mdb Command

The modular debugger, mdb, is unique among Solaris debuggers because it is easily extensible. A programming API is available that allows compilation of modules to perform desired tasks within the context of the debugger.

mdb also includes a number of desirable usability features, including command-line editing, command history, built-in output pager, syntax checking, and command pipelining. mdb is the recommended post-mortem debugger for the kernel.

For more information, see mdb(1).

Display a high-level view of a system's memory usage. For example:

# mdb -k
Loading modules: [ unix genunix specfs dtrace mac cpu.generic 
cpu_ms.AuthenticAMD.15 uppc pcplusmp scsi_vhci zfs mpt sd ip 
hook neti arp usba sockfs kssl qlc fctl stmf stmf_sbd md lofs 
random idm fcp crypto cpc smbsrv nfs fcip sppp ufs logindmux 
ptm nsmb scu mpt_sas pmcs emlxs ]
> ::memstat
Page Summary                Pages                MB  %Tot
------------     ----------------  ----------------  ----
Kernel                     160876               628   16%
ZFS File Data              303401              1185   30%
Anon                        25335                98    2%
Exec and libs                1459                 5    0%
Page cache                   5083                19    1%
Free (cachelist)             6616                25    1%
Free (freelist)            510870              1995   50%

Total                     1013640              3959
Physical                  1013639              3959
> $q

For more information on using the modular debugger, see the Oracle Solaris Modular Debugger Guide.

When using either kmdb or mdb debugger, the module name prefix is not required. After a module is loaded, its symbols form a common name space with the core kernel symbols and any other previously loaded module symbols.