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This is Info file ./gdb.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.63 from the input
file gdb.texinfo.
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
This file documents the GNU debugger GDB.
This is Edition 4.12, January 1994, of `Debugging with GDB: the GNU
Source-Level Debugger' for GDB Version 4.16.
Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 Free
Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of
this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also
that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms
of a permission notice identical to this one.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this
manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified
versions.
File: gdb, Node: Top, Next: Summary, Up: (dir)
Debugging with GDB
******************
This file describes GDB, the GNU symbolic debugger.
This is Edition 4.12, January 1994, for GDB Version 4.16.
* Menu:
* Summary:: Summary of GDB
* Sample Session:: A sample GDB session
* Invocation:: Getting in and out of GDB
* Commands:: GDB commands
* Running:: Running programs under GDB
* Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
* Stack:: Examining the stack
* Source:: Examining source files
* Data:: Examining data
* Languages:: Using GDB with different languages
* Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
* Altering:: Altering execution
* GDB Files:: GDB files
* Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
* Controlling GDB:: Controlling GDB
* Sequences:: Canned sequences of commands
* Emacs:: Using GDB under GNU Emacs
* GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in GDB
* Command Line Editing:: Facilities of the readline library
* Using History Interactively::
* Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print GDB documentation
* Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
* Index:: Index
File: gdb, Node: Summary, Next: Sample Session, Prev: Top, Up: Top
Summary of GDB
**************
The purpose of a debugger such as GDB is to allow you to see what is
going on "inside" another program while it executes--or what another
program was doing at the moment it crashed.
GDB can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
* Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its
behavior.
* Make your program stop on specified conditions.
* Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
* Change things in your program, so you can experiment with
correcting the effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
You can use GDB to debug programs written in C or C++. For more
information, see *Note C and C++: C.
Support for Modula-2 and Chill is partial. For information on
Modula-2, see *Note Modula-2: Modula-2. There is no further
documentation on Chill yet.
Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables,
or nested functions does not currently work. GDB does not support
entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
syntax.
GDB can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although it
does not yet support entering expressions, printing values, or similar
features using Fortran syntax. It may be necessary to refer to some
variables with a trailing underscore.
* Menu:
* Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
* Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
File: gdb, Node: Free Software, Next: Contributors, Up: Summary
Free software
=============
GDB is "free software", protected by the GNU General Public License
(GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
program--but every person getting a copy also gets with it the freedom
to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to the
source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies. Typical
software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the Free
Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says
that you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms
away from anyone else.
File: gdb, Node: Contributors, Prev: Free Software, Up: Summary
Contributors to GDB
===================
Richard Stallman was the original author of GDB, and of many other
GNU programs. Many others have contributed to its development. This
section attempts to credit major contributors. One of the virtues of
free software is that everyone is free to contribute to it; with
regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The file
`ChangeLog' in the GDB distribution approximates a blow-by-blow account.
Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
*Plea:* Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
So that they may not regard their long labor as thankless, we
particularly thank those who shepherded GDB through major releases:
Stan Shebs (release 4.14), Fred Fish (releases 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10,
and 4.9), Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5,
and 4.4), John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9); Jim
Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3); and Randy Smith (releases 3.2,
3.1, and 3.0). As major maintainer of GDB for some period, each
contributed significantly to the structure, stability, and capabilities
of the entire debugger.
Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the GNU C++ support in GDB,
with significant additional contributions from Per Bothner. James
Clark wrote the GNU C++ demangler. Early work on C++ was by Peter
TerMaat (who also did much general update work leading to release 3.0).
GDB 4 uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did the
original support for encapsulated COFF.
Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
support. Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support. Chris
Hanson improved the HP9000 support. Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki
Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support. David Johnson contributed
Encore Umax support. Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support. Keith Packard contributed
NS32K support. Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support. Chris Smith
contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging). Jonathan Stone
contributed Pyramid support. Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support. Jay Vosburgh contributed
Symmetry support.
Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
libraries.
Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that GDB and GAS agree about
several machine instruction sets.
Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped
develop remote debugging. Intel Corporation and Wind River Systems
contributed remote debugging modules for their products.
Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
command-line editing and command history.
Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4. He also
enhanced the command-completion support to cover C++ overloaded symbols.
Hitachi America, Ltd. sponsored the support for Hitachi
microprocessors.
Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
watchpoints.
Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made nearly
innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout GDB.
File: gdb, Node: Sample Session, Next: Invocation, Prev: Summary, Up: Top
A Sample GDB Session
********************
You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about GDB.
However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
One of the preliminary versions of GNU `m4' (a generic macro
processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
definition within another stop working. In the following short `m4'
session, we define a macro `foo' which expands to `0000'; we then use
the `m4' built-in `defn' to define `bar' as the same thing. However,
when we change the open quote string to `<QUOTE>' and the close quote
string to `<UNQUOTE>', the same procedure fails to define a new synonym
`baz':
$ cd gnu/m4
$ ./m4
define(foo,0000)
foo
0000
define(bar,defn(`foo'))
bar
0000
changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)
define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))
baz
C-d
m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
Let us use GDB to try to see what is going on.
$ gdb m4
GDB is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
the conditions.
There is absolutely no warranty for GDB; type "show warranty"
for details.
GDB 4.16, Copyright 1995 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
(gdb)
GDB reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the rest when
needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly. We now
tell GDB to use a narrower display width than usual, so that examples
fit in this manual.
(gdb) set width 70
We need to see how the `m4' built-in `changequote' works. Having
looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
`m4_changequote', so we set a breakpoint there with the GDB `break'
command.
(gdb) break m4_changequote
Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
Using the `run' command, we start `m4' running under GDB control; as
long as control does not reach the `m4_changequote' subroutine, the
program runs as usual:
(gdb) run
Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
define(foo,0000)
foo
0000
To trigger the breakpoint, we call `changequote'. GDB suspends
execution of `m4', displaying information about the context where it
stops.
changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)
Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
at builtin.c:879
879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
Now we use the command `n' (`next') to advance execution to the next
line of the current function.
(gdb) n
882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
: nil,
`set_quotes' looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it by
using the command `s' (`step') instead of `next'. `step' goes to the
next line to be executed in *any* subroutine, so it steps into
`set_quotes'.
(gdb) s
set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
at input.c:530
530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
The display that shows the subroutine where `m4' is now suspended (and
its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It shows a summary of
the stack. We can use the `backtrace' command (which can also be
spelled `bt'), to see where we are in the stack as a whole: the
`backtrace' command displays a stack frame for each active subroutine.
(gdb) bt
#0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
at input.c:530
#1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
at builtin.c:882
#2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
#3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
at macro.c:71
#4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
#5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
times, we can use `s'; the next two times we use `n' to avoid falling
into the `xstrdup' subroutine.
(gdb) s
0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
(gdb) s
0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
(gdb) n
536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
: xstrdup(rq);
(gdb) n
538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
`lquote' and `rquote' to see if they are in fact the new left and right
quotes we specified. We use the command `p' (`print') to see their
values.
(gdb) p lquote
$1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
(gdb) p rquote
$2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
`lquote' and `rquote' are indeed the new left and right quotes. To
look at some context, we can display ten lines of source surrounding
the current line with the `l' (`list') command.
(gdb) l
533 xfree(rquote);
534
535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
: xstrdup (lq);
536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
: xstrdup (rq);
537
538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
540 }
541
542 void
Let us step past the two lines that set `len_lquote' and `len_rquote',
and then examine the values of those variables.
(gdb) n
539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
(gdb) n
540 }
(gdb) p len_lquote
$3 = 9
(gdb) p len_rquote
$4 = 7
That certainly looks wrong, assuming `len_lquote' and `len_rquote' are
meant to be the lengths of `lquote' and `rquote' respectively. We can
set them to better values using the `p' command, since it can print the
value of any expression--and that expression can include subroutine
calls and assignments.
(gdb) p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)
$5 = 7
(gdb) p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)
$6 = 9
Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the `m4'
built-in `defn'? We can allow `m4' to continue executing with the `c'
(`continue') command, and then try the example that caused trouble
initially:
(gdb) c
Continuing.
define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))
baz
0000
Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
lengths. We allow `m4' exit by giving it an EOF as input:
C-d
Program exited normally.
The message `Program exited normally.' is from GDB; it indicates `m4'
has finished executing. We can end our GDB session with the GDB `quit'
command.
(gdb) quit
File: gdb, Node: Invocation, Next: Commands, Prev: Sample Session, Up: Top
Getting In and Out of GDB
*************************
This chapter discusses how to start GDB, and how to get out of it.
The essentials are:
* type `gdb' to start GDB.
* type `quit' or `C-d' to exit.
* Menu:
* Invoking GDB:: How to start GDB
* Quitting GDB:: How to quit GDB
* Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside GDB
File: gdb, Node: Invoking GDB, Next: Quitting GDB, Up: Invocation
Invoking GDB
============
Invoke GDB by running the program `gdb'. Once started, GDB reads
commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
You can also run `gdb' with a variety of arguments and options, to
specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
The command-line options described here are designed to cover a
variety of situations; in some environments, some of these options may
effectively be unavailable.
The most usual way to start GDB is with one argument, specifying an
executable program:
gdb PROGRAM
You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
specified:
gdb PROGRAM CORE
You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you
want to debug a running process:
gdb PROGRAM 1234
would attach GDB to process `1234' (unless you also have a file named
`1234'; GDB does check for a core file first).
Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a
fairly complete operating system; when you use GDB as a remote debugger
attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of "process", and
there is often no way to get a core dump.
You can run `gdb' without printing the front material, which
describes GDB's non-warranty, by specifying `-silent':
gdb -SILENT
You can further control how GDB starts up by using command-line
options. GDB itself can remind you of the options available.
Type
gdb -help
to display all available options and briefly describe their use (`gdb
-h' is a shorter equivalent).
All options and command line arguments you give are processed in
sequential order. The order makes a difference when the `-x' option is
used.
* Menu:
* File Options:: Choosing files
* Mode Options:: Choosing modes
File: gdb, Node: File Options, Next: Mode Options, Up: Invoking GDB
Choosing files
--------------
When GDB starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
the same as if the arguments were specified by the `-se' and `-c'
options respectively. (GDB reads the first argument that does not have
an associated option flag as equivalent to the `-se' option followed by
that argument; and the second argument that does not have an associated
option flag, if any, as equivalent to the `-c' option followed by that
argument.)
Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
following list. GDB also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
(If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with `--' rather than
`-', though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
`-symbols FILE'
`-s FILE'
Read symbol table from file FILE.
`-exec FILE'
`-e FILE'
Use file FILE as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
`-se FILE'
Read symbol table from file FILE and use it as the executable file.
`-core FILE'
`-c FILE'
Use file FILE as a core dump to examine.
`-c NUMBER'
Connect to process ID NUMBER, as with the `attach' command (unless
there is a file in core-dump format named NUMBER, in which case
`-c' specifies that file as a core dump to read).
`-command FILE'
`-x FILE'
Execute GDB commands from file FILE. *Note Command files: Command
Files.
`-directory DIRECTORY'
`-d DIRECTORY'
Add DIRECTORY to the path to search for source files.
`-m'
`-mapped'
*Warning: this option depends on operating system facilities that
are not supported on all systems.*
If memory-mapped files are available on your system through the
`mmap' system call, you can use this option to have GDB write the
symbols from your program into a reusable file in the current
directory. If the program you are debugging is called
`/tmp/fred', the mapped symbol file is `./fred.syms'. Future GDB
debugging sessions notice the presence of this file, and can
quickly map in symbol information from it, rather than reading the
symbol table from the executable program.
The `.syms' file is specific to the host machine where GDB is run.
It holds an exact image of the internal GDB symbol table. It
cannot be shared across multiple host platforms.
`-r'
`-readnow'
Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather
than the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is
needed. This makes startup slower, but makes future operations
faster.
The `-mapped' and `-readnow' options are typically combined in order
to build a `.syms' file that contains complete symbol information.
(*Note Commands to specify files: Files, for information
a `.syms' file for future use is:
gdb -batch -nx -mapped -readnow programname
File: gdb, Node: Mode Options, Prev: File Options, Up: Invoking GDB
Choosing modes
--------------
You can run GDB in various alternative modes--for example, in batch
mode or quiet mode.
`-nx'
`-n'
Do not execute commands from any initialization files (normally
called `.gdbinit'). Normally, the commands in these files are
executed after all the command options and arguments have been
processed. *Note Command files: Command Files.
`-quiet'
`-q'
"Quiet". Do not print the introductory and copyright messages.
These messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
`-batch'
Run in batch mode. Exit with status `0' after processing all the
command files specified with `-x' (and all commands from
initialization files, if not inhibited with `-n'). Exit with
nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the GDB commands in
the command files.
Batch mode may be useful for running GDB as a filter, for example
to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
make this more useful, the message
Program exited normally.
(which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under GDB
control terminates) is not issued when running in batch mode.
`-cd DIRECTORY'
Run GDB using DIRECTORY as its working directory, instead of the
current directory.
`-fullname'
`-f'
GNU Emacs sets this option when it runs GDB as a subprocess. It
tells GDB to output the full file name and line number in a
standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
recognizable format looks like two `\032' characters, followed by
the file name, line number and character position separated by
colons, and a newline. The Emacs-to-GDB interface program uses
the two `\032' characters as a signal to display the source code
for the frame.
`-b BPS'
Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
interface used by GDB for remote debugging.
`-tty DEVICE'
Run using DEVICE for your program's standard input and output.
File: gdb, Node: Quitting GDB, Next: Shell Commands, Prev: Invoking GDB, Up: Invocation
Quitting GDB
============
`quit'
To exit GDB, use the `quit' command (abbreviated `q'), or type an
end-of-file character (usually `C-d'). If you do not supply
EXPRESSION, GDB will terminate normally; otherwise it will
terminate using the result of EXPRESSION as the error code.
An interrupt (often `C-c') does not exit from GDB, but rather
terminates the action of any GDB command that is in progress and
returns to GDB command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
character at any time because GDB does not allow it to take effect
until a time when it is safe.
If you have been using GDB to control an attached process or device,
you can release it with the `detach' command (*note Debugging an
already-running process: Attach.).
File: gdb, Node: Shell Commands, Prev: Quitting GDB, Up: Invocation
Shell commands
==============
If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend GDB; you can
just use the `shell' command.
`shell COMMAND STRING'
Invoke a the standard shell to execute COMMAND STRING. If it
exists, the environment variable `SHELL' determines which shell to
run. Otherwise GDB uses `/bin/sh'.
The utility `make' is often needed in development environments. You
do not have to use the `shell' command for this purpose in GDB:
`make MAKE-ARGS'
Execute the `make' program with the specified arguments. This is
equivalent to `shell make MAKE-ARGS'.
File: gdb, Node: Commands, Next: Running, Prev: Invocation, Up: Top
GDB Commands
************
You can abbreviate a GDB command to the first few letters of the
command name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat
certain GDB commands by typing just RET. You can also use the TAB key
to get GDB to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to show you
the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
* Menu:
* Command Syntax:: How to give commands to GDB
* Completion:: Command completion
* Help:: How to ask GDB for help
File: gdb, Node: Command Syntax, Next: Completion, Up: Commands
Command syntax
==============
A GDB command is a single line of input. There is no limit on how
long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
command `step' accepts an argument which is the number of times to
step, as in `step 5'. You can also use the `step' command with no
arguments. Some command names do not allow any arguments.
GDB command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
abbreviations are allowed; for example, `s' is specially defined as
equivalent to `step' even though there are other commands whose names
start with `s'. You can test abbreviations by using them as arguments
to the `help' command.
A blank line as input to GDB (typing just RET) means to repeat the
previous command. Certain commands (for example, `run') will not repeat
this way; these are commands whose unintentional repetition might cause
trouble and which you are unlikely to want to repeat.
The `list' and `x' commands, when you repeat them with RET,
construct new arguments rather than repeating exactly as typed. This
permits easy scanning of source or memory.
GDB can also use RET in another way: to partition lengthy output, in
a way similar to the common utility `more' (*note Screen size: Screen
Size.). Since it is easy to press one RET too many in this situation,
GDB disables command repetition after any command that generates this
sort of display.
Any text from a `#' to the end of the line is a comment; it does
nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (*note Command files:
Command Files.).
File: gdb, Node: Completion, Next: Help, Prev: Command Syntax, Up: Commands
Command completion
==================
GDB can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for GDB
commands, GDB subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
Press the TAB key whenever you want GDB to fill out the rest of a
word. If there is only one possibility, GDB fills in the word, and
waits for you to finish the command (or press RET to enter it). For
example, if you type
(gdb) info bre TAB
GDB fills in the rest of the word `breakpoints', since that is the only
`info' subcommand beginning with `bre':
(gdb) info breakpoints
You can either press RET at this point, to run the `info breakpoints'
command, or backspace and enter something else, if `breakpoints' does
not look like the command you expected. (If you were sure you wanted
`info breakpoints' in the first place, you might as well just type RET
immediately after `info bre', to exploit command abbreviations rather
than command completion).
If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you
press TAB, GDB sounds a bell. You can either supply more characters
and try again, or just press TAB a second time; GDB displays all the
possible completions for that word. For example, you might want to set
a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name begins with `make_', but when
you type `b make_TAB' GDB just sounds the bell. Typing TAB again
displays all the function names in your program that begin with those
characters, for example:
(gdb) b make_ TAB
GDB sounds bell; press TAB again, to see:
make_a_section_from_file make_environ
make_abs_section make_function_type
make_blockvector make_pointer_type
make_cleanup make_reference_type
make_command make_symbol_completion_list
(gdb) b make_
After displaying the available possibilities, GDB copies your partial
input (`b make_' in the example) so you can finish the command.
If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place,
you can press `M-?' rather than pressing TAB twice. `M-?' means `META
?'. You can type this either by holding down a key designated as the
META shift on your keyboard (if there is one) while typing `?', or as
ESC followed by `?'.
Sometimes the string you need, while logically a "word", may contain
parentheses or other characters that GDB normally excludes from its
notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this situation,
you may enclose words in `'' (single quote marks) in GDB commands.
The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
name of a C++ function. This is because C++ allows function overloading
(multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished by argument
type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you may need to
distinguish whether you mean the version of `name' that takes an `int'
parameter, `name(int)', or the version that takes a `float' parameter,
`name(float)'. To use the word-completion facilities in this
situation, type a single quote `'' at the beginning of the function
name. This alerts GDB that it may need to consider more information
than usual when you press TAB or `M-?' to request word completion:
(gdb) b 'bubble( M-?
bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
(gdb) b 'bubble(
In some cases, GDB can tell that completing a name requires using
quotes. When this happens, GDB inserts the quote for you (while
completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
place:
(gdb) b bub TAB
GDB alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
(gdb) b 'bubble(
In general, GDB can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if you
have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
completion on an overloaded symbol.
File: gdb, Node: Help, Prev: Completion, Up: Commands
Getting help
============
You can always ask GDB itself for information on its commands, using
the command `help'.
`help'
`h'
You can use `help' (abbreviated `h') with no arguments to display
a short list of named classes of commands:
(gdb) help
List of classes of commands:
running -- Running the program
stack -- Examining the stack
data -- Examining data
breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
files -- Specifying and examining files
status -- Status inquiries
support -- Support facilities
user-defined -- User-defined commands
aliases -- Aliases of other commands
obscure -- Obscure features
Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
commands in that class.
Type "help" followed by command name for full
documentation.
Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
(gdb)
`help CLASS'
Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here
is the help display for the class `status':
(gdb) help status
Status inquiries.
List of commands:
show -- Generic command for showing things set
with "set"
info -- Generic command for printing status
Type "help" followed by command name for full
documentation.
Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
(gdb)
`help COMMAND'
With a command name as `help' argument, GDB displays a short
paragraph on how to use that command.
`complete ARGS'
The `complete ARGS' command lists all the possible completions for
the beginning of a command. Use ARGS to specify the beginning of
the command you want completed. For example:
complete i
results in:
info
inspect
ignore
This is intended for use by GNU Emacs.
In addition to `help', you can use the GDB commands `info' and
`show' to inquire about the state of your program, or the state of GDB
itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this manual
introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings under
`info' and under `show' in the Index point to all the sub-commands.
*Note Index::.
`info'
This command (abbreviated `i') is for describing the state of your
program. For example, you can list the arguments given to your
program with `info args', list the registers currently in use with
`info registers', or list the breakpoints you have set with `info
breakpoints'. You can get a complete list of the `info'
sub-commands with `help info'.
`set'
You can assign the result of an expresson to an environment
variable with `set'. For example, you can set the GDB prompt to a
$-sign with `set prompt $'.
`show'
In contrast to `info', `show' is for describing the state of GDB
itself. You can change most of the things you can `show', by
using the related command `set'; for example, you can control what
number system is used for displays with `set radix', or simply
inquire which is currently in use with `show radix'.
To display all the settable parameters and their current values,
you can use `show' with no arguments; you may also use `info set'.
Both commands produce the same display.
Here are three miscellaneous `show' subcommands, all of which are
exceptional in lacking corresponding `set' commands:
`show version'
Show what version of GDB is running. You should include this
information in GDB bug-reports. If multiple versions of GDB are in
use at your site, you may occasionally want to determine which
version of GDB you are running; as GDB evolves, new commands are
introduced, and old ones may wither away. The version number is
also announced when you start GDB.
`show copying'
Display information about permission for copying GDB.
`show warranty'
Display the GNU "NO WARRANTY" statement.
File: gdb, Node: Running, Next: Stopping, Prev: Commands, Up: Top
Running Programs Under GDB
**************************
When you run a program under GDB, you must first generate debugging
information when you compile it. You may start GDB with its arguments,
if any, in an environment of your choice. You may redirect your
program's input and output, debug an already running process, or kill a
child process.
* Menu:
* Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
* Starting:: Starting your program
* Arguments:: Your program's arguments
* Environment:: Your program's environment
* Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
* Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
* Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
* Kill Process:: Killing the child process
* Process Information:: Additional process information
* Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
* Processes:: Debugging programs with multiple processes
File: gdb, Node: Compilation, Next: Starting, Up: Running
Compiling for debugging
=======================
In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
and addresses in the executable code.
To request debugging information, specify the `-g' option when you
run the compiler.
Many C compilers are unable to handle the `-g' and `-O' options
together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
executables containing debugging information.
GCC, the GNU C compiler, supports `-g' with or without `-O', making
it possible to debug optimized code. We recommend that you *always*
use `-g' whenever you compile a program. You may think your program is
correct, but there is no sense in pushing your luck.
When you debug a program compiled with `-g -O', remember that the
optimizer is rearranging your code; the debugger shows you what is
really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
variable, but never use it, GDB never sees that variable--because the
compiler optimizes it out of existence.
Some things do not work as well with `-g -O' as with just `-g',
particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in doubt,
recompile with `-g' alone, and if this fixes the problem, please report
it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
Older versions of the GNU C compiler permitted a variant option
`-gg' for debugging information. GDB no longer supports this format;
if your GNU C compiler has this option, do not use it.
File: gdb, Node: Starting, Next: Arguments, Prev: Compilation, Up: Running
Starting your program
=====================
`run'
`r'
Use the `run' command to start your program under GDB. You must
first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
argument to GDB (*note Getting In and Out of GDB: Invocation.), or
by using the `file' or `exec-file' command (*note Commands to
specify files: Files.).
If you are running your program in an execution environment that
supports processes, `run' creates an inferior process and makes that
process run your program. (In environments without processes, `run'
jumps to the start of your program.)
The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
receives from its superior. GDB provides ways to specify this
information, which you must do *before* starting your program. (You
can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
divided into four categories:
The *arguments.*
Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
`run' command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal
conventions (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution)
in describing the arguments. In Unix systems, you can control
which shell is used with the `SHELL' environment variable. *Note
Your program's arguments: Arguments.
The *environment.*
Your program normally inherits its environment from GDB, but you
can use the GDB commands `set environment' and `unset environment'
to change parts of the environment that affect your program.
*Note Your program's environment: Environment.
The *working directory.*
Your program inherits its working directory from GDB. You can set
the GDB working directory with the `cd' command in GDB. *Note
Your program's working directory: Working Directory.
The *standard input and output.*
Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
standard output as GDB is using. You can redirect input and output
in the `run' command line, or you can use the `tty' command to set
a different device for your program. *Note Your program's input
and output: Input/Output.
*Warning:* While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to
another program; if you attempt this, GDB is likely to wind up
debugging the wrong program.
When you issue the `run' command, your program begins to execute
immediately. *Note Stopping and continuing: Stopping, for discussion
of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the `print' or
`call' commands. *Note Examining Data: Data.
If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the
last time GDB read its symbols, GDB discards its symbol table, and
reads it again. When it does this, GDB tries to retain your current
breakpoints.
File: gdb, Node: Arguments, Next: Environment, Prev: Starting, Up: Running
Your program's arguments
========================
The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of
the `run' command. They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard
characters and performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program.
Your `SHELL' environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
GDB uses. If you do not define `SHELL', GDB uses `/bin/sh'.
`run' with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
`run', or those set by the `set args' command.
`set args'
Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is
run. If `set args' has no arguments, `run' executes your program
with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
using `set args' before the next `run' is the only way to run it
again without arguments.
`show args'
Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
File: gdb, Node: Environment, Next: Working Directory, Prev: Arguments, Up: Running
Your program's environment
==========================
The "environment" consists of a set of environment variables and
their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things
as your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your
search path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment
variables with the shell and they are inherited by all the other
programs you run. When debugging, it can be useful to try running your
program with a modified environment without having to start GDB over
again.
`path DIRECTORY'
Add DIRECTORY to the front of the `PATH' environment variable (the
search path for executables), for both GDB and your program. You
may specify several directory names, separated by `:' or
whitespace. If DIRECTORY is already in the path, it is moved to
the front, so it is searched sooner.
You can use the string `$cwd' to refer to whatever is the current
working directory at the time GDB searches the path. If you use
`.' instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
`path' command. GDB replaces `.' in the DIRECTORY argument (with
the current path) before adding DIRECTORY to the search path.
`show paths'
Display the list of search paths for executables (the `PATH'
environment variable).
`show environment [VARNAME]'
Print the value of environment variable VARNAME to be given to
your program when it starts. If you do not supply VARNAME, print
the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
your program. You can abbreviate `environment' as `env'.
`set environment VARNAME [=] VALUE'
Set environment variable VARNAME to VALUE. The value changes for
your program only, not for GDB itself. VALUE may be any string;
the values of environment variables are just strings, and any
interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The VALUE
parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to
a null value.
For example, this command:
set env USER = foo
tells a Unix program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
`foo'. (The spaces around `=' are used for clarity here; they are
not actually required.)
`unset environment VARNAME'
Remove variable VARNAME from the environment to be passed to your
program. This is different from `set env VARNAME ='; `unset
environment' removes the variable from the environment, rather
than assigning it an empty value.
*Warning:* GDB runs your program using the shell indicated by your
`SHELL' environment variable if it exists (or `/bin/sh' if not). If
your `SHELL' variable names a shell that runs an initialization
file--such as `.cshrc' for C-shell, or `.bashrc' for BASH--any
variables you set in that file affect your program. You may wish to
move setting of environment variables to files that are only run when
you sign on, such as `.login' or `.profile'.
File: gdb, Node: Working Directory, Next: Input/Output, Prev: Environment, Up: Running
Your program's working directory
================================
Each time you start your program with `run', it inherits its working
directory from the current working directory of GDB. The GDB working
directory is initially whatever it inherited from its parent process
(typically the shell), but you can specify a new working directory in
GDB with the `cd' command.
The GDB working directory also serves as a default for the commands
that specify files for GDB to operate on. *Note Commands to specify
files: Files.
`cd DIRECTORY'
Set the GDB working directory to DIRECTORY.
`pwd'
Print the GDB working directory.
File: gdb, Node: Input/Output, Next: Attach, Prev: Working Directory, Up: Running
Your program's input and output
===============================
By default, the program you run under GDB does input and output to
the same terminal that GDB uses. GDB switches the terminal to its own
terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal modes
your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
running your program.
`info terminal'
Displays information recorded by GDB about the terminal modes your
program is using.
You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
redirection with the `run' command. For example,
run > outfile
starts your program, diverting its output to the file `outfile'.
Another way to specify where your program should do input and output
is with the `tty' command. This command accepts a file name as
argument, and causes this file to be the default for future `run'
commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
process, for future `run' commands. For example,
tty /dev/ttyb
directs that processes started with subsequent `run' commands default
to do input and output on the terminal `/dev/ttyb' and have that as
their controlling terminal.
An explicit redirection in `run' overrides the `tty' command's
effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
terminal.
When you use the `tty' command or redirect input in the `run'
command, only the input *for your program* is affected. The input for
GDB still comes from your terminal.
File: gdb, Node: Attach, Next: Kill Process, Prev: Input/Output, Up: Running
Debugging an already-running process
====================================
`attach PROCESS-ID'
This command attaches to a running process--one that was started
outside GDB. (`info files' shows your active targets.) The
command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to find out
the process-id of a Unix process is with the `ps' utility, or with
the `jobs -l' shell command.
`attach' does not repeat if you press RET a second time after
executing the command.
To use `attach', your program must be running in an environment
which supports processes; for example, `attach' does not work for
programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
also have permission to send the process a signal.
When using `attach', you should first use the `file' command to
specify the program running in the process and load its symbol table.
*Note Commands to Specify Files: Files.
The first thing GDB does after arranging to debug the specified
process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
with all the GDB commands that are ordinarily available when you start
processes with `run'. You can insert breakpoints; you can step and
continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the process
continue running, you may use the `continue' command after attaching
GDB to the process.
`detach'
When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use
the `detach' command to release it from GDB control. Detaching
the process continues its execution. After the `detach' command,
that process and GDB become completely independent once more, and
you are ready to `attach' another process or start one with `run'.
`detach' does not repeat if you press RET again after executing
the command.
If you exit GDB or use the `run' command while you have an attached
process, you kill that process. By default, GDB asks for confirmation
if you try to do either of these things; you can control whether or not
you need to confirm by using the `set confirm' command (*note Optional
warnings and messages: Messages/Warnings.).
File: gdb, Node: Kill Process, Next: Process Information, Prev: Attach, Up: Running
Killing the child process
=========================
`kill'
Kill the child process in which your program is running under GDB.
This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
running process. GDB ignores any core dump file while your program is
running.
On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside GDB
while you have breakpoints set on it inside GDB. You can use the
`kill' command in this situation to permit running your program outside
the debugger.
The `kill' command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when
you next type `run', GDB notices that the file has changed, and reads
the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
breakpoint settings).
File: gdb, Node: Process Information, Next: Threads, Prev: Kill Process, Up: Running
Additional process information
==============================
Some operating systems provide a facility called `/proc' that can be
used to examine the image of a running process using file-system
subroutines. If GDB is configured for an operating system with this
facility, the command `info proc' is available to report on several
kinds of information about the process running your program. `info
proc' works only on SVR4 systems that support `procfs'.
`info proc'
Summarize available information about the process.
`info proc mappings'
Report on the address ranges accessible in the program, with
information on whether your program may read, write, or execute
each range.
`info proc times'
Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program
and its children.
`info proc id'
Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process
ID, the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
`info proc status'
General information on the state of the process. If the process is
stopped, this report includes the reason for stopping, and any
signal received.
`info proc all'
Show all the above information about the process.
File: gdb, Node: Threads, Next: Processes, Prev: Process Information, Up: Running
Debugging programs with multiple threads
========================================
In some operating systems, a single program may have more than one
"thread" of execution. The precise semantics of threads differ from
one operating system to another, but in general the threads of a single
program are akin to multiple processes--except that they share one
address space (that is, they can all examine and modify the same
variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own registers and
execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
GDB provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread programs:
* automatic notification of new threads
* `thread THREADNO', a command to switch among threads
* `info threads', a command to inquire about existing threads
* `thread apply [THREADNO] [ALL] ARGS', a command to apply a command
to a list of threads
* thread-specific breakpoints
*Warning:* These facilities are not yet available on every GDB
configuration where the operating system supports threads. If
your GDB does not support threads, these commands have no effect.
For example, a system without thread support shows no output from
`info threads', and always rejects the `thread' command, like this:
(gdb) info threads
(gdb) thread 1
Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
see the IDs of currently known threads.
