pwndbg/pwndbg

speed up the kernel images download

Open

#3005 opened on May 22, 2025

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 (4 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Python (5,820 stars) (776 forks)batch import
enhancementgood first issuehelp wantedqemutesting

Description

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe. It takes a long time for the kernel images to get downloaded. Annoying for personal use and CI can take a long time as well.

Describe the solution you'd like

  1. Multiple kernel images should be downloaded in parallel
  2. Download compressed versions and unpack

Contributor guide

Tech stack
pythonshell
Domain
performance
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Pythonshell scriptingparallel downloading
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70
Research direction
Examine the current kernel image download mechanism in the repository, likely a script in the 'scripts' or 'tests' directory. Review the 4 comments on this issue for any proposed approaches. Implement parallel download using Python's concurrent.futures module or similar, and add support for downloading compressed versions (e.g., .tar.gz) and unpacking them. Ensure compatibility with existing infrastructure.