Kernel debugging without serial port?

[Brennan Vincent]

Hello,

I have an x86_64 PC with no serial port - is it possible to run ddb
remotely via a PCI-express or USB serial port adapter? Or does it only
work on an actual motherboard serial port connection?

If not, how do most kernel developers do their development work? In VMs,
or on older hardware that actually does have a real serial port?:

[Stuart Henderson]

Post by Brennan Vincent
Hello,
I have an x86_64 PC with no serial port - is it possible to run ddb
remotely via a PCI-express or USB serial port adapter? Or does it only
work on an actual motherboard serial port connection?

It is sometimes possible via PCIE but you will need to set the io base
address of the serial port manually with the "machine comaddr" boot
loader commamd. And I think there are some cases whwre this doesn't
work.

Post by Brennan Vincent
If not, how do most kernel developers do their development work? In VMs,

Various methods but machines with 'real' serial ports are definitely
commonly used and sought after. Servers with serial-over-lan are
sometimes used, as are standard consoles (ideally with important
information transcribed when passing to others; screenshots maybe as
a backup or for more detailed information).