Tracing Android Kernel Codes at Early Stage without Extra Hardware Components

Debugging is an essential part of the development process, and the functionality of the debugging tools influences the quality of software development. Therefore, a suitable debugging tool should be adopted before the formal development process. Distinct from the traditional software debugging, debugging android kernel requires specific tools. However, the commonly used android kernel debugging tools cannot meet the requirement of tracing the error of kernel codes during the early stage of the kernel boot process. Even if some methods are adjusted for the situation, the unneglectable cost is considered as the blocking of kernel development. In this paper, a feasible android kernel debugging method is proposed and implemented. In this method, the debugging information is stored in the non-volatile memory, which can be acquired after the kernel boot procedure. As a result, the data in this memory space will not be cleared and will not be arbitrarily modified by the kernel, and developers can trace the kernel code by analyzing the information dumped from the memory space. The evaluation of the scheme proves that this method is feasible and functional for android kernel debugging during the kernel boot process.