Scribd
Upload
146 views

System Calls: Vangelis Ladakis Ladakis@

System calls provide an interface between applications and the operating system kernel to request services like process control, file management, and communication. They are defined by a number and function pointer in the kernel and can be invoked from user space using a syscall library call. The document discusses how to define a new system call by assigning a number, adding code, and implementing it in the Linux kernel for services like setting process parameters.

Uploaded by

david sea
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
146 views

System Calls: Vangelis Ladakis Ladakis@

System calls provide an interface between applications and the operating system kernel to request services like process control, file management, and communication. They are defined by a number and function pointer in the kernel and can be invoked from user space using a syscall library call. The document discusses how to define a new system call by assigning a number, adding code, and implementing it in the Linux kernel for services like setting process parameters.

Uploaded by

david sea
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 19

System Calls

(Φροντιστήριο για τη 3η σειρά)

cs-345
Vangelis Ladakis
[email protected]
What is a System Call?

“The system call is the


fundamental interface
between an application and
the Linux kernel.”
Why we need System Calls?

● A system calls provide an essential interface between a


process and the operating system.
● A system call is how a program requests a service from an
operating system's kernel.
What system calls can do?
● Process Control
– exec, kill, wait...
● File management
– create, delete, open, load...
● Device Management Sounds Familiar?!
– request, release...
● Information Maintenance
– get time, set time...
● Communication
– Send/receive messages
– create/destroy communication
(sockets)...
How we use them?
int syscall(int number, …)
– “man syscall” for details

● It's a small library which invokes the system call that


corresponds to the “number”.
– The symbol of “...” corresponds to the rest of the
arguments (just like printf).

Let's see an example...


Call a system call
Example
How can we write a
new system call?
1. Define system call number
2. Define function pointer
3. Define function
4. Implementation
Define System Call Number
● Every system call has an invocation number

● Edit: linux-2.6.38.1/arch/x86/include/asm/unistd_32.h
– Define at the bottom of the list your own system call
number
– Update the number of syscalls

#define __NR_dummy_sys 341


Define function Pointer
● Kernel needs to have a function pointer pointing
to the new system call

● Edit: arch/x86/kernel/syscall_table_32.S
– Define at the bottom of the list the function pointer

.long sys_dummy_sys /* 341 */


Define function
● At this point we have to define the function
signature at the syscalls.h

● Edit: include/asm-generic/syscalls.h

asmlinkage long sys_dummy_sys(int arg0);


Implement syscall 1/2
● Add the source code inside the kernel
– Add new file at: kernel/dummy_sys.c
– Edit the Makefile

The new system call may look as follow:


Implement syscall 2/2
● Notice that now you are programming in kernel
space
– No segmentation faults will occur, but Black screens
of Death
– Printf, malloc etc are for user-space instead you
have to use printk, kmalloc etc
● Messages of printk you may see them by typing dmesg
to command prompt or cat /var/log/messages
– Debugging may be a pain
Slack Time
● Every process will have
– Deadline
– Remaining time
● Slack comes from:
deadline – remaining time – current time
– It's the remaining spare time
Assignment 3
● You will have to implement two system calls that you will need
for the next assignment

/* set to the process with the given pid the remaining time and deadline time */
set_lst_parameters(int pid, int remaining_computation_time, time_t deadline);

/* fill the struct lst_parms with the remaining time and the deadline time for the process with the given
pid */
get_lst_parameters(int pid, struct lst_params *lst_arguments);

Assignment in detail:
http://www.csd.uoc.gr/~hy345/assignments/2014/assign3/assignment3.html
● You will have to add some information to the task_struct
– Stores information for a process.
– Defined in include/linux/sched.h

For every process running you will have to add:

● The system calls will eventually set and get information for a process
● You will need them for the slack scheduler (next assignment)
Try to keep your code clean, you are messing with the kernel
Be careful with the memory space
● Arguments passed by value

● When you have memory references you have to


pass the data from user-space to kernel-space
– int access_ok(type, address, size)
– Unsigned long copy_from_user(void* to, const void_user* from, unsigned long n)
– Unsigned long copy_to_user(void_user* to, const void* from, unsigned long n)
Functions are defined in: /linux/uaccess.h & /asm-generic/uaccess.h
Qemu & Linux OS
● Qemu is pre-installed on CSD machines
– Files are big!!! Work on spare directory. Details on the site
● Download from the course site the:
– Linux source code
– .config file for building the kernel
– linux image

Source code:
http://www.csd.uoc.gr/~hy345/qemu-linux/linux-2.6.38.1.tar.bz2
.config:
http://www.csd.uoc.gr/~hy345/qemu-linux/.config
Linux Image:
http://www.csd.uoc.gr/~hy345/qemu-linux/hy345-linux.img
Load Image to Qemu
● In order to load Image
– qemu -hda hy345-linux.img
● In order to compile the source code and load the new image
1) Download and place inside linux-2.6.38.1 the config file .config
2) Edit .config, find CONFIG_LOCALVERSION="-hy345", and
append to the kernel's version name your username and a
revision number
3) make ARCH=i386 bzImage
4) qemu -hda hy345-linux.img -append "root=/dev/hda" -kernel
linux-2.6.38.1/arch/x86/boot/bzImage
Useful Links
● Assignment 3:
http://www.csd.uoc.gr/~hy345/assignments/2014/assign3/assignme
nt3.html
● Qemu and Linux:
http://www.csd.uoc.gr/~hy345/assignments/quemu_notes.html
● Adding a System call:
http://www.csd.uoc.gr/~hy345/assignments/system_calls_notes.htm
l
● Adding a system call:
http://www.cs.rochester.edu/~sandhya/csc256/assignments/adding-
a-system-call.html
● Adding a System call video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rr_VoQCOgE

You might also like