE)

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