The GDB thread debugging facility allows you to observe all threads
while your program runs--but whenever GDB takes control, one thread in
particular is always the focus of debugging. This thread is called the
"current thread". Debugging commands show program information from the
perspective of the current thread.
Whenever GDB detects a new thread in your program, it displays the
target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
form `[New SYSTAG]'. SYSTAG is a thread identifier whose form varies
depending on the particular system. For example, on LynxOS, you might
see
[New process 35 thread 27]
when GDB notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system, the
SYSTAG is simply something like `process 368', with no further
qualifier.
For debugging purposes, GDB associates its own thread number--always
a single integer--with each thread in your program.
`info threads'
Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. GDB
displays for each thread (in this order):
1. the thread number assigned by GDB
2. the target system's thread identifier (SYSTAG)
3. the current stack frame summary for that thread
An asterisk `*' to the left of the GDB thread number indicates the
current thread.
For example,
(gdb) info threads
3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
* 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
at threadtest.c:68
`thread THREADNO'
Make thread number THREADNO the current thread. The command
argument THREADNO is the internal GDB thread number, as shown in
the first field of the `info threads' display. GDB responds by
displaying the system identifier of the thread you selected, and
its current stack frame summary:
(gdb) thread 2
[Switching to process 35 thread 23]
0x34e5 in sigpause ()
As with the `[New ...]' message, the form of the text after
`Switching to' depends on your system's conventions for identifying
threads.
`thread apply [THREADNO] [ALL] ARGS'
The `thread apply' command allows you to apply a command to one or
more threads. Specify the numbers of the threads that you want
affected with the command argument THREADNO. THREADNO is the
internal GDB thread number, as shown in the first field of the
`info threads' display. To apply a command to all threads, use
`thread apply all' ARGS.
Whenever GDB stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a signal, it
automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or signal
happened. GDB alerts you to the context switch with a message of the
form `[Switching to SYSTAG]' to identify the thread.
*Note Stopping and starting multi-thread programs: Thread Stops, for
more information about how GDB behaves when you stop and start programs
with multiple threads.
*Note Setting watchpoints: Set Watchpoints, for information about
watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
File: gdb, Node: Processes, Prev: Threads, Up: Running
Debugging programs with multiple processes
==========================================
GDB has no special support for debugging programs which create
additional processes using the `fork' function. When a program forks,
GDB will continue to debug the parent process and the child process
will run unimpeded. If you have set a breakpoint in any code which the
child then executes, the child will get a `SIGTRAP' signal which
(unless it catches the signal) will cause it to terminate.
However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
which isn't too painful. Put a call to `sleep' in the code which the
child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep only
if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists, so
that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run GDB on the
child. While the child is sleeping, use the `ps' program to get its
process ID. Then tell GDB (a new invocation of GDB if you are also
debugging the parent process) to attach to the child process (see *Note
Attach::). From that point on you can debug the child process just
like any other process which you attached to.
File: gdb, Node: Stopping, Next: Stack, Prev: Running, Up: Top
Stopping and Continuing
***********************
The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop
your program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
Inside GDB, your program may stop for any of several reasons, such as
a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a GDB command such
as `step'. You may then examine and change variables, set new
breakpoints or remove old ones, and then continue execution. Usually,
the messages shown by GDB provide ample explanation of the status of
your program--but you can also explicitly request this information at
any time.
`info program'
Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
* Menu:
* Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and exceptions
* Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
* Signals:: Signals
* Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
File: gdb, Node: Breakpoints, Next: Continuing and Stepping, Up: Stopping
Breakpoints, watchpoints, and exceptions
========================================
A "breakpoint" makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
breakpoints with the `break' command and its variants (*note Setting
breakpoints: Set Breaks.), to specify the place where your program
should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
program. In languages with exception handling (such as GNU C++), you
can also set breakpoints where an exception is raised (*note
Breakpoints and exceptions: Exception Handling.).
In SunOS 4.x, SVR4, and Alpha OSF/1 configurations, you can now set
breakpoints in shared libraries before the executable is run.
A "watchpoint" is a special breakpoint that stops your program when
the value of an expression changes. You must use a different command
to set watchpoints (*note Setting watchpoints: Set Watchpoints.), but
aside from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint:
you enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using
the same commands.
You can arrange to have values from your program displayed
automatically whenever GDB stops at a breakpoint. *Note Automatic
display: Auto Display.
GDB assigns a number to each breakpoint or watchpoint when you
create it; these numbers are successive integers starting with one. In
many of the commands for controlling various features of breakpoints you
use the breakpoint number to say which breakpoint you want to change.
Each breakpoint may be "enabled" or "disabled"; if disabled, it has no
effect on your program until you enable it again.
* Menu:
* Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
* Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
* Exception Handling:: Breakpoints and exceptions
* Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
* Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
* Conditions:: Break conditions
* Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
* Breakpoint Menus:: Breakpoint menus
File: gdb, Node: Set Breaks, Next: Set Watchpoints, Up: Breakpoints
Setting breakpoints
-------------------
Breakpoints are set with the `break' command (abbreviated `b'). The
debugger convenience variable `$bpnum' records the number of the
breakpoints you've set most recently; see *Note Convenience variables:
Convenience Vars, for a discussion of what you can do with convenience
variables.
You have several ways to say where the breakpoint should go.
`break FUNCTION'
Set a breakpoint at entry to function FUNCTION. When using source
languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as C++,
FUNCTION may refer to more than one possible place to break.
*Note Breakpoint menus: Breakpoint Menus, for a discussion of that
situation.
`break +OFFSET'
`break -OFFSET'
Set a breakpoint some number of lines forward or back from the
position at which execution stopped in the currently selected
frame.
`break LINENUM'
Set a breakpoint at line LINENUM in the current source file. That
file is the last file whose source text was printed. This
breakpoint stops your program just before it executes any of the
code on that line.
`break FILENAME:LINENUM'
Set a breakpoint at line LINENUM in source file FILENAME.
`break FILENAME:FUNCTION'
Set a breakpoint at entry to function FUNCTION found in file
FILENAME. Specifying a file name as well as a function name is
superfluous except when multiple files contain similarly named
functions.
`break *ADDRESS'
Set a breakpoint at address ADDRESS. You can use this to set
breakpoints in parts of your program which do not have debugging
information or source files.
`break'
When called without any arguments, `break' sets a breakpoint at
the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
(*note Examining the Stack: Stack.). In any selected frame but the
innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control returns
to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a `finish'
command in the frame inside the selected frame--except that
`finish' does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use `break'
without an argument in the innermost frame, GDB stops the next
time it reaches the current location; this may be useful inside
loops.
GDB normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until
at least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do
this, you would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without
first disabling the breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not
the breakpoint already existed when your program stopped.
`break ... if COND'
Set a breakpoint with condition COND; evaluate the expression COND
each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the value is
nonzero--that is, if COND evaluates as true. `...' stands for one
of the possible arguments described above (or no argument)
specifying where to break. *Note Break conditions: Conditions,
for more information on breakpoint conditions.
`tbreak ARGS'
Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. ARGS are the same as
for the `break' command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first
time your program stops there. *Note Disabling breakpoints:
Disabling.
`hbreak ARGS'
Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. ARGS are the same as for the
`break' command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may
not have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
changing the instruction. This can be used with the new
trap-generation provided by SPARClite DSU. DSU will generate
traps when a program accesses some date or instruction address
that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
breakpoint registers can only take two data breakpoints, and GDB
will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete or
disable usused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones.
*Note Break conditions: Conditions.
`thbreak ARGS'
Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. ARGS
are the same as for the `hbreak' command and the breakpoint is set
in the same way. However, like the `tbreak' command, the
breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
program stops there. Also, like the `hbreak' command, the
breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may
not have this support. *Note Disabling breakpoints: Disabling.
Also *Note Break conditions: Conditions.
`rbreak REGEX'
Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
REGEX. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints
set with the `break' command. You can delete them, disable them,
or make them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
When debugging C++ programs, `rbreak' is useful for setting
breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any
special classes.
`info breakpoints [N]'
`info break [N]'
`info watchpoints [N]'
Print a table of all breakpoints and watchpoints set and not
deleted, with the following columns for each breakpoint:
*Breakpoint Numbers*
*Type*
Breakpoint or watchpoint.
*Disposition*
Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted
when hit.
*Enabled or Disabled*
Enabled breakpoints are marked with `y'. `n' marks
breakpoints that are not enabled.
*Address*
Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address
*What*
Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a
file and line number.
If a breakpoint is conditional, `info break' shows the condition on
the line following the affected breakpoint; breakpoint commands,
if any, are listed after that.
`info break' with a breakpoint number N as argument lists only
that breakpoint. The convenience variable `$_' and the default
examining-address for the `x' command are set to the address of
the last breakpoint listed (*note Examining memory: Memory.).
`info break' now displays a count of the number of times the
breakpoint has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction
with the `ignore' command. You can ignore a large number of
breakpoint hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times
the breakpoint was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than
that number. This will get you quickly to the last hit of that
breakpoint.
GDB allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful (*note Break
conditions: Conditions.).
GDB itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for special
purposes, such as proper handling of `longjmp' (in C programs). These
internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers, starting with `-1';
`info breakpoints' does not display them.
You can see these breakpoints with the GDB maintenance command
`maint info breakpoints'.
`maint info breakpoints'
Using the same format as `info breakpoints', display both the
breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those GDB is using for
internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of
breakpoint is shown:
`breakpoint'
Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
`watchpoint'
Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
`longjmp'
Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
`longjmp' calls.
`longjmp resume'
Internal breakpoint at the target of a `longjmp'.
`until'
Temporary internal breakpoint used by the GDB `until' command.
`finish'
Temporary internal breakpoint used by the GDB `finish'
command.
File: gdb, Node: Set Watchpoints, Next: Exception Handling, Prev: Set Breaks, Up: Breakpoints
Setting watchpoints
-------------------
You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
this may happen.
Watchpoints currently execute two orders of magnitude more slowly
than other breakpoints, but this can be well worth it to catch errors
where you have no clue what part of your program is the culprit.
`watch EXPR'
Set a watchpoint for an expression. GDB will break when EXPR is
written into by the program and its value changes. This can be
used with the new trap-generation provided by SPARClite DSU. DSU
will generate traps when a program accesses some date or
instruction address that is assigned to the debug registers. For
the data addresses, DSU facilitates the `watch' command. However
the hardware breakpoint registers can only take two data
watchpoints, and both watchpoints must be the same kind. For
example, you can set two watchpoints with `watch' commands, two
with `rwatch' commands, *or* two with `awatch' commands, but you
cannot set one watchpoint with one command and the other with a
different command. {No Value For "GBDN"} will reject the command
if you try to mix watchpoints. Delete or disable unused
watchpoint commands before setting new ones.
`rwatch EXPR'
Set a watchpoint that will break when watch ARGS is read by the
program. If you use both watchpoints, both must be set with the
`rwatch' command.
`awatch EXPR'
Set a watchpoint that will break when ARGS is read and written into
by the program. If you use both watchpoints, both must be set
with the `awatch' command.
`info watchpoints'
This command prints a list of watchpoints and breakpoints; it is
the same as `info break'.
*Warning:* in multi-thread programs, watchpoints have only limited
usefulness. With the current watchpoint implementation, GDB can
only watch the value of an expression *in a single thread*. If
you are confident that the expression can only change due to the
current thread's activity (and if you are also confident that no
other thread can become current), then you can use watchpoints as
usual. However, GDB may not notice when a non-current thread's
activity changes the expression.
File: gdb, Node: Exception Handling, Next: Delete Breaks, Prev: Set Watchpoints, Up: Breakpoints
Breakpoints and exceptions
--------------------------
Some languages, such as GNU C++, implement exception handling. You
can use GDB to examine what caused your program to raise an exception,
and to list the exceptions your program is prepared to handle at a
given point in time.
`catch EXCEPTIONS'
You can set breakpoints at active exception handlers by using the
`catch' command. EXCEPTIONS is a list of names of exceptions to
catch.
You can use `info catch' to list active exception handlers. *Note
Information about a frame: Frame Info.
There are currently some limitations to exception handling in GDB:
* If you call a function interactively, GDB normally returns control
to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism
that returns control to you and cause your program to simply
continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal that
GDB is listening for, or exits.
* You cannot raise an exception interactively.
* You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
Sometimes `catch' is not the best way to debug exception handling:
if you need to know exactly where an exception is raised, it is better
to stop *before* the exception handler is called, since that way you
can see the stack before any unwinding takes place. If you set a
breakpoint in an exception handler instead, it may not be easy to find
out where the exception was raised.
To stop just before an exception handler is called, you need some
knowledge of the implementation. In the case of GNU C++, exceptions are
raised by calling a library function named `__raise_exception' which
has the following ANSI C interface:
/* ADDR is where the exception identifier is stored.
ID is the exception identifier. */
void __raise_exception (void **ADDR, void *ID);
To make the debugger catch all exceptions before any stack unwinding
takes place, set a breakpoint on `__raise_exception' (*note
Breakpoints; watchpoints; and exceptions: Breakpoints.).
With a conditional breakpoint (*note Break conditions: Conditions.)
that depends on the value of ID, you can stop your program when a
specific exception is raised. You can use multiple conditional
breakpoints to stop your program when any of a number of exceptions are
raised.
File: gdb, Node: Delete Breaks, Next: Disabling, Prev: Exception Handling, Up: Breakpoints
Deleting breakpoints
--------------------
It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint or watchpoint once it
has done its job and you no longer want your program to stop there.
This is called "deleting" the breakpoint. A breakpoint that has been
deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
With the `clear' command you can delete breakpoints according to
where they are in your program. With the `delete' command you can
delete individual breakpoints or watchpoints by specifying their
breakpoint numbers.
It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. GDB
automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be
executed when you continue execution without changing the execution
address.
`clear'
Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in
the selected stack frame (*note Selecting a frame: Selection.).
When the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete
a breakpoint where your program just stopped.
`clear FUNCTION'
`clear FILENAME:FUNCTION'
Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the function FUNCTION.
`clear LINENUM'
`clear FILENAME:LINENUM'
Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
line.
`delete [breakpoints] [BNUMS...]'
Delete the breakpoints or watchpoints of the numbers specified as
arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all breakpoints
(GDB asks confirmation, unless you have `set confirm off'). You
can abbreviate this command as `d'.
File: gdb, Node: Disabling, Next: Conditions, Prev: Delete Breaks, Up: Breakpoints
Disabling breakpoints
---------------------
Rather than deleting a breakpoint or watchpoint, you might prefer to
"disable" it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if it had been
deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so that you
can "enable" it again later.
You disable and enable breakpoints and watchpoints with the `enable'
and `disable' commands, optionally specifying one or more breakpoint
numbers as arguments. Use `info break' or `info watch' to print a list
of breakpoints or watchpoints if you do not know which numbers to use.
A breakpoint or watchpoint can have any of four different states of
enablement:
* Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
with the `break' command starts out in this state.
* Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
* Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
disabled. A breakpoint set with the `tbreak' command starts out in
this state.
* Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently.
You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints
and watchpoints:
`disable [breakpoints] [BNUMS...]'
Disable the specified breakpoints--or all breakpoints, if none are
listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten.
All options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are
remembered in case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may
abbreviate `disable' as `dis'.
`enable [breakpoints] [BNUMS...]'
Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints).
They become effective once again in stopping your program.
`enable [breakpoints] once BNUMS...'
Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. GDB disables any of
these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
`enable [breakpoints] delete BNUMS...'
Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. GDB
deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops
there.
Except for a breakpoint set with `tbreak' (*note Setting
breakpoints: Set Breaks.), breakpoints that you set are initially
enabled; subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you
use one of the commands above. (The command `until' can set and delete
a breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
breakpoints; see *Note Continuing and stepping: Continuing and
Stepping.)
File: gdb, Node: Conditions, Next: Break Commands, Prev: Disabling, Up: Breakpoints
Break conditions
----------------
The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program
reaches a specified place. You can also specify a "condition" for a
breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
programming language (*note Expressions: Expressions.). A breakpoint
with a condition evaluates the expression each time your program
reaches it, and your program stops only if the condition is *true*.
This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in
that situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated--that
is, when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an
assertion expressed by the condition ASSERT, you should set the
condition `! ASSERT' on the appropriate breakpoint.
Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow--but
it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an
interesting one.
Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions
in your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to format
special data structures. The effects are completely predictable unless
there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In that
case, GDB might see the other breakpoint first and stop your program
without checking the condition of this one.) Note that breakpoint
commands are usually more convenient and flexible for the purpose of
performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached (*note Breakpoint
command lists: Break Commands.).
Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
`if' in the arguments to the `break' command. *Note Setting
breakpoints: Set Breaks. They can also be changed at any time with the
`condition' command. The `watch' command does not recognize the `if'
keyword; `condition' is the only way to impose a further condition on a
watchpoint.
`condition BNUM EXPRESSION'
Specify EXPRESSION as the break condition for breakpoint or
watchpoint number BNUM. After you set a condition, breakpoint
BNUM stops your program only if the value of EXPRESSION is true
(nonzero, in C). When you use `condition', GDB checks EXPRESSION
immediately for syntactic correctness, and to determine whether
symbols in it have referents in the context of your breakpoint.
GDB does not actually evaluate EXPRESSION at the time the
`condition' command is given, however. *Note Expressions:
Expressions.
`condition BNUM'
Remove the condition from breakpoint number BNUM. It becomes an
ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
useful that there is a special way to do it, using the "ignore count"
of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which is an
integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and therefore has
no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose ignore count
is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements the ignore
count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count value is
N, the breakpoint does not stop the next N times your program reaches
it.
`ignore BNUM COUNT'
Set the ignore count of breakpoint number BNUM to COUNT. The next
COUNT times the breakpoint is reached, your program's execution
does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, GDB takes
no action.
To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify a
count of zero.
When you use `continue' to resume execution of your program from a
breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an
argument to `continue', rather than using `ignore'. *Note
Continuing and stepping: Continuing and Stepping.
If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero, GDB
resumes checking the condition.
You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition
such as `$foo-- <= 0' using a debugger convenience variable that
is decremented each time. *Note Convenience variables:
Convenience Vars.
File: gdb, Node: Break Commands, Next: Breakpoint Menus, Prev: Conditions, Up: Breakpoints
Breakpoint command lists
------------------------
You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint) a series of commands to
execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For example,
you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or enable
other breakpoints.
`commands [BNUM]'
`... COMMAND-LIST ...'
`end'
Specify a list of commands for breakpoint number BNUM. The
commands themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line
containing just `end' to terminate the commands.
To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type `commands' and
follow it immediately with `end'; that is, give no commands.
With no BNUM argument, `commands' refers to the last breakpoint or
watchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently encountered).
Pressing RET as a means of repeating the last GDB command is
disabled within a COMMAND-LIST.
You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again.
Simply use the `continue' command, or `step', or any other command that
resumes execution.
Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
(even with a simple `next' or `step'), you may encounter another
breakpoint--which could have its own command list, leading to
ambiguities about which list to execute.
If the first command you specify in a command list is `silent', the
usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. `silent' is meaningful
only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
The commands `echo', `output', and `printf' allow you to print
precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
breakpoints. *Note Commands for controlled output: Output.
For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print
the value of `x' at entry to `foo' whenever `x' is positive.
break foo if x>0
commands
silent
printf "x is %d\n",x
cont
end
One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug
so you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous
line of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
to any variables that need them. End with the `continue' command so
that your program does not stop, and start with the `silent' command so
that no output is produced. Here is an example:
break 403
commands
silent
set x = y + 4
cont
end
File: gdb, Node: Breakpoint Menus, Prev: Break Commands, Up: Breakpoints
Breakpoint menus
----------------
Some programming languages (notably C++) permit a single function
name to be defined several times, for application in different contexts.
This is called "overloading". When a function name is overloaded,
`break FUNCTION' is not enough to tell GDB where you want a breakpoint.
If you realize this is a problem, you can use something like `break
FUNCTION(TYPES)' to specify which particular version of the function
you want. Otherwise, GDB offers you a menu of numbered choices for
different possible breakpoints, and waits for your selection with the
prompt `>'. The first two options are always `[0] cancel' and `[1]
all'. Typing `1' sets a breakpoint at each definition of FUNCTION, and
typing `0' aborts the `break' command without setting any new
breakpoints.
For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
breakpoint at the overloaded symbol `String::after'. We choose three
particular definitions of that function name:
(gdb) b String::after
[0] cancel
[1] all
[2] file:String.cc; line number:867
[3] file:String.cc; line number:860
[4] file:String.cc; line number:875
[5] file:String.cc; line number:853
[6] file:String.cc; line number:846
[7] file:String.cc; line number:735
> 2 4 6
Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
Multiple breakpoints were set.
Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
breakpoints.
(gdb)
File: gdb, Node: Continuing and Stepping, Next: Signals, Prev: Breakpoints, Up: Stopping
Continuing and stepping
=======================
"Continuing" means resuming program execution until your program
completes normally. In contrast, "stepping" means executing just one
more "step" of your program, where "step" may mean either one line of
source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what particular
command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping, your
program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If due
to a signal, you may want to use `handle', or use `signal 0' to resume
execution. *Note Signals: Signals.)
`continue [IGNORE-COUNT]'
`c [IGNORE-COUNT]'
`fg [IGNORE-COUNT]'
Resume program execution, at the address where your program last
stopped; any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The
optional argument IGNORE-COUNT allows you to specify a further
number of times to ignore a breakpoint at this location; its
effect is like that of `ignore' (*note Break conditions:
Conditions.).
The argument IGNORE-COUNT is meaningful only when your program
stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
`continue' is ignored.
The synonyms `c' and `fg' are provided purely for convenience, and
have exactly the same behavior as `continue'.
To resume execution at a different place, you can use `return'
(*note Returning from a function: Returning.) to go back to the calling
function; or `jump' (*note Continuing at a different address: Jumping.)
to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint (*note
Breakpoints; watchpoints; and exceptions: Breakpoints.) at the
beginning of the function or the section of your program where a
problem is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that
breakpoint, and then step through the suspect area, examining the
variables that are interesting, until you see the problem happen.
`step'
Continue running your program until control reaches a different
source line, then stop it and return control to GDB. This command
is abbreviated `s'.
*Warning:* If you use the `step' command while control is
within a function that was compiled without debugging
information, execution proceeds until control reaches a
function that does have debugging information. Likewise, it
will not step into a function which is compiled without
debugging information. To step through functions without
debugging information, use the `stepi' command, described
below.
The `step' command now only stops at the first instruction of a
source line. This prevents the multiple stops that used to occur
in switch statements, for loops, etc. `step' continues to stop if
a function that has debugging information is called within the
line.
Also, the `step' command now only enters a subroutine if there is
line number information for the subroutine. Otherwise it acts
like the `next' command. This avoids problems when using `cc -gl'
on MIPS machines. Previously, `step' entered subroutines if there
was any debugging information about the routine.
`step COUNT'
Continue running as in `step', but do so COUNT times. If a
breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs
before COUNT steps, stepping stops right away.
`next [COUNT]'
Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack
frame. This is similar to `step', but function calls that appear
within the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution
stops when control reaches a different line of code at the
original stack level that was executing when you gave the `next'
command. This command is abbreviated `n'.
An argument COUNT is a repeat count, as for `step'.
The `next' command now only stops at the first instruction of a
source line. This prevents the multiple stops that used to occur
in swtch statements, for loops, etc.
`finish'
Continue running until just after function in the selected stack
frame returns. Print the returned value (if any).
Contrast this with the `return' command (*note Returning from a
function: Returning.).
`u'
`until'
Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid
single stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the
`next' command, except that when `until' encounters a jump, it
automatically continues execution until the program counter is
greater than the address of the jump.
This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single
stepping though it, `until' makes your program continue execution
until it exits the loop. In contrast, a `next' command at the end
of a loop simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which
forces you to step through the next iteration.
`until' always stops your program if it attempts to exit the
current stack frame.
`until' may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the `f'
(`frame') command shows that execution is stopped at line `206';
yet when we use `until', we get to line `195':
(gdb) f
#0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
206 expand_input();
(gdb) until
195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) {
This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than
the start, of the loop--even though the test in a C `for'-loop is
written before the body of the loop. The `until' command appeared
to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
statement--not in terms of the actual machine code.
`until' with no argument works by means of single instruction
stepping, and hence is slower than `until' with an argument.
`until LOCATION'
`u LOCATION'
Continue running your program until either the specified location
is reached, or the current stack frame returns. LOCATION is any of
the forms of argument acceptable to `break' (*note Setting
breakpoints: Set Breaks.). This form of the command uses
breakpoints, and hence is quicker than `until' without an argument.
`stepi'
`si'
Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the
debugger.
It is often useful to do `display/i $pc' when stepping by machine
instructions. This makes GDB automatically display the next
instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. *Note
Automatic display: Auto Display.
An argument is a repeat count, as in `step'.
`nexti'
`ni'
Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
proceed until the function returns.
An argument is a repeat count, as in `next'.
File: gdb, Node: Signals, Next: Thread Stops, Prev: Continuing and Stepping, Up: Stopping
Signals
=======
A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix `SIGINT' is the signal
a program gets when you type an interrupt (often `C-c'); `SIGSEGV' is
the signal a program gets from referencing a place in memory far away
from all the areas in use; `SIGALRM' occurs when the alarm clock timer
goes off (which happens only if your program has requested an alarm).
Some signals, including `SIGALRM', are a normal part of the
functioning of your program. Others, such as `SIGSEGV', indicate
errors; these signals are "fatal" (kill your program immediately) if the
program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the
signal. `SIGINT' does not indicate an error in your program, but it is
normally fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to
kill the program.
GDB has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
program. You can tell GDB in advance what to do for each kind of
signal.
Normally, GDB is set up to ignore non-erroneous signals like
`SIGALRM' (so as not to interfere with their role in the functioning of
your program) but to stop your program immediately whenever an error
signal happens. You can change these settings with the `handle'
command.
`info signals'
Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how GDB has been
told to handle each one. You can use this to see the signal
numbers of all the defined types of signals.
`info handle' is the new alias for `info signals'.
`handle SIGNAL KEYWORDS...'
Change the way GDB handles signal SIGNAL. SIGNAL can be the
number of a signal or its name (with or without the `SIG' at the
beginning). The KEYWORDS say what change to make.
The keywords allowed by the `handle' command can be abbreviated.
Their full names are:
`nostop'
GDB should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
`stop'
GDB should stop your program when this signal happens. This
implies the `print' keyword as well.
`print'
GDB should print a message when this signal happens.
`noprint'
GDB should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
implies the `nostop' keyword as well.
`pass'
GDB should allow your program to see this signal; your program can
handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
and not handled.
`nopass'
GDB should not allow your program to see this signal.
When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible until you
continue. Your program sees the signal then, if `pass' is in effect
for the signal in question *at that time*. In other words, after GDB
reports a signal, you can use the `handle' command with `pass' or
`nopass' to control whether your program sees that signal when you
continue.
You can also use the `signal' command to prevent your program from
seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program
stopped due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store
correct values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see
more execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
you can continue with `signal 0'. *Note Giving your program a signal:
Signaling.
File: gdb, Node: Thread Stops, Prev: Signals, Up: Stopping
Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
===========================================
When your program has multiple threads (*note Debugging programs
with multiple threads: Threads.), you can choose whether to set
breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
`break LINESPEC thread THREADNO'
`break LINESPEC thread THREADNO if ...'
LINESPEC specifies source lines; there are several ways of writing
them, but the effect is always to specify some source line.
Use the qualifier `thread THREADNO' with a breakpoint command to
specify that you only want GDB to stop the program when a
particular thread reaches this breakpoint. THREADNO is one of the
numeric thread identifiers assigned by GDB, shown in the first
column of the `info threads' display.
If you do not specify `thread THREADNO' when you set a breakpoint,
the breakpoint applies to *all* threads of your program.
You can use the `thread' qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
well; in this case, place `thread THREADNO' before the breakpoint
condition, like this:
(gdb) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
Whenever your program stops under GDB for any reason, *all* threads
of execution stop, not just the current thread. This allows you to
examine the overall state of the program, including switching between
threads, without worrying that things may change underfoot.
Conversely, whenever you restart the program, *all* threads start
executing. *This is true even when single-stepping* with commands like
`step' or `next'.
In particular, GDB cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
system (not controlled by GDB), other threads may execute more than one
statement while the current thread completes a single step. Moreover,
in general other threads stop in the middle of a statement, rather than
at a clean statement boundary, when the program stops.
You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
first thread completes whatever you requested.
File: gdb, Node: Stack, Next: Source, Prev: Stopping, Up: Top
Examining the Stack
*******************
When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is
where it stopped and how it got there.
Each time your program performs a function call, information about
the call is generated. That information includes the location of the
call in your program, the arguments of the call, and the local
variables of the function being called. The information is saved in a
block of data called a "stack frame". The stack frames are allocated
in a region of memory called the "call stack".
When your program stops, the GDB commands for examining the stack
allow you to see all of this information.
One of the stack frames is "selected" by GDB and many GDB commands
refer implicitly to the selected frame. In particular, whenever you
ask GDB for the value of a variable in your program, the value is found
in the selected frame. There are special GDB commands to select
whichever frame you are interested in. *Note Selecting a frame:
Selection.
When your program stops, GDB automatically selects the currently
executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the `frame'
command (*note Information about a frame: Frame Info.).
* Menu:
* Frames:: Stack frames
* Backtrace:: Backtraces
* Selection:: Selecting a frame
* Frame Info:: Information on a frame
* MIPS Stack:: MIPS machines and the function stack
File: gdb, Node: Frames, Next: Backtrace, Up: Stack
Stack frames
============
The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called "stack
frames", or "frames" for short; each frame is the data associated with
one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given to
the function, the function's local variables, and the address at which
the function is executing.
When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of
the function `main'. This is called the "initial" frame or the
"outermost" frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function
invocation is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be
many frames for the same function. The frame for the function in which
execution is actually occurring is called the "innermost" frame. This
is the most recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses.
A stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own
address; each kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte
whose address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address
is kept in a register called the "frame pointer register" while
execution is going on in that frame.
GDB assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with zero
for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it, and so on
upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program; they are
assigned by GDB to give you a way of designating stack frames in GDB
commands.
Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they
operate without stack frames. (For example, the `gcc' option
`-fomit-frame-pointer' generates functions without a frame.) This is
occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save the frame
setup time. GDB has limited facilities for dealing with these function
invocations. If the innermost function invocation has no stack frame,
GDB nevertheless regards it as though it had a separate frame, which is
numbered zero as usual, allowing correct tracing of the function call
chain. However, GDB has no provision for frameless functions elsewhere
in the stack.
`frame ARGS'
The `frame' command allows you to move from one stack frame to
another, and to print the stack frame you select. ARGS may be
either the address of the frame of the stack frame number.
Without an argument, `frame' prints the current stack frame.
`select-frame'
The `select-frame' command allows you to move from one stack frame
to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version
of `frame'.
File: gdb, Node: Backtrace, Next: Selection, Prev: Frames, Up: Stack
Backtraces
==========
A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It
shows one line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently
executing frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and
on up the stack.
`backtrace'
`bt'
Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
frames in the stack.
You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system
interrupt character, normally `C-c'.
`backtrace N'
`bt N'
Similar, but print only the innermost N frames.
`backtrace -N'
`bt -N'
Similar, but print only the outermost N frames.
The names `where' and `info stack' (abbreviated `info s') are
additional aliases for `backtrace'.
Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function
name. The program counter value is also shown--unless you use `set
print address off'. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
line number.
Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command `bt
3', so it shows the innermost three frames.
#0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
at builtin.c:993
#1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600) at macro.c:242
#2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
at macro.c:71
(More stack frames follow...)
The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter value,
indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the code
for line `993' of `builtin.c'.
File: gdb, Node: Selection, Next: Frame Info, Prev: Backtrace, Up: Stack
Selecting a frame
=================
Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program
work on whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the
commands for selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a
brief description of the stack frame just selected.
`frame N'
`f N'
Select frame number N. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
(currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one
for `main'.
