* symfile.h (struct sym_fns): Delete member "sym_flavour".
[deliverable/binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
... / ...
CommitLineData
1\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2@c Copyright (C) 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3@c
4@c %**start of header
5@c makeinfo ignores cmds prev to setfilename, so its arg cannot make use
6@c of @set vars. However, you can override filename with makeinfo -o.
7@setfilename gdb.info
8@c
9@c man begin INCLUDE
10@include gdb-cfg.texi
11@c man end
12@c
13@settitle Debugging with @value{GDBN}
14@setchapternewpage odd
15@c %**end of header
16
17@iftex
18@c @smallbook
19@c @cropmarks
20@end iftex
21
22@finalout
23@c To avoid file-name clashes between index.html and Index.html, when
24@c the manual is produced on a Posix host and then moved to a
25@c case-insensitive filesystem (e.g., MS-Windows), we separate the
26@c indices into two: Concept Index and all the rest.
27@syncodeindex ky fn
28@syncodeindex tp fn
29
30@c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
31@c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
32@syncodeindex vr fn
33
34@c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
35@c This is updated by GNU Press.
36@set EDITION Tenth
37
38@c !!set GDB edit command default editor
39@set EDITOR /bin/ex
40
41@c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
42
43@c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
44@c manuals to an info tree.
45@dircategory Software development
46@direntry
47* Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
48@end direntry
49
50@copying
51@c man begin COPYRIGHT
52Copyright @copyright{} 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
53
54Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
55under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
56any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
57Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
58Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
59and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
60
61(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
62this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
63developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
64@c man end
65@end copying
66
67@ifnottex
68This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
69
70This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
71@value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
72@ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
73@value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
74@end ifset
75Version @value{GDBVN}.
76
77@insertcopying
78@end ifnottex
79
80@titlepage
81@title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
82@subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
83@sp 1
84@subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
85@ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
86@sp 1
87@subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
88@end ifset
89@author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
90@page
91@tex
92{\parskip=0pt
93\hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
94\hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
95\hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
96}
97@end tex
98
99@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
100Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
10151 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
102Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
103ISBN 978-0-9831592-3-0 @*
104
105@insertcopying
106@end titlepage
107@page
108
109@ifnottex
110@node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
111
112@top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
113
114This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
115
116This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN}
117@ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
118@value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
119@end ifset
120Version @value{GDBVN}.
121
122Copyright (C) 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
123
124This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
125Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
126software in general. We will miss him.
127
128@menu
129* Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
130* Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
131
132* Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
133* Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
134* Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
135* Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
136* Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
137* Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
138* Stack:: Examining the stack
139* Source:: Examining source files
140* Data:: Examining data
141* Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
142* Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
143* Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
144* Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
145
146* Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
147
148* Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
149* Altering:: Altering execution
150* GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
151* Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
152* Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
153* Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
154* Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
155* Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
156* Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
157* TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
158* Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
159* GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
160* Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
161* JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
162* In-Process Agent:: In-Process Agent
163
164* GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
165
166@ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
167* Command Line Editing: (rluserman). Command Line Editing
168* Using History Interactively: (history). Using History Interactively
169@end ifset
170@ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
171* Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
172* Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
173@end ifclear
174* In Memoriam:: In Memoriam
175* Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
176* Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
177* Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
178* Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
179* Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
180* Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
181 @value{GDBN}
182* Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
183 the operating system
184* Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
185* Index Section Format:: .gdb_index section format
186* Man Pages:: Manual pages
187* Copying:: GNU General Public License says
188 how you can copy and share GDB
189* GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
190* Concept Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} concepts
191* Command and Variable Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} commands, variables,
192 functions, and Python data types
193@end menu
194
195@end ifnottex
196
197@contents
198
199@node Summary
200@unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
201
202The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
203going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
204program was doing at the moment it crashed.
205
206@value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
207these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
208
209@itemize @bullet
210@item
211Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
212
213@item
214Make your program stop on specified conditions.
215
216@item
217Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
218
219@item
220Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
221effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
222@end itemize
223
224You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
225For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
226For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
227
228Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
229@ref{D,,D}.
230
231@cindex Modula-2
232Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
233@ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
234
235Support for OpenCL C is partial. For information on OpenCL C, see
236@ref{OpenCL C,,OpenCL C}.
237
238@cindex Pascal
239Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
240nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
241entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
242syntax.
243
244@cindex Fortran
245@value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
246it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
247underscore.
248
249@value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
250using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
251
252@menu
253* Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
254* Free Documentation:: Free Software Needs Free Documentation
255* Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
256@end menu
257
258@node Free Software
259@unnumberedsec Free Software
260
261@value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
262General Public License
263(GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
264program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
265freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
266the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
267Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
268Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
269
270Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
271you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
272from anyone else.
273
274@node Free Documentation
275@unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
276
277The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
278the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
279include with the free software. Many of our most important
280programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
281texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
282when an important free software package does not come with a free
283manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
284gaps today.
285
286Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
287normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
288authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
289copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
290them from the free software world.
291
292That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
293from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
294manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
295only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
296contract to make it non-free.
297
298Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
299price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
300charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
301Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
302problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
303are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
304modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
305
306The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
307free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
308commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
309accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
310
311Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
312When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
313are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
314provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
315manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
316a changed version of the program is not really available to our
317community.
318
319Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
320acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
321author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
322authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
323to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
324may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
325with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
326are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
327of the manual.
328
329However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
330content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
331media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
332obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
333manual to replace it.
334
335Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
336lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
337free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
338the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
339realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
340the free software community.
341
342If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
343the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
344license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
345don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
346will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
347option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
348what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
349try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
350is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
351
352You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
353manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
354copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
355improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
356at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
357and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
358Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
359have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
360
361The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
362published by other publishers, at
363@url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
364
365@node Contributors
366@unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
367
368Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
369other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
370development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
371of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
372to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
373file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
374blow-by-blow account.
375
376Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
377
378@quotation
379@emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
380or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
381omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
382@end quotation
383
384So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
385particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
386releases:
387Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
388Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
389Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
390Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
391Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
392Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
393John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
394Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
395and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
396
397Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
398Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
399
400Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
401in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
402Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
403demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
404much general update work leading to release 3.0).
405
406@value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
407object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
408Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
409
410David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
411the original support for encapsulated COFF.
412
413Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
414
415Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
416Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
417support.
418Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
419Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
420Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
421David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
422Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
423Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
424Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
425Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
426Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
427Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
428Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
429Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
430Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
431Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
432Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
433Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
434
435Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
436
437Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
438libraries.
439
440Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
441about several machine instruction sets.
442
443Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
444remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
445contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
446and RDI targets, respectively.
447
448Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
449command-line editing and command history.
450
451Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
452Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
453
454Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
455He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
456symbols.
457
458Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
459H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
460
461NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
462
463Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
464processors.
465
466Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
467
468Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
469
470Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
471
472Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
473watchpoints.
474
475Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
476
477Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
478
479Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
480nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
481
482The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
483support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
484(narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
485compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
486Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
487Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
488provided HP-specific information in this manual.
489
490DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
491Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
492
493Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
494development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
495fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
496Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
497Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
498Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
499Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
500addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
501JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
502Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
503Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
504Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
505Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
506Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
507Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
508
509Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
510Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
511
512Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
513Hat.
514
515Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
516people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
517Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
518Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
519Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
520with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
521
522Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
523unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
524frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
525Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
526libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
527trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
528complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
529Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
530Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
531Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
532Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
533Weigand.
534
535Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
536Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
537who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
538Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
539
540Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
541Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
542
543@node Sample Session
544@chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
545
546You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
547However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
548debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
549
550@iftex
551In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
552to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
553@end iftex
554
555@c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
556@c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
557
558One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
559processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
560quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
561definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
562session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
563then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
564same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
565@code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
566procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
567
568@smallexample
569$ @b{cd gnu/m4}
570$ @b{./m4}
571@b{define(foo,0000)}
572
573@b{foo}
5740000
575@b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
576
577@b{bar}
5780000
579@b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
580
581@b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
582@b{baz}
583@b{Ctrl-d}
584m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
585@end smallexample
586
587@noindent
588Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
589
590@smallexample
591$ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
592@c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
593@c FIXME... format to come out better.
594@value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
595 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
596 the conditions.
597There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
598 for details.
599
600@value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
601(@value{GDBP})
602@end smallexample
603
604@noindent
605@value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
606rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
607We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
608that examples fit in this manual.
609
610@smallexample
611(@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
612@end smallexample
613
614@noindent
615We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
616Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
617@code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
618@code{break} command.
619
620@smallexample
621(@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
622Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
623@end smallexample
624
625@noindent
626Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
627control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
628subroutine, the program runs as usual:
629
630@smallexample
631(@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
632Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
633@b{define(foo,0000)}
634
635@b{foo}
6360000
637@end smallexample
638
639@noindent
640To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
641suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
642context where it stops.
643
644@smallexample
645@b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
646
647Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
648 at builtin.c:879
649879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
650@end smallexample
651
652@noindent
653Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
654the next line of the current function.
655
656@smallexample
657(@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
658882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
659 : nil,
660@end smallexample
661
662@noindent
663@code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
664by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
665@code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
666subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
667
668@smallexample
669(@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
670set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
671 at input.c:530
672530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
673@end smallexample
674
675@noindent
676The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
677suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
678shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
679command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
680in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
681stack frame for each active subroutine.
682
683@smallexample
684(@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
685#0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
686 at input.c:530
687#1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
688 at builtin.c:882
689#2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
690#3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
691 at macro.c:71
692#4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
693#5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
694@end smallexample
695
696@noindent
697We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
698times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
699falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
700
701@smallexample
702(@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
7030x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
704(@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
7050x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
706def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
707(@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
708536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
709 : xstrdup(rq);
710(@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
711538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
712@end smallexample
713
714@noindent
715The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
716@code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
717and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
718(@code{print}) to see their values.
719
720@smallexample
721(@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
722$1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
723(@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
724$2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
725@end smallexample
726
727@noindent
728@code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
729To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
730surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
731
732@smallexample
733(@value{GDBP}) @b{l}
734533 xfree(rquote);
735534
736535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
737 : xstrdup (lq);
738536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
739 : xstrdup (rq);
740537
741538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
742539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
743540 @}
744541
745542 void
746@end smallexample
747
748@noindent
749Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
750@code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
751
752@smallexample
753(@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
754539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
755(@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
756540 @}
757(@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
758$3 = 9
759(@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
760$4 = 7
761@end smallexample
762
763@noindent
764That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
765@code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
766@code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
767the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
768any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
769assignments.
770
771@smallexample
772(@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
773$5 = 7
774(@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
775$6 = 9
776@end smallexample
777
778@noindent
779Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
780@code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
781executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
782example that caused trouble initially:
783
784@smallexample
785(@value{GDBP}) @b{c}
786Continuing.
787
788@b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
789
790baz
7910000
792@end smallexample
793
794@noindent
795Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
796problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
797lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
798
799@smallexample
800@b{Ctrl-d}
801Program exited normally.
802@end smallexample
803
804@noindent
805The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
806indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
807session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
808
809@smallexample
810(@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
811@end smallexample
812
813@node Invocation
814@chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
815
816This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
817The essentials are:
818@itemize @bullet
819@item
820type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
821@item
822type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
823@end itemize
824
825@menu
826* Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
827* Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
828* Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
829* Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
830@end menu
831
832@node Invoking GDB
833@section Invoking @value{GDBN}
834
835Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
836@value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
837
838You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
839to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
840
841The command-line options described here are designed
842to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
843options may effectively be unavailable.
844
845The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
846specifying an executable program:
847
848@smallexample
849@value{GDBP} @var{program}
850@end smallexample
851
852@noindent
853You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
854specified:
855
856@smallexample
857@value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
858@end smallexample
859
860You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
861to debug a running process:
862
863@smallexample
864@value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
865@end smallexample
866
867@noindent
868would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
869named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
870
871Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
872complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
873debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
874``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
875will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
876
877You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
878executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
879option processing.
880@smallexample
881@value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
882@end smallexample
883This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
884@code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
885
886You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
887@value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
888
889@smallexample
890@value{GDBP} -silent
891@end smallexample
892
893@noindent
894You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
895options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
896
897@noindent
898Type
899
900@smallexample
901@value{GDBP} -help
902@end smallexample
903
904@noindent
905to display all available options and briefly describe their use
906(@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
907
908All options and command line arguments you give are processed
909in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
910@samp{-x} option is used.
911
912
913@menu
914* File Options:: Choosing files
915* Mode Options:: Choosing modes
916* Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
917@end menu
918
919@node File Options
920@subsection Choosing Files
921
922When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
923specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
924the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
925@samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
926first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
927equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
928second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
929equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
930If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
931first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
932to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
933a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
934prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
935
936If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
937such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
938argument and ignore it.
939
940Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
941following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
942them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
943(If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
944than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
945
946@c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
947@c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
948@c it.
949
950@table @code
951@item -symbols @var{file}
952@itemx -s @var{file}
953@cindex @code{--symbols}
954@cindex @code{-s}
955Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
956
957@item -exec @var{file}
958@itemx -e @var{file}
959@cindex @code{--exec}
960@cindex @code{-e}
961Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
962and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
963
964@item -se @var{file}
965@cindex @code{--se}
966Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
967file.
968
969@item -core @var{file}
970@itemx -c @var{file}
971@cindex @code{--core}
972@cindex @code{-c}
973Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
974
975@item -pid @var{number}
976@itemx -p @var{number}
977@cindex @code{--pid}
978@cindex @code{-p}
979Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
980
981@item -command @var{file}
982@itemx -x @var{file}
983@cindex @code{--command}
984@cindex @code{-x}
985Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
986evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
987@xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
988
989@item -eval-command @var{command}
990@itemx -ex @var{command}
991@cindex @code{--eval-command}
992@cindex @code{-ex}
993Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
994
995This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
996also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
997
998@smallexample
999@value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
1000 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
1001@end smallexample
1002
1003@item -init-command @var{file}
1004@itemx -ix @var{file}
1005@cindex @code{--init-command}
1006@cindex @code{-ix}
1007Execute commands from file @var{file} before loading the inferior (but
1008after loading gdbinit files).
1009@xref{Startup}.
1010
1011@item -init-eval-command @var{command}
1012@itemx -iex @var{command}
1013@cindex @code{--init-eval-command}
1014@cindex @code{-iex}
1015Execute a single @value{GDBN} command before loading the inferior (but
1016after loading gdbinit files).
1017@xref{Startup}.
1018
1019@item -directory @var{directory}
1020@itemx -d @var{directory}
1021@cindex @code{--directory}
1022@cindex @code{-d}
1023Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
1024
1025@item -r
1026@itemx -readnow
1027@cindex @code{--readnow}
1028@cindex @code{-r}
1029Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
1030the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
1031This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1032
1033@end table
1034
1035@node Mode Options
1036@subsection Choosing Modes
1037
1038You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1039batch mode or quiet mode.
1040
1041@table @code
1042@anchor{-nx}
1043@item -nx
1044@itemx -n
1045@cindex @code{--nx}
1046@cindex @code{-n}
1047Do not execute commands found in any initialization file.
1048There are three init files, loaded in the following order:
1049
1050@table @code
1051@item @file{system.gdbinit}
1052This is the system-wide init file.
1053Its location is specified with the @code{--with-system-gdbinit}
1054configure option (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
1055It is loaded first when @value{GDBN} starts, before command line options
1056have been processed.
1057@item @file{~/.gdbinit}
1058This is the init file in your home directory.
1059It is loaded next, after @file{system.gdbinit}, and before
1060command options have been processed.
1061@item @file{./.gdbinit}
1062This is the init file in the current directory.
1063It is loaded last, after command line options other than @code{-x} and
1064@code{-ex} have been processed. Command line options @code{-x} and
1065@code{-ex} are processed last, after @file{./.gdbinit} has been loaded.
1066@end table
1067
1068For further documentation on startup processing, @xref{Startup}.
1069For documentation on how to write command files,
1070@xref{Command Files,,Command Files}.
1071
1072@anchor{-nh}
1073@item -nh
1074@cindex @code{--nh}
1075Do not execute commands found in @file{~/.gdbinit}, the init file
1076in your home directory.
1077@xref{Startup}.
1078
1079@item -quiet
1080@itemx -silent
1081@itemx -q
1082@cindex @code{--quiet}
1083@cindex @code{--silent}
1084@cindex @code{-q}
1085``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1086messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1087
1088@item -batch
1089@cindex @code{--batch}
1090Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1091command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1092initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1093nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1094in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination, sets unlimited
1095terminal width and height @pxref{Screen Size}, and acts as if @kbd{set confirm
1096off} were in effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1097
1098Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1099example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1100make this more useful, the message
1101
1102@smallexample
1103Program exited normally.
1104@end smallexample
1105
1106@noindent
1107(which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1108@value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1109mode.
1110
1111@item -batch-silent
1112@cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1113Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1114@value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1115unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1116for an interactive session.
1117
1118This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1119messages, for example.
1120
1121Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1122writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1123
1124@item -return-child-result
1125@cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1126The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1127process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1128
1129@itemize @bullet
1130@item
1131@value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1132internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1133without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1134@item
1135The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1136@item
1137The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1138the exit code will be -1.
1139@end itemize
1140
1141This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1142when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1143interface.
1144
1145@item -nowindows
1146@itemx -nw
1147@cindex @code{--nowindows}
1148@cindex @code{-nw}
1149``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1150(GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1151interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1152
1153@item -windows
1154@itemx -w
1155@cindex @code{--windows}
1156@cindex @code{-w}
1157If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1158used if possible.
1159
1160@item -cd @var{directory}
1161@cindex @code{--cd}
1162Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1163instead of the current directory.
1164
1165@item -data-directory @var{directory}
1166@cindex @code{--data-directory}
1167Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its data directory.
1168The data directory is where @value{GDBN} searches for its
1169auxiliary files. @xref{Data Files}.
1170
1171@item -fullname
1172@itemx -f
1173@cindex @code{--fullname}
1174@cindex @code{-f}
1175@sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1176subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1177number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1178displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1179recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1180the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1181and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1182@samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1183frame.
1184
1185@item -annotate @var{level}
1186@cindex @code{--annotate}
1187This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1188effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1189(@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1190information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1191expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1192normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1193@sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1194that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1195
1196The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1197(@pxref{GDB/MI}).
1198
1199@item --args
1200@cindex @code{--args}
1201Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1202executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1203This option stops option processing.
1204
1205@item -baud @var{bps}
1206@itemx -b @var{bps}
1207@cindex @code{--baud}
1208@cindex @code{-b}
1209Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1210interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1211
1212@item -l @var{timeout}
1213@cindex @code{-l}
1214Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1215for remote debugging.
1216
1217@item -tty @var{device}
1218@itemx -t @var{device}
1219@cindex @code{--tty}
1220@cindex @code{-t}
1221Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1222@c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1223
1224@c resolve the situation of these eventually
1225@item -tui
1226@cindex @code{--tui}
1227Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1228Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1229source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1230(@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Do not use this
1231option if you run @value{GDBN} from Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,
1232Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1233
1234@c @item -xdb
1235@c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1236@c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1237@c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1238@c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1239@c systems.
1240
1241@item -interpreter @var{interp}
1242@cindex @code{--interpreter}
1243Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1244program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1245communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1246@xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1247
1248@samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1249@value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1250The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1251previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1252selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1253@sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1254
1255@item -write
1256@cindex @code{--write}
1257Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1258is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1259(@pxref{Patching}).
1260
1261@item -statistics
1262@cindex @code{--statistics}
1263This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1264memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1265
1266@item -version
1267@cindex @code{--version}
1268This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1269no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1270
1271@item -configuration
1272@cindex @code{--configuration}
1273This option causes @value{GDBN} to print details about its build-time
1274configuration parameters, and then exit. These details can be
1275important when reporting @value{GDBN} bugs (@pxref{GDB Bugs}).
1276
1277@end table
1278
1279@node Startup
1280@subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1281@cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1282
1283Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1284
1285@enumerate
1286@item
1287Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1288(@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1289
1290@item
1291@cindex init file
1292Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1293used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1294 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
1295that file.
1296
1297@anchor{Home Directory Init File}
1298@item
1299Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1300DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1301@code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1302that file.
1303
1304@anchor{Option -init-eval-command}
1305@item
1306Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-iex} and
1307@samp{-ix} options in their specified order. Usually you should use the
1308@samp{-ex} and @samp{-x} options instead, but this way you can apply
1309settings before @value{GDBN} init files get executed and before inferior
1310gets loaded.
1311
1312@item
1313Processes command line options and operands.
1314
1315@anchor{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}
1316@item
1317Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1318working directory as long as @samp{set auto-load local-gdbinit} is set to
1319@samp{on} (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory}).
1320This is only done if the current directory is
1321different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1322init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1323to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1324@value{GDBN}.
1325
1326@item
1327If the command line specified a program to debug, or a process to
1328attach to, or a core file, @value{GDBN} loads any auto-loaded
1329scripts provided for the program or for its loaded shared libraries.
1330@xref{Auto-loading}.
1331
1332If you wish to disable the auto-loading during startup,
1333you must do something like the following:
1334
1335@smallexample
1336$ gdb -iex "set auto-load python-scripts off" myprogram
1337@end smallexample
1338
1339Option @samp{-ex} does not work because the auto-loading is then turned
1340off too late.
1341
1342@item
1343Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-ex} and
1344@samp{-x} options in their specified order. @xref{Command Files}, for
1345more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1346
1347@item
1348Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1349@xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1350files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1351@end enumerate
1352
1353Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1354Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1355file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1356complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1357and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1358option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1359
1360To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1361can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1362
1363@cindex init file name
1364@cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1365@cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1366The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1367The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1368the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1369port of @value{GDBN} uses the standard name, but if it finds a
1370@file{gdb.ini} file in your home directory, it warns you about that
1371and suggests to rename the file to the standard name.
1372
1373
1374@node Quitting GDB
1375@section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1376@cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1377@cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1378
1379@table @code
1380@kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1381@kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1382@item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1383@itemx q
1384To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1385@code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1386do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1387otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1388error code.
1389@end table
1390
1391@cindex interrupt
1392An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1393terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1394returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1395character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1396until a time when it is safe.
1397
1398If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1399device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1400(@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1401
1402@node Shell Commands
1403@section Shell Commands
1404
1405If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1406debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1407just use the @code{shell} command.
1408
1409@table @code
1410@kindex shell
1411@kindex !
1412@cindex shell escape
1413@item shell @var{command-string}
1414@itemx !@var{command-string}
1415Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command-string}.
1416Note that no space is needed between @code{!} and @var{command-string}.
1417If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1418shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1419(@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1420@end table
1421
1422The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1423You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1424@value{GDBN}:
1425
1426@table @code
1427@kindex make
1428@cindex calling make
1429@item make @var{make-args}
1430Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1431arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1432@end table
1433
1434@node Logging Output
1435@section Logging Output
1436@cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1437@cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1438
1439You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1440There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1441
1442@table @code
1443@kindex set logging
1444@item set logging on
1445Enable logging.
1446@item set logging off
1447Disable logging.
1448@cindex logging file name
1449@item set logging file @var{file}
1450Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1451@item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1452By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1453you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1454@item set logging redirect [on|off]
1455By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1456Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1457@kindex show logging
1458@item show logging
1459Show the current values of the logging settings.
1460@end table
1461
1462@node Commands
1463@chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1464
1465You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1466name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1467@value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1468key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1469show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1470
1471@menu
1472* Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1473* Completion:: Command completion
1474* Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1475@end menu
1476
1477@node Command Syntax
1478@section Command Syntax
1479
1480A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1481how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1482arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1483command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1484step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1485with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1486
1487@cindex abbreviation
1488@value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1489unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1490documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1491abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1492equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1493names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1494arguments to the @code{help} command.
1495
1496@cindex repeating commands
1497@kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1498A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1499repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1500will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1501repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1502repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1503@ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1504
1505The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1506@key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1507exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1508
1509@value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1510output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1511(@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1512@key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1513repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1514
1515@kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1516@cindex comment
1517Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1518nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1519Files,,Command Files}).
1520
1521@cindex repeating command sequences
1522@kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1523The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1524commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1525then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1526for editing.
1527
1528@node Completion
1529@section Command Completion
1530
1531@cindex completion
1532@cindex word completion
1533@value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1534only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1535are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1536commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1537
1538Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1539of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1540word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1541enter it). For example, if you type
1542
1543@c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1544@c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1545@c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1546@c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1547@smallexample
1548(@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1549@end smallexample
1550
1551@noindent
1552@value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1553the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1554
1555@smallexample
1556(@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1557@end smallexample
1558
1559@noindent
1560You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1561breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1562@samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1563were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1564might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1565to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1566
1567If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1568@key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1569characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1570@value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1571example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1572begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1573just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1574function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1575example:
1576
1577@smallexample
1578(@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1579@exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1580make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1581make_abs_section make_function_type
1582make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1583make_cleanup make_reference_type
1584make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1585(@value{GDBP}) b make_
1586@end smallexample
1587
1588@noindent
1589After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1590partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1591command.
1592
1593If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1594can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1595means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1596key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1597one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1598
1599@cindex quotes in commands
1600@cindex completion of quoted strings
1601Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1602parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1603its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1604situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1605@value{GDBN} commands.
1606
1607The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1608name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1609overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1610by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1611may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1612that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1613that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1614word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1615@code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1616@value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1617when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1618
1619@smallexample
1620(@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1621bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1622(@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1623@end smallexample
1624
1625In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1626quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1627completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1628place:
1629
1630@smallexample
1631(@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1632@exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1633(@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1634@end smallexample
1635
1636@noindent
1637In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1638you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1639completion on an overloaded symbol.
1640
1641For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1642Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1643overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1644see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1645
1646@cindex completion of structure field names
1647@cindex structure field name completion
1648@cindex completion of union field names
1649@cindex union field name completion
1650When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1651structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1652confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1653examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1654limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1655left-hand-side:
1656
1657@smallexample
1658(@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1659magic to_fputs to_rewind
1660to_data to_isatty to_write
1661to_delete to_put to_write_async_safe
1662to_flush to_read
1663@end smallexample
1664
1665@noindent
1666This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1667@code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1668follows:
1669
1670@smallexample
1671struct ui_file
1672@{
1673 int *magic;
1674 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1675 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1676 ui_file_write_async_safe_ftype *to_write_async_safe;
1677 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1678 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1679 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1680 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1681 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1682 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1683 void *to_data;
1684@}
1685@end smallexample
1686
1687
1688@node Help
1689@section Getting Help
1690@cindex online documentation
1691@kindex help
1692
1693You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1694using the command @code{help}.
1695
1696@table @code
1697@kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1698@item help
1699@itemx h
1700You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1701display a short list of named classes of commands:
1702
1703@smallexample
1704(@value{GDBP}) help
1705List of classes of commands:
1706
1707aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1708breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1709data -- Examining data
1710files -- Specifying and examining files
1711internals -- Maintenance commands
1712obscure -- Obscure features
1713running -- Running the program
1714stack -- Examining the stack
1715status -- Status inquiries
1716support -- Support facilities
1717tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
1718 stopping the program
1719user-defined -- User-defined commands
1720
1721Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1722commands in that class.
1723Type "help" followed by command name for full
1724documentation.
1725Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1726(@value{GDBP})
1727@end smallexample
1728@c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1729
1730@item help @var{class}
1731Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1732list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1733help display for the class @code{status}:
1734
1735@smallexample
1736(@value{GDBP}) help status
1737Status inquiries.
1738
1739List of commands:
1740
1741@c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1742@c to fit in smallbook page size.
1743info -- Generic command for showing things
1744 about the program being debugged
1745show -- Generic command for showing things
1746 about the debugger
1747
1748Type "help" followed by command name for full
1749documentation.
1750Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1751(@value{GDBP})
1752@end smallexample
1753
1754@item help @var{command}
1755With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1756short paragraph on how to use that command.
1757
1758@kindex apropos
1759@item apropos @var{args}
1760The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1761commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1762@var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1763
1764@smallexample
1765apropos alias
1766@end smallexample
1767
1768@noindent
1769results in:
1770
1771@smallexample
1772@c @group
1773alias -- Define a new command that is an alias of an existing command
1774aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1775d -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1776del -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1777delete -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1778@c @end group
1779@end smallexample
1780
1781@kindex complete
1782@item complete @var{args}
1783The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1784for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1785command you want completed. For example:
1786
1787@smallexample
1788complete i
1789@end smallexample
1790
1791@noindent results in:
1792
1793@smallexample
1794@group
1795if
1796ignore
1797info
1798inspect
1799@end group
1800@end smallexample
1801
1802@noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1803@end table
1804
1805In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1806and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1807of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1808manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1809under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Command, Variable, and
1810Function Index point to all the sub-commands. @xref{Command and Variable
1811Index}.
1812
1813@c @group
1814@table @code
1815@kindex info
1816@kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1817@item info
1818This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1819program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
1820with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1821registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1822You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1823@w{@code{help info}}.
1824
1825@kindex set
1826@item set
1827You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1828@code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1829@code{set prompt $}.
1830
1831@kindex show
1832@item show
1833In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1834@value{GDBN} itself.
1835You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1836related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1837system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1838which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1839
1840@kindex info set
1841To display all the settable parameters and their current
1842values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1843@code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1844@c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1845@c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1846@c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1847@end table
1848@c @end group
1849
1850Here are several miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1851exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1852
1853@table @code
1854@kindex show version
1855@cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1856@item show version
1857Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1858information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1859@value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1860version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1861commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1862system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1863variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1864The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1865@value{GDBN}.
1866
1867@kindex show copying
1868@kindex info copying
1869@cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1870@item show copying
1871@itemx info copying
1872Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1873
1874@kindex show warranty
1875@kindex info warranty
1876@item show warranty
1877@itemx info warranty
1878Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1879if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1880
1881@kindex show configuration
1882@item show configuration
1883Display detailed information about the way @value{GDBN} was configured
1884when it was built. This displays the optional arguments passed to the
1885@file{configure} script and also configuration parameters detected
1886automatically by @command{configure}. When reporting a @value{GDBN}
1887bug (@pxref{GDB Bugs}), it is important to include this information in
1888your report.
1889
1890@end table
1891
1892@node Running
1893@chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1894
1895When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1896debugging information when you compile it.
1897
1898You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1899of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1900your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1901kill a child process.
1902
1903@menu
1904* Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1905* Starting:: Starting your program
1906* Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1907* Environment:: Your program's environment
1908
1909* Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1910* Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1911* Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1912* Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1913
1914* Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
1915* Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1916* Forks:: Debugging forks
1917* Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1918@end menu
1919
1920@node Compilation
1921@section Compiling for Debugging
1922
1923In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1924debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1925is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1926variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1927and addresses in the executable code.
1928
1929To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1930the compiler.
1931
1932Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1933optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
1934compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1935together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1936executables containing debugging information.
1937
1938@value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1939without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1940recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1941program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1942in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
1943
1944Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1945@w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1946format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1947
1948@value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1949expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1950about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1951the @option{-g} flag alone. Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC},
1952the @sc{gnu} C compiler, provides macro information if you are using
1953the DWARF debugging format, and specify the option @option{-g3}.
1954
1955@xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
1956gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}, for more
1957information on @value{NGCC} options affecting debug information.
1958
1959You will have the best debugging experience if you use the latest
1960version of the DWARF debugging format that your compiler supports.
1961DWARF is currently the most expressive and best supported debugging
1962format in @value{GDBN}.
1963
1964@need 2000
1965@node Starting
1966@section Starting your Program
1967@cindex starting
1968@cindex running
1969
1970@table @code
1971@kindex run
1972@kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1973@item run
1974@itemx r
1975Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1976You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1977argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1978@value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1979(@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
1980
1981@end table
1982
1983If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1984supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1985that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
1986@code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
1987like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
1988message like this one:
1989
1990@smallexample
1991The "remote" target does not support "run".
1992Try "help target" or "continue".
1993@end smallexample
1994
1995@noindent
1996then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
1997first (@pxref{load}).
1998
1999The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
2000receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
2001information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
2002can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
2003your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
2004divided into four categories:
2005
2006@table @asis
2007@item The @emph{arguments.}
2008Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
2009@code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
2010is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
2011(such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
2012the arguments.
2013In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
2014@code{SHELL} environment variable.
2015@xref{Arguments, ,Your Program's Arguments}.
2016
2017@item The @emph{environment.}
2018Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
2019use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
2020environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
2021your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
2022
2023@item The @emph{working directory.}
2024Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
2025the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
2026@xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
2027
2028@item The @emph{standard input and output.}
2029Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
2030standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
2031in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
2032set a different device for your program.
2033@xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
2034
2035@cindex pipes
2036@emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
2037pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
2038program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
2039wrong program.
2040@end table
2041
2042When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
2043immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
2044of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
2045stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
2046or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
2047
2048If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
2049time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
2050table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
2051your current breakpoints.
2052
2053@table @code
2054@kindex start
2055@item start
2056@cindex run to main procedure
2057The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
2058With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
2059other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
2060main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
2061execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
2062procedure, depending on the language used.
2063
2064The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
2065breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
2066the @samp{run} command.
2067
2068@cindex elaboration phase
2069Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
2070executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
2071languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
2072constructors for static and global objects are executed before
2073@code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
2074before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
2075will remain to halt execution.
2076
2077Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
2078@samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
2079underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
2080reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
2081@samp{start} or @samp{run}.
2082
2083It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
2084these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
2085your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
2086elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
2087elaboration code before running your program.
2088
2089@kindex set exec-wrapper
2090@item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
2091@itemx show exec-wrapper
2092@itemx unset exec-wrapper
2093When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
2094launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
2095with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
2096@var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
2097arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
2098appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
2099your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
2100
2101You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
2102its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
2103this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
2104with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
2105
2106For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
2107the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
2108environment:
2109
2110@smallexample
2111(@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
2112(@value{GDBP}) run
2113@end smallexample
2114
2115This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2116@sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2117
2118@kindex set disable-randomization
2119@item set disable-randomization
2120@itemx set disable-randomization on
2121This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2122randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2123is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2124reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2125
2126This feature is implemented only on certain targets, including @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2127On @sc{gnu}/Linux you can get the same behavior using
2128
2129@smallexample
2130(@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2131@end smallexample
2132
2133@item set disable-randomization off
2134Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2135ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2136disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2137@value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2138as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2139disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2140
2141On targets where it is available, virtual address space randomization
2142protects the programs against certain kinds of security attacks. In these
2143cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2144code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2145a code at its expected addresses.
2146
2147Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2148makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2149having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2150library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2151misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2152random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2153startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2154a randomly chosen address.
2155
2156Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2157similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2158a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2159already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2160executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2161
2162Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2163(as long as the randomization is enabled).
2164
2165@item show disable-randomization
2166Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2167the virtual address space of the started program.
2168
2169@end table
2170
2171@node Arguments
2172@section Your Program's Arguments
2173
2174@cindex arguments (to your program)
2175The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2176@code{run} command.
2177They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2178performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2179@code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2180@value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2181the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2182
2183On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2184@value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2185calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2186the program, not by the shell.
2187
2188@code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2189@code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2190
2191@table @code
2192@kindex set args
2193@item set args
2194Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2195@code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2196with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2197using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2198it again without arguments.
2199
2200@kindex show args
2201@item show args
2202Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2203@end table
2204
2205@node Environment
2206@section Your Program's Environment
2207
2208@cindex environment (of your program)
2209The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2210their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2211your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2212path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2213the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2214debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2215environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2216
2217@table @code
2218@kindex path
2219@item path @var{directory}
2220Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2221(the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2222The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2223You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2224system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2225MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2226is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2227
2228You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2229working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2230use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2231@code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2232@var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2233@var{directory} to the search path.
2234@c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2235@c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2236
2237@kindex show paths
2238@item show paths
2239Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2240environment variable).
2241
2242@kindex show environment
2243@item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2244Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2245your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2246print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2247your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2248
2249@kindex set environment
2250@item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2251Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2252changes for your program only, not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may
2253be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
2254any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2255parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2256null value.
2257@c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2258@c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2259
2260For example, this command:
2261
2262@smallexample
2263set env USER = foo
2264@end smallexample
2265
2266@noindent
2267tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2268@samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2269are not actually required.)
2270
2271@kindex unset environment
2272@item unset environment @var{varname}
2273Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2274program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2275@code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2276rather than assigning it an empty value.
2277@end table
2278
2279@emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2280the shell indicated
2281by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it exists (or
2282@code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable names a shell
2283that runs an initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, or
2284@file{.bashrc} for BASH---any variables you set in that file affect
2285your program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to
2286files that are only run when you sign on, such as @file{.login} or
2287@file{.profile}.
2288
2289@node Working Directory
2290@section Your Program's Working Directory
2291
2292@cindex working directory (of your program)
2293Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2294working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2295The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2296from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2297working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2298
2299The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2300that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2301Specify Files}.
2302
2303@table @code
2304@kindex cd
2305@cindex change working directory
2306@item cd @r{[}@var{directory}@r{]}
2307Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}. If not
2308given, @var{directory} uses @file{'~'}.
2309
2310@kindex pwd
2311@item pwd
2312Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2313@end table
2314
2315It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2316the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2317during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2318configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2319proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2320current working directory of the debuggee.
2321
2322@node Input/Output
2323@section Your Program's Input and Output
2324
2325@cindex redirection
2326@cindex i/o
2327@cindex terminal
2328By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2329the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2330to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2331modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2332running your program.
2333
2334@table @code
2335@kindex info terminal
2336@item info terminal
2337Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2338program is using.
2339@end table
2340
2341You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2342redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2343
2344@smallexample
2345run > outfile
2346@end smallexample
2347
2348@noindent
2349starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2350
2351@kindex tty
2352@cindex controlling terminal
2353Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2354with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2355argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2356commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2357process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2358
2359@smallexample
2360tty /dev/ttyb
2361@end smallexample
2362
2363@noindent
2364directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2365default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2366that as their controlling terminal.
2367
2368An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2369effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2370terminal.
2371
2372When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2373command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2374for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2375for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2376
2377@cindex inferior tty
2378@cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2379You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2380display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2381program.
2382
2383@table @code
2384@item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2385@kindex set inferior-tty
2386Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2387
2388@item show inferior-tty
2389@kindex show inferior-tty
2390Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2391@end table
2392
2393@node Attach
2394@section Debugging an Already-running Process
2395@kindex attach
2396@cindex attach
2397
2398@table @code
2399@item attach @var{process-id}
2400This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2401outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2402targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2403find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2404or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2405
2406@code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2407executing the command.
2408@end table
2409
2410To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2411which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2412programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2413also have permission to send the process a signal.
2414
2415When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2416the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2417the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2418(@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2419the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2420Specify Files}.
2421
2422The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2423process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2424with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2425you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2426can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2427process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2428attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2429
2430@table @code
2431@kindex detach
2432@item detach
2433When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2434@code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2435the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2436that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2437are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2438@code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2439executing the command.
2440@end table
2441
2442If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2443that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2444By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2445things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2446@code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2447Messages}).
2448
2449@node Kill Process
2450@section Killing the Child Process
2451
2452@table @code
2453@kindex kill
2454@item kill
2455Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2456@end table
2457
2458This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2459running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2460is running.
2461
2462On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2463while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2464@code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2465outside the debugger.
2466
2467The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2468relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2469executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2470next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2471reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2472breakpoint settings).
2473
2474@node Inferiors and Programs
2475@section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2476
2477@value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2478session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2479several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2480before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2481multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2482from multiple executables.
2483
2484@cindex inferior
2485@value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2486object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2487a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2488have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2489may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2490identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2491inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2492embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2493of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2494threads running in it.
2495
2496To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2497inferiors}}:
2498
2499@table @code
2500@kindex info inferiors
2501@item info inferiors
2502Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2503
2504@value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2505
2506@enumerate
2507@item
2508the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2509
2510@item
2511the target system's inferior identifier
2512
2513@item
2514the name of the executable the inferior is running.
2515
2516@end enumerate
2517
2518@noindent
2519An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
2520indicates the current inferior.
2521
2522For example,
2523@end table
2524@c end table here to get a little more width for example
2525
2526@smallexample
2527(@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2528 Num Description Executable
2529 2 process 2307 hello
2530* 1 process 3401 goodbye
2531@end smallexample
2532
2533To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
2534
2535@table @code
2536@kindex inferior @var{infno}
2537@item inferior @var{infno}
2538Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
2539@var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
2540in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
2541@end table
2542
2543
2544You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
2545@code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
2546systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
2547automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
2548remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
2549@w{@code{remove-inferiors}} command.
2550
2551@table @code
2552@kindex add-inferior
2553@item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
2554Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
2555executable. @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
2556the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
2557change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
2558@code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
2559
2560@kindex clone-inferior
2561@item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
2562Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
2563@var{infno}. @var{n} defaults to 1. @var{infno} defaults to the
2564number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
2565want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
2566
2567@smallexample
2568(@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2569 Num Description Executable
2570* 1 process 29964 helloworld
2571(@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
2572Added inferior 2.
25731 inferiors added.
2574(@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2575 Num Description Executable
2576 2 <null> helloworld
2577* 1 process 29964 helloworld
2578@end smallexample
2579
2580You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
2581
2582@kindex remove-inferiors
2583@item remove-inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2584Removes the inferior or inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}. It is not
2585possible to remove an inferior that is running with this command. For
2586those, use the @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
2587
2588@end table
2589
2590To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
2591inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
2592inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
2593using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}} command:
2594
2595@table @code
2596@kindex detach inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2597@item detach inferior @var{infno}@dots{}
2598Detach from the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN}
2599inferior number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry
2600still stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors},
2601but its Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2602
2603@kindex kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2604@item kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2605Kill the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN} inferior
2606number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry still
2607stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its
2608Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2609@end table
2610
2611After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
2612@code{detach inferiors}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferiors}, or after
2613a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
2614@code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
2615
2616
2617To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
2618control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
2619
2620@table @code
2621@kindex set print inferior-events
2622@cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
2623@item set print inferior-events
2624@itemx set print inferior-events on
2625@itemx set print inferior-events off
2626The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
2627disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
2628inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
2629detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
2630
2631@kindex show print inferior-events
2632@item show print inferior-events
2633Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
2634inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
2635@end table
2636
2637Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
2638single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
2639value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
2640
2641
2642Occasionaly, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
2643get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
2644spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
2645info program-spaces}} command.
2646
2647@table @code
2648@kindex maint info program-spaces
2649@item maint info program-spaces
2650Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
2651@value{GDBN}.
2652
2653@value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
2654
2655@enumerate
2656@item
2657the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2658
2659@item
2660the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
2661the @code{file} command.
2662
2663@end enumerate
2664
2665@noindent
2666An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
2667indicates the current program space.
2668
2669In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
2670information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
2671example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
2672
2673@smallexample
2674(@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2675 Id Executable
2676 2 goodbye
2677 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
2678* 1 hello
2679@end smallexample
2680
2681Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
2682while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
2683some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
2684same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
2685the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
2686
2687@smallexample
2688(@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2689 Id Executable
2690* 1 vfork-test
2691 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
2692@end smallexample
2693
2694Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
2695space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
2696@end table
2697
2698@node Threads
2699@section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
2700
2701@cindex threads of execution
2702@cindex multiple threads
2703@cindex switching threads
2704In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2705may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2706of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2707the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2708that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2709modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2710registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2711
2712@value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2713programs:
2714
2715@itemize @bullet
2716@item automatic notification of new threads
2717@item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2718@item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2719@item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2720a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2721@item thread-specific breakpoints
2722@item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
2723messages on thread start and exit.
2724@item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
2725the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
2726isn't compatible with the program.
2727@end itemize
2728
2729@quotation
2730@emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2731@value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2732If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2733effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2734from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2735like this:
2736
2737@smallexample
2738(@value{GDBP}) info threads
2739(@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2740Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2741see the IDs of currently known threads.
2742@end smallexample
2743@c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2744@c doesn't support threads"?
2745@end quotation
2746
2747@cindex focus of debugging
2748@cindex current thread
2749The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2750threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2751control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2752This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2753program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2754
2755@cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2756@cindex thread identifier (system)
2757@c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2758@c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2759@c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2760Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2761the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2762form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2763whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2764@sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
2765
2766@smallexample
2767[New Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 25582)]
2768@end smallexample
2769
2770@noindent
2771when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2772the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2773further qualifier.
2774
2775@c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2776@c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2777@c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2778@c program?
2779@c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2780@c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2781@c threads ab initio?
2782
2783@cindex thread number
2784@cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2785For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2786number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2787
2788@table @code
2789@kindex info threads
2790@item info threads @r{[}@var{id}@dots{}@r{]}
2791Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. Optional
2792argument @var{id}@dots{} is one or more thread ids separated by spaces, and
2793means to print information only about the specified thread or threads.
2794@value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2795
2796@enumerate
2797@item
2798the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2799
2800@item
2801the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2802
2803@item
2804the thread's name, if one is known. A thread can either be named by
2805the user (see @code{thread name}, below), or, in some cases, by the
2806program itself.
2807
2808@item
2809the current stack frame summary for that thread
2810@end enumerate
2811
2812@noindent
2813An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2814indicates the current thread.
2815
2816For example,
2817@end table
2818@c end table here to get a little more width for example
2819
2820@smallexample
2821(@value{GDBP}) info threads
2822 Id Target Id Frame
2823 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2824 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2825* 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2826 at threadtest.c:68
2827@end smallexample
2828
2829On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2830Solaris-specific command:
2831
2832@table @code
2833@item maint info sol-threads
2834@kindex maint info sol-threads
2835@cindex thread info (Solaris)
2836Display info on Solaris user threads.
2837@end table
2838
2839@table @code
2840@kindex thread @var{threadno}
2841@item thread @var{threadno}
2842Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2843argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2844shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2845@value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2846you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2847
2848@smallexample
2849(@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2850[Switching to thread 2 (Thread 0xb7fdab70 (LWP 12747))]
2851#0 some_function (ignore=0x0) at example.c:8
28528 printf ("hello\n");
2853@end smallexample
2854
2855@noindent
2856As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2857@samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2858threads.
2859
2860@vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
2861The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_thread} contains the number
2862of the current thread. You may find this useful in writing breakpoint
2863conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth. See
2864@xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
2865information on convenience variables.
2866
2867@kindex thread apply
2868@cindex apply command to several threads
2869@item thread apply [@var{threadno} | all] @var{command}
2870The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2871@var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2872threads that you want affected with the command argument
2873@var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2874shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2875could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2876command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2877
2878@kindex thread name
2879@cindex name a thread
2880@item thread name [@var{name}]
2881This command assigns a name to the current thread. If no argument is
2882given, any existing user-specified name is removed. The thread name
2883appears in the @samp{info threads} display.
2884
2885On some systems, such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, @value{GDBN} is able to
2886determine the name of the thread as given by the OS. On these
2887systems, a name specified with @samp{thread name} will override the
2888system-give name, and removing the user-specified name will cause
2889@value{GDBN} to once again display the system-specified name.
2890
2891@kindex thread find
2892@cindex search for a thread
2893@item thread find [@var{regexp}]
2894Search for and display thread ids whose name or @var{systag}
2895matches the supplied regular expression.
2896
2897As well as being the complement to the @samp{thread name} command,
2898this command also allows you to identify a thread by its target
2899@var{systag}. For instance, on @sc{gnu}/Linux, the target @var{systag}
2900is the LWP id.
2901
2902@smallexample
2903(@value{GDBN}) thread find 26688
2904Thread 4 has target id 'Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688)'
2905(@value{GDBN}) info thread 4
2906 Id Target Id Frame
2907 4 Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688) 0x00000031ca6cd372 in select ()
2908@end smallexample
2909
2910@kindex set print thread-events
2911@cindex print messages on thread start and exit
2912@item set print thread-events
2913@itemx set print thread-events on
2914@itemx set print thread-events off
2915The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
2916disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
2917started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
2918be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
2919Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
2920
2921@kindex show print thread-events
2922@item show print thread-events
2923Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
2924have started and exited.
2925@end table
2926
2927@xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
2928more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2929programs with multiple threads.
2930
2931@xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
2932watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2933
2934@anchor{set libthread-db-search-path}
2935@table @code
2936@kindex set libthread-db-search-path
2937@cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
2938@item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
2939If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
2940directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
2941If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
2942its default value (@code{$sdir:$pdir} on @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems).
2943Internally, the default value comes from the @code{LIBTHREAD_DB_SEARCH_PATH}
2944macro.
2945
2946On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
2947@code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
2948inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2949to find @code{libthread_db}. @value{GDBN} also consults first if inferior
2950specific thread debugging library loading is enabled
2951by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2952
2953A special entry @samp{$sdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2954refers to the default system directories that are
2955normally searched for loading shared libraries. The @samp{$sdir} entry
2956is the only kind not needing to be enabled by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db}
2957(@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2958
2959A special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2960refers to the directory from which @code{libpthread}
2961was loaded in the inferior process.
2962
2963For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
2964@value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
2965If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
2966mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
2967will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
2968If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
2969@value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
2970
2971Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
2972only on some platforms.
2973
2974@kindex show libthread-db-search-path
2975@item show libthread-db-search-path
2976Display current libthread_db search path.
2977
2978@kindex set debug libthread-db
2979@kindex show debug libthread-db
2980@cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
2981@item set debug libthread-db
2982@itemx show debug libthread-db
2983Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
2984Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
2985@end table
2986
2987@node Forks
2988@section Debugging Forks
2989
2990@cindex fork, debugging programs which call
2991@cindex multiple processes
2992@cindex processes, multiple
2993On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
2994programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
2995function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
2996parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
2997set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
2998will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
2999will cause it to terminate.
3000
3001However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
3002which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
3003the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
3004only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
3005so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
3006on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
3007get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
3008@value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
3009the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
3010the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
3011
3012On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
3013create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
3014Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
3015only?) and @sc{gnu}/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
3016
3017By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
3018the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
3019
3020If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
3021use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
3022
3023@table @code
3024@kindex set follow-fork-mode
3025@item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
3026Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
3027@code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
3028process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
3029
3030@table @code
3031@item parent
3032The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
3033unimpeded. This is the default.
3034
3035@item child
3036The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
3037unimpeded.
3038
3039@end table
3040
3041@kindex show follow-fork-mode
3042@item show follow-fork-mode
3043Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
3044@end table
3045
3046@cindex debugging multiple processes
3047On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
3048command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
3049
3050@table @code
3051@kindex set detach-on-fork
3052@item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
3053Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
3054retain debugger control over them both.
3055
3056@table @code
3057@item on
3058The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
3059@code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
3060independently. This is the default.
3061
3062@item off
3063Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
3064One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
3065@code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
3066is held suspended.
3067
3068@end table
3069
3070@kindex show detach-on-fork
3071@item show detach-on-fork
3072Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
3073@end table
3074
3075If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
3076will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
3077You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
3078using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
3079to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
3080Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
3081
3082To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
3083from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferiors}} command (allowing it
3084to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}}
3085command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
3086and Programs}.
3087
3088If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
3089@code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
3090breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
3091@code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
3092the child process's @code{main}.
3093
3094On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
3095cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
3096
3097If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
3098call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
3099process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
3100as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
3101@value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
3102You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
3103command.
3104
3105@table @code
3106@kindex set follow-exec-mode
3107@item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
3108
3109Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3110@code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3111
3112@code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3113
3114@table @code
3115@item new
3116@value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3117new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3118@code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3119original inferior.
3120
3121For example:
3122
3123@smallexample
3124(@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3125(gdb) info inferior
3126 Id Description Executable
3127* 1 <null> prog1
3128(@value{GDBP}) run
3129process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3130Program exited normally.
3131(@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3132 Id Description Executable
3133* 2 <null> prog2
3134 1 <null> prog1
3135@end smallexample
3136
3137@item same
3138@value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3139executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3140inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3141e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3142running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3143
3144For example:
3145
3146@smallexample
3147(@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3148 Id Description Executable
3149* 1 <null> prog1
3150(@value{GDBP}) run
3151process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3152Program exited normally.
3153(@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3154 Id Description Executable
3155* 1 <null> prog2
3156@end smallexample
3157
3158@end table
3159@end table
3160
3161You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3162a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3163Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3164
3165@node Checkpoint/Restart
3166@section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3167
3168@cindex checkpoint
3169@cindex restart
3170@cindex bookmark
3171@cindex snapshot of a process
3172@cindex rewind program state
3173
3174On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3175@sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3176program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3177later.
3178
3179Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3180happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3181includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3182system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3183moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3184
3185Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3186getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3187a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3188the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3189from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3190start again from there.
3191
3192This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3193steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3194
3195To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3196
3197@table @code
3198@kindex checkpoint
3199@item checkpoint
3200Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3201The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3202is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3203
3204@kindex info checkpoints
3205@item info checkpoints
3206List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3207session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3208listed:
3209
3210@table @code
3211@item Checkpoint ID
3212@item Process ID
3213@item Code Address
3214@item Source line, or label
3215@end table
3216
3217@kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3218@item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3219Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3220@var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3221etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3222was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3223in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3224
3225Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3226are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3227only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3228the debugger.
3229
3230@kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3231@item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3232Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3233
3234@end table
3235
3236Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3237of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3238(OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3239a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3240so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3241opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3242previously read data can be read again.
3243
3244Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3245external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3246from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3247but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3248be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3249been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3250
3251However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3252program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3253again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3254different execution path this time.
3255
3256@cindex checkpoints and process id
3257Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3258different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3259id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3260and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3261If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3262potentially pose a problem.
3263
3264@subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3265
3266On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3267is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3268difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3269absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3270absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3271next.
3272
3273A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3274Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3275and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3276process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3277your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3278
3279@node Stopping
3280@chapter Stopping and Continuing
3281
3282The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3283program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3284trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3285
3286Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3287such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3288@value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3289change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3290continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3291ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3292explicitly request this information at any time.
3293
3294@table @code
3295@kindex info program
3296@item info program
3297Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3298running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3299@end table
3300
3301@menu
3302* Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3303* Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3304* Skipping Over Functions and Files::
3305 Skipping over functions and files
3306* Signals:: Signals
3307* Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3308@end menu
3309
3310@node Breakpoints
3311@section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3312
3313@cindex breakpoints
3314A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3315the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3316control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3317breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3318Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3319should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3320program.
3321
3322On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3323the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
3324you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
3325in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
3326(for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
3327call).
3328
3329@cindex watchpoints
3330@cindex data breakpoints
3331@cindex memory tracing
3332@cindex breakpoint on memory address
3333@cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3334A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3335when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3336of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3337combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3338@dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3339watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3340from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3341enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3342same commands.
3343
3344You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3345whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3346Automatic Display}.
3347
3348@cindex catchpoints
3349@cindex breakpoint on events
3350A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3351when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3352exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3353different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3354Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3355other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
3356@code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3357
3358@cindex breakpoint numbers
3359@cindex numbers for breakpoints
3360@value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3361catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
3362starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
3363features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
3364breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
3365@dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
3366enable it again.
3367
3368@cindex breakpoint ranges
3369@cindex ranges of breakpoints
3370Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
3371operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
3372@samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
3373hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
3374all breakpoints in that range are operated on.
3375
3376@menu
3377* Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
3378* Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
3379* Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
3380* Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
3381* Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
3382* Conditions:: Break conditions
3383* Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
3384* Dynamic Printf:: Dynamic printf
3385* Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
3386* Static Probe Points:: Listing static probe points
3387* Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3388* Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3389@end menu
3390
3391@node Set Breaks
3392@subsection Setting Breakpoints
3393
3394@c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
3395@c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
3396@c
3397@c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
3398
3399@kindex break
3400@kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
3401@vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
3402@cindex latest breakpoint
3403Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
3404@code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
3405number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
3406Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
3407convenience variables.
3408
3409@table @code
3410@item break @var{location}
3411Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
3412function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
3413(@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
3414specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
3415before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
3416
3417When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
3418C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
3419@xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
3420that situation.
3421
3422It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
3423only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
3424or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
3425
3426@item break
3427When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
3428the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
3429(@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
3430innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
3431returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
3432@code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
3433that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
3434@code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
3435the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
3436inside loops.
3437
3438@value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
3439least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
3440would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
3441breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
3442existed when your program stopped.
3443
3444@item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
3445Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
3446@var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
3447value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
3448@samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
3449above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
3450,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
3451
3452@kindex tbreak
3453@item tbreak @var{args}
3454Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
3455same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
3456way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
3457program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3458
3459@kindex hbreak
3460@cindex hardware breakpoints
3461@item hbreak @var{args}
3462Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
3463@code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
3464breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
3465have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
3466debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
3467changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
3468provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
3469will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
3470address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
3471breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
3472example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
3473@value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
3474or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
3475(@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
3476@xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3477For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3478breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3479hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3480
3481@kindex thbreak
3482@item thbreak @var{args}
3483Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
3484are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
3485the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
3486the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
3487first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
3488command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
3489may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3490See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3491
3492@kindex rbreak
3493@cindex regular expression
3494@cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
3495@cindex set breakpoints in many functions
3496@item rbreak @var{regex}
3497Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
3498@var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
3499matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
3500breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
3501the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
3502them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
3503
3504The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
3505like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
3506shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
3507an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
3508@code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
3509match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
3510
3511@cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
3512When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
3513breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
3514classes.
3515
3516@cindex set breakpoints on all functions
3517The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
3518@strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
3519
3520@smallexample
3521(@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
3522@end smallexample
3523
3524@item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
3525If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
3526the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
3527specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
3528every function in a given file:
3529
3530@smallexample
3531(@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
3532@end smallexample
3533
3534The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
3535optionally be surrounded by spaces.
3536
3537@kindex info breakpoints
3538@cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
3539@item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3540@itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3541Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
3542not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
3543about the specified breakpoint(s) (or watchpoint(s) or catchpoint(s)).
3544For each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
3545
3546@table @emph
3547@item Breakpoint Numbers
3548@item Type
3549Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
3550@item Disposition
3551Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
3552@item Enabled or Disabled
3553Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3554that are not enabled.
3555@item Address
3556Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
3557pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
3558contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
3559library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
3560See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
3561have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
3562@item What
3563Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3564line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3565the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3566the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3567@end table
3568
3569@noindent
3570If a breakpoint is conditional, there are two evaluation modes: ``host'' and
3571``target''. If mode is ``host'', breakpoint condition evaluation is done by
3572@value{GDBN} on the host's side. If it is ``target'', then the condition
3573is evaluated by the target. The @code{info break} command shows
3574the condition on the line following the affected breakpoint, together with
3575its condition evaluation mode in between parentheses.
3576
3577Breakpoint commands, if any, are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is
3578allowed to have a condition specified for it. The condition is not parsed for
3579validity until a shared library is loaded that allows the pending
3580breakpoint to resolve to a valid location.
3581
3582@noindent
3583@code{info break} with a breakpoint
3584number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3585convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3586the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3587listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
3588
3589@noindent
3590@code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3591has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3592@code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3593hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3594was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3595will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3596
3597@noindent
3598For a breakpoints with an enable count (xref) greater than 1,
3599@code{info break} also displays that count.
3600
3601@end table
3602
3603@value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3604your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3605the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3606(@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
3607
3608@cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
3609@cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
3610It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
3611in your program. Examples of this situation are:
3612
3613@itemize @bullet
3614@item
3615Multiple functions in the program may have the same name.
3616
3617@item
3618For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
3619instances of the function body, used in different cases.
3620
3621@item
3622For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
3623correspond to any number of instantiations.
3624
3625@item
3626For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
3627several places where that function is inlined.
3628@end itemize
3629
3630In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
3631the relevant locations.
3632
3633A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
3634table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
3635each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
3636address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
3637addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
3638locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
3639@var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
3640
3641For example:
3642
3643@smallexample
3644Num Type Disp Enb Address What
36451 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
3646 stop only if i==1
3647 breakpoint already hit 1 time
36481.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
36491.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
3650@end smallexample
3651
3652Each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
3653@var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
3654@code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. Note that you cannot
3655delete the individual locations from the list, you can only delete the
3656entire list of locations that belong to their parent breakpoint (with
3657the @kbd{delete @var{num}} command, where @var{num} is the number of
3658the parent breakpoint, 1 in the above example). Disabling or enabling
3659the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects all of the locations
3660that belong to that breakpoint.
3661
3662@cindex pending breakpoints
3663It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
3664Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
3665and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
3666this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
3667any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
3668set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
3669debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
3670symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
3671breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
3672a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
3673is not yet resolved.
3674
3675After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
3676@value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
3677shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
3678pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
3679ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
3680that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
3681
3682This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
3683example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
3684a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
3685a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
3686
3687Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
3688differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
3689enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
3690
3691@value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
3692happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
3693address specification to an address:
3694
3695@kindex set breakpoint pending
3696@kindex show breakpoint pending
3697@table @code
3698@item set breakpoint pending auto
3699This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3700location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3701
3702@item set breakpoint pending on
3703This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3704result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3705
3706@item set breakpoint pending off
3707This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3708unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3709not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3710
3711@item show breakpoint pending
3712Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3713@end table
3714
3715The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
3716variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
3717as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
3718
3719@cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
3720For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
3721software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
3722breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
3723breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
3724breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
3725breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
3726breakpoints.
3727
3728You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands::
3729
3730@kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
3731@kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
3732@table @code
3733@item set breakpoint auto-hw on
3734This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
3735will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
3736breakpoint must be used.
3737
3738@item set breakpoint auto-hw off
3739This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
3740type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
3741trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
3742@end table
3743
3744@value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
3745at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
3746executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
3747code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
3748the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
3749behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
3750target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
3751targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
3752This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
3753
3754@kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
3755@kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
3756@table @code
3757@item set breakpoint always-inserted off
3758All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
3759the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
3760removed from the target when it stops.
3761
3762@item set breakpoint always-inserted on
3763Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
3764the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
3765breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
3766removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is removed.
3767
3768@cindex non-stop mode, and @code{breakpoint always-inserted}
3769@item set breakpoint always-inserted auto
3770This is the default mode. If @value{GDBN} is controlling the inferior
3771in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}), gdb behaves as if
3772@code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is on. If @value{GDBN} is
3773controlling the inferior in all-stop mode, @value{GDBN} behaves as if
3774@code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is off.
3775@end table
3776
3777@value{GDBN} handles conditional breakpoints by evaluating these conditions
3778when a breakpoint breaks. If the condition is true, then the process being
3779debugged stops, otherwise the process is resumed.
3780
3781If the target supports evaluating conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} may
3782download the breakpoint, together with its conditions, to it.
3783
3784This feature can be controlled via the following commands:
3785
3786@kindex set breakpoint condition-evaluation
3787@kindex show breakpoint condition-evaluation
3788@table @code
3789@item set breakpoint condition-evaluation host
3790This option commands @value{GDBN} to evaluate the breakpoint
3791conditions on the host's side. Unconditional breakpoints are sent to
3792the target which in turn receives the triggers and reports them back to GDB
3793for condition evaluation. This is the standard evaluation mode.
3794
3795@item set breakpoint condition-evaluation target
3796This option commands @value{GDBN} to download breakpoint conditions
3797to the target at the moment of their insertion. The target
3798is responsible for evaluating the conditional expression and reporting
3799breakpoint stop events back to @value{GDBN} whenever the condition
3800is true. Due to limitations of target-side evaluation, some conditions
3801cannot be evaluated there, e.g., conditions that depend on local data
3802that is only known to the host. Examples include
3803conditional expressions involving convenience variables, complex types
3804that cannot be handled by the agent expression parser and expressions
3805that are too long to be sent over to the target, specially when the
3806target is a remote system. In these cases, the conditions will be
3807evaluated by @value{GDBN}.
3808
3809@item set breakpoint condition-evaluation auto
3810This is the default mode. If the target supports evaluating breakpoint
3811conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} will download breakpoint conditions to
3812the target (limitations mentioned previously apply). If the target does
3813not support breakpoint condition evaluation, then @value{GDBN} will fallback
3814to evaluating all these conditions on the host's side.
3815@end table
3816
3817
3818@cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3819@cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3820@value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3821special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3822programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3823starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3824You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3825@samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3826
3827
3828@node Set Watchpoints
3829@subsection Setting Watchpoints
3830
3831@cindex setting watchpoints
3832You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3833expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3834this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
3835The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
3836as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
3837
3838@itemize @bullet
3839@item
3840A reference to the value of a single variable.
3841
3842@item
3843An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
3844@samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
3845address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
3846
3847@item
3848An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
3849expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
3850language (@pxref{Languages}).
3851@end itemize
3852
3853You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
3854not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
3855@samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
3856@value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
3857the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
3858valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
3859pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
3860@code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
3861the expression changes.
3862
3863@cindex software watchpoints
3864@cindex hardware watchpoints
3865Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3866hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3867program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3868times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3869catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3870culprit.)
3871
3872On some systems, such as HP-UX, PowerPC, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3873x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3874watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3875
3876@table @code
3877@kindex watch
3878@item watch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3879Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
3880expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
3881changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
3882to watch the value of a single variable:
3883
3884@smallexample
3885(@value{GDBP}) watch foo
3886@end smallexample
3887
3888If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}}
3889argument, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
3890@var{threadnum} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
3891change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
3892that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
3893with Hardware Watchpoints.
3894
3895Ordinarily a watchpoint respects the scope of variables in @var{expr}
3896(see below). The @code{-location} argument tells @value{GDBN} to
3897instead watch the memory referred to by @var{expr}. In this case,
3898@value{GDBN} will evaluate @var{expr}, take the address of the result,
3899and watch the memory at that address. The type of the result is used
3900to determine the size of the watched memory. If the expression's
3901result does not have an address, then @value{GDBN} will print an
3902error.
3903
3904The @code{@r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}} argument allows creation
3905of masked watchpoints, if the current architecture supports this
3906feature (e.g., PowerPC Embedded architecture, see @ref{PowerPC
3907Embedded}.) A @dfn{masked watchpoint} specifies a mask in addition
3908to an address to watch. The mask specifies that some bits of an address
3909(the bits which are reset in the mask) should be ignored when matching
3910the address accessed by the inferior against the watchpoint address.
3911Thus, a masked watchpoint watches many addresses simultaneously---those
3912addresses whose unmasked bits are identical to the unmasked bits in the
3913watchpoint address. The @code{mask} argument implies @code{-location}.
3914Examples:
3915
3916@smallexample
3917(@value{GDBP}) watch foo mask 0xffff00ff
3918(@value{GDBP}) watch *0xdeadbeef mask 0xffffff00
3919@end smallexample
3920
3921@kindex rwatch
3922@item rwatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3923Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3924by the program.
3925
3926@kindex awatch
3927@item awatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3928Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3929or written into by the program.
3930
3931@kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3932@item info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3933This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
3934@code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3935@end table
3936
3937If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
3938dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
3939never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
3940a never-changing value:
3941
3942@smallexample
3943(@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
3944Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
3945(@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
3946Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
3947@end smallexample
3948
3949@value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3950watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3951value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3952cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3953executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3954@emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3955
3956@cindex use only software watchpoints
3957You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3958@kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3959zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3960the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
3961watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
3962@code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
3963mechanism of watching expression values.)
3964
3965@table @code
3966@item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3967@kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3968Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
3969
3970@item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3971@kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3972Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
3973@end table
3974
3975For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3976watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3977hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3978
3979When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
3980
3981@smallexample
3982Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
3983@end smallexample
3984
3985@noindent
3986if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
3987
3988Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
3989hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
3990value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
3991every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
3992that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
3993hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
3994will print a message like this:
3995
3996@smallexample
3997Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
3998@end smallexample
3999
4000Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
4001data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
4002watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
4003can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
4004cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
4005double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
4006wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
4007into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
4008
4009If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
4010to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
4011Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
4012time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
4013able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
4014warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
4015
4016@smallexample
4017Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
4018@end smallexample
4019
4020@noindent
4021If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
4022
4023Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
4024exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
4025That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
4026expression with separately allocated resources.
4027
4028If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
4029any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
4030kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
4031
4032@value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
4033(automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
4034they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
4035which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
4036being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
4037and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
4038rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
4039way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
4040@code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
4041
4042@cindex watchpoints and threads
4043@cindex threads and watchpoints
4044In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
4045watched expression from every thread.
