Debug Snapshot Tool/Script? [WAS:Re: Linksys WPC54g v4, NDIS, & Kernel Panics]

[jfarmer at goldsword.com]

Quoting Bill Paul <wpaul at FreeBSD.ORG>:
> There is a LOT more you should have said.
>
> - You didn't say what chipset this chip has. No, "Linksys WPC54g v4"
>  isn't enough to figure it out. You should do pciconf -lv with the
>  card plugged in and show us the result.
>
> - You didn't show the dmesg output from when the card is plugged in.
>
> - You didn't show what commands you typed to "set an SSID under iconfig,"
>  or for your attempts to "set wither WEP or WPA-PSK keys."
>
> - If your panic info is accurate, you're using smbfs. Have you tried
>  _NOT_ using smbfs to see what happens?
>
> Remember, we're not there to look over your shoulder: you have to
> _show_ us what you're doing, not summarize.
>
> People, I'm getting tired of always having to ask for this basic
> information. The more I have to ask, the more annoyed I get, and the
> less inclined I am to help anyone. The shit you don't think is important?
> It's important. So spill it already.

Bill makes important points, And I want to use them as a springboard to a
possible way to avoid these sequences of "Pleases tell us,....now tell us...."
messages on the lists.

What about creating a simple "snapshot grabber" or similar tool that 
would grab
the output of such commands and stuff them into a file?  Then the user could
attach it to the message to the list, or have it attached to the send-pr
channel.

Yeah, it would likely either grab too much or too little information.  
The first
isn't a problem, simply group information blocks in the file to various
sub-systems.  The second possibility will get fixed as the tool is used & it's
seen what additional information is asked for...


Comments?

John

-------------------------------------------------------------------
John T. Farmer          Owner & CTO              GoldSword Systems
jfarmer at goldsword.com   865-691-6498             Knoxville TN
    Consulting, Design, & Development of Networks & Software