`frame ADDR'
`f ADDR'
Select the frame at address ADDR. This is useful mainly if the
chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
impossible for GDB to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks
and switches between them.
On the SPARC architecture, `frame' needs two addresses to select
an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
On the MIPS and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
pointer and a program counter.
On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
`up N'
Move N frames up the stack. For positive numbers N, this advances
toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
that have existed longer. N defaults to one.
`down N'
Move N frames down the stack. For positive numbers N, this
advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to
frames that were created more recently. N defaults to one. You
may abbreviate `down' as `do'.
All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing
the frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name,
the arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
For example:
(gdb) up
#1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
at env.c:10
10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
After such a printout, the `list' command with no arguments prints
ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame. *Note
Printing source lines: List.
`up-silently N'
`down-silently N'
These two commands are variants of `up' and `down', respectively;
they differ in that they do their work silently, without causing
display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use in
GDB command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
distracting.
File: gdb, Node: Frame Info, Next: MIPS Stack, Prev: Selection, Up: Stack
Information about a frame
=========================
There are several other commands to print information about the
selected stack frame.
`frame'
`f'
When used without any argument, this command does not change which
frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated `f'. With an
argument, this command is used to select a stack frame. *Note
Selecting a frame: Selection.
`info frame'
`info f'
This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack
frame, including:
* the address of the frame
* the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
* the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
* the language in which the source code corresponding to this
frame is written
* the address of the frame's arguments
* the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in
the caller frame)
* which registers were saved in the frame
The verbose description is useful when something has gone wrong
that has made the stack format fail to fit the usual conventions.
`info frame ADDR'
`info f ADDR'
Print a verbose description of the frame at address ADDR, without
selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one
for some architectures) that you specify in the `frame' command.
*Note Selecting a frame: Selection.
`info args'
Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
`info locals'
Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
line. These are all variables (declared either static or
automatic) accessible at the point of execution of the selected
frame.
`info catch'
Print a list of all the exception handlers that are active in the
current stack frame at the current point of execution. To see
other exception handlers, visit the associated frame (using the
`up', `down', or `frame' commands); then type `info catch'. *Note
Breakpoints and exceptions: Exception Handling.
File: gdb, Node: MIPS Stack, Prev: Frame Info, Up: Stack
MIPS machines and the function stack
====================================
MIPS based computers use an unusual stack frame, which sometimes
requires GDB to search backward in the object code to find the
beginning of a function.
To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
GDB may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search) you may
want to limit the size of this search, using one of these commands:
`set heuristic-fence-post LIMIT'
Restrict GDB to examining at most LIMIT bytes in its search for
the beginning of a function. A value of 0 (the default) means
there is no limit. However, except for 0, the larger the limit
the more bytes `heuristic-fence-post' must search and therefore
the longer it takes to run.
`show heuristic-fence-post'
Display the current limit.
These commands are available *only* when GDB is configured for
debugging programs on MIPS processors.
File: gdb, Node: Source, Next: Data, Prev: Stack, Up: Top
Examining Source Files
**********************
GDB can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
information recorded in the program tells GDB what source files were
used to build it. When your program stops, GDB spontaneously prints
the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
(*note Selecting a frame: Selection.), GDB prints the line where
execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
source files by explicit command.
If you use GDB through its GNU Emacs interface, you may prefer to use
Emacs facilities to view source; *note Using GDB under GNU Emacs:
Emacs..
* Menu:
* List:: Printing source lines
* Search:: Searching source files
* Source Path:: Specifying source directories
* Machine Code:: Source and machine code
File: gdb, Node: List, Next: Search, Up: Source
Printing source lines
=====================
To print lines from a source file, use the `list' command
(abbreviated `l'). By default, ten lines are printed. There are
several ways to specify what part of the file you want to print.
Here are the forms of the `list' command most commonly used:
`list LINENUM'
Print lines centered around line number LINENUM in the current
source file.
`list FUNCTION'
Print lines centered around the beginning of function FUNCTION.
`list'
Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
`list' command, this prints lines following the last lines
printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line
printed as part of displaying a stack frame (*note Examining the
Stack: Stack.), this prints lines centered around that line.
`list -'
Print lines just before the lines last printed.
By default, GDB prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
the `list' command. You can change this using `set listsize':
`set listsize COUNT'
Make the `list' command display COUNT source lines (unless the
`list' argument explicitly specifies some other number).
`show listsize'
Display the number of lines that `list' prints.
Repeating a `list' command with RET discards the argument, so it is
equivalent to typing just `list'. This is more useful than listing the
same lines again. An exception is made for an argument of `-'; that
argument is preserved in repetition so that each repetition moves up in
the source file.
In general, the `list' command expects you to supply zero, one or two
"linespecs". Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways of
writing them but the effect is always to specify some source line.
Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for `list':
`list LINESPEC'
Print lines centered around the line specified by LINESPEC.
`list FIRST,LAST'
Print lines from FIRST to LAST. Both arguments are linespecs.
`list ,LAST'
Print lines ending with LAST.
`list FIRST,'
Print lines starting with FIRST.
`list +'
Print lines just after the lines last printed.
`list -'
Print lines just before the lines last printed.
`list'
As described in the preceding table.
Here are the ways of specifying a single source line--all the kinds
of linespec.
`NUMBER'
Specifies line NUMBER of the current source file. When a `list'
command has two linespecs, this refers to the same source file as
the first linespec.
`+OFFSET'
Specifies the line OFFSET lines after the last line printed. When
used as the second linespec in a `list' command that has two, this
specifies the line OFFSET lines down from the first linespec.
`-OFFSET'
Specifies the line OFFSET lines before the last line printed.
`FILENAME:NUMBER'
Specifies line NUMBER in the source file FILENAME.
`FUNCTION'
Specifies the line that begins the body of the function FUNCTION.
For example: in C, this is the line with the open brace.
`FILENAME:FUNCTION'
Specifies the line of the open-brace that begins the body of the
function FUNCTION in the file FILENAME. You only need the file
name with a function name to avoid ambiguity when there are
identically named functions in different source files.
`*ADDRESS'
Specifies the line containing the program address ADDRESS.
ADDRESS may be any expression.
File: gdb, Node: Search, Next: Source Path, Prev: List, Up: Source
Searching source files
======================
There are two commands for searching through the current source file
for a regular expression.
`forward-search REGEXP'
`search REGEXP'
The command `forward-search REGEXP' checks each line, starting
with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
REGEXP. It lists the line that is found. You can use the synonym
`search REGEXP' or abbreviate the command name as `fo'.
`reverse-search REGEXP'
The command `reverse-search REGEXP' checks each line, starting
with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a
match for REGEXP. It lists the line that is found. You can
abbreviate this command as `rev'.
File: gdb, Node: Source Path, Next: Machine Code, Prev: Search, Up: Source
Specifying source directories
=============================
Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the
source files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when
they do, the directories could be moved between the compilation and
your debugging session. GDB has a list of directories to search for
source files; this is called the "source path". Each time GDB wants a
source file, it tries all the directories in the list, in the order
they are present in the list, until it finds a file with the desired
name. Note that the executable search path is *not* used for this
purpose. Neither is the current working directory, unless it happens
to be in the source path.
If GDB cannot find a source file in the source path, and the object
program records a directory, GDB tries that directory too. If the
source path is empty, and there is no record of the compilation
directory, GDB looks in the current directory as a last resort.
Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, GDB clears out any
information it has cached about where source files are found and where
each line is in the file.
When you start GDB, its source path is empty. To add other
directories, use the `directory' command.
`directory DIRNAME ...'
`dir DIRNAME ...'
Add directory DIRNAME to the front of the source path. Several
directory names may be given to this command, separated by `:' or
whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the
source path; this moves it forward, so GDB searches it sooner.
You can use the string `$cdir' to refer to the compilation
directory (if one is recorded), and `$cwd' to refer to the current
working directory. `$cwd' is not the same as `.'--the former
tracks the current working directory as it changes during your GDB
session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
`directory'
Reset the source path to empty again. This requires confirmation.
`show directories'
Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer
of interest, GDB may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
1. Use `directory' with no argument to reset the source path to empty.
2. Use `directory' with suitable arguments to reinstall the
directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
directories in one command.
File: gdb, Node: Machine Code, Prev: Source Path, Up: Source
Source and machine code
=======================
You can use the command `info line' to map source lines to program
addresses (and vice versa), and the command `disassemble' to display a
range of addresses as machine instructions. When run under GNU Emacs
mode, the `info line' command now causes the arrow to point to the line
specified. Also, `info line' prints addresses in symbolic form as well
as hex.
`info line LINESPEC'
Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
source line LINESPEC. You can specify source lines in any of the
ways understood by the `list' command (*note Printing source
lines: List.).
For example, we can use `info line' to discover the location of the
object code for the first line of function `m4_changequote':
(gdb) info line m4_changecom
Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
We can also inquire (using `*ADDR' as the form for LINESPEC) what
source line covers a particular address:
(gdb) info line *0x63ff
Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
After `info line', the default address for the `x' command is
changed to the starting address of the line, so that `x/i' is
sufficient to begin examining the machine code (*note Examining memory:
Memory.). Also, this address is saved as the value of the convenience
variable `$_' (*note Convenience variables: Convenience Vars.).
`disassemble'
This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
instructions. The default memory range is the function
surrounding the program counter of the selected frame. A single
argument to this command is a program counter value; GDB dumps the
function surrounding this value. Two arguments specify a range of
addresses (first inclusive, second exclusive) to dump.
We can use `disassemble' to inspect the object code range shown in
the last `info line' example (the example shows SPARC machine
instructions):
(gdb) disas 0x63e4 0x6404
Dump of assembler code from 0x63e4 to 0x6404:
0x63e4 <builtin_init+5340>: ble 0x63f8 <builtin_init+5360>
0x63e8 <builtin_init+5344>: sethi %hi(0x4c00), %o0
0x63ec <builtin_init+5348>: ld [%i1+4], %o0
0x63f0 <builtin_init+5352>: b 0x63fc <builtin_init+5364>
0x63f4 <builtin_init+5356>: ld [%o0+4], %o0
0x63f8 <builtin_init+5360>: or %o0, 0x1a4, %o0
0x63fc <builtin_init+5364>: call 0x9288 <path_search>
0x6400 <builtin_init+5368>: nop
End of assembler dump.
File: gdb, Node: Data, Next: Languages, Prev: Source, Up: Top
Examining Data
**************
The usual way to examine data in your program is with the `print'
command (abbreviated `p'), or its synonym `inspect'. It evaluates and
prints the value of an expression of the language your program is
written in (*note Using GDB with Different Languages: Languages.).
`print EXP'
`print /F EXP'
EXP is an expression (in the source language). By default the
value of EXP is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
you can choose a different format by specifying `/F', where F is a
letter specifying the format; *note Output formats: Output
Formats..
`print'
`print /F'
If you omit EXP, GDB displays the last value again (from the
"value history"; *note Value history: Value History.). This
allows you to conveniently inspect the same value in an
alternative format.
A more low-level way of examining data is with the `x' command. It
examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
specified format. *Note Examining memory: Memory.
If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
fields of a struct or class are declared, use the `ptype EXP' command
rather than `print'. *Note Examining the Symbol Table: Symbols.
* Menu:
* Expressions:: Expressions
* Variables:: Program variables
* Arrays:: Artificial arrays
* Output Formats:: Output formats
* Memory:: Examining memory
* Auto Display:: Automatic display
* Print Settings:: Print settings
* Value History:: Value history
* Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
* Registers:: Registers
* Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
File: gdb, Node: Expressions, Next: Variables, Up: Data
Expressions
===========
`print' and many other GDB commands accept an expression and compute
its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined by the
programming language you are using is valid in an expression in GDB.
This includes conditional expressions, function calls, casts and string
constants. It unfortunately does not include symbols defined by
preprocessor `#define' commands.
GDB now supports array constants in expressions input by the user.
The syntax is {ELEMENT, ELEMENT...}. For example, you can now use the
command `print {1, 2, 3}' to build up an array in memory that is
malloc'd in the target program.
Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in
examples in this manual are in C. *Note Using GDB with Different
Languages: Languages, for information on how to use expressions in other
languages.
In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in GDB
expressions regardless of your programming language.
Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
at that address in memory.
GDB supports these operators, in addition to those common to
programming languages:
`@'
`@' is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
*Note Artificial arrays: Arrays, for more information.
`::'
`::' allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
function where it is defined. *Note Program variables: Variables.
`{TYPE} ADDR'
Refers to an object of type TYPE stored at address ADDR in memory.
ADDR may be any expression whose value is an integer or pointer
(but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of
data is normally supposed to reside at ADDR.
File: gdb, Node: Variables, Next: Arrays, Prev: Expressions, Up: Data
Program variables
=================
The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
in your program.
Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
(*note Selecting a frame: Selection.); they must be either:
* global (or static)
or
* visible according to the scope rules of the programming language
from the point of execution in that frame
This means that in the function
foo (a)
int a;
{
bar (a);
{
int b = test ();
bar (b);
}
}
you can examine and use the variable `a' whenever your program is
executing within the function `foo', but you can only use or examine
the variable `b' while your program is executing inside the block where
`b' is declared.
There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
function with the same name (in different source files). If that
happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file,
using the colon-colon notation:
FILE::VARIABLE
FUNCTION::VARIABLE
Here FILE or FUNCTION is the name of the context for the static
VARIABLE. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to make sure
GDB parses the file name as a single word--for example, to print a
global value of `x' defined in `f2.c':
(gdb) p 'f2.c'::x
This use of `::' is very rarely in conflict with the very similar
use of the same notation in C++. GDB also supports use of the C++
scope resolution operator in GDB expressions.
*Warning:* Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
wrong value at certain points in a function--just after entry to a
new scope, and just before exit.
You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine
instructions. This is because, on most machines, it takes more than
one instruction to set up a stack frame (including local variable
definitions); if you are stepping by machine instructions, variables
may appear to have the wrong values until the stack frame is completely
built. On exit, it usually also takes more than one machine
instruction to destroy a stack frame; after you begin stepping through
that group of instructions, local variable definitions may be gone.
File: gdb, Node: Arrays, Next: Output Formats, Prev: Variables, Up: Data
Artificial arrays
=================
It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of dynamically
determined size for which only a pointer exists in the program.
You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
"artificial array", using the binary operator `@'. The left operand of
`@' should be the first element of the desired array and be an
individual object. The right operand should be the desired length of
the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of the
type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
example. If a program says
int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
you can print the contents of `array' with
p *array@len
The left operand of `@' must reside in memory. Array values made
with `@' in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
(*note Value history: Value History.), after printing one out.
Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast. This
re-interprets a value as if it were an array. The value need not be in
memory:
(gdb) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
$1 = {0x1234, 0x5678}
As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
`(TYPE)[])VALUE') gdb calculates the size to fill the value (as
`sizeof(VALUE)/sizeof(TYPE)':
(gdb) p/x (short[])0x12345678
$2 = {0x1234, 0x5678}
Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
actually be adjacent--for example, if you are interested in the values
of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
to use a convenience variable (*note Convenience variables: Convenience
Vars.) as a counter in an expression that prints the first interesting
value, and then repeat that expression via RET. For instance, suppose
you have an array `dtab' of pointers to structures, and you are
interested in the values of a field `fv' in each structure. Here is an
example of what you might type:
set $i = 0
p dtab[$i++]->fv
RET
RET
...
File: gdb, Node: Output Formats, Next: Memory, Prev: Arrays, Up: Data
Output formats
==============
By default, GDB prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a
number in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data
in memory at a certain address as a character string or as an
instruction. To do these things, specify an "output format" when you
print a value.
The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
`print' command with a slash and a format letter. The format letters
supported are:
`x'
Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer
in hexadecimal.
`d'
Print as integer in signed decimal.
`u'
Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
`o'
Print as integer in octal.
`t'
Print as integer in binary. The letter `t' stands for "two". (1)
`a'
Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset
from the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used
to discover where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
(gdb) p/a 0x54320
$3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
`c'
Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant.
`f'
Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
using typical floating point syntax.
For example, to print the program counter in hex (*note
Registers::.), type
p/x $pc
Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
names in GDB cannot contain a slash.
To reprint the last value in the value history with a different
format, you can use the `print' command with just a format and no
expression. For example, `p/x' reprints the last value in hex.
---------- Footnotes ----------
(1) `b' cannot be used because these format letters are also used
with the `x' command, where `b' stands for "byte"; *note Examining
memory: Memory..
File: gdb, Node: Memory, Next: Auto Display, Prev: Output Formats, Up: Data
Examining memory
================
You can use the command `x' (for "examine") to examine memory in any
of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
`x/NFU ADDR'
`x ADDR'
`x'
Use the `x' command to examine memory.
N, F, and U are all optional parameters that specify how much memory
to display and how to format it; ADDR is an expression giving the
address where you want to start displaying memory. If you use defaults
for NFU, you need not type the slash `/'. Several commands set
convenient defaults for ADDR.
N, the repeat count
The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It
specifies how much memory (counting by units U) to display.
F, the display format
The display format is one of the formats used by `print', `s'
(null-terminated string), or `i' (machine instruction). The
default is `x' (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes each
time you use either `x' or `print'.
U, the unit size
The unit size is any of
`b'
Bytes.
`h'
Halfwords (two bytes).
`w'
Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
`g'
Giant words (eight bytes).
Each time you specify a unit size with `x', that size becomes the
default unit the next time you use `x'. (For the `s' and `i'
formats, the unit size is ignored and is normally not written.)
ADDR, starting display address
ADDR is the address where you want GDB to begin displaying memory.
The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may); it
is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
*Note Expressions: Expressions, for more information on
expressions. The default for ADDR is usually just after the last
address examined--but several other commands also set the default
address: `info breakpoints' (to the address of the last breakpoint
listed), `info line' (to the starting address of a line), and
`print' (if you use it to display a value from memory).
For example, `x/3uh 0x54320' is a request to display three halfwords
(`h') of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (`u'), starting
at address `0x54320'. `x/4xw $sp' prints the four words (`w') of
memory above the stack pointer (here, `$sp'; *note Registers::.) in
hexadecimal (`x').
Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
specifications `4xw' and `4wx' mean exactly the same thing. (However,
the count N must come first; `wx4' does not work.)
Even though the unit size U is ignored for the formats `s' and `i',
you might still want to use a count N; for example, `3i' specifies that
you want to see three machine instructions, including any operands.
The command `disassemble' gives an alternative way of inspecting
machine instructions; *note Source and machine code: Machine Code..
All the defaults for the arguments to `x' are designed to make it
easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
you use `x'. For example, after you have inspected three machine
instructions with `x/3i ADDR', you can inspect the next seven with just
`x/7'. If you use RET to repeat the `x' command, the repeat count N is
used again; the other arguments default as for successive uses of `x'.
The addresses and contents printed by the `x' command are not saved
in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
would get in the way. Instead, GDB makes these values available for
subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
`$_' and `$__'. After an `x' command, the last address examined is
available for use in expressions in the convenience variable `$_'. The
contents of that address, as examined, are available in the convenience
variable `$__'.
If the `x' command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
address printed if several units were printed on the last line of
output.
File: gdb, Node: Auto Display, Next: Print Settings, Prev: Memory, Up: Data
Automatic display
=================
If you find that you want to print the value of an expression
frequently (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the
"automatic display list" so that GDB prints its value each time your
program stops. Each expression added to the list is given a number to
identify it; to remove an expression from the list, you specify that
number. The automatic display looks like this:
2: foo = 38
3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values.
As with displays you request manually using `x' or `print', you can
specify the output format you prefer; in fact, `display' decides
whether to use `print' or `x' depending on how elaborate your format
specification is--it uses `x' if you specify a unit size, or one of the
two formats (`i' and `s') that are only supported by `x'; otherwise it
uses `print'.
`display EXP'
Add the expression EXP to the list of expressions to display each
time your program stops. *Note Expressions: Expressions.
`display' does not repeat if you press RET again after using it.
`display/FMT EXP'
For FMT specifying only a display format and not a size or count,
add the expression EXP to the auto-display list but arrange to
display it each time in the specified format FMT. *Note Output
formats: Output Formats.
`display/FMT ADDR'
For FMT `i' or `s', or including a unit-size or a number of units,
add the expression ADDR as a memory address to be examined each
time your program stops. Examining means in effect doing `x/FMT
ADDR'. *Note Examining memory: Memory.
For example, `display/i $pc' can be helpful, to see the machine
instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (`$pc' is a
common name for the program counter; *note Registers::.).
`undisplay DNUMS...'
`delete display DNUMS...'
Remove item numbers DNUMS from the list of expressions to display.
`undisplay' does not repeat if you press RET after using it.
(Otherwise you would just get the error `No display number ...'.)
`disable display DNUMS...'
Disable the display of item numbers DNUMS. A disabled display
item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
enabled again later.
`enable display DNUMS...'
Enable display of item numbers DNUMS. It becomes effective once
again in auto display of its expression, until you specify
otherwise.
`display'
Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as
is done when your program stops.
`info display'
Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing
the values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked
as such. It also includes expressions which would not be
displayed right now because they refer to automatic variables not
currently available.
If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not
make sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
`display last_char' while inside a function with an argument
`last_char', GDB displays this argument while your program continues to
stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere--where there is no
variable `last_char'--the display is disabled automatically. The next
time your program stops where `last_char' is meaningful, you can enable
the display expression once again.
File: gdb, Node: Print Settings, Next: Value History, Prev: Auto Display, Up: Data
Print settings
==============
GDB provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
and symbols are printed.
These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
`set print address'
`set print address on'
GDB prints memory addresses showing the location of stack traces,
structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth, even
when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
is `on'. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks
like with `set print address on':
(gdb) f
#0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
at input.c:530
530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
`set print address off'
Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For
example, this is the same stack frame displayed with `set print
address off':
(gdb) set print addr off
(gdb) f
#0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
You can use `set print address off' to eliminate all machine
dependent displays from the GDB interface. For example, with
`print address off', you should get the same text for backtraces on
all machines--whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
`show print address'
Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
When GDB prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the closest
earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
`info line', for example `info line *0x4537'. Alternately, you can set
GDB to print the source file and line number when it prints a symbolic
address:
`set print symbol-filename on'
Tell GDB to print the source file name and line number of a symbol
in the symbolic form of an address.
`set print symbol-filename off'
Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This
is the default.
`show print symbol-filename'
Show whether or not GDB will print the source file name and line
number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and
line numbers is when disassembling code; GDB shows you the line number
and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
`set print max-symbolic-offset MAX-OFFSET'
Tell GDB to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less
than MAX-OFFSET. The default is 0, which tells GDB to always
print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes it.
`show print max-symbolic-offset'
Ask how large the maximum offset is that GDB prints in a symbolic
address.
If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try `set
print symbol-filename on'. Then you can determine the name and source
file location of the variable where it points, using `p/a POINTER'.
This interprets the address in symbolic form. For example, here GDB
shows that a variable `ptt' points at another variable `t', defined in
`hi2.c':
(gdb) set print symbol-filename on
(gdb) p/a ptt
$4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
*Warning:* For pointers that point to a local variable, `p/a' does
not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
the appropriate `set print' options turned on.
Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
`set print array'
`set print array on'
Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read, but
uses more space. The default is off.
`set print array off'
Return to compressed format for arrays.
`show print array'
Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
arrays.
`set print elements NUMBER-OF-ELEMENTS'
Set a limit on how many elements of an array GDB will print. If
GDB is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
printed the number of elements set by the `set print elements'
command. This limit also applies to the display of strings.
Setting NUMBER-OF-ELEMENTS to zero means that the printing is
unlimited.
`show print elements'
Display the number of elements of a large array that GDB will
print. If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
`set print null-stop'
Cause GDB to stop printing the characters of an array when the
first NULL is encountered. This is useful when large arrays
actually contain only short strings.
`set print pretty on'
Cause GDB to print structures in an indented format with one member
per line, like this:
$1 = {
next = 0x0,
flags = {
sweet = 1,
sour = 1
},
meat = 0x54 "Pork"
}
`set print pretty off'
Cause GDB to print structures in a compact format, like this:
$1 = {next = 0x0, flags = {sweet = 1, sour = 1}, \
meat = 0x54 "Pork"}
This is the default format.
`show print pretty'
Show which format GDB is using to print structures.
`set print sevenbit-strings on'
Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set, GDB
displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or character values)
using the notation `\'NNN. This setting is best if you are
working in English (ASCII) and you use the high-order bit of
characters as a marker or "meta" bit.
`set print sevenbit-strings off'
Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
international character sets, and is the default.
`show print sevenbit-strings'
Show whether or not GDB is printing only seven-bit characters.
`set print union on'
Tell GDB to print unions which are contained in structures. This
is the default setting.
`set print union off'
Tell GDB not to print unions which are contained in structures.
`show print union'
Ask GDB whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
structures.
For example, given the declarations
typedef enum {Tree, Bug} Species;
typedef enum {Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling} Tree_forms;
typedef enum {Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly}
Bug_forms;
struct thing {
Species it;
union {
Tree_forms tree;
Bug_forms bug;
} form;
};
struct thing foo = {Tree, {Acorn}};
with `set print union on' in effect `p foo' would print
$1 = {it = Tree, form = {tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon}}
and with `set print union off' in effect it would print
$1 = {it = Tree, form = {...}}
These settings are of interest when debugging C++ programs:
`set print demangle'
`set print demangle on'
Print C++ names in their source form rather than in the encoded
("mangled") form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
linkage. The default is `on'.
`show print demangle'
Show whether C++ names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
`set print asm-demangle'
`set print asm-demangle on'
Print C++ names in their source form rather than their mangled
form, even in assembler code printouts such as instruction
disassemblies. The default is off.
`show print asm-demangle'
Show whether C++ names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
or demangled form.
`set demangle-style STYLE'
Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers
to represent C++ names. The choices for STYLE are currently:
`auto'
Allow GDB to choose a decoding style by inspecting your
program.
`gnu'
Decode based on the GNU C++ compiler (`g++') encoding
algorithm. This is the default.
`lucid'
Decode based on the Lucid C++ compiler (`lcc') encoding
algorithm.
`arm'
Decode using the algorithm in the `C++ Annotated Reference
Manual'. *Warning:* this setting alone is not sufficient to
allow debugging `cfront'-generated executables. GDB would
require further enhancement to permit that.
`foo'
Show the list of formats.
`show demangle-style'
Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C++
symbols.
`set print object'
`set print object on'
When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the *actual*
(derived) type of the object rather than the *declared* type, using
the virtual function table.
`set print object off'
Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
virtual function table. This is the default setting.
`show print object'
Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
`set print static-members'
`set print static-members on'
Print static members when displaying a C++ object. The default is
on.
`set print static-members off'
Do not print static members when displaying a C++ object.
`show print static-members'
Show whether C++ static members are printed, or not.
`set print vtbl'
`set print vtbl on'
Pretty print C++ virtual function tables. The default is off.
`set print vtbl off'
Do not pretty print C++ virtual function tables.
`show print vtbl'
Show whether C++ virtual function tables are pretty printed, or
not.
File: gdb, Node: Value History, Next: Convenience Vars, Prev: Print Settings, Up: Data
Value history
=============
Values printed by the `print' command are saved in the GDB "value
history". This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded (for
example with the `file' or `symbol-file' commands). When the symbol
table changes, the value history is discarded, since the values may
contain pointers back to the types defined in the symbol table.
The values printed are given "history numbers" by which you can
refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
`print' shows you the history number assigned to a value by printing
`$NUM = ' before the value; here NUM is the history number.
To refer to any previous value, use `$' followed by the value's
history number. The way `print' labels its output is designed to
remind you of this. Just `$' refers to the most recent value in the
history, and `$$' refers to the value before that. `$$N' refers to the
Nth value from the end; `$$2' is the value just prior to `$$', `$$1' is
equivalent to `$$', and `$$0' is equivalent to `$'.
For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure
and want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
p *$
If you have a chain of structures where the component `next' points
to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
p *$.next
You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
command--which you can do by just typing RET.
Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value
of `x' is 4 and you type these commands:
print x
set x=5
then the value recorded in the value history by the `print' command
remains 4 even though the value of `x' has changed.
`show values'
Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item
numbers. This is like `p $$9' repeated ten times, except that
`show values' does not change the history.
`show values N'
Print ten history values centered on history item number N.
`show values +'
Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If
no more values are available, `show values +' produces no display.
Pressing RET to repeat `show values N' has exactly the same effect
as `show values +'.
File: gdb, Node: Convenience Vars, Next: Registers, Prev: Value History, Up: Data
Convenience variables
=====================
GDB provides "convenience variables" that you can use within GDB to
hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables exist
entirely within GDB; they are not part of your program, and setting a
convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution of your
program. That is why you can use them freely.
Convenience variables are prefixed with `$'. Any name preceded by
`$' can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of the
predefined machine-specific register names (*note Registers::.).
(Value history references, in contrast, are *numbers* preceded by `$'.
*Note Value history: Value History.)
You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
expression, just as you would set a variable in your program. For
example:
set $foo = *object_ptr
would save in `$foo' the value contained in the object pointed to by
`object_ptr'.
Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
value is `void' until you assign a new value. You can alter the value
with another assignment at any time.
Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a
convenience variable any type of value, including structures and
arrays, even if that variable already has a value of a different type.
The convenience variable, when used as an expression, has the type of
its current value.
`show convenience'
Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their
values. Abbreviated `show con'.
One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print a field
from successive elements of an array of structures:
set $i = 0
print bar[$i++]->contents
Repeat that command by typing RET.
Some convenience variables are created automatically by GDB and given
values likely to be useful.
`$_'
The variable `$_' is automatically set by the `x' command to the
last address examined (*note Examining memory: Memory.). Other
commands which provide a default address for `x' to examine also
set `$_' to that address; these commands include `info line' and
`info breakpoint'. The type of `$_' is `void *' except when set
by the `x' command, in which case it is a pointer to the type of
`$__'.
`$__'
The variable `$__' is automatically set by the `x' command to the
value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen to
match the format in which the data was printed.
`$_exitcode'
The variable `$_exitcode' is automatically set to the exit code
when the program being debugged terminates.
File: gdb, Node: Registers, Next: Floating Point Hardware, Prev: Convenience Vars, Up: Data
Registers
=========
You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as
variables with names starting with `$'. The names of registers are
different for each machine; use `info registers' to see the names used
on your machine.
`info registers'
Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
registers (in the selected stack frame).
`info all-registers'
Print the names and values of all registers, including
floating-point registers.
`info registers REGNAME ...'
Print the "relativized" value of each specified register REGNAME.
As discussed in detail below, register values are normally
relative to the selected stack frame. REGNAME may be any register
name valid on the machine you are using, with or without the
initial `$'.
GDB has four "standard" register names that are available (in
expressions) on most machines--whenever they do not conflict with an
architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
`$pc' and `$sp' are used for the program counter register and the stack
pointer. `$fp' is used for a register that contains a pointer to the
current stack frame, and `$ps' is used for a register that contains the
processor status. For example, you could print the program counter in
hex with
p/x $pc
or print the instruction to be executed next with
x/i $pc
or add four to the stack pointer(1) with
set $sp += 4
Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available
on your machine even though the machine has different canonical
mnemonics, so long as there is no conflict. The `info registers'
command shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, `info
registers' displays the processor status register as `$psr' but you can
also refer to it as `$ps'.
GDB always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
(although you can *print* it as a floating point value with `print/f
$REGNAME').
Some registers have distinct "raw" and "virtual" data formats. This
means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
coprocessor are always saved in "extended" (raw) format, but all C
programs expect to work with "double" (virtual) format. In such cases,
GDB normally works with the virtual format only (the format that makes
sense for your program), but the `info registers' command prints the
data in both formats.
Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
(*note Selecting a frame: Selection.). This means that you get the
value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
frame (with `frame 0').
However, GDB must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
GDB is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack frame
makes no difference.
`set rstack_high_address ADDRESS'
On AMD 29000 family processors, registers are saved in a separate
"register stack". There is no way for GDB to determine the extent
of this stack. Normally, GDB just assumes that the stack is "large
enough". This may result in GDB referencing memory locations that
do not exist. If necessary, you can get around this problem by
specifying the ending address of the register stack with the `set
rstack_high_address' command. The argument should be an address,
which you probably want to precede with `0x' to specify in
hexadecimal.