4046
4047@quotation
4048@emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
4049have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
4050watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
4051single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
4052change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
4053confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
4054software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
4055when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
4056watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
4057@end quotation
4058
4059@xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
4060
4061@node Set Catchpoints
4062@subsection Setting Catchpoints
4063@cindex catchpoints, setting
4064@cindex exception handlers
4065@cindex event handling
4066
4067You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
4068kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
4069shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
4070
4071@table @code
4072@kindex catch
4073@item catch @var{event}
4074Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
4075
4076@table @code
4077@item throw @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4078@itemx rethrow @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4079@itemx catch @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4080@cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
4081The throwing, re-throwing, or catching of a C@t{++} exception.
4082
4083If @var{regexp} is given, then only exceptions whose type matches the
4084regular expression will be caught.
4085
4086@vindex $_exception@r{, convenience variable}
4087The convenience variable @code{$_exception} is available at an
4088exception-related catchpoint, on some systems. This holds the
4089exception being thrown.
4090
4091There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling in
4092@value{GDBN}:
4093
4094@itemize @bullet
4095@item
4096The support for these commands is system-dependent. Currently, only
4097systems using the @samp{gnu-v3} C@t{++} ABI (@pxref{ABI}) are
4098supported.
4099
4100@item
4101The regular expression feature and the @code{$_exception} convenience
4102variable rely on the presence of some SDT probes in @code{libstdc++}.
4103If these probes are not present, then these features cannot be used.
4104These probes were first available in the GCC 4.8 release, but whether
4105or not they are available in your GCC also depends on how it was
4106built.
4107
4108@item
4109The @code{$_exception} convenience variable is only valid at the
4110instruction at which an exception-related catchpoint is set.
4111
4112@item
4113When an exception-related catchpoint is hit, @value{GDBN} stops at a
4114location in the system library which implements runtime exception
4115support for C@t{++}, usually @code{libstdc++}. You can use @code{up}
4116(@pxref{Selection}) to get to your code.
4117
4118@item
4119If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4120control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4121raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4122returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4123simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4124that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4125you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4126disabled within interactive calls. @xref{Calling}, for information on
4127controlling this with @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception}.
4128
4129@item
4130You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4131
4132@item
4133You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4134@end itemize
4135
4136@item exception
4137@cindex Ada exception catching
4138@cindex catch Ada exceptions
4139An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
4140at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
4141the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
4142Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
4143
4144When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
4145name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
4146fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
4147@value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
4148rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
4149called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
4150the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
4151Pck.Constraint_Error}.
4152
4153@item exception unhandled
4154An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program.
4155
4156@item assert
4157A failed Ada assertion.
4158
4159@item exec
4160@cindex break on fork/exec
4161A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4162and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4163
4164@item syscall
4165@itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number}@r{]} @dots{}
4166@cindex break on a system call.
4167A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
4168syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
4169from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
4170@value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
4171debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
4172argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
4173will be caught.
4174
4175@var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
4176underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
4177GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
4178names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
4179
4180@c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
4181@c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
4182@c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
4183@c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
4184
4185Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
4186each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
4187facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
4188available choices.
4189
4190You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
4191number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
4192identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
4193name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
4194into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
4195may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
4196list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
4197behind the OS upgrades).
4198
4199The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
4200arguments to it:
4201
4202@smallexample
4203(@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4204Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4205(@value{GDBP}) r
4206Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4207
4208Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
4209 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4210(@value{GDBP}) c
4211Continuing.
4212
4213Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
4214 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4215(@value{GDBP})
4216@end smallexample
4217
4218Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
4219
4220@smallexample
4221(@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
4222Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
4223(@value{GDBP}) r
4224Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4225
4226Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
4227 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4228(@value{GDBP}) c
4229Continuing.
4230
4231Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
4232 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4233(@value{GDBP})
4234@end smallexample
4235
4236An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
4237below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
4238file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
4239
4240@smallexample
4241(@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4242Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4243(@value{GDBP}) r
4244Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4245
4246Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4247 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4248(@value{GDBP}) c
4249Continuing.
4250
4251Program exited normally.
4252(@value{GDBP})
4253@end smallexample
4254
4255However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4256in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4257a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4258but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4259
4260@smallexample
4261(@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4262warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4263Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4264(@value{GDBP})
4265@end smallexample
4266
4267If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4268it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4269architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4270you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4271notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4272name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4273
4274@smallexample
4275(@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4276warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4277warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4278GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4279Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4280(@value{GDBP})
4281@end smallexample
4282
4283Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4284
4285Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4286number. In this case, you would see something like:
4287
4288@smallexample
4289(@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4290Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
4291@end smallexample
4292
4293Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
4294
4295@item fork
4296A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4297and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4298
4299@item vfork
4300A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4301and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4302
4303@item load @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4304@itemx unload @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4305The loading or unloading of a shared library. If @var{regexp} is
4306given, then the catchpoint will stop only if the regular expression
4307matches one of the affected libraries.
4308
4309@item signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
4310The delivery of a signal.
4311
4312With no arguments, this catchpoint will catch any signal that is not
4313used internally by @value{GDBN}, specifically, all signals except
4314@samp{SIGTRAP} and @samp{SIGINT}.
4315
4316With the argument @samp{all}, all signals, including those used by
4317@value{GDBN}, will be caught. This argument cannot be used with other
4318signal names.
4319
4320Otherwise, the arguments are a list of signal names as given to
4321@code{handle} (@pxref{Signals}). Only signals specified in this list
4322will be caught.
4323
4324One reason that @code{catch signal} can be more useful than
4325@code{handle} is that you can attach commands and conditions to the
4326catchpoint.
4327
4328When a signal is caught by a catchpoint, the signal's @code{stop} and
4329@code{print} settings, as specified by @code{handle}, are ignored.
4330However, whether the signal is still delivered to the inferior depends
4331on the @code{pass} setting; this can be changed in the catchpoint's
4332commands.
4333
4334@end table
4335
4336@item tcatch @var{event}
4337Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
4338automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
4339
4340@end table
4341
4342Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
4343
4344
4345@node Delete Breaks
4346@subsection Deleting Breakpoints
4347
4348@cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4349@cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4350It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4351catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
4352to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
4353breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
4354
4355With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
4356where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
4357delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
4358their breakpoint numbers.
4359
4360It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
4361automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
4362when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
4363
4364@table @code
4365@kindex clear
4366@item clear
4367Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
4368selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
4369the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
4370breakpoint where your program just stopped.
4371
4372@item clear @var{location}
4373Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
4374@xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
4375most useful ones are listed below:
4376
4377@table @code
4378@item clear @var{function}
4379@itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
4380Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
4381
4382@item clear @var{linenum}
4383@itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
4384Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
4385@var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
4386@end table
4387
4388@cindex delete breakpoints
4389@kindex delete
4390@kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
4391@item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4392Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
4393ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
4394breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
4395confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
4396@end table
4397
4398@node Disabling
4399@subsection Disabling Breakpoints
4400
4401@cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
4402Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
4403prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
4404it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
4405that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
4406
4407You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
4408the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
4409one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
4410print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
4411do not know which numbers to use.
4412
4413Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
4414affects all of its locations.
4415
4416A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of several
4417different states of enablement:
4418
4419@itemize @bullet
4420@item
4421Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
4422with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
4423@item
4424Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
4425@item
4426Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
4427disabled.
4428@item
4429Enabled for a count. The breakpoint stops your program for the next
4430N times, then becomes disabled.
4431@item
4432Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
4433immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
4434set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
4435@end itemize
4436
4437You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
4438watchpoints, and catchpoints:
4439
4440@table @code
4441@kindex disable
4442@kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
4443@item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4444Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
4445listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
4446options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
4447case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
4448@code{disable} as @code{dis}.
4449
4450@kindex enable
4451@item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4452Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
4453become effective once again in stopping your program.
4454
4455@item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
4456Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
4457of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
4458
4459@item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} count @var{count} @var{range}@dots{}
4460Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} records
4461@var{count} with each of the specified breakpoints, and decrements a
4462breakpoint's count when it is hit. When any count reaches 0,
4463@value{GDBN} disables that breakpoint. If a breakpoint has an ignore
4464count (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}), that will be
4465decremented to 0 before @var{count} is affected.
4466
4467@item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
4468Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
4469deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
4470Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
4471@end table
4472
4473@c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
4474@c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
4475Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4476,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
4477subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
4478the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
4479breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
4480breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
4481Stepping}.)
4482
4483@node Conditions
4484@subsection Break Conditions
4485@cindex conditional breakpoints
4486@cindex breakpoint conditions
4487
4488@c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
4489@c in particular for a watchpoint?
4490The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
4491specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
4492breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
4493programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
4494a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
4495and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
4496
4497This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
4498situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
4499when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
4500by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
4501@samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
4502
4503Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
4504since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
4505it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
4506and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
4507one.
4508
4509Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
4510your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
4511that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
4512format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
4513unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
4514that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
4515program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
4516breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
4517conditions for the
4518purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
4519(@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
4520
4521Breakpoint conditions can also be evaluated on the target's side if
4522the target supports it. Instead of evaluating the conditions locally,
4523@value{GDBN} encodes the expression into an agent expression
4524(@pxref{Agent Expressions}) suitable for execution on the target,
4525independently of @value{GDBN}. Global variables become raw memory
4526locations, locals become stack accesses, and so forth.
4527
4528In this case, @value{GDBN} will only be notified of a breakpoint trigger
4529when its condition evaluates to true. This mechanism may provide faster
4530response times depending on the performance characteristics of the target
4531since it does not need to keep @value{GDBN} informed about
4532every breakpoint trigger, even those with false conditions.
4533
4534Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
4535@samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
4536Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
4537with the @code{condition} command.
4538
4539You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
4540The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
4541@code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
4542catchpoint.
4543
4544@table @code
4545@kindex condition
4546@item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
4547Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
4548watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
4549breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
4550@var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
4551@code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
4552syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
4553referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
4554symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
4555prints an error message:
4556
4557@smallexample
4558No symbol "foo" in current context.
4559@end smallexample
4560
4561@noindent
4562@value{GDBN} does
4563not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
4564command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
4565@code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
4566
4567@item condition @var{bnum}
4568Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
4569an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
4570@end table
4571
4572@cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
4573A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
4574breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
4575useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
4576count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
4577is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
4578therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
4579ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
4580the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
4581value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
4582your program reaches it.
4583
4584@table @code
4585@kindex ignore
4586@item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
4587Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
4588The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
4589execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
4590takes no action.
4591
4592To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
4593a count of zero.
4594
4595When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
4596breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
4597@code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
4598Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
4599
4600If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
4601condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
4602@value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
4603
4604You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
4605as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
4606is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
4607Variables}.
4608@end table
4609
4610Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
4611
4612
4613@node Break Commands
4614@subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
4615
4616@cindex breakpoint commands
4617You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
4618commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
4619example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
4620enable other breakpoints.
4621
4622@table @code
4623@kindex commands
4624@kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
4625@item commands @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4626@itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
4627@itemx end
4628Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
4629themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
4630@code{end} to terminate the commands.
4631
4632To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
4633follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
4634
4635With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
4636watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
4637encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
4638command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
4639set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
4640@code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
4641creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
4642Expressions}).
4643@end table
4644
4645Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
4646disabled within a @var{command-list}.
4647
4648You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
4649use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
4650that resumes execution.
4651
4652Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
4653execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
4654(even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
4655another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
4656ambiguities about which list to execute.
4657
4658@kindex silent
4659If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
4660usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
4661be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
4662then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
4663see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
4664meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
4665
4666The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
4667print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
4668breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
4669
4670For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
4671value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
4672
4673@smallexample
4674break foo if x>0
4675commands
4676silent
4677printf "x is %d\n",x
4678cont
4679end
4680@end smallexample
4681
4682One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
4683you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
4684of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
4685erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
4686to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
4687so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
4688command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
4689
4690@smallexample
4691break 403
4692commands
4693silent
4694set x = y + 4
4695cont
4696end
4697@end smallexample
4698
4699@node Dynamic Printf
4700@subsection Dynamic Printf
4701
4702@cindex dynamic printf
4703@cindex dprintf
4704The dynamic printf command @code{dprintf} combines a breakpoint with
4705formatted printing of your program's data to give you the effect of
4706inserting @code{printf} calls into your program on-the-fly, without
4707having to recompile it.
4708
4709In its most basic form, the output goes to the GDB console. However,
4710you can set the variable @code{dprintf-style} for alternate handling.
4711For instance, you can ask to format the output by calling your
4712program's @code{printf} function. This has the advantage that the
4713characters go to the program's output device, so they can recorded in
4714redirects to files and so forth.
4715
4716If you are doing remote debugging with a stub or agent, you can also
4717ask to have the printf handled by the remote agent. In addition to
4718ensuring that the output goes to the remote program's device along
4719with any other output the program might produce, you can also ask that
4720the dprintf remain active even after disconnecting from the remote
4721target. Using the stub/agent is also more efficient, as it can do
4722everything without needing to communicate with @value{GDBN}.
4723
4724@table @code
4725@kindex dprintf
4726@item dprintf @var{location},@var{template},@var{expression}[,@var{expression}@dots{}]
4727Whenever execution reaches @var{location}, print the values of one or
4728more @var{expressions} under the control of the string @var{template}.
4729To print several values, separate them with commas.
4730
4731@item set dprintf-style @var{style}
4732Set the dprintf output to be handled in one of several different
4733styles enumerated below. A change of style affects all existing
4734dynamic printfs immediately. (If you need individual control over the
4735print commands, simply define normal breakpoints with
4736explicitly-supplied command lists.)
4737
4738@item gdb
4739@kindex dprintf-style gdb
4740Handle the output using the @value{GDBN} @code{printf} command.
4741
4742@item call
4743@kindex dprintf-style call
4744Handle the output by calling a function in your program (normally
4745@code{printf}).
4746
4747@item agent
4748@kindex dprintf-style agent
4749Have the remote debugging agent (such as @code{gdbserver}) handle
4750the output itself. This style is only available for agents that
4751support running commands on the target.
4752
4753@item set dprintf-function @var{function}
4754Set the function to call if the dprintf style is @code{call}. By
4755default its value is @code{printf}. You may set it to any expression.
4756that @value{GDBN} can evaluate to a function, as per the @code{call}
4757command.
4758
4759@item set dprintf-channel @var{channel}
4760Set a ``channel'' for dprintf. If set to a non-empty value,
4761@value{GDBN} will evaluate it as an expression and pass the result as
4762a first argument to the @code{dprintf-function}, in the manner of
4763@code{fprintf} and similar functions. Otherwise, the dprintf format
4764string will be the first argument, in the manner of @code{printf}.
4765
4766As an example, if you wanted @code{dprintf} output to go to a logfile
4767that is a standard I/O stream assigned to the variable @code{mylog},
4768you could do the following:
4769
4770@example
4771(gdb) set dprintf-style call
4772(gdb) set dprintf-function fprintf
4773(gdb) set dprintf-channel mylog
4774(gdb) dprintf 25,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob
4775Dprintf 1 at 0x123456: file main.c, line 25.
4776(gdb) info break
47771 dprintf keep y 0x00123456 in main at main.c:25
4778 call (void) fprintf (mylog,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob)
4779 continue
4780(gdb)
4781@end example
4782
4783Note that the @code{info break} displays the dynamic printf commands
4784as normal breakpoint commands; you can thus easily see the effect of
4785the variable settings.
4786
4787@item set disconnected-dprintf on
4788@itemx set disconnected-dprintf off
4789@kindex set disconnected-dprintf
4790Choose whether @code{dprintf} commands should continue to run if
4791@value{GDBN} has disconnected from the target. This only applies
4792if the @code{dprintf-style} is @code{agent}.
4793
4794@item show disconnected-dprintf off
4795@kindex show disconnected-dprintf
4796Show the current choice for disconnected @code{dprintf}.
4797
4798@end table
4799
4800@value{GDBN} does not check the validity of function and channel,
4801relying on you to supply values that are meaningful for the contexts
4802in which they are being used. For instance, the function and channel
4803may be the values of local variables, but if that is the case, then
4804all enabled dynamic prints must be at locations within the scope of
4805those locals. If evaluation fails, @value{GDBN} will report an error.
4806
4807@node Save Breakpoints
4808@subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
4809
4810To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
4811breakpoints}} command.
4812
4813@table @code
4814@kindex save breakpoints
4815@cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
4816@item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
4817This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
4818their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
4819suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
4820types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
4821tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
4822@code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
4823with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
4824because it may not be possible to access the context where the
4825watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
4826are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
4827breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
4828and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
4829that can no longer be recreated.
4830@end table
4831
4832@node Static Probe Points
4833@subsection Static Probe Points
4834
4835@cindex static probe point, SystemTap
4836@value{GDBN} supports @dfn{SDT} probes in the code. @acronym{SDT} stands
4837for Statically Defined Tracing, and the probes are designed to have a tiny
4838runtime code and data footprint, and no dynamic relocations. They are
4839usable from assembly, C and C@t{++} languages. See
4840@uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/UserSpaceProbeImplementation}
4841for a good reference on how the @acronym{SDT} probes are implemented.
4842
4843Currently, @code{SystemTap} (@uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/})
4844@acronym{SDT} probes are supported on ELF-compatible systems. See
4845@uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/AddingUserSpaceProbingToApps}
4846for more information on how to add @code{SystemTap} @acronym{SDT} probes
4847in your applications.
4848
4849@cindex semaphores on static probe points
4850Some probes have an associated semaphore variable; for instance, this
4851happens automatically if you defined your probe using a DTrace-style
4852@file{.d} file. If your probe has a semaphore, @value{GDBN} will
4853automatically enable it when you specify a breakpoint using the
4854@samp{-probe-stap} notation. But, if you put a breakpoint at a probe's
4855location by some other method (e.g., @code{break file:line}), then
4856@value{GDBN} will not automatically set the semaphore.
4857
4858You can examine the available static static probes using @code{info
4859probes}, with optional arguments:
4860
4861@table @code
4862@kindex info probes
4863@item info probes stap @r{[}@var{provider} @r{[}@var{name} @r{[}@var{objfile}@r{]}@r{]}@r{]}
4864If given, @var{provider} is a regular expression used to match against provider
4865names when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probes by all
4866probes from all providers are listed.
4867
4868If given, @var{name} is a regular expression to match against probe names
4869when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probe names are not
4870considered when deciding whether to display them.
4871
4872If given, @var{objfile} is a regular expression used to select which
4873object files (executable or shared libraries) to examine. If not
4874given, all object files are considered.
4875
4876@item info probes all
4877List the available static probes, from all types.
4878@end table
4879
4880@vindex $_probe_arg@r{, convenience variable}
4881A probe may specify up to twelve arguments. These are available at the
4882point at which the probe is defined---that is, when the current PC is
4883at the probe's location. The arguments are available using the
4884convenience variables (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
4885@code{$_probe_arg0}@dots{}@code{$_probe_arg11}. Each probe argument is
4886an integer of the appropriate size; types are not preserved. The
4887convenience variable @code{$_probe_argc} holds the number of arguments
4888at the current probe point.
4889
4890These variables are always available, but attempts to access them at
4891any location other than a probe point will cause @value{GDBN} to give
4892an error message.
4893
4894
4895@c @ifclear BARETARGET
4896@node Error in Breakpoints
4897@subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4898
4899If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
4900watchpoints, you will see this error message:
4901
4902@c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
4903@c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
4904@smallexample
4905Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
4906You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
4907@end smallexample
4908
4909@noindent
4910This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
4911only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
4912watchpoints it needs to insert.
4913
4914When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
4915hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
4916
4917@node Breakpoint-related Warnings
4918@subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4919@cindex breakpoint address adjusted
4920
4921Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
4922which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
4923@value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
4924with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
4925
4926One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
4927a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
4928bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
4929constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
4930bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
4931honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
4932first in the bundle.
4933
4934It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
4935instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
4936a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
4937another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
4938breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
4939printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
4940is hit.
4941
4942A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
4943that's been subject to address adjustment:
4944
4945@smallexample
4946warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
4947@end smallexample
4948
4949Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
4950internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
4951verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
4952desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
4953other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
4954E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
4955instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
4956cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
4957
4958@value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
4959adjusted breakpoints:
4960
4961@smallexample
4962warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
4963to 0x00010410.
4964@end smallexample
4965
4966When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
4967action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
4968frequently than expected.
4969
4970@node Continuing and Stepping
4971@section Continuing and Stepping
4972
4973@cindex stepping
4974@cindex continuing
4975@cindex resuming execution
4976@dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
4977completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
4978one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
4979line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
4980particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
4981your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
4982it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
4983@samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
4984
4985@table @code
4986@kindex continue
4987@kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
4988@kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
4989@item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4990@itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4991@itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4992Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
4993any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
4994@var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
4995ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
4996@code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
4997
4998The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
4999stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
5000@code{continue} is ignored.
5001
5002The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
5003debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
5004purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
5005@code{continue}.
5006@end table
5007
5008To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
5009(@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
5010calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
5011Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
5012
5013A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
5014(@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
5015beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
5016is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
5017and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
5018interesting, until you see the problem happen.
5019
5020@table @code
5021@kindex step
5022@kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
5023@item step
5024Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
5025line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
5026abbreviated @code{s}.
5027
5028@quotation
5029@c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
5030@c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
5031@c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
5032@c distinction here.
5033@emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
5034within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
5035execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
5036debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
5037is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
5038without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
5039below.
5040@end quotation
5041
5042The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
5043line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5044@code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
5045to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
5046the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
5047called within the line.
5048
5049Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
5050number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
5051@code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
5052on @acronym{MIPS} machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
5053was any debugging information about the routine.
5054
5055@item step @var{count}
5056Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
5057breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
5058@var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
5059
5060@kindex next
5061@kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
5062@item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5063Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
5064This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
5065the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
5066control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
5067that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
5068is abbreviated @code{n}.
5069
5070An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
5071
5072
5073@c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
5074@c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
5075@c
5076@c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
5077@c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
5078@c function are executed without stopping.
5079
5080The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
5081source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5082@code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
5083
5084@kindex set step-mode
5085@item set step-mode
5086@cindex functions without line info, and stepping
5087@cindex stepping into functions with no line info
5088@itemx set step-mode on
5089The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
5090stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
5091information rather than stepping over it.
5092
5093This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
5094machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
5095want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
5096
5097@item set step-mode off
5098Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
5099debug information. This is the default.
5100
5101@item show step-mode
5102Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
5103source line debug information.
5104
5105@kindex finish
5106@kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
5107@item finish
5108Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
5109returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
5110abbreviated as @code{fin}.
5111
5112Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
5113,Returning from a Function}).
5114
5115@kindex until
5116@kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
5117@cindex run until specified location
5118@item until
5119@itemx u
5120Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
5121current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
5122stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
5123command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
5124automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
5125than the address of the jump.
5126
5127This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
5128though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
5129exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
5130simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
5131through the next iteration.
5132
5133@code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
5134stack frame.
5135
5136@code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
5137of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
5138example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
5139(@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
5140@code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
5141
5142@smallexample
5143(@value{GDBP}) f
5144#0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
5145206 expand_input();
5146(@value{GDBP}) until
5147195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
5148@end smallexample
5149
5150This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
5151generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
5152start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
5153written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
5154to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
5155expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
5156statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
5157
5158@code{until} with no argument works by means of single
5159instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
5160argument.
5161
5162@item until @var{location}
5163@itemx u @var{location}
5164Continue running your program until either the specified location is
5165reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
5166the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
5167This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
5168hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
5169location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
5170implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
5171invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
5172line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
5173line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
5174invocations have returned.
5175
5176@smallexample
517794 int factorial (int value)
517895 @{
517996 if (value > 1) @{
518097 value *= factorial (value - 1);
518198 @}
518299 return (value);
5183100 @}
5184@end smallexample
5185
5186
5187@kindex advance @var{location}
5188@item advance @var{location}
5189Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
5190required, which should be of one of the forms described in
5191@ref{Specify Location}.
5192Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
5193frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
5194not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
5195have to be in the same frame as the current one.
5196
5197
5198@kindex stepi
5199@kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
5200@item stepi
5201@itemx stepi @var{arg}
5202@itemx si
5203Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
5204
5205It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
5206instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
5207instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
5208Display,, Automatic Display}.
5209
5210An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
5211
5212@need 750
5213@kindex nexti
5214@kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
5215@item nexti
5216@itemx nexti @var{arg}
5217@itemx ni
5218Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
5219proceed until the function returns.
5220
5221An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
5222
5223@end table
5224
5225@anchor{range stepping}
5226@cindex range stepping
5227@cindex target-assisted range stepping
5228By default, and if available, @value{GDBN} makes use of
5229target-assisted @dfn{range stepping}. In other words, whenever you
5230use a stepping command (e.g., @code{step}, @code{next}), @value{GDBN}
5231tells the target to step the corresponding range of instruction
5232addresses instead of issuing multiple single-steps. This speeds up
5233line stepping, particularly for remote targets. Ideally, there should
5234be no reason you would want to turn range stepping off. However, it's
5235possible that a bug in the debug info, a bug in the remote stub (for
5236remote targets), or even a bug in @value{GDBN} could make line
5237stepping behave incorrectly when target-assisted range stepping is
5238enabled. You can use the following command to turn off range stepping
5239if necessary:
5240
5241@table @code
5242@kindex set range-stepping
5243@kindex show range-stepping
5244@item set range-stepping
5245@itemx show range-stepping
5246Control whether range stepping is enabled.
5247
5248If @code{on}, and the target supports it, @value{GDBN} tells the
5249target to step a range of addresses itself, instead of issuing
5250multiple single-steps. If @code{off}, @value{GDBN} always issues
5251single-steps, even if range stepping is supported by the target. The
5252default is @code{on}.
5253
5254@end table
5255
5256@node Skipping Over Functions and Files
5257@section Skipping Over Functions and Files
5258@cindex skipping over functions and files
5259
5260The program you are debugging may contain some functions which are
5261uninteresting to debug. The @code{skip} comand lets you tell @value{GDBN} to
5262skip a function or all functions in a file when stepping.
5263
5264For example, consider the following C function:
5265
5266@smallexample
5267101 int func()
5268102 @{
5269103 foo(boring());
5270104 bar(boring());
5271105 @}
5272@end smallexample
5273
5274@noindent
5275Suppose you wish to step into the functions @code{foo} and @code{bar}, but you
5276are not interested in stepping through @code{boring}. If you run @code{step}
5277at line 103, you'll enter @code{boring()}, but if you run @code{next}, you'll
5278step over both @code{foo} and @code{boring}!
5279
5280One solution is to @code{step} into @code{boring} and use the @code{finish}
5281command to immediately exit it. But this can become tedious if @code{boring}
5282is called from many places.
5283
5284A more flexible solution is to execute @kbd{skip boring}. This instructs
5285@value{GDBN} never to step into @code{boring}. Now when you execute
5286@code{step} at line 103, you'll step over @code{boring} and directly into
5287@code{foo}.
5288
5289You can also instruct @value{GDBN} to skip all functions in a file, with, for
5290example, @code{skip file boring.c}.
5291
5292@table @code
5293@kindex skip function
5294@item skip @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5295@itemx skip function @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5296After running this command, the function named by @var{linespec} or the
5297function containing the line named by @var{linespec} will be skipped over when
5298stepping. @xref{Specify Location}.
5299
5300If you do not specify @var{linespec}, the function you're currently debugging
5301will be skipped.
5302
5303(If you have a function called @code{file} that you want to skip, use
5304@kbd{skip function file}.)
5305
5306@kindex skip file
5307@item skip file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
5308After running this command, any function whose source lives in @var{filename}
5309will be skipped over when stepping.
5310
5311If you do not specify @var{filename}, functions whose source lives in the file
5312you're currently debugging will be skipped.
5313@end table
5314
5315Skips can be listed, deleted, disabled, and enabled, much like breakpoints.
5316These are the commands for managing your list of skips:
5317
5318@table @code
5319@kindex info skip
5320@item info skip @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5321Print details about the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified,
5322print a table with details about all functions and files marked for skipping.
5323@code{info skip} prints the following information about each skip:
5324
5325@table @emph
5326@item Identifier
5327A number identifying this skip.
5328@item Type
5329The type of this skip, either @samp{function} or @samp{file}.
5330@item Enabled or Disabled
5331Enabled skips are marked with @samp{y}. Disabled skips are marked with @samp{n}.
5332@item Address
5333For function skips, this column indicates the address in memory of the function
5334being skipped. If you've set a function skip on a function which has not yet
5335been loaded, this field will contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Once a shared library
5336which has the function is loaded, @code{info skip} will show the function's
5337address here.
5338@item What
5339For file skips, this field contains the filename being skipped. For functions
5340skips, this field contains the function name and its line number in the file
5341where it is defined.
5342@end table
5343
5344@kindex skip delete
5345@item skip delete @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5346Delete the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, delete all
5347skips.
5348
5349@kindex skip enable
5350@item skip enable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5351Enable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, enable all
5352skips.
5353
5354@kindex skip disable
5355@item skip disable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5356Disable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, disable all
5357skips.
5358
5359@end table
5360
5361@node Signals
5362@section Signals
5363@cindex signals
5364
5365A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
5366operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
5367kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
5368signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
5369@code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
5370memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
5371the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
5372requested an alarm).
5373
5374@cindex fatal signals
5375Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
5376functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
5377errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
5378program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
5379@code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
5380fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
5381
5382@value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
5383program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
5384signal.
5385
5386@cindex handling signals
5387Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
5388@code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
5389(so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
5390but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
5391You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
5392
5393@table @code
5394@kindex info signals
5395@kindex info handle
5396@item info signals
5397@itemx info handle
5398Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
5399handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
5400the defined types of signals.
5401
5402@item info signals @var{sig}
5403Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
5404
5405@code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
5406
5407@item catch signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
5408Set a catchpoint for the indicated signals. @xref{Set Catchpoints},
5409for details about this command.
5410
5411@kindex handle
5412@item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
5413Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
5414can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
5415@samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
5416@samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
5417known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
5418say what change to make.
5419@end table
5420
5421@c @group
5422The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
5423Their full names are:
5424
5425@table @code
5426@item nostop
5427@value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
5428still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
5429
5430@item stop
5431@value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
5432the @code{print} keyword as well.
5433
5434@item print
5435@value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
5436
5437@item noprint
5438@value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
5439implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
5440
5441@item pass
5442@itemx noignore
5443@value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
5444can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
5445and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
5446
5447@item nopass
5448@itemx ignore
5449@value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
5450@code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
5451@end table
5452@c @end group
5453
5454When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
5455program until you
5456continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
5457effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
5458after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
5459command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
5460program sees that signal when you continue.
5461
5462The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
5463non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
5464@code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
5465erroneous signals.
5466
5467You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
5468seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
5469or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
5470due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
5471values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
5472execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
5473a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
5474you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
5475Program a Signal}.
5476
5477@cindex extra signal information
5478@anchor{extra signal information}
5479
5480On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
5481associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
5482delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
5483by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
5484that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
5485receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
5486target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
5487$_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
5488standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
5489system header.
5490
5491Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
5492referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
5493
5494@smallexample
5495@group
5496(@value{GDBP}) continue
5497Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
54980x0000000000400766 in main ()
549969 *(int *)p = 0;
5500(@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
5501type = struct @{
5502 int si_signo;
5503 int si_errno;
5504 int si_code;
5505 union @{
5506 int _pad[28];
5507 struct @{...@} _kill;
5508 struct @{...@} _timer;
5509 struct @{...@} _rt;
5510 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
5511 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
5512 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
5513 @} _sifields;
5514@}
5515(@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
5516type = struct @{
5517 void *si_addr;
5518@}
5519(@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
5520$1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
5521@end group
5522@end smallexample
5523
5524Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
5525
5526@node Thread Stops
5527@section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
5528
5529@cindex stopped threads
5530@cindex threads, stopped
5531
5532@cindex continuing threads
5533@cindex threads, continuing
5534
5535@value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
5536(@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
5537are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
5538debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
5539when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
5540or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
5541@value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
5542@dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
5543you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
5544
5545@menu
5546* All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
5547* Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
5548* Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
5549* Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
5550* Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
5551* Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
5552@end menu
5553
5554@node All-Stop Mode
5555@subsection All-Stop Mode
5556
5557@cindex all-stop mode
5558
5559In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
5560@emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
5561allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
5562switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
5563underfoot.
5564
5565Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
5566executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
5567like @code{step} or @code{next}.
5568
5569In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
5570Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
5571system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
5572execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
5573single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
5574statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
5575stops.
5576
5577You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
5578continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
5579thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
5580first thread completes whatever you requested.
5581
5582@cindex automatic thread selection
5583@cindex switching threads automatically
5584@cindex threads, automatic switching
5585Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
5586signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
5587signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
5588message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
5589thread.
5590
5591On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
5592locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
5593
5594@table @code
5595@item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
5596@cindex scheduler locking mode
5597@cindex lock scheduler
5598Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
5599locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
5600current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
5601mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other threads
5602from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so that
5603the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly.
5604Other threads only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
5605when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
5606function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
5607like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
5608thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change
5609the current thread away from the thread that you are debugging.
5610
5611@item show scheduler-locking
5612Display the current scheduler locking mode.
5613@end table
5614
5615@cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
5616By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
5617@code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
5618threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
5619is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
5620@code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
5621inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
5622forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
5623it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
5624situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
5625of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
5626to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
5627you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
5628inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
5629
5630@table @code
5631@kindex set schedule-multiple
5632@item set schedule-multiple
5633Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
5634when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
5635all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
5636of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
5637@code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
5638or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
5639
5640@item show schedule-multiple
5641Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
5642multiple processes.
5643@end table
5644
5645@node Non-Stop Mode
5646@subsection Non-Stop Mode
5647
5648@cindex non-stop mode
5649
5650@c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
5651@c with more details.
5652
5653For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
5654mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
5655the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
5656minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
5657where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
5658respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
5659
5660In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
5661@emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
5662threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
5663execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
5664only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
5665in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
5666ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
5667one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
5668one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
5669independently and simultaneously.
5670
5671To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
5672or attach to your program:
5673
5674@smallexample
5675# Enable the async interface.
5676set target-async 1
5677
5678# If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
5679set pagination off
5680
5681# Finally, turn it on!
5682set non-stop on
5683@end smallexample
5684
5685You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
5686
5687@table @code
5688@kindex set non-stop
5689@item set non-stop on
5690Enable selection of non-stop mode.
5691@item set non-stop off
5692Disable selection of non-stop mode.
5693@kindex show non-stop
5694@item show non-stop
5695Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
5696@end table
5697
5698Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
5699not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
5700In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
5701@value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
5702not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
5703since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
5704non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
5705default.
5706
5707In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
5708by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
5709To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
5710
5711You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
5712(@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
5713while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
5714The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
5715always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
5716
5717Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
5718running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
5719In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
5720but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
5721To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
5722
5723Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
5724
5725In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
5726that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
5727thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
5728command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
5729changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
5730previously current thread.
5731
5732@node Background Execution
5733@subsection Background Execution
5734
5735@cindex foreground execution
5736@cindex background execution
5737@cindex asynchronous execution
5738@cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
5739
5740@value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
5741foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
5742(asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
5743the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
5744another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
5745a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
5746
5747You need to explicitly enable asynchronous mode before you can use
5748background execution commands. You can use these commands to
5749manipulate the asynchronous mode setting:
5750
5751@table @code
5752@kindex set target-async
5753@item set target-async on
5754Enable asynchronous mode.
5755@item set target-async off
5756Disable asynchronous mode.
5757@kindex show target-async
5758@item show target-async
5759Show the current target-async setting.
5760@end table
5761
5762If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
5763message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
5764
5765To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
5766the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
5767just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
5768are:
5769
5770@table @code
5771@kindex run&
5772@item run
5773@xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
5774
5775@item attach
5776@kindex attach&
5777@xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
5778
5779@item step
5780@kindex step&
5781@xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
5782
5783@item stepi
5784@kindex stepi&
5785@xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
5786
5787@item next
5788@kindex next&
5789@xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
5790
5791@item nexti
5792@kindex nexti&
5793@xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
5794
5795@item continue
5796@kindex continue&
5797@xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
5798
5799@item finish
5800@kindex finish&
5801@xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
5802
5803@item until
5804@kindex until&
5805@xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
5806
5807@end table
5808
5809Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
5810mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
5811However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
5812the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
5813previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
5814mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
5815
5816You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
5817using the @code{interrupt} command.
5818
5819@table @code
5820@kindex interrupt
5821@item interrupt
5822@itemx interrupt -a
5823
5824Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
5825@code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
5826only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
5827use @code{interrupt -a}.
5828@end table
5829
5830@node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5831@subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5832
5833When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
5834Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
5835breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
5836
5837@table @code
5838@cindex breakpoints and threads
5839@cindex thread breakpoints
5840@kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
5841@item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
5842@itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
5843@var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
5844writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
5845specify some source line.
5846
5847Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
5848to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
5849particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
5850numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
5851column of the @samp{info threads} display.
5852
5853If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
5854breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
5855program.
5856
5857You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
5858well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before or
5859after the breakpoint condition, like this:
5860
5861@smallexample
5862(@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
5863@end smallexample
5864
5865@end table
5866
5867@node Interrupted System Calls
5868@subsection Interrupted System Calls
5869
5870@cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
5871@cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
5872@cindex premature return from system calls
5873There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
5874multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
5875breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
5876system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
5877consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
5878that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
5879stop execution.
5880
5881To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
5882each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
5883style anyways.
5884
5885For example, do not write code like this:
5886
5887@smallexample
5888 sleep (10);
5889@end smallexample
5890
5891The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
5892at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
5893
5894Instead, write this:
5895
5896@smallexample
5897 int unslept = 10;
5898 while (unslept > 0)
5899 unslept = sleep (unslept);
5900@end smallexample
5901
5902A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
5903conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
5904multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
5905@value{GDBN}.
5906
5907Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
5908monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
5909When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
5910prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
5911
5912@node Observer Mode
5913@subsection Observer Mode
5914
5915If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
5916without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
5917variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
5918whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
5919at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
5920
5921When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
5922be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
5923@code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
5924mode.
5925
5926Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
5927combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
5928@code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
5929then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
5930stream will still not be able to be placed.
5931
5932@table @code
5933
5934@kindex observer
5935@item set observer on
5936@itemx set observer off
5937When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
5938below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
5939non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
5940normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
5941
5942@item show observer
5943Show whether observer mode is on or off.
5944
5945@kindex may-write-registers
5946@item set may-write-registers on
5947@itemx set may-write-registers off
5948This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
5949registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
5950@code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
5951
5952@item show may-write-registers
5953Show the current permission to write registers.
5954
5955@kindex may-write-memory
5956@item set may-write-memory on
5957@itemx set may-write-memory off
5958This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
5959of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
5960defaults to @code{on}.
5961
5962@item show may-write-memory
5963Show the current permission to write memory.
5964
5965@kindex may-insert-breakpoints
5966@item set may-insert-breakpoints on
5967@itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
5968This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
5969This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
5970by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5971
5972@item show may-insert-breakpoints
5973Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
5974
5975@kindex may-insert-tracepoints
5976@item set may-insert-tracepoints on
5977@itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
5978This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
5979tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5980non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
5981@code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5982
5983@item show may-insert-tracepoints
5984Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
5985
5986@kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5987@item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
5988@itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
5989This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
5990tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5991fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
5992control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5993
5994@item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5995Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
5996
5997@kindex may-interrupt
5998@item set may-interrupt on
5999@itemx set may-interrupt off
6000This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
6001program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
6002@code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
6003@kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6004
6005@item show may-interrupt
6006Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
6007
6008@end table
6009
6010@node Reverse Execution
6011@chapter Running programs backward
6012@cindex reverse execution
6013@cindex running programs backward
6014
6015When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
6016you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
6017If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
6018``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
6019
6020A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
6021to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
6022program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
6023revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
6024deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
6025all target environments can support reverse execution.
6026
6027When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
6028have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
6029order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
6030thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
6031the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
6032instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
6033a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
6034should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
6035prior values@footnote{
6036Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
6037memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
6038targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
6039
6040The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
6041requires only that the target do something reasonable when
6042@value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
6043results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
6044@value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
6045assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
6046consistant state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
6047}.
6048
6049If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
6050reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
6051
6052@table @code
6053@kindex reverse-continue
6054@kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
6055@item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
6056@itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
6057Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
6058in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
6059exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
6060asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
6061
6062@kindex reverse-step
6063@kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
6064@item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6065Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
6066different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
6067
6068Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
6069at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
6070executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
6071debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
6072the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
6073statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
6074
6075Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
6076called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
6077
6078@kindex reverse-stepi
6079@kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
6080@item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6081Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
6082to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
6083counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
6084if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
6085back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
6086
6087@kindex reverse-next
6088@kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
6089@item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6090Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
6091the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
6092calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
6093the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
6094to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
6095just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
6096line of a function back to its return to its caller
6097@footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
6098
6099@kindex reverse-nexti
6100@kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
6101@item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6102Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
6103in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
6104That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
6105another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
6106in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
6107frame) is reached.
6108
6109@kindex reverse-finish
6110@item reverse-finish
6111Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
6112current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
6113where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
6114function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
6115
6116@kindex set exec-direction
6117@item set exec-direction
6118Set the direction of target execution.
6119@item set exec-direction reverse
6120@cindex execute forward or backward in time
6121@value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
6122exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
6123@code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
6124command cannot be used in reverse mode.
6125@item set exec-direction forward
6126@value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
6127This is the default.
6128@end table
6129
6130
6131@node Process Record and Replay
6132@chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
6133@cindex process record and replay
6134@cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
6135
6136On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
6137and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
6138replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
6139
6140@cindex replay mode
6141When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
6142for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
6143mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
6144instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
6145code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
6146really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
6147program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
6148changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
6149execution log.
6150
6151@cindex record mode
6152If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
6153@value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
6154inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
6155for future replay.
6156
6157The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
6158(@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
6159inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
6160this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
6161log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
6162support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
6163
6164When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
6165replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
6166previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
6167platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
6168
6169For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
6170@value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
6171
6172@table @code
6173@kindex target record
6174@kindex target record-full
6175@kindex target record-btrace
6176@kindex record
6177@kindex record full
6178@kindex record btrace
6179@kindex rec
6180@kindex rec full
6181@kindex rec btrace
6182@item record @var{method}
6183This command starts the process record and replay target. The
6184recording method can be specified as parameter. Without a parameter
6185the command uses the @code{full} recording method. The following
6186recording methods are available:
6187
6188@table @code
6189@item full
6190Full record/replay recording using @value{GDBN}'s software record and
6191replay implementation. This method allows replaying and reverse
6192execution.
6193
6194@item btrace
6195Hardware-supported instruction recording. This method does not allow
6196replaying and reverse execution.
6197
6198This recording method may not be available on all processors.
6199@end table
6200
6201The process record and replay target can only debug a process that is
6202already running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with
6203the @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording
6204with the @kbd{record @var{method}} command.
6205
6206Both @code{record @var{method}} and @code{rec @var{method}} are
6207aliases of @code{target record-@var{method}}.
6208
6209@cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
6210Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
6211will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
6212is started. That's because the process record and replay target
6213doesn't support displaced stepping.
6214
6215@cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
6216@cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
6217If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
6218the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), not
6219all recording methods are available. The @code{full} recording method
6220does not support these two modes.
6221
6222@kindex record stop
6223@kindex rec s
6224@item record stop
6225Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
6226replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
6227inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
6228
6229When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
6230the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
6231next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
6232you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
6233will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
6234
6235On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
6236while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
6237but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
6238at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
6239usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
6240
6241When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
6242process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
6243
6244@kindex record goto
6245@item record goto
6246Go to a specific location in the execution log. There are several
6247ways to specify the location to go to:
6248
6249@table @code
6250@item record goto begin
6251@itemx record goto start
6252Go to the beginning of the execution log.
6253
6254@item record goto end
6255Go to the end of the execution log.
6256
6257@item record goto @var{n}
6258Go to instruction number @var{n} in the execution log.
6259@end table
6260
6261@kindex record save
6262@item record save @var{filename}
6263Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6264Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
6265@var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
6266
6267This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6268
6269@kindex record restore
6270@item record restore @var{filename}
6271Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6272File must have been created with @code{record save}.
6273
6274@kindex set record full
6275@item set record full insn-number-max @var{limit}
6276@itemx set record full insn-number-max unlimited
6277Set the limit of instructions to be recorded for the @code{full}
6278recording method. Default value is 200000.
6279
6280If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
6281deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
6282instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
6283instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
6284instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
6285(Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
6286lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
6287the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
6288
6289If @var{limit} is @code{unlimited} or zero, @value{GDBN} will never
6290delete recorded instructions from the execution log. The number of
6291recorded instructions is limited only by the available memory.
6292
6293@kindex show record full
6294@item show record full insn-number-max
6295Show the limit of instructions to be recorded with the @code{full}
6296recording method.
6297
6298@item set record full stop-at-limit
6299Control the behavior of the @code{full} recording method when the
6300number of recorded instructions reaches the limit. If ON (the
6301default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit is reached for the
6302first time and ask you whether you want to stop the inferior or
6303continue running it and recording the execution log. If you decide
6304to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will cause the
6305oldest one to be deleted.
6306
6307If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
6308oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
6309
6310@item show record full stop-at-limit
6311Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
6312
6313@item set record full memory-query
6314Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
6315changes caused by an instruction for the @code{full} recording method.
6316If ON, @value{GDBN} will query whether to stop the inferior in that
6317case.
6318
6319If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
6320ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
6321@value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
6322instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
6323results.
6324
6325@item show record full memory-query
6326Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
6327
6328@kindex info record
6329@item info record
6330Show various statistics about the recording depending on the recording
6331method:
6332
6333@table @code
6334@item full
6335For the @code{full} recording method, it shows the state of process
6336record and its in-memory execution log buffer, including:
6337
6338@itemize @bullet
6339@item
6340Whether in record mode or replay mode.
6341@item
6342Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
6343@item
6344Highest recorded instruction number.
6345@item
6346Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
6347@item
6348Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
6349@item
6350Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
6351@end itemize
6352
6353@item btrace
6354For the @code{btrace} recording method, it shows the number of
6355instructions that have been recorded and the number of blocks of
6356sequential control-flow that is formed by the recorded instructions.
6357@end table
6358
6359@kindex record delete
6360@kindex rec del
6361@item record delete
6362When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
6363subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
6364from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
6365recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
6366
6367@kindex record instruction-history
6368@kindex rec instruction-history
6369@item record instruction-history
6370Disassembles instructions from the recorded execution log. By
6371default, ten instructions are disassembled. This can be changed using
6372the @code{set record instruction-history-size} command. Instructions
6373are printed in execution order. There are several ways to specify
6374what part of the execution log to disassemble:
6375
6376@table @code
6377@item record instruction-history @var{insn}
6378Disassembles ten instructions starting from instruction number
6379@var{insn}.
6380
6381@item record instruction-history @var{insn}, +/-@var{n}
6382Disassembles @var{n} instructions around instruction number
6383@var{insn}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, disassembles
6384@var{n} instructions after instruction number @var{insn}. If
6385@var{n} is preceded with @code{-}, disassembles @var{n}
6386instructions before instruction number @var{insn}.
6387
6388@item record instruction-history
6389Disassembles ten more instructions after the last disassembly.
6390
6391@item record instruction-history -
6392Disassembles ten more instructions before the last disassembly.
6393
6394@item record instruction-history @var{begin} @var{end}
6395Disassembles instructions beginning with instruction number
6396@var{begin} until instruction number @var{end}. The instruction
6397number @var{end} is not included.
6398@end table
6399
6400This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6401
6402@kindex set record
6403@item set record instruction-history-size @var{size}
6404@itemx set record instruction-history-size unlimited
6405Define how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
6406instruction-history} command. The default value is 10.
6407A @var{size} of @code{unlimited} means unlimited instructions.
6408
6409@kindex show record
6410@item show record instruction-history-size
6411Show how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
6412instruction-history} command.
6413
6414@kindex record function-call-history
6415@kindex rec function-call-history
6416@item record function-call-history
6417Prints the execution history at function granularity. It prints one
6418line for each sequence of instructions that belong to the same
6419function giving the name of that function, the source lines
6420for this instruction sequence (if the @code{/l} modifier is
6421specified), and the instructions numbers that form the sequence (if
6422the @code{/i} modifier is specified).
6423
6424@smallexample
6425(@value{GDBP}) @b{list 1, 10}
64261 void foo (void)
64272 @{
64283 @}
64294
64305 void bar (void)
64316 @{
64327 ...
64338 foo ();
64349 ...
643510 @}
6436(@value{GDBP}) @b{record function-call-history /l}
64371 foo.c:6-8 bar
64382 foo.c:2-3 foo
64393 foo.c:9-10 bar
6440@end smallexample
6441
6442By default, ten lines are printed. This can be changed using the
6443@code{set record function-call-history-size} command. Functions are
6444printed in execution order. There are several ways to specify what
6445to print:
6446
6447@table @code
6448@item record function-call-history @var{func}
6449Prints ten functions starting from function number @var{func}.
6450
6451@item record function-call-history @var{func}, +/-@var{n}
6452Prints @var{n} functions around function number @var{func}. If
6453@var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, prints @var{n} functions after
6454function number @var{func}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{-},
6455prints @var{n} functions before function number @var{func}.
6456
6457@item record function-call-history
6458Prints ten more functions after the last ten-line print.
6459
6460@item record function-call-history -
6461Prints ten more functions before the last ten-line print.
6462
6463@item record function-call-history @var{begin} @var{end}
6464Prints functions beginning with function number @var{begin} until
6465function number @var{end}. The function number @var{end} is not
6466included.
6467@end table
6468
6469This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6470
6471@item set record function-call-history-size @var{size}
6472@itemx set record function-call-history-size unlimited
6473Define how many lines to print in the
6474@code{record function-call-history} command. The default value is 10.
6475A size of @code{unlimited} means unlimited lines.
6476
6477@item show record function-call-history-size
6478Show how many lines to print in the
6479@code{record function-call-history} command.
6480@end table
6481
6482
6483@node Stack
6484@chapter Examining the Stack
6485
6486When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
6487stopped and how it got there.
6488
6489@cindex call stack
6490Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
6491is generated.
6492That information includes the location of the call in your program,
6493the arguments of the call,
6494and the local variables of the function being called.
6495The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
6496The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
6497stack}.
6498
6499When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
6500stack allow you to see all of this information.
6501
6502@cindex selected frame
6503One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
6504@value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
6505particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
6506your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
6507special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
6508interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6509
6510When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
6511currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
6512@code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
6513
6514@menu
6515* Frames:: Stack frames
6516* Backtrace:: Backtraces
6517* Frame Filter Management:: Managing frame filters
6518* Selection:: Selecting a frame
6519* Frame Info:: Information on a frame
6520
6521@end menu
6522
6523@node Frames
6524@section Stack Frames
6525
6526@cindex frame, definition
6527@cindex stack frame
6528The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
6529frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
6530with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
6531to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
6532which the function is executing.
6533
6534@cindex initial frame
6535@cindex outermost frame
6536@cindex innermost frame
6537When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
6538function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
6539@dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
6540made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
6541is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
6542the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
6543actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
6544recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
6545
6546@cindex frame pointer
6547Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
6548stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
6549kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
6550address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
6551in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
6552(@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
6553
6554@cindex frame number
6555@value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
6556zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
6557and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
6558they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
6559frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
6560
6561@c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
6562@c underflow problems.
6563@cindex frameless execution
6564Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
6565without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
6566@smallexample
6567@samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
6568@end smallexample
6569generates functions without a frame.)
6570This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
6571the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
6572with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
6573has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
6574it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
6575correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
6576no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
6577
6578@table @code
6579@kindex frame@r{, command}
6580@cindex current stack frame
6581@item frame @var{args}
6582The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
6583and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
6584address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
6585@code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
6586
6587@kindex select-frame
6588@cindex selecting frame silently
6589@item select-frame
6590The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
6591to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
6592@code{frame}.
6593@end table
6594
6595@node Backtrace
6596@section Backtraces
6597
6598@cindex traceback
6599@cindex call stack traces
6600A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
6601line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
6602frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
6603stack.
6604
6605@anchor{backtrace-command}
6606@table @code
6607@kindex backtrace
6608@kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
6609@item backtrace
6610@itemx bt
6611Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
6612frames in the stack.
6613
6614You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
6615character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
6616
6617@item backtrace @var{n}
6618@itemx bt @var{n}
6619Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
6620
6621@item backtrace -@var{n}
6622@itemx bt -@var{n}
6623Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
6624
6625@item backtrace full
6626@itemx bt full
6627@itemx bt full @var{n}
6628@itemx bt full -@var{n}
6629Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
6630number of frames to print, as described above.
6631
6632@item backtrace no-filters
6633@itemx bt no-filters
6634@itemx bt no-filters @var{n}
6635@itemx bt no-filters -@var{n}
6636@itemx bt no-filters full
6637@itemx bt no-filters full @var{n}
6638@itemx bt no-filters full -@var{n}
6639Do not run Python frame filters on this backtrace. @xref{Frame
6640Filter API}, for more information. Additionally use @ref{disable
6641frame-filter all} to turn off all frame filters. This is only
6642relevant when @value{GDBN} has been configured with @code{Python}
6643support.
6644@end table
6645
6646@kindex where
6647@kindex info stack
6648The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
6649are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
6650
6651@cindex multiple threads, backtrace
6652In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
6653backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
6654several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
6655(@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
6656apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
6657the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
6658multi-threaded program.
6659
6660Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
6661The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
6662print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
6663line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
6664counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
6665line number.
6666
6667Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
6668@samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
6669
6670@smallexample
6671@group
6672#0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6673 at builtin.c:993
6674#1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
6675#2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
6676 at macro.c:71
6677(More stack frames follow...)
6678@end group
6679@end smallexample
6680
6681@noindent
6682The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
6683value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
6684code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
6685
6686@noindent
6687The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
6688@code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
6689only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
6690@kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
6691on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
6692
6693@cindex optimized out, in backtrace
6694@cindex function call arguments, optimized out
6695If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
6696optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
6697never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
6698passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
6699in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
6700arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
6701such a backtrace might look like:
6702
6703@smallexample
6704@group
6705#0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6706 at builtin.c:993
6707#1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<optimized out>) at macro.c:242
6708#2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
6709 at macro.c:71
6710(More stack frames follow...)
6711@end group
6712@end smallexample
6713
6714@noindent
6715The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
6716shown as @samp{<optimized out>}.
6717
6718If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
6719either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
6720you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
6721
6722@cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
6723@cindex program entry point
6724@cindex startup code, and backtrace
6725Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
6726libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
6727@code{main}@footnote{
6728Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
6729environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
6730entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
6731When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
6732it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
6733system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
6734
6735If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
6736in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
6737
6738@table @code
6739@item set backtrace past-main
6740@itemx set backtrace past-main on
6741@kindex set backtrace
6742Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
6743
6744@item set backtrace past-main off
6745Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
6746default.
6747
6748@item show backtrace past-main
6749@kindex show backtrace
6750Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
6751
6752@item set backtrace past-entry
6753@itemx set backtrace past-entry on
6754Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
6755This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
6756and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
6757
6758@item set backtrace past-entry off
6759Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
6760application. This is the default.
6761
6762@item show backtrace past-entry
6763Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
6764
6765@item set backtrace limit @var{n}
6766@itemx set backtrace limit 0
6767@itemx set backtrace limit unlimited
6768@cindex backtrace limit
6769Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of @code{unlimited}
6770or zero means unlimited levels.
6771
6772@item show backtrace limit
6773Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
6774@end table
6775
6776You can control how file names are displayed.
6777
6778@table @code
6779@item set filename-display
6780@itemx set filename-display relative
6781@cindex filename-display
6782Display file names relative to the compilation directory. This is the default.
6783
6784@item set filename-display basename
6785Display only basename of a filename.
6786
6787@item set filename-display absolute
6788Display an absolute filename.
6789
6790@item show filename-display
6791Show the current way to display filenames.
6792@end table
6793
6794@node Frame Filter Management
6795@section Management of Frame Filters.
6796@cindex managing frame filters
6797
6798Frame filters are Python based utilities to manage and decorate the
6799output of frames. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for further information.
6800
6801Managing frame filters is performed by several commands available
6802within @value{GDBN}, detailed here.
6803
6804@table @code
6805@kindex info frame-filter
6806@item info frame-filter
6807Print a list of installed frame filters from all dictionaries, showing
6808their name, priority and enabled status.
6809
6810@kindex disable frame-filter
6811@anchor{disable frame-filter all}
6812@item disable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6813Disable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6814@var{filter-dictionary}, or @code{all}, and @var{filter-name}.
6815@var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
6816@code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6817dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters
6818across all dictionaries are disabled. @var{filter-name} is the name
6819of the frame filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
6820@var{filter-dictionary}. A disabled frame-filter is not deleted, it
6821may be enabled again later.
6822
6823@kindex enable frame-filter
6824@item enable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6825Enable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6826@var{filter-dictionary}, or @code{all}, and @var{filter-name}.
6827@var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
6828@code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6829dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters across
6830all dictionaries are enabled. @var{filter-name} is the name of the frame
6831filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
6832@var{filter-dictionary}.
6833
6834Example:
6835
6836@smallexample
6837(gdb) info frame-filter
6838
6839global frame-filters:
6840 Priority Enabled Name
6841 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
6842 100 Yes Reverse
6843
6844progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6845 Priority Enabled Name
6846 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6847
6848objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6849 Priority Enabled Name
6850 999 Yes BuildProgra Filter
6851
6852(gdb) disable frame-filter /build/test BuildProgramFilter
6853(gdb) info frame-filter
6854
6855global frame-filters:
6856 Priority Enabled Name
6857 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
6858 100 Yes Reverse
6859
6860progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6861 Priority Enabled Name
6862 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6863
6864objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6865 Priority Enabled Name
6866 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6867
6868(gdb) enable frame-filter global PrimaryFunctionFilter
6869(gdb) info frame-filter
6870
6871global frame-filters:
6872 Priority Enabled Name
6873 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6874 100 Yes Reverse
6875
6876progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6877 Priority Enabled Name
6878 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6879
6880objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6881 Priority Enabled Name
6882 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6883@end smallexample
6884
6885@kindex set frame-filter priority
6886@item set frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name} @var{priority}
6887Set the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6888@var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
6889@var{filter-name}. @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
6890@code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6891dictionary resides. @var{priority} is an integer.
6892
6893@kindex show frame-filter priority
6894@item show frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6895Show the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6896@var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
6897@var{filter-name}. @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
6898@code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6899dictionary resides.
6900
6901Example:
6902
6903@smallexample
6904(gdb) info frame-filter
6905
6906global frame-filters:
6907 Priority Enabled Name
6908 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6909 100 Yes Reverse
6910
6911progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6912 Priority Enabled Name
6913 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6914
6915objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6916 Priority Enabled Name
6917 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6918
6919(gdb) set frame-filter priority global Reverse 50
6920(gdb) info frame-filter
6921
6922global frame-filters:
6923 Priority Enabled Name
6924 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6925 50 Yes Reverse
6926
6927progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6928 Priority Enabled Name
6929 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6930
6931objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6932 Priority Enabled Name
6933 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6934@end smallexample
6935@end table
6936
6937@node Selection
6938@section Selecting a Frame
6939
6940Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
6941whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
6942selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
6943of the stack frame just selected.
6944
6945@table @code
6946@kindex frame@r{, selecting}
6947@kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
6948@item frame @var{n}
6949@itemx f @var{n}
6950Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
6951(currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
6952innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
6953@code{main}.
6954
6955@item frame @var{addr}
6956@itemx f @var{addr}
6957Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
6958chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
6959impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
6960addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
6961switches between them.
6962
6963On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
6964select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
6965
6966On the @acronym{MIPS} and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
6967pointer and a program counter.
6968
6969On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
6970pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
6971
6972@kindex up
6973@item up @var{n}
6974Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6975advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
6976that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
6977
6978@kindex down
6979@kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
6980@item down @var{n}
6981Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6982advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
6983that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
6984abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
6985@end table
6986
6987All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
6988frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
6989arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
6990frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
6991
6992@need 1000
6993For example:
6994
6995@smallexample
6996@group
6997(@value{GDBP}) up
6998#1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
6999 at env.c:10
700010 read_input_file (argv[i]);
7001@end group
7002@end smallexample
7003
7004After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
7005prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
7006You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
7007editing program by typing @code{edit}.
7008@xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
7009for details.
7010
7011@table @code
7012@kindex down-silently
7013@kindex up-silently
7014@item up-silently @var{n}
7015@itemx down-silently @var{n}
7016These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
7017respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
7018causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
7019in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
7020distracting.
7021@end table
7022
7023@node Frame Info
7024@section Information About a Frame
7025
7026There are several other commands to print information about the selected
7027stack frame.
7028
7029@table @code
7030@item frame
7031@itemx f
7032When used without any argument, this command does not change which
7033frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
7034selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
7035argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
7036@xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
7037
7038@kindex info frame
7039@kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
7040@item info frame
7041@itemx info f
7042This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
7043including:
7044
7045@itemize @bullet
7046@item
7047the address of the frame
7048@item
7049the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
7050@item
7051the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
7052@item
7053the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
7054@item
7055the address of the frame's arguments
7056@item
7057the address of the frame's local variables
7058@item
7059the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
7060@item
7061which registers were saved in the frame
7062@end itemize
7063
7064@noindent The verbose description is useful when
7065something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
7066the usual conventions.
7067
7068@item info frame @var{addr}
7069@itemx info f @var{addr}
7070Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
7071selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
7072command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
7073architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
7074@xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
7075
7076@kindex info args
7077@item info args
7078Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
7079
7080@item info locals
7081@kindex info locals
7082Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
7083line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
7084accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
7085
7086@end table
7087
7088
7089@node Source
7090@chapter Examining Source Files
7091
7092@value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
7093information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
7094used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
7095the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
7096(@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
7097execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
7098source files by explicit command.
7099
7100If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
7101prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
7102@value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
7103
7104@menu
7105* List:: Printing source lines
7106* Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
7107* Edit:: Editing source files
7108* Search:: Searching source files
7109* Source Path:: Specifying source directories
7110* Machine Code:: Source and machine code
7111@end menu
7112
7113@node List
7114@section Printing Source Lines
7115
7116@kindex list
7117@kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
7118To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
7119(abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
7120There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
7121print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
7122
7123Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
7124
7125@table @code
7126@item list @var{linenum}
7127Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
7128current source file.
7129
7130@item list @var{function}
7131Print lines centered around the beginning of function
7132@var{function}.
7133
7134@item list
7135Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
7136@code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
7137printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
7138as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
7139Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
7140
7141@item list -
7142Print lines just before the lines last printed.
7143@end table
7144
7145@cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
7146By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
7147the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
7148
7149@table @code
7150@kindex set listsize
7151@item set listsize @var{count}
7152@itemx set listsize unlimited
7153Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
7154the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
7155Setting @var{count} to @code{unlimited} or 0 means there's no limit.
7156
7157@kindex show listsize
7158@item show listsize
7159Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
7160@end table
7161
7162Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
7163so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
7164than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
7165argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
7166each repetition moves up in the source file.
7167
7168In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
7169@dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
7170of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
7171to specify some source line.
7172
7173Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
7174
7175@table @code
7176@item list @var{linespec}
7177Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
7178
7179@item list @var{first},@var{last}
7180Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
7181linespecs. When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, and the
7182source file of the second linespec is omitted, this refers to
7183the same source file as the first linespec.
7184
7185@item list ,@var{last}
7186Print lines ending with @var{last}.
7187
7188@item list @var{first},
7189Print lines starting with @var{first}.
7190
7191@item list +
7192Print lines just after the lines last printed.
7193
7194@item list -
7195Print lines just before the lines last printed.
7196
7197@item list
7198As described in the preceding table.
7199@end table
7200
7201@node Specify Location
7202@section Specifying a Location
7203@cindex specifying location
7204@cindex linespec
7205
7206Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
7207of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
7208debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code;
7209for that reason, locations are also known as @dfn{linespecs}.
7210
7211Here are all the different ways of specifying a code location that
7212@value{GDBN} understands:
7213
7214@table @code
7215@item @var{linenum}
7216Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
7217
7218@item -@var{offset}
7219@itemx +@var{offset}
7220Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
7221line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
7222printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
7223execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
7224(@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
7225used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
7226this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
7227linespec.
7228
7229@item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
7230Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
7231If @var{filename} is a relative file name, then it will match any
7232source file name with the same trailing components. For example, if
7233@var{filename} is @samp{gcc/expr.c}, then it will match source file
7234name of @file{/build/trunk/gcc/expr.c}, but not
7235@file{/build/trunk/libcpp/expr.c} or @file{/build/trunk/gcc/x-expr.c}.
7236
7237@item @var{function}
7238Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
7239For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
7240
7241@item @var{function}:@var{label}
7242Specifies the line where @var{label} appears in @var{function}.
7243
7244@item @var{filename}:@var{function}
7245Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
7246in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
7247function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
7248functions in different source files.
7249
7250@item @var{label}
7251Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears.
7252@value{GDBN} searches for the label in the function corresponding to
7253the currently selected stack frame. If there is no current selected
7254stack frame (for instance, if the inferior is not running), then
7255@value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
7256
7257@item *@var{address}
7258Specifies the program address @var{address}. For line-oriented
7259commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this specifies a source
7260line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and other
7261breakpoint oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
7262parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
7263source files.
7264
7265Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
7266language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
7267address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
7268semantics of expressions used in locations to cover the situations
7269that frequently happen during debugging. Here are the various forms
7270of @var{address}:
7271
7272@table @code
7273@item @var{expression}
7274Any expression valid in the current working language.
7275
7276@item @var{funcaddr}
7277An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
7278C@t{++}, Java, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
7279simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
7280of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
7281@code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
7282(although the Pascal form also works).
7283
7284This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
7285before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
7286
7287@item '@var{filename}'::@var{funcaddr}
7288Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
7289file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
7290specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
7291functions with identical names in different source files.
7292@end table
7293
7294@cindex breakpoint at static probe point
7295@item -pstap|-probe-stap @r{[}@var{objfile}:@r{[}@var{provider}:@r{]}@r{]}@var{name}
7296The @sc{gnu}/Linux tool @code{SystemTap} provides a way for
7297applications to embed static probes. @xref{Static Probe Points}, for more
7298information on finding and using static probes. This form of linespec
7299specifies the location of such a static probe.
7300
7301If @var{objfile} is given, only probes coming from that shared library
7302or executable matching @var{objfile} as a regular expression are considered.
7303If @var{provider} is given, then only probes from that provider are considered.
7304If several probes match the spec, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at
7305each one of those probes.
7306
7307@end table
7308
7309
7310@node Edit
7311@section Editing Source Files
7312@cindex editing source files
7313
7314@kindex edit
7315@kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
7316To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
7317The editing program of your choice
7318is invoked with the current line set to
7319the active line in the program.
7320Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
7321want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
7322
7323@table @code
7324@item edit @var{location}
7325Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
7326that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
7327specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
7328of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
7329command most commonly used:
7330
7331@table @code
7332@item edit @var{number}
7333Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
7334
7335@item edit @var{function}
7336Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
7337@end table
7338
7339@end table
7340
7341@subsection Choosing your Editor
7342You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
7343@footnote{
7344The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
7345following command-line syntax:
7346@smallexample
7347ex +@var{number} file
7348@end smallexample
7349The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
7350the file where to start editing.}.
