Commit | Line | Data |
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94d86c7c | 1 | What has changed since GDB-3.5? |
24db5b87 | 2 | (Organized release by release) |
94d86c7c | 3 | |
f006dac1 JG |
4 | *** Changes in GDB-4.4: |
5 | ||
6 | * New machines supported (host and target) | |
7 | ||
8 | SCO Unix on i386 IBM PC clones i386-sco-sysv or i386sco | |
9 | (except core files) | |
75c86b57 JG |
10 | BSD Reno on Vax vax-dec-bsd |
11 | Ultrix on Vax vax-dec-ultrix | |
a8cd573f | 12 | |
f006dac1 JG |
13 | * New machines supported (target) |
14 | ||
15 | AMD 29000 embedded, using EBMON a29k-none-none | |
16 | ||
75c86b57 JG |
17 | * C++ support |
18 | ||
19 | GDB continues to improve its handling of C++. `References' work better. | |
20 | The demangler has also been improved, and now deals with symbols mangled as | |
21 | per the Annotated C++ Reference Guide. | |
a8cd573f | 22 | |
75c86b57 JG |
23 | GDB also now handles `stabs' symbol information embedded in MIPS |
24 | `ecoff' symbol tables. Since the ecoff format was not easily | |
25 | extensible to handle new languages such as C++, this appeared to be a | |
26 | good way to put C++ debugging info into MIPS binaries. This option | |
27 | will be supported in the GNU C compiler, version 2, when it is | |
28 | released. | |
a8cd573f SG |
29 | |
30 | * New features for SVR4 | |
31 | ||
75c86b57 JG |
32 | GDB now handles SVR4 shared libraries, in the same fashion as SunOS |
33 | shared libraries. Debugging dynamically linked programs should present | |
34 | only minor differences from debugging statically linked programs. | |
a8cd573f | 35 | |
75c86b57 JG |
36 | The `info proc' command will print out information about any process |
37 | on an SVR4 system (including the one you are debugging). At the moment, | |
38 | it prints the address mappings of the process. | |
a8cd573f | 39 | |
75c86b57 JG |
40 | If you bring up GDB on another SVR4 system, please send mail to |
41 | bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu to let us know what changes were reqired (if any). | |
a8cd573f | 42 | |
75c86b57 | 43 | * Better dynamic linking support in SunOS |
a8cd573f | 44 | |
75c86b57 JG |
45 | Reading symbols from shared libraries which contain debugging symbols |
46 | now works properly. However, there remain issues such as automatic | |
47 | skipping of `transfer vector' code during function calls, which | |
48 | make it harder to debug code in a shared library, than to debug the | |
49 | same code linked statically. | |
f006dac1 | 50 | |
a8cd573f | 51 | * New Getopt |
f006dac1 | 52 | |
75c86b57 JG |
53 | GDB is now using the latest `getopt' routines from the FSF. This |
54 | version accepts the -- prefix for options with long names. GDB will | |
55 | continue to accept the old forms (-option and +option) as well. | |
56 | Various single letter abbreviations for options have been explicity | |
57 | added to the option table so that they won't get overshadowed in the | |
58 | future by other options that begin with the same letter. | |
f006dac1 | 59 | |
75c86b57 | 60 | * Bugs fixed |
f006dac1 | 61 | |
75c86b57 JG |
62 | The `cleanup_undefined_types' bug that many of you noticed has been squashed. |
63 | Many assorted bugs have been handled. Many more remain to be handled. | |
f006dac1 JG |
64 | See the various ChangeLog files (primarily in gdb and bfd) for details. |
65 | ||
f006dac1 | 66 | |
fbda4193 JG |
67 | *** Changes in GDB-4.3: |
68 | ||
69 | * New machines supported (host and target) | |
70 | ||
fbda4193 JG |
71 | Amiga 3000 running Amix m68k-cbm-svr4 or amix |
72 | NCR 3000 386 running SVR4 i386-ncr-svr4 or ncr3000 | |
73 | Motorola Delta 88000 running Sys V m88k-motorola-sysv or delta88 | |
74 | ||
4882e5dc JG |
75 | * Almost SCO Unix support |
76 | ||
77 | We had hoped to support: | |
78 | SCO Unix on i386 IBM PC clones i386-sco-sysv or i386sco | |
79 | (except for core file support), but we discovered very late in the release | |