`show rstack_high_address'
Display the current limit of the register stack, on AMD 29000
family processors.
---------- Footnotes ----------
(1) This is a way of removing one word from the stack, on machines
where stacks grow downward in memory (most machines, nowadays). This
assumes that the innermost stack frame is selected; setting `$sp' is
not allowed when other stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames
off the stack, regardless of machine architecture, use `return'; *note
Returning from a function: Returning..
File: gdb, Node: Floating Point Hardware, Prev: Registers, Up: Data
Floating point hardware
=======================
Depending on the configuration, GDB may be able to give you more
information about the status of the floating point hardware.
`info float'
Display hardware-dependent information about the floating point
unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
floating point chip. Currently, `info float' is supported on the
ARM and x86 machines.
File: gdb, Node: Languages, Next: Symbols, Prev: Data, Up: Top
Using GDB with Different Languages
**********************************
Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they
are rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
dereferencing a pointer `p' is accomplished by `*p', but in Modula-2,
it is accomplished by `p^'. Values can also be represented (and
displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as `0x1ae', while in
Modula-2 they appear as `1AEH'.
Language-specific information is built into GDB for some languages,
allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
native language, and allowing GDB to output values in a manner
consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
language you use to build expressions is called the "working language".
* Menu:
* Setting:: Switching between source languages
* Show:: Displaying the language
* Checks:: Type and range checks
* Support:: Supported languages
File: gdb, Node: Setting, Next: Show, Up: Languages
Switching between source languages
==================================
There are two ways to control the working language--either have GDB
set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
`set language' command for either purpose. On startup, GDB defaults to
setting the language automatically. The working language is used to
determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values are
printed, etc.
In addition to the working language, every source file that GDB
knows about has its own working language. For some object file
formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular source
file is in. However, most of the time GDB infers the language from the
name of the file. The language of a source file controls whether C++
names are demangled--this way `backtrace' can show each frame
appropriately for its own language. There is no way to set the
language of a source file from within GDB.
This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such as
`cfront' or `f2c', that generates C but is written in another language.
In that case, make the program use `#line' directives in its C output;
that way GDB will know the correct language of the source code of the
original program, and will display that source code, not the generated
C code.
* Menu:
* Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
* Manually:: Setting the working language manually
* Automatically:: Having GDB infer the source language
File: gdb, Node: Filenames, Next: Manually, Up: Setting
List of filename extensions and languages
-----------------------------------------
If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
GDB infers that its language is the one indicated.
`.mod'
Modula-2 source file
`.c'
C source file
`.C'
`.cc'
`.cxx'
`.cpp'
`.cp'
`.c++'
C++ source file
`.ch'
`.c186'
`.c286'
CHILL source file.
`.s'
`.S'
Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
GDB does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
File: gdb, Node: Manually, Next: Automatically, Prev: Filenames, Up: Setting
Setting the working language
----------------------------
If you allow GDB to set the language automatically, expressions are
interpreted the same way in your debugging session and your program.
If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue
the command `set language LANG', where LANG is the name of a language,
such as `c' or `modula-2'. For a list of the supported languages, type
`set language'.
Setting the language manually prevents GDB from updating the working
language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try to debug
a program when the working language is not the same as the source
language, when an expression is acceptable to both languages--but means
different things. For instance, if the current source file were
written in C, and GDB was parsing Modula-2, a command such as:
print a = b + c
might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add `b'
and `c' and place the result in `a'. The result printed would be the
value of `a'. In Modula-2, this means to compare `a' to the result of
`b+c', yielding a `BOOLEAN' value.
File: gdb, Node: Automatically, Prev: Manually, Up: Setting
Having GDB infer the source language
------------------------------------
To have GDB set the working language automatically, use `set
language local' or `set language auto'. GDB then infers the working
language. That is, when your program stops in a frame (usually by
encountering a breakpoint), GDB sets the working language to the
language recorded for the function in that frame. If the language for
a frame is unknown (that is, if the function or block corresponding to
the frame was defined in a source file that does not have a recognized
extension), the current working language is not changed, and GDB issues
a warning.
This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
a different source language. Using `set language auto' in this case
frees you from having to set the working language manually.
File: gdb, Node: Show, Next: Checks, Prev: Setting, Up: Languages
Displaying the language
=======================
The following commands help you find out which language is the
working language, and also what language source files were written in.
`show language'
Display the current working language. This is the language you
can use with commands such as `print' to build and compute
expressions that may involve variables in your program.
`info frame'
Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes
the working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
*Note Information about a frame: Frame Info, to identify the other
information listed here.
`info source'
Display the source language of this source file. *Note Examining
the Symbol Table: Symbols, to identify the other information
listed here.
File: gdb, Node: Checks, Next: Support, Prev: Show, Up: Languages
Type and range checking
=======================
*Warning:* In this release, the GDB commands for type and range
checking are included, but they do not yet have any effect. This
section documents the intended facilities.
Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly
common errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These
include checking the type of arguments to functions and operators, and
making sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such
as these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been
compiled by eliminating type mismatches, and providing active checks
for range errors when your program is running.
GDB can check for conditions like the above if you wish. Although
GDB does not check the statements in your program, it can check
expressions entered directly into GDB for evaluation via the `print'
command, for example. As with the working language, GDB can also
decide whether or not to check automatically based on your program's
source language. *Note Supported languages: Support, for the default
settings of supported languages.
* Menu:
* Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
* Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
File: gdb, Node: Type Checking, Next: Range Checking, Up: Checks
An overview of type checking
----------------------------
Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that
the arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch errors
from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
1 + 2 => 3
but
error--> 1 + 2.3
The second example fails because the `CARDINAL' 1 is not
type-compatible with the `REAL' 2.3.
For the expressions you use in GDB commands, you can tell the GDB
type checker to skip checking; to treat any mismatches as errors and
abandon the expression; or to only issue warnings when type mismatches
occur, but evaluate the expression anyway. When you choose the last of
these, GDB evaluates expressions like the second example above, but
also issues a warning.
Even if you turn type checking off, there may be other reasons
related to type that prevent GDB from evaluating an expression. For
instance, GDB does not know how to add an `int' and a `struct foo'.
These particular type errors have nothing to do with the language in
use, and usually arise from expressions, such as the one described
above, which make little sense to evaluate anyway.
Each language defines to what degree it is strict about type. For
instance, both Modula-2 and C require the arguments to arithmetical
operators to be numbers. In C, enumerated types and pointers can be
represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
operators. *Note Supported languages: Support, for further details on
specific languages.
GDB provides some additional commands for controlling the type
checker:
`set check type auto'
Set type checking on or off based on the current working language.
*Note Supported languages: Support, for the default settings for
each language.
`set check type on'
`set check type off'
Set type checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
current working language. Issue a warning if the setting does not
match the language default. If any type mismatches occur in
evaluating an expression while typechecking is on, GDB prints a
message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
`set check type warn'
Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to
evaluate the expression. Evaluating the expression may still be
impossible for other reasons. For example, GDB cannot add numbers
and structures.
`show type'
Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not
GDB is setting it automatically.
File: gdb, Node: Range Checking, Prev: Type Checking, Up: Checks
An overview of range checking
-----------------------------
In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
not exceed the bounds of the array.
For expressions you use in GDB commands, you can tell GDB to treat
range errors in one of three ways: ignore them, always treat them as
errors and abandon the expression, or issue warnings but evaluate the
expression anyway.
A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member of
any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an error.
In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the result
to "wrap around" to lower values--for example, if M is the largest
integer value, and S is the smallest, then
M + 1 => S
This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
specific to individual compilers or machines. *Note Supported
languages: Support, for further details on specific languages.
GDB provides some additional commands for controlling the range
checker:
`set check range auto'
Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
*Note Supported languages: Support, for the default settings for
each language.
`set check range on'
`set check range off'
Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for
the current working language. A warning is issued if the setting
does not match the language default. If a range error occurs,
then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is
aborted.
`set check range warn'
Output messages when the GDB range checker detects a range error,
but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as
accessing memory that the process does not own (a typical example
from many Unix systems).
`show range'
Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not
it is being set automatically by GDB.
File: gdb, Node: Support, Prev: Checks, Up: Languages
Supported languages
===================
GDB 4 supports C, C++, and Modula-2. Some GDB features may be used
in expressions regardless of the language you use: the GDB `@' and `::'
operators, and the `{type}addr' construct (*note Expressions:
Expressions.) can be used with the constructs of any supported language.
The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
supported by GDB. These sections are not meant to be language
tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
GDB expression parser accepts, and what input and output formats should
look like for different languages. There are many good books written
on each of these languages; please look to these for a language
reference or tutorial.
* Menu:
* C:: C and C++
* Modula-2:: Modula-2
File: gdb, Node: C, Next: Modula-2, Up: Support
C and C++
---------
Since C and C++ are so closely related, many features of GDB apply
to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those
languages together.
The C++ debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the GNU C++
compiler and GDB. Therefore, to debug your C++ code effectively, you
must compile your C++ programs with the GNU C++ compiler, `g++'.
For best results when debugging C++ programs, use the stabs debugging
format. You can select that format explicitly with the `g++'
command-line options `-gstabs' or `-gstabs+'. See *Note Options for
Debugging Your Program or GNU CC: (gcc.info)Debugging Options, for more
information.
* Menu:
* C Operators:: C and C++ operators
* C Constants:: C and C++ constants
* Cplus expressions:: C++ expressions
* C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C++
* C Checks:: C and C++ type and range checks
* Debugging C:: GDB and C
* Debugging C plus plus:: Special features for C++
File: gdb, Node: C Operators, Next: C Constants, Up: C
C and C++ operators
...................
Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
`+' is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are often
defined on groups of types.
For the purposes of C and C++, the following definitions hold:
* *Integral types* include `int' with any of its storage-class
specifiers; `char'; and `enum'.
* *Floating-point types* include `float' and `double'.
* *Pointer types* include all types defined as `(TYPE *)'.
* *Scalar types* include all of the above.
The following operators are supported. They are listed here in order
of increasing precedence:
`,'
The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a
comma-separated list are evaluated from left to right, with the
result of the entire expression being the last expression
evaluated.
`='
Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
assigned. Defined on scalar types.
`OP='
Used in an expression of the form `A OP= B', and translated to
`A = A OP B'. `OP=' and `=' have the same precendence. OP is any
one of the operators `|', `^', `&', `<<', `>>', `+', `-', `*',
`/', `%'.
`?:'
The ternary operator. `A ? B : C' can be thought of as: if A
then B else C. A should be of an integral type.
`||'
Logical OR. Defined on integral types.
`&&'
Logical AND. Defined on integral types.
`|'
Bitwise OR. Defined on integral types.
`^'
Bitwise exclusive-OR. Defined on integral types.
`&'
Bitwise AND. Defined on integral types.
`==, !='
Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of
these expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
`<, >, <=, >='
Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for
false and non-zero for true.
`<<, >>'
left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
`@'
The GDB "artificial array" operator (*note Expressions:
Expressions.).
`+, -'
Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types,
floating-point types and pointer types.
`*, /, %'
Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and
division are defined on integral and floating-point types.
Modulus is defined on integral types.
`++, --'
Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
operation is performed before the variable is used in an
expression; when appearing after it, the variable's value is used
before the operation takes place.
`*'
Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence
as `++'.
`&'
Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as `++'.
For debugging C++, GDB implements a use of `&' beyond what is
allowed in the C++ language itself: you can use `&(&REF)' (or, if
you prefer, simply `&&REF') to examine the address where a C++
reference variable (declared with `&REF') is stored.
`-'
Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
precedence as `++'.
`!'
Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
`++'.
`~'
Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same
precedence as `++'.
`., ->'
Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For
convenience, GDB regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether
to dereference a pointer based on the stored type information.
Defined on `struct' and `union' data.
`[]'
Array indexing. `A[I]' is defined as `*(A+I)'. Same precedence
as `->'.
`()'
Function parameter list. Same precedence as `->'.
`::'
C++ scope resolution operator. Defined on `struct', `union', and
`class' types.
`::'
Doubled colons also represent the GDB scope operator (*note
Expressions: Expressions.). Same precedence as `::', above.
File: gdb, Node: C Constants, Next: Cplus expressions, Prev: C Operators, Up: C
C and C++ constants
...................
GDB allows you to express the constants of C and C++ in the
following ways:
* Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
specified by a leading `0' (i.e. zero), and hexadecimal constants
by a leading `0x' or `0X'. Constants may also end with a letter
`l', specifying that the constant should be treated as a `long'
value.
* Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a
decimal point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally
followed by an exponent. An exponent is of the form:
`e[[+]|-]NNN', where NNN is another sequence of digits. The `+'
is optional for positive exponents.
* Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
integral equivalents.
* Character constants are a single character surrounded by single
quotes (`''), or a number--the ordinal value of the corresponding
character (usually its ASCII value). Within quotes, the single
character may be represented by a letter or by "escape sequences",
which are of the form `\NNN', where NNN is the octal representation
of the character's ordinal value; or of the form `\X', where `X'
is a predefined special character--for example, `\n' for newline.
* String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded
by double quotes (`"').
* Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write
pointers to constants using the C operator `&'.
* Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces `{'
and `}'; for example, `{1,2,3}' is a three-element array of
integers, `{{1,2}, {3,4}, {5,6}}' is a three-by-two array, and
`{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"}' is a three-element array of pointers.
File: gdb, Node: Cplus expressions, Next: C Defaults, Prev: C Constants, Up: C
C++ expressions
...............
GDB expression handling has a number of extensions to interpret a
significant subset of C++ expressions.
*Warning:* GDB can only debug C++ code if you compile with the GNU
C++ compiler. Moreover, C++ debugging depends on the use of
additional debugging information in the symbol table, and thus
requires special support. GDB has this support *only* with the
stabs debug format. In particular, if your compiler generates
a.out, MIPS ECOFF, RS/6000 XCOFF, or ELF with stabs extensions to
the symbol table, these facilities are all available. (With GNU
CC, you can use the `-gstabs' option to request stabs debugging
extensions explicitly.) Where the object code format is standard
COFF or DWARF in ELF, on the other hand, most of the C++ support
in GDB does *not* work.
1. Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
2. While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame),
your expressions have the same namespace available as the member
function; that is, GDB allows implicit references to the class
instance pointer `this' following the same rules as C++.
3. You can call overloaded functions; GDB resolves the function call
to the right definition, with one restriction--you must use
arguments of the type required by the function that you want to
call. GDB does not perform conversions requiring constructors or
user-defined type operators.
4. GDB understands variables declared as C++ references; you can use
them in expressions just as you do in C++ source--they are
automatically dereferenced.
In the parameter list shown when GDB displays a frame, the values
of reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables);
this avoids clutter, since references are often used for large
structures. The *address* of a reference variable is always
shown, unless you have specified `set print address off'.
5. GDB supports the C++ name resolution operator `::'--your
expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do.
Since one scope may be defined in another, you can use `::'
repeatedly if necessary, for example in an expression like
`SCOPE1::SCOPE2::NAME'. GDB also allows resolving name scope by
reference to source files, in both C and C++ debugging (*note
Program variables: Variables.).
File: gdb, Node: C Defaults, Next: C Checks, Prev: Cplus expressions, Up: C
C and C++ defaults
..................
If you allow GDB to set type and range checking automatically, they
both default to `off' whenever the working language changes to C or
C++. This happens regardless of whether you or GDB selects the working
language.
If you allow GDB to set the language automatically, it recognizes
source files whose names end with `.c', `.C', or `.cc', and when GDB
enters code compiled from one of these files, it sets the working
language to C or C++. *Note Having GDB infer the source language:
Automatically, for further details.
File: gdb, Node: C Checks, Next: Debugging C, Prev: C Defaults, Up: C
C and C++ type and range checks
...............................
By default, when GDB parses C or C++ expressions, type checking is
not used. However, if you turn type checking on, GDB considers two
variables type equivalent if:
* The two variables are structured and have the same structure,
union, or enumerated tag.
* The two variables have the same type name, or types that have been
declared equivalent through `typedef'.
Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations.
Array indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a
pointer that is not itself an array.
File: gdb, Node: Debugging C, Next: Debugging C plus plus, Prev: C Checks, Up: C
GDB and C
.........
The `set print union' and `show print union' commands apply to the
`union' type. When set to `on', any `union' that is inside a `struct'
or `class' is also printed. Otherwise, it appears as `{...}'.
The `@' operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
with pointers and a memory allocation function. *Note Expressions:
Expressions.
File: gdb, Node: Debugging C plus plus, Prev: Debugging C, Up: C
GDB features for C++
....................
Some GDB commands are particularly useful with C++, and some are
designed specifically for use with C++. Here is a summary:
`breakpoint menus'
When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
GDB breakpoint menus help you specify which function definition
you want. *Note Breakpoint menus: Breakpoint Menus.
`rbreak REGEX'
Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for
setting breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members
of any special classes. *Note Setting breakpoints: Set Breaks.
`catch EXCEPTIONS'
`info catch'
Debug C++ exception handling using these commands. *Note
Breakpoints and exceptions: Exception Handling.
`ptype TYPENAME'
Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for
type TYPENAME. *Note Examining the Symbol Table: Symbols.
`set print demangle'
`show print demangle'
`set print asm-demangle'
`show print asm-demangle'
Control whether C++ symbols display in their source form, both when
displaying code as C++ source and when displaying disassemblies.
*Note Print settings: Print Settings.
`set print object'
`show print object'
Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of
objects. *Note Print settings: Print Settings.
`set print vtbl'
`show print vtbl'
Control the format for printing virtual function tables. *Note
Print settings: Print Settings.
`Overloaded symbol names'
You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol,
using the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in
C++: type `SYMBOL(TYPES)' rather than just SYMBOL. You can also
use the GDB command-line word completion facilities to list the
available choices, or to finish the type list for you. *Note
Command completion: Completion, for details on how to do this.
File: gdb, Node: Modula-2, Prev: C, Up: Support
Modula-2
--------
The extensions made to GDB to support Modula-2 only support output
from the GNU Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being developed).
Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and attempting to
debug executables produced by them is most likely to give an error as
GDB reads in the executable's symbol table.
* Menu:
* M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
* Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
* M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
* M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
* Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
* M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
* M2 Scope:: The scope operators `::' and `.'
* GDB/M2:: GDB and Modula-2
File: gdb, Node: M2 Operators, Next: Built-In Func/Proc, Up: Modula-2
Operators
.........
Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
`+' is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are often
defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
following definitions hold:
* *Integral types* consist of `INTEGER', `CARDINAL', and their
subranges.
* *Character types* consist of `CHAR' and its subranges.
* *Floating-point types* consist of `REAL'.
* *Pointer types* consist of anything declared as `POINTER TO TYPE'.
* *Scalar types* consist of all of the above.
* *Set types* consist of `SET' and `BITSET' types.
* *Boolean types* consist of `BOOLEAN'.
The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
increasing precedence:
`,'
Function argument or array index separator.
`:='
Assignment. The value of VAR `:=' VALUE is VALUE.
`<, >'
Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
types.
`<=, >='
Less than, greater than, less than or equal to, greater than or
equal to on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set
inclusion on set types. Same precedence as `<'.
`=, <>, #'
Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar
types. Same precedence as `<'. In GDB scripts, only `<>' is
available for inequality, since `#' conflicts with the script
comment character.
`IN'
Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their
members. Same precedence as `<'.
`OR'
Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
`AND, &'
Boolean conjuction. Defined on boolean types.
`@'
The GDB "artificial array" operator (*note Expressions:
Expressions.).
`+, -'
Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or
union and difference on set types.
`*'
Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set
intersection on set types.
`/'
Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on
set types. Same precedence as `*'.
`DIV, MOD'
Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
precedence as `*'.
`-'
Negative. Defined on `INTEGER' and `REAL' data.
`^'
Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
`NOT'
Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
`^'.
`.'
`RECORD' field selector. Defined on `RECORD' data. Same
precedence as `^'.
`[]'
Array indexing. Defined on `ARRAY' data. Same precedence as `^'.
`()'
Procedure argument list. Defined on `PROCEDURE' objects. Same
precedence as `^'.
`::, .'
GDB and Modula-2 scope operators.
*Warning:* Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so GDB
treats the use of the operator `IN', or the use of operators `+',
`-', `*', `/', `=', , `<>', `#', `<=', and `>=' on sets as an
error.
File: gdb, Node: Built-In Func/Proc, Next: M2 Constants, Prev: M2 Operators, Up: Modula-2
Built-in functions and procedures
.................................
Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and
functions. In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
A
represents an `ARRAY' variable.
C
represents a `CHAR' constant or variable.
I
represents a variable or constant of integral type.
M
represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in
the same function with the metavariable S. The type of S should
be `SET OF MTYPE' (where MTYPE is the type of M).
N
represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point
type.
R
represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
T
represents a type.
V
represents a variable.
X
represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
explanation of the function for details.
All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described
below.
`ABS(N)'
Returns the absolute value of N.
`CAP(C)'
If C is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case equivalent,
otherwise it returns its argument
`CHR(I)'
Returns the character whose ordinal value is I.
`DEC(V)'
Decrements the value in the variable V. Returns the new value.
`DEC(V,I)'
Decrements the value in the variable V by I. Returns the new
value.
`EXCL(M,S)'
Removes the element M from the set S. Returns the new set.
`FLOAT(I)'
Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer I.
`HIGH(A)'
Returns the index of the last member of A.
`INC(V)'
Increments the value in the variable V. Returns the new value.
`INC(V,I)'
Increments the value in the variable V by I. Returns the new
value.
`INCL(M,S)'
Adds the element M to the set S if it is not already there.
Returns the new set.
`MAX(T)'
Returns the maximum value of the type T.
`MIN(T)'
Returns the minimum value of the type T.
`ODD(I)'
Returns boolean TRUE if I is an odd number.
`ORD(X)'
Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the
ordinal value of a character is its ASCII value (on machines
supporting the ASCII character set). X must be of an ordered
type, which include integral, character and enumerated types.
`SIZE(X)'
Returns the size of its argument. X can be a variable or a type.
`TRUNC(R)'
Returns the integral part of R.
`VAL(T,I)'
Returns the member of the type T whose ordinal value is I.
*Warning:* Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
GDB treats the use of procedures `INCL' and `EXCL' as an error.
File: gdb, Node: M2 Constants, Next: M2 Defaults, Prev: Built-In Func/Proc, Up: Modula-2
Constants
.........
GDB allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
ways:
* Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with
the rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by
a trailing `H', and octal integers by a trailing `B'.
* Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed
by a decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional
exponent can then be specified, in the form `E[+|-]NNN', where
`[+|-]NNN' is the desired exponent. All of the digits of the
floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10) digits.
* Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a
pair of like quotes, either single (`'') or double (`"'). They may
also be expressed by their ordinal value (their ASCII value,
usually) followed by a `C'.
* String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
pair of like quotes, either single (`'') or double (`"'). Escape
sequences in the style of C are also allowed. *Note C and C++
constants: C Constants, for a brief explanation of escape
sequences.
* Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
* Boolean constants consist of the identifiers `TRUE' and `FALSE'.
* Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
* Set constants are not yet supported.
File: gdb, Node: M2 Defaults, Next: Deviations, Prev: M2 Constants, Up: Modula-2
Modula-2 defaults
.................
If type and range checking are set automatically by GDB, they both
default to `on' whenever the working language changes to Modula-2.
This happens regardless of whether you, or GDB, selected the working
language.
If you allow GDB to set the language automatically, then entering
code compiled from a file whose name ends with `.mod' sets the working
language to Modula-2. *Note Having GDB set the language automatically:
Automatically, for further details.
File: gdb, Node: Deviations, Next: M2 Checks, Prev: M2 Defaults, Up: Modula-2
Deviations from standard Modula-2
.................................
A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to
debug. This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
* Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in
a pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
through direct assignment to another pointer variable or
expression that returned a pointer.)
* C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to
represent non-printable characters. GDB prints out strings with
these escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters
are printed using the `CHR(NNN)' format.
* The assignment operator (`:=') returns the value of its right-hand
argument.
* All built-in procedures both modify *and* return their argument.
File: gdb, Node: M2 Checks, Next: M2 Scope, Prev: Deviations, Up: Modula-2
Modula-2 type and range checks
..............................
*Warning:* in this release, GDB does not yet perform type or range
checking.
GDB considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
* They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a `TYPE
T1 = T2' statement
* They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of
the GNU Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other
compilers.)
As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
whose types are not equivalent is an error.
Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment,
array index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
File: gdb, Node: M2 Scope, Next: GDB/M2, Prev: M2 Checks, Up: Modula-2
The scope operators `::' and `.'
................................
There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope
operator (`.') and the GDB scope operator (`::'). The two have similar
syntax:
MODULE . ID
SCOPE :: ID
where SCOPE is the name of a module or a procedure, MODULE the name of
a module, and ID is any declared identifier within your program, except
another module.
Using the `::' operator makes GDB search the scope specified by
SCOPE for the identifier ID. If it is not found in the specified
scope, then GDB searches all scopes enclosing the one specified by
SCOPE.
Using the `.' operator makes GDB search the current scope for the
identifier specified by ID that was imported from the definition module
specified by MODULE. With this operator, it is an error if the
identifier ID was not imported from definition module MODULE, or if ID
is not an identifier in MODULE.
File: gdb, Node: GDB/M2, Prev: M2 Scope, Up: Modula-2
GDB and Modula-2
................
Some GDB commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
Five subcommands of `set print' and `show print' apply specifically to
C and C++: `vtbl', `demangle', `asm-demangle', `object', and `union'.
The first four apply to C++, and the last to the C `union' type, which
has no direct analogue in Modula-2.
The `@' operator (*note Expressions: Expressions.), while available
while using any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its intent is
to aid the debugging of "dynamic arrays", which cannot be created in
Modula-2 as they can in C or C++. However, because an address can be
specified by an integral constant, the construct `{TYPE}ADREXP' is
still useful. (*note Expressions: Expressions.)
In GDB scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator `#' is interpreted
as the beginning of a comment. Use `<>' instead.
File: gdb, Node: Symbols, Next: Altering, Prev: Languages, Up: Top
Examining the Symbol Table
**************************
The commands described in this section allow you to inquire about the
symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
does not change as your program executes. GDB finds it in your
program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started GDB
(*note Choosing files: File Options.), or by one of the file-management
commands (*note Commands to specify files: Files.).
Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
characters, which GDB ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The most
frequent case is in referring to static variables in other source files
(*note Program variables: Variables.). File names are recorded in
object files as debugging symbols, but GDB would ordinarily parse a
typical file name, like `foo.c', as the three words `foo' `.' `c'. To
allow GDB to recognize `foo.c' as a single symbol, enclose it in single
quotes; for example,
p 'foo.c'::x
looks up the value of `x' in the scope of the file `foo.c'.
`info address SYMBOL'
Describe where the data for SYMBOL is stored. For a register
variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a
non-register local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at
which the variable is always stored.
Note the contrast with `print &SYMBOL', which does not work at all
for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints the
exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
`whatis EXP'
Print the data type of expression EXP. EXP is not actually
evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as assignments
or function calls) inside it do not take place. *Note
Expressions: Expressions.
`whatis'
Print the data type of `$', the last value in the value history.
`ptype TYPENAME'
Print a description of data type TYPENAME. TYPENAME may be the
name of a type, or for C code it may have the form `class
CLASS-NAME', `struct STRUCT-TAG', `union UNION-TAG' or `enum
ENUM-TAG'.
`ptype EXP'
`ptype'
Print a description of the type of expression EXP. `ptype'
differs from `whatis' by printing a detailed description, instead
of just the name of the type.
For example, for this variable declaration:
struct complex {double real; double imag;} v;
the two commands give this output:
(gdb) whatis v
type = struct complex
(gdb) ptype v
type = struct complex {
double real;
double imag;
}
As with `whatis', using `ptype' without an argument refers to the
type of `$', the last value in the value history.
`info types REGEXP'
`info types'
Print a brief description of all types whose name matches REGEXP
(or all types in your program, if you supply no argument). Each
complete typename is matched as though it were a complete line;
thus, `i type value' gives information on all types in your
program whose name includes the string `value', but `i type
^value$' gives information only on types whose complete name is
`value'.
This command differs from `ptype' in two ways: first, like
`whatis', it does not print a detailed description; second, it
lists all source files where a type is defined.
`info source'
Show the name of the current source file--that is, the source file
for the function containing the current point of execution--and
the language it was written in.
`info sources'
Print the names of all source files in your program for which
there is debugging information, organized into two lists: files
whose symbols have already been read, and files whose symbols will
be read when needed.
`info functions'
Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
`info functions REGEXP'
Print the names and data types of all defined functions whose
names contain a match for regular expression REGEXP. Thus, `info
fun step' finds all functions whose names include `step'; `info
fun ^step' finds those whose names start with `step'.
`info variables'
Print the names and data types of all variables that are declared
outside of functions (i.e., excluding local variables).
`info variables REGEXP'
Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
REGEXP.
Some systems allow individual object files that make up your
program to be replaced without stopping and restarting your
program. For example, in VxWorks you can simply recompile a
defective object file and keep on running. If you are running on
one of these systems, you can allow GDB to reload the symbols for
automatically relinked modules:
`set symbol-reloading on'
Replace symbol definitions for the corresponding source file
when an object file with a particular name is seen again.
`set symbol-reloading off'
Do not replace symbol definitions when re-encountering object
files of the same name. This is the default state; if you
are not running on a system that permits automatically
relinking modules, you should leave `symbol-reloading' off,
since otherwise GDB may discard symbols when linking large
programs, that may contain several modules (from different
directories or libraries) with the same name.
`show symbol-reloading'
Show the current `on' or `off' setting.
`maint print symbols FILENAME'
`maint print psymbols FILENAME'
`maint print msymbols FILENAME'
Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file FILENAME.
These commands are used to debug the GDB symbol-reading code. Only
symbols with debugging data are included. If you use `maint print
symbols', GDB includes all the symbols for which it has already
collected full details: that is, FILENAME reflects symbols for
only those files whose symbols GDB has read. You can use the
command `info sources' to find out which files these are. If you
use `maint print psymbols' instead, the dump shows information
about symbols that GDB only knows partially--that is, symbols
defined in files that GDB has skimmed, but not yet read
completely. Finally, `maint print msymbols' dumps just the
minimal symbol information required for each object file from
which GDB has read some symbols. *Note Commands to specify files:
Files, for a discussion of how GDB reads symbols (in the
description of `symbol-file').
File: gdb, Node: Altering, Next: GDB Files, Prev: Symbols, Up: Top
Altering Execution
******************
Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might
want to find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error
would lead to correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the
answer by experiment, using the GDB features for altering execution of
the program.
For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
address, or even return prematurely from a function.
* Menu:
* Assignment:: Assignment to variables
* Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
* Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
* Returning:: Returning from a function
* Calling:: Calling your program's functions
* Patching:: Patching your program
File: gdb, Node: Assignment, Next: Jumping, Up: Altering
Assignment to variables
=======================
To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
*Note Expressions: Expressions. For example,
print x=4
stores the value 4 into the variable `x', and then prints the value of
the assignment expression (which is 4). *Note Using GDB with Different
Languages: Languages, for more information on operators in supported
languages.
If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use
the `set' command instead of the `print' command. `set' is really the
same as `print' except that the expression's value is not printed and
is not put in the value history (*note Value history: Value History.).
The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
If the beginning of the argument string of the `set' command appears
identical to a `set' subcommand, use the `set variable' command instead
of just `set'. This command is identical to `set' except for its lack
of subcommands. For example, if your program has a variable `width',
you get an error if you try to set a new value with just `set width=13',
because GDB has the command `set width':
(gdb) whatis width
type = double
(gdb) p width
$4 = 13
(gdb) set width=47
Invalid syntax in expression.
The invalid expression, of course, is `=47'. In order to actually set
the program's variable `width', use
(gdb) set var width=47
GDB allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
same length or shorter.
To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the `{...}'
construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
(*note Expressions: Expressions.). For example, `{int}0x83040' refers
to memory location `0x83040' as an integer (which implies a certain size
and representation in memory), and
set {int}0x83040 = 4
stores the value 4 into that memory location.
