Question

We use jstack on servers to detect if java apps are getting deadlocked. It’s not working on one of our Linux servers. I think O/S version is:

$cat /etc/issue.net
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.6 (Tikanga)
Kernel \r on an \m

Java version running on server:

java version "1.6.0_24"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_24-b07)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 19.1-b02, mixed mode)

When I try:

jstack 19114

I get:

19114: Unable to open socket file: target process not responding or HotSpot VM not loaded
The -F option can be used when the target process is not responding

When I try:

jstack -F 19114

I get:

Attaching to process ID 19114, please wait...
Debugger attached successfully.

Deadlock Detection:

No deadlocks found.

Thread 19180: (state = BLOCKED)
Error occurred during stack walking:
sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.DebuggerException: sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.DebuggerException: get_thread_regs failed for a lwp
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.linux.LinuxDebuggerLocal$LinuxDebuggerLocalWorkerThread.execute(LinuxDebuggerLocal.java:152)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.linux.LinuxDebuggerLocal.getThreadIntegerRegisterSet(LinuxDebuggerLocal.java:466)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.linux.LinuxThread.getContext(LinuxThread.java:65)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.runtime.linux_amd64.LinuxAMD64JavaThreadPDAccess.getCurrentFrameGuess(LinuxAMD64JavaThreadPDAccess.java:92)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.runtime.JavaThread.getCurrentFrameGuess(JavaThread.java:256)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.runtime.JavaThread.getLastJavaVFrameDbg(JavaThread.java:218)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.tools.StackTrace.run(StackTrace.java:76)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.tools.StackTrace.run(StackTrace.java:45)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.tools.JStack.run(JStack.java:60)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.tools.Tool.start(Tool.java:221)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.tools.JStack.main(JStack.java:86)
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
        at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
        at sun.tools.jstack.JStack.runJStackTool(JStack.java:118)
        at sun.tools.jstack.JStack.main(JStack.java:84)
Caused by: sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.DebuggerException: get_thread_regs failed for a lwp
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.linux.LinuxDebuggerLocal.getThreadIntegerRegisterSet0(Native Method)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.linux.LinuxDebuggerLocal.access$800(LinuxDebuggerLocal.java:51)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.linux.LinuxDebuggerLocal$1GetThreadIntegerRegisterSetTask.doit(LinuxDebuggerLocal.java:460)
        at sun.jvm.hotspot.debugger.linux.LinuxDebuggerLocal$LinuxDebuggerLocalWorkerThread.run(LinuxDebuggerLocal.java:127)

Anyone know what is causing this?

Answer 1

It is required to run jstack as the same user that started the java process. This resolves the above stacktrace error. See this posting: jstack thread dump error: get_thread_regs failed for a lwp for more detail. As soon as I sudoed the jstack command, the error disappeared.