80 | that it has problems with process groups that render gdb unusable. Sorry | |
81 | about that. I encourage people to fix it and post the fixes. | |
fbda4193 JG |
82 | |
83 | * Preliminary ELF and DWARF support | |
84 | ||
85 | GDB can read ELF object files on System V Release 4, and can handle | |
86 | debugging records for C, in DWARF format, in ELF files. This support | |
87 | is preliminary. If you bring up GDB on another SVR4 system, please | |
88 | send mail to bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu to let us know what changes were | |
89 | reqired (if any). | |
90 | ||
4882e5dc JG |
91 | * New Readline |
92 | ||
93 | GDB now uses the latest `readline' library. One user-visible change | |
94 | is that two tabs will list possible command completions, which previously | |
95 | required typing M-? (meta-question mark, or ESC ?). | |
96 | ||
fbda4193 JG |
97 | * Bugs fixed |
98 | ||
99 | The `stepi' bug that many of you noticed has been squashed. | |
100 | Many bugs in C++ have been handled. Many more remain to be handled. | |
101 | See the various ChangeLog files (primarily in gdb and bfd) for details. | |
102 | ||
103 | * State of the MIPS world (in case you wondered): | |
104 | ||
105 | GDB can understand the symbol tables emitted by the compilers | |
106 | supplied by most vendors of MIPS-based machines, including DEC. These | |
107 | symbol tables are in a format that essentially nobody else uses. | |
108 | ||
109 | Some versions of gcc come with an assembler post-processor called | |
110 | mips-tfile. This program is required if you want to do source-level | |
111 | debugging of gcc-compiled programs. I believe FSF does not ship | |
112 | mips-tfile with gcc version 1, but it will eventually come with gcc | |
113 | version 2. | |
114 | ||
115 | Debugging of g++ output remains a problem. g++ version 1.xx does not | |
116 | really support it at all. (If you're lucky, you should be able to get | |
117 | line numbers and stack traces to work, but no parameters or local | |
118 | variables.) With some work it should be possible to improve the | |
119 | situation somewhat. | |
120 | ||
121 | When gcc version 2 is released, you will have somewhat better luck. | |
122 | However, even then you will get confusing results for inheritance and | |
123 | methods. | |
124 | ||
125 | We will eventually provide full debugging of g++ output on | |
126 | DECstations. This will probably involve some kind of stabs-in-ecoff | |
127 | encapulation, but the details have not been worked out yet. | |
128 | ||
129 | ||
b1dcd6ac JG |
130 | *** Changes in GDB-4.2: |
131 | ||
132 | * Improved configuration | |
133 | ||
134 | Only one copy of `configure' exists now, and it is not self-modifying. | |
135 | Porting BFD is simpler. | |
136 | ||
137 | * Stepping improved | |
138 | ||
139 | The `step' and `next' commands now only stop at the first instruction | |
140 | of a source line. This prevents the multiple stops that used to occur | |
141 | in switch statements, for-loops, etc. `Step' continues to stop if a | |
142 | function that has debugging information is called within the line. | |
143 | ||
144 | * Bug fixing | |
145 | ||
146 | Lots of small bugs fixed. More remain. | |
147 | ||
148 | * New host supported (not target) | |
149 | ||
150 | Intel 386 PC clone running Mach i386-none-mach | |
151 | ||
152 | ||
24db5b87 JG |
153 | *** Changes in GDB-4.1: |
154 | ||
155 | * Multiple source language support | |
156 | ||
157 | GDB now has internal scaffolding to handle several source languages. | |
158 | It determines the type of each source file from its filename extension, | |
159 | and will switch expression parsing and number formatting to match the | |
160 | language of the function in the currently selected stack frame. | |
161 | You can also specifically set the language to be used, with | |
162 | `set language c' or `set language modula-2'. | |