7351By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
7352by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
7353@value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
7354@code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
7355@smallexample
7356EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
7357export EDITOR
7358gdb @dots{}
7359@end smallexample
7360or in the @code{csh} shell,
7361@smallexample
7362setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
7363gdb @dots{}
7364@end smallexample
7365
7366@node Search
7367@section Searching Source Files
7368@cindex searching source files
7369
7370There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
7371regular expression.
7372
7373@table @code
7374@kindex search
7375@kindex forward-search
7376@kindex fo @r{(@code{forward-search})}
7377@item forward-search @var{regexp}
7378@itemx search @var{regexp}
7379The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
7380starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
7381@var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
7382synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
7383@code{fo}.
7384
7385@kindex reverse-search
7386@item reverse-search @var{regexp}
7387The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
7388with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
7389for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
7390this command as @code{rev}.
7391@end table
7392
7393@node Source Path
7394@section Specifying Source Directories
7395
7396@cindex source path
7397@cindex directories for source files
7398Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
7399files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
7400the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
7401session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
7402this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
7403it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
7404in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
7405
7406For example, suppose an executable references the file
7407@file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
7408@file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
7409fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
7410fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
7411message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
7412source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
7413Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
7414the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
7415@file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
7416@file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
7417
7418Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
7419names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
7420instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
7421is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
7422@file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
7423that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
7424
7425Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
7426source files.
7427
7428Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
7429any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
7430each line is in the file.
7431
7432@kindex directory
7433@kindex dir
7434When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
7435and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
7436To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
7437
7438The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
7439script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
7440
7441In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
7442that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
7443rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
7444debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
7445directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
7446two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
7447the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
7448In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
7449@var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
7450of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
7451source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
7452name to look up the sources.
7453
7454Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
7455moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
7456@value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
7457@file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
7458@file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
7459of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
7460substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
7461(@pxref{set substitute-path}).
7462
7463To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
7464@var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
7465For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
7466@file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
7467not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
7468is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
7469not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
7470
7471In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
7472command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
7473the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
7474subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
7475subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
7476preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
7477allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
7478command.
7479
7480@code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
7481The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
7482longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
7483the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
7484for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
7485located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
7486method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
7487
7488@cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
7489@cindex default source path substitution
7490You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
7491configuring @value{GDBN} with the
7492@samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
7493should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
7494prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
7495directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
7496automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
7497location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
7498with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
7499together.
7500
7501@table @code
7502@item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
7503@item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
7504Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
7505directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
7506(@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
7507part of absolute file names) or
7508whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
7509path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
7510
7511@kindex cdir
7512@kindex cwd
7513@vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
7514@vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
7515@cindex compilation directory
7516@cindex current directory
7517@cindex working directory
7518@cindex directory, current
7519@cindex directory, compilation
7520You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
7521directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
7522working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
7523tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
7524session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
7525directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
7526
7527@item directory
7528Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
7529
7530@c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
7531@c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
7532
7533@item set directories @var{path-list}
7534@kindex set directories
7535Set the source path to @var{path-list}.
7536@samp{$cdir:$cwd} are added if missing.
7537
7538@item show directories
7539@kindex show directories
7540Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
7541
7542@anchor{set substitute-path}
7543@item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
7544@kindex set substitute-path
7545Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
7546current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
7547@var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
7548
7549For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
7550@file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
7551
7552@smallexample
7553(@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
7554@end smallexample
7555
7556@noindent
7557will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
7558@samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
7559@file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
7560
7561In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
7562the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
7563defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
7564the substitution.
7565
7566For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
7567
7568@smallexample
7569(@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
7570(@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
7571@end smallexample
7572
7573@noindent
7574@value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
7575@file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
7576use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
7577@file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
7578
7579
7580@item unset substitute-path [path]
7581@kindex unset substitute-path
7582If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
7583for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
7584A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
7585
7586If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
7587
7588@item show substitute-path [path]
7589@kindex show substitute-path
7590If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
7591which would rewrite that path, if any.
7592
7593If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
7594rules.
7595
7596@end table
7597
7598If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
7599interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
7600versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
7601
7602@enumerate
7603@item
7604Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
7605
7606@item
7607Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
7608directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
7609directories in one command.
7610@end enumerate
7611
7612@node Machine Code
7613@section Source and Machine Code
7614@cindex source line and its code address
7615
7616You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
7617addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
7618a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
7619@code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
7620source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
7621mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
7622line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
7623well as hex.
7624
7625@table @code
7626@kindex info line
7627@item info line @var{linespec}
7628Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
7629source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
7630the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}.
7631@end table
7632
7633For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
7634the object code for the first line of function
7635@code{m4_changequote}:
7636
7637@c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
7638@c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
7639@smallexample
7640(@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
7641Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
7642@end smallexample
7643
7644@noindent
7645@cindex code address and its source line
7646We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
7647@var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
7648@smallexample
7649(@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
7650Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
7651@end smallexample
7652
7653@cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
7654@cindex @code{x} command, default address
7655@kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
7656After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
7657is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
7658sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
7659,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
7660convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7661Variables}).
7662
7663@table @code
7664@kindex disassemble
7665@cindex assembly instructions
7666@cindex instructions, assembly
7667@cindex machine instructions
7668@cindex listing machine instructions
7669@item disassemble
7670@itemx disassemble /m
7671@itemx disassemble /r
7672This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
7673instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
7674the @code{/m} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex as well as
7675in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r}.
7676The default memory range is the function surrounding the
7677program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
7678command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
7679surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
7680be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
7681arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
7682
7683@table @code
7684@item @var{start},@var{end}
7685the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
7686@item @var{start},+@var{length}
7687the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
7688@code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
7689@end table
7690
7691@noindent
7692When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
7693printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
7694
7695The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
7696@samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
7697
7698If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
7699the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
7700@end table
7701
7702The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
7703HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
7704
7705@smallexample
7706(@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
7707Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
7708 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
7709 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
7710 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7711 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
7712 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
7713 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
7714 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
7715 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7716End of assembler dump.
7717@end smallexample
7718
7719Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86, when the
7720program is stopped just after function prologue:
7721
7722@smallexample
7723(@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
7724Dump of assembler code for function main:
77255 @{
7726 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
7727 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
7728 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
7729 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
7730 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
7731
77326 printf ("Hello.\n");
7733=> 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
7734 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
7735
77367 return 0;
77378 @}
7738 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
7739 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
7740 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
7741
7742End of assembler dump.
7743@end smallexample
7744
7745Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
7746
7747@smallexample
7748(gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
7749Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
7750 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
7751 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
7752 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
7753 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
7754End of assembler dump.
7755@end smallexample
7756
7757Addresses cannot be specified as a linespec (@pxref{Specify Location}).
7758So, for example, if you want to disassemble function @code{bar}
7759in file @file{foo.c}, you must type @samp{disassemble 'foo.c'::bar}
7760and not @samp{disassemble foo.c:bar}.
7761
7762Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
7763mnemonics or other syntax.
7764
7765For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
7766instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
7767libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
7768location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
7769might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
7770
7771@table @code
7772@kindex set disassembly-flavor
7773@cindex Intel disassembly flavor
7774@cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
7775@item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
7776Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
7777program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
7778
7779Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
7780can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
7781The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
7782assemblers for x86-based targets.
7783
7784@kindex show disassembly-flavor
7785@item show disassembly-flavor
7786Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
7787@end table
7788
7789@table @code
7790@kindex set disassemble-next-line
7791@kindex show disassemble-next-line
7792@item set disassemble-next-line
7793@itemx show disassemble-next-line
7794Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
7795line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
7796display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
7797program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
7798displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
7799possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
7800(e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
7801info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
7802next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
7803AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
7804if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
7805@value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
7806with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
7807OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
7808instruction.
7809@end table
7810
7811
7812@node Data
7813@chapter Examining Data
7814
7815@cindex printing data
7816@cindex examining data
7817@kindex print
7818@kindex inspect
7819The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
7820command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
7821evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
7822program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
7823Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
7824Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
7825
7826@table @code
7827@item print @var{expr}
7828@itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
7829@var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
7830value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
7831you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
7832@var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
7833Formats}.
7834
7835@item print
7836@itemx print /@var{f}
7837@cindex reprint the last value
7838If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
7839@dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
7840conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
7841@end table
7842
7843A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
7844It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
7845specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7846
7847If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
7848fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
7849command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
7850Table}.
7851
7852@cindex exploring hierarchical data structures
7853@kindex explore
7854Another way of examining values of expressions and type information is
7855through the Python extension command @code{explore} (available only if
7856the @value{GDBN} build is configured with @code{--with-python}). It
7857offers an interactive way to start at the highest level (or, the most
7858abstract level) of the data type of an expression (or, the data type
7859itself) and explore all the way down to leaf scalar values/fields
7860embedded in the higher level data types.
7861
7862@table @code
7863@item explore @var{arg}
7864@var{arg} is either an expression (in the source language), or a type
7865visible in the current context of the program being debugged.
7866@end table
7867
7868The working of the @code{explore} command can be illustrated with an
7869example. If a data type @code{struct ComplexStruct} is defined in your
7870C program as
7871
7872@smallexample
7873struct SimpleStruct
7874@{
7875 int i;
7876 double d;
7877@};
7878
7879struct ComplexStruct
7880@{
7881 struct SimpleStruct *ss_p;
7882 int arr[10];
7883@};
7884@end smallexample
7885
7886@noindent
7887followed by variable declarations as
7888
7889@smallexample
7890struct SimpleStruct ss = @{ 10, 1.11 @};
7891struct ComplexStruct cs = @{ &ss, @{ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 @} @};
7892@end smallexample
7893
7894@noindent
7895then, the value of the variable @code{cs} can be explored using the
7896@code{explore} command as follows.
7897
7898@smallexample
7899(gdb) explore cs
7900The value of `cs' is a struct/class of type `struct ComplexStruct' with
7901the following fields:
7902
7903 ss_p = <Enter 0 to explore this field of type `struct SimpleStruct *'>
7904 arr = <Enter 1 to explore this field of type `int [10]'>
7905
7906Enter the field number of choice:
7907@end smallexample
7908
7909@noindent
7910Since the fields of @code{cs} are not scalar values, you are being
7911prompted to chose the field you want to explore. Let's say you choose
7912the field @code{ss_p} by entering @code{0}. Then, since this field is a
7913pointer, you will be asked if it is pointing to a single value. From
7914the declaration of @code{cs} above, it is indeed pointing to a single
7915value, hence you enter @code{y}. If you enter @code{n}, then you will
7916be asked if it were pointing to an array of values, in which case this
7917field will be explored as if it were an array.
7918
7919@smallexample
7920`cs.ss_p' is a pointer to a value of type `struct SimpleStruct'
7921Continue exploring it as a pointer to a single value [y/n]: y
7922The value of `*(cs.ss_p)' is a struct/class of type `struct
7923SimpleStruct' with the following fields:
7924
7925 i = 10 .. (Value of type `int')
7926 d = 1.1100000000000001 .. (Value of type `double')
7927
7928Press enter to return to parent value:
7929@end smallexample
7930
7931@noindent
7932If the field @code{arr} of @code{cs} was chosen for exploration by
7933entering @code{1} earlier, then since it is as array, you will be
7934prompted to enter the index of the element in the array that you want
7935to explore.
7936
7937@smallexample
7938`cs.arr' is an array of `int'.
7939Enter the index of the element you want to explore in `cs.arr': 5
7940
7941`(cs.arr)[5]' is a scalar value of type `int'.
7942
7943(cs.arr)[5] = 4
7944
7945Press enter to return to parent value:
7946@end smallexample
7947
7948In general, at any stage of exploration, you can go deeper towards the
7949leaf values by responding to the prompts appropriately, or hit the
7950return key to return to the enclosing data structure (the @i{higher}
7951level data structure).
7952
7953Similar to exploring values, you can use the @code{explore} command to
7954explore types. Instead of specifying a value (which is typically a
7955variable name or an expression valid in the current context of the
7956program being debugged), you specify a type name. If you consider the
7957same example as above, your can explore the type
7958@code{struct ComplexStruct} by passing the argument
7959@code{struct ComplexStruct} to the @code{explore} command.
7960
7961@smallexample
7962(gdb) explore struct ComplexStruct
7963@end smallexample
7964
7965@noindent
7966By responding to the prompts appropriately in the subsequent interactive
7967session, you can explore the type @code{struct ComplexStruct} in a
7968manner similar to how the value @code{cs} was explored in the above
7969example.
7970
7971The @code{explore} command also has two sub-commands,
7972@code{explore value} and @code{explore type}. The former sub-command is
7973a way to explicitly specify that value exploration of the argument is
7974being invoked, while the latter is a way to explicitly specify that type
7975exploration of the argument is being invoked.
7976
7977@table @code
7978@item explore value @var{expr}
7979@cindex explore value
7980This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the value of the
7981expression @var{expr} (if @var{expr} is an expression valid in the
7982current context of the program being debugged). The behavior of this
7983command is identical to that of the behavior of the @code{explore}
7984command being passed the argument @var{expr}.
7985
7986@item explore type @var{arg}
7987@cindex explore type
7988This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the type of @var{arg} (if
7989@var{arg} is a type visible in the current context of program being
7990debugged), or the type of the value/expression @var{arg} (if @var{arg}
7991is an expression valid in the current context of the program being
7992debugged). If @var{arg} is a type, then the behavior of this command is
7993identical to that of the @code{explore} command being passed the
7994argument @var{arg}. If @var{arg} is an expression, then the behavior of
7995this command will be identical to that of the @code{explore} command
7996being passed the type of @var{arg} as the argument.
7997@end table
7998
7999@menu
8000* Expressions:: Expressions
8001* Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
8002* Variables:: Program variables
8003* Arrays:: Artificial arrays
8004* Output Formats:: Output formats
8005* Memory:: Examining memory
8006* Auto Display:: Automatic display
8007* Print Settings:: Print settings
8008* Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
8009* Value History:: Value history
8010* Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
8011* Convenience Funs:: Convenience functions
8012* Registers:: Registers
8013* Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
8014* Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
8015* OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
8016* Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
8017* Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
8018* Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
8019* Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
8020 character set than GDB does
8021* Caching Remote Data:: Data caching for remote targets
8022* Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
8023@end menu
8024
8025@node Expressions
8026@section Expressions
8027
8028@cindex expressions
8029@code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
8030compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
8031by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
8032@value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
8033casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
8034you compiled your program to include this information; see
8035@ref{Compilation}.
8036
8037@cindex arrays in expressions
8038@value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
8039the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
8040you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
8041of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
8042to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
8043is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
8044
8045Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
8046this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
8047Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
8048languages.
8049
8050In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
8051expressions regardless of your programming language.
8052
8053@cindex casts, in expressions
8054Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
8055useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
8056at that address in memory.
8057@c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
8058
8059@value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
8060to programming languages:
8061
8062@table @code
8063@item @@
8064@samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
8065@xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
8066
8067@item ::
8068@samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
8069function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
8070
8071@cindex @{@var{type}@}
8072@cindex type casting memory
8073@cindex memory, viewing as typed object
8074@cindex casts, to view memory
8075@item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
8076Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
8077memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
8078pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
8079a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
8080normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
8081@end table
8082
8083@node Ambiguous Expressions
8084@section Ambiguous Expressions
8085@cindex ambiguous expressions
8086
8087Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
8088some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
8089a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
8090different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
8091involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
8092templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
8093the same function name being defined in different contexts.
8094
8095In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
8096the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
8097can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
8098@kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
8099qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
8100as well.
8101
8102When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
8103has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
8104possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
8105The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
8106aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
8107used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
8108menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
8109choices.
8110
8111For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
8112breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
8113We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
8114
8115@c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
8116@smallexample
8117@group
8118(@value{GDBP}) b String::after
8119[0] cancel
8120[1] all
8121[2] file:String.cc; line number:867
8122[3] file:String.cc; line number:860
8123[4] file:String.cc; line number:875
8124[5] file:String.cc; line number:853
8125[6] file:String.cc; line number:846
8126[7] file:String.cc; line number:735
8127> 2 4 6
8128Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
8129Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
8130Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
8131Multiple breakpoints were set.
8132Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
8133 breakpoints.
8134(@value{GDBP})
8135@end group
8136@end smallexample
8137
8138@table @code
8139@kindex set multiple-symbols
8140@item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
8141@cindex multiple-symbols menu
8142
8143This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
8144is ambiguous.
8145
8146By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
8147the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
8148automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
8149a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
8150inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
8151then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
8152For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
8153in the use of the menu.
8154
8155When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
8156when an ambiguity is detected.
8157
8158Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
8159an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
8160
8161@kindex show multiple-symbols
8162@item show multiple-symbols
8163Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
8164@end table
8165
8166@node Variables
8167@section Program Variables
8168
8169The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
8170in your program.
8171
8172Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
8173(@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
8174
8175@itemize @bullet
8176@item
8177global (or file-static)
8178@end itemize
8179
8180@noindent or
8181
8182@itemize @bullet
8183@item
8184visible according to the scope rules of the
8185programming language from the point of execution in that frame
8186@end itemize
8187
8188@noindent This means that in the function
8189
8190@smallexample
8191foo (a)
8192 int a;
8193@{
8194 bar (a);
8195 @{
8196 int b = test ();
8197 bar (b);
8198 @}
8199@}
8200@end smallexample
8201
8202@noindent
8203you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
8204executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
8205examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
8206the block where @code{b} is declared.
8207
8208@cindex variable name conflict
8209There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
8210scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
8211in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
8212function with the same name (in different source files). If that
8213happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
8214you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file by
8215using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
8216
8217@cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
8218@ifnotinfo
8219@c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
8220@cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
8221@end ifnotinfo
8222@smallexample
8223@var{file}::@var{variable}
8224@var{function}::@var{variable}
8225@end smallexample
8226
8227@noindent
8228Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
8229static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
8230make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
8231to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
8232
8233@smallexample
8234(@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
8235@end smallexample
8236
8237The @code{::} notation is normally used for referring to
8238static variables, since you typically disambiguate uses of local variables
8239in functions by selecting the appropriate frame and using the
8240simple name of the variable. However, you may also use this notation
8241to refer to local variables in frames enclosing the selected frame:
8242
8243@smallexample
8244void
8245foo (int a)
8246@{
8247 if (a < 10)
8248 bar (a);
8249 else
8250 process (a); /* Stop here */
8251@}
8252
8253int
8254bar (int a)
8255@{
8256 foo (a + 5);
8257@}
8258@end smallexample
8259
8260@noindent
8261For example, if there is a breakpoint at the commented line,
8262here is what you might see
8263when the program stops after executing the call @code{bar(0)}:
8264
8265@smallexample
8266(@value{GDBP}) p a
8267$1 = 10
8268(@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
8269$2 = 5
8270(@value{GDBP}) up 2
8271#2 0x080483d0 in foo (a=5) at foobar.c:12
8272(@value{GDBP}) p a
8273$3 = 5
8274(@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
8275$4 = 0
8276@end smallexample
8277
8278@cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
8279These uses of @samp{::} are very rarely in conflict with the very similar
8280use of the same notation in C@t{++}. @value{GDBN} also supports use of the C@t{++}
8281scope resolution operator in @value{GDBN} expressions.
8282@c FIXME: Um, so what happens in one of those rare cases where it's in
8283@c conflict?? --mew
8284
8285@cindex wrong values
8286@cindex variable values, wrong
8287@cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
8288@cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
8289@quotation
8290@emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
8291wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
8292scope, and just before exit.
8293@end quotation
8294You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
8295This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
8296set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
8297stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
8298values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
8299also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
8300after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
8301variable definitions may be gone.
8302
8303This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
8304To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
8305when compiling.
8306
8307@cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
8308Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
8309unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
8310opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
8311offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
8312might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
8313happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
8314
8315@smallexample
8316No symbol "foo" in current context.
8317@end smallexample
8318
8319To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
8320different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
8321formats. @xref{Compilation}, for more information on choosing compiler
8322options. @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug
8323info formats that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
8324
8325If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
8326@value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
8327by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
8328type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
8329
8330If you append @kbd{@@entry} string to a function parameter name you get its
8331value at the time the function got called. If the value is not available an
8332error message is printed. Entry values are available only with some compilers.
8333Entry values are normally also printed at the function parameter list according
8334to @ref{set print entry-values}.
8335
8336@smallexample
8337Breakpoint 1, d (i=30) at gdb.base/entry-value.c:29
833829 i++;
8339(gdb) next
834030 e (i);
8341(gdb) print i
8342$1 = 31
8343(gdb) print i@@entry
8344$2 = 30
8345@end smallexample
8346
8347Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
8348signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
8349printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
8350@code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
8351defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
8352For program code
8353
8354@smallexample
8355char var0[] = "A";
8356signed char var1[] = "A";
8357@end smallexample
8358
8359You get during debugging
8360@smallexample
8361(gdb) print var0
8362$1 = "A"
8363(gdb) print var1
8364$2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
8365@end smallexample
8366
8367@node Arrays
8368@section Artificial Arrays
8369
8370@cindex artificial array
8371@cindex arrays
8372@kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
8373It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
8374same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
8375dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
8376program.
8377
8378You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
8379@dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
8380operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
8381and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
8382of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
8383the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
8384argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
8385following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
8386example. If a program says
8387
8388@smallexample
8389int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
8390@end smallexample
8391
8392@noindent
8393you can print the contents of @code{array} with
8394
8395@smallexample
8396p *array@@len
8397@end smallexample
8398
8399The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
8400with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
8401subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
8402Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
8403(@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
8404
8405Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
8406This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
8407The value need not be in memory:
8408@smallexample
8409(@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
8410$1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
8411@end smallexample
8412
8413As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
8414@samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
8415the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
8416@smallexample
8417(@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
8418$2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
8419@end smallexample
8420
8421Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
8422moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
8423actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
8424of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
8425to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
8426Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
8427interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
8428instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
8429structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
8430in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
8431
8432@smallexample
8433set $i = 0
8434p dtab[$i++]->fv
8435@key{RET}
8436@key{RET}
8437@dots{}
8438@end smallexample
8439
8440@node Output Formats
8441@section Output Formats
8442
8443@cindex formatted output
8444@cindex output formats
8445By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
8446this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
8447in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
8448at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
8449these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
8450
8451The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
8452already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
8453@code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
8454letters supported are:
8455
8456@table @code
8457@item x
8458Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
8459hexadecimal.
8460
8461@item d
8462Print as integer in signed decimal.
8463
8464@item u
8465Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
8466
8467@item o
8468Print as integer in octal.
8469
8470@item t
8471Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
8472@footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
8473used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
8474see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
8475
8476@item a
8477@cindex unknown address, locating
8478@cindex locate address
8479Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
8480the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
8481where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
8482
8483@smallexample
8484(@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
8485$3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
8486@end smallexample
8487
8488@noindent
8489The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
8490@xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
8491
8492@item c
8493Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
8494prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
8495character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
8496for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
8497
8498Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
8499@w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
8500constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
8501data.
8502
8503@item f
8504Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
8505using typical floating point syntax.
8506
8507@item s
8508@cindex printing strings
8509@cindex printing byte arrays
8510Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
8511data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
8512are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
8513natural types.
8514
8515Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
8516@code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
8517strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
8518array.
8519
8520@item z
8521Like @samp{x} formatting, the value is treated as an integer and
8522printed as hexadecimal, but leading zeros are printed to pad the value
8523to the size of the integer type.
8524
8525@item r
8526@cindex raw printing
8527Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
8528use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
8529Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
8530value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
8531pretty-printer which might exist.
8532@end table
8533
8534For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
8535
8536@smallexample
8537p/x $pc
8538@end smallexample
8539
8540@noindent
8541Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
8542names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
8543
8544To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
8545you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
8546expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
8547
8548@node Memory
8549@section Examining Memory
8550
8551You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
8552any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
8553
8554@cindex examining memory
8555@table @code
8556@kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
8557@item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
8558@itemx x @var{addr}
8559@itemx x
8560Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
8561@end table
8562
8563@var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
8564much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
8565expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
8566If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
8567Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
8568
8569@table @r
8570@item @var{n}, the repeat count
8571The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
8572how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
8573@c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
8574@c 4.1.2.
8575
8576@item @var{f}, the display format
8577The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
8578(@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
8579@samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
8580The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
8581each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
8582
8583@item @var{u}, the unit size
8584The unit size is any of
8585
8586@table @code
8587@item b
8588Bytes.
8589@item h
8590Halfwords (two bytes).
8591@item w
8592Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
8593@item g
8594Giant words (eight bytes).
8595@end table
8596
8597Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
8598default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
8599the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
8600the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
8601Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
860232-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
8603Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
8604current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
8605modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
8606UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
8607be altered.
8608
8609@item @var{addr}, starting display address
8610@var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
8611memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
8612it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
8613@xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
8614@var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
8615other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
8616the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
8617starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
8618a value from memory).
8619@end table
8620
8621For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
8622(@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
8623starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
8624words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
8625@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
8626
8627Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
8628letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
8629unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
8630specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
8631(However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
8632
8633Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
8634and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
8635@samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
8636including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
8637the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
8638slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
8639follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
8640@code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
8641instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
8642
8643All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
8644easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
8645you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
8646instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
8647with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
8648the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
8649for successive uses of @code{x}.
8650
8651When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
8652counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
8653
8654@smallexample
8655(@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
8656 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
8657 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
8658 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
8659=> 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
8660 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
8661@end smallexample
8662
8663@cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
8664The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
8665in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
8666would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
8667subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
8668@code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
8669examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
8670@code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
8671the convenience variable @code{$__}.
8672
8673If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
8674are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
8675address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
8676
8677@cindex remote memory comparison
8678@cindex verify remote memory image
8679When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
8680(@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
8681remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
8682the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
8683situations.
8684
8685@table @code
8686@kindex compare-sections
8687@item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
8688Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
8689executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
8690the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
8691arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
8692availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
8693remote request.
8694@end table
8695
8696@node Auto Display
8697@section Automatic Display
8698@cindex automatic display
8699@cindex display of expressions
8700
8701If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
8702(to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
8703display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
8704Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
8705to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
8706The automatic display looks like this:
8707
8708@smallexample
87092: foo = 38
87103: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
8711@end smallexample
8712
8713@noindent
8714This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
8715displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
8716specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
8717whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
8718specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
8719or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
8720
8721@table @code
8722@kindex display
8723@item display @var{expr}
8724Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
8725each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
8726
8727@code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
8728
8729@item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
8730For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
8731count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
8732arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
8733@xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
8734
8735@item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
8736For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
8737number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
8738be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
8739doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
8740@end table
8741
8742For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
8743instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
8744is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
8745
8746@table @code
8747@kindex delete display
8748@kindex undisplay
8749@item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
8750@itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8751Remove items from the list of expressions to display. Specify the
8752numbers of the displays that you want affected with the command
8753argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one of the
8754numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display} display;
8755or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8756
8757@code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
8758(Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
8759
8760@kindex disable display
8761@item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8762Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
8763item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
8764enabled again later. Specify the numbers of the displays that you
8765want affected with the command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a
8766single display number, one of the numbers shown in the first field of
8767the @samp{info display} display; or it could be a range of display
8768numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8769
8770@kindex enable display
8771@item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8772Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
8773again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
8774Specify the numbers of the displays that you want affected with the
8775command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one
8776of the numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display}
8777display; or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8778
8779@item display
8780Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
8781done when your program stops.
8782
8783@kindex info display
8784@item info display
8785Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
8786automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
8787values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
8788It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
8789because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
8790@end table
8791
8792@cindex display disabled out of scope
8793If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
8794sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
8795expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
8796variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
8797@code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
8798@code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
8799continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
8800there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
8801automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
8802is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
8803
8804@node Print Settings
8805@section Print Settings
8806
8807@cindex format options
8808@cindex print settings
8809@value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
8810and symbols are printed.
8811
8812@noindent
8813These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
8814
8815@table @code
8816@kindex set print
8817@item set print address
8818@itemx set print address on
8819@cindex print/don't print memory addresses
8820@value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
8821traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
8822even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
8823is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
8824@code{set print address on}:
8825
8826@smallexample
8827@group
8828(@value{GDBP}) f
8829#0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
8830 at input.c:530
8831530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8832@end group
8833@end smallexample
8834
8835@item set print address off
8836Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
8837this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
8838
8839@smallexample
8840@group
8841(@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
8842(@value{GDBP}) f
8843#0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
8844530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8845@end group
8846@end smallexample
8847
8848You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
8849dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
8850@code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
8851all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
8852
8853@kindex show print
8854@item show print address
8855Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
8856@end table
8857
8858When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
8859closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
8860identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
8861source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
8862@code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
8863you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
8864it prints a symbolic address:
8865
8866@table @code
8867@item set print symbol-filename on
8868@cindex source file and line of a symbol
8869@cindex symbol, source file and line
8870Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
8871symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8872
8873@item set print symbol-filename off
8874Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
8875default.
8876
8877@item show print symbol-filename
8878Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
8879line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8880@end table
8881
8882Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
8883numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
8884number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
8885
8886Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
8887printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
8888
8889@table @code
8890@item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
8891@itemx set print max-symbolic-offset unlimited
8892@cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
8893Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
8894offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
8895@var{max-offset}. The default is @code{unlimited}, which tells @value{GDBN}
8896to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes
8897it. Zero is equivalent to @code{unlimited}.
8898
8899@item show print max-symbolic-offset
8900Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
8901symbolic address.
8902@end table
8903
8904@cindex wild pointer, interpreting
8905@cindex pointer, finding referent
8906If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
8907@samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
8908and source file location of the variable where it points, using
8909@samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
8910For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
8911at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
8912
8913@smallexample
8914(@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
8915(@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
8916$4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
8917@end smallexample
8918
8919@quotation
8920@emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
8921does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
8922the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
8923@end quotation
8924
8925You can also enable @samp{/a}-like formatting all the time using
8926@samp{set print symbol on}:
8927
8928@table @code
8929@item set print symbol on
8930Tell @value{GDBN} to print the symbol corresponding to an address, if
8931one exists.
8932
8933@item set print symbol off
8934Tell @value{GDBN} not to print the symbol corresponding to an
8935address. In this mode, @value{GDBN} will still print the symbol
8936corresponding to pointers to functions. This is the default.
8937
8938@item show print symbol
8939Show whether @value{GDBN} will display the symbol corresponding to an
8940address.
8941@end table
8942
8943Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
8944
8945@table @code
8946@item set print array
8947@itemx set print array on
8948@cindex pretty print arrays
8949Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
8950but uses more space. The default is off.
8951
8952@item set print array off
8953Return to compressed format for arrays.
8954
8955@item show print array
8956Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
8957arrays.
8958
8959@cindex print array indexes
8960@item set print array-indexes
8961@itemx set print array-indexes on
8962Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
8963convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
8964index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
8965
8966@item set print array-indexes off
8967Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
8968
8969@item show print array-indexes
8970Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
8971arrays.
8972
8973@item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
8974@itemx set print elements unlimited
8975@cindex number of array elements to print
8976@cindex limit on number of printed array elements
8977Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
8978If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
8979printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
8980This limit also applies to the display of strings.
8981When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
8982Setting @var{number-of-elements} to @code{unlimited} or zero means
8983that the number of elements to print is unlimited.
8984
8985@item show print elements
8986Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
8987If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
8988
8989@item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
8990@kindex set print frame-arguments
8991@cindex printing frame argument values
8992@cindex print all frame argument values
8993@cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
8994@cindex do not print frame argument values
8995This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
8996when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
8997values are:
8998
8999@table @code
9000@item all
9001The values of all arguments are printed.
9002
9003@item scalars
9004Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
9005complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
9006by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
9007only scalar arguments are shown:
9008
9009@smallexample
9010#1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
9011 at frame-args.c:23
9012@end smallexample
9013
9014@item none
9015None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
9016is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
9017
9018@smallexample
9019#1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
9020 at frame-args.c:23
9021@end smallexample
9022@end table
9023
9024By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
9025to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
9026of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
9027of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
9028information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
9029Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
9030the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
9031especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
9032to @code{scalars} (the default) or @code{none} avoids this computation,
9033thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
9034
9035@item show print frame-arguments
9036Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
9037
9038@item set print raw frame-arguments on
9039Print frame arguments in raw, non pretty-printed, form.
9040
9041@item set print raw frame-arguments off
9042Print frame arguments in pretty-printed form, if there is a pretty-printer
9043for the value (@pxref{Pretty Printing}),
9044otherwise print the value in raw form.
9045This is the default.
9046
9047@item show print raw frame-arguments
9048Show whether to print frame arguments in raw form.
9049
9050@anchor{set print entry-values}
9051@item set print entry-values @var{value}
9052@kindex set print entry-values
9053Set printing of frame argument values at function entry. In some cases
9054@value{GDBN} can determine the value of function argument which was passed by
9055the function caller, even if the value was modified inside the called function
9056and therefore is different. With optimized code, the current value could be
9057unavailable, but the entry value may still be known.
9058
9059The default value is @code{default} (see below for its description). Older
9060@value{GDBN} behaved as with the setting @code{no}. Compilers not supporting
9061this feature will behave in the @code{default} setting the same way as with the
9062@code{no} setting.
9063
9064This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
9065the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
9066@value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
9067this information.
9068
9069The @var{value} parameter can be one of the following:
9070
9071@table @code
9072@item no
9073Print only actual parameter values, never print values from function entry
9074point.
9075@smallexample
9076#0 equal (val=5)
9077#0 different (val=6)
9078#0 lost (val=<optimized out>)
9079#0 born (val=10)
9080#0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9081@end smallexample
9082
9083@item only
9084Print only parameter values from function entry point. The actual parameter
9085values are never printed.
9086@smallexample
9087#0 equal (val@@entry=5)
9088#0 different (val@@entry=5)
9089#0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9090#0 born (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9091#0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9092@end smallexample
9093
9094@item preferred
9095Print only parameter values from function entry point. If value from function
9096entry point is not known while the actual value is known, print the actual
9097value for such parameter.
9098@smallexample
9099#0 equal (val@@entry=5)
9100#0 different (val@@entry=5)
9101#0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9102#0 born (val=10)
9103#0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9104@end smallexample
9105
9106@item if-needed
9107Print actual parameter values. If actual parameter value is not known while
9108value from function entry point is known, print the entry point value for such
9109parameter.
9110@smallexample
9111#0 equal (val=5)
9112#0 different (val=6)
9113#0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9114#0 born (val=10)
9115#0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9116@end smallexample
9117
9118@item both
9119Always print both the actual parameter value and its value from function entry
9120point, even if values of one or both are not available due to compiler
9121optimizations.
9122@smallexample
9123#0 equal (val=5, val@@entry=5)
9124#0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9125#0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
9126#0 born (val=10, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9127#0 invalid (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9128@end smallexample
9129
9130@item compact
9131Print the actual parameter value if it is known and also its value from
9132function entry point if it is known. If neither is known, print for the actual
9133value @code{<optimized out>}. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and if both
9134values are known and identical, print the shortened
9135@code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
9136@smallexample
9137#0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
9138#0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9139#0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9140#0 born (val=10)
9141#0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9142@end smallexample
9143
9144@item default
9145Always print the actual parameter value. Print also its value from function
9146entry point, but only if it is known. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and
9147if both values are known and identical, print the shortened
9148@code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
9149@smallexample
9150#0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
9151#0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9152#0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
9153#0 born (val=10)
9154#0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9155@end smallexample
9156@end table
9157
9158For analysis messages on possible failures of frame argument values at function
9159entry resolution see @ref{set debug entry-values}.
9160
9161@item show print entry-values
9162Show the method being used for printing of frame argument values at function
9163entry.
9164
9165@item set print repeats @var{number-of-repeats}
9166@itemx set print repeats unlimited
9167@cindex repeated array elements
9168Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
9169elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
9170array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
9171@code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
9172identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
9173themselves. Setting the threshold to @code{unlimited} or zero will
9174cause all elements to be individually printed. The default threshold
9175is 10.
9176
9177@item show print repeats
9178Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
9179elements.
9180
9181@item set print null-stop
9182@cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
9183Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
9184@sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
9185contain only short strings.
9186The default is off.
9187
9188@item show print null-stop
9189Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
9190@sc{null} character.
9191
9192@item set print pretty on
9193@cindex print structures in indented form
9194@cindex indentation in structure display
9195Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
9196per line, like this:
9197
9198@smallexample
9199@group
9200$1 = @{
9201 next = 0x0,
9202 flags = @{
9203 sweet = 1,
9204 sour = 1
9205 @},
9206 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
9207@}
9208@end group
9209@end smallexample
9210
9211@item set print pretty off
9212Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
9213
9214@smallexample
9215@group
9216$1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
9217meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
9218@end group
9219@end smallexample
9220
9221@noindent
9222This is the default format.
9223
9224@item show print pretty
9225Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
9226
9227@item set print sevenbit-strings on
9228@cindex eight-bit characters in strings
9229@cindex octal escapes in strings
9230Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
9231@value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
9232character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
9233best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
9234high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
9235
9236@item set print sevenbit-strings off
9237Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
9238international character sets, and is the default.
9239
9240@item show print sevenbit-strings
9241Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
9242
9243@item set print union on
9244@cindex unions in structures, printing
9245Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
9246and other unions. This is the default setting.
9247
9248@item set print union off
9249Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
9250structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
9251instead.
9252
9253@item show print union
9254Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
9255structures and other unions.
9256
9257For example, given the declarations
9258
9259@smallexample
9260typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
9261typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
9262typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
9263 Bug_forms;
9264
9265struct thing @{
9266 Species it;
9267 union @{
9268 Tree_forms tree;
9269 Bug_forms bug;
9270 @} form;
9271@};
9272
9273struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
9274@end smallexample
9275
9276@noindent
9277with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
9278
9279@smallexample
9280$1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
9281@end smallexample
9282
9283@noindent
9284and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
9285
9286@smallexample
9287$1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
9288@end smallexample
9289
9290@noindent
9291@code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
9292and in Pascal.
9293@end table
9294
9295@need 1000
9296@noindent
9297These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
9298
9299@table @code
9300@cindex demangling C@t{++} names
9301@item set print demangle
9302@itemx set print demangle on
9303Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
9304(``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
9305linkage. The default is on.
9306
9307@item show print demangle
9308Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
9309
9310@item set print asm-demangle
9311@itemx set print asm-demangle on
9312Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
9313in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
9314The default is off.
9315
9316@item show print asm-demangle
9317Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
9318or demangled form.
9319
9320@cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
9321@cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
9322@kindex set demangle-style
9323@item set demangle-style @var{style}
9324Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
9325represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
9326
9327@table @code
9328@item auto
9329Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
9330This is the default.
9331
9332@item gnu
9333Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
9334
9335@item hp
9336Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
9337
9338@item lucid
9339Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
9340
9341@item arm
9342Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
9343@strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
9344debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
9345require further enhancement to permit that.
9346
9347@end table
9348If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
9349
9350@item show demangle-style
9351Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
9352
9353@item set print object
9354@itemx set print object on
9355@cindex derived type of an object, printing
9356@cindex display derived types
9357When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
9358(derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
9359the virtual function table. Note that the virtual function table is
9360required---this feature can only work for objects that have run-time
9361type identification; a single virtual method in the object's declared
9362type is sufficient. Note that this setting is also taken into account when
9363working with variable objects via MI (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
9364
9365@item set print object off
9366Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
9367virtual function table. This is the default setting.
9368
9369@item show print object
9370Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
9371
9372@item set print static-members
9373@itemx set print static-members on
9374@cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
9375Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
9376
9377@item set print static-members off
9378Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
9379
9380@item show print static-members
9381Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
9382
9383@item set print pascal_static-members
9384@itemx set print pascal_static-members on
9385@cindex static members of Pascal objects
9386@cindex Pascal objects, static members display
9387Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
9388
9389@item set print pascal_static-members off
9390Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
9391
9392@item show print pascal_static-members
9393Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
9394
9395@c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
9396@item set print vtbl
9397@itemx set print vtbl on
9398@cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
9399@cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
9400@cindex VTBL display
9401Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
9402(The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
9403ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
9404
9405@item set print vtbl off
9406Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
9407
9408@item show print vtbl
9409Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
9410@end table
9411
9412@node Pretty Printing
9413@section Pretty Printing
9414
9415@value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
9416Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
9417mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
9418
9419@menu
9420* Pretty-Printer Introduction:: Introduction to pretty-printers
9421* Pretty-Printer Example:: An example pretty-printer
9422* Pretty-Printer Commands:: Pretty-printer commands
9423@end menu
9424
9425@node Pretty-Printer Introduction
9426@subsection Pretty-Printer Introduction
9427
9428When @value{GDBN} prints a value, it first sees if there is a pretty-printer
9429registered for the value. If there is then @value{GDBN} invokes the
9430pretty-printer to print the value. Otherwise the value is printed normally.
9431
9432Pretty-printers are normally named. This makes them easy to manage.
9433The @samp{info pretty-printer} command will list all the installed
9434pretty-printers with their names.
9435If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
9436@dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
9437Each such subprinter has its own name.
9438The format of the name is @var{printer-name};@var{subprinter-name}.
9439
9440Pretty-printers are installed by @dfn{registering} them with @value{GDBN}.
9441Typically they are automatically loaded and registered when the corresponding
9442debug information is loaded, thus making them available without having to
9443do anything special.
9444
9445There are three places where a pretty-printer can be registered.
9446
9447@itemize @bullet
9448@item
9449Pretty-printers registered globally are available when debugging
9450all inferiors.
9451
9452@item
9453Pretty-printers registered with a program space are available only
9454when debugging that program.
9455@xref{Progspaces In Python}, for more details on program spaces in Python.
9456
9457@item
9458Pretty-printers registered with an objfile are loaded and unloaded
9459with the corresponding objfile (e.g., shared library).
9460@xref{Objfiles In Python}, for more details on objfiles in Python.
9461@end itemize
9462
9463@xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for further information on how
9464pretty-printers are selected,
9465
9466@xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for implementing pretty printers
9467for new types.
9468
9469@node Pretty-Printer Example
9470@subsection Pretty-Printer Example
9471
9472Here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a pretty-printer:
9473
9474@smallexample
9475(@value{GDBP}) print s
9476$1 = @{
9477 static npos = 4294967295,
9478 _M_dataplus = @{
9479 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
9480 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
9481 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
9482 @},
9483 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
9484 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
9485 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
9486 @}
9487@}
9488@end smallexample
9489
9490With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
9491
9492@smallexample
9493(@value{GDBP}) print s
9494$2 = "abcd"
9495@end smallexample
9496
9497@node Pretty-Printer Commands
9498@subsection Pretty-Printer Commands
9499@cindex pretty-printer commands
9500
9501@table @code
9502@kindex info pretty-printer
9503@item info pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9504Print the list of installed pretty-printers.
9505This includes disabled pretty-printers, which are marked as such.
9506
9507@var{object-regexp} is a regular expression matching the objects
9508whose pretty-printers to list.
9509Objects can be @code{global}, the program space's file
9510(@pxref{Progspaces In Python}),
9511and the object files within that program space (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}).
9512@xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for details on how @value{GDBN}
9513looks up a printer from these three objects.
9514
9515@var{name-regexp} is a regular expression matching the name of the printers
9516to list.
9517
9518@kindex disable pretty-printer
9519@item disable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9520Disable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9521A disabled pretty-printer is not forgotten, it may be enabled again later.
9522
9523@kindex enable pretty-printer
9524@item enable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9525Enable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9526@end table
9527
9528Example:
9529
9530Suppose we have three pretty-printers installed: one from library1.so
9531named @code{foo} that prints objects of type @code{foo}, and
9532another from library2.so named @code{bar} that prints two types of objects,
9533@code{bar1} and @code{bar2}.
9534
9535@smallexample
9536(gdb) info pretty-printer
9537library1.so:
9538 foo
9539library2.so:
9540 bar
9541 bar1
9542 bar2
9543(gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9544library2.so:
9545 bar
9546 bar1
9547 bar2
9548(gdb) disable pretty-printer library1
95491 printer disabled
95502 of 3 printers enabled
9551(gdb) info pretty-printer
9552library1.so:
9553 foo [disabled]
9554library2.so:
9555 bar
9556 bar1
9557 bar2
9558(gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar:bar1
95591 printer disabled
95601 of 3 printers enabled
9561(gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9562library1.so:
9563 foo [disabled]
9564library2.so:
9565 bar
9566 bar1 [disabled]
9567 bar2
9568(gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar
95691 printer disabled
95700 of 3 printers enabled
9571(gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9572library1.so:
9573 foo [disabled]
9574library2.so:
9575 bar [disabled]
9576 bar1 [disabled]
9577 bar2
9578@end smallexample
9579
9580Note that for @code{bar} the entire printer can be disabled,
9581as can each individual subprinter.
9582
9583@node Value History
9584@section Value History
9585
9586@cindex value history
9587@cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
9588Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
9589@dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
9590Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
9591(for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
9592When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
9593since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
9594symbol table.
9595
9596@cindex @code{$}
9597@cindex @code{$$}
9598@cindex history number
9599The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
9600refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
9601@code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
9602printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
9603history number.
9604
9605To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
9606history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
9607remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
9608the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
9609@code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
9610is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
9611@code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
9612
9613For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
9614want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
9615
9616@smallexample
9617p *$
9618@end smallexample
9619
9620If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
9621to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
9622
9623@smallexample
9624p *$.next
9625@end smallexample
9626
9627@noindent
9628You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
9629command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
9630
9631Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
9632@code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
9633
9634@smallexample
9635print x
9636set x=5
9637@end smallexample
9638
9639@noindent
9640then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
9641remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
9642
9643@table @code
9644@kindex show values
9645@item show values
9646Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
9647This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
9648values} does not change the history.
9649
9650@item show values @var{n}
9651Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
9652
9653@item show values +
9654Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
9655values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
9656@end table
9657
9658Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
9659same effect as @samp{show values +}.
9660
9661@node Convenience Vars
9662@section Convenience Variables
9663
9664@cindex convenience variables
9665@cindex user-defined variables
9666@value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
9667@value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
9668exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
9669setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
9670of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
9671
9672Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
9673@samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
9674the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
9675(Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
9676by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
9677
9678You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
9679expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
9680For example:
9681
9682@smallexample
9683set $foo = *object_ptr
9684@end smallexample
9685
9686@noindent
9687would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
9688@code{object_ptr}.
9689
9690Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
9691value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
9692value with another assignment at any time.
9693
9694Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
9695variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
9696that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
9697variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
9698
9699@table @code
9700@kindex show convenience
9701@cindex show all user variables and functions
9702@item show convenience
9703Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values,
9704as well as a list of the convenience functions.
9705Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
9706
9707@kindex init-if-undefined
9708@cindex convenience variables, initializing
9709@item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
9710Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
9711for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
9712to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
9713convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
9714override default values used in a command script.
9715
9716If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
9717any side-effects do not occur.
9718@end table
9719
9720One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
9721incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
9722a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
9723
9724@smallexample
9725set $i = 0
9726print bar[$i++]->contents
9727@end smallexample
9728
9729@noindent
9730Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
9731
9732Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
9733values likely to be useful.
9734
9735@table @code
9736@vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
9737@item $_
9738The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
9739the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
9740commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
9741set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
9742and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
9743except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
9744to the type of @code{$__}.
9745
9746@vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
9747@item $__
9748The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
9749to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
9750to match the format in which the data was printed.
9751
9752@item $_exitcode
9753@vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
9754The variable @code{$_exitcode} is automatically set to the exit code when
9755the program being debugged terminates.
9756
9757@item $_exception
9758The variable @code{$_exception} is set to the exception object being
9759thrown at an exception-related catchpoint. @xref{Set Catchpoints}.
9760
9761@item $_probe_argc
9762@itemx $_probe_arg0@dots{}$_probe_arg11
9763Arguments to a static probe. @xref{Static Probe Points}.
9764
9765@item $_sdata
9766@vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
9767The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
9768data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
9769@code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
9770if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
9771
9772@item $_siginfo
9773@vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
9774The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
9775(@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
9776could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
9777For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
9778
9779@item $_tlb
9780@vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
9781The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
9782applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
9783gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
9784@xref{General Query Packets}.
9785This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
9786
9787@end table
9788
9789On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
9790begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
9791name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
9792
9793@node Convenience Funs
9794@section Convenience Functions
9795
9796@cindex convenience functions
9797@value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
9798have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
9799function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
9800however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
9801@value{GDBN}.
9802
9803These functions do not require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
9804@code{Python} support, which means that they are always available.
9805
9806@table @code
9807
9808@item $_isvoid (@var{expr})
9809@findex $_isvoid@r{, convenience function}
9810Return one if the expression @var{expr} is @code{void}. Otherwise it
9811returns zero.
9812
9813A @code{void} expression is an expression where the type of the result
9814is @code{void}. For example, you can examine a convenience variable
9815(see @ref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}) to check whether
9816it is @code{void}:
9817
9818@smallexample
9819(@value{GDBP}) print $_exitcode
9820$1 = void
9821(@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($_exitcode)
9822$2 = 1
9823(@value{GDBP}) run
9824Starting program: ./a.out
9825[Inferior 1 (process 29572) exited normally]
9826(@value{GDBP}) print $_exitcode
9827$3 = 0
9828(@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($_exitcode)
9829$4 = 0
9830@end smallexample
9831
9832In the example above, we used @code{$_isvoid} to check whether
9833@code{$_exitcode} is @code{void} before and after the execution of the
9834program being debugged. Before the execution there is no exit code to
9835be examined, therefore @code{$_exitcode} is @code{void}. After the
9836execution the program being debugged returned zero, therefore
9837@code{$_exitcode} is zero, which means that it is not @code{void}
9838anymore.
9839
9840The @code{void} expression can also be a call of a function from the
9841program being debugged. For example, given the following function:
9842
9843@smallexample
9844void
9845foo (void)
9846@{
9847@}
9848@end smallexample
9849
9850The result of calling it inside @value{GDBN} is @code{void}:
9851
9852@smallexample
9853(@value{GDBP}) print foo ()
9854$1 = void
9855(@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid (foo ())
9856$2 = 1
9857(@value{GDBP}) set $v = foo ()
9858(@value{GDBP}) print $v
9859$3 = void
9860(@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($v)
9861$4 = 1
9862@end smallexample
9863
9864@end table
9865
9866These functions require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
9867@code{Python} support.
9868
9869@table @code
9870
9871@item $_memeq(@var{buf1}, @var{buf2}, @var{length})
9872@findex $_memeq@r{, convenience function}
9873Returns one if the @var{length} bytes at the addresses given by
9874@var{buf1} and @var{buf2} are equal.
9875Otherwise it returns zero.
9876
9877@item $_regex(@var{str}, @var{regex})
9878@findex $_regex@r{, convenience function}
9879Returns one if the string @var{str} matches the regular expression
9880@var{regex}. Otherwise it returns zero.
9881The syntax of the regular expression is that specified by @code{Python}'s
9882regular expression support.
9883
9884@item $_streq(@var{str1}, @var{str2})
9885@findex $_streq@r{, convenience function}
9886Returns one if the strings @var{str1} and @var{str2} are equal.
9887Otherwise it returns zero.
9888
9889@item $_strlen(@var{str})
9890@findex $_strlen@r{, convenience function}
9891Returns the length of string @var{str}.
9892
9893@end table
9894
9895@value{GDBN} provides the ability to list and get help on
9896convenience functions.
9897
9898@table @code
9899@item help function
9900@kindex help function
9901@cindex show all convenience functions
9902Print a list of all convenience functions.
9903@end table
9904
9905@node Registers
9906@section Registers
9907
9908@cindex registers
9909You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
9910with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
9911for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
9912your machine.
9913
9914@table @code
9915@kindex info registers
9916@item info registers
9917Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
9918and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
9919
9920@kindex info all-registers
9921@cindex floating point registers
9922@item info all-registers
9923Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
9924and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
9925
9926@item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
9927Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
9928As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
9929the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
9930the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
9931@end table
9932
9933@cindex stack pointer register
9934@cindex program counter register
9935@cindex process status register
9936@cindex frame pointer register
9937@cindex standard registers
9938@value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
9939expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
9940architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
9941@code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
9942the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
9943pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
9944register that contains the processor status. For example,
9945you could print the program counter in hex with
9946
9947@smallexample
9948p/x $pc
9949@end smallexample
9950
9951@noindent
9952or print the instruction to be executed next with
9953
9954@smallexample
9955x/i $pc
9956@end smallexample
9957
9958@noindent
9959or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
9960one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
9961memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
9962stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
9963stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
9964regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
9965see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
9966
9967@smallexample
9968set $sp += 4
9969@end smallexample
9970
9971Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
9972your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
9973so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
9974shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
9975registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
9976can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
9977is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
9978
9979@value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
9980integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
9981special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
9982registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
9983to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
9984(although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
9985@samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
9986
9987Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
9988means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
9989the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
9990sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
9991coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
9992programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
9993cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
9994that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
9995prints the data in both formats.
9996
9997@cindex SSE registers (x86)
9998@cindex MMX registers (x86)
9999Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
10000in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
10001have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
10002together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
10003registers in @code{struct} notation:
10004
10005@smallexample
10006(@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
10007$1 = @{
10008 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
10009 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
10010 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
10011 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
10012 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
10013 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
10014 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
10015@}
10016@end smallexample
10017
10018@noindent
10019To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
10020view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
10021value to a @code{struct} member:
10022
10023@smallexample
10024 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
10025@end smallexample
10026
10027Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
10028(@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
10029value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
10030were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
10031true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
10032frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
10033
10034However, @value{GDBN} must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
10035code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
10036@value{GDBN} is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack
10037frame makes no difference.
10038
10039@node Floating Point Hardware
10040@section Floating Point Hardware
10041@cindex floating point
10042
10043Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
10044you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
10045
10046@table @code
10047@kindex info float
10048@item info float
10049Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
10050point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
10051floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
10052the ARM and x86 machines.
10053@end table
10054
10055@node Vector Unit
10056@section Vector Unit
10057@cindex vector unit
10058
10059Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
10060more information about the status of the vector unit.
10061
10062@table @code
10063@kindex info vector
10064@item info vector
10065Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
10066layout vary depending on the hardware.
10067@end table
10068
10069@node OS Information
10070@section Operating System Auxiliary Information
10071@cindex OS information
10072
10073@value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
10074you debug your program.
10075
10076@cindex auxiliary vector
10077@cindex vector, auxiliary
10078Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
10079startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
10080specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
10081binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
10082hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
10083identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
10084Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
10085@value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
10086targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
10087support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
10088@ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
10089
10090@table @code
10091@kindex info auxv
10092@item info auxv
10093Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
10094live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
10095numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
10096tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
10097pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
10098most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
10099an unrecognized tag.
10100@end table
10101
10102On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating system-specific
10103information and show it to you. The types of information available
10104will differ depending on the type of operating system running on the
10105target. The mechanism used to fetch the data is described in
10106@ref{Operating System Information}. For remote targets, this
10107functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
10108@samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
10109
10110@table @code
10111@kindex info os
10112@item info os @var{infotype}
10113
10114Display OS information of the requested type.
10115
10116On @sc{gnu}/Linux, the following values of @var{infotype} are valid:
10117
10118@anchor{linux info os infotypes}
10119@table @code
10120@kindex info os processes
10121@item processes
10122Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
10123@value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, the
10124command corresponding to the process, and the list of processor cores
10125that the process is currently running on. (To understand what these
10126properties mean, for this and the following info types, please consult
10127the general @sc{gnu}/Linux documentation.)
10128
10129@kindex info os procgroups
10130@item procgroups
10131Display the list of process groups on the target. For each process,
10132@value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process group that it belongs
10133to, the command corresponding to the process group leader, the process
10134identifier, and the command line of the process. The list is sorted
10135first by the process group identifier, then by the process identifier,
10136so that processes belonging to the same process group are grouped together
10137and the process group leader is listed first.
10138
10139@kindex info os threads
10140@item threads
10141Display the list of threads running on the target. For each thread,
10142@value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process that the thread
10143belongs to, the command of the process, the thread identifier, and the
10144processor core that it is currently running on. The main thread of a
10145process is not listed.
10146
10147@kindex info os files
10148@item files
10149Display the list of open file descriptors on the target. For each
10150file descriptor, @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process
10151owning the descriptor, the command of the owning process, the value
10152of the descriptor, and the target of the descriptor.
10153
10154@kindex info os sockets
10155@item sockets
10156Display the list of Internet-domain sockets on the target. For each
10157socket, @value{GDBN} prints the address and port of the local and
10158remote endpoints, the current state of the connection, the creator of
10159the socket, the IP address family of the socket, and the type of the
10160connection.
10161
10162@kindex info os shm
10163@item shm
10164Display the list of all System V shared-memory regions on the target.
10165For each shared-memory region, @value{GDBN} prints the region key,
10166the shared-memory identifier, the access permissions, the size of the
10167region, the process that created the region, the process that last
10168attached to or detached from the region, the current number of live
10169attaches to the region, and the times at which the region was last
10170attached to, detach from, and changed.
10171
10172@kindex info os semaphores
10173@item semaphores
10174Display the list of all System V semaphore sets on the target. For each
10175semaphore set, @value{GDBN} prints the semaphore set key, the semaphore
10176set identifier, the access permissions, the number of semaphores in the
10177set, the user and group of the owner and creator of the semaphore set,
10178and the times at which the semaphore set was operated upon and changed.
10179
10180@kindex info os msg
10181@item msg
10182Display the list of all System V message queues on the target. For each
10183message queue, @value{GDBN} prints the message queue key, the message
10184queue identifier, the access permissions, the current number of bytes
10185on the queue, the current number of messages on the queue, the processes
10186that last sent and received a message on the queue, the user and group
10187of the owner and creator of the message queue, the times at which a
10188message was last sent and received on the queue, and the time at which
10189the message queue was last changed.
10190
10191@kindex info os modules
10192@item modules
10193Display the list of all loaded kernel modules on the target. For each
10194module, @value{GDBN} prints the module name, the size of the module in
10195bytes, the number of times the module is used, the dependencies of the
10196module, the status of the module, and the address of the loaded module
10197in memory.
10198@end table
10199
10200@item info os
10201If @var{infotype} is omitted, then list the possible values for
10202@var{infotype} and the kind of OS information available for each
10203@var{infotype}. If the target does not return a list of possible
10204types, this command will report an error.
10205@end table
10206
10207@node Memory Region Attributes
10208@section Memory Region Attributes
10209@cindex memory region attributes
10210
10211@dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
10212required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
10213attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
10214accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
10215target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
10216fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
10217user can override the fetched regions.
10218
10219Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
10220memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
10221accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
10222been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
10223all memory.
10224
10225When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
10226to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
10227
10228@table @code
10229@kindex mem
10230@item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
10231Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
10232attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
10233monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
10234case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
10235(0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
10236
10237@item mem auto
10238Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
10239regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
10240
10241@kindex delete mem
10242@item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10243Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
10244monitored by @value{GDBN}.
10245
10246@kindex disable mem
10247@item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10248Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
10249A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
10250It may be enabled again later.
10251
10252@kindex enable mem
10253@item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10254Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
10255
10256@kindex info mem
10257@item info mem
10258Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
10259for each region:
10260
10261@table @emph
10262@item Memory Region Number
10263@item Enabled or Disabled.
10264Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
10265Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
10266
10267@item Lo Address
10268The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
10269
10270@item Hi Address
10271The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
10272
10273@item Attributes
10274The list of attributes set for this memory region.
10275@end table
10276@end table
10277
10278
10279@subsection Attributes
10280
10281@subsubsection Memory Access Mode
10282The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
10283write accesses to a memory region.
10284
10285While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
10286memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
10287etc.@: from accessing memory.
10288
10289@table @code
10290@item ro
10291Memory is read only.
10292@item wo
10293Memory is write only.
10294@item rw
10295Memory is read/write. This is the default.
10296@end table
10297
10298@subsubsection Memory Access Size
10299The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
10300accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
10301require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
10302specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
10303
10304@table @code
10305@item 8
10306Use 8 bit memory accesses.
10307@item 16
10308Use 16 bit memory accesses.
10309@item 32
10310Use 32 bit memory accesses.
10311@item 64
10312Use 64 bit memory accesses.
10313@end table
10314
10315@c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
10316@c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
10317@c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
10318@c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
10319@c
10320@c @table @code
10321@c @item hwbreak
10322@c Always use hardware breakpoints
10323@c @item swbreak (default)
10324@c @end table
10325
10326@subsubsection Data Cache
10327The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
10328memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
10329protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
10330does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
10331registers.
10332
10333@table @code
10334@item cache
10335Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
10336@item nocache
10337Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
10338@end table
10339
10340@subsection Memory Access Checking
10341@value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
10342not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
10343regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
10344better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
10345
10346@table @code
10347@kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
10348@item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
10349If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
10350explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
10351to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
10352memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
10353treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
10354The default value is @code{on}.
10355@kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
10356@item show mem inaccessible-by-default
10357Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
10358@end table
10359
10360
10361@c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
10362@c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
10363@c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
10364@c
10365@c @table @code
10366@c @item verify
10367@c @item noverify (default)
10368@c @end table
10369
10370@node Dump/Restore Files
10371@section Copy Between Memory and a File
10372@cindex dump/restore files
10373@cindex append data to a file
10374@cindex dump data to a file
10375@cindex restore data from a file
10376
10377You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
10378@code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
10379@code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
10380@code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
10381memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
10382Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
10383files.
10384
10385@table @code
10386
10387@kindex dump
10388@item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
10389@itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
10390Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
10391or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
10392
10393The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
10394@table @code
10395@item binary
10396Raw binary form.
10397@item ihex
10398Intel hex format.
10399@item srec
10400Motorola S-record format.
10401@item tekhex
10402Tektronix Hex format.
10403@end table
10404
10405@value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
10406@sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
10407@var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
10408form.
10409
10410@kindex append
10411@item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
10412@itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
10413Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
10414or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
10415(@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
10416
10417@kindex restore
10418@item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
10419Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
10420@code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
10421file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
10422must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
10423
10424If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
10425contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
10426they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
10427a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
10428from that location.
10429
10430If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
10431file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
10432These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
10433the @var{bias} argument is applied.
10434
10435@end table
10436
10437@node Core File Generation
10438@section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
10439@cindex dump core from inferior
10440
10441A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
10442image of a running process and its process status (register values
10443etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
10444crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
10445automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
10446the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
10447the post-mortem debugging mode.
10448
10449Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
10450are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
10451@value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
10452
10453@table @code
10454@kindex gcore
10455@kindex generate-core-file
10456@item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
10457@itemx gcore [@var{file}]
10458Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
10459@var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
10460specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
10461@var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
10462
10463Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
10464this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and S390).
10465@end table
10466
10467@node Character Sets
10468@section Character Sets
10469@cindex character sets
10470@cindex charset
10471@cindex translating between character sets
10472@cindex host character set
10473@cindex target character set
10474
10475If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
10476represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
10477@value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
10478you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
10479character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
10480@dfn{target character set}.
10481
10482For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
10483uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
10484remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
10485running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
10486then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
10487@sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
10488target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
10489@sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
10490character and string literals in expressions.
10491
10492@value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
10493the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
10494target-charset} command, described below.
10495
10496Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
10497support:
10498
10499@table @code
10500@item set target-charset @var{charset}
10501@kindex set target-charset
10502Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
10503list of supported target character sets, type
10504@kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
10505
10506@item set host-charset @var{charset}
10507@kindex set host-charset
10508Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
10509
10510By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
10511system it is running on; you can override that default using the
10512@code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
10513automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
10514case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
10515
10516@value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
10517set. If you type @kbd{@w{set host-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
10518@value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
10519
10520@item set charset @var{charset}
10521@kindex set charset
10522Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
10523above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
10524@value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
10525for both host and target.
10526
10527@item show charset
10528@kindex show charset
10529Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
10530
10531@item show host-charset
10532@kindex show host-charset
10533Show the name of the current host character set.
10534
10535@item show target-charset
10536@kindex show target-charset
10537Show the name of the current target character set.
10538
10539@item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
10540@kindex set target-wide-charset
10541Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
10542the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
10543display the list of supported wide character sets, type
10544@kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
10545
10546@item show target-wide-charset
10547@kindex show target-wide-charset
10548Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
10549@end table
10550
10551Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
10552Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
10553@file{charset-test.c}:
10554
10555@smallexample
10556#include <stdio.h>
10557
10558char ascii_hello[]
10559 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
10560 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
10561char ibm1047_hello[]
10562 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
10563 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
10564
10565main ()
10566@{
10567 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10568@}
10569@end smallexample
10570
10571In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
10572containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
10573encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
10574
10575We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
10576
10577@smallexample
10578$ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
10579$ gdb -nw charset-test
10580GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
10581Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
10582@dots{}
10583(@value{GDBP})
10584@end smallexample
10585
10586We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
10587@value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
10588strings:
10589
10590@smallexample
10591(@value{GDBP}) show charset
10592The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
10593(@value{GDBP})
10594@end smallexample
10595
10596For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
10597initial character set:
10598@smallexample
10599(@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
10600(@value{GDBP}) show charset
10601The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
10602(@value{GDBP})
10603@end smallexample
10604
10605Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
10606host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
10607characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
10608them properly. Since our current target character set is also
10609@sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
10610
10611@smallexample
10612(@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10613$1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
10614(@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10615$2 = 72 'H'
10616(@value{GDBP})
10617@end smallexample
10618
10619@value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
10620literals you use in expressions:
10621
10622@smallexample
10623(@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10624$3 = 43 '+'
10625(@value{GDBP})
10626@end smallexample
10627
10628The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
10629character.
10630
10631@value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
10632target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
10633character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
10634
10635@smallexample
10636(@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10637$4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
10638(@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10639$5 = 200 '\310'
10640(@value{GDBP})
10641@end smallexample
10642
10643If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
10644@value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
10645
10646@smallexample
10647(@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10648ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
10649(@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10650@end smallexample
10651
10652We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
10653program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
10654@value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
10655target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
10656@sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
10657
10658@smallexample
10659(@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
10660(@value{GDBP}) show charset
10661The current host character set is `ASCII'.
10662The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
10663(@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10664$6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
10665(@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10666$7 = 72 '\110'
10667(@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10668$8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
10669(@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10670$9 = 200 'H'
10671(@value{GDBP})
10672@end smallexample
10673
10674As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
10675string literals you use in expressions:
10676
10677@smallexample
10678(@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10679$10 = 78 '+'
10680(@value{GDBP})
10681@end smallexample
10682
10683The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
10684character.
10685
10686@node Caching Remote Data
10687@section Caching Data of Remote Targets
10688@cindex caching data of remote targets
10689
10690@value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a
10691remote target (@pxref{Remote Debugging}). Such caching generally improves
10692performance, because it reduces the overhead of the remote protocol by
10693bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks. Unfortunately, simply
10694caching everything would lead to incorrect results, since @value{GDBN}
10695does not necessarily know anything about volatile values, memory-mapped I/O
10696addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode})
10697memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command is executing.
10698Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
10699known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
10700rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
10701in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
10702stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.}.
10703Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
10704cacheable; see @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
10705
10706@table @code
10707@kindex set remotecache
10708@item set remotecache on
10709@itemx set remotecache off
10710This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
10711with old scripts.
10712
10713@kindex show remotecache
10714@item show remotecache
10715Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
10716
10717@kindex set stack-cache
10718@item set stack-cache on
10719@itemx set stack-cache off
10720Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{ON}, use
10721caching. By default, this option is @code{ON}.
10722
10723@kindex show stack-cache
10724@item show stack-cache
10725Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
10726
10727@kindex info dcache
10728@item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
10729Print the information about the data cache performance. The
10730information displayed includes the dcache width and depth, and for
10731each cache line, its number, address, and how many times it was
10732referenced. This command is useful for debugging the data cache
10733operation.
10734
10735If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
10736printed in hex.
10737
10738@item set dcache size @var{size}
10739@cindex dcache size
10740@kindex set dcache size
10741Set maximum number of entries in dcache (dcache depth above).
