Brennan: What's Inside a Linux Kernel Core Dump

Stephen Brennan describeskernel core dumps in excruciating detail.

Kernel core dumps are complex. They are not simply copies of systemmemory; they contain plenty of extra metadata which is critical tounderstanding their contents. And like any other type of data, thedesign of the file formats can enable lots of flexibility andpower. However, due to the broad variety of tools out there, thediversity of dump formats is overwhelming, and the lack ofdocumentation or specifications compounds the problem.