File: gdb, Node: Jumping, Next: Signaling, Prev: Assignment, Up: Altering
Continuing at a different address
=================================
Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place
where it stopped, with the `continue' command. You can instead
continue at an address of your own choosing, with the following
commands:
`jump LINESPEC'
Resume execution at line LINESPEC. Execution stops again
immediately if there is a breakpoint there. *Note Printing source
lines: List, for a description of the different forms of LINESPEC.
The `jump' command does not change the current stack frame, or the
stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
register other than the program counter. If line LINESPEC is in a
different function from the one currently executing, the results
may be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of
arguments or of local variables. For this reason, the `jump'
command requests confirmation if the specified line is not in the
function currently executing. However, even bizarre results are
predictable if you are well acquainted with the machine-language
code of your program.
`jump *ADDRESS'
Resume execution at the instruction at address ADDRESS.
You can get much the same effect as the `jump' command by storing a
new value into the register `$pc'. The difference is that this does
not start your program running; it only changes the address of where it
*will* run when you continue. For example,
set $pc = 0x485
makes the next `continue' command or stepping command execute at
address `0x485', rather than at the address where your program stopped.
*Note Continuing and stepping: Continuing and Stepping.
The most common occasion to use the `jump' command is to back up-
perhaps with more breakpoints set-over a portion of a program that has
already executed, in order to examine its execution in more detail.
File: gdb, Node: Signaling, Next: Returning, Prev: Jumping, Up: Altering
Giving your program a signal
============================
`signal SIGNAL'
Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give
it the signal SIGNAL. SIGNAL can be the name or the number of a
signal. For example, on many systems `signal 2' and `signal
SIGINT' are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
Alternatively, if SIGNAL is zero, continue execution without
giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on
account of a signal and would ordinary see the signal when resumed
with the `continue' command; `signal 0' causes it to resume
without a signal.
`signal' does not repeat when you press RET a second time after
executing the command.
Invoking the `signal' command is not the same as invoking the `kill'
utility from the shell. Sending a signal with `kill' causes GDB to
decide what to do with the signal depending on the signal handling
tables (*note Signals::.). The `signal' command passes the signal
directly to your program.
File: gdb, Node: Returning, Next: Calling, Prev: Signaling, Up: Altering
Returning from a function
=========================
`return'
`return EXPRESSION'
You can cancel execution of a function call with the `return'
command. If you give an EXPRESSION argument, its value is used as
the function's return value.
When you use `return', GDB discards the selected stack frame (and
all frames within it). You can think of this as making the discarded
frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to be
returned, give that value as the argument to `return'.
This pops the selected stack frame (*note Selecting a frame:
Selection.), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as
the innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values of
functions.
The `return' command does not resume execution; it leaves the
program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
returned. In contrast, the `finish' command (*note Continuing and
stepping: Continuing and Stepping.) resumes execution until the
selected stack frame returns naturally.
File: gdb, Node: Calling, Next: Patching, Prev: Returning, Up: Altering
Calling program functions
=========================
`call EXPR'
Evaluate the expression EXPR without displaying `void' returned
values.
You can use this variant of the `print' command if you want to
execute a function from your program, but without cluttering the output
with `void' returned values. If the result is not void, it is printed
and saved in the value history.
A new user-controlled variable, CALL_SCRATCH_ADDRESS, specifies the
location of a scratch area to be used when GDB calls a function in the
target. This is necessary because the usual method of putting the
scratch area on the stack does not work in systems that have separate
instruction and data spaces.
File: gdb, Node: Patching, Prev: Calling, Up: Altering
Patching programs
=================
By default, GDB opens the file containing your program's executable
code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental alterations
to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally patching
your program's binary.
If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
explicitly with the `set write' command. For example, you might want
to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency repairs.
`set write on'
`set write off'
If you specify `set write on', GDB opens executable and core files
for both reading and writing; if you specify `set write off' (the
default), GDB opens them read-only.
If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using
the `exec-file' or `core-file' command) after changing `set
write', for your new setting to take effect.
`show write'
Display whether executable files and core files are opened for
writing as well as reading.
File: gdb, Node: GDB Files, Next: Targets, Prev: Altering, Up: Top
GDB Files
*********
GDB needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged, both
in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your program.
To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell GDB the name
of the core dump file.
* Menu:
* Files:: Commands to specify files
* Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
File: gdb, Node: Files, Next: Symbol Errors, Up: GDB Files
Commands to specify files
=========================
You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The
usual way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to GDB's
start-up commands (*note Getting In and Out of GDB: Invocation.).
Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
GDB session. Or you may run GDB and forget to specify a file you want
to use. In these situations the GDB commands to specify new files are
useful.
`file FILENAME'
Use FILENAME as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the
program executed when you use the `run' command. If you do not
specify a directory and the file is not found in the GDB working
directory, GDB uses the environment variable `PATH' as a list of
directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a
program to run. You can change the value of this variable, for
both GDB and your program, using the `path' command.
On systems with memory-mapped files, an auxiliary file
`FILENAME.syms' may hold symbol table information for FILENAME.
If so, GDB maps in the symbol table from `FILENAME.syms', starting
up more quickly. See the descriptions of the file options
`-mapped' and `-readnow' (available on the command line, and with
the commands `file', `symbol-file', or `add-symbol-file',
described below), for more information.
`file'
`file' with no argument makes GDB discard any information it has
on both executable file and the symbol table.
`exec-file [ FILENAME ]'
Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is
found in FILENAME. GDB searches the environment variable `PATH'
if necessary to locate your program. Omitting FILENAME means to
discard information on the executable file.
`symbol-file [ FILENAME ]'
Read symbol table information from file FILENAME. `PATH' is
searched when necessary. Use the `file' command to get both symbol
table and program to run from the same file.
`symbol-file' with no argument clears out GDB information on your
program's symbol table.
The `symbol-file' command causes GDB to forget the contents of its
convenience variables, the value history, and all breakpoints and
auto-display expressions. This is because they may contain
pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
GDB.
`symbol-file' does not repeat if you press RET again after
executing it once.
When GDB is configured for a particular environment, it
understands debugging information in whatever format is the
standard generated for that environment; you may use either a GNU
compiler, or other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
Best results are usually obtained from GNU compilers; for
example, using `gcc' you can generate debugging information for
optimized code.
On some kinds of object files, the `symbol-file' command does not
normally read the symbol table in full right away. Instead, it
scans the symbol table quickly to find which source files and
which symbols are present. The details are read later, one source
file at a time, as they are needed.
The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make GDB
start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular
source file are being read. (The `set verbose' command can turn
these pauses into messages if desired. *Note Optional warnings
and messages: Messages/Warnings.)
We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When
the symbol table is stored in COFF format, `symbol-file' reads the
symbol table data in full right away.
`symbol-file FILENAME [ -readnow ] [ -mapped ]'
`file FILENAME [ -readnow ] [ -mapped ]'
You can override the GDB two-stage strategy for reading symbol
tables by using the `-readnow' option with any of the commands that
load symbol table information, if you want to be sure GDB has the
entire symbol table available.
If memory-mapped files are available on your system through the
`mmap' system call, you can use another option, `-mapped', to
cause GDB to write the symbols for your program into a reusable
file. Future GDB debugging sessions map in symbol information
from this auxiliary symbol file (if the program has not changed),
rather than spending time reading the symbol table from the
executable program. Using the `-mapped' option has the same
effect as starting GDB with the `-mapped' command-line option.
You can use both options together, to make sure the auxiliary
symbol file has all the symbol information for your program.
The auxiliary symbol file for a program called MYPROG is called
`MYPROG.syms'. Once this file exists (so long as it is newer than
the corresponding executable), GDB always attempts to use it when
you debug MYPROG; no special options or commands are needed.
The `.syms' file is specific to the host machine where you run
GDB. It holds an exact image of the internal GDB symbol table.
It cannot be shared across multiple host platforms.
`core-file [ FILENAME ]'
Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the
"contents of memory". Traditionally, core files contain only some
parts of the address space of the process that generated them; GDB
can access the executable file itself for other parts.
`core-file' with no argument specifies that no core file is to be
used.
Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually
running under GDB. So, if you have been running your program and
you wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the
subprocess in which the program is running. To do this, use the
`kill' command (*note Killing the child process: Kill Process.).
`load FILENAME'
Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
GDB, the `load' command may be available. Where it exists, it is
meant to make FILENAME (an executable) available for debugging on
the remote system--by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
`load' also records the FILENAME symbol table in GDB, like the
`add-symbol-file' command.
If your GDB does not have a `load' command, attempting to execute
it gets the error message "`You can't do that when your target is
...'"
The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the
executable. For some object file formats, you can specify the
load address when you link the program; for other formats, like
a.out, the object file format specifies a fixed address.
On VxWorks, `load' links FILENAME dynamically on the current
target system as well as adding its symbols in GDB.
With the Nindy interface to an Intel 960 board, `load' downloads
FILENAME to the 960 as well as adding its symbols in GDB.
When you select remote debugging to a Hitachi SH, H8/300, or
H8/500 board (*note GDB and Hitachi Microprocessors: Hitachi
Remote.), the `load' command downloads your program to the Hitachi
board and also opens it as the current executable target for GDB
on your host (like the `file' command).
`load' does not repeat if you press RET again after using it.
`add-symbol-file FILENAME ADDRESS'
`add-symbol-file FILENAME ADDRESS [ -readnow ] [ -mapped ]'
The `add-symbol-file' command reads additional symbol table
information from the file FILENAME. You would use this command
when FILENAME has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
into the program that is running. ADDRESS should be the memory
address at which the file has been loaded; GDB cannot figure this
out for itself. You can specify ADDRESS as an expression.
The symbol table of the file FILENAME is added to the symbol table
originally read with the `symbol-file' command. You can use the
`add-symbol-file' command any number of times; the new symbol data
thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data
instead, use the `symbol-file' command.
`add-symbol-file' does not repeat if you press RET after using it.
You can use the `-mapped' and `-readnow' options just as with the
`symbol-file' command, to change how GDB manages the symbol table
information for FILENAME.
`add-shared-symbol-file'
The `add-shared-symbol-file' command can be used only under
Harris' CXUX operating system for the Motorola 88k. GDB
automatically looks for shared libraries, however if GDB does not
find yours, you can run `add-shared-symbol-file'. It takes no
arguments.
`section'
The `section' command changes the base address of section SECTION
of the exec file to ADDR. This can be used if the exec file does
not contain section addresses, (such as in the a.out format), or
when the addresses specified in the file itself are wrong. Each
section must be changed separately. The "info files" command
lists all the sections and their addresses.
`info files'
`info target'
`info files' and `info target' are synonymous; both print the
current target (*note Specifying a Debugging Target: Targets.),
including the names of the executable and core dump files
currently in use by GDB, and the files from which symbols were
loaded. The command `help target' lists all possible targets
rather than current ones.
All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file
names as arguments. GDB always converts the file name to an absolute
file name and remembers it that way.
GDB supports SunOS, SVr4, Irix 5, and IBM RS/6000 shared libraries.
GDB automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries when
you use the `run' command, or when you examine a core file. (Before
you issue the `run' command, GDB does not understand references to a
function in a shared library, however--unless you are debugging a core
file).
`info share'
`info sharedlibrary'
Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded.
`sharedlibrary REGEX'
`share REGEX'
Load shared object library symbols for files matching a Unix
regular expression. As with files loaded automatically, it only
loads shared libraries required by your program for a core file or
after typing `run'. If REGEX is omitted all shared libraries
required by your program are loaded.
File: gdb, Node: Symbol Errors, Prev: Files, Up: GDB Files
Errors reading symbol files
===========================
While reading a symbol file, GDB occasionally encounters problems,
such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
output. By default, GDB does not notify you of such problems, since
they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information about
ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask GDB to print only one
message about each such type of problem, no matter how many times the
problem occurs; or you can ask GDB to print more messages, to see how
many times the problems occur, with the `set complaints' command (*note
Optional warnings and messages: Messages/Warnings.).
The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
`inner block not inside outer block in SYMBOL'
The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
(such as at the start of a function or a block of statements).
This error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully
contained in its outer scope blocks.
GDB circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it
had the same scope as the outer block. In the error message,
SYMBOL may be shown as "`(don't know)'" if the outer block is not a
function.
`block at ADDRESS out of order'
The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does
not do so.
GDB does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble locating
symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You can
often determine what source file is affected by specifying `set
verbose on'. *Note Optional warnings and messages:
Messages/Warnings.)
`bad block start address patched'
The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is
known to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
GDB circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
starting on the previous source line.
`bad string table offset in symbol N'
Symbol number N contains a pointer into the string table which is
larger than the size of the string table.
GDB circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
name `foo', which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
with this name.
`unknown symbol type `0xNN''
The symbol information contains new data types that GDB does not
yet know how to read. `0xNN' is the symbol type of the
misunderstood information, in hexadecimal.
GDB circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain
symbols are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and
feel like debugging it, you can debug `gdb' with itself,
breakpoint on `complain', then go up to the function
`read_dbx_symtab' and examine `*bufp' to see the symbol.
`stub type has NULL name'
GDB could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
`const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got...'
The symbol information for a C++ member function is missing some
information that recent versions of the compiler should have output
for it.
`info mismatch between compiler and debugger'
GDB could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
File: gdb, Node: Targets, Next: Controlling GDB, Prev: GDB Files, Up: Top
Specifying a Debugging Target
*****************************
A "target" is the execution environment occupied by your program.
Often, GDB runs in the same host environment as your program; in that
case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when you use
the `file' or `core' commands. When you need more flexibility--for
example, running GDB on a physically separate host, or controlling a
standalone system over a serial port or a realtime system over a TCP/IP
connection--you can use the `target' command to specify one of the
target types configured for GDB (*note Commands for managing targets:
Target Commands.).
* Menu:
* Active Targets:: Active targets
* Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
* Remote:: Remote debugging
File: gdb, Node: Active Targets, Next: Target Commands, Up: Targets
Active targets
==============
There are three classes of targets: processes, core files, and
executable files. GDB can work concurrently on up to three active
targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for example) start a
process and inspect its activity without abandoning your work on a core
file.
For example, if you execute `gdb a.out', then the executable file
`a.out' is the only active target. If you designate a core file as
well--presumably from a prior run that crashed and coredumped--then GDB
has two active targets and uses them in tandem, looking first in the
corefile target, then in the executable file, to satisfy requests for
memory addresses. (Typically, these two classes of target are
complementary, since core files contain only a program's read-write
memory--variables and so on--plus machine status, while executable
files contain only the program text and initialized data.)
When you type `run', your executable file becomes an active process
target as well. When a process target is active, all GDB commands
requesting memory addresses refer to that target; addresses in an
active core file or executable file target are obscured while the
process target is active.
Use the `core-file' and `exec-file' commands to select a new core
file or executable target (*note Commands to specify files: Files.).
To specify as a target a process that is already running, use the
`attach' command (*note Debugging an already-running process: Attach.).
File: gdb, Node: Target Commands, Next: Remote, Prev: Active Targets, Up: Targets
Commands for managing targets
=============================
`target TYPE PARAMETERS'
Connects the GDB host environment to a target machine or process.
A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
facilities. You use the argument TYPE to specify the type or
protocol of the target machine.
Further PARAMETERS are interpreted by the target protocol, but
typically include things like device names or host names to connect
with, process numbers, and baud rates.
The `target' command does not repeat if you press RET again after
executing the command.
`help target'
Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
currently selected, use either `info target' or `info files'
(*note Commands to specify files: Files.).
`help target NAME'
Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
select it.
`set gnutarget ARGS'
GDBuses its own library BFD to read your files. GDB knows whether
it is reading an "executable", a "core", or a ".o" file, however
you can specify the file format with the `set gnutarget' command.
Unlike most `target' commands, with `gnutarget' the `target'
refers to a program, not a machine.
*Warning:* To specify a file format with `set gnutarget', you must
know the actual BFD name.
*Note Commands to specify files: Files.
`show gnutarget'
Use the `show gnutarget' command to display what file format
`gnutarget' is set to read. If you have not set `gnutarget', GDB
will determine the file format for each file automatically and
`show gnutarget' displays `The current BDF target is "auto"'.
Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
configuration):
`target exec PROGRAM'
An executable file. `target exec PROGRAM' is the same as
`exec-file PROGRAM'.
`target core FILENAME'
A core dump file. `target core FILENAME' is the same as
`core-file FILENAME'.
`target remote DEV'
Remote serial target in GDB-specific protocol. The argument DEV
specifies what serial device to use for the connection (e.g.
`/dev/ttya'). *Note Remote debugging: Remote. `target remote' now
supports the `load' command. This is only useful if you have some
other way of getting the stub to the target system, and you can put
it somewhere in memory where it won't get clobbered by the
download.
`target sim'
CPU simulator. *Note Simulated CPU Target: Simulator.
`target udi KEYWORD'
Remote AMD29K target, using the AMD UDI protocol. The KEYWORD
argument specifies which 29K board or simulator to use. *Note The
UDI protocol for AMD29K: UDI29K Remote.
`target amd-eb DEV SPEED PROG'
Remote PC-resident AMD EB29K board, attached over serial lines.
DEV is the serial device, as for `target remote'; SPEED allows you
to specify the linespeed; and PROG is the name of the program to
be debugged, as it appears to DOS on the PC. *Note The EBMON
protocol for AMD29K: EB29K Remote.
`target hms DEV'
A Hitachi SH, H8/300, or H8/500 board, attached via serial line to
your host. Use special commands `device' and `speed' to control
the serial line and the communications speed used. *Note GDB and
Hitachi Microprocessors: Hitachi Remote.
`target nindy DEVICENAME'
An Intel 960 board controlled by a Nindy Monitor. DEVICENAME is
the name of the serial device to use for the connection, e.g.
`/dev/ttya'. *Note GDB with a remote i960 (Nindy): i960-Nindy
Remote.
`target st2000 DEV SPEED'
A Tandem ST2000 phone switch, running Tandem's STDBUG protocol.
DEV is the name of the device attached to the ST2000 serial line;
SPEED is the communication line speed. The arguments are not used
if GDB is configured to connect to the ST2000 using TCP or Telnet.
*Note GDB with a Tandem ST2000: ST2000 Remote.
`target vxworks MACHINENAME'
A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument MACHINENAME
is the target system's machine name or IP address. *Note GDB and
VxWorks: VxWorks Remote.
`target cpu32bug DEV'
CPU32BUG monitor, running on a CPU32 (M68K) board.
`target op50n DEV'
OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
`target w89k DEV'
W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
`target est DEV'
EST-300 ICE monitor, running on a CPU32 (M68K) board.
`target rom68k DEV'
ROM 68K monitor, running on an IDP board.
`target array DEV'
Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
`target sparclite DEV'
Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
You must use an additional command to debug the program. For
example: target remote DEV using GDB standard remote protocol.
Different targets are available on different configurations of GDB;
your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
Choosing target byte order
==========================
You can now choose which byte order to use with a target system.
Use the `set endian big' and `set endian little' commands. Use the
`set endian auto' command to instruct GDB to use the byte order
associated with the executable. You can see the current setting for
byte order with the `show endian' command.
*Warning:* Currently, only embedded MIPS configurations support
dynamic selection of target byte order.
File: gdb, Node: Remote, Prev: Target Commands, Up: Targets
Remote debugging
================
If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that
cannot run GDB in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote
debugging. For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating
system kernel, or on a small system which does not have a general
purpose operating system powerful enough to run a full-featured
debugger.
Some configurations of GDB have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition, GDB
comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to GDB, but not specific
to any particular target system) which you can use if you write the
remote stubs--the code that runs on the remote system to communicate
with GDB.
Other remote targets may be available in your configuration of GDB;
use `help target' to list them.
* Menu:
* Remote Serial:: GDB remote serial protocol
* i960-Nindy Remote:: GDB with a remote i960 (Nindy)
* UDI29K Remote:: The UDI protocol for AMD29K
* EB29K Remote:: The EBMON protocol for AMD29K
* VxWorks Remote:: GDB and VxWorks
* ST2000 Remote:: GDB with a Tandem ST2000
* Hitachi Remote:: GDB and Hitachi Microprocessors
* MIPS Remote:: GDB and MIPS boards
* Simulator:: Simulated CPU target
File: gdb, Node: Remote Serial, Next: i960-Nindy Remote, Up: Remote
The GDB remote serial protocol
------------------------------
To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
"target" machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
program, you need:
1. A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these
usually have a name like `crt0'. The startup routine may be
supplied by your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your
own.
2. You probably need a C subroutine library to support your program's
subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
3. A way of getting your program to the other machine--for example, a
download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
documentation.
The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
communicate with the machine where GDB is running (the "host" machine).
In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
*On the host,*
GDB already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
else is set up, you can simply use the `target remote' command
(*note Specifying a Debugging Target: Targets.).
*On the target,*
you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines
that implement the GDB remote serial protocol. The file
containing these subroutines is called a "debugging stub".
On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
`gdbserver' instead of linking a stub into your program. *Note
Using the `gdbserver' program: Server, for details.
The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
machine; for example, use `sparc-stub.c' to debug programs on SPARC
boards.
These working remote stubs are distributed with GDB:
`sparc-stub.c'
For SPARC architectures.
`m68k-stub.c'
For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
`i386-stub.c'
For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
The `README' file in the GDB distribution may list other recently
added stubs.
* Menu:
* Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
* Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
* Debug Session:: Putting it all together
* Protocol:: Outline of the communication protocol
* Server:: Using the `gdbserver' program
* NetWare:: Using the `gdbserve.nlm' program
File: gdb, Node: Stub Contents, Next: Bootstrapping, Up: Remote Serial
What the stub can do for you
............................
The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
subroutines:
`set_debug_traps'
This routine arranges for `handle_exception' to run when your
program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly near the
beginning of your program.
`handle_exception'
This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
explicitly--the setup code arranges for `handle_exception' to run
when a trap is triggered.
`handle_exception' takes control when your program stops during
execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates
communications with GDB on the host machine. This is where the
communications protocol is implemented; `handle_exception' acts as
the GDB representative on the target machine; it begins by sending
summary information on the state of your program, then continues
to execute, retrieving and transmitting any information GDB needs,
until you execute a GDB command that makes your program resume; at
that point, `handle_exception' returns control to your own code on
the target machine.
`breakpoint'
Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be
the only way for GDB to get control. For instance, if your target
machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call
this; pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
`handle_exception'--in effect, to GDB. On some machines, simply
receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
again, in that situation, you don't need to call `breakpoint' from
your own program--simply running `target remote' from the host GDB
session gets control.
Call `breakpoint' if none of these is true, or if you simply want
to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
start of your debugging session.
File: gdb, Node: Bootstrapping, Next: Debug Session, Prev: Stub Contents, Up: Remote Serial
What you must do for the stub
.............................
The debugging stubs that come with GDB are set up for a particular
chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
debugging target machine.
First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
serial port.
`int getDebugChar()'
Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial
port. It may be identical to `getchar' for your target system; a
different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you
wish.
`void putDebugChar(int)'
Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial
port. It may be identical to `putchar' for your target system; a
different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you
wish.
If you want GDB to be able to stop your program while it is running,
you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange for it
to stop when it receives a `^C' (`\003', the control-C character).
That is the character which GDB uses to tell the remote system to stop.
Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to GDB
probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the "dirty" part is that
GDB reports a `SIGTRAP' instead of a `SIGINT').
Other routines you need to supply are:
`void exceptionHandler (int EXCEPTION_NUMBER, void *EXCEPTION_ADDRESS)'
Write this function to install EXCEPTION_ADDRESS in the exception
handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not
have any way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your
target system are like (for example, the processor's table might
be in ROM, containing entries which point to a table in RAM).
EXCEPTION_NUMBER is the exception number which should be changed;
its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different
numbers might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc).
When this exception occurs, control should be transferred directly
to EXCEPTION_ADDRESS, and the processor state (stack, registers,
and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception
occurs. So if you want to use a jump instruction to reach
EXCEPTION_ADDRESS, it should be a simple jump, not a jump to
subroutine.
For the 386, EXCEPTION_ADDRESS should be installed as an interrupt
gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The
gate should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level).
The SPARC and 68k stubs are able to mask interrup themselves
without help from `exceptionHandler'.
`void flush_i_cache()'
(sparc and sparclite only) Write this subroutine to flush the
instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
On target machines that have instruction caches, GDB requires this
function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
You must also make sure this library routine is available:
`void *memset(void *, int, int)'
This is the standard library function `memset' that sets an area of
memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
`libc.a', `memset' can be found there; otherwise, you must either
obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another, but
in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
subroutines which `gcc' generates as inline code.
File: gdb, Node: Debug Session, Next: Protocol, Prev: Bootstrapping, Up: Remote Serial
Putting it all together
.......................
In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow
these steps.
1. Make sure you have the supporting low-level routines (*note What
you must do for the stub: Bootstrapping.):
`getDebugChar', `putDebugChar',
`flush_i_cache', `memset', `exceptionHandler'.
2. Insert these lines near the top of your program:
set_debug_traps();
breakpoint();
3. For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
`exceptionHook'. Normally you just use:
void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
but if before calling `set_debug_traps', you set it to point to a
function in your program, that function is called when `GDB'
continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus error). The
function indicated by `exceptionHook' is called with one
parameter: an `int' which is the exception number.
4. Compile and link together: your program, the GDB debugging stub for
your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
5. Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine
and the GDB host, and identify the serial port on the host.
6. Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
7. To start remote debugging, run GDB on the host machine, and specify
as an executable file the program that is running in the remote
machine. This tells GDB how to find your program's symbols and
the contents of its pure text.
Then establish communication using the `target remote' command.
Its argument specifies how to communicate with the target
machine--either via a devicename attached to a direct serial line,
or a TCP port (usually to a terminal server which in turn has a
serial line to the target). For example, to use a serial line
connected to the device named `/dev/ttyb':
target remote /dev/ttyb
To use a TCP connection, use an argument of the form `HOST:port'.
For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
`manyfarms':
target remote manyfarms:2828
Now you can use all the usual commands to examine and change data
and to step and continue the remote program.
To resume the remote program and stop debugging it, use the `detach'
command.
Whenever GDB is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
interrupt character (often C-C), GDB attempts to stop the program.
This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware and the
serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the interrupt
character once again, GDB displays this prompt:
Interrupted while waiting for the program.
Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
If you type `y', GDB abandons the remote debugging session. (If you
decide you want to try again later, you can use `target remote' again
to connect once more.) If you type `n', GDB goes back to waiting.
File: gdb, Node: Protocol, Next: Server, Prev: Debug Session, Up: Remote Serial
Communication protocol
......................
The stub files provided with GDB implement the target side of the
communication protocol, and the GDB side is implemented in the GDB
source file `remote.c'. Normally, you can simply allow these
subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
with one of the existing stub files. `sparc-stub.c' is the best
organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
However, there may be occasions when you need to know something about
the protocol--for example, if there is only one serial port to your
target machine, you might want your program to do something special if
it recognizes a packet meant for GDB.
All GDB commands and responses (other than acknowledgements, which
are single characters) are sent as a packet which includes a checksum.
A packet is introduced with the character `$', and ends with the
character `#' followed by a two-digit checksum:
$PACKET INFO#CHECKSUM
CHECKSUM is computed as the modulo 256 sum of the PACKET INFO
characters.
When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the
first response expected is an acknowledgement: a single character,
either `+' (to indicate the package was received correctly) or `-' (to
request retransmission).
The host (GDB) sends commands, and the target (the debugging stub
incorporated in your program) sends data in response. The target also
sends data when your program stops.
Command packets are distinguished by their first character, which
identifies the kind of command.
These are some of the commands currently supported (for a complete
list of commands, look in `gdb/remote.c.'):
`g'
Requests the values of CPU registers.
`G'
Sets the values of CPU registers.
`mADDR,COUNT'
Read COUNT bytes at location ADDR.
`MADDR,COUNT:...'
Write COUNT bytes at location ADDR.
`c'
`cADDR'
Resume execution at the current address (or at ADDR if supplied).
`s'
`sADDR'
Step the target program for one instruction, from either the
current program counter or from ADDR if supplied.
`k'
Kill the target program.
`?'
Report the most recent signal. To allow you to take advantage of
the GDB signal handling commands, one of the functions of the
debugging stub is to report CPU traps as the corresponding POSIX
signal values.
`T'
Allows the remote stub to send only the registers that GDB needs
to make a quick decision about single-stepping or conditional
breakpoints. This eliminates the need to fetch the entire
register set for each instruction being stepped through.
The GDB remote serial protocol now implements a write-through
cache for registers. GDB only re-reads the registers if the
target has run.
If you have trouble with the serial connection, you can use the
command `set remotedebug'. This makes GDB report on all packets sent
back and forth across the serial line to the remote machine. The
packet-debugging information is printed on the GDB standard output
stream. `set remotedebug off' turns it off, and `show remotedebug'
shows you its current state.
File: gdb, Node: Server, Next: NetWare, Prev: Protocol, Up: Remote Serial
Using the `gdbserver' program
.............................
`gdbserver' is a control program for Unix-like systems, which allows
you to connect your program with a remote GDB via `target remote'--but
without linking in the usual debugging stub.
`gdbserver' is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
that GDB itself does. In fact, a system that can run `gdbserver' to
connect to a remote GDB could also run GDB locally! `gdbserver' is
sometimes useful nevertheless, because it is a much smaller program
than GDB itself. It is also easier to port than all of GDB, so you may
be able to get started more quickly on a new system by using
`gdbserver'. Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you
may find that the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it
more convenient to do as much development work as possible on another
system, for example by cross-compiling. You can use `gdbserver' to
make a similar choice for debugging.
GDB and `gdbserver' communicate via either a serial line or a TCP
connection, using the standard GDB remote serial protocol.
*On the target machine,*
you need to have a copy of the program you want to debug.
`gdbserver' does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
strip the program if necessary to save space. GDB on the host
system does all the symbol handling.
To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with GDB;
the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The
syntax is:
target> gdbserver COMM PROGRAM [ ARGS ... ]
COMM is either a device name (to use a serial line) or a TCP
hostname and portnumber. For example, to debug Emacs with the
argument `foo.txt' and communicate with GDB over the serial port
`/dev/com1':
target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
`gdbserver' waits passively for the host GDB to communicate with
it.
To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
The only difference from the previous example is the first
argument, specifying that you are communicating with the host GDB
via TCP. The `host:2345' argument means that `gdbserver' is to
expect a TCP connection from machine `host' to local TCP port 2345.
(Currently, the `host' part is ignored.) You can choose any number
you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with
any TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example,
`23' is reserved for `telnet').(1) You must use the same port
number with the host GDB `target remote' command.
*On the GDB host machine,*
you need an unstripped copy of your program, since GDB needs
symbols and debugging information. Start up GDB as usual, using
the name of the local copy of your program as the first argument.
(You may also need the `--baud' option if the serial line is
running at anything other than 9600 bps.) After that, use `target
remote' to establish communications with `gdbserver'. Its argument
is either a device name (usually a serial device, like
`/dev/ttyb'), or a TCP port descriptor in the form `HOST:PORT'.
For example:
(gdb) target remote /dev/ttyb
communicates with the server via serial line `/dev/ttyb', and
(gdb) target remote the-target:2345
communicates via a TCP connection to port 2345 on host
`the-target'. For TCP connections, you must start up `gdbserver'
prior to using the `target remote' command. Otherwise you may get
an error whose text depends on the host system, but which usually
looks something like `Connection refused'.
---------- Footnotes ----------
(1) If you choose a port number that conflicts with another
service, `gdbserver' prints an error message and exits.
File: gdb, Node: NetWare, Prev: Server, Up: Remote Serial
Using the `gdbserve.nlm' program
................................
`gdbserve.nlm' is a control program for NetWare systems, which
allows you to connect your program with a remote GDB via `target
remote'.
GDB and `gdbserve.nlm' communicate via a serial line, using the
standard GDB remote serial protocol.
*On the target machine,*
you need to have a copy of the program you want to debug.
`gdbserve.nlm' does not need your program's symbol table, so you
can strip the program if necessary to save space. GDB on the host
system does all the symbol handling.