10742
10743@item set dcache line-size @var{line-size}
10744@cindex dcache line-size
10745@kindex set dcache line-size
10746Set number of bytes each dcache entry caches (dcache width above).
10747Must be a power of 2.
10748
10749@item show dcache size
10750@kindex show dcache size
10751Show maximum number of dcache entries. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
10752
10753@item show dcache line-size
10754@kindex show dcache line-size
10755Show default size of dcache lines. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
10756
10757@end table
10758
10759@node Searching Memory
10760@section Search Memory
10761@cindex searching memory
10762
10763Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
10764@code{find} command.
10765
10766@table @code
10767@kindex find
10768@item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10769@itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10770Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
10771etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
10772@var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
10773@end table
10774
10775@var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
10776They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
10777
10778@table @r
10779@item @var{s}, search query size
10780The size of each search query value.
10781
10782@table @code
10783@item b
10784bytes
10785@item h
10786halfwords (two bytes)
10787@item w
10788words (four bytes)
10789@item g
10790giant words (eight bytes)
10791@end table
10792
10793All values are interpreted in the current language.
10794This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
10795then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
10796
10797If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
10798value's type in the current language.
10799This is useful when one wants to specify the search
10800pattern as a mixture of types.
10801Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
10802a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
10803which is typically four bytes.
10804
10805@item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
10806The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
10807@end table
10808
10809You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
10810 (@code{"}).
10811The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
10812regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
10813
10814The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
10815number of matches found.
10816
10817The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
10818@samp{$_}.
10819A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
10820
10821For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
10822
10823@smallexample
10824void
10825hello ()
10826@{
10827 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
10828 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
10829 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
10830 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
10831 printf ("%s\n", hello);
10832@}
10833@end smallexample
10834
10835@noindent
10836you get during debugging:
10837
10838@smallexample
10839(gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
108400x804956d <hello.1620+6>
108411 pattern found
10842(gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
108430x8049567 <hello.1620>
108440x804956d <hello.1620+6>
108452 patterns found
10846(gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
108470x8049567 <hello.1620>
108481 pattern found
10849(gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
108500x8049560 <mixed.1625>
108511 pattern found
10852(gdb) print $numfound
10853$1 = 1
10854(gdb) print $_
10855$2 = (void *) 0x8049560
10856@end smallexample
10857
10858@node Optimized Code
10859@chapter Debugging Optimized Code
10860@cindex optimized code, debugging
10861@cindex debugging optimized code
10862
10863Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
10864disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
10865directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
10866applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
10867diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
10868information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
10869the running program back to constructs from your original source.
10870
10871@value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
10872can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
10873progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
10874where you may need to debug an optimized version.
10875
10876When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
10877optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
10878really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
10879exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
10880variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
10881variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
10882
10883Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
10884@samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
10885doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
10886please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
10887@xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
10888
10889@menu
10890* Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
10891* Tail Call Frames:: @value{GDBN} analysis of jumps to functions
10892@end menu
10893
10894@node Inline Functions
10895@section Inline Functions
10896@cindex inline functions, debugging
10897
10898@dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
10899body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
10900routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
10901non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
10902arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
10903them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
10904You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
10905@code{info frame} command.
10906
10907For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
10908record information about inlining in the debug information ---
10909@value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
10910other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
10911when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
10912do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
10913@samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
10914function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
10915displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
10916local variables in the caller.
10917
10918The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
10919unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
10920the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
10921start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
10922the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
10923the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
10924instructions are executed.
10925
10926This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
10927context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
10928a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
10929this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
10930
10931There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
10932function calls are the same as normal calls:
10933
10934@itemize @bullet
10935@item
10936Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
10937work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
10938may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
10939function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
10940version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
10941or inside the inlined function instead.
10942
10943@item
10944@value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
10945using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
10946debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
10947and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
10948
10949@end itemize
10950
10951@node Tail Call Frames
10952@section Tail Call Frames
10953@cindex tail call frames, debugging
10954
10955Function @code{B} can call function @code{C} in its very last statement. In
10956unoptimized compilation the call of @code{C} is immediately followed by return
10957instruction at the end of @code{B} code. Optimizing compiler may replace the
10958call and return in function @code{B} into one jump to function @code{C}
10959instead. Such use of a jump instruction is called @dfn{tail call}.
10960
10961During execution of function @code{C}, there will be no indication in the
10962function call stack frames that it was tail-called from @code{B}. If function
10963@code{A} regularly calls function @code{B} which tail-calls function @code{C},
10964then @value{GDBN} will see @code{A} as the caller of @code{C}. However, in
10965some cases @value{GDBN} can determine that @code{C} was tail-called from
10966@code{B}, and it will then create fictitious call frame for that, with the
10967return address set up as if @code{B} called @code{C} normally.
10968
10969This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
10970the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
10971@value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
10972this information.
10973
10974@kbd{info frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info}) will indicate the tail call frame
10975kind by text @code{tail call frame} such as in this sample @value{GDBN} output:
10976
10977@smallexample
10978(gdb) x/i $pc - 2
10979 0x40066b <b(int, double)+11>: jmp 0x400640 <c(int, double)>
10980(gdb) info frame
10981Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
10982 rip = 0x40066d in b (amd64-entry-value.cc:59); saved rip 0x4004c5
10983 tail call frame, caller of frame at 0x7fffffffda30
10984 source language c++.
10985 Arglist at unknown address.
10986 Locals at unknown address, Previous frame's sp is 0x7fffffffda30
10987@end smallexample
10988
10989The detection of all the possible code path executions can find them ambiguous.
10990There is no execution history stored (possible @ref{Reverse Execution} is never
10991used for this purpose) and the last known caller could have reached the known
10992callee by multiple different jump sequences. In such case @value{GDBN} still
10993tries to show at least all the unambiguous top tail callers and all the
10994unambiguous bottom tail calees, if any.
10995
10996@table @code
10997@anchor{set debug entry-values}
10998@item set debug entry-values
10999@kindex set debug entry-values
11000When set to on, enables printing of analysis messages for both frame argument
11001values at function entry and tail calls. It will show all the possible valid
11002tail calls code paths it has considered. It will also print the intersection
11003of them with the final unambiguous (possibly partial or even empty) code path
11004result.
11005
11006@item show debug entry-values
11007@kindex show debug entry-values
11008Show the current state of analysis messages printing for both frame argument
11009values at function entry and tail calls.
11010@end table
11011
11012The analysis messages for tail calls can for example show why the virtual tail
11013call frame for function @code{c} has not been recognized (due to the indirect
11014reference by variable @code{x}):
11015
11016@smallexample
11017static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void);
11018void (*x) (void) = c;
11019static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
11020static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ a (); @}
11021int main (void) @{ x (); return 0; @}
11022
11023Breakpoint 1, DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving cannot find
11024DW_TAG_GNU_call_site 0x40039a in main
11025a () at t.c:3
110263 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
11027(gdb) bt
11028#0 a () at t.c:3
11029#1 0x000000000040039a in main () at t.c:5
11030@end smallexample
11031
11032Another possibility is an ambiguous virtual tail call frames resolution:
11033
11034@smallexample
11035int i;
11036static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) f (void) @{ i++; @}
11037static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) e (void) @{ f (); @}
11038static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) d (void) @{ f (); @}
11039static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ d (); @}
11040static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (void)
11041@{ if (i) c (); else e (); @}
11042static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ b (); @}
11043int main (void) @{ a (); return 0; @}
11044
11045tailcall: initial: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004ce(b) 0x4004b2(c) 0x4004a2(d)
11046tailcall: compare: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004cc(b) 0x400492(e)
11047tailcall: reduced: 0x4004d2(a) |
11048(gdb) bt
11049#0 f () at t.c:2
11050#1 0x00000000004004d2 in a () at t.c:8
11051#2 0x0000000000400395 in main () at t.c:9
11052@end smallexample
11053
11054@set CALLSEQ1A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}c@value{ARROW}d@value{ARROW}f}
11055@set CALLSEQ2A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}e@value{ARROW}f}
11056
11057@c Convert CALLSEQ#A to CALLSEQ#B depending on HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK.
11058@ifset HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
11059@set ARROW @click{}
11060@set CALLSEQ1B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ1A}}
11061@set CALLSEQ2B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ2A}}
11062@end ifset
11063@ifclear HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
11064@set ARROW ->
11065@set CALLSEQ1B @value{CALLSEQ1A}
11066@set CALLSEQ2B @value{CALLSEQ2A}
11067@end ifclear
11068
11069Frames #0 and #2 are real, #1 is a virtual tail call frame.
11070The code can have possible execution paths @value{CALLSEQ1B} or
11071@value{CALLSEQ2B}, @value{GDBN} cannot find which one from the inferior state.
11072
11073@code{initial:} state shows some random possible calling sequence @value{GDBN}
11074has found. It then finds another possible calling sequcen - that one is
11075prefixed by @code{compare:}. The non-ambiguous intersection of these two is
11076printed as the @code{reduced:} calling sequence. That one could have many
11077futher @code{compare:} and @code{reduced:} statements as long as there remain
11078any non-ambiguous sequence entries.
11079
11080For the frame of function @code{b} in both cases there are different possible
11081@code{$pc} values (@code{0x4004cc} or @code{0x4004ce}), therefore this frame is
11082also ambigous. The only non-ambiguous frame is the one for function @code{a},
11083therefore this one is displayed to the user while the ambiguous frames are
11084omitted.
11085
11086There can be also reasons why printing of frame argument values at function
11087entry may fail:
11088
11089@smallexample
11090int v;
11091static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (int i) @{ v++; @}
11092static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i);
11093static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (int i) @{ a (i); @}
11094static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i)
11095@{ if (i) b (i - 1); else c (0); @}
11096int main (void) @{ a (5); return 0; @}
11097
11098(gdb) bt
11099#0 c (i=i@@entry=0) at t.c:2
11100#1 0x0000000000400428 in a (DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving has found
11101function "a" at 0x400420 can call itself via tail calls
11102i=<optimized out>) at t.c:6
11103#2 0x000000000040036e in main () at t.c:7
11104@end smallexample
11105
11106@value{GDBN} cannot find out from the inferior state if and how many times did
11107function @code{a} call itself (via function @code{b}) as these calls would be
11108tail calls. Such tail calls would modify thue @code{i} variable, therefore
11109@value{GDBN} cannot be sure the value it knows would be right - @value{GDBN}
11110prints @code{<optimized out>} instead.
11111
11112@node Macros
11113@chapter C Preprocessor Macros
11114
11115Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
11116``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
11117@value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
11118the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
11119where it was defined.
11120
11121You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
11122with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
11123include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
11124with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
11125
11126A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
11127and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
11128points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
11129no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
11130uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
11131@value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
11132see @ref{List}.
11133
11134Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
11135macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
11136the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
11137
11138@table @code
11139
11140@kindex macro expand
11141@cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
11142@cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
11143@cindex expanding preprocessor macros
11144@item macro expand @var{expression}
11145@itemx macro exp @var{expression}
11146Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
11147@var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
11148not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
11149it can be any string of tokens.
11150
11151@kindex macro exp1
11152@item macro expand-once @var{expression}
11153@itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
11154@cindex expand macro once
11155@i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
11156expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
11157@var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
11158left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
11159particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
11160expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
11161parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
11162can be any string of tokens.
11163
11164@kindex info macro
11165@cindex macro definition, showing
11166@cindex definition of a macro, showing
11167@cindex macros, from debug info
11168@item info macro [-a|-all] [--] @var{macro}
11169Show the current definition or all definitions of the named @var{macro},
11170and describe the source location or compiler command-line where that
11171definition was established. The optional double dash is to signify the end of
11172argument processing and the beginning of @var{macro} for non C-like macros where
11173the macro may begin with a hyphen.
11174
11175@kindex info macros
11176@item info macros @var{linespec}
11177Show all macro definitions that are in effect at the location specified
11178by @var{linespec}, and describe the source location or compiler
11179command-line where those definitions were established.
11180
11181@kindex macro define
11182@cindex user-defined macros
11183@cindex defining macros interactively
11184@cindex macros, user-defined
11185@item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
11186@itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
11187Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
11188invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
11189@var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
11190``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
11191defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
11192@var{arglist}.
11193
11194A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
11195expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
11196@code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
11197all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
11198as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
11199
11200@kindex macro undef
11201@item macro undef @var{macro}
11202Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
11203This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
11204define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
11205in the program being debugged.
11206
11207@kindex macro list
11208@item macro list
11209List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
11210@end table
11211
11212@cindex macros, example of debugging with
11213Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
11214show our source files:
11215
11216@smallexample
11217$ cat sample.c
11218#include <stdio.h>
11219#include "sample.h"
11220
11221#define M 42
11222#define ADD(x) (M + x)
11223
11224main ()
11225@{
11226#define N 28
11227 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11228#undef N
11229 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11230#define N 1729
11231 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
11232@}
11233$ cat sample.h
11234#define Q <
11235$
11236@end smallexample
11237
11238Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
11239@value{NGCC}. We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2}@footnote{This is the
11240minimum. Recent versions of @value{NGCC} support @option{-gdwarf-3}
11241and @option{-gdwarf-4}; we recommend always choosing the most recent
11242version of DWARF.} @emph{and} @option{-g3} flags to ensure the compiler
11243includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
11244information.
11245
11246@smallexample
11247$ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
11248$
11249@end smallexample
11250
11251Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
11252
11253@smallexample
11254$ gdb -nw sample
11255GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
11256Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
11257GDB is free software, @dots{}
11258(@value{GDBP})
11259@end smallexample
11260
11261We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
11262program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
11263to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
11264
11265@smallexample
11266(@value{GDBP}) list main
112673
112684 #define M 42
112695 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
112706
112717 main ()
112728 @{
112739 #define N 28
1127410 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
1127511 #undef N
1127612 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11277(@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
11278Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
11279#define ADD(x) (M + x)
11280(@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
11281Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
11282 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
11283#define Q <
11284(@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
11285expands to: (42 + 1)
11286(@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
11287expands to: once (M + 1)
11288(@value{GDBP})
11289@end smallexample
11290
11291In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
11292the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
11293@code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
11294which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
11295
11296Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
11297force at the source line of the current stack frame:
11298
11299@smallexample
11300(@value{GDBP}) break main
11301Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
11302(@value{GDBP}) run
11303Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
11304
11305Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
1130610 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11307(@value{GDBP})
11308@end smallexample
11309
11310At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
11311
11312@smallexample
11313(@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11314Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
11315#define N 28
11316(@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
11317expands to: 28 < 42
11318(@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
11319$1 = 1
11320(@value{GDBP})
11321@end smallexample
11322
11323As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
11324give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
11325thereof) in force at each point:
11326
11327@smallexample
11328(@value{GDBP}) next
11329Hello, world!
1133012 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11331(@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11332The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
11333at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
11334(@value{GDBP}) next
11335We're so creative.
1133614 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
11337(@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11338Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
11339#define N 1729
11340(@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
11341expands to: 1729 < 42
11342(@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
11343$2 = 0
11344(@value{GDBP})
11345@end smallexample
11346
11347In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
11348line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
11349such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
11350of the source file submitted to the compiler.
11351
11352@smallexample
11353(@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
11354Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
11355-D__STDC__=1
11356(@value{GDBP})
11357@end smallexample
11358
11359
11360@node Tracepoints
11361@chapter Tracepoints
11362@c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
11363@c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
11364
11365@cindex tracepoints
11366In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
11367the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
11368anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
11369depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
11370might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
11371fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
11372to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
11373
11374Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
11375specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
11376arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
11377Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
11378those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
11379expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
11380for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
11381a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
11382in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
11383values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
11384unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
11385
11386The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
11387targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
11388how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
11389remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
11390support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
11391packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
11392Packets}.
11393
11394It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
11395of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
11396through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
11397
11398This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
11399
11400@menu
11401* Set Tracepoints::
11402* Analyze Collected Data::
11403* Tracepoint Variables::
11404* Trace Files::
11405@end menu
11406
11407@node Set Tracepoints
11408@section Commands to Set Tracepoints
11409
11410Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
11411tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
11412breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
11413standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
11414tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
11415of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
11416as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
11417
11418For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
11419of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
11420it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
11421local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
11422commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
11423tracepoint was hit.
11424
11425Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
11426tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
11427commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
11428either.
11429
11430@cindex fast tracepoints
11431Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
11432a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
11433faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
11434
11435@cindex static tracepoints
11436@cindex markers, static tracepoints
11437@cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
11438Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
11439that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
11440in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
11441tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
11442instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
11443the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
11444address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
11445investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
11446support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
11447points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
11448tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
11449@value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namely, support for collecting
11450registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
11451point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
11452The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
11453instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
11454static tracepoint marker.
11455
11456@code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
11457@xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
11458
11459This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
11460conditions and actions.
11461
11462@menu
11463* Create and Delete Tracepoints::
11464* Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
11465* Tracepoint Passcounts::
11466* Tracepoint Conditions::
11467* Trace State Variables::
11468* Tracepoint Actions::
11469* Listing Tracepoints::
11470* Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
11471* Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
11472* Tracepoint Restrictions::
11473@end menu
11474
11475@node Create and Delete Tracepoints
11476@subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
11477
11478@table @code
11479@cindex set tracepoint
11480@kindex trace
11481@item trace @var{location}
11482The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
11483Its argument @var{location} can be a source line, a function name, or
11484an address in the target program. @xref{Specify Location}. The
11485@code{trace} command defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the
11486target program where the debugger will briefly stop, collect some
11487data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or
11488changing its actions takes effect immediately if the remote stub
11489supports the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature (@pxref{install tracepoint
11490in tracing}).
11491If remote stub doesn't support the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature, all
11492these changes don't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
11493command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
11494not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts. In addition,
11495@value{GDBN} supports @dfn{pending tracepoints}---tracepoints whose
11496address is not yet resolved. (This is similar to pending breakpoints.)
11497Pending tracepoints are not downloaded to the target and not installed
11498until they are resolved. The resolution of pending tracepoints requires
11499@value{GDBN} support---when debugging with the remote target, and
11500@value{GDBN} disconnects from the remote stub (@pxref{disconnected
11501tracing}), pending tracepoints can not be resolved (and downloaded to
11502the remote stub) while @value{GDBN} is disconnected.
11503
11504Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
11505
11506@smallexample
11507(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
11508
11509(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
11510
11511(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
11512
11513(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
11514
11515(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
11516@end smallexample
11517
11518@noindent
11519You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
11520
11521@item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
11522Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
11523@var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
11524if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
11525@xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
11526information on tracepoint conditions.
11527
11528@item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11529@cindex set fast tracepoint
11530@cindex fast tracepoints, setting
11531@kindex ftrace
11532The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
11533support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
11534less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
11535instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
11536may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
11537location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
11538message.
11539
11540@value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
11541@code{trace}.
11542
11543On 32-bit x86-architecture systems, fast tracepoints normally need to
11544be placed at an instruction that is 5 bytes or longer, but can be
11545placed at 4-byte instructions if the low 64K of memory of the target
11546program is available to install trampolines. Some Unix-type systems,
11547such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, exclude low addresses from the program's
11548address space; but for instance with the Linux kernel it is possible
11549to let @value{GDBN} use this area by doing a @command{sysctl} command
11550to set the @code{mmap_min_addr} kernel parameter, as in
11551
11552@example
11553sudo sysctl -w vm.mmap_min_addr=32768
11554@end example
11555
11556@noindent
11557which sets the low address to 32K, which leaves plenty of room for
11558trampolines. The minimum address should be set to a page boundary.
11559
11560@item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11561@cindex set static tracepoint
11562@cindex static tracepoints, setting
11563@cindex probe static tracepoint marker
11564@kindex strace
11565The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
11566support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
11567instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
11568be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
11569which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
11570
11571@value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
11572@code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
11573@code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
11574identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
11575depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
11576using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
11577of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
11578@xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
11579Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
11580tracing engine:
11581
11582@smallexample
11583main ()
11584@{
11585 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
11586@}
11587@end smallexample
11588
11589@noindent
11590the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
11591@code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
11592
11593@smallexample
11594(@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
11595Cnt Enb ID Address What
115961 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
11597 Data: "str %s"
11598[etc...]
11599@end smallexample
11600
11601@noindent
11602so you may probe the marker above with:
11603
11604@smallexample
11605(@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
11606@end smallexample
11607
11608Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
11609$_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
11610call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
11611that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
11612string. The user data is then the result of running that formating
11613string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
11614static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
11615the @samp{Data:} field.
11616
11617You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
11618the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
11619@value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
11620
11621@vindex $tpnum
11622@cindex last tracepoint number
11623@cindex recent tracepoint number
11624@cindex tracepoint number
11625The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
11626of the most recently set tracepoint.
11627
11628@kindex delete tracepoint
11629@cindex tracepoint deletion
11630@item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11631Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
11632default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
11633@code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
11634
11635Examples:
11636
11637@smallexample
11638(@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
11639
11640(@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
11641@end smallexample
11642
11643@noindent
11644You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
11645@end table
11646
11647@node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11648@subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11649
11650These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
11651
11652@table @code
11653@kindex disable tracepoint
11654@item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11655Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
11656@var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
11657a trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
11658a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
11659If the command is issued during a trace experiment and the debug target
11660has support for disabling tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the
11661change will be effective immediately. Otherwise, it will be applied to the
11662next trace experiment.
11663
11664@kindex enable tracepoint
11665@item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11666Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. If this command is
11667issued during a trace experiment and the debug target supports enabling
11668tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the enabled tracepoints will
11669become effective immediately. Otherwise, they will become effective the
11670next time a trace experiment is run.
11671@end table
11672
11673@node Tracepoint Passcounts
11674@subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
11675
11676@table @code
11677@kindex passcount
11678@cindex tracepoint pass count
11679@item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
11680Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
11681automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
11682@var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
11683the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
11684@var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
11685passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
11686given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
11687user.
11688
11689Examples:
11690
11691@smallexample
11692(@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
11693@exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
11694
11695(@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
11696@exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
11697(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
11698(@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
11699(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
11700(@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
11701(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
11702(@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
11703@exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
11704@exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
11705@exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
11706@end smallexample
11707@end table
11708
11709@node Tracepoint Conditions
11710@subsection Tracepoint Conditions
11711@cindex conditional tracepoints
11712@cindex tracepoint conditions
11713
11714The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
11715reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
11716a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
11717programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
11718tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
11719program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
11720is true.
11721
11722Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
11723using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
11724@xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
11725also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
11726just as with breakpoints.
11727
11728Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
11729the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
11730expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions})
11731suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
11732Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
11733accesses, and so forth.
11734
11735For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
11736frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
11737could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
11738of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
11739through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
11740collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
11741search through.
11742
11743@smallexample
11744(@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
11745@end smallexample
11746
11747@node Trace State Variables
11748@subsection Trace State Variables
11749@cindex trace state variables
11750
11751A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
11752created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
11753that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
11754but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
11755using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
11756integers.
11757
11758Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
11759to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
11760experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
11761trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
11762
11763@cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
11764Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
11765them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
11766variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
11767while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
11768the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
11769cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
11770@code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
11771variable with the same name.
11772
11773@table @code
11774
11775@item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
11776@kindex tvariable
11777The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
11778@code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
11779@var{expression}. @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
11780entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
11781otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
11782@code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
11783variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
11784existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
11785value. The default initial value is 0.
11786
11787@item info tvariables
11788@kindex info tvariables
11789List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
11790Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
11791currently running.
11792
11793@item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
11794@kindex delete tvariable
11795Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
11796are specified.
11797
11798@end table
11799
11800@node Tracepoint Actions
11801@subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
11802
11803@table @code
11804@kindex actions
11805@cindex tracepoint actions
11806@item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11807This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
11808tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
11809specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
11810recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
11811@code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
11812actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
11813terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
11814far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
11815@code{while-stepping}.
11816
11817@code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
11818Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
11819actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
11820
11821@cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
11822To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
11823and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
11824
11825@smallexample
11826(@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
11827
11828(@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
11829
11830(@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
11831@end smallexample
11832
11833In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
11834commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
11835hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
11836following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
11837followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
11838sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
11839terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
11840list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
11841
11842@smallexample
11843(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
11844(@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11845Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
11846> collect bar,baz
11847> collect $regs
11848> while-stepping 12
11849 > collect $pc, arr[i]
11850 > end
11851end
11852@end smallexample
11853
11854@kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
11855@item collect@r{[}/@var{mods}@r{]} @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11856Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
11857This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
11858In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
11859special arguments are supported:
11860
11861@table @code
11862@item $regs
11863Collect all registers.
11864
11865@item $args
11866Collect all function arguments.
11867
11868@item $locals
11869Collect all local variables.
11870
11871@item $_ret
11872Collect the return address. This is helpful if you want to see more
11873of a backtrace.
11874
11875@item $_probe_argc
11876Collects the number of arguments from the static probe at which the
11877tracepoint is located.
11878@xref{Static Probe Points}.
11879
11880@item $_probe_arg@var{n}
11881@var{n} is an integer between 0 and 11. Collects the @var{n}th argument
11882from the static probe at which the tracepoint is located.
11883@xref{Static Probe Points}.
11884
11885@item $_sdata
11886@vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
11887Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
11888static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
11889Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
11890instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
11891tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
11892character string using the format provided by the programmer that
11893instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
11894Here's an example of a UST marker call:
11895
11896@smallexample
11897 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
11898 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
11899@end smallexample
11900
11901In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
11902@samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
11903inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
11904@value{GDBN}.
11905@end table
11906
11907You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
11908with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
11909arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
11910
11911The optional @var{mods} changes the usual handling of the arguments.
11912@code{s} requests that pointers to chars be handled as strings, in
11913particular collecting the contents of the memory being pointed at, up
11914to the first zero. The upper bound is by default the value of the
11915@code{print elements} variable; if @code{s} is followed by a decimal
11916number, that is the upper bound instead. So for instance
11917@samp{collect/s25 mystr} collects as many as 25 characters at
11918@samp{mystr}.
11919
11920The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
11921particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
11922
11923@kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
11924@item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11925Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
11926command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
11927are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
11928state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
11929values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
11930action were used.
11931
11932@kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
11933@item while-stepping @var{n}
11934Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
11935collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
11936command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
11937(followed by its own @code{end} command):
11938
11939@smallexample
11940> while-stepping 12
11941 > collect $regs, myglobal
11942 > end
11943>
11944@end smallexample
11945
11946@noindent
11947Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
11948@code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
11949you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
11950@code{stepping}.
11951
11952@item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11953@kindex set default-collect
11954@cindex default collection action
11955This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
11956hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
11957to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
11958individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
11959@code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
11960local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
11961
11962@item show default-collect
11963@kindex show default-collect
11964Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
11965tracepoint hit.
11966
11967@end table
11968
11969@node Listing Tracepoints
11970@subsection Listing Tracepoints
11971
11972@table @code
11973@kindex info tracepoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
11974@kindex info tp @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
11975@cindex information about tracepoints
11976@item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@dots{}@r{]}
11977Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
11978specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
11979tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
11980@code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
11981command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
11982
11983A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
11984tracing:
11985
11986@itemize @bullet
11987@item
11988its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
11989
11990@item
11991the state about installed on target of each location
11992@end itemize
11993
11994@smallexample
11995(@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
11996Num Type Disp Enb Address What
119971 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
11998 while-stepping 20
11999 collect globfoo, $regs
12000 end
12001 collect globfoo2
12002 end
12003 pass count 1200
120042 tracepoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
12005 collect $eip
120062.1 y 0x0804859c in func4 at change-loc.h:35
12007 installed on target
120082.2 y 0xb7ffc480 in func4 at change-loc.h:35
12009 installed on target
120102.3 y <PENDING> set_tracepoint
120113 tracepoint keep y 0x080485b1 in foo at change-loc.c:29
12012 not installed on target
12013(@value{GDBP})
12014@end smallexample
12015
12016@noindent
12017This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
12018@end table
12019
12020@node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
12021@subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
12022
12023@table @code
12024@kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
12025@cindex information about static tracepoint markers
12026@item info static-tracepoint-markers
12027Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
12028program.
12029
12030For each marker, the following columns are printed:
12031
12032@table @emph
12033@item Count
12034An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
12035stable identifier.
12036@item ID
12037The marker ID, as reported by the target.
12038@item Enabled or Disabled
12039Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
12040that are not enabled.
12041@item Address
12042Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
12043@item What
12044Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
12045number. If the debug information included in the program does not
12046allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
12047will be left blank.
12048@end table
12049
12050@noindent
12051In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
12052
12053@table @emph
12054@item Data
12055User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
12056UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
12057marker call.
12058@item Static tracepoints probing the marker
12059The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
12060@end table
12061
12062@smallexample
12063(@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
12064Cnt ID Enb Address What
120651 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
12066 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
12067 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
120682 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
12069 Data: str %s
12070(@value{GDBP})
12071@end smallexample
12072@end table
12073
12074@node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
12075@subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
12076
12077@table @code
12078@kindex tstart [ @var{notes} ]
12079@cindex start a new trace experiment
12080@cindex collected data discarded
12081@item tstart
12082This command starts the trace experiment, and begins collecting data.
12083It has the side effect of discarding all the data collected in the
12084trace buffer during the previous trace experiment. If any arguments
12085are supplied, they are taken as a note and stored with the trace
12086experiment's state. The notes may be arbitrary text, and are
12087especially useful with disconnected tracing in a multi-user context;
12088the notes can explain what the trace is doing, supply user contact
12089information, and so forth.
12090
12091@kindex tstop [ @var{notes} ]
12092@cindex stop a running trace experiment
12093@item tstop
12094This command stops the trace experiment. If any arguments are
12095supplied, they are recorded with the experiment as a note. This is
12096useful if you are stopping a trace started by someone else, for
12097instance if the trace is interfering with the system's behavior and
12098needs to be stopped quickly.
12099
12100@strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
12101automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
12102(@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
12103
12104@kindex tstatus
12105@cindex status of trace data collection
12106@cindex trace experiment, status of
12107@item tstatus
12108This command displays the status of the current trace data
12109collection.
12110@end table
12111
12112Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
12113
12114@smallexample
12115(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
12116(@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
12117Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
12118> collect $regs,$locals,$args
12119> while-stepping 11
12120 > collect $regs
12121 > end
12122> end
12123(@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
12124 [time passes @dots{}]
12125(@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
12126@end smallexample
12127
12128@anchor{disconnected tracing}
12129@cindex disconnected tracing
12130You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
12131@value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
12132involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
12133ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
12134terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
12135unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
12136@code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
12137continue running without @value{GDBN}.
12138
12139@table @code
12140@item set disconnected-tracing on
12141@itemx set disconnected-tracing off
12142@kindex set disconnected-tracing
12143Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
12144has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
12145@code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
12146matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
12147for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
12148
12149@item show disconnected-tracing
12150@kindex show disconnected-tracing
12151Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
12152
12153@end table
12154
12155When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
12156still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
12157meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
12158it will continue after reconnection.
12159
12160Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
12161tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
12162information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
12163to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
12164have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
12165the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
12166debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
12167which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
12168necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
12169created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
12170
12171@cindex circular trace buffer
12172If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
12173can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
12174buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
12175frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
12176collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
12177hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
12178buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
12179@samp{circular-trace-buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
12180including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
12181buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
12182the next run.
12183
12184@table @code
12185@item set circular-trace-buffer on
12186@itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
12187@kindex set circular-trace-buffer
12188Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
12189for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
12190fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
12191data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
12192
12193@item show circular-trace-buffer
12194@kindex show circular-trace-buffer
12195Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
12196match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
12197match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
12198for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
12199
12200@end table
12201
12202@table @code
12203@item set trace-buffer-size @var{n}
12204@itemx set trace-buffer-size unlimited
12205@kindex set trace-buffer-size
12206Request that the target use a trace buffer of @var{n} bytes. Not all
12207targets will honor the request; they may have a compiled-in size for
12208the trace buffer, or some other limitation. Set to a value of
12209@code{unlimited} or @code{-1} to let the target use whatever size it
12210likes. This is also the default.
12211
12212@item show trace-buffer-size
12213@kindex show trace-buffer-size
12214Show the current requested size for the trace buffer. Note that this
12215will only match the actual size if the target supports size-setting,
12216and was able to handle the requested size. For instance, if the
12217target can only change buffer size between runs, this variable will
12218not reflect the change until the next run starts. Use @code{tstatus}
12219to get a report of the actual buffer size.
12220@end table
12221
12222@table @code
12223@item set trace-user @var{text}
12224@kindex set trace-user
12225
12226@item show trace-user
12227@kindex show trace-user
12228
12229@item set trace-notes @var{text}
12230@kindex set trace-notes
12231Set the trace run's notes.
12232
12233@item show trace-notes
12234@kindex show trace-notes
12235Show the trace run's notes.
12236
12237@item set trace-stop-notes @var{text}
12238@kindex set trace-stop-notes
12239Set the trace run's stop notes. The handling of the note is as for
12240@code{tstop} arguments; the set command is convenient way to fix a
12241stop note that is mistaken or incomplete.
12242
12243@item show trace-stop-notes
12244@kindex show trace-stop-notes
12245Show the trace run's stop notes.
12246
12247@end table
12248
12249@node Tracepoint Restrictions
12250@subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
12251
12252@cindex tracepoint restrictions
12253There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
12254described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
12255without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
12256the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
12257examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
12258collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
12259is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
12260mentioned here.
12261
12262@itemize @bullet
12263
12264@item
12265Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
12266the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
12267You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
12268convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
12269state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
12270functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
12271cannot be collected either.
12272
12273@item
12274Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
12275@code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
12276behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
12277instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
12278may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
12279tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
12280variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
12281tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
12282where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
12283program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
12284
12285@item
12286Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
12287may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
12288in a misleading way.
12289
12290@item
12291When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
12292dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
12293being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
12294not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
12295dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
12296collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
12297@code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
12298by @code{ptr}.
12299
12300@item
12301It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
12302tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
12303bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*(unsigned char *)$esp@@300}
12304(adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
12305target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
12306Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
12307using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
12308depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
12309if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
12310stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
12311invalid address.
12312
12313@item
12314If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
12315infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
12316the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
12317for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
12318multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
12319inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
12320@value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
12321it to zero.
12322
12323@end itemize
12324
12325@node Analyze Collected Data
12326@section Using the Collected Data
12327
12328After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
12329for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
12330collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
12331snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
12332consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
12333examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
12334specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
12335snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
12336registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
12337rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
12338debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
12339(@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
12340behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
12341when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
12342the buffer will fail.
12343
12344@menu
12345* tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
12346* tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
12347* save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
12348@end menu
12349
12350@node tfind
12351@subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
12352
12353@kindex tfind
12354@cindex select trace snapshot
12355@cindex find trace snapshot
12356The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
12357@code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
12358counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
12359snapshot is selected.
12360
12361Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
12362
12363@table @code
12364@item tfind start
12365Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
12366@code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
12367
12368@item tfind none
12369Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
12370
12371@item tfind end
12372Same as @samp{tfind none}.
12373
12374@item tfind
12375No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
12376
12377@item tfind -
12378Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
12379retracing earlier steps.
12380
12381@item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
12382Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
12383proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
12384argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
12385for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
12386
12387@item tfind pc @var{addr}
12388Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
12389program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
12390snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
12391snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
12392
12393@item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
12394Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
12395addresses (exclusive).
12396
12397@item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
12398Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
12399@var{addr2} (inclusive).
12400
12401@item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
12402Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
12403the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
12404that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
12405trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
12406next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
12407@code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
12408stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
12409@end table
12410
12411The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
12412designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
12413instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
12414snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
12415trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
12416simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
12417snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
12418@key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
12419The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
12420for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
12421no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
12422(PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
12423no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
12424tracepoint as the current one.
12425
12426In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
12427these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
12428scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
12429you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
12430registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
12431
12432@smallexample
12433(@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12434(@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
12435> printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
12436 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
12437> tfind
12438> end
12439
12440Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
12441Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
12442Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
12443Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
12444Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
12445Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
12446Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
12447Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
12448Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
12449Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
12450Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
12451@end smallexample
12452
12453Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
12454the buffer:
12455
12456@smallexample
12457(@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12458(@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
12459> printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
12460> tfind line
12461> end
12462
12463Frame 0, X = 1
12464Frame 7, X = 2
12465Frame 13, X = 255
12466@end smallexample
12467
12468@node tdump
12469@subsection @code{tdump}
12470@kindex tdump
12471@cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
12472@cindex tracepoint data, display
12473
12474This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
12475the current trace snapshot.
12476
12477@smallexample
12478(@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
12479(@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
12480Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
12481> collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
12482> end
12483
12484(@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
12485
12486(@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
12487#0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
12488at gdb_test.c:444
12489444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
12490
12491(@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
12492Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
12493d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
12494d1 0x18 24
12495d2 0x80 128
12496d3 0x33 51
12497d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
12498d5 0x22 34
12499d6 0xe0 224
12500d7 0x380035 3670069
12501a0 0x19e24a 1696330
12502a1 0x3000668 50333288
12503a2 0x100 256
12504a3 0x322000 3284992
12505a4 0x3000698 50333336
12506a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
12507fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
12508sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
12509ps 0x0 0
12510pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
12511fpcontrol 0x0 0
12512fpstatus 0x0 0
12513fpiaddr 0x0 0
12514p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
12515p1 = (void *) 0x11
12516p2 = (void *) 0x22
12517p3 = (void *) 0x33
12518p4 = (void *) 0x44
12519p5 = (void *) 0x55
12520p6 = (void *) 0x66
12521gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
12522
12523(@value{GDBP})
12524@end smallexample
12525
12526@code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
12527actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
12528@code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
12529actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
12530
12531Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
12532uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
12533frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
12534collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
12535to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
12536body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
12537then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
12538list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
12539same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
12540@c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
12541
12542@node save tracepoints
12543@subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
12544@kindex save tracepoints
12545@kindex save-tracepoints
12546@cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
12547
12548This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
12549their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
12550suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
12551tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
12552Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
12553alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
12554
12555@node Tracepoint Variables
12556@section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
12557@cindex tracepoint variables
12558@cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
12559
12560@table @code
12561@vindex $trace_frame
12562@item (int) $trace_frame
12563The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
12564snapshot is selected.
12565
12566@vindex $tracepoint
12567@item (int) $tracepoint
12568The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
12569
12570@vindex $trace_line
12571@item (int) $trace_line
12572The line number for the current trace snapshot.
12573
12574@vindex $trace_file
12575@item (char []) $trace_file
12576The source file for the current trace snapshot.
12577
12578@vindex $trace_func
12579@item (char []) $trace_func
12580The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
12581@end table
12582
12583Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
12584use @code{output} instead.
12585
12586Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
12587stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
12588data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
12589which are managed by the target.
12590
12591@smallexample
12592(@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12593
12594(@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
12595> output $trace_file
12596> printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
12597> tfind
12598> end
12599@end smallexample
12600
12601@node Trace Files
12602@section Using Trace Files
12603@cindex trace files
12604
12605In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
12606longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
12607for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
12608dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
12609of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
12610
12611@table @code
12612
12613@kindex tsave
12614@item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
12615@itemx tsave [-ctf] @var{dirname}
12616Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
12617assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
12618necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
12619then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
12620optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
12621the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
12622more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
12623@code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
12624By default, this command will save trace frame in tfile format.
12625You can supply the optional argument @code{-ctf} to save date in CTF
12626format. The @dfn{Common Trace Format} (CTF) is proposed as a trace format
12627that can be shared by multiple debugging and tracing tools. Please go to
12628@indicateurl{http://www.efficios.com/ctf} to get more information.
12629
12630@kindex target tfile
12631@kindex tfile
12632@kindex target ctf
12633@kindex ctf
12634@item target tfile @var{filename}
12635@itemx target ctf @var{dirname}
12636Use the file named @var{filename} or directory named @var{dirname} as
12637a source of trace data. Commands that examine data work as they do with
12638a live target, but it is not possible to run any new trace experiments.
12639@code{tstatus} will report the state of the trace run at the moment
12640the data was saved, as well as the current trace frame you are examining.
12641@var{filename} or @var{dirname} must be on a filesystem accessible to
12642the host.
12643
12644@smallexample
12645(@value{GDBP}) target ctf ctf.ctf
12646(@value{GDBP}) tfind
12647Found trace frame 0, tracepoint 2
1264839 ++a; /* set tracepoint 1 here */
12649(@value{GDBP}) tdump
12650Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 0:
12651i = 0
12652a = 0
12653b = 1 '\001'
12654c = @{"123", "456", "789", "123", "456", "789"@}
12655d = @{@{@{a = 1, b = 2@}, @{a = 3, b = 4@}@}, @{@{a = 5, b = 6@}, @{a = 7, b = 8@}@}@}
12656(@value{GDBP}) p b
12657$1 = 1
12658@end smallexample
12659
12660@end table
12661
12662@node Overlays
12663@chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
12664@cindex overlays
12665
12666If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
12667memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
12668problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
12669use overlays.
12670
12671@menu
12672* How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
12673* Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
12674* Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
12675 mapped by asking the inferior.
12676* Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
12677@end menu
12678
12679@node How Overlays Work
12680@section How Overlays Work
12681@cindex mapped overlays
12682@cindex unmapped overlays
12683@cindex load address, overlay's
12684@cindex mapped address
12685@cindex overlay area
12686
12687Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
12688kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
12689other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
12690management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
12691adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
12692
12693One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
12694independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
12695@dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
12696their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
12697instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
12698largest overlay as well.
12699
12700Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
12701overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
12702for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
12703there.
12704
12705@c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
12706@c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
12707@c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
12708
12709@smallexample
12710@group
12711 Data Instruction Larger
12712Address Space Address Space Address Space
12713+-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
12714| | | | | |
12715+-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
12716| program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
12717| variables | | program | | +-----------+
12718| and heap | | | | | |
12719+-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
12720| | +-----------+ | | | load address
12721+-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
12722 | | | | | |
12723 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
12724 address | | | | | |
12725 | overlay | <-' | | |
12726 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
12727 | | <---. | | load address
12728 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
12729 | | | |
12730 +-----------+ | |
12731 +-----------+
12732 | |
12733 +-----------+
12734
12735 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
12736@end group
12737@end smallexample
12738
12739The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
12740and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
12741its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
12742Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
12743may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
12744data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
12745program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
12746program and the overlay area.
12747
12748An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
12749@dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
12750instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
12751in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
12752is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
12753the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
12754called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
12755
12756Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
12757program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
12758global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
12759
12760@itemize @bullet
12761
12762@item
12763Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
12764must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
12765return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
12766overlay, and your program will probably crash.
12767
12768@item
12769If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
12770will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
12771your program's performance.
12772
12773@item
12774The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
12775overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
12776mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
12777and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
12778You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
12779addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
12780ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
12781
12782@item
12783The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
12784to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
12785instruction and data spaces.
12786
12787@end itemize
12788
12789The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
12790improved in many ways:
12791
12792@itemize @bullet
12793
12794@item
12795If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
12796hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
12797contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
12798This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
12799area in the usual way.
12800
12801@item
12802If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
12803overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
12804
12805@item
12806You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
12807general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
12808code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
12809return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
12810the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
12811must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
12812different data overlay into the same mapped area.
12813
12814@end itemize
12815
12816
12817@node Overlay Commands
12818@section Overlay Commands
12819
12820To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
12821correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
12822virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
12823mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
12824@value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
12825variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
12826
12827@value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
12828you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
12829
12830@table @code
12831@item overlay off
12832@kindex overlay
12833Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
12834disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
12835always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
12836overlay support is disabled.
12837
12838@item overlay manual
12839@cindex manual overlay debugging
12840Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
12841relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
12842using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
12843commands described below.
12844
12845@item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
12846@itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
12847@cindex map an overlay
12848Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
12849be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
12850overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
12851functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
12852that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
12853@var{overlay} are now unmapped.
12854
12855@item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
12856@itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
12857@cindex unmap an overlay
12858Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
12859must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
12860When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
12861overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
12862
12863@item overlay auto
12864Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
12865consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
12866to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
12867Overlay Debugging}.
12868
12869@item overlay load-target
12870@itemx overlay load
12871@cindex reloading the overlay table
12872Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
12873re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
12874stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
12875overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
12876useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
12877
12878@item overlay list-overlays
12879@itemx overlay list
12880@cindex listing mapped overlays
12881Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
12882addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
12883
12884@end table
12885
12886Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
12887of the function the address falls in:
12888
12889@smallexample
12890(@value{GDBP}) print main
12891$3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
12892@end smallexample
12893@noindent
12894When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
12895unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
12896asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
12897unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
12898
12899@smallexample
12900(@value{GDBP}) overlay list
12901No sections are mapped.
12902(@value{GDBP}) print foo
12903$5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
12904@end smallexample
12905@noindent
12906When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
12907name normally:
12908
12909@smallexample
12910(@value{GDBP}) overlay list
12911Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
12912 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
12913(@value{GDBP}) print foo
12914$6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
12915@end smallexample
12916
12917When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
12918address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
12919overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
12920@code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
12921code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
12922
12923@itemize @bullet
12924@item
12925@cindex breakpoints in overlays
12926@cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
12927You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
12928@value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
12929@item
12930@value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
12931unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
12932overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
12933you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
12934breakpoints properly.
12935@end itemize
12936
12937
12938@node Automatic Overlay Debugging
12939@section Automatic Overlay Debugging
12940@cindex automatic overlay debugging
12941
12942@value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
12943are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
12944inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
12945@code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
12946looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
12947current state of the overlays.
12948
12949Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
12950@value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
12951
12952@table @asis
12953
12954@item @code{_ovly_table}:
12955This variable must be an array of the following structures:
12956
12957@smallexample
12958struct
12959@{
12960 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
12961 unsigned long vma;
12962
12963 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
12964 unsigned long size;
12965
12966 /* The overlay's load address. */
12967 unsigned long lma;
12968
12969 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
12970 zero otherwise. */
12971 unsigned long mapped;
12972@}
12973@end smallexample
12974
12975@item @code{_novlys}:
12976This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
12977number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
12978
12979@end table
12980
12981To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
12982looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
12983@code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
12984executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
12985the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
12986currently mapped.
12987
12988In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
12989@code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
12990will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
12991calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
12992will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
12993are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
12994in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
12995overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
12996are not being executed.
12997
12998@node Overlay Sample Program
12999@section Overlay Sample Program
13000@cindex overlay example program
13001
13002When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
13003at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
13004addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
13005Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
13006since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
13007architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
13008portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
13009
13010However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
13011program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
13012suite. The program consists of the following files from
13013@file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
13014
13015@table @file
13016@item overlays.c
13017The main program file.
13018@item ovlymgr.c
13019A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
13020@item foo.c
13021@itemx bar.c
13022@itemx baz.c
13023@itemx grbx.c
13024Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
13025@item d10v.ld
13026@itemx m32r.ld
13027Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
13028and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
13029@end table
13030
13031You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
13032cross-compiler like this:
13033
13034@smallexample
13035$ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
13036$ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
13037$ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
13038$ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
13039$ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
13040$ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
13041$ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
13042 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
13043@end smallexample
13044
13045The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
13046you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
13047target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
13048
13049
13050@node Languages
13051@chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
13052@cindex languages
13053
13054Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
13055rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
13056dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
13057Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
13058represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
13059@samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
13060
13061@cindex working language
13062Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
13063allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
13064native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
13065consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
13066language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
13067language}.
13068
13069@menu
13070* Setting:: Switching between source languages
13071* Show:: Displaying the language
13072* Checks:: Type and range checks
13073* Supported Languages:: Supported languages
13074* Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
13075@end menu
13076
13077@node Setting
13078@section Switching Between Source Languages
13079
13080There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
13081set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
13082@code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
13083defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
13084used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
13085are printed, etc.
13086
13087In addition to the working language, every source file that
13088@value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
13089file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
13090source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
13091language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
13092controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
13093show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
13094set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
13095set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
13096Displaying the Language}.
13097
13098This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
13099as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
13100another language. In that case, make the
13101program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
13102@value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
13103program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
13104
13105@menu
13106* Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
13107* Manually:: Setting the working language manually
13108* Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
13109@end menu
13110
13111@node Filenames
13112@subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
13113
13114If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
13115@value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
13116
13117@table @file
13118@item .ada
13119@itemx .ads
13120@itemx .adb
13121@itemx .a
13122Ada source file.
13123
13124@item .c
13125C source file
13126
13127@item .C
13128@itemx .cc
13129@itemx .cp
13130@itemx .cpp
13131@itemx .cxx
13132@itemx .c++
13133C@t{++} source file
13134
13135@item .d
13136D source file
13137
13138@item .m
13139Objective-C source file
13140
13141@item .f
13142@itemx .F
13143Fortran source file
13144
13145@item .mod
13146Modula-2 source file
13147
13148@item .s
13149@itemx .S
13150Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
13151@value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
13152@end table
13153
13154In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
13155extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
13156
13157@node Manually
13158@subsection Setting the Working Language
13159
13160If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
13161expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
13162your program.
13163
13164@kindex set language
13165If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
13166command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
13167a language, such as
13168@code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
13169For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
13170
13171Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
13172language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
13173to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
13174source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
13175languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
13176source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
13177command such as:
13178
13179@smallexample
13180print a = b + c
13181@end smallexample
13182
13183@noindent
13184might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
13185@code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
13186printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
13187@code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
13188
13189@node Automatically
13190@subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
13191
13192To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
13193@samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
13194then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
13195frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
13196working language to the language recorded for the function in that
13197frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
13198or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
13199does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
13200not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
13201
13202This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
13203entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
13204written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
13205a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
13206case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
13207
13208@node Show
13209@section Displaying the Language
13210
13211The following commands help you find out which language is the
13212working language, and also what language source files were written in.
13213
13214@table @code
13215@item show language
13216@kindex show language
13217Display the current working language. This is the
13218language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
13219build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
13220
13221@item info frame
13222@kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
13223Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
13224working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
13225@xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
13226information listed here.
13227
13228@item info source
13229@kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
13230Display the source language of this source file.
13231@xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
13232information listed here.
13233@end table
13234
13235In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
13236not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
13237with a language explicitly:
13238
13239@table @code
13240@item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
13241@kindex set extension-language
13242Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
13243assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
13244
13245@item info extensions
13246@kindex info extensions
13247List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
13248@end table
13249
13250@node Checks
13251@section Type and Range Checking
13252
13253Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
13254errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
13255checking the type of arguments to functions and operators and making
13256sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
13257these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
13258by eliminating type mismatches and providing active checks for range
13259errors when your program is running.
13260
13261By default @value{GDBN} checks for these errors according to the
13262rules of the current source language. Although @value{GDBN} does not check
13263the statements in your program, it can check expressions entered directly
13264into @value{GDBN} for evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example.
13265
13266@menu
13267* Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
13268* Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
13269@end menu
13270
13271@cindex type checking
13272@cindex checks, type
13273@node Type Checking
13274@subsection An Overview of Type Checking
13275
13276Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, are strongly typed, meaning that the
13277arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
13278otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
13279errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
13280
13281@smallexample
13282int klass::my_method(char *b) @{ return b ? 1 : 2; @}
13283
13284(@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0)
13285$1 = 2
13286@exdent but
13287(@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0x1234)
13288Cannot resolve method klass::my_method to any overloaded instance
13289@end smallexample
13290
13291The second example fails because in C@t{++} the integer constant
13292@samp{0x1234} is not type-compatible with the pointer parameter type.
13293
13294For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
13295@value{GDBN} to not enforce strict type checking or
13296to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
13297When type checking is disabled, @value{GDBN} successfully evaluates
13298expressions like the second example above.
13299
13300Even if type checking is off, there may be other reasons
13301related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
13302For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
13303a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
13304with the language in use and usually arise from expressions which make
13305little sense to evaluate anyway.
13306
13307@value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling type checking:
13308
13309@kindex set check type
13310@kindex show check type
13311@table @code
13312@item set check type on
13313@itemx set check type off
13314Set strict type checking on or off. If any type mismatches occur in
13315evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
13316message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
13317
13318@item show check type
13319Show the current setting of type checking and whether @value{GDBN}
13320is enforcing strict type checking rules.
13321@end table
13322
13323@cindex range checking
13324@cindex checks, range
13325@node Range Checking
13326@subsection An Overview of Range Checking
13327
13328In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
13329bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
13330checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
13331computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
13332not exceed the bounds of the array.
13333
13334For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
13335@value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
13336always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
13337warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
13338
13339A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
13340array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
13341of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
13342error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
13343result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
13344the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
13345
13346@smallexample
13347@var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
13348@end smallexample
13349
13350This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
13351specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
13352Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
13353
13354@value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
13355
13356@kindex set check range
13357@kindex show check range
13358@table @code
13359@item set check range auto
13360Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
13361@xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
13362each language.
13363
13364@item set check range on
13365@itemx set check range off
13366Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
13367current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
13368match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
13369then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
13370
13371@item set check range warn
13372Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
13373but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
13374expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
13375memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
13376systems).
13377
13378@item show range
13379Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
13380being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
13381@end table
13382
13383@node Supported Languages
13384@section Supported Languages
13385
13386@value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Go, Objective-C, Fortran, Java,
13387OpenCL C, Pascal, assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
13388@c This is false ...
13389Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
13390language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
13391and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
13392,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
13393language.
13394
13395The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
13396supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
13397tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
13398@value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
13399formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
13400books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
13401language reference or tutorial.
13402
13403@menu
13404* C:: C and C@t{++}
13405* D:: D
13406* Go:: Go
13407* Objective-C:: Objective-C
13408* OpenCL C:: OpenCL C
13409* Fortran:: Fortran
13410* Pascal:: Pascal
13411* Modula-2:: Modula-2
13412* Ada:: Ada
13413@end menu
13414
13415@node C
13416@subsection C and C@t{++}
13417
13418@cindex C and C@t{++}
13419@cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
13420
13421Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
13422to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
13423together.
13424
13425@cindex C@t{++}
13426@cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
13427@cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
13428The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
13429compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
13430effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
13431C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
13432compiler (@code{aCC}).
13433
13434@menu
13435* C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
13436* C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
13437* C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
13438* C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
13439* C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
13440* Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
13441* Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
13442* Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
13443@end menu
13444
13445@node C Operators
13446@subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
13447
13448@cindex C and C@t{++} operators
13449
13450Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
13451@code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
13452often defined on groups of types.
13453
13454For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
13455
13456@itemize @bullet
13457
13458@item
13459@emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
13460specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
13461
13462@item
13463@emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
13464@code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
13465
13466@item
13467@emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
13468
13469@item
13470@emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
13471
13472@end itemize
13473
13474@noindent
13475The following operators are supported. They are listed here
13476in order of increasing precedence:
13477
13478@table @code
13479@item ,
13480The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
13481are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
13482expression being the last expression evaluated.
13483
13484@item =
13485Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
13486assigned. Defined on scalar types.
13487
13488@item @var{op}=
13489Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
13490and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
13491@w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
13492@var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
13493@code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
13494
13495@item ?:
13496The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
13497of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
13498integral type.
13499
13500@item ||
13501Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13502
13503@item &&
13504Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
13505
13506@item |
13507Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13508
13509@item ^
13510Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13511
13512@item &
13513Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
13514
13515@item ==@r{, }!=
13516Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
13517expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
13518
13519@item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
13520Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
13521Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
13522and non-zero for true.
13523
13524@item <<@r{, }>>
13525left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
13526
13527@item @@
13528The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
13529
13530@item +@r{, }-
13531Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
13532pointer types.
13533
13534@item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
13535Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
13536defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
13537integral types.
13538
13539@item ++@r{, }--
13540Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
13541operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
13542when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
13543operation takes place.
13544
13545@item *
13546Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
13547@code{++}.
13548
13549@item &
13550Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
13551
13552For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
13553allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
13554to examine the address
13555where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
13556stored.
13557
13558@item -
13559Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
13560precedence as @code{++}.
13561
13562@item !
13563Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13564@code{++}.
13565
13566@item ~
13567Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13568@code{++}.
13569
13570
13571@item .@r{, }->
13572Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
13573@value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
13574pointer based on the stored type information.
13575Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
13576
13577@item .*@r{, }->*
13578Dereferences of pointers to members.
13579
13580@item []
13581Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
13582@code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13583
13584@item ()
13585Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13586
13587@item ::
13588C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
13589and @code{class} types.
13590
13591@item ::
13592Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
13593(@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
13594above.
13595@end table
13596
13597If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
13598attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
13599predefined meaning.
13600
13601@node C Constants
13602@subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
13603
13604@cindex C and C@t{++} constants
13605
13606@value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
13607following ways:
13608
13609@itemize @bullet
13610@item
13611Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
13612specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
13613by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
13614@samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
13615@code{long} value.
13616
13617@item
13618Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
13619point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
13620exponent. An exponent is of the form:
13621@samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
13622sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
13623A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
13624@samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
13625the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
13626a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
13627constant.
13628
13629@item
13630Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
13631integral equivalents.
13632
13633@item
13634Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
13635(@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
13636(usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
13637be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
13638the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
13639of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
13640@samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
13641@samp{\n} for newline.
13642
13643Wide character constants can be written by prefixing a character
13644constant with @samp{L}, as in C. For example, @samp{L'x'} is the wide
13645form of @samp{x}. The target wide character set is used when
13646computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13647
13648@item
13649String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
13650double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
13651above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
13652a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
13653characters.
13654
13655Wide string constants can be written by prefixing a string constant
13656with @samp{L}, as in C. The target wide character set is used when
13657computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13658
13659@item
13660Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
13661to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
13662
13663@item
13664Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
13665and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
13666integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
13667and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
13668@end itemize
13669
13670@node C Plus Plus Expressions
13671@subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
13672
13673@cindex expressions in C@t{++}
13674@value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
13675
13676@cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
13677@cindex C@t{++} compilers
13678@cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
13679@cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
13680@quotation
13681@emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use
13682the proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently,
13683@value{GDBN} works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled
13684with the most recent version of @value{NGCC} possible. The DWARF
13685debugging format is preferred; @value{NGCC} defaults to this on most
13686popular platforms. Other compilers and/or debug formats are likely to
13687work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug C@t{++}
13688code. @xref{Compilation}.
13689@end quotation
13690
13691@enumerate
13692
13693@cindex member functions
13694@item
13695Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
13696
13697@smallexample
13698count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
13699@end smallexample
13700
13701@vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
13702@cindex namespace in C@t{++}
13703@item
13704While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
13705expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
13706that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
13707pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}. @code{using}
13708declarations in the current scope are also respected by @value{GDBN}.
13709
13710@cindex call overloaded functions
13711@cindex overloaded functions, calling
13712@cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
13713@item
13714You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
13715call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
13716perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
13717calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
13718in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
13719default arguments.
13720
13721It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
13722promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
13723class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
13724functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
13725number of function arguments.
13726
13727Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
13728@code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
13729,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
13730
13731You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
13732explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
13733@smallexample
13734p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
13735@end smallexample
13736
13737The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
13738see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
13739
13740@cindex reference declarations
13741@item
13742@value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
13743them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
13744dereferenced.
13745
13746In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
13747reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
13748avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
13749The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
13750you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
13751
13752@item
13753@value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
13754expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
13755one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
13756necessary, for example in an expression like
13757@samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
13758resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
13759debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
13760
13761@item
13762@value{GDBN} performs argument-dependent lookup, following the C@t{++}
13763specification.
13764@end enumerate
13765
13766@node C Defaults
13767@subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
13768
13769@cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
13770
13771If you allow @value{GDBN} to set range checking automatically, it
13772defaults to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
13773C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
13774selects the working language.
13775
13776If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
13777recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
13778@file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
13779these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
13780@xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
13781for further details.
13782
13783@node C Checks
13784@subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
13785
13786@cindex C and C@t{++} checks
13787
13788By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, strict type
13789checking is used. However, if you turn type checking off, @value{GDBN}
13790will allow certain non-standard conversions, such as promoting integer
13791constants to pointers.
13792
13793Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
13794indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
13795that is not itself an array.
13796
13797@node Debugging C
13798@subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
13799
13800The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
13801the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
13802inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
13803appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
13804
13805The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
13806with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
13807,Expressions}.
13808
13809@node Debugging C Plus Plus
13810@subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
13811
13812@cindex commands for C@t{++}
13813
13814Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
13815designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
13816
13817@table @code
13818@cindex break in overloaded functions
13819@item @r{breakpoint menus}
13820When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
13821@value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
13822locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
13823@xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
13824
13825@cindex overloading in C@t{++}
13826@item rbreak @var{regex}
13827Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
13828breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
13829classes.
13830@xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
13831
13832@cindex C@t{++} exception handling
13833@item catch throw
13834@itemx catch rethrow
13835@itemx catch catch
13836Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
13837Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
13838
13839@cindex inheritance
13840@item ptype @var{typename}
13841Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
13842@var{typename}.
13843@xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
13844
13845@item info vtbl @var{expression}.
13846The @code{info vtbl} command can be used to display the virtual
13847method tables of the object computed by @var{expression}. This shows
13848one entry per virtual table; there may be multiple virtual tables when
13849multiple inheritance is in use.
13850
13851@cindex C@t{++} symbol display
13852@item set print demangle
13853@itemx show print demangle
13854@itemx set print asm-demangle
13855@itemx show print asm-demangle
13856Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
13857displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
13858@xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13859
13860@item set print object
13861@itemx show print object
13862Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
13863@xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13864
13865@item set print vtbl
13866@itemx show print vtbl
13867Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
13868@xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13869(The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
13870ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
13871
13872@kindex set overload-resolution
13873@cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
13874@item set overload-resolution on
13875Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
13876is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
13877and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
13878using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
13879Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
13880If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
13881
13882@item set overload-resolution off
13883Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
13884overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
13885chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
13886symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
13887overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
13888searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
13889argument types.
13890
13891@kindex show overload-resolution
13892@item show overload-resolution
13893Show the current setting of overload resolution.
13894
13895@item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
13896You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
13897the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
13898@code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
13899also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
13900available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
13901@xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
13902@end table
13903
13904@node Decimal Floating Point
13905@subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
13906@cindex decimal floating point format
13907
13908@value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
13909decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
13910@code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
13911specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
13912
13913There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
13914Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
13915PowerPC and S/390. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the
13916configured target.
13917
13918Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
13919to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
13920(using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
13921
13922In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
13923point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
13924underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
13925
13926In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
13927to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
13928See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
13929
13930@node D
13931@subsection D
13932
13933@cindex D
13934@value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
13935GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
13936specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
13937
13938@node Go
13939@subsection Go
13940
13941@cindex Go (programming language)
13942@value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Go and compiled with
13943@file{gccgo} or @file{6g} compilers.
13944
13945Here is a summary of the Go-specific features and restrictions:
13946
13947@table @code
13948@cindex current Go package
13949@item The current Go package
13950The name of the current package does not need to be specified when
13951specifying global variables and functions.
13952
13953For example, given the program:
13954
13955@example
13956package main
13957var myglob = "Shall we?"
13958func main () @{
13959 // ...
13960@}
13961@end example
13962
13963When stopped inside @code{main} either of these work:
13964
13965@example
13966(gdb) p myglob
13967(gdb) p main.myglob
13968@end example
13969
13970@cindex builtin Go types
13971@item Builtin Go types
13972The @code{string} type is recognized by @value{GDBN} and is printed
13973as a string.
13974
13975@cindex builtin Go functions
13976@item Builtin Go functions
13977The @value{GDBN} expression parser recognizes the @code{unsafe.Sizeof}
13978function and handles it internally.
13979
13980@cindex restrictions on Go expressions
13981@item Restrictions on Go expressions
13982All Go operators are supported except @code{&^}.
13983The Go @code{_} ``blank identifier'' is not supported.
13984Automatic dereferencing of pointers is not supported.
13985@end table
13986
13987@node Objective-C
13988@subsection Objective-C
13989
13990@cindex Objective-C
13991This section provides information about some commands and command
13992options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
13993@ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
13994few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
13995
13996@menu
13997* Method Names in Commands::
13998* The Print Command with Objective-C::
13999@end menu
14000
14001@node Method Names in Commands
14002@subsubsection Method Names in Commands
14003
14004The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
14005names as line specifications:
14006
14007@kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
14008@kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
14009@kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
14010@kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
14011@kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
14012@itemize
14013@item @code{clear}
14014@item @code{break}
14015@item @code{info line}
14016@item @code{jump}
14017@item @code{list}
14018@end itemize
14019
14020A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
14021
14022@smallexample
14023-[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
14024@end smallexample
14025
14026where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
14027plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
14028name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
14029brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
14030source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
14031instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
14032debugged, enter:
14033
14034@smallexample
14035break -[Fruit create]
14036@end smallexample
14037
14038To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
14039enter:
14040
14041@smallexample
14042list +[NSText initialize]
14043@end smallexample
14044
14045In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
14046required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
14047sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
14048is also possible to specify just a method name:
14049
14050@smallexample
14051break create
14052@end smallexample
14053
14054You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
14055your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
14056you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
14057method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
14058none apply.
14059
14060As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
14061@code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
14062
14063@smallexample
14064clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
14065@end smallexample
14066
14067@node The Print Command with Objective-C
14068@subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
14069@cindex Objective-C, print objects
14070@kindex print-object
14071@kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
14072
14073The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
14074
14075@smallexample
14076print -[@var{object} hash]
14077@end smallexample
14078
14079@cindex print an Objective-C object description
14080@cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
14081@noindent
14082will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
14083and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
14084@code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
14085the description of an object. However, this command may only work
14086with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
14087function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
14088
14089@node OpenCL C
14090@subsection OpenCL C
14091
14092@cindex OpenCL C
14093This section provides information about @value{GDBN}s OpenCL C support.
14094
14095@menu
14096* OpenCL C Datatypes::
14097* OpenCL C Expressions::
14098* OpenCL C Operators::
14099@end menu
14100
14101@node OpenCL C Datatypes
14102@subsubsection OpenCL C Datatypes
14103
14104@cindex OpenCL C Datatypes
14105@value{GDBN} supports the builtin scalar and vector datatypes specified
14106by OpenCL 1.1. In addition the half- and double-precision floating point
14107data types of the @code{cl_khr_fp16} and @code{cl_khr_fp64} OpenCL
14108extensions are also known to @value{GDBN}.
14109
14110@node OpenCL C Expressions
14111@subsubsection OpenCL C Expressions
14112
14113@cindex OpenCL C Expressions
14114@value{GDBN} supports accesses to vector components including the access as
14115lvalue where possible. Since OpenCL C is based on C99 most C expressions
14116supported by @value{GDBN} can be used as well.
14117
14118@node OpenCL C Operators
14119@subsubsection OpenCL C Operators
14120
14121@cindex OpenCL C Operators
14122@value{GDBN} supports the operators specified by OpenCL 1.1 for scalar and
14123vector data types.
14124
14125@node Fortran
14126@subsection Fortran
14127@cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
14128
14129@value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
14130currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
14131
14132@cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
14133Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
14134among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
14135functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
14136will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
14137underscore.
14138
14139@menu
14140* Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
14141* Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
14142* Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
14143@end menu
14144
14145@node Fortran Operators
14146@subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
14147
14148@cindex Fortran operators and expressions
14149
14150Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
14151@code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
14152arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
14153
14154@table @code
14155@item **
14156The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
14157of the second one.
14158
14159@item :
14160The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
14161represent a section of array.
14162
14163@item %
14164The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
14165types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
14166this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
14167union type.
14168@end table
14169
14170@node Fortran Defaults
14171@subsubsection Fortran Defaults
14172
14173@cindex Fortran Defaults
14174
14175Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
14176default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
14177change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
14178@ref{Symbols}, for the details.
14179
14180@node Special Fortran Commands
14181@subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
14182
14183@cindex Special Fortran commands
14184
14185@value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
14186such as displaying common blocks.
14187
14188@table @code
14189@cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
14190@kindex info common
14191@item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
14192This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
14193block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
14194all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
14195printed.
