Arch Linux

kcbanner

Member

From: Toronto, Canada

Registered: 2006-08-28

Posts: 43

Website

Dont reboot...patch the kernel!

We were having an intelligent conversation in #archlinux tonight:

<wizzomafizzo> the only time i actually need to do a hard reboot
<wizzomafizzo> i actually do, not just reload the kernel
<kcbanner> dont reboot, patch kernel memory
<kcbanner> rofl
<wide> dont patch the memory, flip the bits by hand!
<kcbanner> dont flip them by hand...
<wide> just get a magnet and a magnifying glass
<kcbanner> !!!
<phrik> POPOZAO!
<kcbanner> rofl
<kcbanner> this is a good quote

I heard of people actually doing this, patching a running kernel. Is this possible? Would you do it with kmem or something?

Just wondering

-kcbanner

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http://www.caseybanner.ca

tpowa

Developer

From: Lauingen , Germany

Registered: 2004-04-05

Posts: 2,328

Re: Dont reboot...patch the kernel!

not exactly, kexec loads a kernel from the running one. This way you can bypass bios initilisation tests, which can be up to 10 minutes on big machines. On a normal desktop machine you save probably some seconds but not minutes.

neotuli

Lazy Developer

From: London, UK

Registered: 2004-07-06

Posts: 1,204

Website

Re: Dont reboot...patch the kernel!

I would call anyone that patches a running kernel borderline mentally unstable. But hey, it's not my fried hardware

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The suggestion box only accepts patches.

F

Member

Registered: 2006-10-09

Posts: 322

Re: Dont reboot...patch the kernel!

I would call anyone that patches a running kernel borderline mentally unstable. But hey, it's not my fried hardware

Start living on the edge, man!