> > On a more general note, being new to DTrace I read the "how I patched a
> > system call for an errant third party program" description and deduced
> > that "fixing" programs (not just observing how they fail :-) is one of
> > its design purposes. Am I mistaken, or is changing parameters/return
> > values just one of those things that hasn't been done yet (but lines up
> > properly with the intended use of the feature)?
> 
> 
> I think you're wrong in deducing this. DTrace is first and foremost an 
> observability tool; once you've found where a problem lies in a 
> program/piece of code, you need to fix the code, not apply some kind of 
> over-engineered band-aid*.

You know, I can understand if band-aids are not part of DTrace's goal, but it 
is in a unique position to do some really cool things. Fixing broken code at 
the source is definitely best but may not be an option, especially for 
third-party, closed-source apps. Even for in-house code, a band-aid at critical 
times could be a lifesaver. Plus it would make a wonderful prototyping tool. 

$.02
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