How to use the command "ausyscall" (with examples)

The “ausyscall” command is a program that allows mapping syscall names and numbers. It can be used to display the syscall number of a specific system call, display the name of a specific system call number, and display all system calls for a specific architecture.

Use case 1: Display syscall number of a specific system call

Code:

ausyscall search_pattern

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to find out the syscall number of a specific system call. Knowing the syscall number can be helpful when analyzing or debugging a system.

Explanation:

• “ausyscall” is the command to run.
• “search_pattern” is the specific system call you want to find the number for.

Example output:

write: 1

In this example, the syscall number for the “write” system call is 1.

Use case 2: Display name of a specific system call number

Code:

ausyscall system_call_number

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to find out the name of a specific syscall number. Knowing the name of a syscall can help in understanding the purpose of a specific system call.

Explanation:

• “ausyscall” is the command to run.
• “system_call_number” is the specific syscall number you want to find the name for.

Example output:

1: write

In this example, the name of the syscall number 1 is “write”.

Use case 3: Display all system calls for a specific architecture

Code:

ausyscall architecture --dump

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to get a list of all available system calls for a specific architecture. It can be helpful for system developers or researchers analyzing the system calls available on a particular architecture.

Explanation:

• “ausyscall” is the command to run.
• “architecture” is the specific architecture for which you want to display the system calls.
• “–dump” is an option to display all system calls for the specified architecture.

Example output:

x86_64:
0: read
1: write
2: open
3: close
...

In this example, the command “ausyscall x86_64 –dump” displays all system calls available for the x86_64 architecture.

Conclusion

The “ausyscall” command is a versatile tool for mapping syscall names and numbers. It can be used to find the syscall number of a specific system call, as well as to find the name of a specific syscall number. Additionally, it can display all system calls available for a specific architecture. This command is particularly useful for system developers, researchers, and anyone interested in understanding and analyzing system calls.