14196@end table
14197
14198@node Pascal
14199@subsection Pascal
14200
14201@cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
14202Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
14203nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
14204entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
14205syntax.
14206
14207The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
14208controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
14209@xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
14210
14211@node Modula-2
14212@subsection Modula-2
14213
14214@cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
14215
14216The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
14217output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
14218developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
14219attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
14220to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
14221table.
14222
14223@cindex expressions in Modula-2
14224@menu
14225* M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
14226* Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
14227* M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
14228* M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
14229* M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
14230* Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
14231* M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
14232* M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
14233* GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
14234@end menu
14235
14236@node M2 Operators
14237@subsubsection Operators
14238@cindex Modula-2 operators
14239
14240Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
14241@code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
14242often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
14243following definitions hold:
14244
14245@itemize @bullet
14246
14247@item
14248@emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
14249their subranges.
14250
14251@item
14252@emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
14253
14254@item
14255@emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
14256
14257@item
14258@emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
14259@var{type}}.
14260
14261@item
14262@emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
14263
14264@item
14265@emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
14266
14267@item
14268@emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
14269@end itemize
14270
14271@noindent
14272The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
14273increasing precedence:
14274
14275@table @code
14276@item ,
14277Function argument or array index separator.
14278
14279@item :=
14280Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
14281@var{value}.
14282
14283@item <@r{, }>
14284Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
14285types.
14286
14287@item <=@r{, }>=
14288Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
14289on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
14290set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
14291
14292@item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
14293Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
14294Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
14295available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
14296comment character.
14297
14298@item IN
14299Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
14300Same precedence as @code{<}.
14301
14302@item OR
14303Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
14304
14305@item AND@r{, }&
14306Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
14307
14308@item @@
14309The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
14310
14311@item +@r{, }-
14312Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
14313and difference on set types.
14314
14315@item *
14316Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
14317on set types.
14318
14319@item /
14320Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
14321types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
14322
14323@item DIV@r{, }MOD
14324Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
14325precedence as @code{*}.
14326
14327@item -
14328Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
14329
14330@item ^
14331Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
14332
14333@item NOT
14334Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
14335@code{^}.
14336
14337@item .
14338@code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
14339precedence as @code{^}.
14340
14341@item []
14342Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
14343
14344@item ()
14345Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
14346as @code{^}.
14347
14348@item ::@r{, }.
14349@value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
14350@end table
14351
14352@quotation
14353@emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
14354treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
14355@code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
14356@code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
14357@end quotation
14358
14359
14360@node Built-In Func/Proc
14361@subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
14362@cindex Modula-2 built-ins
14363
14364Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
14365In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
14366
14367@table @var
14368
14369@item a
14370represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
14371
14372@item c
14373represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
14374
14375@item i
14376represents a variable or constant of integral type.
14377
14378@item m
14379represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
14380same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
14381be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
14382
14383@item n
14384represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
14385
14386@item r
14387represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
14388
14389@item t
14390represents a type.
14391
14392@item v
14393represents a variable.
14394
14395@item x
14396represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
14397explanation of the function for details.
14398@end table
14399
14400All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
14401
14402@table @code
14403@item ABS(@var{n})
14404Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
14405
14406@item CAP(@var{c})
14407If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
14408equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
14409
14410@item CHR(@var{i})
14411Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
14412
14413@item DEC(@var{v})
14414Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
14415
14416@item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
14417Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
14418new value.
14419
14420@item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
14421Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
14422set.
14423
14424@item FLOAT(@var{i})
14425Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
14426
14427@item HIGH(@var{a})
14428Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
14429
14430@item INC(@var{v})
14431Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
14432
14433@item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
14434Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
14435new value.
14436
14437@item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
14438Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
14439there. Returns the new set.
14440
14441@item MAX(@var{t})
14442Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
14443
14444@item MIN(@var{t})
14445Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
14446
14447@item ODD(@var{i})
14448Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
14449
14450@item ORD(@var{x})
14451Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
14452value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
14453@sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
14454integral, character and enumerated types.
14455
14456@item SIZE(@var{x})
14457Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
14458
14459@item TRUNC(@var{r})
14460Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
14461
14462@item TSIZE(@var{x})
14463Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
14464
14465@item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
14466Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
14467@end table
14468
14469@quotation
14470@emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
14471@value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
14472an error.
14473@end quotation
14474
14475@cindex Modula-2 constants
14476@node M2 Constants
14477@subsubsection Constants
14478
14479@value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
14480ways:
14481
14482@itemize @bullet
14483
14484@item
14485Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
14486expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
14487rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
14488trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
14489
14490@item
14491Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
14492decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
14493then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
14494@samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
14495digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
14496digits.
14497
14498@item
14499Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
14500like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
14501also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
14502followed by a @samp{C}.
14503
14504@item
14505String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
14506pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
14507Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
14508Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
14509sequences.
14510
14511@item
14512Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
14513
14514@item
14515Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
14516@code{FALSE}.
14517
14518@item
14519Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
14520
14521@item
14522Set constants are not yet supported.
14523@end itemize
14524
14525@node M2 Types
14526@subsubsection Modula-2 Types
14527@cindex Modula-2 types
14528
14529Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
14530syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
14531types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
14532print the contents of variables declared using these type.
14533This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
14534sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
14535
14536The first example contains the following section of code:
14537
14538@smallexample
14539VAR
14540 s: SET OF CHAR ;
14541 r: [20..40] ;
14542@end smallexample
14543
14544@noindent
14545and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
14546@code{r} and @code{s}.
14547
14548@smallexample
14549(@value{GDBP}) print s
14550@{'A'..'C', 'Z'@}
14551(@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14552SET OF CHAR
14553(@value{GDBP}) print r
1455421
14555(@value{GDBP}) ptype r
14556[20..40]
14557@end smallexample
14558
14559@noindent
14560Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
14561
14562@smallexample
14563VAR
14564 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
14565@end smallexample
14566
14567@noindent
14568then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
14569
14570@smallexample
14571(@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14572type = SET ['A'..'Z']
14573@end smallexample
14574
14575@noindent
14576Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
14577expressions using the debugger.
14578
14579The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
14580and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
14581
14582@smallexample
14583VAR
14584 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
14585@end smallexample
14586
14587@smallexample
14588(@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14589ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
14590@end smallexample
14591
14592Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
14593is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
14594arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
14595above.
14596
14597Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
14598
14599@smallexample
14600TYPE
14601 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
14602 t = [blue..yellow] ;
14603VAR
14604 s: t ;
14605BEGIN
14606 s := blue ;
14607@end smallexample
14608
14609@noindent
14610The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
14611and value of a variable.
14612
14613@smallexample
14614(@value{GDBP}) print s
14615$1 = blue
14616(@value{GDBP}) ptype t
14617type = [blue..yellow]
14618@end smallexample
14619
14620@noindent
14621In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
14622displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
14623their @code{C} counterparts.
14624
14625@smallexample
14626VAR
14627 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14628BEGIN
14629 s[1] := 1 ;
14630@end smallexample
14631
14632@smallexample
14633(@value{GDBP}) print s
14634$1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
14635(@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14636type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14637@end smallexample
14638
14639The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
14640pointer types as shown in this example:
14641
14642@smallexample
14643VAR
14644 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14645BEGIN
14646 NEW(s) ;
14647 s^[1] := 1 ;
14648@end smallexample
14649
14650@noindent
14651and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
14652
14653@smallexample
14654(@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14655type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14656@end smallexample
14657
14658@value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
14659Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
14660types:
14661
14662@smallexample
14663TYPE
14664 foo = RECORD
14665 f1: CARDINAL ;
14666 f2: CHAR ;
14667 f3: myarray ;
14668 END ;
14669
14670 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
14671 myrange = [-2..2] ;
14672VAR
14673 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
14674@end smallexample
14675
14676@noindent
14677and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
14678below.
14679
14680@smallexample
14681(@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14682type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
14683 f1 : CARDINAL;
14684 f2 : CHAR;
14685 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
14686END
14687@end smallexample
14688
14689@node M2 Defaults
14690@subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
14691@cindex Modula-2 defaults
14692
14693If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
14694both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
14695Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
14696selected the working language.
14697
14698If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
14699code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
14700working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
14701Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
14702
14703@node Deviations
14704@subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
14705@cindex Modula-2, deviations from
14706
14707A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
14708This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
14709
14710@itemize @bullet
14711@item
14712Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
14713integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
14714debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
14715pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
14716through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
14717returned a pointer.)
14718
14719@item
14720C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
14721non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
14722escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
14723printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
14724
14725@item
14726The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
14727argument.
14728
14729@item
14730All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
14731@end itemize
14732
14733@node M2 Checks
14734@subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
14735@cindex Modula-2 checks
14736
14737@quotation
14738@emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
14739range checking.
14740@end quotation
14741@c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
14742
14743@value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
14744
14745@itemize @bullet
14746@item
14747They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
14748@var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
14749
14750@item
14751They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
14752@sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
14753@end itemize
14754
14755As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
14756whose types are not equivalent is an error.
14757
14758Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
14759index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
14760
14761@node M2 Scope
14762@subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
14763@cindex scope
14764@cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
14765@cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
14766@ifinfo
14767@vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
14768@c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
14769@end ifinfo
14770@ifnotinfo
14771@vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
14772@end ifnotinfo
14773
14774There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
14775(@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
14776similar syntax:
14777
14778@smallexample
14779
14780@var{module} . @var{id}
14781@var{scope} :: @var{id}
14782@end smallexample
14783
14784@noindent
14785where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
14786@var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
14787identifier within your program, except another module.
14788
14789Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
14790specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
14791found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
14792enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
14793
14794Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
14795the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
14796definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
14797an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
14798module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
14799@var{module}.
14800
14801@node GDB/M2
14802@subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
14803
14804Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
14805Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
14806specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
14807@samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
14808apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
14809analogue in Modula-2.
14810
14811The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
14812with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
14813intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
14814created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
14815address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
14816@samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
14817
14818@cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
14819In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
14820interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
14821
14822@node Ada
14823@subsection Ada
14824@cindex Ada
14825
14826The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
14827output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
14828Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
14829attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
14830to be difficult.
14831
14832
14833@cindex expressions in Ada
14834@menu
14835* Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
14836 and semantics supported by Ada mode
14837 in @value{GDBN}.
14838* Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
14839* Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
14840* Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
14841* Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
14842* Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
14843* Ravenscar Profile:: Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar
14844 Profile
14845* Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
14846@end menu
14847
14848@node Ada Mode Intro
14849@subsubsection Introduction
14850@cindex Ada mode, general
14851
14852The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
14853syntax, with some extensions.
14854The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
14855
14856@itemize @bullet
14857@item
14858That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
14859arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
14860leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
14861program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
14862
14863@item
14864That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
14865are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
14866
14867@item
14868That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
14869@end itemize
14870
14871Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
14872user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
14873according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
14874names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
14875ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
14876
14877The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
14878As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
14879was translated from an Ada source file.
14880
14881While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
14882mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
14883(@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
14884middle (to allow based literals).
14885
14886The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
14887the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
14888actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
14889the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
14890procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
14891functions to procedures elsewhere.
14892
14893@node Omissions from Ada
14894@subsubsection Omissions from Ada
14895@cindex Ada, omissions from
14896
14897Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
14898
14899@itemize @bullet
14900@item
14901Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
14902
14903@itemize @minus
14904@item
14905@t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
14906 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
14907
14908@item
14909@t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
14910
14911@item
14912@t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
14913
14914@item
14915@t{'Tag}.
14916
14917@item
14918@t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
14919operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
14920
14921@item
14922@t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
14923@t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
14924
14925@item
14926@t{'Address}.
14927@end itemize
14928
14929@item
14930The names in
14931@code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
14932concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
14933not currently available.
14934
14935@item
14936Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
14937equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
14938for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
14939They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
14940types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
14941(in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
14942zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
14943indeterminate values.
14944
14945@item
14946The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
14947@code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
14948are not implemented.
14949
14950@item
14951@cindex array aggregates (Ada)
14952@cindex record aggregates (Ada)
14953@cindex aggregates (Ada)
14954There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
14955permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
14956
14957@smallexample
14958(@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
14959(@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
14960(@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
14961(@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
14962(@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
14963(@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
14964@end smallexample
14965
14966Changing a
14967discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
14968undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
14969However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
14970them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
14971aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
14972declared to have a type such as:
14973
14974@smallexample
14975type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
14976 Id : Integer;
14977 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
14978end record;
14979@end smallexample
14980
14981you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
14982assignments:
14983
14984@smallexample
14985(@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
14986(@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
14987@end smallexample
14988
14989As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
14990rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
14991components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
14992component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
14993original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
14994indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
14995redundant component associations, although which component values are
14996assigned in such cases is not defined.
14997
14998@item
14999Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
15000
15001@item
15002The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
15003than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
15004which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
15005looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
15006function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
15007the proper resolution.
15008
15009@item
15010The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
15011
15012@item
15013Entry calls are not implemented.
15014
15015@item
15016Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
15017formats are not supported.
15018
15019@item
15020It is not possible to slice a packed array.
15021
15022@item
15023The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
15024are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
15025context.
15026Should your program
15027redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
15028you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
15029@end itemize
15030
15031@node Additions to Ada
15032@subsubsection Additions to Ada
15033@cindex Ada, deviations from
15034
15035As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
15036extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
15037
15038@itemize @bullet
15039@item
15040If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
15041a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
15042then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
15043@var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
15044Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
15045in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
15046Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
15047which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
15048
15049@item
15050@code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
15051appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
15052you must typically surround it in single quotes.
15053
15054@item
15055The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
15056@var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
15057
15058@item
15059A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
15060(@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
15061@end itemize
15062
15063In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
15064additions specific to Ada:
15065
15066@itemize @bullet
15067@item
15068The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
15069its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
15070
15071@smallexample
15072(@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
15073(@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
15074@end smallexample
15075
15076@item
15077The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
15078the value of its right-hand operand.
15079This allows, for example,
15080complex conditional breaks:
15081
15082@smallexample
15083(@value{GDBP}) break f
15084(@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
15085@end smallexample
15086
15087@item
15088Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
15089characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
15090which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
15091@samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
15092(single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
15093sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
15094in strings. For example,
15095@smallexample
15096 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
15097@end smallexample
15098@noindent
15099contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
15100after each period.
15101
15102@item
15103The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
15104@t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
15105to write
15106
15107@smallexample
15108(@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
15109@end smallexample
15110
15111@item
15112When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
15113array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
15114For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
15115of 3 might print as
15116
15117@smallexample
15118(3 => 10, 17, 1)
15119@end smallexample
15120
15121@noindent
15122That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
15123clause.
15124
15125@item
15126You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
15127multi-character subsequence of
15128their names (an exact match gets preference).
15129For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
15130in place of @t{a'length}.
15131
15132@item
15133@cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
15134Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
15135to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
15136some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
15137For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
15138enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
15139For example,
15140@smallexample
15141(@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
15142@end smallexample
15143
15144@item
15145Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
15146access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
15147specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
15148selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
15149object.
15150
15151@end itemize
15152
15153@node Stopping Before Main Program
15154@subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
15155
15156@cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
15157It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
15158before reaching the main procedure.
15159As defined in the Ada Reference
15160Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
15161@code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
15162elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
15163@code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
15164
15165@node Ada Tasks
15166@subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
15167@cindex Ada, tasking
15168
15169Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
15170@value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
15171
15172@table @code
15173@kindex info tasks
15174@item info tasks
15175This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
15176
15177
15178@smallexample
15179@iftex
15180@leftskip=0.5cm
15181@end iftex
15182(@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15183 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15184 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15185 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
15186 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
15187* 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
15188
15189@end smallexample
15190
15191@noindent
15192In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
15193task currently being inspected.
15194
15195@table @asis
15196@item ID
15197Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
15198
15199@item TID
15200The Ada task ID.
15201
15202@item P-ID
15203The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
15204
15205@item Pri
15206The base priority of the task.
15207
15208@item State
15209Current state of the task.
15210
15211@table @code
15212@item Unactivated
15213The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
15214executing.
15215
15216@item Runnable
15217The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
15218for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
15219
15220@item Terminated
15221The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
15222that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
15223terminated themselves.
15224
15225@item Child Activation Wait
15226The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
15227
15228@item Accept Statement
15229The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
15230
15231@item Waiting on entry call
15232The task is waiting on an entry call.
15233
15234@item Async Select Wait
15235The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
15236select statement.
15237
15238@item Delay Sleep
15239The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
15240alternative open.
15241
15242@item Child Termination Wait
15243The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
15244waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
15245waiting on a terminate Phase.
15246
15247@item Wait Child in Term Alt
15248The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
15249finish terminating.
15250
15251@item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
15252The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
15253@end table
15254
15255@item Name
15256Name of the task in the program.
15257
15258@end table
15259
15260@kindex info task @var{taskno}
15261@item info task @var{taskno}
15262This command shows detailled informations on the specified task, as in
15263the following example:
15264@smallexample
15265@iftex
15266@leftskip=0.5cm
15267@end iftex
15268(@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15269 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15270 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15271* 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
15272(@value{GDBP}) info task 2
15273Ada Task: 0x807c468
15274Name: task_1
15275Thread: 0x807f378
15276Parent: 1 (main_task)
15277Base Priority: 15
15278State: Runnable
15279@end smallexample
15280
15281@item task
15282@kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
15283@cindex current Ada task ID
15284This command prints the ID of the current task.
15285
15286@smallexample
15287@iftex
15288@leftskip=0.5cm
15289@end iftex
15290(@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15291 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15292 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15293* 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
15294(@value{GDBP}) task
15295[Current task is 2]
15296@end smallexample
15297
15298@item task @var{taskno}
15299@cindex Ada task switching
15300This command is like the @code{thread @var{threadno}}
15301command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
15302from the current task to the given task.
15303
15304@smallexample
15305@iftex
15306@leftskip=0.5cm
15307@end iftex
15308(@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15309 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15310 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15311* 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
15312(@value{GDBP}) task 1
15313[Switching to task 1]
15314#0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
15315(@value{GDBP}) bt
15316#0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
15317#1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
15318#2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
15319#3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
15320#4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
15321@end smallexample
15322
15323@item break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno}
15324@itemx break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
15325@cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
15326@cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
15327@kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
15328These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
15329command (@pxref{Thread Stops}).
15330@var{linespec} specifies source lines, as described
15331in @ref{Specify Location}.
15332
15333Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
15334to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
15335particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. @var{taskno} is one of the
15336numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
15337column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
15338
15339If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
15340breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
15341program.
15342
15343You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
15344well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
15345breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
15346
15347For example,
15348
15349@smallexample
15350@iftex
15351@leftskip=0.5cm
15352@end iftex
15353(@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15354 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15355 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15356 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
15357 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
15358* 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
15359(@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
15360Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
15361(@value{GDBP}) cont
15362Continuing.
15363task # 1 running
15364task # 2 running
15365
15366Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
1536715 flush;
15368(@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15369 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15370 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15371* 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
15372 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
15373 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
15374@end smallexample
15375@end table
15376
15377@node Ada Tasks and Core Files
15378@subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
15379@cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
15380
15381When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
15382tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
15383the platform being used.
15384For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
15385switching is not supported. On Tru64, however, task switching will work
15386as usual.
15387
15388On certain platforms, including Tru64, the debugger needs to perform some
15389memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
15390a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
15391privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
15392Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
15393file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
15394
15395@node Ravenscar Profile
15396@subsubsection Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar Profile
15397@cindex Ravenscar Profile
15398
15399The @dfn{Ravenscar Profile} is a subset of the Ada tasking features,
15400specifically designed for systems with safety-critical real-time
15401requirements.
15402
15403@table @code
15404@kindex set ravenscar task-switching on
15405@cindex task switching with program using Ravenscar Profile
15406@item set ravenscar task-switching on
15407Allows task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
15408Profile. This is the default.
15409
15410@kindex set ravenscar task-switching off
15411@item set ravenscar task-switching off
15412Turn off task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
15413Profile. This is mostly intended to disable the code that adds support
15414for the Ravenscar Profile, in case a bug in either @value{GDBN} or in
15415the Ravenscar runtime is preventing @value{GDBN} from working properly.
15416To be effective, this command should be run before the program is started.
15417
15418@kindex show ravenscar task-switching
15419@item show ravenscar task-switching
15420Show whether it is possible to switch from task to task in a program
15421using the Ravenscar Profile.
15422
15423@end table
15424
15425@node Ada Glitches
15426@subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
15427@cindex Ada, problems
15428
15429Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
15430we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
15431@value{GDBN},
15432some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
15433and the GNU Ada compiler.
15434
15435@itemize @bullet
15436@item
15437Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
15438storage are invisible to the debugger.
15439
15440@item
15441Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
15442argument lists are treated as positional).
15443
15444@item
15445Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
15446
15447@item
15448Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
15449floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
15450the host machine.
15451
15452@item
15453The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
15454the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
15455this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
15456look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
15457symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
15458defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
15459local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
15460GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
15461you can usually resolve the confusion
15462by qualifying the problematic names with package
15463@code{Standard} explicitly.
15464@end itemize
15465
15466Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
15467information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
15468of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
15469around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
15470to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
15471enabled.
15472
15473@kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
15474@kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
15475@table @code
15476
15477@item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
15478Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
15479value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
15480types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
15481a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
15482This is the default.
15483
15484@item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
15485This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
15486sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
15487trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
15488the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
15489@code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
15490recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
15491
15492@end table
15493
15494@node Unsupported Languages
15495@section Unsupported Languages
15496
15497@cindex unsupported languages
15498@cindex minimal language
15499In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
15500@value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
15501It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
15502of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
15503This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
15504an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
15505
15506If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
15507select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
15508language.
15509
15510@node Symbols
15511@chapter Examining the Symbol Table
15512
15513The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
15514symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
15515program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
15516does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
15517program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
15518(@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
15519file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
15520
15521@cindex symbol names
15522@cindex names of symbols
15523@cindex quoting names
15524Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
15525characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
15526most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
15527source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
15528are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
15529ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
15530@samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
15531@samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
15532
15533@smallexample
15534p 'foo.c'::x
15535@end smallexample
15536
15537@noindent
15538looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
15539
15540@table @code
15541@cindex case-insensitive symbol names
15542@cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
15543@kindex set case-sensitive
15544@item set case-sensitive on
15545@itemx set case-sensitive off
15546@itemx set case-sensitive auto
15547Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
15548with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
15549Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
15550case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
15551case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
15552you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
15553suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
15554matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
15555case-insensitive matches.
15556
15557@kindex show case-sensitive
15558@item show case-sensitive
15559This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
15560lookups.
15561
15562@kindex set print type methods
15563@item set print type methods
15564@itemx set print type methods on
15565@itemx set print type methods off
15566Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any methods
15567declared in that class. You can control this behavior either by
15568passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
15569print type methods}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
15570display the methods; this is the default. Specifying @code{off} will
15571cause @value{GDBN} to omit the methods.
15572
15573@kindex show print type methods
15574@item show print type methods
15575This command shows the current setting of method display when printing
15576classes.
15577
15578@kindex set print type typedefs
15579@item set print type typedefs
15580@itemx set print type typedefs on
15581@itemx set print type typedefs off
15582
15583Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any typedefs
15584defined in that class. You can control this behavior either by
15585passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
15586print type typedefs}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
15587display the typedef definitions; this is the default. Specifying
15588@code{off} will cause @value{GDBN} to omit the typedef definitions.
15589Note that this controls whether the typedef definition itself is
15590printed, not whether typedef names are substituted when printing other
15591types.
15592
15593@kindex show print type typedefs
15594@item show print type typedefs
15595This command shows the current setting of typedef display when
15596printing classes.
15597
15598@kindex info address
15599@cindex address of a symbol
15600@item info address @var{symbol}
15601Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
15602variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
15603local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
15604is always stored.
15605
15606Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
15607at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
15608the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
15609
15610@kindex info symbol
15611@cindex symbol from address
15612@cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
15613@item info symbol @var{addr}
15614Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
15615If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
15616nearest symbol and an offset from it:
15617
15618@smallexample
15619(@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
15620_initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
15621@end smallexample
15622
15623@noindent
15624This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
15625it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
15626
15627For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
15628library containing the symbol is also printed:
15629
15630@smallexample
15631(@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
15632_start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
15633(@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
15634__read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
15635@end smallexample
15636
15637@kindex whatis
15638@item whatis[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
15639Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression
15640or a name of a data type. With no argument, print the data type of
15641@code{$}, the last value in the value history.
15642
15643If @var{arg} is an expression (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), it
15644is not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
15645assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
15646
15647If @var{arg} is a variable or an expression, @code{whatis} prints its
15648literal type as it is used in the source code. If the type was
15649defined using a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will @emph{not} print
15650the data type underlying the @code{typedef}. If the type of the
15651variable or the expression is a compound data type, such as
15652@code{struct} or @code{class}, @code{whatis} never prints their
15653fields or methods. It just prints the @code{struct}/@code{class}
15654name (a.k.a.@: its @dfn{tag}). If you want to see the members of
15655such a compound data type, use @code{ptype}.
15656
15657If @var{arg} is a type name that was defined using @code{typedef},
15658@code{whatis} @dfn{unrolls} only one level of that @code{typedef}.
15659Unrolling means that @code{whatis} will show the underlying type used
15660in the @code{typedef} declaration of @var{arg}. However, if that
15661underlying type is also a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will not
15662unroll it.
15663
15664For C code, the type names may also have the form @samp{class
15665@var{class-name}}, @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union
15666@var{union-tag}} or @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
15667
15668@var{flags} can be used to modify how the type is displayed.
15669Available flags are:
15670
15671@table @code
15672@item r
15673Display in ``raw'' form. Normally, @value{GDBN} substitutes template
15674parameters and typedefs defined in a class when printing the class'
15675members. The @code{/r} flag disables this.
15676
15677@item m
15678Do not print methods defined in the class.
15679
15680@item M
15681Print methods defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
15682exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type methods}.
15683
15684@item t
15685Do not print typedefs defined in the class. Note that this controls
15686whether the typedef definition itself is printed, not whether typedef
15687names are substituted when printing other types.
15688
15689@item T
15690Print typedefs defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
15691exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type typedefs}.
15692@end table
15693
15694@kindex ptype
15695@item ptype[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
15696@code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
15697detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
15698@xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
15699
15700Contrary to @code{whatis}, @code{ptype} always unrolls any
15701@code{typedef}s in its argument declaration, whether the argument is
15702a variable, expression, or a data type. This means that @code{ptype}
15703of a variable or an expression will not print literally its type as
15704present in the source code---use @code{whatis} for that. @code{typedef}s at
15705the pointer or reference targets are also unrolled. Only @code{typedef}s of
15706fields, methods and inner @code{class typedef}s of @code{struct}s,
15707@code{class}es and @code{union}s are not unrolled even with @code{ptype}.
15708
15709For example, for this variable declaration:
15710
15711@smallexample
15712typedef double real_t;
15713struct complex @{ real_t real; double imag; @};
15714typedef struct complex complex_t;
15715complex_t var;
15716real_t *real_pointer_var;
15717@end smallexample
15718
15719@noindent
15720the two commands give this output:
15721
15722@smallexample
15723@group
15724(@value{GDBP}) whatis var
15725type = complex_t
15726(@value{GDBP}) ptype var
15727type = struct complex @{
15728 real_t real;
15729 double imag;
15730@}
15731(@value{GDBP}) whatis complex_t
15732type = struct complex
15733(@value{GDBP}) whatis struct complex
15734type = struct complex
15735(@value{GDBP}) ptype struct complex
15736type = struct complex @{
15737 real_t real;
15738 double imag;
15739@}
15740(@value{GDBP}) whatis real_pointer_var
15741type = real_t *
15742(@value{GDBP}) ptype real_pointer_var
15743type = double *
15744@end group
15745@end smallexample
15746
15747@noindent
15748As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
15749the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
15750
15751@cindex incomplete type
15752Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
15753of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
15754program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
15755the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
15756given these declarations:
15757
15758@smallexample
15759 struct foo;
15760 struct foo *fooptr;
15761@end smallexample
15762
15763@noindent
15764but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
15765
15766@smallexample
15767 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
15768 $1 = <incomplete type>
15769@end smallexample
15770
15771@noindent
15772``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
15773completely specified.
15774
15775@kindex info types
15776@item info types @var{regexp}
15777@itemx info types
15778Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
15779expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
15780no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
15781complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
15782types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
15783@samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
15784name is @code{value}.
15785
15786This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
15787@code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
15788lists all source files where a type is defined.
15789
15790@kindex info type-printers
15791@item info type-printers
15792Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled may
15793have ``type printers'' available. When using @command{ptype} or
15794@command{whatis}, these printers are consulted when the name of a type
15795is needed. @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information on writing
15796type printers.
15797
15798@code{info type-printers} displays all the available type printers.
15799
15800@kindex enable type-printer
15801@kindex disable type-printer
15802@item enable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
15803@item disable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
15804These commands can be used to enable or disable type printers.
15805
15806@kindex info scope
15807@cindex local variables
15808@item info scope @var{location}
15809List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
15810accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
15811an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
15812to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
15813details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
15814
15815@smallexample
15816(@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
15817Scope for command_line_handler:
15818Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
15819Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
15820Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
15821Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
15822Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
15823Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
15824Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
15825@end smallexample
15826
15827@noindent
15828This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
15829during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
15830collect}.
15831
15832@kindex info source
15833@item info source
15834Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
15835the function containing the current point of execution:
15836@itemize @bullet
15837@item
15838the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
15839@item
15840the directory it was compiled in,
15841@item
15842its length, in lines,
15843@item
15844which programming language it is written in,
15845@item
15846whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
15847if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
15848@item
15849whether the debugging information includes information about
15850preprocessor macros.
15851@end itemize
15852
15853
15854@kindex info sources
15855@item info sources
15856Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
15857debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
15858have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
15859
15860@kindex info functions
15861@item info functions
15862Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
15863
15864@item info functions @var{regexp}
15865Print the names and data types of all defined functions
15866whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
15867Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
15868include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
15869start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
15870that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
15871@samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
15872
15873@kindex info variables
15874@item info variables
15875Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
15876outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
15877
15878@item info variables @var{regexp}
15879Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
15880variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
15881@var{regexp}.
15882
15883@kindex info classes
15884@cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
15885@item info classes
15886@itemx info classes @var{regexp}
15887Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
15888(with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
15889expression.
15890
15891@kindex info selectors
15892@item info selectors
15893@itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
15894Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
15895(with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
15896expression.
15897
15898@ignore
15899This was never implemented.
15900@kindex info methods
15901@item info methods
15902@itemx info methods @var{regexp}
15903The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
15904methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
15905specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
15906C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
15907from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
15908@code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
15909which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
15910@end ignore
15911
15912@cindex opaque data types
15913@kindex set opaque-type-resolution
15914@item set opaque-type-resolution on
15915Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
15916declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
15917@code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
15918source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
15919another source file. The default is on.
15920
15921A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
15922the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
15923
15924@item set opaque-type-resolution off
15925Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
15926is printed as follows:
15927@smallexample
15928@{<no data fields>@}
15929@end smallexample
15930
15931@kindex show opaque-type-resolution
15932@item show opaque-type-resolution
15933Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
15934
15935@kindex maint print symbols
15936@cindex symbol dump
15937@kindex maint print psymbols
15938@cindex partial symbol dump
15939@kindex maint print msymbols
15940@cindex minimal symbol dump
15941@item maint print symbols @var{filename}
15942@itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
15943@itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
15944Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
15945These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
15946symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
15947symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
15948collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
15949only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
15950command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
15951use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
15952symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
15953files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
15954@samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
15955required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
15956@xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
15957@value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
15958
15959@kindex maint info symtabs
15960@kindex maint info psymtabs
15961@cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
15962@cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
15963@cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
15964@cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
15965@item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
15966@itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
15967
15968List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
15969structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
15970given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
15971copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
15972structure in more detail. For example:
15973
15974@smallexample
15975(@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
15976@{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
15977 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
15978 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
15979 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
15980 readin no
15981 fullname (null)
15982 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
15983 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
15984 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
15985 dependencies (none)
15986 @}
15987@}
15988(@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
15989(@value{GDBP})
15990@end smallexample
15991@noindent
15992We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
15993the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
15994and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
15995If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
15996read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
15997
15998@smallexample
15999(@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
16000Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
16001line 1574.
16002(@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
16003@{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
16004 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
16005 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
16006 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
16007 dirname (null)
16008 fullname (null)
16009 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
16010 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
16011 debugformat DWARF 2
16012 @}
16013@}
16014(@value{GDBP})
16015@end smallexample
16016@end table
16017
16018
16019@node Altering
16020@chapter Altering Execution
16021
16022Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
16023find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
16024correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
16025experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
16026program.
16027
16028For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
16029locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
16030address, or even return prematurely from a function.
16031
16032@menu
16033* Assignment:: Assignment to variables
16034* Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
16035* Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
16036* Returning:: Returning from a function
16037* Calling:: Calling your program's functions
16038* Patching:: Patching your program
16039@end menu
16040
16041@node Assignment
16042@section Assignment to Variables
16043
16044@cindex assignment
16045@cindex setting variables
16046To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
16047@xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
16048
16049@smallexample
16050print x=4
16051@end smallexample
16052
16053@noindent
16054stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
16055value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
16056@xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
16057information on operators in supported languages.
16058
16059@kindex set variable
16060@cindex variables, setting
16061If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
16062@code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
16063really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
16064not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
16065,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
16066
16067If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
16068appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
16069variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
16070to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
16071program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
16072a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
16073command @code{set width}:
16074
16075@smallexample
16076(@value{GDBP}) whatis width
16077type = double
16078(@value{GDBP}) p width
16079$4 = 13
16080(@value{GDBP}) set width=47
16081Invalid syntax in expression.
16082@end smallexample
16083
16084@noindent
16085The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
16086order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
16087
16088@smallexample
16089(@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
16090@end smallexample
16091
16092Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
16093with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
16094@code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
16095your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
16096to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
16097the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
16098
16099@smallexample
16100@group
16101(@value{GDBP}) whatis g
16102type = double
16103(@value{GDBP}) p g
16104$1 = 1
16105(@value{GDBP}) set g=4
16106(@value{GDBP}) p g
16107$2 = 1
16108(@value{GDBP}) r
16109The program being debugged has been started already.
16110Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
16111Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
16112"/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
16113 Invalid bfd target.
16114(@value{GDBP}) show g
16115The current BFD target is "=4".
16116@end group
16117@end smallexample
16118
16119@noindent
16120The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
16121@code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
16122@code{g}, use
16123
16124@smallexample
16125(@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
16126@end smallexample
16127
16128@value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
16129freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
16130and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
16131same length or shorter.
16132@comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
16133@comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
16134
16135To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
16136construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
16137(@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
16138to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
16139and representation in memory), and
16140
16141@smallexample
16142set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
16143@end smallexample
16144
16145@noindent
16146stores the value 4 into that memory location.
16147
16148@node Jumping
16149@section Continuing at a Different Address
16150
16151Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
16152it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
16153an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
16154
16155@table @code
16156@kindex jump
16157@kindex j @r{(@code{jump})}
16158@item jump @var{linespec}
16159@itemx j @var{linespec}
16160@itemx jump @var{location}
16161@itemx j @var{location}
16162Resume execution at line @var{linespec} or at address given by
16163@var{location}. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
16164breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
16165different forms of @var{linespec} and @var{location}. It is common
16166practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
16167@code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
16168
16169The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
16170the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
16171register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
16172a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
16173be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
16174of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
16175confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
16176executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
16177well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
16178@end table
16179
16180@c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
16181On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
16182command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
16183difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
16184changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
16185example,
16186
16187@smallexample
16188set $pc = 0x485
16189@end smallexample
16190
16191@noindent
16192makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
16193address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
16194@xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
16195
16196The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
16197up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
16198that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
16199detail.
16200
16201@c @group
16202@node Signaling
16203@section Giving your Program a Signal
16204@cindex deliver a signal to a program
16205
16206@table @code
16207@kindex signal
16208@item signal @var{signal}
16209Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
16210signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
16211signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
16212SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
16213
16214Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
16215giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
16216a signal and would ordinarily see the signal when resumed with the
16217@code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
16218signal.
16219
16220@code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
16221after executing the command.
16222@end table
16223@c @end group
16224
16225Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
16226@code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
16227causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
16228the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
16229passes the signal directly to your program.
16230
16231
16232@node Returning
16233@section Returning from a Function
16234
16235@table @code
16236@cindex returning from a function
16237@kindex return
16238@item return
16239@itemx return @var{expression}
16240You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
16241command. If you give an
16242@var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
16243value.
16244@end table
16245
16246When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
16247(and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
16248discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
16249be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
16250
16251This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
16252Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
16253innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
16254specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
16255of functions.
16256
16257The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
16258program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
16259returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
16260and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
16261selected stack frame returns naturally.
16262
16263@value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
16264the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
16265type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
16266OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
16267CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
16268registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
16269specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
16270current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
16271assignment into the right register(s).
16272
16273Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
16274use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
16275debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
16276function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
16277int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
16278into a @code{long long int}:
16279
16280@smallexample
16281Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
1628229 return 31;
16283(@value{GDBP}) return -1
16284Make func return now? (y or n) y
16285#0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
1628643 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
16287(@value{GDBP})
16288@end smallexample
16289
16290However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
16291function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
16292to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
16293in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
16294typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
16295of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
16296architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
16297an appropriate cast explicitly:
16298
16299@smallexample
16300Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
16301(@value{GDBP}) return -1
16302Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
16303Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
16304(@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
16305Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
16306#0 0x00400526 in main ()
16307(@value{GDBP})
16308@end smallexample
16309
16310@node Calling
16311@section Calling Program Functions
16312
16313@table @code
16314@cindex calling functions
16315@cindex inferior functions, calling
16316@item print @var{expr}
16317Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
16318@var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
16319debugged.
16320
16321@kindex call
16322@item call @var{expr}
16323Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
16324returned values.
16325
16326You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
16327execute a function from your program that does not return anything
16328(a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
16329with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
16330print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
16331value history.
16332@end table
16333
16334It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
16335@code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
16336the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
16337in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
16338
16339Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
16340call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
16341exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
16342frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
16343an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
16344dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
16345seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
16346in that case is controlled by the
16347@code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
16348
16349@table @code
16350@item set unwindonsignal
16351@kindex set unwindonsignal
16352@cindex unwind stack in called functions
16353@cindex call dummy stack unwinding
16354Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
16355that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
16356@value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
16357the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
16358default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
16359received.
16360
16361@item show unwindonsignal
16362@kindex show unwindonsignal
16363Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
16364@value{GDBN}.
16365
16366@item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
16367@kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
16368@cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
16369@cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
16370Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
16371unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
16372debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
16373it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
16374the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
16375the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
16376
16377@item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
16378@kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
16379Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
16380@value{GDBN}.
16381
16382@end table
16383
16384@cindex weak alias functions
16385Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
16386for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
16387the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
16388which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
16389As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
16390even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
16391function instead.
16392
16393@node Patching
16394@section Patching Programs
16395
16396@cindex patching binaries
16397@cindex writing into executables
16398@cindex writing into corefiles
16399
16400By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
16401executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
16402alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
16403patching your program's binary.
16404
16405If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
16406explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
16407want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
16408repairs.
16409
16410@table @code
16411@kindex set write
16412@item set write on
16413@itemx set write off
16414If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
16415core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
16416off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
16417
16418If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
16419@code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
16420write}, for your new setting to take effect.
16421
16422@item show write
16423@kindex show write
16424Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
16425as well as reading.
16426@end table
16427
16428@node GDB Files
16429@chapter @value{GDBN} Files
16430
16431@value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
16432both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
16433program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
16434@value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
16435
16436@menu
16437* Files:: Commands to specify files
16438* Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
16439* MiniDebugInfo:: Debugging information in a special section
16440* Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
16441* Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
16442* Data Files:: GDB data files
16443@end menu
16444
16445@node Files
16446@section Commands to Specify Files
16447
16448@cindex symbol table
16449@cindex core dump file
16450
16451You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
16452way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
16453@value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
16454Out of @value{GDBN}}).
16455
16456Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
16457@value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
16458specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
16459via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
16460Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
16461new files are useful.
16462
16463@table @code
16464@cindex executable file
16465@kindex file
16466@item file @var{filename}
16467Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
16468symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
16469executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
16470directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
16471@value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
16472directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
16473to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
16474and your program, using the @code{path} command.
16475
16476@cindex unlinked object files
16477@cindex patching object files
16478You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
16479the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
16480file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
16481if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
16482@kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
16483that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
16484case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
16485the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
16486
16487@item file
16488@code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
16489has on both executable file and the symbol table.
16490
16491@kindex exec-file
16492@item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
16493Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
16494in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
16495if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
16496discard information on the executable file.
16497
16498@kindex symbol-file
16499@item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
16500Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
16501searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
16502table and program to run from the same file.
16503
16504@code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
16505program's symbol table.
16506
16507The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
16508some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
16509contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
16510which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
16511@value{GDBN}.
16512
16513@code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
16514executing it once.
16515
16516When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
16517understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
16518generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
16519other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
16520Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
16521using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
16522optimized code.
16523
16524For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
16525using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
16526symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
16527quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
16528details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
16529
16530The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
16531start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
16532occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
16533file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
16534pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
16535Warnings and Messages}.)
16536
16537We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
16538symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
16539symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
16540still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
16541in stabs format.
16542
16543@kindex readnow
16544@cindex reading symbols immediately
16545@cindex symbols, reading immediately
16546@item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
16547@itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
16548You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
16549tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
16550load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
16551entire symbol table available.
16552
16553@c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
16554@c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
16555@c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
16556@c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
16557@c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
16558@c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
16559@c files.
16560
16561@kindex core-file
16562@item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
16563@itemx core
16564Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
16565of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
16566address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
16567executable file itself for other parts.
16568
16569@code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
16570to be used.
16571
16572Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
16573under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
16574wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
16575the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
16576(@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
16577
16578@kindex add-symbol-file
16579@cindex dynamic linking
16580@item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
16581@itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
16582@itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} -s @var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
16583The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
16584information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
16585when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
16586into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
16587address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
16588this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
16589of @samp{-s @var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
16590section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
16591@var{address} as an expression.
16592
16593The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
16594originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
16595@code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
16596thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data
16597instead, use the @code{symbol-file} command without any arguments.
16598
16599@cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
16600@cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
16601@cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
16602@cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
16603@cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
16604Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
16605executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
16606relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
16607information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
16608
16609@itemize @bullet
16610@item
16611the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
16612that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
16613@item
16614every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
16615been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
16616@item
16617you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
16618provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
16619@end itemize
16620
16621@noindent
16622Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
16623relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
16624typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
16625important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
16626procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
16627assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
16628general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
16629relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
16630as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
16631way.
16632
16633@code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
16634
16635@kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
16636@cindex @code{syscall DSO}
16637@cindex load symbols from memory
16638@item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
16639Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
16640object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
16641For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
16642process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
16643some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
16644evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
16645For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
16646@code{exec-file} commands in advance.
16647
16648@kindex add-shared-symbol-files
16649@kindex assf
16650@item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
16651@itemx assf @var{library-file}
16652The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
16653in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
16654alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
16655@value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
16656@value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
16657@code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
16658library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
16659@code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
16660
16661@kindex section
16662@item section @var{section} @var{addr}
16663The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
16664@var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
16665exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
16666@code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
16667itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
16668@code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
16669their addresses.
16670
16671@kindex info files
16672@kindex info target
16673@item info files
16674@itemx info target
16675@code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
16676current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
16677including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
16678use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
16679command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
16680current ones.
16681
16682@kindex maint info sections
16683@item maint info sections
16684Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
16685is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
16686displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
16687offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
16688@code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
16689may be arbitrarily combined):
16690
16691@table @code
16692@item ALLOBJ
16693Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
16694@item @var{sections}
16695Display info only for named @var{sections}.
16696@item @var{section-flags}
16697Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
16698The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
16699@table @code
16700@item ALLOC
16701Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
16702Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
16703@item LOAD
16704Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
16705Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
16706@item RELOC
16707Section needs to be relocated before loading.
16708@item READONLY
16709Section cannot be modified by the child process.
16710@item CODE
16711Section contains executable code only.
16712@item DATA
16713Section contains data only (no executable code).
16714@item ROM
16715Section will reside in ROM.
16716@item CONSTRUCTOR
16717Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
16718@item HAS_CONTENTS
16719Section is not empty.
16720@item NEVER_LOAD
16721An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
16722@item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
16723A notification to the linker that the section contains
16724COFF shared library information.
16725@item IS_COMMON
16726Section contains common symbols.
16727@end table
16728@end table
16729@kindex set trust-readonly-sections
16730@cindex read-only sections
16731@item set trust-readonly-sections on
16732Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
16733really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
16734In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
16735out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
16736For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
16737enhancement to debugging performance.
16738
16739The default is off.
16740
16741@item set trust-readonly-sections off
16742Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
16743the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
16744and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
16745
16746@item show trust-readonly-sections
16747Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
16748@end table
16749
16750All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
16751as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
16752name and remembers it that way.
16753
16754@cindex shared libraries
16755@anchor{Shared Libraries}
16756@value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
16757and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
16758
16759On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
16760shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
16761
16762@value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
16763when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
16764(Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
16765references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
16766debugging a core file).
16767
16768On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
16769automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
16770
16771@c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
16772@c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
16773@c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
16774
16775There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
16776symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
16777particularly large or there are many of them.
16778
16779To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
16780commands:
16781
16782@table @code
16783@kindex set auto-solib-add
16784@item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
16785If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
16786will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
16787attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
16788informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
16789is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
16790@code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
16791
16792@cindex memory used for symbol tables
16793If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
16794takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
16795memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
16796symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
16797auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
16798library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
16799@var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
16800the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
16801
16802@kindex show auto-solib-add
16803@item show auto-solib-add
16804Display the current autoloading mode.
16805@end table
16806
16807@cindex load shared library
16808To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
16809command:
16810
16811@table @code
16812@kindex info sharedlibrary
16813@kindex info share
16814@item info share @var{regex}
16815@itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
16816Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
16817that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
16818all shared libraries that are loaded.
16819
16820@kindex sharedlibrary
16821@kindex share
16822@item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
16823@itemx share @var{regex}
16824Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
16825Unix regular expression.
16826As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
16827required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
16828@var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
16829loaded.
16830
16831@item nosharedlibrary
16832@kindex nosharedlibrary
16833@cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
16834Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
16835that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
16836libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
16837discarded.
16838@end table
16839
16840Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
16841when any of shared library events happen. The best way to do this is
16842to use @code{catch load} and @code{catch unload} (@pxref{Set
16843Catchpoints}).
16844
16845@value{GDBN} also supports the the @code{set stop-on-solib-events}
16846command for this. This command exists for historical reasons. It is
16847less useful than setting a catchpoint, because it does not allow for
16848conditions or commands as a catchpoint does.
16849
16850@table @code
16851@item set stop-on-solib-events
16852@kindex set stop-on-solib-events
16853This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
16854when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
16855The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
16856shared library.
16857
16858@item show stop-on-solib-events
16859@kindex show stop-on-solib-events
16860Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
16861library events happen.
16862@end table
16863
16864Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
16865configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
16866this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
16867on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
16868libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
16869provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
16870copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
16871not.
16872
16873@cindex where to look for shared libraries
16874For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
16875libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
16876may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
16877to specify the search directories for target libraries.
16878
16879@table @code
16880@cindex prefix for shared library file names
16881@cindex system root, alternate
16882@kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
16883@kindex set sysroot
16884@item set sysroot @var{path}
16885Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
16886absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
16887runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
16888target program's memory. If you use @code{set sysroot} to find shared
16889libraries, they need to be laid out in the same way that they are on
16890the target, with e.g.@: a @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy
16891under @var{path}.
16892
16893If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{remote:}, @value{GDBN} will
16894retrieve the target libraries from the remote system. This is only
16895supported when using a remote target that supports the @code{remote get}
16896command (@pxref{File Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}).
16897The part of @var{path} following the initial @file{remote:}
16898(if present) is used as system root prefix on the remote file system.
16899@footnote{If you want to specify a local system root using a directory
16900that happens to be named @file{remote:}, you need to use some equivalent
16901variant of the name like @file{./remote:}.}
16902
16903For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
16904SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
16905absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
16906@value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
16907slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
16908
16909@smallexample
16910 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
16911@end smallexample
16912
16913Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
16914@var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
16915system:
16916
16917@smallexample
16918 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
16919@end smallexample
16920
16921If that does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries removing
16922the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
16923for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
16924colons:
16925
16926@smallexample
16927 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
16928@end smallexample
16929
16930This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
16931with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
16932copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
16933@samp{z}):
16934
16935@smallexample
16936 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
16937 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
16938 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
16939@end smallexample
16940
16941@noindent
16942and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
16943@value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
16944@file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
16945
16946If that still does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries
16947removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
16948
16949@smallexample
16950 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
16951@end smallexample
16952
16953This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
16954if you don't want or need to.
16955
16956The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
16957sysroot}.
16958
16959@cindex default system root
16960@cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
16961You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
16962@samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
16963@value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
16964@samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
16965automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
16966location.
16967
16968@kindex show sysroot
16969@item show sysroot
16970Display the current shared library prefix.
16971
16972@kindex set solib-search-path
16973@item set solib-search-path @var{path}
16974If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
16975directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
16976is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
16977path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
16978use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
16979@samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
16980finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
16981it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
16982of shared library symbols.
16983
16984@kindex show solib-search-path
16985@item show solib-search-path
16986Display the current shared library search path.
16987
16988@cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
16989@kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
16990@kindex show target-file-system-kind
16991@item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
16992Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
16993
16994Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
16995make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
16996example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
16997system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
16998@value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
16999@file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
17000drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
17001indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
17002normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
17003the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
17004as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
17005it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
17006shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
17007with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
17008@code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
17009to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
17010map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
17011semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
17012to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
17013tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
17014current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
17015Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
17016
17017@table @code
17018@item unix
17019Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
17020kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
17021are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
17022the forward slash.
17023
17024@item dos-based
17025Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
17026File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
17027followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
17028both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
17029considered directory separators.
17030
17031@item auto
17032Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
17033target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
17034This is the default.
17035@end table
17036@end table
17037
17038@cindex file name canonicalization
17039@cindex base name differences
17040When processing file names provided by the user, @value{GDBN}
17041frequently needs to compare them to the file names recorded in the
17042program's debug info. Normally, @value{GDBN} compares just the
17043@dfn{base names} of the files as strings, which is reasonably fast
17044even for very large programs. (The base name of a file is the last
17045portion of its name, after stripping all the leading directories.)
17046This shortcut in comparison is based upon the assumption that files
17047cannot have more than one base name. This is usually true, but
17048references to files that use symlinks or similar filesystem
17049facilities violate that assumption. If your program records files
17050using such facilities, or if you provide file names to @value{GDBN}
17051using symlinks etc., you can set @code{basenames-may-differ} to
17052@code{true} to instruct @value{GDBN} to completely canonicalize each
17053pair of file names it needs to compare. This will make file-name
17054comparisons accurate, but at a price of a significant slowdown.
17055
17056@table @code
17057@item set basenames-may-differ
17058@kindex set basenames-may-differ
17059Set whether a source file may have multiple base names.
17060
17061@item show basenames-may-differ
17062@kindex show basenames-may-differ
17063Show whether a source file may have multiple base names.
17064@end table
17065
17066@node Separate Debug Files
17067@section Debugging Information in Separate Files
17068@cindex separate debugging information files
17069@cindex debugging information in separate files
17070@cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
17071@cindex debugging information directory, global
17072@cindex global debugging information directories
17073@cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
17074@cindex @file{.build-id} directory
17075
17076@value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
17077file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
17078@value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
17079Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
17080than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
17081information for their executables in separate files, which users can
17082install only when they need to debug a problem.
17083
17084@value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
17085file:
17086
17087@itemize @bullet
17088@item
17089The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
17090the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
17091usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
17092name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
17093(e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
17094debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
17095checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
17096the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
17097
17098@item
17099The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
17100also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
17101only on some operating systems, notably those which use the ELF format
17102for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
17103this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
17104command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld.info,
17105The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
17106explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
17107below.
17108@end itemize
17109
17110Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
17111uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
17112
17113@itemize @bullet
17114@item
17115For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
17116the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
17117directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under each one of the global debug
17118directories, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to the leading
17119directories of the executable's absolute file name.
17120
17121@item
17122For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
17123@file{.build-id} subdirectory of each one of the global debug directories for
17124a file named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
17125first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
17126are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
17127hex characters, not 10.)
17128@end itemize
17129
17130So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
17131@file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
17132file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
17133@code{abcdef1234}. If the list of the global debug directories includes
17134@file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
17135debug information files, in the indicated order:
17136
17137@itemize @minus
17138@item
17139@file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
17140@item
17141@file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
17142@item
17143@file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
17144@item
17145@file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
17146@end itemize
17147
17148@anchor{debug-file-directory}
17149Global debugging info directories default to what is set by @value{GDBN}
17150configure option @option{--with-separate-debug-dir}. During @value{GDBN} run
17151you can also set the global debugging info directories, and view the list
17152@value{GDBN} is currently using.
17153
17154@table @code
17155
17156@kindex set debug-file-directory
17157@item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
17158Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
17159information files to @var{directory}. Multiple path components can be set
17160concatenating them by a path separator.
17161
17162@kindex show debug-file-directory
17163@item show debug-file-directory
17164Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
17165information files.
17166
17167@end table
17168
17169@cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
17170@cindex debug link sections
17171A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
17172@code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
17173
17174@itemize
17175@item
17176A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
17177a zero byte,
17178@item
17179zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
17180boundary within the section, and
17181@item
17182a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
17183executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
17184information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
17185zero as the @var{crc} argument.
17186@end itemize
17187
17188Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
17189contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
17190described above.
17191
17192@cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
17193@cindex build ID sections
17194The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
17195ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
17196often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
17197It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
17198the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
17199algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
17200content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
17201value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
17202stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
17203
17204The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
17205executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
17206debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
17207should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
17208but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
17209in an ordinary executable.
17210
17211The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
17212@samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
17213the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
17214following commands:
17215
17216@smallexample
17217@kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
17218@kbd{strip -g foo}
17219@end smallexample
17220
17221@noindent
17222These commands remove the debugging
17223information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
17224@file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
17225two files:
17226
17227@itemize @bullet
17228@item
17229The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
17230behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
17231
17232@smallexample
17233@kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
17234@end smallexample
17235
17236Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
17237a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
17238foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
17239the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
17240
17241@item
17242Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
17243the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
17244compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
17245utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
17246@end itemize
17247
17248@noindent
17249
17250@cindex CRC algorithm definition
17251The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
17252IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
17253
17254@c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
17255@c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
17256@c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
17257@c different ways!
17258@ifhtml
17259@display
17260@html
17261 <em>x</em><sup>32</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>26</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>23</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>22</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>16</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>12</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>11</sup>
17262 + <em>x</em><sup>10</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>8</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>7</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>5</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>4</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>2</sup> + <em>x</em> + 1
17263@end html
17264@end display
17265@end ifhtml
17266@ifnothtml
17267@display
17268 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
17269 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
17270@end display
17271@end ifnothtml
17272
17273The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
17274significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
17275@code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
17276the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
17277CRC.
17278
17279@emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
17280@dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{Remote Protocol,
17281, @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol}). However in the
17282case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed @emph{most}
17283significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so trailing
17284zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
17285
17286To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
17287which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
17288initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
17289this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
17290@code{0xffffffff}.
17291
17292@kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
17293@smallexample
17294unsigned long
17295gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
17296 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
17297@{
17298 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
17299 @{
17300 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
17301 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
17302 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
17303 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
17304 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
17305 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
17306 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
17307 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
17308 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
17309 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
17310 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
17311 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
17312 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
17313 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
17314 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
17315 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
17316 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
17317 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
17318 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
17319 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
17320 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
17321 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
17322 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
17323 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
17324 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
17325 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
17326 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
17327 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
17328 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
17329 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
17330 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
17331 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
17332 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
17333 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
17334 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
17335 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
17336 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
17337 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
17338 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
17339 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
17340 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
17341 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
17342 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
17343 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
17344 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
17345 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
17346 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
17347 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
17348 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
17349 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
17350 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
17351 0x2d02ef8d
17352 @};
17353 unsigned char *end;
17354
17355 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
17356 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
17357 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
17358 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
17359@}
17360@end smallexample
17361
17362@noindent
17363This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
17364
17365@node MiniDebugInfo
17366@section Debugging information in a special section
17367@cindex separate debug sections
17368@cindex @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section
17369
17370Some systems ship pre-built executables and libraries that have a
17371special @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section. This feature is called
17372@dfn{MiniDebugInfo}. This section holds an LZMA-compressed object and
17373is used to supply extra symbols for backtraces.
17374
17375The intent of this section is to provide extra minimal debugging
17376information for use in simple backtraces. It is not intended to be a
17377replacement for full separate debugging information (@pxref{Separate
17378Debug Files}). The example below shows the intended use; however,
17379@value{GDBN} does not currently put restrictions on what sort of
17380debugging information might be included in the section.
17381
17382@value{GDBN} has support for this extension. If the section exists,
17383then it is used provided that no other source of debugging information
17384can be found, and that @value{GDBN} was configured with LZMA support.
17385
17386This section can be easily created using @command{objcopy} and other
17387standard utilities:
17388
17389@smallexample
17390# Extract the dynamic symbols from the main binary, there is no need
17391# to also have these in the normal symbol table.
17392nm -D @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
17393 | awk '@{ print $1 @}' | sort > dynsyms
17394
17395# Extract all the text (i.e. function) symbols from the debuginfo.
17396# (Note that we actually also accept "D" symbols, for the benefit
17397# of platforms like PowerPC64 that use function descriptors.)
17398nm @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
17399 | awk '@{ if ($2 == "T" || $2 == "t" || $2 == "D") print $1 @}' \
17400 | sort > funcsyms
17401
17402# Keep all the function symbols not already in the dynamic symbol
17403# table.
17404comm -13 dynsyms funcsyms > keep_symbols
17405
17406# Separate full debug info into debug binary.
17407objcopy --only-keep-debug @var{binary} debug
17408
17409# Copy the full debuginfo, keeping only a minimal set of symbols and
17410# removing some unnecessary sections.
17411objcopy -S --remove-section .gdb_index --remove-section .comment \
17412 --keep-symbols=keep_symbols debug mini_debuginfo
17413
17414# Drop the full debug info from the original binary.
17415strip --strip-all -R .comment @var{binary}
17416
17417# Inject the compressed data into the .gnu_debugdata section of the
17418# original binary.
17419xz mini_debuginfo
17420objcopy --add-section .gnu_debugdata=mini_debuginfo.xz @var{binary}
17421@end smallexample
17422
17423@node Index Files
17424@section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
17425@cindex index files
17426@cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
17427
17428When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
17429file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
17430@value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
17431on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
17432@value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
17433startup.
17434
17435The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
17436write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
17437using @command{objcopy}.
17438
17439To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
17440
17441@table @code
17442@item save gdb-index @var{directory}
17443@kindex save gdb-index
17444Create an index file for each symbol file currently known by
17445@value{GDBN}. Each file is named after its corresponding symbol file,
17446with @samp{.gdb-index} appended, and is written into the given
17447@var{directory}.
17448@end table
17449
17450Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
17451file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
17452
17453@smallexample
17454$ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
17455 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
17456@end smallexample
17457
17458@value{GDBN} will normally ignore older versions of @file{.gdb_index}
17459sections that have been deprecated. Usually they are deprecated because
17460they are missing a new feature or have performance issues.
17461To tell @value{GDBN} to use a deprecated index section anyway
17462specify @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
17463The default is @code{off}.
17464This can speed up startup, but may result in some functionality being lost.
17465@xref{Index Section Format}.
17466
17467@emph{Warning:} Setting @code{use-deprecated-index-sections} to @code{on}
17468must be done before gdb reads the file. The following will not work:
17469
17470@smallexample
17471$ gdb -ex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
17472@end smallexample
17473
17474Instead you must do, for example,
17475
17476@smallexample
17477$ gdb -iex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
17478@end smallexample
17479
17480There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
17481for DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, they do not
17482currently work for programs using Ada.
17483
17484@node Symbol Errors
17485@section Errors Reading Symbol Files
17486
17487While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
17488such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
17489output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
17490they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
17491debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
17492about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
17493only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
17494times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
17495to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
17496complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
17497Messages}).
17498
17499The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
17500
17501@table @code
17502@item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
17503
17504The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
17505(such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
17506error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
17507in its outer scope blocks.
17508
17509@value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
17510the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
17511may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
17512function.
17513
17514@item block at @var{address} out of order
17515
17516The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
17517order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
17518do so.
17519
17520@value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
17521locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
17522can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
17523@code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
17524Messages}.)
17525
17526@item bad block start address patched
17527
17528The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
17529smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
17530to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
17531
17532@value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
17533starting on the previous source line.
17534
17535@item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
17536
17537@cindex foo
17538Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
17539larger than the size of the string table.
17540
17541@value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
17542name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
17543with this name.
17544
17545@item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
17546
17547The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
17548not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
17549uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
17550
17551@value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
17552This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
17553are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
17554debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
17555on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
17556and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
17557
17558@item stub type has NULL name
17559
17560@value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
17561
17562@item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
17563The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
17564information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
17565it.
17566
17567@item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
17568
17569@value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
17570
17571@end table
17572
17573@node Data Files
17574@section GDB Data Files
17575
17576@cindex prefix for data files
17577@value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
17578are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
17579
17580You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
17581is currently using.
17582
17583@table @code
17584@kindex set data-directory
17585@item set data-directory @var{directory}
17586Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
17587to @var{directory}.
17588
17589@kindex show data-directory
17590@item show data-directory
17591Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
17592@end table
17593
17594@cindex default data directory
17595@cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
17596You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
17597@samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
17598@value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
17599@samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
17600automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
17601location.
17602
17603The data directory may also be specified with the
17604@code{--data-directory} command line option.
17605@xref{Mode Options}.
17606
17607@node Targets
17608@chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
17609
17610@cindex debugging target
17611A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
17612
17613Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
17614in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
17615you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
17616flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
17617host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
17618realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
17619command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
17620(@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
17621
17622@cindex target architecture
17623It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
17624architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
17625one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
17626command.
17627
17628@table @code
17629@kindex set architecture
17630@kindex show architecture
17631@item set architecture @var{arch}
17632This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
17633value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
17634supported architectures.
17635
17636@item show architecture
17637Show the current target architecture.
17638
17639@item set processor
17640@itemx processor
17641@kindex set processor
17642@kindex show processor
17643These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
17644and @code{show architecture}.
17645@end table
17646
17647@menu
17648* Active Targets:: Active targets
17649* Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
17650* Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
17651@end menu
17652
17653@node Active Targets
17654@section Active Targets
17655
17656@cindex stacking targets
17657@cindex active targets
17658@cindex multiple targets
17659
17660There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
17661recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
17662and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
17663on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
17664example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
17665the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
17666recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
17667presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
17668remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
17669
17670Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
17671file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
17672specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
17673command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
17674
17675@node Target Commands
17676@section Commands for Managing Targets
17677
17678@table @code
17679@item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
17680Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
17681process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
17682facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
17683protocol of the target machine.
17684
17685Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
17686typically include things like device names or host names to connect
17687with, process numbers, and baud rates.
17688
17689The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
17690after executing the command.
17691
17692@kindex help target
17693@item help target
17694Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
17695currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
17696(@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
17697
17698@item help target @var{name}
17699Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
17700select it.
17701
17702@kindex set gnutarget
17703@item set gnutarget @var{args}
17704@value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
17705knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
17706a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
17707with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
17708with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
17709
17710@quotation
17711@emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
17712you must know the actual BFD name.
17713@end quotation
17714
17715@noindent
17716@xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
17717
17718@kindex show gnutarget
17719@item show gnutarget
17720Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
17721@code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
17722@value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
17723and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BFD target is "auto"}.
17724@end table
17725
17726@cindex common targets
17727Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
17728configuration):
17729
17730@table @code
17731@kindex target
17732@item target exec @var{program}
17733@cindex executable file target
17734An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
17735@samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
17736
17737@item target core @var{filename}
17738@cindex core dump file target
17739A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
17740@samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
17741
17742@item target remote @var{medium}
17743@cindex remote target
17744A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
17745connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
17746protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
17747
17748For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
17749machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
17750
17751@smallexample
17752target remote /dev/ttya
17753@end smallexample
17754
17755@code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
17756useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
17757system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
17758clobbered by the download.
17759
17760@item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
17761@cindex built-in simulator target
17762Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
17763In general,
17764@smallexample
17765 target sim
17766 load
17767 run
17768@end smallexample
17769@noindent
17770works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
17771drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
17772provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
17773see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
17774Processors}.
17775
17776@end table
17777
17778Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
17779your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
17780
17781Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
17782you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
17783various aspects of this process.
17784
17785@table @code
17786
17787@item set hash
17788@kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
17789@cindex hash mark while downloading
17790This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
17791downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
17792displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
17793monitor.
17794
17795@item show hash
17796@kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
17797Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
17798
17799@item set debug monitor
17800@kindex set debug monitor
17801@cindex display remote monitor communications
17802Enable or disable display of communications messages between
17803@value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
17804
17805@item show debug monitor
17806@kindex show debug monitor
17807Show the current status of displaying communications between
17808@value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
17809@end table
17810
17811@table @code
17812
17813@kindex load @var{filename}
17814@item load @var{filename}
17815@anchor{load}
17816Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
17817@value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
17818is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
17819on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
17820@code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
17821the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
17822
17823If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
17824execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
17825target is @dots{}}''
17826
17827The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
17828For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
17829link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
17830specifies a fixed address.
17831@c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
17832
17833Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
17834load programs into flash memory.
17835
17836@code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
17837@end table
17838
17839@node Byte Order
17840@section Choosing Target Byte Order
17841
17842@cindex choosing target byte order
17843@cindex target byte order
17844
17845Some types of processors, such as the @acronym{MIPS}, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
17846offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
17847orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
17848designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
17849which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
17850@value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
17851
17852@table @code
17853@kindex set endian
17854@item set endian big
17855Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
17856
17857@item set endian little
17858Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
17859
17860@item set endian auto
17861Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
17862executable.
17863
17864@item show endian
17865Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
17866
17867@end table
17868
17869Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
17870data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
17871target system.
17872
17873
17874@node Remote Debugging
17875@chapter Debugging Remote Programs
17876@cindex remote debugging
17877
17878If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
17879@value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
17880For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
17881or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
17882powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
17883
17884Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
17885to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
17886@value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
17887but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
17888write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
17889communicate with @value{GDBN}.
17890
17891Other remote targets may be available in your
17892configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
17893
17894@menu
17895* Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
17896* File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
17897* Server:: Using the gdbserver program
17898* Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
17899* Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
17900@end menu
17901
17902@node Connecting
17903@section Connecting to a Remote Target
17904
17905On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
17906your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symbol and debugging information.
17907Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
17908program as the first argument.
17909
17910@cindex @code{target remote}
17911@value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
17912over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
17913each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
17914program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
17915@code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
17916Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
17917
17918@table @code
17919
17920@item target remote @var{serial-device}
17921@cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
17922Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
17923to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
17924
17925@smallexample
17926target remote /dev/ttyb
17927@end smallexample
17928
17929If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
17930@w{@samp{--baud}} option, or use the @code{set remotebaud} command
17931(@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remotebaud}) before the
17932@code{target} command.
17933
17934@item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
17935@itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
17936@cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
17937Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
17938The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
17939address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
17940the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
17941it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
17942target.