94d86c7c JG |
163 | |
164 | * GDB and Modula-2 | |
165 | ||
166 | GDB now has preliminary support for the GNU Modula-2 compiler, | |
167 | currently under development at the State University of New York at | |
168 | Buffalo. Development of both GDB and the GNU Modula-2 compiler will | |
169 | continue through the fall of 1991 and into 1992. | |
170 | ||
171 | Other Modula-2 compilers are currently not supported, and attempting to | |
172 | debug programs compiled with them will likely result in an error as the | |
24db5b87 JG |
173 | symbol table is read. Feel free to work on it, though! |
174 | ||
175 | There are hooks in GDB for strict type checking and range checking, | |
176 | in the `Modula-2 philosophy', but they do not currently work. | |
177 | ||
178 | * set write on/off | |
179 | ||
180 | GDB can now write to executable and core files (e.g. patch | |
181 | a variable's value). You must turn this switch on, specify | |
182 | the file ("exec foo" or "core foo"), *then* modify it, e.g. | |
183 | by assigning a new value to a variable. Modifications take | |
184 | effect immediately. | |
185 | ||
186 | * Automatic SunOS shared library reading | |
187 | ||
188 | When you run your program, GDB automatically determines where its | |
189 | shared libraries (if any) have been loaded, and reads their symbols. | |
190 | The `share' command is no longer needed. This also works when | |
191 | examining core files. | |
192 | ||
193 | * set listsize | |
194 | ||
195 | You can specify the number of lines that the `list' command shows. | |
196 | The default is 10. | |
197 | ||
198 | * New machines supported (host and target) | |
199 | ||
200 | SGI Iris (MIPS) running Irix V3: mips-sgi-irix or iris | |
201 | Sony NEWS (68K) running NEWSOS 3.x: m68k-sony-sysv or news | |
202 | Ultracomputer (29K) running Sym1: a29k-nyu-sym1 or ultra3 | |
203 | ||
204 | * New hosts supported (not targets) | |
205 | ||
206 | IBM RT/PC: romp-ibm-aix or rtpc | |
207 | ||
208 | * New targets supported (not hosts) | |
209 | ||
210 | AMD 29000 embedded with COFF a29k-none-coff | |
211 | AMD 29000 embedded with a.out a29k-none-aout | |
212 | Ultracomputer remote kernel debug a29k-nyu-kern | |
213 | ||
214 | * New remote interfaces | |
215 | ||
216 | AMD 29000 Adapt | |
217 | AMD 29000 Minimon | |
218 | ||
219 | ||
220 | *** Changes in GDB-4.0: | |
dd3b648e RP |
221 | |
222 | * New Facilities | |
223 | ||
81049e47 | 224 | Wide output is wrapped at good places to make the output more readable. |
dd3b648e RP |
225 | |
226 | Gdb now supports cross-debugging from a host machine of one type to a | |
227 | target machine of another type. Communication with the target system | |
228 | is over serial lines. The ``target'' command handles connecting to the | |
229 | remote system; the ``load'' command will download a program into the | |
81049e47 JG |
230 | remote system. Serial stubs for the m68k and i386 are provided. Gdb |
231 | also supports debugging of realtime processes running under VxWorks, | |
232 | using SunRPC Remote Procedure Calls over TCP/IP to talk to a debugger | |
233 | stub on the target system. | |
dd3b648e RP |
234 | |
235 | New CPUs supported include the AMD 29000 and Intel 960. | |
236 | ||
237 | GDB now reads object files and symbol tables via a ``binary file'' | |
238 | library, which allows a single copy of GDB to debug programs of multiple | |
239 | object file types such as a.out and coff. | |
240 | ||
d7c2f2dd RP |
241 | There is now a GDB reference card in "doc/refcard.tex". (Make targets |
242 | refcard.dvi and refcard.ps are available to format it). | |
dd3b648e RP |
243 | |
244 | ||
245 | * Control-Variable user interface simplified | |
246 | ||
247 | All variables that control the operation of the debugger can be set | |
248 | by the ``set'' command, and displayed by the ``show'' command. | |
249 | ||
250 | For example, ``set prompt new-gdb=>'' will change your prompt to new-gdb=>. | |
