Set up a udev rule to create the /dev/revdev device file:

# echo "KERNEL==\"revdev\", MODE=\"0660\"" > /etc/udev/rules.d/10-revdev.rules

Load the dtrace, sdt, systrace, and revdev.ko modules:

# modprobe dtrace
# modprobe sdt
# modprobe systrace
# insmod revdev.ko

You can use dtrace to test that the probes are now available:

# dtrace -l -m revdev
   ID   PROVIDER            MODULE                          FUNCTION NAME
    4        sdt            revdev                      revdev_ioctl ioctl-return
    5        sdt            revdev                      revdev_ioctl ioctl-entry
    6        sdt            revdev                      revdev_write write-return
    7        sdt            revdev                      revdev_write write-entry
    8        sdt            revdev                       revdev_read read-return
    9        sdt            revdev                       revdev_read read-entry

Enter the following DTrace script (traceflow):

#!/usr/sbin/dtrace -qs
#pragma D option nspec=10

self int indent;

syscall:::entry
/execname == "testrevdev"/
{
  self->specflag = 0;
  self->spec = speculation();
  self->indent += 2;
  speculate(self->spec);
}

syscall:::entry
/self->spec/
{
  speculate(self->spec);
  printf("%*s ", self->indent, "->");
  printf("%s() entry\n",probefunc);
  self->indent += 2;
}

syscall:::return
/self->spec/
{
  speculate(self->spec);
  self->indent -= 2;
  printf("%*s ", self->indent, "<-");
  printf("%s() return\n",probefunc);
}

syscall:::return
/self->spec && self->specflag == 0/
{
  discard(self->spec);
  self->indent -= 2;
  self->spec = 0;
}

syscall:::return
/self->spec && self->specflag == 1/
{
  commit(self->spec);
  self->indent -= 2;
  self->spec = 0;
}

sdt:revdev::ioctl-entry
/self->spec/
{
  speculate(self->spec);
  self->specflag = 1;
  printf("%*s ", self->indent, "=>");
  printf("%s() entry file: %s cmd: %d arg: %d\n",
         probefunc, d_path(&(((struct file *)arg0)->f_path)), arg1, arg2);
}

sdt:revdev::ioctl-return
/self->spec/
{
  speculate(self->spec);
  printf("%*s ", self->indent, "<=");
  printf("%s() return cpstr: %s\n", probefunc, stringof((char*)arg0));
}

sdt:revdev::read-entry
/self->spec/
{
  speculate(self->spec);
  self->specflag = 1;
  printf("%*s ", self->indent, "=>");
  printf("%s() entry file: %s devbuf: %s\n",
         probefunc, d_path(&(((struct file *)arg0)->f_path)),
         stringof((char *)arg1));
}

sdt:revdev::read-return
/self->spec/
{
  speculate(self->spec);
  printf("%*s ", self->indent, "<=");
  printf("%s() return string: %s len: %d\n",
         probefunc, stringof((char *)arg0), arg1);
}

sdt:revdev::write-entry
/self->spec/
{
  speculate(self->spec);
  self->specflag = 1;
  printf("%*s ", self->indent, "=>");
  printf("%s() entry file: %s string: %s len: %d\n",
         probefunc, d_path(&(((struct file *)arg0)->f_path)),
         stringof((char *)arg1), arg2);
}

sdt:revdev::write-return
/self->spec/
{
  speculate(self->spec);
  printf("%*s ", self->indent, "<=");
  printf("%s() return string: %s len: %d\n",
         probefunc, stringof((char *)arg0), arg1);
}

When one of the inserted probes fires, traceflow displays information about data values in the module by using the probe argument variables (arg0, arg1, arg2,...).

The script uses d_path and stringof to create printable file paths and strings. For example, (struct file *)arg0 casts the value of arg0 to a file pointer (struct file *). The f_path member of the struct file contains the path structure (struct path) for a file. As d_path takes a path pointer (struct path *) as its argument, the & operator is used to return a pointer to the struct path.

See Section 4.6.8, “d_path” and Section 2.11.4, “String Conversion”.

Use chmod to make traceflow executable:

# chmod 750 tracedev

In one window, run traceflow:

# ./traceflow

In another window, run testrevdev and enter input, for example:

# ./testrevdev
Write: hello
 Read: olleh
Write: world
 Read: dlrow
Write: ioctl
Write: ioctl
Write: exit 

In the window where traceflow is running, you should see output similar to the following as DTrace responds to the probes in revdev.ko firing:

# ./traceflow 
-> write() entry
  => revdev_write() entry file: /dev/revdev string: hello len: 5
  <= revdev_write() return string: hello len: 5
<- write() return
-> read() entry
  => revdev_read() entry file: /dev/revdev devbuf: hello
  <= revdev_read() return string: olleh len: 5
<- read() return
-> write() entry
  => revdev_write() entry file: /dev/revdev string: world len: 5
  <= revdev_write() return string: world len: 5
<- write() return
-> read() entry
  => revdev_read() entry file: /dev/revdev devbuf: world
  <= revdev_read() return string: dlrow len: 5
<- read() return
-> ioctl() entry
  => revdev_ioctl() entry file: /dev/revdev cmd: 128 arg: 3
  <= revdev_ioctl() return cpstr: Odd
<- ioctl() return
-> ioctl() entry
  => revdev_ioctl() entry file: /dev/revdev cmd: 128 arg: 4
  <= revdev_ioctl() return cpstr: Even
<- ioctl() return