17943
17944For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
17945@code{manyfarms}:
17946
17947@smallexample
17948target remote manyfarms:2828
17949@end smallexample
17950
17951If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
17952debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
17953same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
17954port 1234 on your local machine:
17955
17956@smallexample
17957target remote :1234
17958@end smallexample
17959@noindent
17960
17961Note that the colon is still required here.
17962
17963@item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
17964@cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
17965Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
17966connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
17967
17968@smallexample
17969target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
17970@end smallexample
17971
17972When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
17973keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
17974can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
17975cause havoc with your debugging session.
17976
17977@item target remote | @var{command}
17978@cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
17979Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
17980pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
17981by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
17982protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
17983standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
17984that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
17985using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
17986
17987If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
17988@value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
17989program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
17990
17991@end table
17992
17993Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
17994commands to examine and change data. The remote program is already
17995running; you can use @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}, and you do not
17996need to use @kbd{run}.
17997
17998@cindex interrupting remote programs
17999@cindex remote programs, interrupting
18000Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
18001interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
18002program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
18003and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
18004interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
18005
18006@smallexample
18007Interrupted while waiting for the program.
18008Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
18009@end smallexample
18010
18011If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
18012(If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
18013remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
18014goes back to waiting.
18015
18016@table @code
18017@kindex detach (remote)
18018@item detach
18019When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
18020@code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
18021Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
18022will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
18023command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
18024
18025@kindex disconnect
18026@item disconnect
18027The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
18028the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
18029(this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
18030the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
18031another target.
18032
18033@cindex send command to remote monitor
18034@cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
18035@cindex add new commands for external monitor
18036@kindex monitor
18037@item monitor @var{cmd}
18038This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
18039remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
18040sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
18041can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
18042and implement.
18043@end table
18044
18045@node File Transfer
18046@section Sending files to a remote system
18047@cindex remote target, file transfer
18048@cindex file transfer
18049@cindex sending files to remote systems
18050
18051Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
18052connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
18053for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
18054running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
18055e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
18056the only way to upload or download files.
18057
18058Not all remote targets support these commands.
18059
18060@table @code
18061@kindex remote put
18062@item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
18063Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
18064@value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
18065
18066@kindex remote get
18067@item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
18068Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
18069on the host system.
18070
18071@kindex remote delete
18072@item remote delete @var{targetfile}
18073Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
18074
18075@end table
18076
18077@node Server
18078@section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
18079
18080@kindex gdbserver
18081@cindex remote connection without stubs
18082@code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
18083allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
18084@code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
18085
18086@code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
18087because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
18088that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
18089@code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
18090@value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
18091because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
18092also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
18093started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
18094Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
18095the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
18096do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
18097by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
18098choice for debugging.
18099
18100@value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
18101or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
18102protocol.
18103
18104@quotation
18105@emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
18106Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
18107@value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
18108target system with the same privileges as the user running
18109@code{gdbserver}.
18110@end quotation
18111
18112@subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
18113@cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
18114@cindex @code{gdbserver}, command-line arguments
18115
18116Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
18117program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
18118@code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
18119strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
18120system does all the symbol handling.
18121
18122To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
18123the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
18124syntax is:
18125
18126@smallexample
18127target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
18128@end smallexample
18129
18130@var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line), or a TCP
18131hostname and portnumber, or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
18132stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}.
18133For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
18134@samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
18135@file{/dev/com1}:
18136
18137@smallexample
18138target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
18139@end smallexample
18140
18141@code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
18142with it.
18143
18144To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
18145
18146@smallexample
18147target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
18148@end smallexample
18149
18150The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
18151specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
18152TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
18153expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
18154(Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
18155you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
18156TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
18157reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
18158conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
18159and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
18160@code{target remote} command.
18161
18162The @code{stdio} connection is useful when starting @code{gdbserver}
18163with ssh:
18164
18165@smallexample
18166(gdb) target remote | ssh -T hostname gdbserver - hello
18167@end smallexample
18168
18169The @samp{-T} option to ssh is provided because we don't need a remote pty,
18170and we don't want escape-character handling. Ssh does this by default when
18171a command is provided, the flag is provided to make it explicit.
18172You could elide it if you want to.
18173
18174Programs started with stdio-connected gdbserver have @file{/dev/null} for
18175@code{stdin}, and @code{stdout},@code{stderr} are sent back to gdb for
18176display through a pipe connected to gdbserver.
18177Both @code{stdout} and @code{stderr} use the same pipe.
18178
18179@subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
18180@cindex attach to a program, @code{gdbserver}
18181@cindex @option{--attach}, @code{gdbserver} option
18182
18183On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
18184This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
18185
18186@smallexample
18187target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
18188@end smallexample
18189
18190@var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
18191to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
18192
18193@pindex pidof
18194You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
18195@code{pidof} utility:
18196
18197@smallexample
18198target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
18199@end smallexample
18200
18201In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
18202has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
18203@code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
18204
18205@subsubsection Multi-Process Mode for @code{gdbserver}
18206@cindex @code{gdbserver}, multiple processes
18207@cindex multiple processes with @code{gdbserver}
18208
18209When you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target remote},
18210@code{gdbserver} debugs the specified program only once. When the
18211program exits, or you detach from it, @value{GDBN} closes the connection
18212and @code{gdbserver} exits.
18213
18214If you connect using @kbd{target extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver}
18215enters multi-process mode. When the debugged program exits, or you
18216detach from it, @value{GDBN} stays connected to @code{gdbserver} even
18217though no program is running. The @code{run} and @code{attach}
18218commands instruct @code{gdbserver} to run or attach to a new program.
18219The @code{run} command uses @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set
18220remote exec-file}) to select the program to run. Command line
18221arguments are supported, except for wildcard expansion and I/O
18222redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
18223
18224@cindex @option{--multi}, @code{gdbserver} option
18225To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
18226or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
18227Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
18228the program you want to debug.
18229
18230In multi-process mode @code{gdbserver} does not automatically exit unless you
18231use the option @option{--once}. You can terminate it by using
18232@code{monitor exit} (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}). Note that the
18233conditions under which @code{gdbserver} terminates depend on how @value{GDBN}
18234connects to it (@kbd{target remote} or @kbd{target extended-remote}). The
18235@option{--multi} option to @code{gdbserver} has no influence on that.
18236
18237@subsubsection TCP port allocation lifecycle of @code{gdbserver}
18238
18239This section applies only when @code{gdbserver} is run to listen on a TCP port.
18240
18241@code{gdbserver} normally terminates after all of its debugged processes have
18242terminated in @kbd{target remote} mode. On the other hand, for @kbd{target
18243extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver} stays running even with no processes left.
18244@value{GDBN} normally terminates the spawned debugged process on its exit,
18245which normally also terminates @code{gdbserver} in the @kbd{target remote}
18246mode. Therefore, when the connection drops unexpectedly, and @value{GDBN}
18247cannot ask @code{gdbserver} to kill its debugged processes, @code{gdbserver}
18248stays running even in the @kbd{target remote} mode.
18249
18250When @code{gdbserver} stays running, @value{GDBN} can connect to it again later.
18251Such reconnecting is useful for features like @ref{disconnected tracing}. For
18252completeness, at most one @value{GDBN} can be connected at a time.
18253
18254@cindex @option{--once}, @code{gdbserver} option
18255By default, @code{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
18256subsequent connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
18257with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
18258connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session. This
18259means no further connections to @code{gdbserver} will be possible after the
18260first one. It also means @code{gdbserver} will terminate after the first
18261connection with remote @value{GDBN} has closed, even for unexpectedly closed
18262connections and even in the @kbd{target extended-remote} mode. The
18263@option{--once} option allows reusing the same port number for connecting to
18264multiple instances of @code{gdbserver} running on the same host, since each
18265instance closes its port after the first connection.
18266
18267@subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
18268
18269@cindex @option{--debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
18270The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
18271status information about the debugging process.
18272@cindex @option{--remote-debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
18273The @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
18274remote protocol debug output. These options are intended for
18275@code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
18276
18277@cindex @option{--wrapper}, @code{gdbserver} option
18278The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
18279for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
18280wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
18281@kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
18282
18283@code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
18284command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
18285program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
18286runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
18287
18288You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
18289its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
18290this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
18291with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
18292
18293For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
18294the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
18295environment:
18296
18297@smallexample
18298$ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
18299@end smallexample
18300
18301@subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
18302
18303Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
18304
18305First make sure you have the necessary symbol files. Load symbols for
18306your application using the @code{file} command before you connect. Use
18307@code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN}
18308was compiled with the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}).
18309
18310The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
18311and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
18312system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
18313are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
18314during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
18315files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
18316programs.
18317
18318Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
18319For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
18320the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
18321text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
18322@samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
18323command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
18324already on the target.
18325
18326@subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
18327@cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
18328@anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
18329
18330During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
18331@code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
18332Here are the available commands.
18333
18334@table @code
18335@item monitor help
18336List the available monitor commands.
18337
18338@item monitor set debug 0
18339@itemx monitor set debug 1
18340Disable or enable general debugging messages.
18341
18342@item monitor set remote-debug 0
18343@itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
18344Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
18345protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
18346
18347@item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
18348@cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
18349When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
18350directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
18351libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
18352@samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to its default value.
18353
18354The special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path} is
18355not supported in @code{gdbserver}.
18356
18357@item monitor exit
18358Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
18359@code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
18360detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
18361Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
18362of a multi-process mode debug session.
18363
18364@end table
18365
18366@subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
18367@cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
18368
18369On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
18370tracepoints and static tracepoints.
18371
18372For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
18373@dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
18374This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
18375@code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
18376requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
18377support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
18378@url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
18379is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
18380standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
18381@code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
18382to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
18383using @option{--with-ust=no}.
18384
18385There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
18386
18387@table @code
18388@item Specifying it as dependency at link time
18389
18390You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
18391library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
18392@code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
18393
18394@item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
18395
18396You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
18397your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
18398support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
18399cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
18400in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
18401@option{--wrapper} command line option.
18402
18403@item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
18404
18405On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
18406by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
18407of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
18408systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
18409command for that. For example:
18410
18411@smallexample
18412(@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
18413@end smallexample
18414
18415Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
18416available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
18417@end table
18418
18419On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
18420systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
18421remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
18422loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
18423program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
18424case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
18425features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
18426libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
18427main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
18428@code{gdbserver} like so:
18429
18430@smallexample
18431$ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
18432@end smallexample
18433
18434Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
18435
18436@smallexample
18437$ gdb myprogram
18438(@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
184390x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
18440(@value{GDBP}) b main
18441(@value{GDBP}) continue
18442@end smallexample
18443
18444The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
18445process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
18446command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
18447process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
18448tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
18449tracing.
18450
18451@node Remote Configuration
18452@section Remote Configuration
18453
18454@kindex set remote
18455@kindex show remote
18456This section documents the configuration options available when
18457debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
18458extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
18459system-call-allowed}.
18460
18461@table @code
18462@item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
18463@cindex address size for remote targets
18464@cindex bits in remote address
18465Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
18466number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
18467that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
18468default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
18469
18470@item show remoteaddresssize
18471Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
18472
18473@item set remotebaud @var{n}
18474@cindex baud rate for remote targets
18475Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
18476value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
18477remote targets.
18478
18479@item show remotebaud
18480Show the current speed of the remote connection.
18481
18482@item set remotebreak
18483@cindex interrupt remote programs
18484@cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
18485@anchor{set remotebreak}
18486If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
18487when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
18488on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
18489character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
18490expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
18491
18492@item show remotebreak
18493Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
18494interrupt the remote program.
18495
18496@item set remoteflow on
18497@itemx set remoteflow off
18498@kindex set remoteflow
18499Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
18500on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
18501
18502@item show remoteflow
18503@kindex show remoteflow
18504Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
18505
18506@item set remotelogbase @var{base}
18507Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
18508communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
18509@code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
18510@code{ascii}.
18511
18512@item show remotelogbase
18513Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
18514protocol.
18515
18516@item set remotelogfile @var{file}
18517@cindex record serial communications on file
18518Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
18519default is not to record at all.
18520
18521@item show remotelogfile.
18522Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
18523serial communications.
18524
18525@item set remotetimeout @var{num}
18526@cindex timeout for serial communications
18527@cindex remote timeout
18528Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
18529@var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
18530
18531@item show remotetimeout
18532Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
18533responses.
18534
18535@cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
18536@cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
18537@anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
18538@anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
18539@item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
18540@itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
18541Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
18542watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
18543
18544@cindex limit hardware watchpoints length
18545@cindex remote target, limit watchpoints length
18546@anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit}
18547@item set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit @var{limit}
18548Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} bytes for the maximum length of
18549a remote hardware watchpoint. A limit of -1, the default, is treated
18550as unlimited.
18551
18552@item show remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit
18553Show the current limit (in bytes) of the maximum length of
18554a remote hardware watchpoint.
18555
18556@item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
18557@itemx show remote exec-file
18558@anchor{set remote exec-file}
18559@cindex executable file, for remote target
18560Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
18561extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
18562target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
18563filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
18564
18565@item set remote interrupt-sequence
18566@cindex interrupt remote programs
18567@cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
18568Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
18569@samp{BREAK-g} as the
18570sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
18571@samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
18572is high level of serial line for some certain time.
18573Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
18574It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
18575
18576@item show interrupt-sequence
18577Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
18578is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
18579@code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
18580also known as Magic SysRq g.
18581
18582@item set remote interrupt-on-connect
18583@cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
18584Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
18585@value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
18586Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
18587which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
18588
18589@item show interrupt-on-connect
18590Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
18591to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
18592
18593@kindex set tcp
18594@kindex show tcp
18595@item set tcp auto-retry on
18596@cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
18597Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
18598debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
18599condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
18600before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
18601enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
18602to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
18603@code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
18604
18605@item set tcp auto-retry off
18606Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
18607
18608@item show tcp auto-retry
18609Show the current auto-retry setting.
18610
18611@item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
18612@itemx set tcp connect-timeout unlimited
18613@cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
18614@cindex timeout, for remote target connection
18615Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
18616@var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
18617(enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
18618that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
18619value. If @var{seconds} is @code{unlimited}, there is no timeout and
18620@value{GDBN} will keep attempting to establish a connection forever,
18621unless interrupted with @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The default is 15 seconds.
18622
18623@item show tcp connect-timeout
18624Show the current connection timeout setting.
18625@end table
18626
18627@cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
18628The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
18629your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
18630can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
18631packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
18632packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
18633or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
18634all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
18635see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
18636
18637During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
18638If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
18639in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
18640@value{GDBN} developers.
18641
18642For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
18643packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
18644are:
18645
18646@multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
18647@item Command Name
18648@tab Remote Packet
18649@tab Related Features
18650
18651@item @code{fetch-register}
18652@tab @code{p}
18653@tab @code{info registers}
18654
18655@item @code{set-register}
18656@tab @code{P}
18657@tab @code{set}
18658
18659@item @code{binary-download}
18660@tab @code{X}
18661@tab @code{load}, @code{set}
18662
18663@item @code{read-aux-vector}
18664@tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
18665@tab @code{info auxv}
18666
18667@item @code{symbol-lookup}
18668@tab @code{qSymbol}
18669@tab Detecting multiple threads
18670
18671@item @code{attach}
18672@tab @code{vAttach}
18673@tab @code{attach}
18674
18675@item @code{verbose-resume}
18676@tab @code{vCont}
18677@tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
18678
18679@item @code{run}
18680@tab @code{vRun}
18681@tab @code{run}
18682
18683@item @code{software-breakpoint}
18684@tab @code{Z0}
18685@tab @code{break}
18686
18687@item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
18688@tab @code{Z1}
18689@tab @code{hbreak}
18690
18691@item @code{write-watchpoint}
18692@tab @code{Z2}
18693@tab @code{watch}
18694
18695@item @code{read-watchpoint}
18696@tab @code{Z3}
18697@tab @code{rwatch}
18698
18699@item @code{access-watchpoint}
18700@tab @code{Z4}
18701@tab @code{awatch}
18702
18703@item @code{target-features}
18704@tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
18705@tab @code{set architecture}
18706
18707@item @code{library-info}
18708@tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
18709@tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
18710
18711@item @code{memory-map}
18712@tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
18713@tab @code{info mem}
18714
18715@item @code{read-sdata-object}
18716@tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
18717@tab @code{print $_sdata}
18718
18719@item @code{read-spu-object}
18720@tab @code{qXfer:spu:read}
18721@tab @code{info spu}
18722
18723@item @code{write-spu-object}
18724@tab @code{qXfer:spu:write}
18725@tab @code{info spu}
18726
18727@item @code{read-siginfo-object}
18728@tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
18729@tab @code{print $_siginfo}
18730
18731@item @code{write-siginfo-object}
18732@tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
18733@tab @code{set $_siginfo}
18734
18735@item @code{threads}
18736@tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
18737@tab @code{info threads}
18738
18739@item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
18740@tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
18741@tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
18742
18743@item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
18744@tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
18745@tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
18746
18747@item @code{search-memory}
18748@tab @code{qSearch:memory}
18749@tab @code{find}
18750
18751@item @code{supported-packets}
18752@tab @code{qSupported}
18753@tab Remote communications parameters
18754
18755@item @code{pass-signals}
18756@tab @code{QPassSignals}
18757@tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
18758
18759@item @code{program-signals}
18760@tab @code{QProgramSignals}
18761@tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
18762
18763@item @code{hostio-close-packet}
18764@tab @code{vFile:close}
18765@tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18766
18767@item @code{hostio-open-packet}
18768@tab @code{vFile:open}
18769@tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18770
18771@item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
18772@tab @code{vFile:pread}
18773@tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18774
18775@item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
18776@tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
18777@tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18778
18779@item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
18780@tab @code{vFile:unlink}
18781@tab @code{remote delete}
18782
18783@item @code{hostio-readlink-packet}
18784@tab @code{vFile:readlink}
18785@tab Host I/O
18786
18787@item @code{noack-packet}
18788@tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
18789@tab Packet acknowledgment
18790
18791@item @code{osdata}
18792@tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
18793@tab @code{info os}
18794
18795@item @code{query-attached}
18796@tab @code{qAttached}
18797@tab Querying remote process attach state.
18798
18799@item @code{trace-buffer-size}
18800@tab @code{QTBuffer:size}
18801@tab @code{set trace-buffer-size}
18802
18803@item @code{trace-status}
18804@tab @code{qTStatus}
18805@tab @code{tstatus}
18806
18807@item @code{traceframe-info}
18808@tab @code{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
18809@tab Traceframe info
18810
18811@item @code{install-in-trace}
18812@tab @code{InstallInTrace}
18813@tab Install tracepoint in tracing
18814
18815@item @code{disable-randomization}
18816@tab @code{QDisableRandomization}
18817@tab @code{set disable-randomization}
18818
18819@item @code{conditional-breakpoints-packet}
18820@tab @code{Z0 and Z1}
18821@tab @code{Support for target-side breakpoint condition evaluation}
18822@end multitable
18823
18824@node Remote Stub
18825@section Implementing a Remote Stub
18826
18827@cindex debugging stub, example
18828@cindex remote stub, example
18829@cindex stub example, remote debugging
18830The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
18831communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
18832@value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
18833these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
18834implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
18835with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
18836organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
18837
18838@cindex remote serial debugging, overview
18839To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
18840@dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
18841prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
18842program, you need:
18843
18844@enumerate
18845@item
18846A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
18847have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
18848your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
18849
18850@item
18851A C subroutine library to support your program's
18852subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
18853
18854@item
18855A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
18856download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
18857manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
18858documentation.
18859@end enumerate
18860
18861The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
18862communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
18863machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
18864
18865@table @emph
18866@item On the host,
18867@value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
18868else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
18869(@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
18870
18871@item On the target,
18872you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
18873implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
18874subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
18875
18876On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
18877@code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
18878@xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
18879@end table
18880
18881The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
18882machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
18883@sc{sparc} boards.
18884
18885@cindex remote serial stub list
18886These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
18887
18888@table @code
18889
18890@item i386-stub.c
18891@cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
18892@cindex Intel
18893@cindex i386
18894For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
18895
18896@item m68k-stub.c
18897@cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
18898@cindex Motorola 680x0
18899@cindex m680x0
18900For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
18901
18902@item sh-stub.c
18903@cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
18904@cindex Renesas
18905@cindex SH
18906For Renesas SH architectures.
18907
18908@item sparc-stub.c
18909@cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
18910@cindex Sparc
18911For @sc{sparc} architectures.
18912
18913@item sparcl-stub.c
18914@cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
18915@cindex Fujitsu
18916@cindex SparcLite
18917For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
18918
18919@end table
18920
18921The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
18922recently added stubs.
18923
18924@menu
18925* Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
18926* Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
18927* Debug Session:: Putting it all together
18928@end menu
18929
18930@node Stub Contents
18931@subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
18932
18933@cindex remote serial stub
18934The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
18935subroutines:
18936
18937@table @code
18938@item set_debug_traps
18939@findex set_debug_traps
18940@cindex remote serial stub, initialization
18941This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
18942program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly in your
18943program's startup code.
18944
18945@item handle_exception
18946@findex handle_exception
18947@cindex remote serial stub, main routine
18948This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
18949explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
18950run when a trap is triggered.
18951
18952@code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
18953execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
18954with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
18955protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
18956representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
18957information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
18958retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
18959execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
18960@code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
18961machine.
18962
18963@item breakpoint
18964@cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
18965Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
18966breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
18967way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
18968machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
18969pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
18970@code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
18971simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
18972again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
18973your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
18974@value{GDBN} session gets control.
18975
18976Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
18977to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
18978start of your debugging session.
18979@end table
18980
18981@node Bootstrapping
18982@subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
18983
18984@cindex remote stub, support routines
18985The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
18986chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
18987debugging target machine.
18988
18989First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
18990serial port.
18991
18992@table @code
18993@item int getDebugChar()
18994@findex getDebugChar
18995Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
18996It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
18997different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
18998
18999@item void putDebugChar(int)
19000@findex putDebugChar
19001Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
19002It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
19003different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
19004@end table
19005
19006@cindex control C, and remote debugging
19007@cindex interrupting remote targets
19008If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
19009running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
19010for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
19011character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
19012remote system to stop.
19013
19014Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
19015probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
19016is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
19017@value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
19018
19019Other routines you need to supply are:
19020
19021@table @code
19022@item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
19023@findex exceptionHandler
19024Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
19025handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
19026way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
19027are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
19028containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
19029@var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
19030its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
19031might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
19032exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
19033@var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
19034and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
19035you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
19036should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
19037
19038For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
19039gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
19040should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
19041@sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
19042help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
19043
19044@item void flush_i_cache()
19045@findex flush_i_cache
19046On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
19047instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
19048instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
19049
19050On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
19051function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
19052@end table
19053
19054@noindent
19055You must also make sure this library routine is available:
19056
19057@table @code
19058@item void *memset(void *, int, int)
19059@findex memset
19060This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
19061memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
19062@code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
19063either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
19064@end table
19065
19066If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
19067library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
19068but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
19069subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
19070
19071
19072@node Debug Session
19073@subsection Putting it All Together
19074
19075@cindex remote serial debugging summary
19076In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
19077steps.
19078
19079@enumerate
19080@item
19081Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
19082(@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
19083@display
19084@code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
19085@code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
19086@end display
19087
19088@item
19089Insert these lines in your program's startup code, before the main
19090procedure is called:
19091
19092@smallexample
19093set_debug_traps();
19094breakpoint();
19095@end smallexample
19096
19097On some machines, when a breakpoint trap is raised, the hardware
19098automatically makes the PC point to the instruction after the
19099breakpoint. If your machine doesn't do that, you may need to adjust
19100@code{handle_exception} to arrange for it to return to the instruction
19101after the breakpoint on this first invocation, so that your program
19102doesn't keep hitting the initial breakpoint instead of making
19103progress.
19104
19105@item
19106For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
19107@code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
19108
19109@smallexample
19110void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
19111@end smallexample
19112
19113@noindent
19114but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
19115function in your program, that function is called when
19116@code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
19117error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
19118one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
19119
19120@item
19121Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
19122your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
19123
19124@item
19125Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
19126the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
19127
19128@item
19129@c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
19130@c document that. FIXME.
19131Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
19132whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
19133
19134@item
19135Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
19136(@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
19137
19138@end enumerate
19139
19140@node Configurations
19141@chapter Configuration-Specific Information
19142
19143While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
19144cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
19145describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
19146
19147There are three major categories of configurations: native
19148configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
19149operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
19150different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
19151are quite different from each other.
19152
19153@menu
19154* Native::
19155* Embedded OS::
19156* Embedded Processors::
19157* Architectures::
19158@end menu
19159
19160@node Native
19161@section Native
19162
19163This section describes details specific to particular native
19164configurations.
19165
19166@menu
19167* HP-UX:: HP-UX
19168* BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
19169* SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
19170* DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
19171* Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
19172* Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
19173* Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
19174@end menu
19175
19176@node HP-UX
19177@subsection HP-UX
19178
19179On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
19180begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
19181name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
19182
19183
19184@node BSD libkvm Interface
19185@subsection BSD libkvm Interface
19186
19187@cindex libkvm
19188@cindex kernel memory image
19189@cindex kernel crash dump
19190
19191BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
19192interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
19193memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
19194uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
19195dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
19196special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
19197the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
19198@code{kvm} target:
19199
19200@smallexample
19201(@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
19202@end smallexample
19203
19204For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
19205argument:
19206
19207@smallexample
19208(@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
19209@end smallexample
19210
19211Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
19212available:
19213
19214@table @code
19215@kindex kvm
19216@item kvm pcb
19217Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
19218
19219@item kvm proc
19220Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
19221modern FreeBSD systems.
19222@end table
19223
19224@node SVR4 Process Information
19225@subsection SVR4 Process Information
19226@cindex /proc
19227@cindex examine process image
19228@cindex process info via @file{/proc}
19229
19230Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
19231@samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
19232process using file-system subroutines.
19233
19234If @value{GDBN} is configured for an operating system with this
19235facility, the command @code{info proc} is available to report
19236information about the process running your program, or about any
19237process running on your system. This includes, as of this writing,
19238@sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital Unix), Solaris, and Irix, but
19239not HP-UX, for example.
19240
19241This command may also work on core files that were created on a system
19242that has the @samp{/proc} facility.
19243
19244@table @code
19245@kindex info proc
19246@cindex process ID
19247@item info proc
19248@itemx info proc @var{process-id}
19249Summarize available information about any running process. If a
19250process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
19251that process; otherwise display information about the program being
19252debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
19253line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
19254executable file's absolute file name.
19255
19256On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
19257@samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
19258within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
19259a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
19260needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
19261a process ID rather than a thread ID).
19262
19263@item info proc cmdline
19264@cindex info proc cmdline
19265Show the original command line of the process. This command is
19266specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19267
19268@item info proc cwd
19269@cindex info proc cwd
19270Show the current working directory of the process. This command is
19271specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19272
19273@item info proc exe
19274@cindex info proc exe
19275Show the name of executable of the process. This command is specific
19276to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19277
19278@item info proc mappings
19279@cindex memory address space mappings
19280Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
19281information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
19282rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
19283includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
19284memory access rights to that range.
19285
19286@item info proc stat
19287@itemx info proc status
19288@cindex process detailed status information
19289These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
19290the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
19291how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
19292the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
19293consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
19294value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
19295(type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
19296
19297@item info proc all
19298Show all the information about the process described under all of the
19299above @code{info proc} subcommands.
19300
19301@ignore
19302@comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
19303@comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
19304@comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
19305@kindex info proc times
19306@item info proc times
19307Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
19308its children.
19309
19310@kindex info proc id
19311@item info proc id
19312Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
19313the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
19314@end ignore
19315
19316@item set procfs-trace
19317@kindex set procfs-trace
19318@cindex @code{procfs} API calls
19319This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
19320
19321@item show procfs-trace
19322@kindex show procfs-trace
19323Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
19324
19325@item set procfs-file @var{file}
19326@kindex set procfs-file
19327Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
19328@var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
19329contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
19330standard output.
19331
19332@item show procfs-file
19333@kindex show procfs-file
19334Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
19335
19336@item proc-trace-entry
19337@itemx proc-trace-exit
19338@itemx proc-untrace-entry
19339@itemx proc-untrace-exit
19340@kindex proc-trace-entry
19341@kindex proc-trace-exit
19342@kindex proc-untrace-entry
19343@kindex proc-untrace-exit
19344These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
19345from the @code{syscall} interface.
19346
19347@item info pidlist
19348@kindex info pidlist
19349@cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
19350For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
19351processes and all the threads within each process.
19352
19353@item info meminfo
19354@kindex info meminfo
19355@cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
19356For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
19357@end table
19358
19359@node DJGPP Native
19360@subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
19361@cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
19362@cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
19363@cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
19364
19365@cindex DPMI
19366@sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
19367MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
19368that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
19369top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
19370
19371@value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
19372defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
19373subsection describes those commands.
19374
19375@table @code
19376@kindex info dos
19377@item info dos
19378This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
19379information about the target system and important OS structures.
19380
19381@kindex sysinfo
19382@cindex MS-DOS system info
19383@cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
19384@item info dos sysinfo
19385This command displays assorted information about the underlying
19386platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
19387DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
19388
19389@cindex GDT
19390@cindex LDT
19391@cindex IDT
19392@cindex segment descriptor tables
19393@cindex descriptor tables display
19394@item info dos gdt
19395@itemx info dos ldt
19396@itemx info dos idt
19397These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
19398and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
19399tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
19400that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
19401descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
19402descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
19403rights.
19404
19405A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
19406segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
19407allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
19408conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
19409additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
19410
19411@cindex garbled pointers
19412These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
19413Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
19414displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
19415display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
19416example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
19417debugged program's data segment:
19418
19419@smallexample
19420@exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
19421@exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
19422@end smallexample
19423
19424@noindent
19425This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
19426the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
19427
19428@cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
19429@item info dos pde
19430@itemx info dos pte
19431These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
19432Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
19433data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
19434into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
19435page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
19436may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
19437Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
19438that is currently in use.
19439
19440Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
19441Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
19442the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
19443@kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
19444Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
19445means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
19446the specified entry in the Page Directory.
19447
19448@cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
19449These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
19450Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
19451controller.
19452
19453These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
19454
19455@cindex physical address from linear address
19456@item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
19457This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
19458address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
19459already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
19460because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
19461segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
19462the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
19463
19464@smallexample
19465@exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
19466@exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
19467@exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
19468@end smallexample
19469
19470@noindent
19471This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
19472whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
19473attributes of that page.
19474
19475Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
19476since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
19477address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
19478be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
19479declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
19480@code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
19481
19482Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
19483transfer buffer:
19484
19485@smallexample
19486@exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
19487@exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
19488@exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
19489@end smallexample
19490
19491@noindent
19492(The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
194933rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
19494clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
19495memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
19496linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
19497
19498This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
19499@end table
19500
19501@cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
19502In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
19503debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
19504to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
19505
19506@table @code
19507@kindex set com1base
19508@kindex set com1irq
19509@kindex set com2base
19510@kindex set com2irq
19511@kindex set com3base
19512@kindex set com3irq
19513@kindex set com4base
19514@kindex set com4irq
19515@item set com1base @var{addr}
19516This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
19517port.
19518
19519@item set com1irq @var{irq}
19520This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
19521for the @file{COM1} serial port.
19522
19523There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
19524etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
19525other 3 COM ports.
19526
19527@kindex show com1base
19528@kindex show com1irq
19529@kindex show com2base
19530@kindex show com2irq
19531@kindex show com3base
19532@kindex show com3irq
19533@kindex show com4base
19534@kindex show com4irq
19535The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
19536display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
19537lines used by the COM ports.
19538
19539@item info serial
19540@kindex info serial
19541@cindex DOS serial port status
19542This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
19543port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
19544IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
19545counts of various errors encountered so far.
19546@end table
19547
19548
19549@node Cygwin Native
19550@subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
19551@cindex MS Windows debugging
19552@cindex native Cygwin debugging
19553@cindex Cygwin-specific commands
19554
19555@value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
19556DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
19557
19558@cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
19559@cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
19560MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
19561special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
19562by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
19563supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
19564sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
19565ignores @kbd{C-c}.
19566
19567There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
19568this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
19569described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
19570
19571@table @code
19572@kindex info w32
19573@item info w32
19574This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
19575information about the target system and important OS structures.
19576
19577@item info w32 selector
19578This command displays information returned by
19579the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
19580It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
19581a long value to give the information about this given selector.
19582Without argument, this command displays information
19583about the six segment registers.
19584
19585@item info w32 thread-information-block
19586This command displays thread specific information stored in the
19587Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
19588selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
19589
19590@kindex info dll
19591@item info dll
19592This is a Cygwin-specific alias of @code{info shared}.
19593
19594@kindex dll-symbols
19595@item dll-symbols
19596This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
19597add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
19598
19599@kindex set cygwin-exceptions
19600@cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
19601@cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
19602@item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
19603If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
19604happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
19605@value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
19606exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
19607``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
19608Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
19609@value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
19610
19611@kindex show cygwin-exceptions
19612@item show cygwin-exceptions
19613Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
19614inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
19615
19616@kindex set new-console
19617@item set new-console @var{mode}
19618If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
19619be started in a new console on next start.
19620If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
19621be started in the same console as the debugger.
19622
19623@kindex show new-console
19624@item show new-console
19625Displays whether a new console is used
19626when the debuggee is started.
19627
19628@kindex set new-group
19629@item set new-group @var{mode}
19630This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
19631start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
19632This affects the way the Windows OS handles
19633@samp{Ctrl-C}.
19634
19635@kindex show new-group
19636@item show new-group
19637Displays current value of new-group boolean.
19638
19639@kindex set debugevents
19640@item set debugevents
19641This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
19642to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
19643signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
19644unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
19645Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
19646
19647@kindex set debugexec
19648@item set debugexec
19649This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
19650(such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
19651
19652@kindex set debugexceptions
19653@item set debugexceptions
19654This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
19655debuggee seen by the debugger.
19656
19657@kindex set debugmemory
19658@item set debugmemory
19659This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
19660and writes by the debugger.
19661
19662@kindex set shell
19663@item set shell
19664This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
19665via a shell or directly (default value is on).
19666
19667@kindex show shell
19668@item show shell
19669Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
19670
19671@end table
19672
19673@menu
19674* Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
19675@end menu
19676
19677@node Non-debug DLL Symbols
19678@subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
19679@cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
19680@cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
19681
19682Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
19683not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
19684@file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
19685symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
19686information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
19687describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
19688``minimal symbols''.
19689
19690Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
19691will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
19692start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
19693program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
19694@value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
19695see the shared library information in @ref{Files}, or the
19696@code{dll-symbols} command in @ref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
19697explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
19698cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
19699which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
19700
19701@subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
19702
19703In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
19704tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
19705DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
19706also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
19707sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
19708(particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
19709necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
19710contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
19711exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
19712
19713Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
19714though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
19715symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
19716some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
19717@code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
19718(@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
19719
19720@smallexample
19721(@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
19722All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
19723
19724Non-debugging symbols:
197250x77e885f4 CreateFileA
197260x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
19727@end smallexample
19728
19729@smallexample
19730(@value{GDBP}) info function !
19731All functions matching regular expression "!":
19732
19733Non-debugging symbols:
197340x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
197350x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
197360x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
19737[etc...]
19738@end smallexample
19739
19740@subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
19741
19742Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
19743type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
19744refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
19745contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
19746contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
19747means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
19748a function within a DLL without a running program.
19749
19750Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
19751automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
19752variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
19753type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
19754problem:
19755
19756@smallexample
19757(@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
19758$1 = 268572168
19759@end smallexample
19760
19761@smallexample
19762(@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
197630x10021610: "\230y\""
19764@end smallexample
19765
19766And two possible solutions:
19767
19768@smallexample
19769(@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
19770$2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
19771@end smallexample
19772
19773@smallexample
19774(@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
197750x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
19776(@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
197770x10021608: 0x0022fd98
19778(@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
197790x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
19780@end smallexample
19781
19782Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
19783starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
19784examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
19785function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
19786to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
19787
19788@smallexample
19789(@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
19790Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
19791@end smallexample
19792
19793The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
19794break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
19795safe.
19796
19797@node Hurd Native
19798@subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
19799@cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
19800
19801This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
19802@sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
19803
19804@table @code
19805@item set signals
19806@itemx set sigs
19807@kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
19808@kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
19809This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
19810@value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
19811affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
19812@code{signals}.
19813
19814@item show signals
19815@itemx show sigs
19816@kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
19817@kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
19818Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
19819
19820@item set signal-thread
19821@itemx set sigthread
19822@kindex set signal-thread
19823@kindex set sigthread
19824This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
19825thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
19826process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
19827signal-thread}.
19828
19829@item show signal-thread
19830@itemx show sigthread
19831@kindex show signal-thread
19832@kindex show sigthread
19833These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
19834delivered a signal.
19835
19836@item set stopped
19837@kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
19838This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
19839as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
19840continued by delivering a signal to it.
19841
19842@item show stopped
19843@kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
19844This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
19845stopped.
19846
19847@item set exceptions
19848@kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
19849Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
19850When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
19851single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
19852trapping on.
19853
19854@item show exceptions
19855@kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
19856Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
19857
19858@item set task pause
19859@kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
19860@cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
19861@cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
19862This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
19863Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
19864whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
19865effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
19866to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
19867thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
19868
19869@item show task pause
19870@kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
19871Show the current state of task suspension.
19872
19873@item set task detach-suspend-count
19874@cindex task suspend count
19875@cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19876This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
19877@value{GDBN} detaches from it.
19878
19879@item show task detach-suspend-count
19880Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
19881
19882@item set task exception-port
19883@itemx set task excp
19884@cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19885This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
19886forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
19887rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
19888
19889@item set noninvasive
19890@cindex noninvasive task options
19891This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
19892invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
19893is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
19894@code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
19895
19896@item info send-rights
19897@itemx info receive-rights
19898@itemx info port-rights
19899@itemx info port-sets
19900@itemx info dead-names
19901@itemx info ports
19902@itemx info psets
19903@cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19904@cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19905@cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19906@cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19907@cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19908These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
19909receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
19910There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
19911port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
19912
19913@item set thread pause
19914@kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
19915@cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19916@cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
19917This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
19918control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
19919thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
19920off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
19921Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
19922control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
19923task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
19924only the current thread.
19925
19926@item show thread pause
19927@kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
19928This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
19929
19930@item set thread run
19931This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
19932
19933@item show thread run
19934Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
19935
19936@item set thread detach-suspend-count
19937@cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19938@cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19939This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
19940thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
19941found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
19942takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
19943
19944@item show thread detach-suspend-count
19945Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
19946detaching.
19947
19948@item set thread exception-port
19949@itemx set thread excp
19950Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
19951overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
19952@code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
19953
19954@item set thread takeover-suspend-count
19955Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
19956value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
19957changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
19958
19959@item set thread default
19960@itemx show thread default
19961@cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19962Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
19963default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
19964thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
19965variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
19966threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
19967the non-default commands.
19968@end table
19969
19970@node Darwin
19971@subsection Darwin
19972@cindex Darwin
19973
19974@value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
19975
19976@table @code
19977@item set debug darwin @var{num}
19978@kindex set debug darwin
19979When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
19980the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
19981
19982@item show debug darwin
19983@kindex show debug darwin
19984Show the current state of Darwin messages.
19985
19986@item set debug mach-o @var{num}
19987@kindex set debug mach-o
19988When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
19989@value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
19990file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
19991values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
19992problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
19993usage.
19994
19995@item show debug mach-o
19996@kindex show debug mach-o
19997Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
19998
19999@item set mach-exceptions on
20000@itemx set mach-exceptions off
20001@kindex set mach-exceptions
20002On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
20003mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
20004Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
20005better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
20006
20007@item show mach-exceptions
20008@kindex show mach-exceptions
20009Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
20010@end table
20011
20012
20013@node Embedded OS
20014@section Embedded Operating Systems
20015
20016This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
20017embedded operating systems that are available for several different
20018architectures.
20019
20020@menu
20021* VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
20022@end menu
20023
20024@value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
20025various real-time operating systems.
20026
20027@node VxWorks
20028@subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
20029
20030@cindex VxWorks
20031
20032@table @code
20033
20034@kindex target vxworks
20035@item target vxworks @var{machinename}
20036A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
20037is the target system's machine name or IP address.
20038
20039@end table
20040
20041On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
20042current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
20043
20044@value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
20045VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
20046the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
20047both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
20048@code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
20049installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
20050@value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
20051
20052@table @code
20053@item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
20054@kindex vxworks-timeout
20055All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
20056This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
20057seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
20058your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
20059of a thin network line.
20060@end table
20061
20062The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
20063this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
20064procedures.
20065
20066@findex INCLUDE_RDB
20067To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
20068to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
20069library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
20070VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
20071kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
20072source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
20073information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
20074manual.
20075@c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
20076
20077Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
20078your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
20079run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
20080@code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
20081
20082@value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
20083
20084@smallexample
20085(vxgdb)
20086@end smallexample
20087
20088@menu
20089* VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
20090* VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
20091* VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
20092@end menu
20093
20094@node VxWorks Connection
20095@subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
20096
20097The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
20098network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
20099
20100@smallexample
20101(vxgdb) target vxworks tt
20102@end smallexample
20103
20104@need 750
20105@value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
20106
20107@smallexample
20108Attaching remote machine across net...
20109Connected to tt.
20110@end smallexample
20111
20112@need 1000
20113@value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
20114loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
20115these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
20116path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}); if it fails
20117to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
20118
20119@smallexample
20120prog.o: No such file or directory.
20121@end smallexample
20122
20123When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
20124the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
20125command again.
20126
20127@node VxWorks Download
20128@subsubsection VxWorks Download
20129
20130@cindex download to VxWorks
20131If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
20132object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
20133@code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
20134incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
20135command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
20136to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
20137table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
20138the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
20139filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
20140Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
20141to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
20142the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
20143@file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
20144and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
20145program, type this on VxWorks:
20146
20147@smallexample
20148-> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
20149@end smallexample
20150
20151@noindent
20152Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
20153
20154@smallexample
20155(vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
20156(vxgdb) load prog.o
20157@end smallexample
20158
20159@value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
20160
20161@smallexample
20162Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
20163@end smallexample
20164
20165You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
20166after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
20167this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
20168auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
20169history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
20170debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
20171table.)
20172
20173@node VxWorks Attach
20174@subsubsection Running Tasks
20175
20176@cindex running VxWorks tasks
20177You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
20178follows:
20179
20180@smallexample
20181(vxgdb) attach @var{task}
20182@end smallexample
20183
20184@noindent
20185where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
20186or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
20187the time of attachment.
20188
20189@node Embedded Processors
20190@section Embedded Processors
20191
20192This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
20193configurations.
20194
20195@cindex send command to simulator
20196Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
20197allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
20198
20199@table @code
20200@item sim @var{command}
20201@kindex sim@r{, a command}
20202Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
20203documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
20204acceptable commands.
20205@end table
20206
20207
20208@menu
20209* ARM:: ARM RDI
20210* M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
20211* M68K:: Motorola M68K
20212* MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
20213* MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
20214* PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
20215* PA:: HP PA Embedded
20216* Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
20217* Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
20218* Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
20219* AVR:: Atmel AVR
20220* CRIS:: CRIS
20221* Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
20222@end menu
20223
20224@node ARM
20225@subsection ARM
20226@cindex ARM RDI
20227
20228@table @code
20229@kindex target rdi
20230@item target rdi @var{dev}
20231ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
20232use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
20233monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
20234
20235@kindex target rdp
20236@item target rdp @var{dev}
20237ARM Demon monitor.
20238
20239@end table
20240
20241@value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
20242
20243@table @code
20244@item set arm disassembler
20245@kindex set arm
20246This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
20247@code{"std"} style is the standard style.
20248
20249@item show arm disassembler
20250@kindex show arm
20251Show the current disassembly style.
20252
20253@item set arm apcs32
20254@cindex ARM 32-bit mode
20255This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
20256
20257@item show arm apcs32
20258Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
20259
20260@item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
20261This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
20262argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
20263
20264@table @code
20265@item auto
20266Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
20267@item softfpa
20268Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
20269processors.
20270@item fpa
20271GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
20272@item softvfp
20273Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
20274@item vfp
20275VFP co-processor.
20276@end table
20277
20278@item show arm fpu
20279Show the current type of the FPU.
20280
20281@item set arm abi
20282This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
20283
20284@item show arm abi
20285Show the currently used ABI.
20286
20287@item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
20288@value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
20289whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
20290@value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
20291available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
20292use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
20293register).
20294
20295@item show arm fallback-mode
20296Show the current fallback instruction mode.
20297
20298@item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
20299This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
20300instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
20301causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
20302of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
20303
20304@item show arm force-mode
20305Show the current forced instruction mode.
20306
20307@item set debug arm
20308Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
20309target support subsystem.
20310
20311@item show debug arm
20312Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
20313@end table
20314
20315The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
20316using the RDI interface:
20317
20318@table @code
20319@item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20320@kindex rdilogfile
20321@cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
20322Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
20323With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
20324no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
20325@file{rdi.log}.
20326
20327@item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
20328@kindex rdilogenable
20329Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
20330enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
20331no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
20332ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
20333are logged to a file.
20334
20335@item set rdiromatzero
20336@kindex set rdiromatzero
20337@cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
20338Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
20339vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
20340(the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
20341effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
20342
20343@item show rdiromatzero
20344@kindex show rdiromatzero
20345Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
20346
20347@item set rdiheartbeat
20348@kindex set rdiheartbeat
20349@cindex RDI heartbeat
20350Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
20351turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
20352well as the Angel monitor.
20353
20354@item show rdiheartbeat
20355@kindex show rdiheartbeat
20356Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
20357@end table
20358
20359@table @code
20360@item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
20361The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
20362
20363@table @code
20364@item --swi-support=@var{type}
20365Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support.
20366@var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
20367The default value is @code{all}.
20368
20369@table @code
20370@item none
20371@item demon
20372@item angel
20373@item redboot
20374@item all
20375@end table
20376@end table
20377@end table
20378
20379@node M32R/D
20380@subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
20381
20382@table @code
20383@kindex target m32r
20384@item target m32r @var{dev}
20385Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
20386
20387@kindex target m32rsdi
20388@item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
20389Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
20390@end table
20391
20392The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
20393
20394@table @code
20395@item set download-path @var{path}
20396@kindex set download-path
20397@cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
20398Set the default path for finding downloadable @sc{srec} files.
20399
20400@item show download-path
20401@kindex show download-path
20402Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
20403
20404@item set board-address @var{addr}
20405@kindex set board-address
20406@cindex M32-EVA target board address
20407Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
20408
20409@item show board-address
20410@kindex show board-address
20411Show the current IP address of the target board.
20412
20413@item set server-address @var{addr}
20414@kindex set server-address
20415@cindex download server address (M32R)
20416Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
20417host machine.
20418
20419@item show server-address
20420@kindex show server-address
20421Display the IP address of the download server.
20422
20423@item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20424@kindex upload@r{, M32R}
20425Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
20426upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
20427executable file is uploaded.
20428
20429@item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20430@kindex tload@r{, M32R}
20431Test the @code{upload} command.
20432@end table
20433
20434The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
20435
20436@table @code
20437@item sdireset
20438@kindex sdireset
20439@cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
20440This command resets the SDI connection.
20441
20442@item sdistatus
20443@kindex sdistatus
20444This command shows the SDI connection status.
20445
20446@item debug_chaos
20447@kindex debug_chaos
20448@cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
20449Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
20450
20451@item use_debug_dma
20452@kindex use_debug_dma
20453Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
20454
20455@item use_mon_code
20456@kindex use_mon_code
20457Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
20458
20459@item use_ib_break
20460@kindex use_ib_break
20461Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
20462
20463@item use_dbt_break
20464@kindex use_dbt_break
20465Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
20466@end table
20467
20468@node M68K
20469@subsection M68k
20470
20471The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and a
20472target command for the following ROM monitor.
20473
20474@table @code
20475
20476@kindex target dbug
20477@item target dbug @var{dev}
20478dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
20479
20480@end table
20481
20482@node MicroBlaze
20483@subsection MicroBlaze
20484@cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
20485@cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
20486
20487The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
20488FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
20489usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
20490Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
20491This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
20492the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
20493communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
20494presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
20495@code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
20496this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
20497commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
20498
20499Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
20500
20501@table @code
20502@item target remote :1234
20503Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
20504on the same system as @code{xmd}.
20505
20506@item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
20507Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
20508running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
20509
20510@item load
20511Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
20512
20513@item set debug microblaze @var{n}
20514Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
20515
20516@item show debug microblaze @var{n}
20517Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
20518@end table
20519
20520@node MIPS Embedded
20521@subsection @acronym{MIPS} Embedded
20522
20523@cindex @acronym{MIPS} boards
20524@value{GDBN} can use the @acronym{MIPS} remote debugging protocol to talk to a
20525@acronym{MIPS} board attached to a serial line. This is available when
20526you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-elf}.
20527
20528@need 1000
20529Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
20530
20531@table @code
20532@item target mips @var{port}
20533@kindex target mips @var{port}
20534To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
20535name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
20536command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
20537the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
20538been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
20539download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
20540
20541For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
20542port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
20543debugger:
20544
20545@smallexample
20546host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
20547@value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
20548(@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
20549(@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
20550(@value{GDBP}) run
20551@end smallexample
20552
20553@item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
20554On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
20555connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
20556concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
20557@samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
20558
20559@item target pmon @var{port}
20560@kindex target pmon @var{port}
20561PMON ROM monitor.
20562
20563@item target ddb @var{port}
20564@kindex target ddb @var{port}
20565NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
20566
20567@item target lsi @var{port}
20568@kindex target lsi @var{port}
20569LSI variant of PMON.
20570
20571@kindex target r3900
20572@item target r3900 @var{dev}
20573Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
20574
20575@kindex target array
20576@item target array @var{dev}
20577Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
20578
20579@end table
20580
20581
20582@noindent
20583@value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for @acronym{MIPS} targets:
20584
20585@table @code
20586@item set mipsfpu double
20587@itemx set mipsfpu single
20588@itemx set mipsfpu none
20589@itemx set mipsfpu auto
20590@itemx show mipsfpu
20591@kindex set mipsfpu
20592@kindex show mipsfpu
20593@cindex @acronym{MIPS} remote floating point
20594@cindex floating point, @acronym{MIPS} remote
20595If your target board does not support the @acronym{MIPS} floating point
20596coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
20597need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
20598file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
20599functions which return floating point values. It also allows
20600@value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
20601functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
20602with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
20603processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
20604double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
20605@samp{set mipsfpu double}.
20606
20607In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
20608floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
20609and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
20610
20611As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
20612@samp{show mipsfpu}.
20613
20614@item set timeout @var{seconds}
20615@itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
20616@itemx show timeout
20617@itemx show retransmit-timeout
20618@cindex @code{timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
20619@cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
20620@kindex set timeout
20621@kindex show timeout
20622@kindex set retransmit-timeout
20623@kindex show retransmit-timeout
20624You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the @acronym{MIPS}
20625remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
20626default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
20627waiting for an acknowledgment of a packet with the @code{set
20628retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
20629You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
20630retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
20631@value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-elf}.)
20632
20633The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
20634is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
20635forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
20636to run before stopping.
20637
20638@item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
20639@kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20640@cindex synchronize with remote @acronym{MIPS} target
20641Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
20642it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
20643characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
20644
20645@item show syn-garbage-limit
20646@kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20647Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
20648trying to synchronize with the remote system.
20649
20650@item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
20651@kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20652@cindex remote monitor prompt
20653Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
20654remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
20655@table @asis
20656@item pmon target
20657@samp{PMON}
20658@item ddb target
20659@samp{NEC010}
20660@item lsi target
20661@samp{PMON>}
20662@end table
20663
20664@item show monitor-prompt
20665@kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20666Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
20667remote monitor.
20668
20669@item set monitor-warnings
20670@kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20671Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
20672has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
20673display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
20674PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
20675
20676@item show monitor-warnings
20677@kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20678Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
20679
20680@item pmon @var{command}
20681@kindex pmon@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20682@cindex send PMON command
20683This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
20684monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
20685@end table
20686
20687@node PowerPC Embedded
20688@subsection PowerPC Embedded
20689
20690@cindex DVC register
20691@value{GDBN} supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
20692implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
20693
20694@smallexample
20695(@value{GDBP}) watch @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} \
20696 if @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} == @var{CONSTANT EXPRESSION}
20697@end smallexample
20698
20699The DVC register will be automatically used when @value{GDBN} detects
20700such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
20701debug register (either the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on and the
20702variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte). This feature
20703is available in native @value{GDBN} running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
20704or newer.
20705
20706When running on PowerPC embedded processors, @value{GDBN} automatically uses
20707ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on,
20708in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
20709watching variables of scalar types.
20710
20711You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
20712region using one of the following commands (@pxref{Expressions}):
20713
20714@smallexample
20715(@value{GDBP}) watch *((char *) @var{address})@@@var{length}
20716(@value{GDBP}) watch @{char[@var{length}]@} @var{address}
20717@end smallexample
20718
20719PowerPC embedded processors support masked watchpoints. See the discussion
20720about the @code{mask} argument in @ref{Set Watchpoints}.
20721
20722@cindex ranged breakpoint
20723PowerPC embedded processors support hardware accelerated
20724@dfn{ranged breakpoints}. A ranged breakpoint stops execution of
20725the inferior whenever it executes an instruction at any address within
20726the range it specifies. To set a ranged breakpoint in @value{GDBN},
20727use the @code{break-range} command.
20728
20729@value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
20730
20731@table @code
20732@kindex break-range
20733@item break-range @var{start-location}, @var{end-location}
20734Set a breakpoint for an address range.
20735@var{start-location} and @var{end-location} can specify a function name,
20736a line number, an offset of lines from the current line or from the start
20737location, or an address of an instruction (see @ref{Specify Location},
20738for a list of all the possible ways to specify a @var{location}.)
20739The breakpoint will stop execution of the inferior whenever it
20740executes an instruction at any address within the specified range,
20741(including @var{start-location} and @var{end-location}.)
20742
20743@kindex set powerpc
20744@item set powerpc soft-float
20745@itemx show powerpc soft-float
20746Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
20747convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
20748on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
20749
20750@item set powerpc vector-abi
20751@itemx show powerpc vector-abi
20752Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
20753arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
20754@samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
20755@samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
20756registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
20757based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
20758
20759@item set powerpc exact-watchpoints
20760@itemx show powerpc exact-watchpoints
20761Allow @value{GDBN} to use only one debug register when watching a variable
20762of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
20763address of its first byte.
20764
20765@kindex target dink32
20766@item target dink32 @var{dev}
20767DINK32 ROM monitor.
20768
20769@kindex target ppcbug
20770@item target ppcbug @var{dev}
20771@kindex target ppcbug1
20772@item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
20773PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
20774
20775@kindex target sds
20776@item target sds @var{dev}
20777SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
20778@end table
20779
20780@cindex SDS protocol
20781The following commands specific to the SDS protocol are supported
20782by @value{GDBN}:
20783
20784@table @code
20785@item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
20786@kindex set sdstimeout
20787Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
20788default is 2 seconds.
20789
20790@item show sdstimeout
20791@kindex show sdstimeout
20792Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
20793
20794@item sds @var{command}
20795@kindex sds@r{, a command}
20796Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
20797@end table
20798
20799
20800@node PA
20801@subsection HP PA Embedded
20802
20803@table @code
20804
20805@kindex target op50n
20806@item target op50n @var{dev}
20807OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
20808
20809@kindex target w89k
20810@item target w89k @var{dev}
20811W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
20812
20813@end table
20814
20815@node Sparclet
20816@subsection Tsqware Sparclet
20817
20818@cindex Sparclet
20819
20820@value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
20821Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
20822@value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
20823both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
20824@code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
20825
20826@table @code
20827@item remotetimeout @var{args}
20828@kindex remotetimeout
20829@value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
20830This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
20831seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
20832@end table
20833
20834@cindex compiling, on Sparclet
20835When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
20836information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
20837load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
20838@samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
20839
20840@smallexample
20841sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
20842@end smallexample
20843
20844You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
20845
20846@smallexample
20847sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
20848@end smallexample
20849
20850@cindex running, on Sparclet
20851Once you have set
20852your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
20853run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
20854(or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
20855
20856@value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
20857
20858@smallexample
20859(gdbslet)
20860@end smallexample
20861
20862@menu
20863* Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
20864* Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
20865* Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
20866* Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
20867@end menu
20868
20869@node Sparclet File
20870@subsubsection Setting File to Debug
20871
20872The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
20873
20874@smallexample
20875(gdbslet) file prog
20876@end smallexample
20877
20878@need 1000
20879@value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
20880@value{GDBN} locates
20881the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
20882path.
20883If the file was compiled with debug information (option @samp{-g}), source
20884files will be searched as well.
20885@value{GDBN} locates
20886the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
20887path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}).
20888If it fails
20889to find a file, it displays a message such as:
20890
20891@smallexample
20892prog: No such file or directory.
20893@end smallexample
20894
20895When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
20896the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
20897@code{target} command again.
20898
20899@node Sparclet Connection
20900@subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
20901
20902The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
20903To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
20904
20905@smallexample
20906(gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
20907Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
20908main () at ../prog.c:3
20909@end smallexample
20910
20911@need 750
20912@value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
20913
20914@smallexample
20915Connected to ttya.
20916@end smallexample
20917
20918@node Sparclet Download
20919@subsubsection Sparclet Download
20920
20921@cindex download to Sparclet
20922Once connected to the Sparclet target,
20923you can use the @value{GDBN}
20924@code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
20925The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
20926command.
20927Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
20928address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
20929offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
20930of each of the file's sections.
20931For instance, if the program
20932@file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
20933and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
20934
20935@smallexample
20936(gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
20937Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
20938@end smallexample
20939
20940If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
20941to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
20942to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
20943
20944@node Sparclet Execution
20945@subsubsection Running and Debugging
20946
20947@cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
20948You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
20949commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
20950manual for the list of commands.
20951
20952@smallexample
20953(gdbslet) b main
20954Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
20955(gdbslet) run
20956Starting program: prog
20957Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
209583 char *symarg = 0;
20959(gdbslet) step
209604 char *execarg = "hello!";
20961(gdbslet)
20962@end smallexample
20963
20964@node Sparclite
20965@subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
20966
20967@table @code
20968
20969@kindex target sparclite
20970@item target sparclite @var{dev}
20971Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
20972You must use an additional command to debug the program.
20973For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
20974remote protocol.
20975
20976@end table
20977
20978@node Z8000
20979@subsection Zilog Z8000
20980
20981@cindex Z8000
20982@cindex simulator, Z8000
20983@cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
20984
20985When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
20986a Z8000 simulator.
20987
20988For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
20989unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
20990segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
20991appropriate by inspecting the object code.
20992
20993@table @code
20994@item target sim @var{args}
20995@kindex sim
20996@kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
20997Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
20998options, specify them via @var{args}.
20999@end table
21000
21001@noindent
21002After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
21003CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
21004@code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
21005to run your program, and so on.
21006
21007As well as making available all the usual machine registers
21008(@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
21009additional items of information as specially named registers:
21010
21011@table @code
21012
21013@item cycles
21014Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
21015
21016@item insts
21017Counts instructions run in the simulator.
21018
21019@item time
21020Execution time in 60ths of a second.
21021
21022@end table
21023
21024You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
21025conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
21026conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
21027simulated clock ticks.
21028
21029@node AVR
21030@subsection Atmel AVR
21031@cindex AVR
21032
21033When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
21034following AVR-specific commands:
21035
21036@table @code
21037@item info io_registers
21038@kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
21039@cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
21040This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
21041each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
21042@end table
21043
21044@node CRIS
21045@subsection CRIS
21046@cindex CRIS
21047
21048When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
21049following CRIS-specific commands:
21050
21051@table @code
21052@item set cris-version @var{ver}
21053@cindex CRIS version
21054Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
21055The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
21056case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
21057
21058@item show cris-version
21059Show the current CRIS version.
21060
21061@item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
21062@cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
21063Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
21064Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
21065@code{R59}.
21066
21067@item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
21068Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
21069
21070@item set cris-mode @var{mode}
21071@cindex CRIS mode
21072Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
21073debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
21074@samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
21075
21076@item show cris-mode
21077Show the current CRIS mode.
21078@end table
21079
21080@node Super-H
21081@subsection Renesas Super-H
21082@cindex Super-H
21083
21084For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
21085commands:
21086
21087@table @code
21088@item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
21089@kindex set sh calling-convention
21090Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
21091Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
21092With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
21093convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
21094that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
21095is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
21096is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
21097regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
21098default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
21099does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
21100
21101@item show sh calling-convention
21102@kindex show sh calling-convention
21103Show the current calling convention setting.
21104
21105@end table
21106
21107
21108@node Architectures
21109@section Architectures
21110
21111This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
21112all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
21113
21114@menu
21115* AArch64::
21116* i386::
21117* Alpha::
21118* MIPS::
21119* HPPA:: HP PA architecture
21120* SPU:: Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
21121* PowerPC::
21122* Nios II::
21123@end menu
21124
21125@node AArch64
21126@subsection AArch64
21127@cindex AArch64 support
21128
21129When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides the
21130following special commands:
21131
21132@table @code
21133@item set debug aarch64
21134@kindex set debug aarch64
21135This command determines whether AArch64 architecture-specific debugging
21136messages are to be displayed.
21137
21138@item show debug aarch64
21139Show whether AArch64 debugging messages are displayed.
21140
21141@end table
21142
21143@node i386
21144@subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
21145
21146@table @code
21147@item set struct-convention @var{mode}
21148@kindex set struct-convention
21149@cindex struct return convention
21150@cindex struct/union returned in registers
21151Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
21152@code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
21153@var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
21154default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
21155are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
21156@code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
21157be returned in a register.
21158
21159@item show struct-convention
21160@kindex show struct-convention
21161Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
21162from functions.
21163@end table
21164
21165@node Alpha
21166@subsection Alpha
21167
21168See the following section.
21169
21170@node MIPS
21171@subsection @acronym{MIPS}
21172
21173@cindex stack on Alpha
21174@cindex stack on @acronym{MIPS}
21175@cindex Alpha stack
21176@cindex @acronym{MIPS} stack
21177Alpha- and @acronym{MIPS}-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
21178sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
21179find the beginning of a function.
21180
21181@cindex response time, @acronym{MIPS} debugging
21182To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
21183@value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
21184you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
21185commands:
21186
21187@table @code
21188@cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, @acronym{MIPS})
21189@item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
21190Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
21191search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
21192default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
21193larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
21194and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
21195this command when debugging a stripped executable.
21196
21197@item show heuristic-fence-post
21198Display the current limit.
21199@end table
21200
21201@noindent
21202These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
21203for debugging programs on Alpha or @acronym{MIPS} processors.
21204
21205Several @acronym{MIPS}-specific commands are available when debugging @acronym{MIPS}
21206programs:
21207
21208@table @code
21209@item set mips abi @var{arg}
21210@kindex set mips abi
21211@cindex set ABI for @acronym{MIPS}
21212Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
21213values of @var{arg} are:
21214
21215@table @samp
21216@item auto
21217The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
21218default).
21219@item o32
21220@item o64
21221@item n32
21222@item n64
21223@item eabi32
21224@item eabi64
21225@end table
21226
21227@item show mips abi
21228@kindex show mips abi
21229Show the @acronym{MIPS} ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
21230
21231@item set mips compression @var{arg}
21232@kindex set mips compression
21233@cindex code compression, @acronym{MIPS}
21234Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} compressed
21235@acronym{ISA, Instruction Set Architecture} encoding is used by the
21236inferior. @value{GDBN} uses this for code disassembly and other
21237internal interpretation purposes. This setting is only referred to
21238when no executable has been associated with the debugging session or
21239the executable does not provide information about the encoding it uses.
21240Otherwise this setting is automatically updated from information
21241provided by the executable.
21242
21243Possible values of @var{arg} are @samp{mips16} and @samp{micromips}.
21244The default compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding is @samp{mips16}, as
21245executables containing @acronym{MIPS16} code frequently are not
21246identified as such.
21247
21248This setting is ``sticky''; that is, it retains its value across
21249debugging sessions until reset either explicitly with this command or
21250implicitly from an executable.
21251
21252The compiler and/or assembler typically add symbol table annotations to
21253identify functions compiled for the @acronym{MIPS16} or
21254@acronym{microMIPS} @acronym{ISA}s. If these function-scope annotations
21255are present, @value{GDBN} uses them in preference to the global
21256compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding setting.
21257
21258@item show mips compression
21259@kindex show mips compression
21260Show the @acronym{MIPS} compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding used by
21261@value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
21262
21263@item set mipsfpu
21264@itemx show mipsfpu
21265@xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
21266
21267@item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
21268@kindex set mips mask-address
21269@cindex @acronym{MIPS} addresses, masking
21270This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
21271@acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
21272@samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
21273setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
21274
21275@item show mips mask-address
21276@kindex show mips mask-address
21277Show whether the upper 32 bits of @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off or
21278not.
21279
21280@item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21281@kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21282This command controls compatibility with 64-bit @acronym{MIPS} targets that
21283transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old @acronym{MIPS} 64 target
21284that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
21285and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
21286
21287@item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21288@kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21289Show the current setting of compatibility with older @acronym{MIPS} 64 targets.
21290
21291@item set debug mips
21292@kindex set debug mips
21293This command turns on and off debugging messages for the @acronym{MIPS}-specific
21294target code in @value{GDBN}.
21295
21296@item show debug mips
21297@kindex show debug mips
21298Show the current setting of @acronym{MIPS} debugging messages.
21299@end table
21300
21301
21302@node HPPA
21303@subsection HPPA
21304@cindex HPPA support
21305
21306When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
21307following special commands:
21308
21309@table @code
21310@item set debug hppa
21311@kindex set debug hppa
21312This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
21313messages are to be displayed.
21314
21315@item show debug hppa
21316Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
21317
21318@item maint print unwind @var{address}
21319@kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
21320This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
21321given @var{address}.
21322
21323@end table
21324
21325
21326@node SPU
21327@subsection Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
21328@cindex Cell Broadband Engine
21329@cindex SPU
21330
21331When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture,
21332it provides the following special commands:
21333
21334@table @code
21335@item info spu event
21336@kindex info spu
21337Display SPU event facility status. Shows current event mask
21338and pending event status.
21339
21340@item info spu signal
21341Display SPU signal notification facility status. Shows pending
21342signal-control word and signal notification mode of both signal
21343notification channels.
21344
21345@item info spu mailbox
21346Display SPU mailbox facility status. Shows all pending entries,
21347in order of processing, in each of the SPU Write Outbound,
21348SPU Write Outbound Interrupt, and SPU Read Inbound mailboxes.
21349
21350@item info spu dma
21351Display MFC DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
21352DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
21353and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
21354
21355@item info spu proxydma
21356Display MFC Proxy-DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
21357Proxy-DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
21358and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
21359
21360@end table
21361
21362When @value{GDBN} is debugging a combined PowerPC/SPU application
21363on the Cell Broadband Engine, it provides in addition the following
21364special commands:
21365
21366@table @code
21367@item set spu stop-on-load @var{arg}
21368@kindex set spu
21369Set whether to stop for new SPE threads. When set to @code{on}, @value{GDBN}
21370will give control to the user when a new SPE thread enters its @code{main}
21371function. The default is @code{off}.
21372
21373@item show spu stop-on-load
21374@kindex show spu
21375Show whether to stop for new SPE threads.
21376
21377@item set spu auto-flush-cache @var{arg}
21378Set whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache. When set to
21379@code{on}, @value{GDBN} will automatically cause the SPE software-managed
21380cache to be flushed whenever SPE execution stops. This provides a consistent
21381view of PowerPC memory that is accessed via the cache. If an application
21382does not use the software-managed cache, this option has no effect.