251 | ``Show prompt'' produces the response: | |
252 | Gdb's prompt is new-gdb=>. | |
253 | ||
254 | What follows are the NEW set commands. The command ``help set'' will | |
255 | print a complete list of old and new set commands. ``help set FOO'' | |
adf2bb58 JG |
256 | will give a longer description of the variable FOO. ``show'' will show |
257 | all of the variable descriptions and their current settings. | |
dd3b648e | 258 | |
a1002e9a | 259 | confirm on/off: Enables warning questions for operations that are |
dd3b648e RP |
260 | hard to recover from, e.g. rerunning the program while |
261 | it is already running. Default is ON. | |
262 | ||
263 | editing on/off: Enables EMACS style command line editing | |
264 | of input. Previous lines can be recalled with | |
265 | control-P, the current line can be edited with control-B, | |
266 | you can search for commands with control-R, etc. | |
267 | Default is ON. | |
268 | ||
269 | history filename NAME: NAME is where the gdb command history | |
270 | will be stored. The default is .gdb_history, | |
271 | or the value of the environment variable | |
272 | GDBHISTFILE. | |
273 | ||
274 | history size N: The size, in commands, of the command history. The | |
275 | default is 256, or the value of the environment variable | |
276 | HISTSIZE. | |
277 | ||
90262bf9 | 278 | history save on/off: If this value is set to ON, the history file will |
dd3b648e RP |
279 | be saved after exiting gdb. If set to OFF, the |
280 | file will not be saved. The default is OFF. | |
281 | ||
282 | history expansion on/off: If this value is set to ON, then csh-like | |
283 | history expansion will be performed on | |
284 | command line input. The default is OFF. | |
285 | ||
286 | radix N: Sets the default radix for input and output. It can be set | |
287 | to 8, 10, or 16. Note that the argument to "radix" is interpreted | |
288 | in the current radix, so "set radix 10" is always a no-op. | |
289 | ||
adf2bb58 JG |
290 | height N: This integer value is the number of lines on a page. Default |
291 | is 24, the current `stty rows'' setting, or the ``li#'' | |
292 | setting from the termcap entry matching the environment | |
293 | variable TERM. | |
dd3b648e | 294 | |
adf2bb58 JG |
295 | width N: This integer value is the number of characters on a line. |
296 | Default is 80, the current `stty cols'' setting, or the ``co#'' | |
297 | setting from the termcap entry matching the environment | |
298 | variable TERM. | |
dd3b648e | 299 | |
a1002e9a JK |
300 | Note: ``set screensize'' is obsolete. Use ``set height'' and |
301 | ``set width'' instead. | |
dd3b648e | 302 | |
a1002e9a | 303 | print address on/off: Print memory addresses in various command displays, |
dd3b648e RP |
304 | such as stack traces and structure values. Gdb looks |
305 | more ``symbolic'' if you turn this off; it looks more | |
306 | ``machine level'' with it on. Default is ON. | |
307 | ||
a1002e9a | 308 | print array on/off: Prettyprint arrays. New convenient format! Default |
dd3b648e RP |
309 | is OFF. |
310 | ||
a1002e9a JK |
311 | print demangle on/off: Print C++ symbols in "source" form if on, |
312 | "raw" form if off. | |
dd3b648e | 313 | |
a1002e9a JK |
314 | print asm-demangle on/off: Same, for assembler level printouts |
315 | like instructions. | |
dd3b648e | 316 | |
a1002e9a | 317 | print vtbl on/off: Prettyprint C++ virtual function tables. Default is OFF. |
dd3b648e RP |
318 | |
319 | ||
320 | * Support for Epoch Environment. | |
321 | ||
322 | The epoch environment is a version of Emacs v18 with windowing. One | |
323 | new command, ``inspect'', is identical to ``print'', except that if you | |
324 | are running in the epoch environment, the value is printed in its own | |
325 | window. | |
326 | ||
327 | ||
328 | * Support for Shared Libraries | |
329 | ||
330 | GDB can now debug programs and core files that use SunOS shared libraries. | |