To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with GDB;
the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The
syntax is:
load gdbserve [ BOARD=BOARD ] [ PORT=PORT ]
[ BAUD=BAUD ] PROGRAM [ ARGS ... ]
BOARD and PORT specify the serial line; BAUD specifies the baud
rate used by the connection. PORT and NODE default to 0, BAUD
defaults to 9600 bps.
For example, to debug Emacs with the argument `foo.txt'and
communicate with GDB over serial port number 2 or board 1 using a
19200 bps connection:
load gdbserve BOARD=1 PORT=2 BAUD=19200 emacs foo.txt
*On the GDB host machine,*
you need an unstripped copy of your program, since GDB needs
symbols and debugging information. Start up GDB as usual, using
the name of the local copy of your program as the first argument.
(You may also need the `--baud' option if the serial line is
running at anything other than 9600 bps. After that, use `target
remote' to establish communications with `gdbserve.nlm'. Its
argument is a device name (usually a serial device, like
`/dev/ttyb'). For example:
(gdb) target remote /dev/ttyb
communications with the server via serial line `/dev/ttyb'.
File: gdb, Node: i960-Nindy Remote, Next: UDI29K Remote, Prev: Remote Serial, Up: Remote
GDB with a remote i960 (Nindy)
------------------------------
"Nindy" is a ROM Monitor program for Intel 960 target systems. When
GDB is configured to control a remote Intel 960 using Nindy, you can
tell GDB how to connect to the 960 in several ways:
* Through command line options specifying serial port, version of the
Nindy protocol, and communications speed;
* By responding to a prompt on startup;
* By using the `target' command at any point during your GDB
session. *Note Commands for managing targets: Target Commands.
* Menu:
* Nindy Startup:: Startup with Nindy
* Nindy Options:: Options for Nindy
* Nindy Reset:: Nindy reset command
File: gdb, Node: Nindy Startup, Next: Nindy Options, Up: i960-Nindy Remote
Startup with Nindy
..................
If you simply start `gdb' without using any command-line options,
you are prompted for what serial port to use, *before* you reach the
ordinary GDB prompt:
Attach /dev/ttyNN -- specify NN, or "quit" to quit:
Respond to the prompt with whatever suffix (after `/dev/tty')
identifies the serial port you want to use. You can, if you choose,
simply start up with no Nindy connection by responding to the prompt
with an empty line. If you do this and later wish to attach to Nindy,
use `target' (*note Commands for managing targets: Target Commands.).
File: gdb, Node: Nindy Options, Next: Nindy Reset, Prev: Nindy Startup, Up: i960-Nindy Remote
Options for Nindy
.................
These are the startup options for beginning your GDB session with a
Nindy-960 board attached:
`-r PORT'
Specify the serial port name of a serial interface to be used to
connect to the target system. This option is only available when
GDB is configured for the Intel 960 target architecture. You may
specify PORT as any of: a full pathname (e.g. `-r /dev/ttya'), a
device name in `/dev' (e.g. `-r ttya'), or simply the unique
suffix for a specific `tty' (e.g. `-r a').
`-O'
(An uppercase letter "O", not a zero.) Specify that GDB should use
the "old" Nindy monitor protocol to connect to the target system.
This option is only available when GDB is configured for the Intel
960 target architecture.
*Warning:* if you specify `-O', but are actually trying to
connect to a target system that expects the newer protocol,
the connection fails, appearing to be a speed mismatch. GDB
repeatedly attempts to reconnect at several different line
speeds. You can abort this process with an interrupt.
`-brk'
Specify that GDB should first send a `BREAK' signal to the target
system, in an attempt to reset it, before connecting to a Nindy
target.
*Warning:* Many target systems do not have the hardware that
this requires; it only works with a few boards.
The standard `-b' option controls the line speed used on the serial
port.
File: gdb, Node: Nindy Reset, Prev: Nindy Options, Up: i960-Nindy Remote
Nindy reset command
...................
`reset'
For a Nindy target, this command sends a "break" to the remote
target system; this is only useful if the target has been equipped
with a circuit to perform a hard reset (or some other interesting
action) when a break is detected.
File: gdb, Node: UDI29K Remote, Next: EB29K Remote, Prev: i960-Nindy Remote, Up: Remote
The UDI protocol for AMD29K
---------------------------
GDB supports AMD's UDI ("Universal Debugger Interface") protocol for
debugging the a29k processor family. To use this configuration with
AMD targets running the MiniMON monitor, you need the program `MONTIP',
available from AMD at no charge. You can also use GDB with the
UDI-conformant a29k simulator program `ISSTIP', also available from AMD.
`target udi KEYWORD'
Select the UDI interface to a remote a29k board or simulator, where
KEYWORD is an entry in the AMD configuration file `udi_soc'. This
file contains keyword entries which specify parameters used to
connect to a29k targets. If the `udi_soc' file is not in your
working directory, you must set the environment variable `UDICONF'
to its pathname.
File: gdb, Node: EB29K Remote, Next: VxWorks Remote, Prev: UDI29K Remote, Up: Remote
The EBMON protocol for AMD29K
-----------------------------
AMD distributes a 29K development board meant to fit in a PC,
together with a DOS-hosted monitor program called `EBMON'. As a
shorthand term, this development system is called the "EB29K". To use
GDB from a Unix system to run programs on the EB29K board, you must
first connect a serial cable between the PC (which hosts the EB29K
board) and a serial port on the Unix system. In the following, we
assume you've hooked the cable between the PC's `COM1' port and
`/dev/ttya' on the Unix system.
* Menu:
* Comms (EB29K):: Communications setup
* gdb-EB29K:: EB29K cross-debugging
* Remote Log:: Remote log
File: gdb, Node: Comms (EB29K), Next: gdb-EB29K, Up: EB29K Remote
Communications setup
....................
The next step is to set up the PC's port, by doing something like
this in DOS on the PC:
C:\> MODE com1:9600,n,8,1,none
This example--run on an MS DOS 4.0 system--sets the PC port to 9600
bps, no parity, eight data bits, one stop bit, and no "retry" action;
you must match the communications parameters when establishing the Unix
end of the connection as well.
To give control of the PC to the Unix side of the serial line, type
the following at the DOS console:
C:\> CTTY com1
(Later, if you wish to return control to the DOS console, you can use
the command `CTTY con'--but you must send it over the device that had
control, in our example over the `COM1' serial line).
From the Unix host, use a communications program such as `tip' or
`cu' to communicate with the PC; for example,
cu -s 9600 -l /dev/ttya
The `cu' options shown specify, respectively, the linespeed and the
serial port to use. If you use `tip' instead, your command line may
look something like the following:
tip -9600 /dev/ttya
Your system may require a different name where we show `/dev/ttya' as
the argument to `tip'. The communications parameters, including which
port to use, are associated with the `tip' argument in the "remote"
descriptions file--normally the system table `/etc/remote'.
Using the `tip' or `cu' connection, change the DOS working directory
to the directory containing a copy of your 29K program, then start the
PC program `EBMON' (an EB29K control program supplied with your board
by AMD). You should see an initial display from `EBMON' similar to the
one that follows, ending with the `EBMON' prompt `#'--
C:\> G:
G:\> CD \usr\joe\work29k
G:\USR\JOE\WORK29K> EBMON
Am29000 PC Coprocessor Board Monitor, version 3.0-18
Copyright 1990 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Written by Gibbons and Associates, Inc.
Enter '?' or 'H' for help
PC Coprocessor Type = EB29K
I/O Base = 0x208
Memory Base = 0xd0000
Data Memory Size = 2048KB
Available I-RAM Range = 0x8000 to 0x1fffff
Available D-RAM Range = 0x80002000 to 0x801fffff
PageSize = 0x400
Register Stack Size = 0x800
Memory Stack Size = 0x1800
CPU PRL = 0x3
Am29027 Available = No
Byte Write Available = Yes
# ~.
Then exit the `cu' or `tip' program (done in the example by typing
`~.' at the `EBMON' prompt). `EBMON' keeps running, ready for GDB to
take over.
For this example, we've assumed what is probably the most convenient
way to make sure the same 29K program is on both the PC and the Unix
system: a PC/NFS connection that establishes "drive `G:'" on the PC as
a file system on the Unix host. If you do not have PC/NFS or something
similar connecting the two systems, you must arrange some other
way--perhaps floppy-disk transfer--of getting the 29K program from the
Unix system to the PC; GDB does *not* download it over the serial line.
File: gdb, Node: gdb-EB29K, Next: Remote Log, Prev: Comms (EB29K), Up: EB29K Remote
EB29K cross-debugging
.....................
Finally, `cd' to the directory containing an image of your 29K
program on the Unix system, and start GDB--specifying as argument the
name of your 29K program:
cd /usr/joe/work29k
gdb myfoo
Now you can use the `target' command:
target amd-eb /dev/ttya 9600 MYFOO
In this example, we've assumed your program is in a file called
`myfoo'. Note that the filename given as the last argument to `target
amd-eb' should be the name of the program as it appears to DOS. In our
example this is simply `MYFOO', but in general it can include a DOS
path, and depending on your transfer mechanism may not resemble the
name on the Unix side.
At this point, you can set any breakpoints you wish; when you are
ready to see your program run on the 29K board, use the GDB command
`run'.
To stop debugging the remote program, use the GDB `detach' command.
To return control of the PC to its console, use `tip' or `cu' once
again, after your GDB session has concluded, to attach to `EBMON'. You
can then type the command `q' to shut down `EBMON', returning control
to the DOS command-line interpreter. Type `CTTY con' to return command
input to the main DOS console, and type `~.' to leave `tip' or `cu'.
File: gdb, Node: Remote Log, Prev: gdb-EB29K, Up: EB29K Remote
Remote log
..........
The `target amd-eb' command creates a file `eb.log' in the current
working directory, to help debug problems with the connection.
`eb.log' records all the output from `EBMON', including echoes of the
commands sent to it. Running `tail -f' on this file in another window
often helps to understand trouble with `EBMON', or unexpected events on
the PC side of the connection.
File: gdb, Node: ST2000 Remote, Next: Hitachi Remote, Prev: VxWorks Remote, Up: Remote
GDB with a Tandem ST2000
------------------------
To connect your ST2000 to the host system, see the manufacturer's
manual. Once the ST2000 is physically attached, you can run:
target st2000 DEV SPEED
to establish it as your debugging environment. DEV is normally the
name of a serial device, such as `/dev/ttya', connected to the ST2000
via a serial line. You can instead specify DEV as a TCP connection
(for example, to a serial line attached via a terminal concentrator)
using the syntax `HOSTNAME:PORTNUMBER'.
The `load' and `attach' commands are *not* defined for this target;
you must load your program into the ST2000 as you normally would for
standalone operation. GDB reads debugging information (such as
symbols) from a separate, debugging version of the program available on
your host computer.
These auxiliary GDB commands are available to help you with the
ST2000 environment:
`st2000 COMMAND'
Send a COMMAND to the STDBUG monitor. See the manufacturer's
manual for available commands.
`connect'
Connect the controlling terminal to the STDBUG command monitor.
When you are done interacting with STDBUG, typing either of two
character sequences gets you back to the GDB command prompt:
`RET~.' (Return, followed by tilde and period) or `RET~C-d'
(Return, followed by tilde and control-D).
File: gdb, Node: VxWorks Remote, Next: ST2000 Remote, Prev: EB29K Remote, Up: Remote
GDB and VxWorks
---------------
GDB enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. GDB uses code that runs on
both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program `gdb' is
installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be installed with the
name `vxgdb', to distinguish it from a GDB for debugging programs on
the host itself.)
`VxWorks-timeout ARGS'
All VxWorks-based targets now support the option `vxworks-timeout'.
This option is set by the user, and ARGS represents the number of
seconds GDB waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far
side of a thin network line.
The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
procedures.
To use GDB with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel to
include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks library
`rdb.a'. To do this, define `INCLUDE_RDB' in the VxWorks configuration
file `configAll.h' and rebuild your VxWorks kernel. The resulting
kernel contains `rdb.a', and spawns the source debugging task
`tRdbTask' when VxWorks is booted. For more information on configuring
and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's manual.
Once you have included `rdb.a' in your VxWorks system image and set
your Unix execution search path to find GDB, you are ready to run GDB.
From your Unix host, run `gdb' (or `vxgdb', depending on your
installation).
GDB comes up showing the prompt:
(vxgdb)
* Menu:
* VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
* VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
* VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
File: gdb, Node: VxWorks Connection, Next: VxWorks Download, Up: VxWorks Remote
Connecting to VxWorks
.....................
The GDB command `target' lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
network. To connect to a target whose host name is "`tt'", type:
(vxgdb) target vxworks tt
GDB displays messages like these:
Attaching remote machine across net...
Connected to tt.
GDB then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. GDB locates
these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
path (*note Your program's environment: Environment.); if it fails to
find an object file, it displays a message such as:
prog.o: No such file or directory.
When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path
with the GDB command `path', and execute the `target' command again.
File: gdb, Node: VxWorks Download, Next: VxWorks Attach, Prev: VxWorks Connection, Up: VxWorks Remote
VxWorks download
................
If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the GDB `load' command
to download a file from Unix to VxWorks incrementally. The object file
given as an argument to the `load' command is actually opened twice:
first by the VxWorks target in order to download the code, then by GDB
in order to read the symbol table. This can lead to problems if the
current working directories on the two systems differ. If both systems
have NFS mounted the same filesystems, you can avoid these problems by
using absolute paths. Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working
directory on both systems to the directory in which the object file
resides, and then to reference the file by its name, without any path.
For instance, a program `prog.o' may reside in `VXPATH/vw/demo/rdb' in
VxWorks and in `HOSTPATH/vw/demo/rdb' on the host. To load this
program, type this on VxWorks:
-> cd "VXPATH/vw/demo/rdb"
v Then, in GDB, type:
(vxgdb) cd HOSTPATH/vw/demo/rdb
(vxgdb) load prog.o
GDB displays a response similar to this:
Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
You can also use the `load' command to reload an object module after
editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that this
makes GDB delete all currently-defined breakpoints, auto-displays, and
convenience variables, and to clear the value history. (This is
necessary in order to preserve the integrity of debugger data
structures that reference the target system's symbol table.)
File: gdb, Node: VxWorks Attach, Prev: VxWorks Download, Up: VxWorks Remote
Running tasks
.............
You can also attach to an existing task using the `attach' command as
follows:
(vxgdb) attach TASK
where TASK is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at the
time of attachment.
File: gdb, Node: Hitachi Remote, Next: MIPS Remote, Prev: ST2000 Remote, Up: Remote
GDB and Hitachi microprocessors
-------------------------------
GDB needs to know these things to talk to your Hitachi SH, H8/300,
or H8/500:
1. that you want to use `target hms', the remote debugging interface
for Hitachi microprocessors, or `target e7000', the in-circuit
emulator for the Hitachi SH and the Hitachi 300H. (`target hms' is
the default when GDB is configured specifically for the Hitachi SH,
H8/300, or H8/500.)
2. what serial device connects your host to your Hitachi board (the
first serial device available on your host is the default).
3. what speed to use over the serial device.
* Menu:
* Hitachi Boards:: Connecting to Hitachi boards.
* Hitachi ICE:: Using the E7000 In-Circuit Emulator.
* Hitachi Special:: Special GDB commands for Hitachi micros.
File: gdb, Node: Hitachi Boards, Next: Hitachi ICE, Up: Hitachi Remote
Connecting to Hitachi boards
............................
Use the special `gdb' command `device PORT' if you need to
explicitly set the serial device. The default PORT is the first
available port on your host. This is only necessary on Unix hosts,
where it is typically something like `/dev/ttya'.
`gdb' has another special command to set the communications speed:
`speed BPS'. This command also is only used from Unix hosts; on DOS
hosts, set the line speed as usual from outside GDB with the DOS `mode'
command (for instance, `mode com2:9600,n,8,1,p' for a 9600 bps
connection).
The `device' and `speed' commands are available only when you use a
Unix host to debug your Hitachi microprocessor programs. If you use a
DOS host, GDB depends on an auxiliary terminate-and-stay-resident
program called `asynctsr' to communicate with the development board
through a PC serial port. You must also use the DOS `mode' command to
set up the serial port on the DOS side.
File: gdb, Node: Hitachi ICE, Next: Hitachi Special, Prev: Hitachi Boards, Up: Hitachi Remote
Using the E7000 in-circuit emulator
...................................
You can use the E7000 in-circuit emulator to develop code for either
the Hitachi SH or the H8/300H. Use one of these forms of the `target
e7000' command to connect GDB to your E7000:
`target e7000 PORT SPEED'
Use this form if your E7000 is connected to a serial port. The
PORT argument identifies what serial port to use (for example,
`com2'). The third argument is the line speed in bits per second
(for example, `9600').
`target e7000 HOSTNAME'
If your E7000 is installed as a host on a TCP/IP network, you can
just specify its hostname; GDB uses `telnet' to connect.
File: gdb, Node: Hitachi Special, Prev: Hitachi ICE, Up: Hitachi Remote
Special GDB commands for Hitachi micros
.......................................
Some GDB commands are available only on the H8/300 or the H8/500
configurations:
`set machine h8300'
`set machine h8300h'
Condition GDB for one of the two variants of the H8/300
architecture with `set machine'. You can use `show machine' to
check which variant is currently in effect.
`set memory MOD'
`show memory'
Specify which H8/500 memory model (MOD) you are using with `set
memory'; check which memory model is in effect with `show memory'.
The accepted values for MOD are `small', `big', `medium', and
`compact'.
File: gdb, Node: MIPS Remote, Next: Simulator, Prev: Hitachi Remote, Up: Remote
GDB and remote MIPS boards
--------------------------
GDB can use the MIPS remote debugging protocol to talk to a MIPS
board attached to a serial line. This is available when you configure
GDB with `--target=mips-idt-ecoff'.
Use these GDB commands to specify the connection to your target
board:
`target mips PORT'
To run a program on the board, start up `gdb' with the name of
your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
command `target mips PORT', where PORT is the name of the serial
port connected to the board. If the program has not already been
downloaded to the board, you may use the `load' command to
download it. You can then use all the usual GDB commands.
For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a
serial port, and loads and runs a program called PROG through the
debugger:
host$ gdb PROG
GDB is free software and ...
(gdb) target mips /dev/ttyb
(gdb) load PROG
(gdb) run
`target mips HOSTNAME:PORTNUMBER'
On some GDB host configurations, you can specify a TCP connection
(for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
`HOSTNAME:PORTNUMBER'.
GDB also supports these special commands for MIPS targets:
`set processor ARGS'
`show processor'
Use the `set processor' command to set the type of MIPS processor
when you want to access processor-type-specific registers. For
example, `set processor R3041' tells GDB to use the CPO registers
appropriate for the 3041 chip. Use the `show processor' command
to see what MIPS processor GDB is using. Use the `info reg'
command to see what registers GDB is using.
`set mipsfpu double'
`set mipsfpu single'
`set mipsfpu none'
`show mipsfpu'
If your target board does not support the MIPS floating point
coprocessor, you should use the command `set mipsfpu none' (if you
need this, you may wish to put the command in your .gdbinit file).
This tells GDB how to find the return value of functions which
return floating point values. It also allows GDB to avoid saving
the floating point registers when calling functions on the board.
If you are using a floating point coprocessor with only single
precision floating point support, as on the R4650 processor, use
the command `set mipsfpu single'. The default double precision
floating point coprocessor may be selected using `set mipsfpu
double'.
In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
floating point, so `set mipsfpu on' will select double precision
and `set mipsfpu off' will select no floating point.
As usual, you can inquire about the `mipsfpu' variable with `show
mipsfpu'.
`set remotedebug N'
`show remotedebug'
You can see some debugging information about communications with
the board by setting the `remotedebug' variable. If you set it to
`1' using `set remotedebug 1', every packet is displayed. If you
set it to `2', every character is displayed. You can check the
current value at any time with the command `show remotedebug'.
`set timeout SECONDS'
`set retransmit-timeout SECONDS'
`show timeout'
`show retransmit-timeout'
You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in
the MIPS remote protocol, with the `set timeout SECONDS' command.
The default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout
used while waiting for an acknowledgement of a packet with the `set
retransmit-timeout SECONDS' command. The default is 3 seconds.
You can inspect both values with `show timeout' and `show
retransmit-timeout'. (These commands are *only* available when
GDB is configured for `--target=mips-idt-ecoff'.)
The timeout set by `set timeout' does not apply when GDB is
waiting for your program to stop. In that case, GDB waits forever
because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going to
run before stopping.
File: gdb, Node: Simulator, Prev: MIPS Remote, Up: Remote
Simulated CPU target
--------------------
For some configurations, GDB includes a CPU simulator that you can
use instead of a hardware CPU to debug your programs. Currently, a
simulator is available when GDB is configured to debug Zilog Z8000 or
Hitachi microprocessor targets.
For the Z8000 family, `target sim' simulates either the Z8002 (the
unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
appropriate by inspecting the object code.
`target sim'
Debug programs on a simulated CPU (which CPU depends on the GDB
configuration)
After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
`file' command to load a new program image, the `run' command to run
your program, and so on.
As well as making available all the usual machine registers (see
`info reg'), this debugging target provides three additional items of
information as specially named registers:
`cycles'
Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
`insts'
Counts instructions run in the simulator.
`time'
Execution time in 60ths of a second.
You can refer to these values in GDB expressions with the usual
conventions; for example, `b fputc if $cycles>5000' sets a conditional
breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000 simulated clock ticks.
File: gdb, Node: Controlling GDB, Next: Sequences, Prev: Targets, Up: Top
Controlling GDB
***************
You can alter the way GDB interacts with you by using the `set'
command. For commands controlling how GDB displays data, *note Print
settings: Print Settings.; other settings are described here.
* Menu:
* Prompt:: Prompt
* Editing:: Command editing
* History:: Command history
* Screen Size:: Screen size
* Numbers:: Numbers
* Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
File: gdb, Node: Prompt, Next: Editing, Up: Controlling GDB
Prompt
======
GDB indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
called the "prompt". This string is normally `(gdb)'. You can change
the prompt string with the `set prompt' command. For instance, when
debugging GDB with GDB, it is useful to change the prompt in one of the
GDB sessions so that you can always tell which one you are talking to.
*Note:* `set prompt' no longer adds a space for you after the
prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
or a prompt that does not.
`set prompt NEWPROMPT'
Directs GDB to use NEWPROMPT as its prompt string henceforth.
`show prompt'
Prints a line of the form: `Gdb's prompt is: YOUR-PROMPT'
File: gdb, Node: Editing, Next: History, Prev: Prompt, Up: Controlling GDB
Command editing
===============
GDB reads its input commands via the "readline" interface. This GNU
library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
command line interface to the user. Advantages are GNU Emacs-style or
"vi"-style inline editing of commands, `csh'-like history substitution,
and a storage and recall of command history across debugging sessions.
You may control the behavior of command line editing in GDB with the
command `set'.
`set editing'
`set editing on'
Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
`set editing off'
Disable command line editing.
`show editing'
Show whether command line editing is enabled.
File: gdb, Node: History, Next: Screen Size, Prev: Editing, Up: Controlling GDB
Command history
===============
GDB can keep track of the commands you type during your debugging
sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what happened. Use
these commands to manage the GDB command history facility.
`set history filename FNAME'
Set the name of the GDB command history file to FNAME. This is
the file where GDB reads an initial command history list, and
where it writes the command history from this session when it
exits. You can access this list through history expansion or
through the history command editing characters listed below. This
file defaults to the value of the environment variable
`GDBHISTFILE', or to `./.gdb_history' if this variable is not set.
`set history save'
`set history save on'
Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with
the `set history filename' command. By default, this option is
disabled.
`set history save off'
Stop recording command history in a file.
`set history size SIZE'
Set the number of commands which GDB keeps in its history list.
This defaults to the value of the environment variable `HISTSIZE',
or to 256 if this variable is not set.
History expansion assigns special meaning to the character `!'.
Since `!' is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
`set history expansion on' command, you may sometimes need to follow
`!' (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with a space or
a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline history
facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings `!=' and `!(',
even when history expansion is enabled.
The commands to control history expansion are:
`set history expansion on'
`set history expansion'
Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
`set history expansion off'
Disable history expansion.
The readline code comes with more complete documentation of
editing and history expansion features. Users unfamiliar with GNU
Emacs or `vi' may wish to read it.
`show history'
`show history filename'
`show history save'
`show history size'
`show history expansion'
These commands display the state of the GDB history parameters.
`show history' by itself displays all four states.
`show commands'
Display the last ten commands in the command history.
`show commands N'
Print ten commands centered on command number N.
`show commands +'
Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
File: gdb, Node: Screen Size, Next: Numbers, Prev: History, Up: Controlling GDB
Screen size
===========
Certain commands to GDB may produce large amounts of information
output to the screen. To help you read all of it, GDB pauses and asks
you for input at the end of each page of output. Type RET when you
want to continue the output, or `q' to discard the remaining output.
Also, the screen width setting determines when to wrap lines of output.
Depending on what is being printed, GDB tries to break the line at a
readable place, rather than simply letting it overflow onto the
following line.
Normally GDB knows the size of the screen from the termcap data base
together with the value of the `TERM' environment variable and the
`stty rows' and `stty cols' settings. If this is not correct, you can
override it with the `set height' and `set width' commands:
`set height LPP'
`show height'
`set width CPL'
`show width'
These `set' commands specify a screen height of LPP lines and a
screen width of CPL characters. The associated `show' commands
display the current settings.
If you specify a height of zero lines, GDB does not pause during
output no matter how long the output is. This is useful if output
is to a file or to an editor buffer.
Likewise, you can specify `set width 0' to prevent GDB from
wrapping its output.
File: gdb, Node: Numbers, Next: Messages/Warnings, Prev: Screen Size, Up: Controlling GDB
Numbers
=======
You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
GDB by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with `0', decimal
numbers end with `.', and hexadecimal numbers begin with `0x'. Numbers
that begin with none of these are, by default, entered in base 10;
likewise, the default display for numbers--when no particular format is
specified--is base 10. You can change the default base for both input
and output with the `set radix' command.
`set input-radix BASE'
Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices for
BASE are decimal 8, 10, or 16. BASE must itself be specified
either unambiguously or using the current default radix; for
example, any of
set radix 012
set radix 10.
set radix 0xa
sets the base to decimal. On the other hand, `set radix 10'
leaves the radix unchanged no matter what it was.
`set output-radix BASE'
Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices for
BASE are decimal 8, 10, or 16. BASE must itself be specified
either unambiguously or using the current default radix.
`show input-radix'
Display the current default base for numeric input.
`show output-radix'
Display the current default base for numeric display.
File: gdb, Node: Messages/Warnings, Prev: Numbers, Up: Controlling GDB
Optional warnings and messages
==============================
By default, GDB is silent about its inner workings. If you are
running on a slow machine, you may want to use the `set verbose'
command. This makes GDB tell you when it does a lengthy internal
operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
Currently, the messages controlled by `set verbose' are those which
announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read; see
`symbol-file' in *Note Commands to specify files: Files.
`set verbose on'
Enables GDB output of certain informational messages.
`set verbose off'
Disables GDB output of certain informational messages.
`show verbose'
Displays whether `set verbose' is on or off.
By default, if GDB encounters bugs in the symbol table of an object
file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may find
this information useful (*note Errors reading symbol files: Symbol
Errors.).
`set complaints LIMIT'
Permits GDB to output LIMIT complaints about each type of unusual
symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set LIMIT to
zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number to
prevent complaints from being suppressed.
`show complaints'
Displays how many symbol complaints GDB is permitted to produce.
By default, GDB is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
you try to run a program which is already running:
(gdb) run
The program being debugged has been started already.
Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
commands, you can disable this "feature":
`set confirm off'
Disables confirmation requests.
`set confirm on'
Enables confirmation requests (the default).
`show confirm'
Displays state of confirmation requests.
File: gdb, Node: Sequences, Next: Emacs, Prev: Controlling GDB, Up: Top
Canned Sequences of Commands
****************************
Aside from breakpoint commands (*note Breakpoint command lists:
Break Commands.), GDB provides two ways to store sequences of commands
for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command files.
* Menu:
* Define:: User-defined commands
* Hooks:: User-defined command hooks
* Command Files:: Command files
* Output:: Commands for controlled output
File: gdb, Node: Define, Next: Hooks, Up: Sequences
User-defined commands
=====================
A "user-defined command" is a sequence of GDB commands to which you
assign a new name as a command. This is done with the `define'
command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments separated by
whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command via
$ARG0...$ARG9. A trivial example:
define adder
print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
To execute the command use:
adder 1 2 3
This defines the command `adder', which prints the sum of its three
arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
functions calls.
`define COMMANDNAME'
Define a command named COMMANDNAME. If there is already a command
by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine
it.
The definition of the command is made up of other GDB command
lines, which are given following the `define' command. The end of
these commands is marked by a line containing `end'.
`if'
Takes a single argument, which is an expression to evaluate. It
is followed by a series of commands that are executed only if the
expression is true (nonzero). There can then optionally be a line
`else', followed by a series of commands that are only executed if
the expression was false. The end of the list is marked by a line
containing `end'.
`while'
The syntax is similar to `if': the command takes a single argument,
which is an expression to evaluate, and must be followed by the
commands to execute, one per line, terminated by an `end'. The
commands are executed repeatedly as long as the expression
evaluates to true.
`document COMMANDNAME'
Document the user-defined command COMMANDNAME, so that it can be
accessed by `help'. The command COMMANDNAME must already be
defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as
`define' reads the lines of the command definition, ending with
`end'. After the `document' command is finished, `help' on command
COMMANDNAME displays the documentation you have written.
You may use the `document' command again to change the
documentation of a command. Redefining the command with `define'
does not change the documentation.
`help user-defined'
List all user-defined commands, with the first line of the
documentation (if any) for each.
`show user'
`show user COMMANDNAME'
Display the GDB commands used to define COMMANDNAME (but not its
documentation). If no COMMANDNAME is given, display the
definitions for all user-defined commands.
When user-defined commands are executed, the commands of the
definition are not printed. An error in any command stops execution of
the user-defined command.
If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation
proceed without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many
GDB commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing
omit the messages when used in a user-defined command.
File: gdb, Node: Hooks, Next: Command Files, Prev: Define, Up: Sequences
User-defined command hooks
==========================
You may define *hooks*, which are a special kind of user-defined
command. Whenever you run the command `foo', if the user-defined
command `hook-foo' exists, it is executed (with no arguments) before
that command.
In addition, a pseudo-command, `stop' exists. Defining
(`hook-stop') makes the associated commands execute every time
execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
For example, to ignore `SIGALRM' signals while single-stepping, but
treat them normally during normal execution, you could define:
define hook-stop
handle SIGALRM nopass
end
define hook-run
handle SIGALRM pass
end
define hook-continue
handle SIGLARM pass
end
You can define a hook for any single-word command in GDB, but not
for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
name, e.g. `backtrace' rather than `bt'. If an error occurs during
the execution of your hook, execution of GDB commands stops and GDB
issues a prompt (before the command that you actually typed had a
chance to run).
If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command,
you get a warning from the `define' command.
File: gdb, Node: Command Files, Next: Output, Prev: Hooks, Up: Sequences
Command files
=============
A command file for GDB is a file of lines that are GDB commands.
Comments (lines starting with `#') may also be included. An empty line
in a command file does nothing; it does not mean to repeat the last
command, as it would from the terminal.
When you start GDB, it automatically executes commands from its
"init files". These are files named `.gdbinit'. GDB reads the init
file (if any) in your home directory, then processes command line
options and operands, and then reads the init file (if any) in the
current working directory. This is so the init file in your home
directory can set options (such as `set complaints') which affect the
processing of the command line options and operands. The init files
are not executed if you use the `-nx' option; *note Choosing modes:
Mode Options..
On some configurations of GDB, the init file is known by a different
name (these are typically environments where a specialized form of GDB
may need to coexist with other forms, hence a different name for the
specialized version's init file). These are the environments with
special init file names:
* VxWorks (Wind River Systems real-time OS): `.vxgdbinit'
* OS68K (Enea Data Systems real-time OS): `.os68gdbinit'
* ES-1800 (Ericsson Telecom AB M68000 emulator): `.esgdbinit'
You can also request the execution of a command file with the
`source' command:
`source FILENAME'
Execute the command file FILENAME.
