Re: dump device

no, for the simple reason that if the system is crashed,
it's unsafe to attempt _any_ kind of work, including IO
to a dedicated device.

-- But here also we still try to write something to /var/log/messages
-- Some kind of traceback, and system is still unsafe !!

there's at least one patch, not in the mainstream kernel,
that does crashdumps.

how can you trust any IO when the system is corrupt?

-- But Aix have such a facility. Then how does Aix do this stuff ?