331 | Symbols from a shared library cannot be referenced | |
332 | before the shared library has been linked with the program (this | |
333 | happens after you type ``run'' and before the function main() is entered). | |
334 | At any time after this linking (including when examining core files | |
335 | from dynamically linked programs), gdb reads the symbols from each | |
336 | shared library when you type the ``sharedlibrary'' command. | |
337 | It can be abbreviated ``share''. | |
338 | ||
339 | sharedlibrary REGEXP: Load shared object library symbols for files | |
340 | matching a unix regular expression. No argument | |
341 | indicates to load symbols for all shared libraries. | |
342 | ||
343 | info sharedlibrary: Status of loaded shared libraries. | |
344 | ||
345 | ||
346 | * Watchpoints | |
347 | ||
348 | A watchpoint stops execution of a program whenever the value of an | |
349 | expression changes. Checking for this slows down execution | |
350 | tremendously whenever you are in the scope of the expression, but is | |
351 | quite useful for catching tough ``bit-spreader'' or pointer misuse | |
352 | problems. Some machines such as the 386 have hardware for doing this | |
353 | more quickly, and future versions of gdb will use this hardware. | |
354 | ||
355 | watch EXP: Set a watchpoint (breakpoint) for an expression. | |
356 | ||
357 | info watchpoints: Information about your watchpoints. | |
358 | ||
359 | delete N: Deletes watchpoint number N (same as breakpoints). | |
360 | disable N: Temporarily turns off watchpoint number N (same as breakpoints). | |
361 | enable N: Re-enables watchpoint number N (same as breakpoints). | |
362 | ||
363 | ||
364 | * C++ multiple inheritance | |
365 | ||
366 | When used with a GCC version 2 compiler, GDB supports multiple inheritance | |
367 | for C++ programs. | |
368 | ||
369 | * C++ exception handling | |
370 | ||
371 | Gdb now supports limited C++ exception handling. Besides the existing | |
372 | ability to breakpoint on an exception handler, gdb can breakpoint on | |
373 | the raising of an exception (before the stack is peeled back to the | |
374 | handler's context). | |
375 | ||
376 | catch FOO: If there is a FOO exception handler in the dynamic scope, | |
377 | set a breakpoint to catch exceptions which may be raised there. | |
378 | Multiple exceptions (``catch foo bar baz'') may be caught. | |
379 | ||
380 | info catch: Lists all exceptions which may be caught in the | |
381 | current stack frame. | |
382 | ||
383 | ||
384 | * Minor command changes | |
385 | ||
386 | The command ``call func (arg, arg, ...)'' now acts like the print | |
387 | command, except it does not print or save a value if the function's result | |
388 | is void. This is similar to dbx usage. | |
389 | ||
390 | The ``up'' and ``down'' commands now always print the frame they end up | |
391 | at; ``up-silently'' and `down-silently'' can be used in scripts to change | |
392 | frames without printing. | |
393 | ||
394 | * New directory command | |
395 | ||
396 | 'dir' now adds directories to the FRONT of the source search path. | |
397 | The path starts off empty. Source files that contain debug information | |
398 | about the directory in which they were compiled can be found even | |
adf2bb58 JG |
399 | with an empty path; Sun CC and GCC include this information. If GDB can't |
400 | find your source file in the current directory, type "dir .". | |
dd3b648e RP |
401 | |
402 | * Configuring GDB for compilation | |
403 | ||
adf2bb58 JG |
404 | For normal use, type ``./configure host''. See README or gdb.texinfo |
405 | for more details. | |
dd3b648e RP |
406 | |
407 | GDB now handles cross debugging. If you are remotely debugging between | |
adf2bb58 | 408 | two different machines, type ``./configure host -target=targ''. |
75c86b57 | 409 | Host is the machine where GDB will run; targ is the machine |
dd3b648e | 410 | where the program that you are debugging will run. |