21383
21384@item show spu auto-flush-cache
21385Show whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache.
21386
21387@end table
21388
21389@node PowerPC
21390@subsection PowerPC
21391@cindex PowerPC architecture
21392
21393When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
21394pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
21395numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
21396in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
21397@code{f0} or @code{f2}.
21398
21399The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
21400by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
21401@code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
21402
21403For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
21404wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
21405
21406@node Nios II
21407@subsection Nios II
21408@cindex Nios II architecture
21409
21410When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Nios II architecture,
21411it provides the following special commands:
21412
21413@table @code
21414
21415@item set debug nios2
21416@kindex set debug nios2
21417This command turns on and off debugging messages for the Nios II
21418target code in @value{GDBN}.
21419
21420@item show debug nios2
21421@kindex show debug nios2
21422Show the current setting of Nios II debugging messages.
21423@end table
21424
21425@node Controlling GDB
21426@chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
21427
21428You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
21429@code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
21430data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
21431described here.
21432
21433@menu
21434* Prompt:: Prompt
21435* Editing:: Command editing
21436* Command History:: Command history
21437* Screen Size:: Screen size
21438* Numbers:: Numbers
21439* ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
21440* Auto-loading:: Automatically loading associated files
21441* Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
21442* Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
21443* Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
21444@end menu
21445
21446@node Prompt
21447@section Prompt
21448
21449@cindex prompt
21450
21451@value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
21452called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
21453can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
21454instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
21455the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
21456which one you are talking to.
21457
21458@emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
21459prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
21460or a prompt that does not.
21461
21462@table @code
21463@kindex set prompt
21464@item set prompt @var{newprompt}
21465Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
21466
21467@kindex show prompt
21468@item show prompt
21469Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
21470@end table
21471
21472Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled have
21473prompt extensions. The commands for interacting with these extensions
21474are:
21475
21476@table @code
21477@kindex set extended-prompt
21478@item set extended-prompt @var{prompt}
21479Set an extended prompt that allows for substitutions.
21480@xref{gdb.prompt}, for a list of escape sequences that can be used for
21481substitution. Any escape sequences specified as part of the prompt
21482string are replaced with the corresponding strings each time the prompt
21483is displayed.
21484
21485For example:
21486
21487@smallexample
21488set extended-prompt Current working directory: \w (gdb)
21489@end smallexample
21490
21491Note that when an extended-prompt is set, it takes control of the
21492@var{prompt_hook} hook. @xref{prompt_hook}, for further information.
21493
21494@kindex show extended-prompt
21495@item show extended-prompt
21496Prints the extended prompt. Any escape sequences specified as part of
21497the prompt string with @code{set extended-prompt}, are replaced with the
21498corresponding strings each time the prompt is displayed.
21499@end table
21500
21501@node Editing
21502@section Command Editing
21503@cindex readline
21504@cindex command line editing
21505
21506@value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
21507@sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
21508command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
21509or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
21510substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
21511debugging sessions.
21512
21513You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
21514command @code{set}.
21515
21516@table @code
21517@kindex set editing
21518@cindex editing
21519@item set editing
21520@itemx set editing on
21521Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
21522
21523@item set editing off
21524Disable command line editing.
21525
21526@kindex show editing
21527@item show editing
21528Show whether command line editing is enabled.
21529@end table
21530
21531@ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21532@xref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library},
21533@end ifset
21534@ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21535@xref{Command Line Editing},
21536@end ifclear
21537for more details about the Readline
21538interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
21539encouraged to read that chapter.
21540
21541@node Command History
21542@section Command History
21543@cindex command history
21544
21545@value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
21546debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
21547happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
21548history facility.
21549
21550@value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
21551package, to provide the history facility.
21552@ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21553@xref{Using History Interactively, , , history, GNU History Library},
21554@end ifset
21555@ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21556@xref{Using History Interactively},
21557@end ifclear
21558for the detailed description of the History library.
21559
21560To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
21561the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
21562(@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
21563means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
21564affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
21565pressed on a line by itself.
21566
21567@cindex @code{server}, command prefix
21568The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
21569history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
21570use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
21571
21572Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
21573history.
21574
21575@table @code
21576@cindex history substitution
21577@cindex history file
21578@kindex set history filename
21579@cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
21580@item set history filename @var{fname}
21581Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
21582This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
21583list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
21584exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
21585the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
21586to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
21587@file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
21588is not set.
21589
21590@cindex save command history
21591@kindex set history save
21592@item set history save
21593@itemx set history save on
21594Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
21595@code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
21596
21597@item set history save off
21598Stop recording command history in a file.
21599
21600@cindex history size
21601@kindex set history size
21602@cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
21603@item set history size @var{size}
21604@itemx set history size unlimited
21605Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
21606This defaults to the value of the environment variable
21607@code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set. If @var{size}
21608is @code{unlimited}, the number of commands @value{GDBN} keeps in the
21609history list is unlimited.
21610@end table
21611
21612History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
21613@ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21614@xref{Event Designators, , , history, GNU History Library},
21615@end ifset
21616@ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21617@xref{Event Designators},
21618@end ifclear
21619for more details.
21620
21621@cindex history expansion, turn on/off
21622Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
21623is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
21624@code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
21625follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
21626a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
21627history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
21628@kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
21629
21630The commands to control history expansion are:
21631
21632@table @code
21633@item set history expansion on
21634@itemx set history expansion
21635@kindex set history expansion
21636Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
21637
21638@item set history expansion off
21639Disable history expansion.
21640
21641@c @group
21642@kindex show history
21643@item show history
21644@itemx show history filename
21645@itemx show history save
21646@itemx show history size
21647@itemx show history expansion
21648These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
21649@code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
21650@c @end group
21651@end table
21652
21653@table @code
21654@kindex show commands
21655@cindex show last commands
21656@cindex display command history
21657@item show commands
21658Display the last ten commands in the command history.
21659
21660@item show commands @var{n}
21661Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
21662
21663@item show commands +
21664Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
21665@end table
21666
21667@node Screen Size
21668@section Screen Size
21669@cindex size of screen
21670@cindex pauses in output
21671
21672Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
21673information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
21674@value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
21675output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
21676to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
21677determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
21678printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
21679rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
21680
21681Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
21682driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
21683together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
21684@code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
21685you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
21686width} commands:
21687
21688@table @code
21689@kindex set height
21690@kindex set width
21691@kindex show width
21692@kindex show height
21693@item set height @var{lpp}
21694@itemx set height unlimited
21695@itemx show height
21696@itemx set width @var{cpl}
21697@itemx set width unlimited
21698@itemx show width
21699These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
21700a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
21701commands display the current settings.
21702
21703If you specify a height of either @code{unlimited} or zero lines,
21704@value{GDBN} does not pause during output no matter how long the
21705output is. This is useful if output is to a file or to an editor
21706buffer.
21707
21708Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width unlimited} or @samp{set
21709width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN} from wrapping its output.
21710
21711@item set pagination on
21712@itemx set pagination off
21713@kindex set pagination
21714Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
21715pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height unlimited}. Note that
21716running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
21717Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
21718
21719@item show pagination
21720@kindex show pagination
21721Show the current pagination mode.
21722@end table
21723
21724@node Numbers
21725@section Numbers
21726@cindex number representation
21727@cindex entering numbers
21728
21729You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
21730@value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
21731@samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
21732begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
21733@samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
2173410; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
21735format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
21736both input and output with the commands described below.
21737
21738@table @code
21739@kindex set input-radix
21740@item set input-radix @var{base}
21741Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
21742for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
21743specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
21744example, any of
21745
21746@smallexample
21747set input-radix 012
21748set input-radix 10.
21749set input-radix 0xa
21750@end smallexample
21751
21752@noindent
21753sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
21754leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
21755@samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
21756interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
21757@samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
21758change the radix.
21759
21760@kindex set output-radix
21761@item set output-radix @var{base}
21762Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
21763for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
21764specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
21765
21766@kindex show input-radix
21767@item show input-radix
21768Display the current default base for numeric input.
21769
21770@kindex show output-radix
21771@item show output-radix
21772Display the current default base for numeric display.
21773
21774@item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
21775@itemx show radix
21776@kindex set radix
21777@kindex show radix
21778These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
21779of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
21780the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
21781default value of 10.
21782
21783@end table
21784
21785@node ABI
21786@section Configuring the Current ABI
21787
21788@value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
21789application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
21790conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
21791current ABI.
21792
21793@cindex OS ABI
21794@kindex set osabi
21795@kindex show osabi
21796@cindex Newlib OS ABI and its influence on the longjmp handling
21797
21798One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
21799system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
21800@value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
21801but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
21802One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
21803an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
21804not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
21805platform provides.
21806
21807When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides a
21808``Newlib'' OS ABI. This is useful for handling @code{setjmp} and
21809@code{longjmp} when debugging binaries that use the @sc{newlib} C library.
21810The ``Newlib'' OS ABI can be selected by @code{set osabi Newlib}.
21811
21812@table @code
21813@item show osabi
21814Show the OS ABI currently in use.
21815
21816@item set osabi
21817With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
21818
21819@item set osabi @var{abi}
21820Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
21821@end table
21822
21823@cindex float promotion
21824
21825Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
21826function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
21827(i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
21828according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
21829(i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
21830@code{double} and then passed.
21831
21832Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
21833a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
21834as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
21835
21836@table @code
21837@kindex set coerce-float-to-double
21838@item set coerce-float-to-double
21839@itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
21840Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
21841to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
21842
21843@item set coerce-float-to-double off
21844Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
21845functions.
21846
21847@kindex show coerce-float-to-double
21848@item show coerce-float-to-double
21849Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
21850@end table
21851
21852@kindex set cp-abi
21853@kindex show cp-abi
21854@value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
21855objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
21856used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
21857programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
21858multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
21859program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
21860Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
21861before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
21862``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
21863use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
21864``auto''.
21865
21866@table @code
21867@item show cp-abi
21868Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
21869
21870@item set cp-abi
21871With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
21872
21873@item set cp-abi @var{abi}
21874@itemx set cp-abi auto
21875Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
21876@end table
21877
21878@node Auto-loading
21879@section Automatically loading associated files
21880@cindex auto-loading
21881
21882@value{GDBN} sometimes reads files with commands and settings automatically,
21883without being explicitly told so by the user. We call this feature
21884@dfn{auto-loading}. While auto-loading is useful for automatically adapting
21885@value{GDBN} to the needs of your project, it can sometimes produce unexpected
21886results or introduce security risks (e.g., if the file comes from untrusted
21887sources).
21888
21889Note that loading of these associated files (including the local @file{.gdbinit}
21890file) requires accordingly configured @code{auto-load safe-path}
21891(@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
21892
21893For these reasons, @value{GDBN} includes commands and options to let you
21894control when to auto-load files and which files should be auto-loaded.
21895
21896@table @code
21897@anchor{set auto-load off}
21898@kindex set auto-load off
21899@item set auto-load off
21900Globally disable loading of all auto-loaded files.
21901You may want to use this command with the @samp{-iex} option
21902(@pxref{Option -init-eval-command}) such as:
21903@smallexample
21904$ @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load off" untrusted-executable corefile}
21905@end smallexample
21906
21907Be aware that system init file (@pxref{System-wide configuration})
21908and init files from your home directory (@pxref{Home Directory Init File})
21909still get read (as they come from generally trusted directories).
21910To prevent @value{GDBN} from auto-loading even those init files, use the
21911@option{-nx} option (@pxref{Mode Options}), in addition to
21912@code{set auto-load no}.
21913
21914@anchor{show auto-load}
21915@kindex show auto-load
21916@item show auto-load
21917Show whether auto-loading of each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) is enabled
21918or disabled.
21919
21920@smallexample
21921(gdb) show auto-load
21922gdb-scripts: Auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is on.
21923libthread-db: Auto-loading of inferior specific libthread_db is on.
21924local-gdbinit: Auto-loading of .gdbinit script from current directory
21925 is on.
21926python-scripts: Auto-loading of Python scripts is on.
21927safe-path: List of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
21928 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
21929scripts-directory: List of directories from which to load auto-loaded scripts
21930 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
21931@end smallexample
21932
21933@anchor{info auto-load}
21934@kindex info auto-load
21935@item info auto-load
21936Print whether each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) have been auto-loaded or
21937not.
21938
21939@smallexample
21940(gdb) info auto-load
21941gdb-scripts:
21942Loaded Script
21943Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb
21944libthread-db: No auto-loaded libthread-db.
21945local-gdbinit: Local .gdbinit file "/home/user/gdb/.gdbinit" has been
21946 loaded.
21947python-scripts:
21948Loaded Script
21949Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py
21950@end smallexample
21951@end table
21952
21953These are various kinds of files @value{GDBN} can automatically load:
21954
21955@itemize @bullet
21956@item
21957@xref{objfile-gdb.py file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
21958@item
21959@xref{objfile-gdb.gdb file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21960@item
21961@xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section},
21962controlled by @ref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
21963@item
21964@xref{Init File in the Current Directory},
21965controlled by @ref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21966@item
21967@xref{libthread_db.so.1 file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
21968@end itemize
21969
21970These are @value{GDBN} control commands for the auto-loading:
21971
21972@multitable @columnfractions .5 .5
21973@item @xref{set auto-load off}.
21974@tab Disable auto-loading globally.
21975@item @xref{show auto-load}.
21976@tab Show setting of all kinds of files.
21977@item @xref{info auto-load}.
21978@tab Show state of all kinds of files.
21979@item @xref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21980@tab Control for @value{GDBN} command scripts.
21981@item @xref{show auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21982@tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
21983@item @xref{info auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21984@tab Show state of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
21985@item @xref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
21986@tab Control for @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
21987@item @xref{show auto-load python-scripts}.
21988@tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
21989@item @xref{info auto-load python-scripts}.
21990@tab Show state of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
21991@item @xref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
21992@tab Control for @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
21993@item @xref{show auto-load scripts-directory}.
21994@tab Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
21995@item @xref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21996@tab Control for init file in the current directory.
21997@item @xref{show auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21998@tab Show setting of init file in the current directory.
21999@item @xref{info auto-load local-gdbinit}.
22000@tab Show state of init file in the current directory.
22001@item @xref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
22002@tab Control for thread debugging library.
22003@item @xref{show auto-load libthread-db}.
22004@tab Show setting of thread debugging library.
22005@item @xref{info auto-load libthread-db}.
22006@tab Show state of thread debugging library.
22007@item @xref{set auto-load safe-path}.
22008@tab Control directories trusted for automatic loading.
22009@item @xref{show auto-load safe-path}.
22010@tab Show directories trusted for automatic loading.
22011@item @xref{add-auto-load-safe-path}.
22012@tab Add directory trusted for automatic loading.
22013@end multitable
22014
22015@menu
22016* Init File in the Current Directory:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load local-gdbinit}
22017* libthread_db.so.1 file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load libthread-db}
22018* objfile-gdb.gdb file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load gdb-script}
22019* Auto-loading safe path:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load safe-path}
22020* Auto-loading verbose mode:: @samp{set/show debug auto-load}
22021@xref{Python Auto-loading}.
22022@end menu
22023
22024@node Init File in the Current Directory
22025@subsection Automatically loading init file in the current directory
22026@cindex auto-loading init file in the current directory
22027
22028By default, @value{GDBN} reads and executes the canned sequences of commands
22029from init file (if any) in the current working directory,
22030see @ref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}.
22031
22032Note that loading of this local @file{.gdbinit} file also requires accordingly
22033configured @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22034
22035@table @code
22036@anchor{set auto-load local-gdbinit}
22037@kindex set auto-load local-gdbinit
22038@item set auto-load local-gdbinit [on|off]
22039Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands
22040(@pxref{Sequences}) found in init file in the current directory.
22041
22042@anchor{show auto-load local-gdbinit}
22043@kindex show auto-load local-gdbinit
22044@item show auto-load local-gdbinit
22045Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands from init file in the
22046current directory is enabled or disabled.
22047
22048@anchor{info auto-load local-gdbinit}
22049@kindex info auto-load local-gdbinit
22050@item info auto-load local-gdbinit
22051Print whether canned sequences of commands from init file in the
22052current directory have been auto-loaded.
22053@end table
22054
22055@node libthread_db.so.1 file
22056@subsection Automatically loading thread debugging library
22057@cindex auto-loading libthread_db.so.1
22058
22059This feature is currently present only on @sc{gnu}/Linux native hosts.
22060
22061@value{GDBN} reads in some cases thread debugging library from places specific
22062to the inferior (@pxref{set libthread-db-search-path}).
22063
22064The special @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entry @samp{$sdir} is processed
22065without checking this @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} switch as system
22066libraries have to be trusted in general. In all other cases of
22067@samp{libthread-db-search-path} entries @value{GDBN} checks first if @samp{set
22068auto-load libthread-db} is enabled before trying to open such thread debugging
22069library.
22070
22071Note that loading of this debugging library also requires accordingly configured
22072@code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22073
22074@table @code
22075@anchor{set auto-load libthread-db}
22076@kindex set auto-load libthread-db
22077@item set auto-load libthread-db [on|off]
22078Enable or disable the auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library.
22079
22080@anchor{show auto-load libthread-db}
22081@kindex show auto-load libthread-db
22082@item show auto-load libthread-db
22083Show whether auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library is
22084enabled or disabled.
22085
22086@anchor{info auto-load libthread-db}
22087@kindex info auto-load libthread-db
22088@item info auto-load libthread-db
22089Print the list of all loaded inferior specific thread debugging libraries and
22090for each such library print list of inferior @var{pid}s using it.
22091@end table
22092
22093@node objfile-gdb.gdb file
22094@subsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb} file
22095@cindex auto-loading @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}
22096
22097@value{GDBN} tries to load an @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb} file containing
22098canned sequences of commands (@pxref{Sequences}), as long as @samp{set
22099auto-load gdb-scripts} is set to @samp{on}.
22100
22101Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
22102@code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22103
22104For more background refer to the similar Python scripts auto-loading
22105description (@pxref{objfile-gdb.py file}).
22106
22107@table @code
22108@anchor{set auto-load gdb-scripts}
22109@kindex set auto-load gdb-scripts
22110@item set auto-load gdb-scripts [on|off]
22111Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts.
22112
22113@anchor{show auto-load gdb-scripts}
22114@kindex show auto-load gdb-scripts
22115@item show auto-load gdb-scripts
22116Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is enabled or
22117disabled.
22118
22119@anchor{info auto-load gdb-scripts}
22120@kindex info auto-load gdb-scripts
22121@cindex print list of auto-loaded canned sequences of commands scripts
22122@item info auto-load gdb-scripts [@var{regexp}]
22123Print the list of all canned sequences of commands scripts that @value{GDBN}
22124auto-loaded.
22125@end table
22126
22127If @var{regexp} is supplied only canned sequences of commands scripts with
22128matching names are printed.
22129
22130@node Auto-loading safe path
22131@subsection Security restriction for auto-loading
22132@cindex auto-loading safe-path
22133
22134As the files of inferior can come from untrusted source (such as submitted by
22135an application user) @value{GDBN} does not always load any files automatically.
22136@value{GDBN} provides the @samp{set auto-load safe-path} setting to list
22137directories trusted for loading files not explicitly requested by user.
22138Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern.
22139
22140If the path is not set properly you will see a warning and the file will not
22141get loaded:
22142
22143@smallexample
22144$ ./gdb -q ./gdb
22145Reading symbols from /home/user/gdb/gdb...done.
22146warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been
22147 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
22148 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
22149warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py" auto-loading has been
22150 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
22151 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
22152@end smallexample
22153
22154@noindent
22155To instruct @value{GDBN} to go ahead and use the init files anyway,
22156invoke @value{GDBN} like this:
22157
22158@smallexample
22159$ gdb -q -iex "set auto-load safe-path /home/user/gdb" ./gdb
22160@end smallexample
22161
22162The list of trusted directories is controlled by the following commands:
22163
22164@table @code
22165@anchor{set auto-load safe-path}
22166@kindex set auto-load safe-path
22167@item set auto-load safe-path @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
22168Set the list of directories (and their subdirectories) trusted for automatic
22169loading and execution of scripts. You can also enter a specific trusted file.
22170Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern; wildcards do not match
22171directory separator - see @code{FNM_PATHNAME} for system function @code{fnmatch}
22172(@pxref{Wildcard Matching, fnmatch, , libc, GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
22173If you omit @var{directories}, @samp{auto-load safe-path} will be reset to
22174its default value as specified during @value{GDBN} compilation.
22175
22176The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
22177systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
22178to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
22179
22180@anchor{show auto-load safe-path}
22181@kindex show auto-load safe-path
22182@item show auto-load safe-path
22183Show the list of directories trusted for automatic loading and execution of
22184scripts.
22185
22186@anchor{add-auto-load-safe-path}
22187@kindex add-auto-load-safe-path
22188@item add-auto-load-safe-path
22189Add an entry (or list of entries) the list of directories trusted for automatic
22190loading and execution of scripts. Multiple entries may be delimited by the
22191host platform path separator in use.
22192@end table
22193
22194This variable defaults to what @code{--with-auto-load-dir} has been configured
22195to (@pxref{with-auto-load-dir}). @file{$debugdir} and @file{$datadir}
22196substitution applies the same as for @ref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
22197The default @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by
22198@value{GDBN} configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-safe-path}.
22199
22200Setting this variable to @file{/} disables this security protection,
22201corresponding @value{GDBN} configuration option is
22202@option{--without-auto-load-safe-path}.
22203This variable is supposed to be set to the system directories writable by the
22204system superuser only. Users can add their source directories in init files in
22205their home directories (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). See also deprecated
22206init file in the current directory
22207(@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}).
22208
22209To force @value{GDBN} to load the files it declined to load in the previous
22210example, you could use one of the following ways:
22211
22212@table @asis
22213@item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{add-auto-load-safe-path ~/src/gdb}
22214Specify this trusted directory (or a file) as additional component of the list.
22215You have to specify also any existing directories displayed by
22216by @samp{show auto-load safe-path} (such as @samp{/usr:/bin} in this example).
22217
22218@item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /usr:/bin:~/src/gdb" @dots{}}
22219Specify this directory as in the previous case but just for a single
22220@value{GDBN} session.
22221
22222@item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /" @dots{}}
22223Disable auto-loading safety for a single @value{GDBN} session.
22224This assumes all the files you debug during this @value{GDBN} session will come
22225from trusted sources.
22226
22227@item @kbd{./configure --without-auto-load-safe-path}
22228During compilation of @value{GDBN} you may disable any auto-loading safety.
22229This assumes all the files you will ever debug with this @value{GDBN} come from
22230trusted sources.
22231@end table
22232
22233On the other hand you can also explicitly forbid automatic files loading which
22234also suppresses any such warning messages:
22235
22236@table @asis
22237@item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load no" @dots{}}
22238You can use @value{GDBN} command-line option for a single @value{GDBN} session.
22239
22240@item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{set auto-load no}
22241Disable auto-loading globally for the user
22242(@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). While it is improbable, you could also
22243use system init file instead (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
22244@end table
22245
22246This setting applies to the file names as entered by user. If no entry matches
22247@value{GDBN} tries as a last resort to also resolve all the file names into
22248their canonical form (typically resolving symbolic links) and compare the
22249entries again. @value{GDBN} already canonicalizes most of the filenames on its
22250own before starting the comparison so a canonical form of directories is
22251recommended to be entered.
22252
22253@node Auto-loading verbose mode
22254@subsection Displaying files tried for auto-load
22255@cindex auto-loading verbose mode
22256
22257For better visibility of all the file locations where you can place scripts to
22258be auto-loaded with inferior --- or to protect yourself against accidental
22259execution of untrusted scripts --- @value{GDBN} provides a feature for printing
22260all the files attempted to be loaded. Both existing and non-existing files may
22261be printed.
22262
22263For example the list of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
22264(@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}) applies also to canonicalized filenames which
22265may not be too obvious while setting it up.
22266
22267@smallexample
22268(gdb) set debug auto-load on
22269(gdb) file ~/src/t/true
22270auto-load: Loading canned sequences of commands script "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb"
22271 for objfile "/tmp/true".
22272auto-load: Updating directories of "/usr:/opt".
22273auto-load: Using directory "/usr".
22274auto-load: Using directory "/opt".
22275warning: File "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been declined
22276 by your `auto-load safe-path' set to "/usr:/opt".
22277@end smallexample
22278
22279@table @code
22280@anchor{set debug auto-load}
22281@kindex set debug auto-load
22282@item set debug auto-load [on|off]
22283Set whether to print the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded.
22284
22285@anchor{show debug auto-load}
22286@kindex show debug auto-load
22287@item show debug auto-load
22288Show whether printing of the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded is turned
22289on or off.
22290@end table
22291
22292@node Messages/Warnings
22293@section Optional Warnings and Messages
22294
22295@cindex verbose operation
22296@cindex optional warnings
22297By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
22298running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
22299command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
22300internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
22301
22302Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
22303which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
22304see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
22305
22306@table @code
22307@kindex set verbose
22308@item set verbose on
22309Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
22310
22311@item set verbose off
22312Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
22313
22314@kindex show verbose
22315@item show verbose
22316Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
22317@end table
22318
22319By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
22320object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
22321find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
22322Symbol Files}).
22323
22324@table @code
22325
22326@kindex set complaints
22327@item set complaints @var{limit}
22328Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
22329unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
22330@var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
22331to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
22332
22333@kindex show complaints
22334@item show complaints
22335Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
22336
22337@end table
22338
22339@anchor{confirmation requests}
22340By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
22341lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
22342you try to run a program which is already running:
22343
22344@smallexample
22345(@value{GDBP}) run
22346The program being debugged has been started already.
22347Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
22348@end smallexample
22349
22350If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
22351commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
22352
22353@table @code
22354
22355@kindex set confirm
22356@cindex flinching
22357@cindex confirmation
22358@cindex stupid questions
22359@item set confirm off
22360Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
22361the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
22362automatically disables confirmation requests.
22363
22364@item set confirm on
22365Enables confirmation requests (the default).
22366
22367@kindex show confirm
22368@item show confirm
22369Displays state of confirmation requests.
22370
22371@end table
22372
22373@cindex command tracing
22374If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
22375useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
22376printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
22377quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
22378
22379@table @code
22380@kindex set trace-commands
22381@cindex command scripts, debugging
22382@item set trace-commands on
22383Enable command tracing.
22384@item set trace-commands off
22385Disable command tracing.
22386@item show trace-commands
22387Display the current state of command tracing.
22388@end table
22389
22390@node Debugging Output
22391@section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
22392@cindex optional debugging messages
22393
22394@value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
22395various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
22396interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
22397section documents those commands.
22398
22399@table @code
22400@kindex set exec-done-display
22401@item set exec-done-display
22402Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
22403completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
22404asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
22405@kindex show exec-done-display
22406@item show exec-done-display
22407Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
22408notification.
22409@kindex set debug
22410@cindex ARM AArch64
22411@item set debug aarch64
22412Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to ARM AArch64.
22413The default is off.
22414@kindex show debug
22415@item show debug aarch64
22416Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22417ARM AArch64.
22418@cindex gdbarch debugging info
22419@cindex architecture debugging info
22420@item set debug arch
22421Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
22422@item show debug arch
22423Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
22424@item set debug aix-solib
22425@cindex AIX shared library debugging
22426Control display of debugging messages from the AIX shared library
22427support module. The default is off.
22428@item show debug aix-thread
22429Show the current state of displaying AIX shared library debugging messages.
22430@item set debug aix-thread
22431@cindex AIX threads
22432Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
22433module.
22434@item show debug aix-thread
22435Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
22436@item set debug check-physname
22437@cindex physname
22438Check the results of the ``physname'' computation. When reading DWARF
22439debugging information for C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} attempts to compute
22440each entity's name. @value{GDBN} can do this computation in two
22441different ways, depending on exactly what information is present.
22442When enabled, this setting causes @value{GDBN} to compute the names
22443both ways and display any discrepancies.
22444@item show debug check-physname
22445Show the current state of ``physname'' checking.
22446@item set debug coff-pe-read
22447@cindex COFF/PE exported symbols
22448Control display of debugging messages related to reading of COFF/PE
22449exported symbols. The default is off.
22450@item show debug coff-pe-read
22451Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22452reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
22453@item set debug dwarf2-die
22454@cindex DWARF2 DIEs
22455Dump DWARF2 DIEs after they are read in.
22456The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
22457A value of zero turns off the display.
22458@item show debug dwarf2-die
22459Show the current state of DWARF2 DIE debugging.
22460@item set debug dwarf2-read
22461@cindex DWARF2 Reading
22462Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to reading
22463DWARF debug info. The default is off.
22464@item show debug dwarf2-read
22465Show the current state of DWARF2 reader debugging.
22466@item set debug displaced
22467@cindex displaced stepping debugging info
22468Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
22469displaced stepping support. The default is off.
22470@item show debug displaced
22471Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
22472related to displaced stepping.
22473@item set debug event
22474@cindex event debugging info
22475Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
22476default is off.
22477@item show debug event
22478Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
22479info.
22480@item set debug expression
22481@cindex expression debugging info
22482Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
22483expression parsing. The default is off.
22484@item show debug expression
22485Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
22486@value{GDBN} expression parsing.
22487@item set debug frame
22488@cindex frame debugging info
22489Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
22490default is off.
22491@item show debug frame
22492Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
22493info.
22494@item set debug gnu-nat
22495@cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
22496Turns on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
22497@item show debug gnu-nat
22498Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
22499@item set debug infrun
22500@cindex inferior debugging info
22501Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
22502The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
22503for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
22504@item show debug infrun
22505Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
22506@item set debug jit
22507@cindex just-in-time compilation, debugging messages
22508Turns on or off debugging messages from JIT debug support.
22509@item show debug jit
22510Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} JIT debugging.
22511@item set debug lin-lwp
22512@cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
22513@cindex Linux lightweight processes
22514Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
22515@item show debug lin-lwp
22516Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
22517@item set debug mach-o
22518@cindex Mach-O symbols processing
22519Control display of debugging messages related to Mach-O symbols
22520processing. The default is off.
22521@item show debug mach-o
22522Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22523reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
22524@item set debug notification
22525@cindex remote async notification debugging info
22526Turns on or off debugging messages about remote async notification.
22527The default is off.
22528@item show debug notification
22529Displays the current state of remote async notification debugging messages.
22530@item set debug observer
22531@cindex observer debugging info
22532Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
22533includes info such as the notification of observable events.
22534@item show debug observer
22535Displays the current state of observer debugging.
22536@item set debug overload
22537@cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
22538Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
22539info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
22540is off.
22541@item show debug overload
22542Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
22543debugging info.
22544@cindex expression parser, debugging info
22545@cindex debug expression parser
22546@item set debug parser
22547Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
22548Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
22549parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
22550details. The default is off.
22551@item show debug parser
22552Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
22553@cindex packets, reporting on stdout
22554@cindex serial connections, debugging
22555@cindex debug remote protocol
22556@cindex remote protocol debugging
22557@cindex display remote packets
22558@item set debug remote
22559Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
22560the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
22561@value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
22562@item show debug remote
22563Displays the state of display of remote packets.
22564@item set debug serial
22565Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
22566default is off.
22567@item show debug serial
22568Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
22569info.
22570@item set debug solib-frv
22571@cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
22572Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
22573@item show debug solib-frv
22574Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
22575messages.
22576@item set debug symtab-create
22577@cindex symbol table creation
22578Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol table creation.
22579The default is off.
22580@item show debug symtab-create
22581Show the current state of symbol table creation debugging.
22582@item set debug target
22583@cindex target debugging info
22584Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
22585includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
22586default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
22587value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
22588until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
22589@item show debug target
22590Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
22591info.
22592@item set debug timestamp
22593@cindex timestampping debugging info
22594Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
22595When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
22596message.
22597@item show debug timestamp
22598Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
22599debugging info.
22600@item set debugvarobj
22601@cindex variable object debugging info
22602Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
22603info. The default is off.
22604@item show debugvarobj
22605Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
22606debugging info.
22607@item set debug xml
22608@cindex XML parser debugging
22609Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
22610@item show debug xml
22611Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
22612@end table
22613
22614@node Other Misc Settings
22615@section Other Miscellaneous Settings
22616@cindex miscellaneous settings
22617
22618@table @code
22619@kindex set interactive-mode
22620@item set interactive-mode
22621If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to assume that GDB was started
22622in a terminal. In practice, this means that @value{GDBN} should wait
22623for the user to answer queries generated by commands entered at
22624the command prompt. If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate
22625in the opposite mode, and it uses the default answers to all queries.
22626If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} tries to determine whether
22627its standard input is a terminal, and works in interactive-mode if it
22628is, non-interactively otherwise.
22629
22630In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
22631correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
22632in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
22633inside a cygwin window.
22634
22635@kindex show interactive-mode
22636@item show interactive-mode
22637Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
22638@end table
22639
22640@node Extending GDB
22641@chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
22642@cindex extending GDB
22643
22644@value{GDBN} provides three mechanisms for extension. The first is based
22645on composition of @value{GDBN} commands, the second is based on the
22646Python scripting language, and the third is for defining new aliases of
22647existing commands.
22648
22649To facilitate the use of the first two extensions, @value{GDBN} is capable
22650of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
22651can recognize which scripting language is being used by looking at
22652the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
22653are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
22654@xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
22655
22656You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
22657setting:
22658
22659@table @code
22660@kindex set script-extension
22661@kindex show script-extension
22662@item set script-extension off
22663All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
22664
22665@item set script-extension soft
22666The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22667extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
22668evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
22669the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
22670
22671@item set script-extension strict
22672The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22673extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
22674language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
22675
22676@item show script-extension
22677Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
22678
22679@end table
22680
22681@menu
22682* Sequences:: Canned Sequences of Commands
22683* Python:: Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
22684* Aliases:: Creating new spellings of existing commands
22685@end menu
22686
22687@node Sequences
22688@section Canned Sequences of Commands
22689
22690Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
22691Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
22692commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
22693files.
22694
22695@menu
22696* Define:: How to define your own commands
22697* Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
22698* Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
22699* Output:: Commands for controlled output
22700@end menu
22701
22702@node Define
22703@subsection User-defined Commands
22704
22705@cindex user-defined command
22706@cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
22707A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
22708which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
22709@code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
22710separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
22711via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
22712
22713@smallexample
22714define adder
22715 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
22716end
22717@end smallexample
22718
22719@noindent
22720To execute the command use:
22721
22722@smallexample
22723adder 1 2 3
22724@end smallexample
22725
22726@noindent
22727This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
22728its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
22729reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
22730functions calls.
22731
22732@cindex argument count in user-defined commands
22733@cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
22734In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
22735been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
22736
22737@smallexample
22738define adder
22739 if $argc == 2
22740 print $arg0 + $arg1
22741 end
22742 if $argc == 3
22743 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
22744 end
22745end
22746@end smallexample
22747
22748@table @code
22749
22750@kindex define
22751@item define @var{commandname}
22752Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
22753by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
22754@var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
22755numbers, dashes, and underscores. It may also start with any predefined
22756prefix command. For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
22757a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
22758
22759The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
22760which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
22761commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
22762
22763@kindex document
22764@kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
22765@item document @var{commandname}
22766Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
22767accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
22768defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
22769reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
22770After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
22771@var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
22772
22773You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
22774documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
22775does not change the documentation.
22776
22777@kindex dont-repeat
22778@cindex don't repeat command
22779@item dont-repeat
22780Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
22781command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
22782(@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
22783
22784@kindex help user-defined
22785@item help user-defined
22786List all user-defined commands and all python commands defined in class
22787COMAND_USER. The first line of the documentation or docstring is
22788included (if any).
22789
22790@kindex show user
22791@item show user
22792@itemx show user @var{commandname}
22793Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
22794not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
22795definitions for all user-defined commands.
22796This does not work for user-defined python commands.
22797
22798@cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
22799@kindex show max-user-call-depth
22800@kindex set max-user-call-depth
22801@item show max-user-call-depth
22802@itemx set max-user-call-depth
22803The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
22804levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
22805infinite recursion and aborts the command.
22806This does not apply to user-defined python commands.
22807@end table
22808
22809In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
22810use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
22811
22812When user-defined commands are executed, the
22813commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
22814stops execution of the user-defined command.
22815
22816If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
22817without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
22818commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
22819messages when used in a user-defined command.
22820
22821@node Hooks
22822@subsection User-defined Command Hooks
22823@cindex command hooks
22824@cindex hooks, for commands
22825@cindex hooks, pre-command
22826
22827@kindex hook
22828You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
22829command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
22830command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
22831before that command.
22832
22833@cindex hooks, post-command
22834@kindex hookpost
22835A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
22836Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
22837@samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
22838that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
22839pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
22840
22841It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
22842occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
22843
22844@c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
22845@c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
22846
22847@kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
22848In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
22849(@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
22850execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
22851displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
22852
22853For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
22854single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
22855you could define:
22856
22857@smallexample
22858define hook-stop
22859handle SIGALRM nopass
22860end
22861
22862define hook-run
22863handle SIGALRM pass
22864end
22865
22866define hook-continue
22867handle SIGALRM pass
22868end
22869@end smallexample
22870
22871As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
22872command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
22873you could define:
22874
22875@smallexample
22876define hook-echo
22877echo <<<---
22878end
22879
22880define hookpost-echo
22881echo --->>>\n
22882end
22883
22884(@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
22885<<<---Hello World--->>>
22886(@value{GDBP})
22887
22888@end smallexample
22889
22890You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
22891not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
22892name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
22893@c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
22894@c or not?
22895You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
22896@code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
22897@samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
22898
22899If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
22900@value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
22901(before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
22902
22903If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
22904get a warning from the @code{define} command.
22905
22906@node Command Files
22907@subsection Command Files
22908
22909@cindex command files
22910@cindex scripting commands
22911A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
22912@value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
22913also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
22914does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
22915terminal.
22916
22917You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
22918command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
22919scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
22920using the @code{script-extension} setting.
22921@xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
22922
22923@table @code
22924@kindex source
22925@cindex execute commands from a file
22926@item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
22927Execute the command file @var{filename}.
22928@end table
22929
22930The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
22931unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
22932@emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
22933printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
22934execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
22935
22936@value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
22937If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
22938directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
22939(specified with the @samp{directory} command);
22940except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
22941is not relevant to scripts.
22942
22943If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
22944on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
22945The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
22946search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
22947and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
22948look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
22949The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
22950For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
22951the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
22952look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
22953For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
22954it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
22955@file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
22956will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
22957
22958If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
22959each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
22960@var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
22961
22962Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
22963without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
22964normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
22965when called from command files.
22966
22967@value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
22968mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
22969standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
22970not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
22971the next command.
22972
22973@smallexample
22974gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
22975@end smallexample
22976
22977(The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
22978will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
22979would be directed to @file{log}.
22980
22981Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
22982commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
22983complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
22984variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
22985built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
22986deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
22987complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
22988conditionally, etc.
22989
22990@table @code
22991@kindex if
22992@kindex else
22993@item if
22994@itemx else
22995This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
22996commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
22997expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
22998are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
22999There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
23000of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
23001end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
23002
23003@kindex while
23004@item while
23005This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
23006@code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
23007to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
23008line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
23009@dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
23010executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
23011
23012@kindex loop_break
23013@item loop_break
23014This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
23015Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
23016line.
23017
23018@kindex loop_continue
23019@item loop_continue
23020This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
23021in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
23022branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
23023the controlling expression.
23024
23025@kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
23026@item end
23027Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
23028@code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
23029@end table
23030
23031
23032@node Output
23033@subsection Commands for Controlled Output
23034
23035During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
23036@value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
23037explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
23038describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
23039want.
23040
23041@table @code
23042@kindex echo
23043@item echo @var{text}
23044@c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
23045@c because it is not in ANSI.
23046Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
23047@var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
23048newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
23049In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
23050by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
23051string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
23052trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
23053To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
23054@samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
23055
23056A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
23057the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
23058
23059@smallexample
23060echo This is some text\n\
23061which is continued\n\
23062onto several lines.\n
23063@end smallexample
23064
23065produces the same output as
23066
23067@smallexample
23068echo This is some text\n
23069echo which is continued\n
23070echo onto several lines.\n
23071@end smallexample
23072
23073@kindex output
23074@item output @var{expression}
23075Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
23076newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
23077value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
23078on expressions.
23079
23080@item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
23081Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
23082the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
23083Formats}, for more information.
23084
23085@kindex printf
23086@item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
23087Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
23088the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
23089@var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
23090which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
23091specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
23092executing the code below:
23093
23094@smallexample
23095printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
23096@end smallexample
23097
23098As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
23099are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
23100by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
23101evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
23102style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
23103printed.
23104
23105For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
23106
23107@smallexample
23108printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
23109@end smallexample
23110
23111@code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
23112specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
23113character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
23114
23115@itemize @bullet
23116@item
23117The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
23118
23119@item
23120The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
23121width.
23122
23123@item
23124The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
23125@code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
23126
23127@item
23128The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
23129supported.
23130
23131@item
23132The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
23133
23134@item
23135The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
23136@end itemize
23137
23138@noindent
23139Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
23140underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
23141the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
23142supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
23143
23144As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
23145sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
23146@samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
23147single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
23148supported.
23149
23150Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
23151(@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
23152together with a floating point specifier.
23153letters:
23154
23155@itemize @bullet
23156@item
23157@samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
23158
23159@item
23160@samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
23161
23162@item
23163@samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
23164@end itemize
23165
23166If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
23167support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
23168such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
23169
23170In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
23171available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
23172
23173Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
23174@smallexample
23175printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
23176@end smallexample
23177
23178@kindex eval
23179@item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
23180Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
23181the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
23182
23183@end table
23184
23185@node Python
23186@section Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
23187@cindex python scripting
23188@cindex scripting with python
23189
23190You can script @value{GDBN} using the @uref{http://www.python.org/,
23191Python programming language}. This feature is available only if
23192@value{GDBN} was configured using @option{--with-python}.
23193
23194@cindex python directory
23195Python scripts used by @value{GDBN} should be installed in
23196@file{@var{data-directory}/python}, where @var{data-directory} is
23197the data directory as determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}).
23198This directory, known as the @dfn{python directory},
23199is automatically added to the Python Search Path in order to allow
23200the Python interpreter to locate all scripts installed at this location.
23201
23202Additionally, @value{GDBN} commands and convenience functions which
23203are written in Python and are located in the
23204@file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/command} or
23205@file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/function} directories are
23206automatically imported when @value{GDBN} starts.
23207
23208@menu
23209* Python Commands:: Accessing Python from @value{GDBN}.
23210* Python API:: Accessing @value{GDBN} from Python.
23211* Python Auto-loading:: Automatically loading Python code.
23212* Python modules:: Python modules provided by @value{GDBN}.
23213@end menu
23214
23215@node Python Commands
23216@subsection Python Commands
23217@cindex python commands
23218@cindex commands to access python
23219
23220@value{GDBN} provides two commands for accessing the Python interpreter,
23221and one related setting:
23222
23223@table @code
23224@kindex python-interactive
23225@kindex pi
23226@item python-interactive @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23227@itemx pi @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23228Without an argument, the @code{python-interactive} command can be used
23229to start an interactive Python prompt. To return to @value{GDBN},
23230type the @code{EOF} character (e.g., @kbd{Ctrl-D} on an empty prompt).
23231
23232Alternatively, a single-line Python command can be given as an
23233argument and evaluated. If the command is an expression, the result
23234will be printed; otherwise, nothing will be printed. For example:
23235
23236@smallexample
23237(@value{GDBP}) python-interactive 2 + 3
232385
23239@end smallexample
23240
23241@kindex python
23242@kindex py
23243@item python @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23244@itemx py @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23245The @code{python} command can be used to evaluate Python code.
23246
23247If given an argument, the @code{python} command will evaluate the
23248argument as a Python command. For example:
23249
23250@smallexample
23251(@value{GDBP}) python print 23
2325223
23253@end smallexample
23254
23255If you do not provide an argument to @code{python}, it will act as a
23256multi-line command, like @code{define}. In this case, the Python
23257script is made up of subsequent command lines, given after the
23258@code{python} command. This command list is terminated using a line
23259containing @code{end}. For example:
23260
23261@smallexample
23262(@value{GDBP}) python
23263Type python script
23264End with a line saying just "end".
23265>print 23
23266>end
2326723
23268@end smallexample
23269
23270@kindex set python print-stack
23271@item set python print-stack
23272By default, @value{GDBN} will print only the message component of a
23273Python exception when an error occurs in a Python script. This can be
23274controlled using @code{set python print-stack}: if @code{full}, then
23275full Python stack printing is enabled; if @code{none}, then Python stack
23276and message printing is disabled; if @code{message}, the default, only
23277the message component of the error is printed.
23278@end table
23279
23280It is also possible to execute a Python script from the @value{GDBN}
23281interpreter:
23282
23283@table @code
23284@item source @file{script-name}
23285The script name must end with @samp{.py} and @value{GDBN} must be configured
23286to recognize the script language based on filename extension using
23287the @code{script-extension} setting. @xref{Extending GDB, ,Extending GDB}.
23288
23289@item python execfile ("script-name")
23290This method is based on the @code{execfile} Python built-in function,
23291and thus is always available.
23292@end table
23293
23294@node Python API
23295@subsection Python API
23296@cindex python api
23297@cindex programming in python
23298
23299You can get quick online help for @value{GDBN}'s Python API by issuing
23300the command @w{@kbd{python help (gdb)}}.
23301
23302Functions and methods which have two or more optional arguments allow
23303them to be specified using keyword syntax. This allows passing some
23304optional arguments while skipping others. Example:
23305@w{@code{gdb.some_function ('foo', bar = 1, baz = 2)}}.
23306
23307@menu
23308* Basic Python:: Basic Python Functions.
23309* Exception Handling:: How Python exceptions are translated.
23310* Values From Inferior:: Python representation of values.
23311* Types In Python:: Python representation of types.
23312* Pretty Printing API:: Pretty-printing values.
23313* Selecting Pretty-Printers:: How GDB chooses a pretty-printer.
23314* Writing a Pretty-Printer:: Writing a Pretty-Printer.
23315* Type Printing API:: Pretty-printing types.
23316* Frame Filter API:: Filtering Frames.
23317* Frame Decorator API:: Decorating Frames.
23318* Writing a Frame Filter:: Writing a Frame Filter.
23319* Inferiors In Python:: Python representation of inferiors (processes)
23320* Events In Python:: Listening for events from @value{GDBN}.
23321* Threads In Python:: Accessing inferior threads from Python.
23322* Commands In Python:: Implementing new commands in Python.
23323* Parameters In Python:: Adding new @value{GDBN} parameters.
23324* Functions In Python:: Writing new convenience functions.
23325* Progspaces In Python:: Program spaces.
23326* Objfiles In Python:: Object files.
23327* Frames In Python:: Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
23328* Blocks In Python:: Accessing blocks from Python.
23329* Symbols In Python:: Python representation of symbols.
23330* Symbol Tables In Python:: Python representation of symbol tables.
23331* Breakpoints In Python:: Manipulating breakpoints using Python.
23332* Finish Breakpoints in Python:: Setting Breakpoints on function return
23333 using Python.
23334* Lazy Strings In Python:: Python representation of lazy strings.
23335* Architectures In Python:: Python representation of architectures.
23336@end menu
23337
23338@node Basic Python
23339@subsubsection Basic Python
23340
23341@cindex python stdout
23342@cindex python pagination
23343At startup, @value{GDBN} overrides Python's @code{sys.stdout} and
23344@code{sys.stderr} to print using @value{GDBN}'s output-paging streams.
23345A Python program which outputs to one of these streams may have its
23346output interrupted by the user (@pxref{Screen Size}). In this
23347situation, a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception is thrown.
23348
23349Some care must be taken when writing Python code to run in
23350@value{GDBN}. Two things worth noting in particular:
23351
23352@itemize @bullet
23353@item
23354@value{GDBN} install handlers for @code{SIGCHLD} and @code{SIGINT}.
23355Python code must not override these, or even change the options using
23356@code{sigaction}. If your program changes the handling of these
23357signals, @value{GDBN} will most likely stop working correctly. Note
23358that it is unfortunately common for GUI toolkits to install a
23359@code{SIGCHLD} handler.
23360
23361@item
23362@value{GDBN} takes care to mark its internal file descriptors as
23363close-on-exec. However, this cannot be done in a thread-safe way on
23364all platforms. Your Python programs should be aware of this and
23365should both create new file descriptors with the close-on-exec flag
23366set and arrange to close unneeded file descriptors before starting a
23367child process.
23368@end itemize
23369
23370@cindex python functions
23371@cindex python module
23372@cindex gdb module
23373@value{GDBN} introduces a new Python module, named @code{gdb}. All
23374methods and classes added by @value{GDBN} are placed in this module.
23375@value{GDBN} automatically @code{import}s the @code{gdb} module for
23376use in all scripts evaluated by the @code{python} command.
23377
23378@findex gdb.PYTHONDIR
23379@defvar gdb.PYTHONDIR
23380A string containing the python directory (@pxref{Python}).
23381@end defvar
23382
23383@findex gdb.execute
23384@defun gdb.execute (command @r{[}, from_tty @r{[}, to_string@r{]]})
23385Evaluate @var{command}, a string, as a @value{GDBN} CLI command.
23386If a GDB exception happens while @var{command} runs, it is
23387translated as described in @ref{Exception Handling,,Exception Handling}.
23388
23389@var{from_tty} specifies whether @value{GDBN} ought to consider this
23390command as having originated from the user invoking it interactively.
23391It must be a boolean value. If omitted, it defaults to @code{False}.
23392
23393By default, any output produced by @var{command} is sent to
23394@value{GDBN}'s standard output. If the @var{to_string} parameter is
23395@code{True}, then output will be collected by @code{gdb.execute} and
23396returned as a string. The default is @code{False}, in which case the
23397return value is @code{None}. If @var{to_string} is @code{True}, the
23398@value{GDBN} virtual terminal will be temporarily set to unlimited width
23399and height, and its pagination will be disabled; @pxref{Screen Size}.
23400@end defun
23401
23402@findex gdb.breakpoints
23403@defun gdb.breakpoints ()
23404Return a sequence holding all of @value{GDBN}'s breakpoints.
23405@xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for more information.
23406@end defun
23407
23408@findex gdb.parameter
23409@defun gdb.parameter (parameter)
23410Return the value of a @value{GDBN} parameter. @var{parameter} is a
23411string naming the parameter to look up; @var{parameter} may contain
23412spaces if the parameter has a multi-part name. For example,
23413@samp{print object} is a valid parameter name.
23414
23415If the named parameter does not exist, this function throws a
23416@code{gdb.error} (@pxref{Exception Handling}). Otherwise, the
23417parameter's value is converted to a Python value of the appropriate
23418type, and returned.
23419@end defun
23420
23421@findex gdb.history
23422@defun gdb.history (number)
23423Return a value from @value{GDBN}'s value history (@pxref{Value
23424History}). @var{number} indicates which history element to return.
23425If @var{number} is negative, then @value{GDBN} will take its absolute value
23426and count backward from the last element (i.e., the most recent element) to
23427find the value to return. If @var{number} is zero, then @value{GDBN} will
23428return the most recent element. If the element specified by @var{number}
23429doesn't exist in the value history, a @code{gdb.error} exception will be
23430raised.
23431
23432If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
23433@code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
23434@end defun
23435
23436@findex gdb.parse_and_eval
23437@defun gdb.parse_and_eval (expression)
23438Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
23439evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
23440@var{expression} must be a string.
23441
23442This function can be useful when implementing a new command
23443(@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
23444command's argument as an expression. It is also useful simply to
23445compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
23446convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
23447@end defun
23448
23449@findex gdb.find_pc_line
23450@defun gdb.find_pc_line (pc)
23451Return the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object corresponding to the
23452@var{pc} value. @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}. If an invalid
23453value of @var{pc} is passed as an argument, then the @code{symtab} and
23454@code{line} attributes of the returned @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object
23455will be @code{None} and 0 respectively.
23456@end defun
23457
23458@findex gdb.post_event
23459@defun gdb.post_event (event)
23460Put @var{event}, a callable object taking no arguments, into
23461@value{GDBN}'s internal event queue. This callable will be invoked at
23462some later point, during @value{GDBN}'s event processing. Events
23463posted using @code{post_event} will be run in the order in which they
23464were posted; however, there is no way to know when they will be
23465processed relative to other events inside @value{GDBN}.
23466
23467@value{GDBN} is not thread-safe. If your Python program uses multiple
23468threads, you must be careful to only call @value{GDBN}-specific
23469functions in the main @value{GDBN} thread. @code{post_event} ensures
23470this. For example:
23471
23472@smallexample
23473(@value{GDBP}) python
23474>import threading
23475>
23476>class Writer():
23477> def __init__(self, message):
23478> self.message = message;
23479> def __call__(self):
23480> gdb.write(self.message)
23481>
23482>class MyThread1 (threading.Thread):
23483> def run (self):
23484> gdb.post_event(Writer("Hello "))
23485>
23486>class MyThread2 (threading.Thread):
23487> def run (self):
23488> gdb.post_event(Writer("World\n"))
23489>
23490>MyThread1().start()
23491>MyThread2().start()
23492>end
23493(@value{GDBP}) Hello World
23494@end smallexample
23495@end defun
23496
23497@findex gdb.write
23498@defun gdb.write (string @r{[}, stream{]})
23499Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated output stream. The
23500optional @var{stream} determines the stream to print to. The default
23501stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible stream
23502values are:
23503
23504@table @code
23505@findex STDOUT
23506@findex gdb.STDOUT
23507@item gdb.STDOUT
23508@value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
23509
23510@findex STDERR
23511@findex gdb.STDERR
23512@item gdb.STDERR
23513@value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
23514
23515@findex STDLOG
23516@findex gdb.STDLOG
23517@item gdb.STDLOG
23518@value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
23519@end table
23520
23521Writing to @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
23522call this function and will automatically direct the output to the
23523relevant stream.
23524@end defun
23525
23526@findex gdb.flush
23527@defun gdb.flush ()
23528Flush the buffer of a @value{GDBN} paginated stream so that the
23529contents are displayed immediately. @value{GDBN} will flush the
23530contents of a stream automatically when it encounters a newline in the
23531buffer. The optional @var{stream} determines the stream to flush. The
23532default stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible
23533stream values are:
23534
23535@table @code
23536@findex STDOUT
23537@findex gdb.STDOUT
23538@item gdb.STDOUT
23539@value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
23540
23541@findex STDERR
23542@findex gdb.STDERR
23543@item gdb.STDERR
23544@value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
23545
23546@findex STDLOG
23547@findex gdb.STDLOG
23548@item gdb.STDLOG
23549@value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
23550
23551@end table
23552
23553Flushing @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
23554call this function for the relevant stream.
23555@end defun
23556
23557@findex gdb.target_charset
23558@defun gdb.target_charset ()
23559Return the name of the current target character set (@pxref{Character
23560Sets}). This differs from @code{gdb.parameter('target-charset')} in
23561that @samp{auto} is never returned.
23562@end defun
23563
23564@findex gdb.target_wide_charset
23565@defun gdb.target_wide_charset ()
23566Return the name of the current target wide character set
23567(@pxref{Character Sets}). This differs from
23568@code{gdb.parameter('target-wide-charset')} in that @samp{auto} is
23569never returned.
23570@end defun
23571
23572@findex gdb.solib_name
23573@defun gdb.solib_name (address)
23574Return the name of the shared library holding the given @var{address}
23575as a string, or @code{None}.
23576@end defun
23577
23578@findex gdb.decode_line
23579@defun gdb.decode_line @r{[}expression@r{]}
23580Return locations of the line specified by @var{expression}, or of the
23581current line if no argument was given. This function returns a Python
23582tuple containing two elements. The first element contains a string
23583holding any unparsed section of @var{expression} (or @code{None} if
23584the expression has been fully parsed). The second element contains
23585either @code{None} or another tuple that contains all the locations
23586that match the expression represented as @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line}
23587objects (@pxref{Symbol Tables In Python}). If @var{expression} is
23588provided, it is decoded the way that @value{GDBN}'s inbuilt
23589@code{break} or @code{edit} commands do (@pxref{Specify Location}).
23590@end defun
23591
23592@defun gdb.prompt_hook (current_prompt)
23593@anchor{prompt_hook}
23594
23595If @var{prompt_hook} is callable, @value{GDBN} will call the method
23596assigned to this operation before a prompt is displayed by
23597@value{GDBN}.
23598
23599The parameter @code{current_prompt} contains the current @value{GDBN}
23600prompt. This method must return a Python string, or @code{None}. If
23601a string is returned, the @value{GDBN} prompt will be set to that
23602string. If @code{None} is returned, @value{GDBN} will continue to use
23603the current prompt.
23604
23605Some prompts cannot be substituted in @value{GDBN}. Secondary prompts
23606such as those used by readline for command input, and annotation
23607related prompts are prohibited from being changed.
23608@end defun
23609
23610@node Exception Handling
23611@subsubsection Exception Handling
23612@cindex python exceptions
23613@cindex exceptions, python
23614
23615When executing the @code{python} command, Python exceptions
23616uncaught within the Python code are translated to calls to
23617@value{GDBN} error-reporting mechanism. If the command that called
23618@code{python} does not handle the error, @value{GDBN} will
23619terminate it and print an error message containing the Python
23620exception name, the associated value, and the Python call stack
23621backtrace at the point where the exception was raised. Example:
23622
23623@smallexample
23624(@value{GDBP}) python print foo
23625Traceback (most recent call last):
23626 File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
23627NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
23628@end smallexample
23629
23630@value{GDBN} errors that happen in @value{GDBN} commands invoked by
23631Python code are converted to Python exceptions. The type of the
23632Python exception depends on the error.
23633
23634@ftable @code
23635@item gdb.error
23636This is the base class for most exceptions generated by @value{GDBN}.
23637It is derived from @code{RuntimeError}, for compatibility with earlier
23638versions of @value{GDBN}.
23639
23640If an error occurring in @value{GDBN} does not fit into some more
23641specific category, then the generated exception will have this type.
23642
23643@item gdb.MemoryError
23644This is a subclass of @code{gdb.error} which is thrown when an
23645operation tried to access invalid memory in the inferior.
23646
23647@item KeyboardInterrupt
23648User interrupt (via @kbd{C-c} or by typing @kbd{q} at a pagination
23649prompt) is translated to a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception.
23650@end ftable
23651
23652In all cases, your exception handler will see the @value{GDBN} error
23653message as its value and the Python call stack backtrace at the Python
23654statement closest to where the @value{GDBN} error occured as the
23655traceback.
23656
23657@findex gdb.GdbError
23658When implementing @value{GDBN} commands in Python via @code{gdb.Command},
23659it is useful to be able to throw an exception that doesn't cause a
23660traceback to be printed. For example, the user may have invoked the
23661command incorrectly. Use the @code{gdb.GdbError} exception
23662to handle this case. Example:
23663
23664@smallexample
23665(gdb) python
23666>class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
23667> """Greet the whole world."""
23668> def __init__ (self):
23669> super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
23670> def invoke (self, args, from_tty):
23671> argv = gdb.string_to_argv (args)
23672> if len (argv) != 0:
23673> raise gdb.GdbError ("hello-world takes no arguments")
23674> print "Hello, World!"
23675>HelloWorld ()
23676>end
23677(gdb) hello-world 42
23678hello-world takes no arguments
23679@end smallexample
23680
23681@node Values From Inferior
23682@subsubsection Values From Inferior
23683@cindex values from inferior, with Python
23684@cindex python, working with values from inferior
23685
23686@cindex @code{gdb.Value}
23687@value{GDBN} provides values it obtains from the inferior program in
23688an object of type @code{gdb.Value}. @value{GDBN} uses this object
23689for its internal bookkeeping of the inferior's values, and for
23690fetching values when necessary.
23691
23692Inferior values that are simple scalars can be used directly in
23693Python expressions that are valid for the value's data type. Here's
23694an example for an integer or floating-point value @code{some_val}:
23695
23696@smallexample
23697bar = some_val + 2
23698@end smallexample
23699
23700@noindent
23701As result of this, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object
23702whose values are of the same type as those of @code{some_val}.
23703
23704Inferior values that are structures or instances of some class can
23705be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}. For example, if
23706@code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance holding a structure, you
23707can access its @code{foo} element with:
23708
23709@smallexample
23710bar = some_val['foo']
23711@end smallexample
23712
23713Again, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object.
23714
23715A @code{gdb.Value} that represents a function can be executed via
23716inferior function call. Any arguments provided to the call must match
23717the function's prototype, and must be provided in the order specified
23718by that prototype.
23719
23720For example, @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance
23721representing a function that takes two integers as arguments. To
23722execute this function, call it like so:
23723
23724@smallexample
23725result = some_val (10,20)
23726@end smallexample
23727
23728Any values returned from a function call will be stored as a
23729@code{gdb.Value}.
23730
23731The following attributes are provided:
23732
23733@defvar Value.address
23734If this object is addressable, this read-only attribute holds a
23735@code{gdb.Value} object representing the address. Otherwise,
23736this attribute holds @code{None}.
23737@end defvar
23738
23739@cindex optimized out value in Python
23740@defvar Value.is_optimized_out
23741This read-only boolean attribute is true if the compiler optimized out
23742this value, thus it is not available for fetching from the inferior.
23743@end defvar
23744
23745@defvar Value.type
23746The type of this @code{gdb.Value}. The value of this attribute is a
23747@code{gdb.Type} object (@pxref{Types In Python}).
23748@end defvar
23749
23750@defvar Value.dynamic_type
23751The dynamic type of this @code{gdb.Value}. This uses C@t{++} run-time
23752type information (@acronym{RTTI}) to determine the dynamic type of the
23753value. If this value is of class type, it will return the class in
23754which the value is embedded, if any. If this value is of pointer or
23755reference to a class type, it will compute the dynamic type of the
23756referenced object, and return a pointer or reference to that type,
23757respectively. In all other cases, it will return the value's static
23758type.
23759
23760Note that this feature will only work when debugging a C@t{++} program
23761that includes @acronym{RTTI} for the object in question. Otherwise,
23762it will just return the static type of the value as in @kbd{ptype foo}
23763(@pxref{Symbols, ptype}).
23764@end defvar
23765
23766@defvar Value.is_lazy
23767The value of this read-only boolean attribute is @code{True} if this
23768@code{gdb.Value} has not yet been fetched from the inferior.
23769@value{GDBN} does not fetch values until necessary, for efficiency.
23770For example:
23771
23772@smallexample
23773myval = gdb.parse_and_eval ('somevar')
23774@end smallexample
23775
23776The value of @code{somevar} is not fetched at this time. It will be
23777fetched when the value is needed, or when the @code{fetch_lazy}
23778method is invoked.
23779@end defvar
23780
23781The following methods are provided:
23782
23783@defun Value.__init__ (@var{val})
23784Many Python values can be converted directly to a @code{gdb.Value} via
23785this object initializer. Specifically:
23786
23787@table @asis
23788@item Python boolean
23789A Python boolean is converted to the boolean type from the current
23790language.
23791
23792@item Python integer
23793A Python integer is converted to the C @code{long} type for the
23794current architecture.
23795
23796@item Python long
23797A Python long is converted to the C @code{long long} type for the
23798current architecture.
23799
23800@item Python float
23801A Python float is converted to the C @code{double} type for the
23802current architecture.
23803
23804@item Python string
23805A Python string is converted to a target string, using the current
23806target encoding.
23807
23808@item @code{gdb.Value}
23809If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.Value}, then a copy of the value is made.
23810
23811@item @code{gdb.LazyString}
23812If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings In
23813Python}), then the lazy string's @code{value} method is called, and
23814its result is used.
23815@end table
23816@end defun
23817
23818@defun Value.cast (type)
23819Return a new instance of @code{gdb.Value} that is the result of
23820casting this instance to the type described by @var{type}, which must
23821be a @code{gdb.Type} object. If the cast cannot be performed for some
23822reason, this method throws an exception.
23823@end defun
23824
23825@defun Value.dereference ()
23826For pointer data types, this method returns a new @code{gdb.Value} object
23827whose contents is the object pointed to by the pointer. For example, if
23828@code{foo} is a C pointer to an @code{int}, declared in your C program as
23829
23830@smallexample
23831int *foo;
23832@end smallexample
23833
23834@noindent
23835then you can use the corresponding @code{gdb.Value} to access what
23836@code{foo} points to like this:
23837
23838@smallexample
23839bar = foo.dereference ()
23840@end smallexample
23841
23842The result @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Value} object holding the
23843value pointed to by @code{foo}.
23844
23845A similar function @code{Value.referenced_value} exists which also
23846returns @code{gdb.Value} objects corresonding to the values pointed to
23847by pointer values (and additionally, values referenced by reference
23848values). However, the behavior of @code{Value.dereference}
23849differs from @code{Value.referenced_value} by the fact that the
23850behavior of @code{Value.dereference} is identical to applying the C
23851unary operator @code{*} on a given value. For example, consider a
23852reference to a pointer @code{ptrref}, declared in your C@t{++} program
23853as
23854
23855@smallexample
23856typedef int *intptr;
23857...
23858int val = 10;
23859intptr ptr = &val;
23860intptr &ptrref = ptr;
23861@end smallexample
23862
23863Though @code{ptrref} is a reference value, one can apply the method
23864@code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding
23865to it and obtain a @code{gdb.Value} which is identical to that
23866corresponding to @code{val}. However, if you apply the method
23867@code{Value.referenced_value}, the result would be a @code{gdb.Value}
23868object identical to that corresponding to @code{ptr}.
23869
23870@smallexample
23871py_ptrref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ptrref")
23872py_val = py_ptrref.dereference ()
23873py_ptr = py_ptrref.referenced_value ()
23874@end smallexample
23875
23876The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
23877corresponding to @code{val}, and @code{py_ptr} is identical to that
23878corresponding to @code{ptr}. In general, @code{Value.dereference} can
23879be applied whenever the C unary operator @code{*} can be applied
23880to the corresponding C value. For those cases where applying both
23881@code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} is allowed,
23882the results obtained need not be identical (as we have seen in the above
23883example). The results are however identical when applied on
23884@code{gdb.Value} objects corresponding to pointers (@code{gdb.Value}
23885objects with type code @code{TYPE_CODE_PTR}) in a C/C@t{++} program.
23886@end defun
23887
23888@defun Value.referenced_value ()
23889For pointer or reference data types, this method returns a new
23890@code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the value referenced by the
23891pointer/reference value. For pointer data types,
23892@code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} produce
23893identical results. The difference between these methods is that
23894@code{Value.dereference} cannot get the values referenced by reference
23895values. For example, consider a reference to an @code{int}, declared
23896in your C@t{++} program as
23897
23898@smallexample
23899int val = 10;
23900int &ref = val;
23901@end smallexample
23902
23903@noindent
23904then applying @code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object
23905corresponding to @code{ref} will result in an error, while applying
23906@code{Value.referenced_value} will result in a @code{gdb.Value} object
23907identical to that corresponding to @code{val}.
23908
23909@smallexample
23910py_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ref")
23911er_ref = py_ref.dereference () # Results in error
23912py_val = py_ref.referenced_value () # Returns the referenced value
23913@end smallexample
23914
23915The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
23916corresponding to @code{val}.
23917@end defun
23918
23919@defun Value.dynamic_cast (type)
23920Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{dynamic_cast}
23921operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
23922@end defun
23923
23924@defun Value.reinterpret_cast (type)
23925Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{reinterpret_cast}
23926operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
23927@end defun
23928
23929@defun Value.string (@r{[}encoding@r{[}, errors@r{[}, length@r{]]]})
23930If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
23931converts the contents to a Python string. Otherwise, this method will
23932throw an exception.
23933
23934Strings are recognized in a language-specific way; whether a given
23935@code{gdb.Value} represents a string is determined by the current
23936language.
