Chapter 5

Built-In Commands

MDB provides a set of built-in dcmds that are always defined. Some of these dcmds are applicable only to certain targets: if a dcmd is not applicable to the current target, it fails and prints a message indicating “command is not supported by current target”.

In many cases, MDB provides a mnemonic equivalent (::identifier) for the legacy adb(1) dcmd names. For example, ::quit is provided as the equivalent of $q. Programmers who are experienced with adb(1) or who appreciate brevity or arcana might prefer the $ or : forms of the built-ins. Programmers who are new to MDB might prefer the more verbose :: form. The built-ins are shown in alphabetical order. If a $ or : form has a ::identifier equivalent, it is shown under the ::identifier form.