The lines in a command file are executed sequentially. They are not
printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
execution of the command file.
Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively
proceed without asking when used in a command file. Many GDB commands
that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
messages when called from command files.
File: gdb, Node: Output, Prev: Command Files, Up: Sequences
Commands for controlled output
==============================
During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command,
normal GDB output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
want.
`echo TEXT'
Print TEXT. Nonprinting characters can be included in TEXT using
C escape sequences, such as `\n' to print a newline. *No newline
is printed unless you specify one.* In addition to the standard C
escape sequences, a backslash followed by a space stands for a
space. This is useful for displaying a string with spaces at the
beginning or the end, since leading and trailing spaces are
otherwise trimmed from all arguments. To print ` and foo = ', use
the command `echo \ and foo = \ '.
A backslash at the end of TEXT can be used, as in C, to continue
the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
echo This is some text\n\
which is continued\n\
onto several lines.\n
produces the same output as
echo This is some text\n
echo which is continued\n
echo onto several lines.\n
`output EXPRESSION'
Print the value of EXPRESSION and nothing but that value: no
newlines, no `$NN = '. The value is not entered in the value
history either. *Note Expressions: Expressions, for more
information on expressions.
`output/FMT EXPRESSION'
Print the value of EXPRESSION in format FMT. You can use the same
formats as for `print'. *Note Output formats: Output Formats, for
more information.
`printf STRING, EXPRESSIONS...'
Print the values of the EXPRESSIONS under the control of STRING.
The EXPRESSIONS are separated by commas and may be either numbers
or pointers. Their values are printed as specified by STRING,
exactly as if your program were to execute the C subroutine
printf (STRING, EXPRESSIONS...);
For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
The only backslash-escape sequences that you can use in the format
string are the simple ones that consist of backslash followed by a
letter.
File: gdb, Node: Emacs, Next: GDB Bugs, Prev: Sequences, Up: Top
Using GDB under GNU Emacs
*************************
A special interface allows you to use GNU Emacs to view (and edit)
the source files for the program you are debugging with GDB.
To use this interface, use the command `M-x gdb' in Emacs. Give the
executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
GDB as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
created Emacs buffer.
Using GDB under Emacs is just like using GDB normally except for two
things:
* All "terminal" input and output goes through the Emacs buffer.
This applies both to GDB commands and their output, and to the input
and output done by the program you are debugging.
This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of
previous commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the
output in this way.
All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
way--for example, `C-c C-c' for an interrupt, `C-c C-z' for a stop.
* GDB displays source code through Emacs.
Each time GDB displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
source file for that frame and puts an arrow (`=>') at the left margin
of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for source display,
and splits the screen to show both your GDB session and the source.
Explicit GDB `list' or search commands still produce output as
usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
*Warning:* If the directory where your program resides is not your
current directory, it can be easy to confuse Emacs about the
location of the source files, in which case the auxiliary display
buffer does not appear to show your source. GDB can find programs
by searching your environment's `PATH' variable, so the GDB input
and output session proceeds normally; but Emacs does not get
enough information back from GDB to locate the source files in
this situation. To avoid this problem, either start GDB mode from
the directory where your program resides, or specify an absolute
file name when prompted for the `M-x gdb' argument.
A similar confusion can result if you use the GDB `file' command to
switch to debugging a program in some other location, from an
existing GDB buffer in Emacs.
By default, `M-x gdb' calls the program called `gdb'. If you need
to call GDB by a different name (for example, if you keep several
configurations around, with different names) you can set the Emacs
variable `gdb-command-name'; for example,
(setq gdb-command-name "mygdb")
(preceded by `ESC ESC', or typed in the `*scratch*' buffer, or in your
`.emacs' file) makes Emacs call the program named "`mygdb'" instead.
In the GDB I/O buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
`C-h m'
Describe the features of Emacs' GDB Mode.
`M-s'
Execute to another source line, like the GDB `step' command; also
update the display window to show the current file and location.
`M-n'
Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
calls, like the GDB `next' command. Then update the display window
to show the current file and location.
`M-i'
Execute one instruction, like the GDB `stepi' command; update
display window accordingly.
`M-x gdb-nexti'
Execute to next instruction, using the GDB `nexti' command; update
display window accordingly.
`C-c C-f'
Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the GDB
`finish' command.
`M-c'
Continue execution of your program, like the GDB `continue'
command.
*Warning:* In Emacs v19, this command is `C-c C-p'.
`M-u'
Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
(*note Numeric Arguments: (Emacs)Arguments.), like the GDB `up'
command.
*Warning:* In Emacs v19, this command is `C-c C-u'.
`M-d'
Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument,
like the GDB `down' command.
*Warning:* In Emacs v19, this command is `C-c C-d'.
`C-x &'
Read the number where the cursor is positioned, and insert it at
the end of the GDB I/O buffer. For example, if you wish to
disassemble code around an address that was displayed earlier,
type `disassemble'; then move the cursor to the address display,
and pick up the argument for `disassemble' by typing `C-x &'.
You can customize this further by defining elements of the list
`gdb-print-command'; once it is defined, you can format or
otherwise process numbers picked up by `C-x &' before they are
inserted. A numeric argument to `C-x &' indicates that you wish
special formatting, and also acts as an index to pick an element
of the list. If the list element is a string, the number to be
inserted is formatted using the Emacs function `format'; otherwise
the number is passed as an argument to the corresponding list
element.
In any source file, the Emacs command `C-x SPC' (`gdb-break') tells
GDB to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to
get it back is to type the command `f' in the GDB buffer, to request a
frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates the source
buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current frame.
The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit the
files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that GDB
communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or delete
lines from the text, the line numbers that GDB knows cease to
correspond properly with the code.
File: gdb, Node: GDB Bugs, Next: Command Line Editing, Prev: Emacs, Up: Top
Reporting Bugs in GDB
*********************
Your bug reports play an essential role in making GDB reliable.
Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem,
or it may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report
is to help the entire community by making the next version of GDB work
better. Bug reports are your contribution to the maintenance of GDB.
In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
information that enables us to fix the bug.
* Menu:
* Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
* Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
File: gdb, Node: Bug Criteria, Next: Bug Reporting, Up: GDB Bugs
Have you found a bug?
=====================
If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some
guidelines:
* If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that
is a GDB bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
* If GDB produces an error message for valid input, that is a bug.
* If GDB does not produce an error message for invalid input, that
is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of "invalid
input" might be our idea of "an extension" or "support for
traditional practice".
* If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
for improvement of GDB are welcome in any case.
File: gdb, Node: Bug Reporting, Prev: Bug Criteria, Up: GDB Bugs
How to report bugs
==================
A number of companies and individuals offer support for GNU products.
If you obtained GDB from a support organization, we recommend you
contact that organization first.
You can find contact information for many support companies and
individuals in the file `etc/SERVICE' in the GNU Emacs distribution.
In any event, we also recommend that you send bug reports for GDB to
one of these addresses:
bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu
{ucbvax|mit-eddie|uunet}!prep.ai.mit.edu!bug-gdb
*Do not send bug reports to `info-gdb', or to `help-gdb', or to any
newsgroups.* Most users of GDB do not want to receive bug reports.
Those that do have arranged to receive `bug-gdb'.
The mailing list `bug-gdb' has a newsgroup `gnu.gdb.bug' which
serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
bug reports to the mailing list.
As a last resort, send bug reports on paper to:
GNU Debugger Bugs
Free Software Foundation Inc.
59 Temple Place - Suite 330
Boston, MA 02111-1307
USA
The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
*report all the facts*. If you are not sure whether to state a fact or
leave it out, state it!
Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not
matter. Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps
the bug is a stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the
location where that name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were
different, the contents of that location would fool the debugger into
doing the right thing despite the bug. Play it safe and give a
specific, complete example. That is the easiest thing for you to do,
and the most helpful.
Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix
the bug if it is new to us. Therefore, always write your bug reports on
the assumption that the bug has not been reported previously.
Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, "Does this ring a
bell?" Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to *refuse
to respond to them* except to chide the sender to report bugs properly.
To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
* The version of GDB. GDB announces it if you start with no
arguments; you can also print it at any time using `show version'.
Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in
looking for the bug in the current version of GDB.
* The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name
and version number.
* What compiler (and its version) was used to compile GDB--e.g.
"gcc-2.0".
* What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you
are debugging--e.g. "gcc-2.0".
* The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your
example and observe the bug. For example, did you use `-O'? To
guarantee you will not omit something important, list them all. A
copy of the Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess
wrong and then we might not encounter the bug.
* A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
reproduce the bug.
* A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
incorrect. For example, "It gets a fatal signal."
Of course, if the bug is that GDB gets a fatal signal, then we will
certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not
give us a chance to make a mistake.
Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should
still say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on,
such as, your copy of GDB is out of synch, or you have encountered
a bug in the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your
copy might crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a
crash, then when ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug
was not happening for us. If you had not told us to expect a
crash, then we would not be able to draw any conclusion from our
observations.
* If you wish to suggest changes to the GDB source, send us context
diffs. If you even discuss something in the GDB source, refer to
it by context, not by line number.
The line numbers in our development sources will not match those
in your sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful
information to us.
Here are some things that are not necessary:
* A description of the envelope of the bug.
Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
changes will not affect it.
This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way
we will find the bug is by running a single example under the
debugger with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of
examples. We recommend that you save your time for something else.
Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report *instead*
of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
less time, and so on.
However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do
this, report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you
used.
* A patch for the bug.
A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not
omit the necessary information, such as the test case, on the
assumption that a patch is all we need. We might see problems
with your patch and decide to fix the problem another way, or we
might not understand it at all.
Sometimes with a program as complicated as GDB it is very hard to
construct an example that will make the program follow a certain
path through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will
not be able to construct one, so we will not be able to verify
that the bug is fixed.
And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why
your patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A
test case will help us to understand.
* A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about
such things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
File: gdb, Node: Command Line Editing, Next: Using History Interactively, Prev: GDB Bugs, Up: Top
Command Line Editing
********************
This text describes GNU's command line editing interface.
* Menu:
* Introduction and Notation:: Notation used in this text.
* Readline Interaction:: The minimum set of commands for editing a line.
* Readline Init File:: Customizing Readline from a user's view.
File: gdb, Node: Introduction and Notation, Next: Readline Interaction, Up: Command Line Editing
Introduction to Line Editing
============================
The following paragraphs describe the notation we use to represent
keystrokes.
The text C-k is read as `Control-K' and describes the character
produced when the Control key is depressed and the k key is struck.
The text M-k is read as `Meta-K' and describes the character
produced when the meta key (if you have one) is depressed, and the k
key is struck. If you do not have a meta key, the identical keystroke
can be generated by typing ESC first, and then typing k. Either
process is known as "metafying" the k key.
The text M-C-k is read as `Meta-Control-k' and describes the
character produced by "metafying" C-k.
In addition, several keys have their own names. Specifically, DEL,
ESC, LFD, SPC, RET, and TAB all stand for themselves when seen in this
text, or in an init file (*note Readline Init File::., for more info).
File: gdb, Node: Readline Interaction, Next: Readline Init File, Prev: Introduction and Notation, Up: Command Line Editing
Readline Interaction
====================
Often during an interactive session you type in a long line of text,
only to notice that the first word on the line is misspelled. The
Readline library gives you a set of commands for manipulating the text
as you type it in, allowing you to just fix your typo, and not forcing
you to retype the majority of the line. Using these editing commands,
you move the cursor to the place that needs correction, and delete or
insert the text of the corrections. Then, when you are satisfied with
the line, you simply press RET. You do not have to be at the end of
the line to press RET; the entire line is accepted regardless of the
location of the cursor within the line.
* Menu:
* Readline Bare Essentials:: The least you need to know about Readline.
* Readline Movement Commands:: Moving about the input line.
* Readline Killing Commands:: How to delete text, and how to get it back!
* Readline Arguments:: Giving numeric arguments to commands.
File: gdb, Node: Readline Bare Essentials, Next: Readline Movement Commands, Up: Readline Interaction
Readline Bare Essentials
------------------------
In order to enter characters into the line, simply type them. The
typed character appears where the cursor was, and then the cursor moves
one space to the right. If you mistype a character, you can use DEL to
back up, and delete the mistyped character.
Sometimes you may miss typing a character that you wanted to type,
and not notice your error until you have typed several other
characters. In that case, you can type C-b to move the cursor to the
left, and then correct your mistake. Aftwerwards, you can move the
cursor to the right with C-f.
When you add text in the middle of a line, you will notice that
characters to the right of the cursor get `pushed over' to make room
for the text that you have inserted. Likewise, when you delete text
behind the cursor, characters to the right of the cursor get `pulled
back' to fill in the blank space created by the removal of the text. A
list of the basic bare essentials for editing the text of an input line
follows.
C-b
Move back one character.
C-f
Move forward one character.
DEL
Delete the character to the left of the cursor.
C-d
Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Printing characters
Insert itself into the line at the cursor.
C-_
Undo the last thing that you did. You can undo all the way back
to an empty line.
File: gdb, Node: Readline Movement Commands, Next: Readline Killing Commands, Prev: Readline Bare Essentials, Up: Readline Interaction
Readline Movement Commands
--------------------------
The above table describes the most basic possible keystrokes that
you need in order to do editing of the input line. For your
convenience, many other commands have been added in addition to C-b,
C-f, C-d, and DEL. Here are some commands for moving more rapidly
about the line.
C-a
Move to the start of the line.
C-e
Move to the end of the line.
M-f
Move forward a word.
M-b
Move backward a word.
C-l
Clear the screen, reprinting the current line at the top.
Notice how C-f moves forward a character, while M-f moves forward a
word. It is a loose convention that control keystrokes operate on
characters while meta keystrokes operate on words.
File: gdb, Node: Readline Killing Commands, Next: Readline Arguments, Prev: Readline Movement Commands, Up: Readline Interaction
Readline Killing Commands
-------------------------
"Killing" text means to delete the text from the line, but to save
it away for later use, usually by "yanking" it back into the line. If
the description for a command says that it `kills' text, then you can
be sure that you can get the text back in a different (or the same)
place later.
Here is the list of commands for killing text.
C-k
Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the
line.
M-d
Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between
words, to the end of the next word.
M-DEL
Kill from the cursor to the start of the previous word, or if
between words, to the start of the previous word.
C-w
Kill from the cursor to the previous whitespace. This is
different than M-DEL because the word boundaries differ.
And, here is how to "yank" the text back into the line.
C-y
Yank the most recently killed text back into the buffer at the
cursor.
M-y
Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this
if the prior command is C-y or M-y.
When you use a kill command, the text is saved in a "kill-ring".
Any number of consecutive kills save all of the killed text together, so
that when you yank it back, you get it in one clean sweep. The kill
ring is not line specific; the text that you killed on a previously
typed line is available to be yanked back later, when you are typing
another line.
File: gdb, Node: Readline Arguments, Prev: Readline Killing Commands, Up: Readline Interaction
Readline Arguments
------------------
You can pass numeric arguments to Readline commands. Sometimes the
argument acts as a repeat count, other times it is the sign of the
argument that is significant. If you pass a negative argument to a
command which normally acts in a forward direction, that command will
act in a backward direction. For example, to kill text back to the
start of the line, you might type M- C-k.
The general way to pass numeric arguments to a command is to type
meta digits before the command. If the first `digit' you type is a
minus sign (-), then the sign of the argument will be negative. Once
you have typed one meta digit to get the argument started, you can type
the remainder of the digits, and then the command. For example, to give
the C-d command an argument of 10, you could type M-1 0 C-d.
File: gdb, Node: Readline Init File, Prev: Readline Interaction, Up: Command Line Editing
Readline Init File
==================
Although the Readline library comes with a set of GNU Emacs-like
keybindings, it is possible that you would like to use a different set
of keybindings. You can customize programs that use Readline by putting
commands in an "init" file in your home directory. The name of this
file is `~/.inputrc'.
When a program which uses the Readline library starts up, the
`~/.inputrc' file is read, and the keybindings are set.
In addition, the C-x C-r command re-reads this init file, thus
incorporating any changes that you might have made to it.
* Menu:
* Readline Init Syntax:: Syntax for the commands in `~/.inputrc'.
* Readline vi Mode:: Switching to `vi' mode in Readline.
File: gdb, Node: Readline Init Syntax, Next: Readline vi Mode, Up: Readline Init File
Readline Init Syntax
--------------------
There are only four constructs allowed in the `~/.inputrc' file:
Variable Settings
You can change the state of a few variables in Readline. You do
this by using the `set' command within the init file. Here is how
you would specify that you wish to use `vi' line editing commands:
set editing-mode vi
Right now, there are only a few variables which can be set; so few
in fact, that we just iterate them here:
`editing-mode'
The `editing-mode' variable controls which editing mode you
are using. By default, GNU Readline starts up in Emacs
editing mode, where the keystrokes are most similar to Emacs.
This variable can either be set to `emacs' or `vi'.
`horizontal-scroll-mode'
This variable can either be set to `On' or `Off'. Setting it
to `On' means that the text of the lines that you edit will
scroll horizontally on a single screen line when they are
larger than the width of the screen, instead of wrapping onto
a new screen line. By default, this variable is set to `Off'.
`mark-modified-lines'
This variable when set to `On', says to display an asterisk
(`*') at the starts of history lines which have been modified.
This variable is off by default.
`prefer-visible-bell'
If this variable is set to `On' it means to use a visible
bell if one is available, rather than simply ringing the
terminal bell. By default, the value is `Off'.
Key Bindings
The syntax for controlling keybindings in the `~/.inputrc' file is
simple. First you have to know the name of the command that you
want to change. The following pages contain tables of the command
name, the default keybinding, and a short description of what the
command does.
Once you know the name of the command, simply place the name of
the key you wish to bind the command to, a colon, and then the
name of the command on a line in the `~/.inputrc' file. The name
of the key can be expressed in different ways, depending on which
is most comfortable for you.
KEYNAME: FUNCTION-NAME or MACRO
KEYNAME is the name of a key spelled out in English. For
example:
Control-u: universal-argument
Meta-Rubout: backward-kill-word
Control-o: ">&output"
In the above example, C-u is bound to the function
`universal-argument', and C-o is bound to run the macro
expressed on the right hand side (that is, to insert the text
`>&output' into the line).
"KEYSEQ": FUNCTION-NAME or MACRO
KEYSEQ differs from KEYNAME above in that strings denoting an
entire key sequence can be specified. Simply place the key
sequence in double quotes. GNU Emacs style key escapes can
be used, as in the following example:
"\C-u": universal-argument
"\C-x\C-r": re-read-init-file
"\e[11~": "Function Key 1"
In the above example, C-u is bound to the function
`universal-argument' (just as it was in the first example),
C-x C-r is bound to the function `re-read-init-file', and ESC
[ 1 1 ~ is bound to insert the text `Function Key 1'.
* Menu:
* Commands For Moving:: Moving about the line.
* Commands For History:: Getting at previous lines.
* Commands For Text:: Commands for changing text.
* Commands For Killing:: Commands for killing and yanking.
* Numeric Arguments:: Specifying numeric arguments, repeat counts.
* Commands For Completion:: Getting Readline to do the typing for you.
* Miscellaneous Commands:: Other miscillaneous commands.
File: gdb, Node: Commands For Moving, Next: Commands For History, Up: Readline Init Syntax
Commands For Moving
...................
`beginning-of-line (C-a)'
Move to the start of the current line.
`end-of-line (C-e)'
Move to the end of the line.
`forward-char (C-f)'
Move forward a character.
`backward-char (C-b)'
Move back a character.
`forward-word (M-f)'
Move forward to the end of the next word.
`backward-word (M-b)'
Move back to the start of this, or the previous, word.
`clear-screen (C-l)'
Clear the screen leaving the current line at the top of the screen.
File: gdb, Node: Commands For History, Next: Commands For Text, Prev: Commands For Moving, Up: Readline Init Syntax
Commands For Manipulating The History
.....................................
`accept-line (Newline, Return)'
Accept the line regardless of where the cursor is. If this line is
non-empty, add it to the history list. If this line was a history
line, then restore the history line to its original state.
`previous-history (C-p)'
Move `up' through the history list.
`next-history (C-n)'
Move `down' through the history list.
`beginning-of-history (M-<)'
Move to the first line in the history.
`end-of-history (M->)'
Move to the end of the input history, i.e., the line you are
entering.
`reverse-search-history (C-r)'
Search backward starting at the current line and moving `up'
through the history as necessary. This is an incremental search.
`forward-search-history (C-s)'
Search forward starting at the current line and moving `down'
through the the history as necessary.
File: gdb, Node: Commands For Text, Next: Commands For Killing, Prev: Commands For History, Up: Readline Init Syntax
Commands For Changing Text
..........................
`delete-char (C-d)'
Delete the character under the cursor. If the cursor is at the
beginning of the line, and there are no characters in the line, and
the last character typed was not C-d, then return EOF.
`backward-delete-char (Rubout)'
Delete the character behind the cursor. A numeric argument says
to kill the characters instead of deleting them.
`quoted-insert (C-q, C-v)'
Add the next character that you type to the line verbatim. This is
how to insert things like C-q for example.
`tab-insert (M-TAB)'
Insert a tab character.
`self-insert (a, b, A, 1, !, ...)'
Insert yourself.
`transpose-chars (C-t)'
Drag the character before point forward over the character at
point. Point moves forward as well. If point is at the end of
the line, then transpose the two characters before point.
Negative arguments don't work.
`transpose-words (M-t)'
Drag the word behind the cursor past the word in front of the
cursor moving the cursor over that word as well.
`upcase-word (M-u)'
Uppercase all letters in the current (or following) word. With a
negative argument, do the previous word, but do not move point.
`downcase-word (M-l)'
Lowercase all letters in the current (or following) word. With a
negative argument, do the previous word, but do not move point.
`capitalize-word (M-c)'
Uppercase the first letter in the current (or following) word.
With a negative argument, do the previous word, but do not move
point.
File: gdb, Node: Commands For Killing, Next: Numeric Arguments, Prev: Commands For Text, Up: Readline Init Syntax
Killing And Yanking
...................
`kill-line (C-k)'
Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the
line.
`backward-kill-line ()'
Kill backward to the beginning of the line. This is normally
unbound.
`kill-word (M-d)'
Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between
words, to the end of the next word.
`backward-kill-word (M-DEL)'
Kill the word behind the cursor.
`unix-line-discard (C-u)'
Kill the whole line the way C-u used to in Unix line input. The
killed text is saved on the kill-ring.
`unix-word-rubout (C-w)'
Kill the word the way C-w used to in Unix line input. The killed
text is saved on the kill-ring. This is different than
backward-kill-word because the word boundaries differ.
`yank (C-y)'
Yank the top of the kill ring into the buffer at point.
`yank-pop (M-y)'
Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this
if the prior command is yank or yank-pop.
File: gdb, Node: Numeric Arguments, Next: Commands For Completion, Prev: Commands For Killing, Up: Readline Init Syntax
Specifying Numeric Arguments
............................
`digit-argument (M-0, M-1, ... M--)'
Add this digit to the argument already accumulating, or start a new
argument. M- starts a negative argument.
`universal-argument ()'
Do what C-u does in GNU Emacs. By default, this is not bound.
File: gdb, Node: Commands For Completion, Next: Miscellaneous Commands, Prev: Numeric Arguments, Up: Readline Init Syntax
Letting Readline Type For You
.............................
`complete (TAB)'
Attempt to do completion on the text before point. This is
implementation defined. Generally, if you are typing a filename
argument, you can do filename completion; if you are typing a
command, you can do command completion, if you are typing in a
symbol to GDB, you can do symbol name completion, if you are
typing in a variable to Bash, you can do variable name completion.
`possible-completions (M-?)'
List the possible completions of the text before point.
File: gdb, Node: Miscellaneous Commands, Prev: Commands For Completion, Up: Readline Init Syntax
Some Miscellaneous Commands
...........................
`re-read-init-file (C-x C-r)'
Read in the contents of your `~/.inputrc' file, and incorporate
any bindings found there.
`abort (C-g)'
Stop running the current editing command.
`prefix-meta (ESC)'
Make the next character that you type be metafied. This is for
people without a meta key. Typing ESC f is equivalent to typing
M-f.
`undo (C-_)'
Incremental undo, separately remembered for each line.
`revert-line (M-r)'
Undo all changes made to this line. This is like typing the `undo'
command enough times to get back to the beginning.
File: gdb, Node: Readline vi Mode, Prev: Readline Init Syntax, Up: Readline Init File
Readline `vi' Mode
------------------
While the Readline library does not have a full set of `vi' editing
functions, it does contain enough to allow simple editing of the line.
In order to switch interactively between GNU Emacs and `vi' editing
modes, use the command M-C-j (toggle-editing-mode).
When you enter a line in `vi' mode, you are already placed in
`insertion' mode, as if you had typed an `i'. Pressing ESC switches
you into `edit' mode, where you can edit the text of the line with the
standard `vi' movement keys, move to previous history lines with `k',
and following lines with `j', and so forth.
File: gdb, Node: Using History Interactively, Next: Formatting Documentation, Prev: Command Line Editing, Up: Top
Using History Interactively
***************************
This chapter describes how to use the GNU History Library
interactively, from a user's standpoint.
* Menu:
* History Interaction:: What it feels like using History as a user.
File: gdb, Node: History Interaction, Up: Using History Interactively
History Interaction
===================
The History library provides a history expansion feature similar to
the history expansion in `csh'. The following text describes the
syntax you use to manipulate history information.
History expansion takes two parts. In the first part, determine
which line from the previous history will be used for substitution.
This line is called the "event". In the second part, select portions
of that line for inclusion into the current line. These portions are
called "words". GDB breaks the line into words in the same way that
the Bash shell does, so that several English (or Unix) words surrounded
by quotes are considered one word.
* Menu:
* Event Designators:: How to specify which history line to use.
* Word Designators:: Specifying which words are of interest.
* Modifiers:: Modifying the results of susbstitution.
File: gdb, Node: Event Designators, Next: Word Designators, Up: History Interaction
Event Designators
-----------------
An "event designator" is a reference to a command line entry in the
history list.
`!'
Start a history subsititution, except when followed by a space,
tab, or the end of the line... = or (.
`!!'
Refer to the previous command. This is a synonym for `!-1'.
`!n'
Refer to command line N.
`!-n'
Refer to the command line N lines back.
`!string'
Refer to the most recent command starting with STRING.
`!?string'[`?']
Refer to the most recent command containing STRING.
File: gdb, Node: Word Designators, Next: Modifiers, Prev: Event Designators, Up: History Interaction
Word Designators
----------------
A : separates the event designator from the "word designator". It
can be omitted if the word designator begins with a ^, $, * or %.
Words are numbered from the beginning of the line, with the first word
being denoted by a 0 (zero).
`0 (zero)'
The zero'th word. For many applications, this is the command word.
`n'
The N'th word.
`^'
The first argument. that is, word 1.
`$'
The last argument.
`%'
The word matched by the most recent `?string?' search.
`x-y'
A range of words; `-Y' Abbreviates `0-Y'.
`*'
All of the words, excepting the zero'th. This is a synonym for
`1-$'. It is not an error to use * if there is just one word in
the event. The empty string is returned in that case.
File: gdb, Node: Modifiers, Prev: Word Designators, Up: History Interaction
Modifiers
---------
After the optional word designator, you can add a sequence of one or
more of the following "modifiers", each preceded by a :.
`#'
The entire command line typed so far. This means the current
command, not the previous command.
`h'
Remove a trailing pathname component, leaving only the head.
`r'
Remove a trailing suffix of the form `.'SUFFIX, leaving the
basename.
`e'
Remove all but the suffix.
`t'
Remove all leading pathname components, leaving the tail.
`p'
Print the new command but do not execute it.
File: gdb, Node: Formatting Documentation, Next: Installing GDB, Prev: Using History Interactively, Up: Top
Formatting Documentation
************************
The GDB 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the `gdb' subdirectory
of the main source directory(1). If you can use PostScript or
Ghostscript with your printer, you can print the reference card
immediately with `refcard.ps'.
The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
can format it, using TeX, by typing:
make refcard.dvi
The GDB reference card is designed to print in "landscape" mode on
US "letter" size paper; that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
your DVI output program.
All the documentation for GDB comes as part of the machine-readable
distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
and TeX (or `texi2roff') to typeset the printed version.
GDB includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info version of
this manual in the `gdb' subdirectory. The main Info file is
`gdb-version-number/gdb/gdb.info', and it refers to subordinate files
matching `gdb.info*' in the same directory. If necessary, you can
print out these files, or read them with any editor; but they are
easier to read using the `info' subsystem in GNU Emacs or the
standalone `info' program, available as part of the GNU Texinfo
distribution.
If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
Info formatting programs, such as `texinfo-format-buffer' or `makeinfo'.
If you have `makeinfo' installed, and are in the top level GDB
source directory (`gdb-4.16', in the case of version 4.16), you can
make the Info file by typing:
cd gdb
make gdb.info
If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need TeX,
a program to print its DVI output files, and `texinfo.tex', the Texinfo
definitions file.
TeX is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
produces output files called DVI files. To print a typeset document,
you need a program to print DVI files. If your system has TeX
installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise command to
use depends on your system; `lpr -d' is common; another (for PostScript
devices) is `dvips'. The DVI print command may require a file name
without any extension or a `.dvi' extension.
TeX also requires a macro definitions file called `texinfo.tex'.
This file tells TeX how to typeset a document written in Texinfo
format. On its own, TeX cannot either read or typeset a Texinfo file.
`texinfo.tex' is distributed with GDB and is located in the
`gdb-VERSION-NUMBER/texinfo' directory.
If you have TeX and a DVI printer program installed, you can typeset
and print this manual. First switch to the the `gdb' subdirectory of
the main source directory (for example, to `gdb-4.16/gdb') and then
type:
make gdb.dvi
---------- Footnotes ----------
(1) In `gdb-4.16/gdb/refcard.ps' of the version 4.16 release.
File: gdb, Node: Installing GDB, Next: Index, Prev: Formatting Documentation, Up: Top
Installing GDB
**************
GDB comes with a `configure' script that automates the process of
preparing GDB for installation; you can then use `make' to build the
`gdb' program.
The GDB distribution includes all the source code you need for GDB
in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by appending the
version number to `gdb'.
For example, the GDB version 4.16 distribution is in the `gdb-4.16'
directory. That directory contains:
`gdb-4.16/configure (and supporting files)'
script for configuring GDB and all its supporting libraries
`gdb-4.16/gdb'
the source specific to GDB itself
`gdb-4.16/bfd'
source for the Binary File Descriptor library
`gdb-4.16/include'
GNU include files
`gdb-4.16/libiberty'
source for the `-liberty' free software library
`gdb-4.16/opcodes'
source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
`gdb-4.16/readline'
source for the GNU command-line interface
`gdb-4.16/glob'
source for the GNU filename pattern-matching subroutine
`gdb-4.16/mmalloc'
source for the GNU memory-mapped malloc package
The simplest way to configure and build GDB is to run `configure'
from the `gdb-VERSION-NUMBER' source directory, which in this example
is the `gdb-4.16' directory.
First switch to the `gdb-VERSION-NUMBER' source directory if you are
not already in it; then run `configure'. Pass the identifier for the
platform on which GDB will run as an argument.
For example:
cd gdb-4.16
./configure HOST
make
where HOST is an identifier such as `sun4' or `decstation', that
identifies the platform where GDB will run. (You can often leave off
HOST; `configure' tries to guess the correct value by examining your
system.)
Running `configure HOST' and then running `make' builds the `bfd',
`readline', `mmalloc', and `libiberty' libraries, then `gdb' itself.
The configured source files, and the binaries, are left in the
corresponding source directories.
`configure' is a Bourne-shell (`/bin/sh') script; if your system
does not recognize this automatically when you run a different shell,
you may need to run `sh' on it explicitly:
sh configure HOST
If you run `configure' from a directory that contains source
directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the `gdb-4.16'
source directory for version 4.16, `configure' creates configuration
files for every directory level underneath (unless you tell it not to,
with the `--norecursion' option).
