VMware generates internal monitor error if debugger is running on Host OS

[LeonaDeWintre]

I am using Syser on Windows XP, and I have a need to analyze memory in an application that otherwise balks and closes when a debugger is installed on the system.

So.. I've been able to get the application to run successfully inside the virtual machine, and what I'd really like to do is set some memory breakpoints ( BPM ) from the HOST OS, and see if I can work it this way.

( I am well aware that running the debugger outside of the virtual machine will present some difficult issues, but I'm not interested in tracing the code in a conventional manner. )

My PROBLEM is that the VMware session generates an internal monitor error and closes after a few moments if I have Syser running on the host OS. Is anyone aware of a work-around, or know why this happens?

I've tried a variety of settings with both products, but I'm not sure what the conflict is.

On a side note, doesn't VMware have some debugger functionality already? If the app isn't detecting VMware's native debugger, maybe I should use this?

Any advice would be appreciated!

[ksc]

Not at all familiar with Syser. But I normally run debuggers on my host (Visual Studio, Windbg), never had any problems.

Workstation (6.0 and 6.5) comes with a Visual Studio plugin that knows how to debug a guest. Under the normal mode, it runs a debug proxy in the guest; under replay debugging, we even fake the debug proxy so there is no debugger at all running in the guest.

I'd be interested in the monitor error you get, because host applications should not be able to crash the monitor, but it's also unlikely we can do anything - debuggers do like to make invasive system changes which probably breaks the manner in which we run virtual machines.

By the way, I've seen someone implement a debugger by opening the windows file mapping object that we use internally, and reading memory directly from that.

[pavel-a]

Syser has too many problems, it's not stable by itself

Have you tried windbg?