You can run the `configure' script from any of the subordinate
directories in the GDB distribution if you only want to configure that
subdirectory, but be sure to specify a path to it.
For example, with version 4.16, type the following to configure only
the `bfd' subdirectory:
cd gdb-4.16/bfd
../configure HOST
You can install `gdb' anywhere; it has no hardwired paths. However,
you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by the `SHELL'
environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember that GDB uses the
shell to start your program--some systems refuse to let GDB debug child
processes whose programs are not readable.
* Menu:
* Separate Objdir:: Compiling GDB in another directory
* Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
* configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
File: gdb, Node: Separate Objdir, Next: Config Names, Up: Installing GDB
Compiling GDB in another directory
==================================
If you want to run GDB versions for several host or target machines,
you need a different `gdb' compiled for each combination of host and
target. `configure' is designed to make this easy by allowing you to
generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory, rather than in
the source directory. If your `make' program handles the `VPATH'
feature (GNU `make' does), running `make' in each of these directories
builds the `gdb' program specified there.
To build `gdb' in a separate directory, run `configure' with the
`--srcdir' option to specify where to find the source. (You also need
to specify a path to find `configure' itself from your working
directory. If the path to `configure' would be the same as the
argument to `--srcdir', you can leave out the `--srcdir' option; it is
assumed.)
For example, with version 4.16, you can build GDB in a separate
directory for a Sun 4 like this:
cd gdb-4.16
mkdir ../gdb-sun4
cd ../gdb-sun4
../gdb-4.16/configure sun4
make
When `configure' builds a configuration using a remote source
directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
(and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library `libiberty.a' in the
directory `gdb-sun4/libiberty', and GDB itself in `gdb-sun4/gdb'.
One popular reason to build several GDB configurations in separate
directories is to configure GDB for cross-compiling (where GDB runs on
one machine--the "host"--while debugging programs that run on another
machine--the "target"). You specify a cross-debugging target by giving
the `--target=TARGET' option to `configure'.
When you run `make' to build a program or library, you must run it
in a configured directory--whatever directory you were in when you
called `configure' (or one of its subdirectories).
The `Makefile' that `configure' generates in each source directory
also runs recursively. If you type `make' in a source directory such
as `gdb-4.16' (or in a separate configured directory configured with
`--srcdir=DIRNAME/gdb-4.16'), you will build all the required
libraries, and then build GDB.
When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
directories, you can run `make' on them in parallel (for example, if
they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
with each other.
File: gdb, Node: Config Names, Next: configure Options, Prev: Separate Objdir, Up: Installing GDB
Specifying names for hosts and targets
======================================
The specifications used for hosts and targets in the `configure'
script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short
predefined aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes
three pieces of information in the following pattern:
ARCHITECTURE-VENDOR-OS
For example, you can use the alias `sun4' as a HOST argument, or as
the value for TARGET in a `--target=TARGET' option. The equivalent
full name is `sparc-sun-sunos4'.
The `configure' script accompanying GDB does not provide any query
facility to list all supported host and target names or aliases.
`configure' calls the Bourne shell script `config.sub' to map
abbreviations to full names; you can read the script, if you wish, or
you can use it to test your guesses on abbreviations--for example:
% sh config.sub sun4
sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
% sh config.sub sun3
m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
% sh config.sub decstation
mips-dec-ultrix4.2
% sh config.sub hp300bsd
m68k-hp-bsd
% sh config.sub i386v
i386-unknown-sysv
% sh config.sub i786v
Invalid configuration `i786v': machine `i786v' not recognized
`config.sub' is also distributed in the GDB source directory
(`gdb-4.16', for version 4.16).
File: gdb, Node: configure Options, Prev: Config Names, Up: Installing GDB
`configure' options
===================
Here is a summary of the `configure' options and arguments that are
most often useful for building GDB. `configure' also has several other
options not listed here. *note : (configure.info)What Configure Does,
for a full explanation of `configure'.
configure [--help]
[--prefix=DIR]
[--srcdir=DIRNAME]
[--norecursion] [--rm]
[--target=TARGET] HOST
You may introduce options with a single `-' rather than `--' if you
prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use `--'.
`--help'
Display a quick summary of how to invoke `configure'.
`-prefix=DIR'
Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
`DIR'.
`--srcdir=DIRNAME'
*Warning: using this option requires GNU `make', or another `make'
that implements the `VPATH' feature.*
Use this option to make configurations in directories separate
from the GDB source directories. Among other things, you can use
this to build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously,
in separate directories. `configure' writes configuration
specific files in the current directory, but arranges for them to
use the source in the directory DIRNAME. `configure' creates
directories under the working directory in parallel to the source
directories below DIRNAME.
`--norecursion'
Configure only the directory level where `configure' is executed;
do not propagate configuration to subdirectories.
`--rm'
*Remove* files otherwise built during configuration.
`--target=TARGET'
Configure GDB for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
TARGET. Without this option, GDB is configured to debug programs
that run on the same machine (HOST) as GDB itself.
There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available
targets.
`HOST ...'
Configure GDB to run on the specified HOST.
There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available
hosts.
`configure' accepts other options, for compatibility with configuring
other GNU tools recursively; but these are the only options that affect
GDB or its supporting libraries.
File: gdb, Node: Index, Prev: Installing GDB, Up: Top
Index
*****
* Menu:
* #: Command Syntax.
* $_: Convenience Vars.
* $__: Convenience Vars.
* $_exitcode: Convenience Vars.
* $bpnum: Set Breaks.
* $cdir: Source Path.
* $cwd: Source Path.
* .: M2 Scope.
* .esgdbinit: Command Files.
* .os68gdbinit: Command Files.
* .vxgdbinit: Command Files.
* /proc: Process Information.
* @: Arrays.
* # in Modula-2: GDB/M2.
* $$: Value History.
* $_ and info breakpoints: Set Breaks.
* $_ and info line: Machine Code.
* $_, $__, and value history: Memory.
* $: Value History.
* breakpoint subroutine, remote: Stub Contents.
* heuristic-fence-post (MIPS): MIPS Stack.
* remotedebug, MIPS protocol: MIPS Remote.
* retransmit-timeout, MIPS protocol: MIPS Remote.
* timeout, MIPS protocol: MIPS Remote.
* vi style command editing: Readline vi Mode.
* .gdbinit: Command Files.
* COFF versus C++: Cplus expressions.
* ECOFF and C++: Cplus expressions.
* ELF/DWARF and C++: Cplus expressions.
* ELF/stabs and C++: Cplus expressions.
* GNU C++: C.
* GNU Emacs: Emacs.
* XCOFF and C++: Cplus expressions.
* GDB bugs, reporting: Bug Reporting.
* GDB reference card: Formatting Documentation.
* {TYPE}: Expressions.
* a.out and C++: Cplus expressions.
* abbreviation: Command Syntax.
* active targets: Active Targets.
* add-shared-symbol-file: Files.
* add-symbol-file: Files.
* AMD 29K register stack: Registers.
* AMD EB29K: Target Commands.
* AMD29K via UDI: UDI29K Remote.
* arguments (to your program): Arguments.
* artificial array: Arrays.
* assembly instructions: Machine Code.
* assignment: Assignment.
* attach: Attach.
* automatic display: Auto Display.
* automatic thread selection: Threads.
* awatch: Set Watchpoints.
* b: Set Breaks.
* backtrace: Backtrace.
* break: Set Breaks.
* break ... thread THREADNO: Thread Stops.
* break in overloaded functions: Debugging C plus plus.
* breakpoint commands: Break Commands.
* breakpoint conditions: Conditions.
* breakpoint numbers: Breakpoints.
* breakpoint on memory address: Breakpoints.
* breakpoint on variable modification: Breakpoints.
* breakpoints: Breakpoints.
* breakpoints and threads: Thread Stops.
* bt: Backtrace.
* bug criteria: Bug Criteria.
* bug reports: Bug Reporting.
* bugs in GDB: GDB Bugs.
* c: Continuing and Stepping.
* C and C++: C.
* C and C++ checks: C Checks.
* C and C++ constants: C Operators.
* C and C++ defaults: C Defaults.
* C and C++ operators: C.
* C++: C.
* C++ and object formats: Cplus expressions.
* C++ exception handling: Debugging C plus plus.
* C++ scope resolution: Variables.
* C++ support, not in COFF: Cplus expressions.
* C++ symbol decoding style: Print Settings.
* C++ symbol display: Debugging C plus plus.
* call: Calling.
* call overloaded functions: Cplus expressions.
* call stack: Stack.
* calling functions: Calling.
* calling make: Shell Commands.
* casts, to view memory: Expressions.
* catch: Exception Handling.
* catch exceptions: Frame Info.
* cd: Working Directory.
* cdir: Source Path.
* checks, range: Type Checking.
* checks, type: Checks.
* checksum, for GDB remote: Protocol.
* choosing target byte order: Target Commands.
* clear: Delete Breaks.
* clearing breakpoints, watchpoints: Delete Breaks.
* colon, doubled as scope operator: M2 Scope.
* colon-colon <1>: M2 Scope.
* colon-colon: Variables.
* command files <1>: Hooks.
* command files: Command Files.
* command line editing: Editing.
* commands: Break Commands.
* commands for C++: Debugging C plus plus.
* commands to STDBUG (ST2000): ST2000 Remote.
* comment: Command Syntax.
* compilation directory: Source Path.
* complete: Help.
* completion: Completion.
* completion of quoted strings: Completion.
* condition: Conditions.
* conditional breakpoints: Conditions.
* configuring GDB: Installing GDB.
* confirmation: Messages/Warnings.
* connect (to STDBUG): ST2000 Remote.
* continue: Continuing and Stepping.
* continuing: Continuing and Stepping.
* continuing threads: Thread Stops.
* control C, and remote debugging: Bootstrapping.
* controlling terminal: Input/Output.
* convenience variables: Convenience Vars.
* core: Files.
* core dump file: Files.
* core-file: Files.
* CPU simulator: Simulator.
* crash of debugger: Bug Criteria.
* current directory: Source Path.
* current thread: Threads.
* cwd: Source Path.
* d: Delete Breaks.
* debugger crash: Bug Criteria.
* debugging optimized code: Compilation.
* debugging stub, example: Protocol.
* debugging target: Targets.
* define: Define.
* delete: Delete Breaks.
* delete breakpoints: Delete Breaks.
* delete display: Auto Display.
* deleting breakpoints, watchpoints: Delete Breaks.
* demangling: Print Settings.
* detach: Attach.
* device: Hitachi Boards.
* dir: Source Path.
* directories for source files: Source Path.
* directory: Source Path.
* directory, compilation: Source Path.
* directory, current: Source Path.
* dis: Disabling.
* disable: Disabling.
* disable breakpoints: Disabling.
* disable display: Auto Display.
* disassemble: Machine Code.
* display: Auto Display.
* display of expressions: Auto Display.
* do: Selection.
* document: Define.
* documentation: Formatting Documentation.
* down: Selection.
* down-silently: Selection.
* download to H8/300 or H8/500: Files.
* download to Hitachi SH: Files.
* download to Nindy-960: Files.
* download to VxWorks: VxWorks Download.
* dynamic linking: Files.
* eb.log: Remote Log.
* EB29K board: EB29K Remote.
* EBMON: Comms (EB29K).
* echo: Output.
* editing: Editing.
* editing-mode: Readline Init Syntax.
* else: Define.
* Emacs: Emacs.
* enable: Disabling.
* enable breakpoints: Disabling.
* enable display: Auto Display.
* end: Break Commands.
* entering numbers: Numbers.
* environment (of your program): Environment.
* error on valid input: Bug Criteria.
* event designators: Event Designators.
* examining data: Data.
* examining memory: Memory.
* exception handlers <1>: Frame Info.
* exception handlers: Exception Handling.
* exceptionHandler: Bootstrapping.
* exec-file: Files.
* executable file: Files.
* exiting GDB: Quitting GDB.
* expansion: History Interaction.
* expressions: Expressions.
* expressions in C or C++: C.
* expressions in C++: Cplus expressions.
* expressions in Modula-2: Modula-2.
* f: Selection.
* fatal signal: Bug Criteria.
* fatal signals: Signals.
* fg: Continuing and Stepping.
* file: Files.
* finish: Continuing and Stepping.
* flinching: Messages/Warnings.
* floating point: Floating Point Hardware.
* floating point registers: Registers.
* floating point, MIPS remote: MIPS Remote.
* flush_i_cache: Bootstrapping.
* focus of debugging: Threads.
* foo: Symbol Errors.
* fork, debugging programs which call: Processes.
* format options: Print Settings.
* formatted output: Output Formats.
* Fortran: Summary.
* forward-search: Search.
* frame <1>: Frames.
* frame <1>: Selection.
* frame: Frames.
* frame number: Frames.
* frame pointer: Frames.
* frameless execution: Frames.
* g++: C.
* GDBHISTFILE: History.
* gdbserve.nlm: NetWare.
* gdbserver: Server.
* getDebugChar: Bootstrapping.
* h: Help.
* H8/300 or H8/500 download: Files.
* H8/300 or H8/500 simulator: Simulator.
* handle: Signals.
* handle_exception: Stub Contents.
* handling signals: Signals.
* hbreak: Set Breaks.
* help: Help.
* help target: Target Commands.
* help user-defined: Define.
* history expansion: History.
* history file: History.
* history number: Value History.
* history save: History.
* history size: History.
* history substitution: History.
* Hitachi SH download: Files.
* Hitachi SH simulator: Simulator.
* horizontal-scroll-mode: Readline Init Syntax.
* i: Help.
* i/o: Input/Output.
* i386: Remote Serial.
* i386-stub.c: Remote Serial.
* i960: i960-Nindy Remote.
* if: Define.
* ignore: Conditions.
* ignore count (of breakpoint): Conditions.
* INCLUDE_RDB: VxWorks Remote.
* info: Help.
* info address: Symbols.
* info all-registers: Registers.
* info args: Frame Info.
* info breakpoints: Set Breaks.
* info catch: Frame Info.
* info display: Auto Display.
* info f: Frame Info.
* info files: Files.
* info float: Floating Point Hardware.
* info frame <1>: Frame Info.
* info frame: Show.
* info functions: Symbols.
* info line: Machine Code.
* info locals: Frame Info.
* info proc: Process Information.
* info proc id: Process Information.
* info proc mappings: Process Information.
* info proc status: Process Information.
* info proc times: Process Information.
* info program: Stopping.
* info registers: Registers.
* info s: Backtrace.
* info set: Help.
* info share: Files.
* info sharedlibrary: Files.
* info signals: Signals.
* info source <1>: Show.
* info source: Symbols.
* info sources: Symbols.
* info stack: Backtrace.
* info target: Files.
* info terminal: Input/Output.
* info threads: Threads.
* info types: Symbols.
* info variables: Symbols.
* info watchpoints: Set Watchpoints.
* inheritance: Debugging C plus plus.
* init file: Command Files.
* init file name: Command Files.
* initial frame: Frames.
* innermost frame: Frames.
* inspect: Data.
* installation: Installing GDB.
* instructions, assembly: Machine Code.
* Intel: Remote Serial.
* interaction, readline: Readline Interaction.
* internal GDB breakpoints: Set Breaks.
* interrupt: Quitting GDB.
* interrupting remote programs: Debug Session.
* interrupting remote targets: Bootstrapping.
* invalid input: Bug Criteria.
* jump: Jumping.
* kill: Kill Process.
* l: List.
* languages: Languages.
* latest breakpoint: Set Breaks.
* leaving GDB: Quitting GDB.
* linespec: List.
* list: List.
* listing machine instructions: Machine Code.
* load FILENAME: Files.
* log file for EB29K: Remote Log.
* m680x0: Remote Serial.
* m68k-stub.c: Remote Serial.
* machine instructions: Machine Code.
* maint info breakpoints: Set Breaks.
* maint print psymbols: Symbols.
* maint print symbols: Symbols.
* make: Shell Commands.
* mapped: Files.
* mark-modified-lines: Readline Init Syntax.
* member functions: Cplus expressions.
* memory models, H8/500: Hitachi Special.
* memory tracing: Breakpoints.
* memory, viewing as typed object: Expressions.
* memory-mapped symbol file: Files.
* memset: Bootstrapping.
* MIPS remotedebug protocol: MIPS Remote.
* MIPS boards: MIPS Remote.
* MIPS remote floating point: MIPS Remote.
* MIPS stack: MIPS Stack.
* Modula-2: Modula-2.
* Modula-2 built-ins: M2 Operators.
* Modula-2 checks: M2 Checks.
* Modula-2 constants: Built-In Func/Proc.
* Modula-2 defaults: M2 Defaults.
* Modula-2 operators: M2 Operators.
* Modula-2, deviations from: Deviations.
* Motorola 680x0: Remote Serial.
* multiple processes: Processes.
* multiple targets: Active Targets.
* multiple threads: Threads.
* n: Continuing and Stepping.
* names of symbols: Symbols.
* namespace in C++: Cplus expressions.
* negative breakpoint numbers: Set Breaks.
* New SYSTAG: Threads.
* next: Continuing and Stepping.
* nexti: Continuing and Stepping.
* ni: Continuing and Stepping.
* Nindy: i960-Nindy Remote.
* number representation: Numbers.
* numbers for breakpoints: Breakpoints.
* object formats and C++: Cplus expressions.
* online documentation: Help.
* optimized code, debugging: Compilation.
* outermost frame: Frames.
* output: Output.
* output formats: Output Formats.
* overloading: Breakpoint Menus.
* overloading in C++: Debugging C plus plus.
* packets, reporting on stdout: Protocol.
* partial symbol dump: Symbols.
* patching binaries: Patching.
* path: Environment.
* pauses in output: Screen Size.
* pipes: Starting.
* pointer, finding referent: Print Settings.
* prefer-visible-bell: Readline Init Syntax.
* print: Data.
* print settings: Print Settings.
* printf: Output.
* printing data: Data.
* process image: Process Information.
* processes, multiple: Processes.
* prompt: Prompt.
* protocol, GDB remote serial: Protocol.
* ptype: Symbols.
* putDebugChar: Bootstrapping.
* pwd: Working Directory.
* q: Quitting GDB.
* quit [EXPRESSION]: Quitting GDB.
* quotes in commands: Completion.
* quoting names: Symbols.
* raise exceptions: Exception Handling.
* range checking: Type Checking.
* rbreak: Set Breaks.
* reading symbols immediately: Files.
* readline: Editing.
* readnow: Files.
* redirection: Input/Output.
* reference card: Formatting Documentation.
* reference declarations: Cplus expressions.
* register stack, AMD29K: Registers.
* registers: Registers.
* regular expression: Set Breaks.
* reloading symbols: Symbols.
* remote connection without stubs: Server.
* remote debugging: Remote.
* remote programs, interrupting: Debug Session.
* remote serial debugging summary: Debug Session.
* remote serial debugging, overview: Remote Serial.
* remote serial protocol: Protocol.
* remote serial stub: Stub Contents.
* remote serial stub list: Remote Serial.
* remote serial stub, initialization: Stub Contents.
* remote serial stub, main routine: Stub Contents.
* remote stub, example: Protocol.
* remote stub, support routines: Bootstrapping.
* repeating commands: Command Syntax.
* reporting bugs in GDB: GDB Bugs.
* reset: Nindy Reset.
* response time, MIPS debugging: MIPS Stack.
* resuming execution: Continuing and Stepping.
* RET: Command Syntax.
* return: Returning.
* returning from a function: Returning.
* reverse-search: Search.
* run: Starting.
* running: Starting.
* running 29K programs: EB29K Remote.
* running VxWorks tasks: VxWorks Attach.
* rwatch: Set Watchpoints.
* s: Continuing and Stepping.
* saving symbol table: Files.
* scope: M2 Scope.
* search: Search.
* searching: Search.
* section: Files.
* select-frame: Frames.
* selected frame: Stack.
* serial connections, debugging: Protocol.
* serial device, Hitachi micros: Hitachi Boards.
* serial line speed, Hitachi micros: Hitachi Boards.
* serial line, target remote: Debug Session.
* serial protocol, GDB remote: Protocol.
* set: Help.
* set args: Arguments.
* set check <1>: Range Checking.
* set check: Type Checking.
* set check range: Range Checking.
* set check type: Type Checking.
* set complaints: Messages/Warnings.
* set confirm: Messages/Warnings.
* set demangle-style: Print Settings.
* set editing: Editing.
* set endian auto: Target Commands.
* set endian big: Target Commands.
* set endian little: Target Commands.
* set environment: Environment.
* set gnutarget: Target Commands.
* set height: Screen Size.
* set history expansion: History.
* set history filename: History.
* set history save: History.
* set history size: History.
* set input-radix: Numbers.
* set language: Manually.
* set listsize: List.
* set machine: Hitachi Special.
* set memory MOD: Hitachi Special.
* set mipsfpu: MIPS Remote.
* set output-radix: Numbers.
* set print address: Print Settings.
* set print array: Print Settings.
* set print asm-demangle: Print Settings.
* set print demangle: Print Settings.
* set print elements: Print Settings.
* set print max-symbolic-offset: Print Settings.
* set print null-stop: Print Settings.
* set print object: Print Settings.
* set print pretty: Print Settings.
* set print sevenbit-strings: Print Settings.
* set print static-members: Print Settings.
* set print symbol-filename: Print Settings.
* set print union: Print Settings.
* set print vtbl: Print Settings.
* set processor ARGS: MIPS Remote.
* set prompt: Prompt.
* set remotedebug <1>: Protocol.
* set remotedebug: MIPS Remote.
* set retransmit-timeout: MIPS Remote.
* set rstack_high_address: Registers.
* set symbol-reloading: Symbols.
* set timeout: MIPS Remote.
* set variable: Assignment.
* set verbose: Messages/Warnings.
* set width: Screen Size.
* set write: Patching.
* set_debug_traps: Stub Contents.
* setting variables: Assignment.
* setting watchpoints: Set Watchpoints.
* share: Files.
* shared libraries: Files.
* sharedlibrary: Files.
* shell: Shell Commands.
* shell escape: Shell Commands.
* show: Help.
* show args: Arguments.
* show check range: Range Checking.
* show check type: Type Checking.
* show commands: History.
* show complaints: Messages/Warnings.
* show confirm: Messages/Warnings.
* show convenience: Convenience Vars.
* show copying: Help.
* show demangle-style: Print Settings.
* show directories: Source Path.
* show editing: Editing.
* show endian: Target Commands.
* show environment: Environment.
* show gnutarget: Target Commands.
* show height: Screen Size.
* show history: History.
* show input-radix: Numbers.
* show language: Show.
* show listsize: List.
* show machine: Hitachi Special.
* show mipsfpu: MIPS Remote.
* show output-radix: Numbers.
* show paths: Environment.
* show print address: Print Settings.
* show print array: Print Settings.
* show print asm-demangle: Print Settings.
* show print demangle: Print Settings.
* show print elements: Print Settings.
* show print max-symbolic-offset: Print Settings.
* show print object: Print Settings.
* show print pretty: Print Settings.
* show print sevenbit-strings: Print Settings.
* show print static-members: Print Settings.
* show print symbol-filename: Print Settings.
* show print union: Print Settings.
* show print vtbl: Print Settings.
* show processor: MIPS Remote.
* show prompt: Prompt.
* show remotedebug <1>: Protocol.
* show remotedebug: MIPS Remote.
* show retransmit-timeout: MIPS Remote.
* show rstack_high_address: Registers.
* show symbol-reloading: Symbols.
* show timeout: MIPS Remote.
* show user: Define.
* show values: Value History.
* show verbose: Messages/Warnings.
* show version: Help.
* show warranty: Help.
* show width: Screen Size.
* show write: Patching.
* si: Continuing and Stepping.
* signal: Signaling.
* signals: Signals.
* silent: Break Commands.
* sim: Simulator.
* simulator: Simulator.
* simulator, H8/300 or H8/500: Simulator.
* simulator, Hitachi SH: Simulator.
* simulator, Z8000: Simulator.
* size of screen: Screen Size.
* source: Command Files.
* source path: Source Path.
* sparc-stub.c: Remote Serial.
* speed: Hitachi Boards.
* st2000 CMD: ST2000 Remote.
* ST2000 auxiliary commands: ST2000 Remote.
* stack frame: Frames.
* stack on MIPS: MIPS Stack.
* stacking targets: Active Targets.
* starting: Starting.
* STDBUG commands (ST2000): ST2000 Remote.
* step: Continuing and Stepping.
* stepi: Continuing and Stepping.
* stepping: Continuing and Stepping.
* stopped threads: Thread Stops.
* stub example, remote debugging: Protocol.
* stupid questions: Messages/Warnings.
* switching threads: Threads.
* switching threads automatically: Threads.
* symbol decoding style, C++: Print Settings.
* symbol dump: Symbols.
* symbol names: Symbols.
* symbol overloading: Breakpoint Menus.
* symbol table: Files.
* symbol-file: Files.
* symbols, reading immediately: Files.
* target: Targets.
* target amd-eb: Target Commands.
* target array: Target Commands.
* target byte order: Target Commands.
* target core: Target Commands.
* target cpu32bug: Target Commands.
* target e7000: Hitachi ICE.
* target est: Target Commands.
* target exec: Target Commands.
* target hms: Target Commands.
* target mips PORT: MIPS Remote.
* target nindy: Target Commands.
* target op50n: Target Commands.
* target remote: Target Commands.
* target rom68k: Target Commands.
* target sim <1>: Target Commands.
* target sim: Simulator.
* target sparclite: Target Commands.
* target st2000: Target Commands.
* target udi: Target Commands.
* target vxworks: Target Commands.
* target w89k: Target Commands.
* tbreak: Set Breaks.
* TCP port, target remote: Debug Session.
* terminal: Input/Output.
* thbreak: Set Breaks.
* this: Cplus expressions.
* thread THREADNO: Threads.
* thread apply: Threads.
* thread breakpoints: Thread Stops.
* thread identifier (GDB): Threads.
* thread identifier (system): Threads.
* thread number: Threads.
* threads and watchpoints: Set Watchpoints.
* threads of execution: Threads.
* threads, automatic switching: Threads.
* threads, continuing: Thread Stops.
* threads, stopped: Thread Stops.
* toggle-editing-mode: Readline vi Mode.
* tty: Input/Output.
* type casting memory: Expressions.
* type checking: Checks.
* type conversions in C++: Cplus expressions.
* u: Continuing and Stepping.
* UDI: UDI29K Remote.
* undisplay: Auto Display.
* unknown address, locating: Output Formats.
* unset environment: Environment.
* until: Continuing and Stepping.
* up: Selection.
* up-silently: Selection.
* user-defined command: Define.
* value history: Value History.
* variable name conflict: Variables.
* variable values, wrong: Variables.
* variables, setting: Assignment.
* version number: Help.
* VxWorks: VxWorks Remote.
* vxworks-timeout: VxWorks Remote.
* watch: Set Watchpoints.
* watchpoints: Breakpoints.
* watchpoints and threads: Set Watchpoints.
* whatis: Symbols.
* where: Backtrace.
* while: Define.
* wild pointer, interpreting: Print Settings.
* word completion: Completion.
* working directory: Source Path.
* working directory (of your program): Working Directory.
* working language: Languages.
* writing into corefiles: Patching.
* writing into executables: Patching.
* wrong values: Variables.
* x: Memory.
* Z8000 simulator: Simulator.
Tag Table:
Node: Top1012
Node: Summary2472
Node: Free Software4073
Node: Contributors4806
Node: Sample Session8899
Node: Invocation15764
Node: Invoking GDB16233
Node: File Options18104
Node: Mode Options21202
Node: Quitting GDB23372
Node: Shell Commands24233
Node: Commands24975
Node: Command Syntax25603
Node: Completion27453
Node: Help31496
Node: Running35798
Node: Compilation36908
Node: Starting38699
Node: Arguments41866
Node: Environment42865
Node: Working Directory45956
Node: Input/Output46691
Node: Attach48291
Node: Kill Process50532
Node: Process Information51497
Node: Threads52824
Node: Processes57437
Node: Stopping58664
Node: Breakpoints59794
Node: Set Breaks62050
Node: Set Watchpoints70508
Node: Exception Handling72979
Node: Delete Breaks75488
Node: Disabling77111
Node: Conditions79724
Node: Break Commands84245
Node: Breakpoint Menus87082
Node: Continuing and Stepping88753
Node: Signals96088
Node: Thread Stops99751
Node: Stack102072
Node: Frames103611
Node: Backtrace106322
Node: Selection108049
Node: Frame Info110780
Node: MIPS Stack113075
Node: Source114087
Node: List115031
Node: Search118549
Node: Source Path119347
Node: Machine Code122022
Node: Data124663
Node: Expressions126533
Node: Variables128460
Node: Arrays130992
Node: Output Formats133506
Node: Memory135573
Node: Auto Display139830
Node: Print Settings143576
Node: Value History153399
Node: Convenience Vars155801
Node: Registers158577
Node: Floating Point Hardware163275
Node: Languages163773
Node: Setting164872
Node: Filenames166457
Node: Manually167036
Node: Automatically168229
Node: Show169275
Node: Checks170172
Node: Type Checking171523
Node: Range Checking174215
Node: Support176551
Node: C177462
Node: C Operators178579
Node: C Constants182629
Node: Cplus expressions184533
Node: C Defaults187123
Node: C Checks187775
Node: Debugging C188477
Node: Debugging C plus plus188941
Node: Modula-2190948
Node: M2 Operators191831
Node: Built-In Func/Proc194822
Node: M2 Constants197556
Node: M2 Defaults199140
Node: Deviations199730
Node: M2 Checks200812
Node: M2 Scope201607
Node: GDB/M2202611
Node: Symbols203545
Node: Altering210402
Node: Assignment211365
Node: Jumping213470
Node: Signaling215469
Node: Returning216584
Node: Calling217771
Node: Patching218549
Node: GDB Files219614
Node: Files220074
Node: Symbol Errors230994
Node: Targets234568
Node: Active Targets235453
Node: Target Commands237020
Node: Remote242553
Node: Remote Serial243952
Node: Stub Contents246448
Node: Bootstrapping248544
Node: Debug Session252335
Node: Protocol255473
Node: Server258775
Node: NetWare262817
Node: i960-Nindy Remote264774
Node: Nindy Startup265589
Node: Nindy Options266269
Node: Nindy Reset267878
Node: UDI29K Remote268257
Node: EB29K Remote269157
Node: Comms (EB29K)269970
Node: gdb-EB29K273144
Node: Remote Log274505
Node: ST2000 Remote274975
Node: VxWorks Remote276432
Node: VxWorks Connection278387
Node: VxWorks Download279308
Node: VxWorks Attach281032
Node: Hitachi Remote281417
Node: Hitachi Boards282340
Node: Hitachi ICE283398
Node: Hitachi Special284181
Node: MIPS Remote284902
Node: Simulator289113
Node: Controlling GDB290594
Node: Prompt291200
Node: Editing291969
Node: History292733
Node: Screen Size295427
Node: Numbers296818
Node: Messages/Warnings298215
Node: Sequences300218
Node: Define300773
Node: Hooks303934
Node: Command Files305327
Node: Output307294
Node: Emacs309696
Node: GDB Bugs315637
Node: Bug Criteria316350
Node: Bug Reporting317099
Node: Command Line Editing324234
Node: Introduction and Notation324650
Node: Readline Interaction325662
Node: Readline Bare Essentials326785
Node: Readline Movement Commands328283
Node: Readline Killing Commands329164
Node: Readline Arguments330785
Node: Readline Init File331726
Node: Readline Init Syntax332546
Node: Commands For Moving336475
Node: Commands For History337090
Node: Commands For Text338154
Node: Commands For Killing339875
Node: Numeric Arguments341013
Node: Commands For Completion341450
Node: Miscellaneous Commands342157
Node: Readline vi Mode342904
Node: Using History Interactively343622
Node: History Interaction343982
Node: Event Designators344929
Node: Word Designators345565
Node: Modifiers346455
Node: Formatting Documentation347118
Node: Installing GDB350459
Node: Separate Objdir353933
Node: Config Names356475
Node: configure Options357898
Node: Index360217
End Tag Table