23937
23938For C-like languages, a value is a string if it is a pointer to or an
23939array of characters or ints. The string is assumed to be terminated
23940by a zero of the appropriate width. However if the optional length
23941argument is given, the string will be converted to that given length,
23942ignoring any embedded zeros that the string may contain.
23943
23944If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
23945naming the encoding of the string in the @code{gdb.Value}, such as
23946@code{"ascii"}, @code{"iso-8859-6"} or @code{"utf-8"}. It accepts
23947the same encodings as the corresponding argument to Python's
23948@code{string.decode} method, and the Python codec machinery will be used
23949to convert the string. If @var{encoding} is not given, or if
23950@var{encoding} is the empty string, then either the @code{target-charset}
23951(@pxref{Character Sets}) will be used, or a language-specific encoding
23952will be used, if the current language is able to supply one.
23953
23954The optional @var{errors} argument is the same as the corresponding
23955argument to Python's @code{string.decode} method.
23956
23957If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
23958fetched and converted to the given length.
23959@end defun
23960
23961@defun Value.lazy_string (@r{[}encoding @r{[}, length@r{]]})
23962If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
23963converts the contents to a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings
23964In Python}). Otherwise, this method will throw an exception.
23965
23966If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
23967naming the encoding of the @code{gdb.LazyString}. Some examples are:
23968@samp{ascii}, @samp{iso-8859-6} or @samp{utf-8}. If the
23969@var{encoding} argument is an encoding that @value{GDBN} does
23970recognize, @value{GDBN} will raise an error.
23971
23972When a lazy string is printed, the @value{GDBN} encoding machinery is
23973used to convert the string during printing. If the optional
23974@var{encoding} argument is not provided, or is an empty string,
23975@value{GDBN} will automatically select the encoding most suitable for
23976the string type. For further information on encoding in @value{GDBN}
23977please see @ref{Character Sets}.
23978
23979If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
23980fetched and encoded to the length of characters specified. If
23981the @var{length} argument is not provided, the string will be fetched
23982and encoded until a null of appropriate width is found.
23983@end defun
23984
23985@defun Value.fetch_lazy ()
23986If the @code{gdb.Value} object is currently a lazy value
23987(@code{gdb.Value.is_lazy} is @code{True}), then the value is
23988fetched from the inferior. Any errors that occur in the process
23989will produce a Python exception.
23990
23991If the @code{gdb.Value} object is not a lazy value, this method
23992has no effect.
23993
23994This method does not return a value.
23995@end defun
23996
23997
23998@node Types In Python
23999@subsubsection Types In Python
24000@cindex types in Python
24001@cindex Python, working with types
24002
24003@tindex gdb.Type
24004@value{GDBN} represents types from the inferior using the class
24005@code{gdb.Type}.
24006
24007The following type-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
24008module:
24009
24010@findex gdb.lookup_type
24011@defun gdb.lookup_type (name @r{[}, block@r{]})
24012This function looks up a type by name. @var{name} is the name of the
24013type to look up. It must be a string.
24014
24015If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
24016Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
24017
24018Ordinarily, this function will return an instance of @code{gdb.Type}.
24019If the named type cannot be found, it will throw an exception.
24020@end defun
24021
24022If the type is a structure or class type, or an enum type, the fields
24023of that type can be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}.
24024For example, if @code{some_type} is a @code{gdb.Type} instance holding
24025a structure type, you can access its @code{foo} field with:
24026
24027@smallexample
24028bar = some_type['foo']
24029@end smallexample
24030
24031@code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Field} object; see below under the
24032description of the @code{Type.fields} method for a description of the
24033@code{gdb.Field} class.
24034
24035An instance of @code{Type} has the following attributes:
24036
24037@defvar Type.code
24038The type code for this type. The type code will be one of the
24039@code{TYPE_CODE_} constants defined below.
24040@end defvar
24041
24042@defvar Type.sizeof
24043The size of this type, in target @code{char} units. Usually, a
24044target's @code{char} type will be an 8-bit byte. However, on some
24045unusual platforms, this type may have a different size.
24046@end defvar
24047
24048@defvar Type.tag
24049The tag name for this type. The tag name is the name after
24050@code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} in C and C@t{++}; not all
24051languages have this concept. If this type has no tag name, then
24052@code{None} is returned.
24053@end defvar
24054
24055The following methods are provided:
24056
24057@defun Type.fields ()
24058For structure and union types, this method returns the fields. Range
24059types have two fields, the minimum and maximum values. Enum types
24060have one field per enum constant. Function and method types have one
24061field per parameter. The base types of C@t{++} classes are also
24062represented as fields. If the type has no fields, or does not fit
24063into one of these categories, an empty sequence will be returned.
24064
24065Each field is a @code{gdb.Field} object, with some pre-defined attributes:
24066@table @code
24067@item bitpos
24068This attribute is not available for @code{static} fields (as in
24069C@t{++} or Java). For non-@code{static} fields, the value is the bit
24070position of the field. For @code{enum} fields, the value is the
24071enumeration member's integer representation.
24072
24073@item name
24074The name of the field, or @code{None} for anonymous fields.
24075
24076@item artificial
24077This is @code{True} if the field is artificial, usually meaning that
24078it was provided by the compiler and not the user. This attribute is
24079always provided, and is @code{False} if the field is not artificial.
24080
24081@item is_base_class
24082This is @code{True} if the field represents a base class of a C@t{++}
24083structure. This attribute is always provided, and is @code{False}
24084if the field is not a base class of the type that is the argument of
24085@code{fields}, or if that type was not a C@t{++} class.
24086
24087@item bitsize
24088If the field is packed, or is a bitfield, then this will have a
24089non-zero value, which is the size of the field in bits. Otherwise,
24090this will be zero; in this case the field's size is given by its type.
24091
24092@item type
24093The type of the field. This is usually an instance of @code{Type},
24094but it can be @code{None} in some situations.
24095@end table
24096@end defun
24097
24098@defun Type.array (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
24099Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an array of this
24100type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
24101the array; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
24102given, the first argument is the lower bound of the array, and the
24103second argument is the upper bound of the array. An array's length
24104must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
24105@end defun
24106
24107@defun Type.vector (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
24108Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a vector of this
24109type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
24110the vector; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
24111given, the first argument is the lower bound of the vector, and the
24112second argument is the upper bound of the vector. A vector's length
24113must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
24114
24115The difference between an @code{array} and a @code{vector} is that
24116arrays behave like in C: when used in expressions they decay to a pointer
24117to the first element whereas vectors are treated as first class values.
24118@end defun
24119
24120@defun Type.const ()
24121Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
24122@code{const}-qualified variant of this type.
24123@end defun
24124
24125@defun Type.volatile ()
24126Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
24127@code{volatile}-qualified variant of this type.
24128@end defun
24129
24130@defun Type.unqualified ()
24131Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an unqualified
24132variant of this type. That is, the result is neither @code{const} nor
24133@code{volatile}.
24134@end defun
24135
24136@defun Type.range ()
24137Return a Python @code{Tuple} object that contains two elements: the
24138low bound of the argument type and the high bound of that type. If
24139the type does not have a range, @value{GDBN} will raise a
24140@code{gdb.error} exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
24141@end defun
24142
24143@defun Type.reference ()
24144Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a reference to this
24145type.
24146@end defun
24147
24148@defun Type.pointer ()
24149Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a pointer to this
24150type.
24151@end defun
24152
24153@defun Type.strip_typedefs ()
24154Return a new @code{gdb.Type} that represents the real type,
24155after removing all layers of typedefs.
24156@end defun
24157
24158@defun Type.target ()
24159Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents the target type
24160of this type.
24161
24162For a pointer type, the target type is the type of the pointed-to
24163object. For an array type (meaning C-like arrays), the target type is
24164the type of the elements of the array. For a function or method type,
24165the target type is the type of the return value. For a complex type,
24166the target type is the type of the elements. For a typedef, the
24167target type is the aliased type.
24168
24169If the type does not have a target, this method will throw an
24170exception.
24171@end defun
24172
24173@defun Type.template_argument (n @r{[}, block@r{]})
24174If this @code{gdb.Type} is an instantiation of a template, this will
24175return a new @code{gdb.Type} which represents the type of the
24176@var{n}th template argument.
24177
24178If this @code{gdb.Type} is not a template type, this will throw an
24179exception. Ordinarily, only C@t{++} code will have template types.
24180
24181If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
24182Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
24183@end defun
24184
24185
24186Each type has a code, which indicates what category this type falls
24187into. The available type categories are represented by constants
24188defined in the @code{gdb} module:
24189
24190@table @code
24191@findex TYPE_CODE_PTR
24192@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
24193@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
24194The type is a pointer.
24195
24196@findex TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24197@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24198@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24199The type is an array.
24200
24201@findex TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24202@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24203@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24204The type is a structure.
24205
24206@findex TYPE_CODE_UNION
24207@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
24208@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
24209The type is a union.
24210
24211@findex TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24212@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24213@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24214The type is an enum.
24215
24216@findex TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24217@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24218@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24219A bit flags type, used for things such as status registers.
24220
24221@findex TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24222@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24223@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24224The type is a function.
24225
24226@findex TYPE_CODE_INT
24227@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
24228@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
24229The type is an integer type.
24230
24231@findex TYPE_CODE_FLT
24232@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
24233@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
24234A floating point type.
24235
24236@findex TYPE_CODE_VOID
24237@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
24238@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
24239The special type @code{void}.
24240
24241@findex TYPE_CODE_SET
24242@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
24243@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
24244A Pascal set type.
24245
24246@findex TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24247@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24248@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24249A range type, that is, an integer type with bounds.
24250
24251@findex TYPE_CODE_STRING
24252@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
24253@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
24254A string type. Note that this is only used for certain languages with
24255language-defined string types; C strings are not represented this way.
24256
24257@findex TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24258@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24259@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24260A string of bits. It is deprecated.
24261
24262@findex TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24263@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24264@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24265An unknown or erroneous type.
24266
24267@findex TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24268@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24269@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24270A method type, as found in C@t{++} or Java.
24271
24272@findex TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24273@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24274@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24275A pointer-to-member-function.
24276
24277@findex TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24278@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24279@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24280A pointer-to-member.
24281
24282@findex TYPE_CODE_REF
24283@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
24284@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
24285A reference type.
24286
24287@findex TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24288@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24289@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24290A character type.
24291
24292@findex TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24293@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24294@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24295A boolean type.
24296
24297@findex TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24298@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24299@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24300A complex float type.
24301
24302@findex TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24303@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24304@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24305A typedef to some other type.
24306
24307@findex TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24308@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24309@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24310A C@t{++} namespace.
24311
24312@findex TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24313@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24314@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24315A decimal floating point type.
24316
24317@findex TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24318@findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24319@item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24320A function internal to @value{GDBN}. This is the type used to represent
24321convenience functions.
24322@end table
24323
24324Further support for types is provided in the @code{gdb.types}
24325Python module (@pxref{gdb.types}).
24326
24327@node Pretty Printing API
24328@subsubsection Pretty Printing API
24329
24330An example output is provided (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
24331
24332A pretty-printer is just an object that holds a value and implements a
24333specific interface, defined here.
24334
24335@defun pretty_printer.children (self)
24336@value{GDBN} will call this method on a pretty-printer to compute the
24337children of the pretty-printer's value.
24338
24339This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
24340protocol. Each item returned by the iterator must be a tuple holding
24341two elements. The first element is the ``name'' of the child; the
24342second element is the child's value. The value can be any Python
24343object which is convertible to a @value{GDBN} value.
24344
24345This method is optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will act
24346as though the value has no children.
24347@end defun
24348
24349@defun pretty_printer.display_hint (self)
24350The CLI may call this method and use its result to change the
24351formatting of a value. The result will also be supplied to an MI
24352consumer as a @samp{displayhint} attribute of the variable being
24353printed.
24354
24355This method is optional. If it does exist, this method must return a
24356string.
24357
24358Some display hints are predefined by @value{GDBN}:
24359
24360@table @samp
24361@item array
24362Indicate that the object being printed is ``array-like''. The CLI
24363uses this to respect parameters such as @code{set print elements} and
24364@code{set print array}.
24365
24366@item map
24367Indicate that the object being printed is ``map-like'', and that the
24368children of this value can be assumed to alternate between keys and
24369values.
24370
24371@item string
24372Indicate that the object being printed is ``string-like''. If the
24373printer's @code{to_string} method returns a Python string of some
24374kind, then @value{GDBN} will call its internal language-specific
24375string-printing function to format the string. For the CLI this means
24376adding quotation marks, possibly escaping some characters, respecting
24377@code{set print elements}, and the like.
24378@end table
24379@end defun
24380
24381@defun pretty_printer.to_string (self)
24382@value{GDBN} will call this method to display the string
24383representation of the value passed to the object's constructor.
24384
24385When printing from the CLI, if the @code{to_string} method exists,
24386then @value{GDBN} will prepend its result to the values returned by
24387@code{children}. Exactly how this formatting is done is dependent on
24388the display hint, and may change as more hints are added. Also,
24389depending on the print settings (@pxref{Print Settings}), the CLI may
24390print just the result of @code{to_string} in a stack trace, omitting
24391the result of @code{children}.
24392
24393If this method returns a string, it is printed verbatim.
24394
24395Otherwise, if this method returns an instance of @code{gdb.Value},
24396then @value{GDBN} prints this value. This may result in a call to
24397another pretty-printer.
24398
24399If instead the method returns a Python value which is convertible to a
24400@code{gdb.Value}, then @value{GDBN} performs the conversion and prints
24401the resulting value. Again, this may result in a call to another
24402pretty-printer. Python scalars (integers, floats, and booleans) and
24403strings are convertible to @code{gdb.Value}; other types are not.
24404
24405Finally, if this method returns @code{None} then no further operations
24406are peformed in this method and nothing is printed.
24407
24408If the result is not one of these types, an exception is raised.
24409@end defun
24410
24411@value{GDBN} provides a function which can be used to look up the
24412default pretty-printer for a @code{gdb.Value}:
24413
24414@findex gdb.default_visualizer
24415@defun gdb.default_visualizer (value)
24416This function takes a @code{gdb.Value} object as an argument. If a
24417pretty-printer for this value exists, then it is returned. If no such
24418printer exists, then this returns @code{None}.
24419@end defun
24420
24421@node Selecting Pretty-Printers
24422@subsubsection Selecting Pretty-Printers
24423
24424The Python list @code{gdb.pretty_printers} contains an array of
24425functions or callable objects that have been registered via addition
24426as a pretty-printer. Printers in this list are called @code{global}
24427printers, they're available when debugging all inferiors.
24428Each @code{gdb.Progspace} contains a @code{pretty_printers} attribute.
24429Each @code{gdb.Objfile} also contains a @code{pretty_printers}
24430attribute.
24431
24432Each function on these lists is passed a single @code{gdb.Value}
24433argument and should return a pretty-printer object conforming to the
24434interface definition above (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}). If a function
24435cannot create a pretty-printer for the value, it should return
24436@code{None}.
24437
24438@value{GDBN} first checks the @code{pretty_printers} attribute of each
24439@code{gdb.Objfile} in the current program space and iteratively calls
24440each enabled lookup routine in the list for that @code{gdb.Objfile}
24441until it receives a pretty-printer object.
24442If no pretty-printer is found in the objfile lists, @value{GDBN} then
24443searches the pretty-printer list of the current program space,
24444calling each enabled function until an object is returned.
24445After these lists have been exhausted, it tries the global
24446@code{gdb.pretty_printers} list, again calling each enabled function until an
24447object is returned.
24448
24449The order in which the objfiles are searched is not specified. For a
24450given list, functions are always invoked from the head of the list,
24451and iterated over sequentially until the end of the list, or a printer
24452object is returned.
24453
24454For various reasons a pretty-printer may not work.
24455For example, the underlying data structure may have changed and
24456the pretty-printer is out of date.
24457
24458The consequences of a broken pretty-printer are severe enough that
24459@value{GDBN} provides support for enabling and disabling individual
24460printers. For example, if @code{print frame-arguments} is on,
24461a backtrace can become highly illegible if any argument is printed
24462with a broken printer.
24463
24464Pretty-printers are enabled and disabled by attaching an @code{enabled}
24465attribute to the registered function or callable object. If this attribute
24466is present and its value is @code{False}, the printer is disabled, otherwise
24467the printer is enabled.
24468
24469@node Writing a Pretty-Printer
24470@subsubsection Writing a Pretty-Printer
24471@cindex writing a pretty-printer
24472
24473A pretty-printer consists of two parts: a lookup function to detect
24474if the type is supported, and the printer itself.
24475
24476Here is an example showing how a @code{std::string} printer might be
24477written. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for details on the API this class
24478must provide.
24479
24480@smallexample
24481class StdStringPrinter(object):
24482 "Print a std::string"
24483
24484 def __init__(self, val):
24485 self.val = val
24486
24487 def to_string(self):
24488 return self.val['_M_dataplus']['_M_p']
24489
24490 def display_hint(self):
24491 return 'string'
24492@end smallexample
24493
24494And here is an example showing how a lookup function for the printer
24495example above might be written.
24496
24497@smallexample
24498def str_lookup_function(val):
24499 lookup_tag = val.type.tag
24500 if lookup_tag == None:
24501 return None
24502 regex = re.compile("^std::basic_string<char,.*>$")
24503 if regex.match(lookup_tag):
24504 return StdStringPrinter(val)
24505 return None
24506@end smallexample
24507
24508The example lookup function extracts the value's type, and attempts to
24509match it to a type that it can pretty-print. If it is a type the
24510printer can pretty-print, it will return a printer object. If not, it
24511returns @code{None}.
24512
24513We recommend that you put your core pretty-printers into a Python
24514package. If your pretty-printers are for use with a library, we
24515further recommend embedding a version number into the package name.
24516This practice will enable @value{GDBN} to load multiple versions of
24517your pretty-printers at the same time, because they will have
24518different names.
24519
24520You should write auto-loaded code (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}) such that it
24521can be evaluated multiple times without changing its meaning. An
24522ideal auto-load file will consist solely of @code{import}s of your
24523printer modules, followed by a call to a register pretty-printers with
24524the current objfile.
24525
24526Taken as a whole, this approach will scale nicely to multiple
24527inferiors, each potentially using a different library version.
24528Embedding a version number in the Python package name will ensure that
24529@value{GDBN} is able to load both sets of printers simultaneously.
24530Then, because the search for pretty-printers is done by objfile, and
24531because your auto-loaded code took care to register your library's
24532printers with a specific objfile, @value{GDBN} will find the correct
24533printers for the specific version of the library used by each
24534inferior.
24535
24536To continue the @code{std::string} example (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}),
24537this code might appear in @code{gdb.libstdcxx.v6}:
24538
24539@smallexample
24540def register_printers(objfile):
24541 objfile.pretty_printers.append(str_lookup_function)
24542@end smallexample
24543
24544@noindent
24545And then the corresponding contents of the auto-load file would be:
24546
24547@smallexample
24548import gdb.libstdcxx.v6
24549gdb.libstdcxx.v6.register_printers(gdb.current_objfile())
24550@end smallexample
24551
24552The previous example illustrates a basic pretty-printer.
24553There are a few things that can be improved on.
24554The printer doesn't have a name, making it hard to identify in a
24555list of installed printers. The lookup function has a name, but
24556lookup functions can have arbitrary, even identical, names.
24557
24558Second, the printer only handles one type, whereas a library typically has
24559several types. One could install a lookup function for each desired type
24560in the library, but one could also have a single lookup function recognize
24561several types. The latter is the conventional way this is handled.
24562If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
24563@dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
24564
24565The @code{gdb.printing} module provides a formal way of solving these
24566problems (@pxref{gdb.printing}).
24567Here is another example that handles multiple types.
24568
24569These are the types we are going to pretty-print:
24570
24571@smallexample
24572struct foo @{ int a, b; @};
24573struct bar @{ struct foo x, y; @};
24574@end smallexample
24575
24576Here are the printers:
24577
24578@smallexample
24579class fooPrinter:
24580 """Print a foo object."""
24581
24582 def __init__(self, val):
24583 self.val = val
24584
24585 def to_string(self):
24586 return ("a=<" + str(self.val["a"]) +
24587 "> b=<" + str(self.val["b"]) + ">")
24588
24589class barPrinter:
24590 """Print a bar object."""
24591
24592 def __init__(self, val):
24593 self.val = val
24594
24595 def to_string(self):
24596 return ("x=<" + str(self.val["x"]) +
24597 "> y=<" + str(self.val["y"]) + ">")
24598@end smallexample
24599
24600This example doesn't need a lookup function, that is handled by the
24601@code{gdb.printing} module. Instead a function is provided to build up
24602the object that handles the lookup.
24603
24604@smallexample
24605import gdb.printing
24606
24607def build_pretty_printer():
24608 pp = gdb.printing.RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter(
24609 "my_library")
24610 pp.add_printer('foo', '^foo$', fooPrinter)
24611 pp.add_printer('bar', '^bar$', barPrinter)
24612 return pp
24613@end smallexample
24614
24615And here is the autoload support:
24616
24617@smallexample
24618import gdb.printing
24619import my_library
24620gdb.printing.register_pretty_printer(
24621 gdb.current_objfile(),
24622 my_library.build_pretty_printer())
24623@end smallexample
24624
24625Finally, when this printer is loaded into @value{GDBN}, here is the
24626corresponding output of @samp{info pretty-printer}:
24627
24628@smallexample
24629(gdb) info pretty-printer
24630my_library.so:
24631 my_library
24632 foo
24633 bar
24634@end smallexample
24635
24636@node Type Printing API
24637@subsubsection Type Printing API
24638@cindex type printing API for Python
24639
24640@value{GDBN} provides a way for Python code to customize type display.
24641This is mainly useful for substituting canonical typedef names for
24642types.
24643
24644@cindex type printer
24645A @dfn{type printer} is just a Python object conforming to a certain
24646protocol. A simple base class implementing the protocol is provided;
24647see @ref{gdb.types}. A type printer must supply at least:
24648
24649@defivar type_printer enabled
24650A boolean which is True if the printer is enabled, and False
24651otherwise. This is manipulated by the @code{enable type-printer}
24652and @code{disable type-printer} commands.
24653@end defivar
24654
24655@defivar type_printer name
24656The name of the type printer. This must be a string. This is used by
24657the @code{enable type-printer} and @code{disable type-printer}
24658commands.
24659@end defivar
24660
24661@defmethod type_printer instantiate (self)
24662This is called by @value{GDBN} at the start of type-printing. It is
24663only called if the type printer is enabled. This method must return a
24664new object that supplies a @code{recognize} method, as described below.
24665@end defmethod
24666
24667
24668When displaying a type, say via the @code{ptype} command, @value{GDBN}
24669will compute a list of type recognizers. This is done by iterating
24670first over the per-objfile type printers (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}),
24671followed by the per-progspace type printers (@pxref{Progspaces In
24672Python}), and finally the global type printers.
24673
24674@value{GDBN} will call the @code{instantiate} method of each enabled
24675type printer. If this method returns @code{None}, then the result is
24676ignored; otherwise, it is appended to the list of recognizers.
24677
24678Then, when @value{GDBN} is going to display a type name, it iterates
24679over the list of recognizers. For each one, it calls the recognition
24680function, stopping if the function returns a non-@code{None} value.
24681The recognition function is defined as:
24682
24683@defmethod type_recognizer recognize (self, type)
24684If @var{type} is not recognized, return @code{None}. Otherwise,
24685return a string which is to be printed as the name of @var{type}.
24686@var{type} will be an instance of @code{gdb.Type} (@pxref{Types In
24687Python}).
24688@end defmethod
24689
24690@value{GDBN} uses this two-pass approach so that type printers can
24691efficiently cache information without holding on to it too long. For
24692example, it can be convenient to look up type information in a type
24693printer and hold it for a recognizer's lifetime; if a single pass were
24694done then type printers would have to make use of the event system in
24695order to avoid holding information that could become stale as the
24696inferior changed.
24697
24698@node Frame Filter API
24699@subsubsection Filtering Frames.
24700@cindex frame filters api
24701
24702Frame filters are Python objects that manipulate the visibility of a
24703frame or frames when a backtrace (@pxref{Backtrace}) is printed by
24704@value{GDBN}.
24705
24706Only commands that print a backtrace, or, in the case of @sc{gdb/mi}
24707commands (@pxref{GDB/MI}), those that return a collection of frames
24708are affected. The commands that work with frame filters are:
24709
24710@code{backtrace} (@pxref{backtrace-command,, The backtrace command}),
24711@code{-stack-list-frames}
24712(@pxref{-stack-list-frames,, The -stack-list-frames command}),
24713@code{-stack-list-variables} (@pxref{-stack-list-variables,, The
24714-stack-list-variables command}), @code{-stack-list-arguments}
24715@pxref{-stack-list-arguments,, The -stack-list-arguments command}) and
24716@code{-stack-list-locals} (@pxref{-stack-list-locals,, The
24717-stack-list-locals command}).
24718
24719A frame filter works by taking an iterator as an argument, applying
24720actions to the contents of that iterator, and returning another
24721iterator (or, possibly, the same iterator it was provided in the case
24722where the filter does not perform any operations). Typically, frame
24723filters utilize tools such as the Python's @code{itertools} module to
24724work with and create new iterators from the source iterator.
24725Regardless of how a filter chooses to apply actions, it must not alter
24726the underlying @value{GDBN} frame or frames, or attempt to alter the
24727call-stack within @value{GDBN}. This preserves data integrity within
24728@value{GDBN}. Frame filters are executed on a priority basis and care
24729should be taken that some frame filters may have been executed before,
24730and that some frame filters will be executed after.
24731
24732An important consideration when designing frame filters, and well
24733worth reflecting upon, is that frame filters should avoid unwinding
24734the call stack if possible. Some stacks can run very deep, into the
24735tens of thousands in some cases. To search every frame when a frame
24736filter executes may be too expensive at that step. The frame filter
24737cannot know how many frames it has to iterate over, and it may have to
24738iterate through them all. This ends up duplicating effort as
24739@value{GDBN} performs this iteration when it prints the frames. If
24740the filter can defer unwinding frames until frame decorators are
24741executed, after the last filter has executed, it should. @xref{Frame
24742Decorator API}, for more information on decorators. Also, there are
24743examples for both frame decorators and filters in later chapters.
24744@xref{Writing a Frame Filter}, for more information.
24745
24746The Python dictionary @code{gdb.frame_filters} contains key/object
24747pairings that comprise a frame filter. Frame filters in this
24748dictionary are called @code{global} frame filters, and they are
24749available when debugging all inferiors. These frame filters must
24750register with the dictionary directly. In addition to the
24751@code{global} dictionary, there are other dictionaries that are loaded
24752with different inferiors via auto-loading (@pxref{Python
24753Auto-loading}). The two other areas where frame filter dictionaries
24754can be found are: @code{gdb.Progspace} which contains a
24755@code{frame_filters} dictionary attribute, and each @code{gdb.Objfile}
24756object which also contains a @code{frame_filters} dictionary
24757attribute.
24758
24759When a command is executed from @value{GDBN} that is compatible with
24760frame filters, @value{GDBN} combines the @code{global},
24761@code{gdb.Progspace} and all @code{gdb.Objfile} dictionaries currently
24762loaded. All of the @code{gdb.Objfile} dictionaries are combined, as
24763several frames, and thus several object files, might be in use.
24764@value{GDBN} then prunes any frame filter whose @code{enabled}
24765attribute is @code{False}. This pruned list is then sorted according
24766to the @code{priority} attribute in each filter.
24767
24768Once the dictionaries are combined, pruned and sorted, @value{GDBN}
24769creates an iterator which wraps each frame in the call stack in a
24770@code{FrameDecorator} object, and calls each filter in order. The
24771output from the previous filter will always be the input to the next
24772filter, and so on.
24773
24774Frame filters have a mandatory interface which each frame filter must
24775implement, defined here:
24776
24777@defun FrameFilter.filter (iterator)
24778@value{GDBN} will call this method on a frame filter when it has
24779reached the order in the priority list for that filter.
24780
24781For example, if there are four frame filters:
24782
24783@smallexample
24784Name Priority
24785
24786Filter1 5
24787Filter2 10
24788Filter3 100
24789Filter4 1
24790@end smallexample
24791
24792The order that the frame filters will be called is:
24793
24794@smallexample
24795Filter3 -> Filter2 -> Filter1 -> Filter4
24796@end smallexample
24797
24798Note that the output from @code{Filter3} is passed to the input of
24799@code{Filter2}, and so on.
24800
24801This @code{filter} method is passed a Python iterator. This iterator
24802contains a sequence of frame decorators that wrap each
24803@code{gdb.Frame}, or a frame decorator that wraps another frame
24804decorator. The first filter that is executed in the sequence of frame
24805filters will receive an iterator entirely comprised of default
24806@code{FrameDecorator} objects. However, after each frame filter is
24807executed, the previous frame filter may have wrapped some or all of
24808the frame decorators with their own frame decorator. As frame
24809decorators must also conform to a mandatory interface, these
24810decorators can be assumed to act in a uniform manner (@pxref{Frame
24811Decorator API}).
24812
24813This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
24814protocol. Each item in the iterator must be an object conforming to
24815the frame decorator interface. If a frame filter does not wish to
24816perform any operations on this iterator, it should return that
24817iterator untouched.
24818
24819This method is not optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will
24820raise and print an error.
24821@end defun
24822
24823@defvar FrameFilter.name
24824The @code{name} attribute must be Python string which contains the
24825name of the filter displayed by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Frame Filter
24826Management}). This attribute may contain any combination of letters
24827or numbers. Care should be taken to ensure that it is unique. This
24828attribute is mandatory.
24829@end defvar
24830
24831@defvar FrameFilter.enabled
24832The @code{enabled} attribute must be Python boolean. This attribute
24833indicates to @value{GDBN} whether the frame filter is enabled, and
24834should be considered when frame filters are executed. If
24835@code{enabled} is @code{True}, then the frame filter will be executed
24836when any of the backtrace commands detailed earlier in this chapter
24837are executed. If @code{enabled} is @code{False}, then the frame
24838filter will not be executed. This attribute is mandatory.
24839@end defvar
24840
24841@defvar FrameFilter.priority
24842The @code{priority} attribute must be Python integer. This attribute
24843controls the order of execution in relation to other frame filters.
24844There are no imposed limits on the range of @code{priority} other than
24845it must be a valid integer. The higher the @code{priority} attribute,
24846the sooner the frame filter will be executed in relation to other
24847frame filters. Although @code{priority} can be negative, it is
24848recommended practice to assume zero is the lowest priority that a
24849frame filter can be assigned. Frame filters that have the same
24850priority are executed in unsorted order in that priority slot. This
24851attribute is mandatory.
24852@end defvar
24853
24854@node Frame Decorator API
24855@subsubsection Decorating Frames.
24856@cindex frame decorator api
24857
24858Frame decorators are sister objects to frame filters (@pxref{Frame
24859Filter API}). Frame decorators are applied by a frame filter and can
24860only be used in conjunction with frame filters.
24861
24862The purpose of a frame decorator is to customize the printed content
24863of each @code{gdb.Frame} in commands where frame filters are executed.
24864This concept is called decorating a frame. Frame decorators decorate
24865a @code{gdb.Frame} with Python code contained within each API call.
24866This separates the actual data contained in a @code{gdb.Frame} from
24867the decorated data produced by a frame decorator. This abstraction is
24868necessary to maintain integrity of the data contained in each
24869@code{gdb.Frame}.
24870
24871Frame decorators have a mandatory interface, defined below.
24872
24873@value{GDBN} already contains a frame decorator called
24874@code{FrameDecorator}. This contains substantial amounts of
24875boilerplate code to decorate the content of a @code{gdb.Frame}. It is
24876recommended that other frame decorators inherit and extend this
24877object, and only to override the methods needed.
24878
24879@defun FrameDecorator.elided (self)
24880
24881The @code{elided} method groups frames together in a hierarchical
24882system. An example would be an interpreter, where multiple low-level
24883frames make up a single call in the interpreted language. In this
24884example, the frame filter would elide the low-level frames and present
24885a single high-level frame, representing the call in the interpreted
24886language, to the user.
24887
24888The @code{elided} function must return an iterable and this iterable
24889must contain the frames that are being elided wrapped in a suitable
24890frame decorator. If no frames are being elided this function may
24891return an empty iterable, or @code{None}. Elided frames are indented
24892from normal frames in a @code{CLI} backtrace, or in the case of
24893@code{GDB/MI}, are placed in the @code{children} field of the eliding
24894frame.
24895
24896It is the frame filter's task to also filter out the elided frames from
24897the source iterator. This will avoid printing the frame twice.
24898@end defun
24899
24900@defun FrameDecorator.function (self)
24901
24902This method returns the name of the function in the frame that is to
24903be printed.
24904
24905This method must return a Python string describing the function, or
24906@code{None}.
24907
24908If this function returns @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print any
24909data for this field.
24910@end defun
24911
24912@defun FrameDecorator.address (self)
24913
24914This method returns the address of the frame that is to be printed.
24915
24916This method must return a Python numeric integer type of sufficient
24917size to describe the address of the frame, or @code{None}.
24918
24919If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
24920any data for this field.
24921@end defun
24922
24923@defun FrameDecorator.filename (self)
24924
24925This method returns the filename and path associated with this frame.
24926
24927This method must return a Python string containing the filename and
24928the path to the object file backing the frame, or @code{None}.
24929
24930If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
24931any data for this field.
24932@end defun
24933
24934@defun FrameDecorator.line (self):
24935
24936This method returns the line number associated with the current
24937position within the function addressed by this frame.
24938
24939This method must return a Python integer type, or @code{None}.
24940
24941If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
24942any data for this field.
24943@end defun
24944
24945@defun FrameDecorator.frame_args (self)
24946@anchor{frame_args}
24947
24948This method must return an iterable, or @code{None}. Returning an
24949empty iterable, or @code{None} means frame arguments will not be
24950printed for this frame. This iterable must contain objects that
24951implement two methods, described here.
24952
24953This object must implement a @code{argument} method which takes a
24954single @code{self} parameter and must return a @code{gdb.Symbol}
24955(@pxref{Symbols In Python}), or a Python string. The object must also
24956implement a @code{value} method which takes a single @code{self}
24957parameter and must return a @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From
24958Inferior}), a Python value, or @code{None}. If the @code{value}
24959method returns @code{None}, and the @code{argument} method returns a
24960@code{gdb.Symbol}, @value{GDBN} will look-up and print the value of
24961the @code{gdb.Symbol} automatically.
24962
24963A brief example:
24964
24965@smallexample
24966class SymValueWrapper():
24967
24968 def __init__(self, symbol, value):
24969 self.sym = symbol
24970 self.val = value
24971
24972 def value(self):
24973 return self.val
24974
24975 def symbol(self):
24976 return self.sym
24977
24978class SomeFrameDecorator()
24979...
24980...
24981 def frame_args(self):
24982 args = []
24983 try:
24984 block = self.inferior_frame.block()
24985 except:
24986 return None
24987
24988 # Iterate over all symbols in a block. Only add
24989 # symbols that are arguments.
24990 for sym in block:
24991 if not sym.is_argument:
24992 continue
24993 args.append(SymValueWrapper(sym,None))
24994
24995 # Add example synthetic argument.
24996 args.append(SymValueWrapper(``foo'', 42))
24997
24998 return args
24999@end smallexample
25000@end defun
25001
25002@defun FrameDecorator.frame_locals (self)
25003
25004This method must return an iterable or @code{None}. Returning an
25005empty iterable, or @code{None} means frame local arguments will not be
25006printed for this frame.
25007
25008The object interface, the description of the various strategies for
25009reading frame locals, and the example are largely similar to those
25010described in the @code{frame_args} function, (@pxref{frame_args,,The
25011frame filter frame_args function}). Below is a modified example:
25012
25013@smallexample
25014class SomeFrameDecorator()
25015...
25016...
25017 def frame_locals(self):
25018 vars = []
25019 try:
25020 block = self.inferior_frame.block()
25021 except:
25022 return None
25023
25024 # Iterate over all symbols in a block. Add all
25025 # symbols, except arguments.
25026 for sym in block:
25027 if sym.is_argument:
25028 continue
25029 vars.append(SymValueWrapper(sym,None))
25030
25031 # Add an example of a synthetic local variable.
25032 vars.append(SymValueWrapper(``bar'', 99))
25033
25034 return vars
25035@end smallexample
25036@end defun
25037
25038@defun FrameDecorator.inferior_frame (self):
25039
25040This method must return the underlying @code{gdb.Frame} that this
25041frame decorator is decorating. @value{GDBN} requires the underlying
25042frame for internal frame information to determine how to print certain
25043values when printing a frame.
25044@end defun
25045
25046@node Writing a Frame Filter
25047@subsubsection Writing a Frame Filter
25048@cindex writing a frame filter
25049
25050There are three basic elements that a frame filter must implement: it
25051must correctly implement the documented interface (@pxref{Frame Filter
25052API}), it must register itself with @value{GDBN}, and finally, it must
25053decide if it is to work on the data provided by @value{GDBN}. In all
25054cases, whether it works on the iterator or not, each frame filter must
25055return an iterator. A bare-bones frame filter follows the pattern in
25056the following example.
25057
25058@smallexample
25059import gdb
25060
25061class FrameFilter():
25062
25063 def __init__(self):
25064 # Frame filter attribute creation.
25065 #
25066 # 'name' is the name of the filter that GDB will display.
25067 #
25068 # 'priority' is the priority of the filter relative to other
25069 # filters.
25070 #
25071 # 'enabled' is a boolean that indicates whether this filter is
25072 # enabled and should be executed.
25073
25074 self.name = "Foo"
25075 self.priority = 100
25076 self.enabled = True
25077
25078 # Register this frame filter with the global frame_filters
25079 # dictionary.
25080 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25081
25082 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25083 # Just return the iterator.
25084 return frame_iter
25085@end smallexample
25086
25087The frame filter in the example above implements the three
25088requirements for all frame filters. It implements the API, self
25089registers, and makes a decision on the iterator (in this case, it just
25090returns the iterator untouched).
25091
25092The first step is attribute creation and assignment, and as shown in
25093the comments the filter assigns the following attributes: @code{name},
25094@code{priority} and whether the filter should be enabled with the
25095@code{enabled} attribute.
25096
25097The second step is registering the frame filter with the dictionary or
25098dictionaries that the frame filter has interest in. As shown in the
25099comments, this filter just registers itself with the global dictionary
25100@code{gdb.frame_filters}. As noted earlier, @code{gdb.frame_filters}
25101is a dictionary that is initialized in the @code{gdb} module when
25102@value{GDBN} starts. What dictionary a filter registers with is an
25103important consideration. Generally, if a filter is specific to a set
25104of code, it should be registered either in the @code{objfile} or
25105@code{progspace} dictionaries as they are specific to the program
25106currently loaded in @value{GDBN}. The global dictionary is always
25107present in @value{GDBN} and is never unloaded. Any filters registered
25108with the global dictionary will exist until @value{GDBN} exits. To
25109avoid filters that may conflict, it is generally better to register
25110frame filters against the dictionaries that more closely align with
25111the usage of the filter currently in question. @xref{Python
25112Auto-loading}, for further information on auto-loading Python scripts.
25113
25114@value{GDBN} takes a hands-off approach to frame filter registration,
25115therefore it is the frame filter's responsibility to ensure
25116registration has occurred, and that any exceptions are handled
25117appropriately. In particular, you may wish to handle exceptions
25118relating to Python dictionary key uniqueness. It is mandatory that
25119the dictionary key is the same as frame filter's @code{name}
25120attribute. When a user manages frame filters (@pxref{Frame Filter
25121Management}), the names @value{GDBN} will display are those contained
25122in the @code{name} attribute.
25123
25124The final step of this example is the implementation of the
25125@code{filter} method. As shown in the example comments, we define the
25126@code{filter} method and note that the method must take an iterator,
25127and also must return an iterator. In this bare-bones example, the
25128frame filter is not very useful as it just returns the iterator
25129untouched. However this is a valid operation for frame filters that
25130have the @code{enabled} attribute set, but decide not to operate on
25131any frames.
25132
25133In the next example, the frame filter operates on all frames and
25134utilizes a frame decorator to perform some work on the frames.
25135@xref{Frame Decorator API}, for further information on the frame
25136decorator interface.
25137
25138This example works on inlined frames. It highlights frames which are
25139inlined by tagging them with an ``[inlined]'' tag. By applying a
25140frame decorator to all frames with the Python @code{itertools imap}
25141method, the example defers actions to the frame decorator. Frame
25142decorators are only processed when @value{GDBN} prints the backtrace.
25143
25144This introduces a new decision making topic: whether to perform
25145decision making operations at the filtering step, or at the printing
25146step. In this example's approach, it does not perform any filtering
25147decisions at the filtering step beyond mapping a frame decorator to
25148each frame. This allows the actual decision making to be performed
25149when each frame is printed. This is an important consideration, and
25150well worth reflecting upon when designing a frame filter. An issue
25151that frame filters should avoid is unwinding the stack if possible.
25152Some stacks can run very deep, into the tens of thousands in some
25153cases. To search every frame to determine if it is inlined ahead of
25154time may be too expensive at the filtering step. The frame filter
25155cannot know how many frames it has to iterate over, and it would have
25156to iterate through them all. This ends up duplicating effort as
25157@value{GDBN} performs this iteration when it prints the frames.
25158
25159In this example decision making can be deferred to the printing step.
25160As each frame is printed, the frame decorator can examine each frame
25161in turn when @value{GDBN} iterates. From a performance viewpoint,
25162this is the most appropriate decision to make as it avoids duplicating
25163the effort that the printing step would undertake anyway. Also, if
25164there are many frame filters unwinding the stack during filtering, it
25165can substantially delay the printing of the backtrace which will
25166result in large memory usage, and a poor user experience.
25167
25168@smallexample
25169class InlineFilter():
25170
25171 def __init__(self):
25172 self.name = "InlinedFrameFilter"
25173 self.priority = 100
25174 self.enabled = True
25175 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25176
25177 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25178 frame_iter = itertools.imap(InlinedFrameDecorator,
25179 frame_iter)
25180 return frame_iter
25181@end smallexample
25182
25183This frame filter is somewhat similar to the earlier example, except
25184that the @code{filter} method applies a frame decorator object called
25185@code{InlinedFrameDecorator} to each element in the iterator. The
25186@code{imap} Python method is light-weight. It does not proactively
25187iterate over the iterator, but rather creates a new iterator which
25188wraps the existing one.
25189
25190Below is the frame decorator for this example.
25191
25192@smallexample
25193class InlinedFrameDecorator(FrameDecorator):
25194
25195 def __init__(self, fobj):
25196 super(InlinedFrameDecorator, self).__init__(fobj)
25197
25198 def function(self):
25199 frame = fobj.inferior_frame()
25200 name = str(frame.name())
25201
25202 if frame.type() == gdb.INLINE_FRAME:
25203 name = name + " [inlined]"
25204
25205 return name
25206@end smallexample
25207
25208This frame decorator only defines and overrides the @code{function}
25209method. It lets the supplied @code{FrameDecorator}, which is shipped
25210with @value{GDBN}, perform the other work associated with printing
25211this frame.
25212
25213The combination of these two objects create this output from a
25214backtrace:
25215
25216@smallexample
25217#0 0x004004e0 in bar () at inline.c:11
25218#1 0x00400566 in max [inlined] (b=6, a=12) at inline.c:21
25219#2 0x00400566 in main () at inline.c:31
25220@end smallexample
25221
25222So in the case of this example, a frame decorator is applied to all
25223frames, regardless of whether they may be inlined or not. As
25224@value{GDBN} iterates over the iterator produced by the frame filters,
25225@value{GDBN} executes each frame decorator which then makes a decision
25226on what to print in the @code{function} callback. Using a strategy
25227like this is a way to defer decisions on the frame content to printing
25228time.
25229
25230@subheading Eliding Frames
25231
25232It might be that the above example is not desirable for representing
25233inlined frames, and a hierarchical approach may be preferred. If we
25234want to hierarchically represent frames, the @code{elided} frame
25235decorator interface might be preferable.
25236
25237This example approaches the issue with the @code{elided} method. This
25238example is quite long, but very simplistic. It is out-of-scope for
25239this section to write a complete example that comprehensively covers
25240all approaches of finding and printing inlined frames. However, this
25241example illustrates the approach an author might use.
25242
25243This example comprises of three sections.
25244
25245@smallexample
25246class InlineFrameFilter():
25247
25248 def __init__(self):
25249 self.name = "InlinedFrameFilter"
25250 self.priority = 100
25251 self.enabled = True
25252 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25253
25254 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25255 return ElidingInlineIterator(frame_iter)
25256@end smallexample
25257
25258This frame filter is very similar to the other examples. The only
25259difference is this frame filter is wrapping the iterator provided to
25260it (@code{frame_iter}) with a custom iterator called
25261@code{ElidingInlineIterator}. This again defers actions to when
25262@value{GDBN} prints the backtrace, as the iterator is not traversed
25263until printing.
25264
25265The iterator for this example is as follows. It is in this section of
25266the example where decisions are made on the content of the backtrace.
25267
25268@smallexample
25269class ElidingInlineIterator:
25270 def __init__(self, ii):
25271 self.input_iterator = ii
25272
25273 def __iter__(self):
25274 return self
25275
25276 def next(self):
25277 frame = next(self.input_iterator)
25278
25279 if frame.inferior_frame().type() != gdb.INLINE_FRAME:
25280 return frame
25281
25282 try:
25283 eliding_frame = next(self.input_iterator)
25284 except StopIteration:
25285 return frame
25286 return ElidingFrameDecorator(eliding_frame, [frame])
25287@end smallexample
25288
25289This iterator implements the Python iterator protocol. When the
25290@code{next} function is called (when @value{GDBN} prints each frame),
25291the iterator checks if this frame decorator, @code{frame}, is wrapping
25292an inlined frame. If it is not, it returns the existing frame decorator
25293untouched. If it is wrapping an inlined frame, it assumes that the
25294inlined frame was contained within the next oldest frame,
25295@code{eliding_frame}, which it fetches. It then creates and returns a
25296frame decorator, @code{ElidingFrameDecorator}, which contains both the
25297elided frame, and the eliding frame.
25298
25299@smallexample
25300class ElidingInlineDecorator(FrameDecorator):
25301
25302 def __init__(self, frame, elided_frames):
25303 super(ElidingInlineDecorator, self).__init__(frame)
25304 self.frame = frame
25305 self.elided_frames = elided_frames
25306
25307 def elided(self):
25308 return iter(self.elided_frames)
25309@end smallexample
25310
25311This frame decorator overrides one function and returns the inlined
25312frame in the @code{elided} method. As before it lets
25313@code{FrameDecorator} do the rest of the work involved in printing
25314this frame. This produces the following output.
25315
25316@smallexample
25317#0 0x004004e0 in bar () at inline.c:11
25318#2 0x00400529 in main () at inline.c:25
25319 #1 0x00400529 in max (b=6, a=12) at inline.c:15
25320@end smallexample
25321
25322In that output, @code{max} which has been inlined into @code{main} is
25323printed hierarchically. Another approach would be to combine the
25324@code{function} method, and the @code{elided} method to both print a
25325marker in the inlined frame, and also show the hierarchical
25326relationship.
25327
25328@node Inferiors In Python
25329@subsubsection Inferiors In Python
25330@cindex inferiors in Python
25331
25332@findex gdb.Inferior
25333Programs which are being run under @value{GDBN} are called inferiors
25334(@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). Python scripts can access
25335information about and manipulate inferiors controlled by @value{GDBN}
25336via objects of the @code{gdb.Inferior} class.
25337
25338The following inferior-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25339module:
25340
25341@defun gdb.inferiors ()
25342Return a tuple containing all inferior objects.
25343@end defun
25344
25345@defun gdb.selected_inferior ()
25346Return an object representing the current inferior.
25347@end defun
25348
25349A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following attributes:
25350
25351@defvar Inferior.num
25352ID of inferior, as assigned by GDB.
25353@end defvar
25354
25355@defvar Inferior.pid
25356Process ID of the inferior, as assigned by the underlying operating
25357system.
25358@end defvar
25359
25360@defvar Inferior.was_attached
25361Boolean signaling whether the inferior was created using `attach', or
25362started by @value{GDBN} itself.
25363@end defvar
25364
25365A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following methods:
25366
25367@defun Inferior.is_valid ()
25368Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Inferior} object is valid,
25369@code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Inferior} object will become invalid
25370if the inferior no longer exists within @value{GDBN}. All other
25371@code{gdb.Inferior} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid
25372at the time the method is called.
25373@end defun
25374
25375@defun Inferior.threads ()
25376This method returns a tuple holding all the threads which are valid
25377when it is called. If there are no valid threads, the method will
25378return an empty tuple.
25379@end defun
25380
25381@findex Inferior.read_memory
25382@defun Inferior.read_memory (address, length)
25383Read @var{length} bytes of memory from the inferior, starting at
25384@var{address}. Returns a buffer object, which behaves much like an array
25385or a string. It can be modified and given to the
25386@code{Inferior.write_memory} function. In @code{Python} 3, the return
25387value is a @code{memoryview} object.
25388@end defun
25389
25390@findex Inferior.write_memory
25391@defun Inferior.write_memory (address, buffer @r{[}, length@r{]})
25392Write the contents of @var{buffer} to the inferior, starting at
25393@var{address}. The @var{buffer} parameter must be a Python object
25394which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
25395object returned from @code{Inferior.read_memory}. If given, @var{length}
25396determines the number of bytes from @var{buffer} to be written.
25397@end defun
25398
25399@findex gdb.search_memory
25400@defun Inferior.search_memory (address, length, pattern)
25401Search a region of the inferior memory starting at @var{address} with
25402the given @var{length} using the search pattern supplied in
25403@var{pattern}. The @var{pattern} parameter must be a Python object
25404which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
25405object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. Returns a Python @code{Long}
25406containing the address where the pattern was found, or @code{None} if
25407the pattern could not be found.
25408@end defun
25409
25410@node Events In Python
25411@subsubsection Events In Python
25412@cindex inferior events in Python
25413
25414@value{GDBN} provides a general event facility so that Python code can be
25415notified of various state changes, particularly changes that occur in
25416the inferior.
25417
25418An @dfn{event} is just an object that describes some state change. The
25419type of the object and its attributes will vary depending on the details
25420of the change. All the existing events are described below.
25421
25422In order to be notified of an event, you must register an event handler
25423with an @dfn{event registry}. An event registry is an object in the
25424@code{gdb.events} module which dispatches particular events. A registry
25425provides methods to register and unregister event handlers:
25426
25427@defun EventRegistry.connect (object)
25428Add the given callable @var{object} to the registry. This object will be
25429called when an event corresponding to this registry occurs.
25430@end defun
25431
25432@defun EventRegistry.disconnect (object)
25433Remove the given @var{object} from the registry. Once removed, the object
25434will no longer receive notifications of events.
25435@end defun
25436
25437Here is an example:
25438
25439@smallexample
25440def exit_handler (event):
25441 print "event type: exit"
25442 print "exit code: %d" % (event.exit_code)
25443
25444gdb.events.exited.connect (exit_handler)
25445@end smallexample
25446
25447In the above example we connect our handler @code{exit_handler} to the
25448registry @code{events.exited}. Once connected, @code{exit_handler} gets
25449called when the inferior exits. The argument @dfn{event} in this example is
25450of type @code{gdb.ExitedEvent}. As you can see in the example the
25451@code{ExitedEvent} object has an attribute which indicates the exit code of
25452the inferior.
25453
25454The following is a listing of the event registries that are available and
25455details of the events they emit:
25456
25457@table @code
25458
25459@item events.cont
25460Emits @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25461
25462Some events can be thread specific when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
25463mode. When represented in Python, these events all extend
25464@code{gdb.ThreadEvent}. Note, this event is not emitted directly; instead,
25465events which are emitted by this or other modules might extend this event.
25466Examples of these events are @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} and
25467@code{gdb.ContinueEvent}.
25468
25469@defvar ThreadEvent.inferior_thread
25470In non-stop mode this attribute will be set to the specific thread which was
25471involved in the emitted event. Otherwise, it will be set to @code{None}.
25472@end defvar
25473
25474Emits @code{gdb.ContinueEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25475
25476This event indicates that the inferior has been continued after a stop. For
25477inherited attribute refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above.
25478
25479@item events.exited
25480Emits @code{events.ExitedEvent} which indicates that the inferior has exited.
25481@code{events.ExitedEvent} has two attributes:
25482@defvar ExitedEvent.exit_code
25483An integer representing the exit code, if available, which the inferior
25484has returned. (The exit code could be unavailable if, for example,
25485@value{GDBN} detaches from the inferior.) If the exit code is unavailable,
25486the attribute does not exist.
25487@end defvar
25488@defvar ExitedEvent inferior
25489A reference to the inferior which triggered the @code{exited} event.
25490@end defvar
25491
25492@item events.stop
25493Emits @code{gdb.StopEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25494
25495Indicates that the inferior has stopped. All events emitted by this registry
25496extend StopEvent. As a child of @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}, @code{gdb.StopEvent}
25497will indicate the stopped thread when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
25498mode. Refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above for more details.
25499
25500Emits @code{gdb.SignalEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
25501
25502This event indicates that the inferior or one of its threads has received as
25503signal. @code{gdb.SignalEvent} has the following attributes:
25504
25505@defvar SignalEvent.stop_signal
25506A string representing the signal received by the inferior. A list of possible
25507signal values can be obtained by running the command @code{info signals} in
25508the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
25509@end defvar
25510
25511Also emits @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
25512
25513@code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} event indicates that one or more breakpoints have
25514been hit, and has the following attributes:
25515
25516@defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoints
25517A sequence containing references to all the breakpoints (type
25518@code{gdb.Breakpoint}) that were hit.
25519@xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Breakpoint} object.
25520@end defvar
25521@defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoint
25522A reference to the first breakpoint that was hit.
25523This function is maintained for backward compatibility and is now deprecated
25524in favor of the @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent.breakpoints} attribute.
25525@end defvar
25526
25527@item events.new_objfile
25528Emits @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} which indicates that a new object file has
25529been loaded by @value{GDBN}. @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} has one attribute:
25530
25531@defvar NewObjFileEvent.new_objfile
25532A reference to the object file (@code{gdb.Objfile}) which has been loaded.
25533@xref{Objfiles In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Objfile} object.
25534@end defvar
25535
25536@end table
25537
25538@node Threads In Python
25539@subsubsection Threads In Python
25540@cindex threads in python
25541
25542@findex gdb.InferiorThread
25543Python scripts can access information about, and manipulate inferior threads
25544controlled by @value{GDBN}, via objects of the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} class.
25545
25546The following thread-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25547module:
25548
25549@findex gdb.selected_thread
25550@defun gdb.selected_thread ()
25551This function returns the thread object for the selected thread. If there
25552is no selected thread, this will return @code{None}.
25553@end defun
25554
25555A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following attributes:
25556
25557@defvar InferiorThread.name
25558The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using
25559@code{thread name}, then this returns that name. Otherwise, if an
25560OS-supplied name is available, then it is returned. Otherwise, this
25561returns @code{None}.
25562
25563This attribute can be assigned to. The new value must be a string
25564object, which sets the new name, or @code{None}, which removes any
25565user-specified thread name.
25566@end defvar
25567
25568@defvar InferiorThread.num
25569ID of the thread, as assigned by GDB.
25570@end defvar
25571
25572@defvar InferiorThread.ptid
25573ID of the thread, as assigned by the operating system. This attribute is a
25574tuple containing three integers. The first is the Process ID (PID); the second
25575is the Lightweight Process ID (LWPID), and the third is the Thread ID (TID).
25576Either the LWPID or TID may be 0, which indicates that the operating system
25577does not use that identifier.
25578@end defvar
25579
25580A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following methods:
25581
25582@defun InferiorThread.is_valid ()
25583Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object is valid,
25584@code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object will become
25585invalid if the thread exits, or the inferior that the thread belongs
25586is deleted. All other @code{gdb.InferiorThread} methods will throw an
25587exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
25588@end defun
25589
25590@defun InferiorThread.switch ()
25591This changes @value{GDBN}'s currently selected thread to the one represented
25592by this object.
25593@end defun
25594
25595@defun InferiorThread.is_stopped ()
25596Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is stopped.
25597@end defun
25598
25599@defun InferiorThread.is_running ()
25600Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is running.
25601@end defun
25602
25603@defun InferiorThread.is_exited ()
25604Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is exited.
25605@end defun
25606
25607@node Commands In Python
25608@subsubsection Commands In Python
25609
25610@cindex commands in python
25611@cindex python commands
25612You can implement new @value{GDBN} CLI commands in Python. A CLI
25613command is implemented using an instance of the @code{gdb.Command}
25614class, most commonly using a subclass.
25615
25616@defun Command.__init__ (name, @var{command_class} @r{[}, @var{completer_class} @r{[}, @var{prefix}@r{]]})
25617The object initializer for @code{Command} registers the new command
25618with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked from the
25619subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
25620
25621@var{name} is the name of the command. If @var{name} consists of
25622multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
25623commands. In this case, if one of the prefix commands does not exist,
25624an exception is raised.
25625
25626There is no support for multi-line commands.
25627
25628@var{command_class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
25629defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to categorize the
25630new command in the help system.
25631
25632@var{completer_class} is an optional argument. If given, it should be
25633one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined below. This argument
25634tells @value{GDBN} how to perform completion for this command. If not
25635given, @value{GDBN} will attempt to complete using the object's
25636@code{complete} method (see below); if no such method is found, an
25637error will occur when completion is attempted.
25638
25639@var{prefix} is an optional argument. If @code{True}, then the new
25640command is a prefix command; sub-commands of this command may be
25641registered.
25642
25643The help text for the new command is taken from the Python
25644documentation string for the command's class, if there is one. If no
25645documentation string is provided, the default value ``This command is
25646not documented.'' is used.
25647@end defun
25648
25649@cindex don't repeat Python command
25650@defun Command.dont_repeat ()
25651By default, a @value{GDBN} command is repeated when the user enters a
25652blank line at the command prompt. A command can suppress this
25653behavior by invoking the @code{dont_repeat} method. This is similar
25654to the user command @code{dont-repeat}, see @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
25655@end defun
25656
25657@defun Command.invoke (argument, from_tty)
25658This method is called by @value{GDBN} when this command is invoked.
25659
25660@var{argument} is a string. It is the argument to the command, after
25661leading and trailing whitespace has been stripped.
25662
25663@var{from_tty} is a boolean argument. When true, this means that the
25664command was entered by the user at the terminal; when false it means
25665that the command came from elsewhere.
25666
25667If this method throws an exception, it is turned into a @value{GDBN}
25668@code{error} call. Otherwise, the return value is ignored.
25669
25670@findex gdb.string_to_argv
25671To break @var{argument} up into an argv-like string use
25672@code{gdb.string_to_argv}. This function behaves identically to
25673@value{GDBN}'s internal argument lexer @code{buildargv}.
25674It is recommended to use this for consistency.
25675Arguments are separated by spaces and may be quoted.
25676Example:
25677
25678@smallexample
25679print gdb.string_to_argv ("1 2\ \\\"3 '4 \"5' \"6 '7\"")
25680['1', '2 "3', '4 "5', "6 '7"]
25681@end smallexample
25682
25683@end defun
25684
25685@cindex completion of Python commands
25686@defun Command.complete (text, word)
25687This method is called by @value{GDBN} when the user attempts
25688completion on this command. All forms of completion are handled by
25689this method, that is, the @key{TAB} and @key{M-?} key bindings
25690(@pxref{Completion}), and the @code{complete} command (@pxref{Help,
25691complete}).
25692
25693The arguments @var{text} and @var{word} are both strings. @var{text}
25694holds the complete command line up to the cursor's location.
25695@var{word} holds the last word of the command line; this is computed
25696using a word-breaking heuristic.
25697
25698The @code{complete} method can return several values:
25699@itemize @bullet
25700@item
25701If the return value is a sequence, the contents of the sequence are
25702used as the completions. It is up to @code{complete} to ensure that the
25703contents actually do complete the word. A zero-length sequence is
25704allowed, it means that there were no completions available. Only
25705string elements of the sequence are used; other elements in the
25706sequence are ignored.
25707
25708@item
25709If the return value is one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined
25710below, then the corresponding @value{GDBN}-internal completion
25711function is invoked, and its result is used.
25712
25713@item
25714All other results are treated as though there were no available
25715completions.
25716@end itemize
25717@end defun
25718
25719When a new command is registered, it must be declared as a member of
25720some general class of commands. This is used to classify top-level
25721commands in the on-line help system; note that prefix commands are not
25722listed under their own category but rather that of their top-level
25723command. The available classifications are represented by constants
25724defined in the @code{gdb} module:
25725
25726@table @code
25727@findex COMMAND_NONE
25728@findex gdb.COMMAND_NONE
25729@item gdb.COMMAND_NONE
25730The command does not belong to any particular class. A command in
25731this category will not be displayed in any of the help categories.
25732
25733@findex COMMAND_RUNNING
25734@findex gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
25735@item gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
25736The command is related to running the inferior. For example,
25737@code{start}, @code{step}, and @code{continue} are in this category.
25738Type @kbd{help running} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25739commands in this category.
25740
25741@findex COMMAND_DATA
25742@findex gdb.COMMAND_DATA
25743@item gdb.COMMAND_DATA
25744The command is related to data or variables. For example,
25745@code{call}, @code{find}, and @code{print} are in this category. Type
25746@kbd{help data} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands
25747in this category.
25748
25749@findex COMMAND_STACK
25750@findex gdb.COMMAND_STACK
25751@item gdb.COMMAND_STACK
25752The command has to do with manipulation of the stack. For example,
25753@code{backtrace}, @code{frame}, and @code{return} are in this
25754category. Type @kbd{help stack} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a
25755list of commands in this category.
25756
25757@findex COMMAND_FILES
25758@findex gdb.COMMAND_FILES
25759@item gdb.COMMAND_FILES
25760This class is used for file-related commands. For example,
25761@code{file}, @code{list} and @code{section} are in this category.
25762Type @kbd{help files} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25763commands in this category.
25764
25765@findex COMMAND_SUPPORT
25766@findex gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
25767@item gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
25768This should be used for ``support facilities'', generally meaning
25769things that are useful to the user when interacting with @value{GDBN},
25770but not related to the state of the inferior. For example,
25771@code{help}, @code{make}, and @code{shell} are in this category. Type
25772@kbd{help support} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25773commands in this category.
25774
25775@findex COMMAND_STATUS
25776@findex gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
25777@item gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
25778The command is an @samp{info}-related command, that is, related to the
25779state of @value{GDBN} itself. For example, @code{info}, @code{macro},
25780and @code{show} are in this category. Type @kbd{help status} at the
25781@value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this category.
25782
25783@findex COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
25784@findex gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
25785@item gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
25786The command has to do with breakpoints. For example, @code{break},
25787@code{clear}, and @code{delete} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
25788breakpoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in
25789this category.
25790
25791@findex COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
25792@findex gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
25793@item gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
25794The command has to do with tracepoints. For example, @code{trace},
25795@code{actions}, and @code{tfind} are in this category. Type
25796@kbd{help tracepoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25797commands in this category.
25798
25799@findex COMMAND_USER
25800@findex gdb.COMMAND_USER
25801@item gdb.COMMAND_USER
25802The command is a general purpose command for the user, and typically
25803does not fit in one of the other categories.
25804Type @kbd{help user-defined} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see
25805a list of commands in this category, as well as the list of gdb macros
25806(@pxref{Sequences}).
25807
25808@findex COMMAND_OBSCURE
25809@findex gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
25810@item gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
25811The command is only used in unusual circumstances, or is not of
25812general interest to users. For example, @code{checkpoint},
25813@code{fork}, and @code{stop} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
25814obscure} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this
25815category.
25816
25817@findex COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
25818@findex gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
25819@item gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
25820The command is only useful to @value{GDBN} maintainers. The
25821@code{maintenance} and @code{flushregs} commands are in this category.
25822Type @kbd{help internals} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25823commands in this category.
25824@end table
25825
25826A new command can use a predefined completion function, either by
25827specifying it via an argument at initialization, or by returning it
25828from the @code{complete} method. These predefined completion
25829constants are all defined in the @code{gdb} module:
25830
25831@table @code
25832@findex COMPLETE_NONE
25833@findex gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
25834@item gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
25835This constant means that no completion should be done.
25836
25837@findex COMPLETE_FILENAME
25838@findex gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
25839@item gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
25840This constant means that filename completion should be performed.
25841
25842@findex COMPLETE_LOCATION
25843@findex gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
25844@item gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
25845This constant means that location completion should be done.
25846@xref{Specify Location}.
25847
25848@findex COMPLETE_COMMAND
25849@findex gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
25850@item gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
25851This constant means that completion should examine @value{GDBN}
25852command names.
25853
25854@findex COMPLETE_SYMBOL
25855@findex gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
25856@item gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
25857This constant means that completion should be done using symbol names
25858as the source.
25859@end table
25860
25861The following code snippet shows how a trivial CLI command can be
25862implemented in Python:
25863
25864@smallexample
25865class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
25866 """Greet the whole world."""
25867
25868 def __init__ (self):
25869 super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
25870
25871 def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):
25872 print "Hello, World!"
25873
25874HelloWorld ()
25875@end smallexample
25876
25877The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
25878registration of the command with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
25879Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
25880@code{gdb} module explicitly.
25881
25882@node Parameters In Python
25883@subsubsection Parameters In Python
25884
25885@cindex parameters in python
25886@cindex python parameters
25887@tindex gdb.Parameter
25888@tindex Parameter
25889You can implement new @value{GDBN} parameters using Python. A new
25890parameter is implemented as an instance of the @code{gdb.Parameter}
25891class.
25892
25893Parameters are exposed to the user via the @code{set} and
25894@code{show} commands. @xref{Help}.
25895
25896There are many parameters that already exist and can be set in
25897@value{GDBN}. Two examples are: @code{set follow fork} and
25898@code{set charset}. Setting these parameters influences certain
25899behavior in @value{GDBN}. Similarly, you can define parameters that
25900can be used to influence behavior in custom Python scripts and commands.
25901
25902@defun Parameter.__init__ (name, @var{command-class}, @var{parameter-class} @r{[}, @var{enum-sequence}@r{]})
25903The object initializer for @code{Parameter} registers the new
25904parameter with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked
25905from the subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
25906
25907@var{name} is the name of the new parameter. If @var{name} consists
25908of multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
25909parameters. An example of this can be illustrated with the
25910@code{set print} set of parameters. If @var{name} is
25911@code{print foo}, then @code{print} will be searched as the prefix
25912parameter. In this case the parameter can subsequently be accessed in
25913@value{GDBN} as @code{set print foo}.
25914
25915If @var{name} consists of multiple words, and no prefix parameter group
25916can be found, an exception is raised.
25917
25918@var{command-class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
25919(@pxref{Commands In Python}). This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to
25920categorize the new parameter in the help system.
25921
25922@var{parameter-class} should be one of the @samp{PARAM_} constants
25923defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} the type of the new
25924parameter; this information is used for input validation and
25925completion.
25926
25927If @var{parameter-class} is @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then
25928@var{enum-sequence} must be a sequence of strings. These strings
25929represent the possible values for the parameter.
25930
25931If @var{parameter-class} is not @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then the presence
25932of a fourth argument will cause an exception to be thrown.
25933
25934The help text for the new parameter is taken from the Python
25935documentation string for the parameter's class, if there is one. If
25936there is no documentation string, a default value is used.
25937@end defun
25938
25939@defvar Parameter.set_doc
25940If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
25941the help text for this parameter's @code{set} command. The value is
25942examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
25943have no effect.
25944@end defvar
25945
25946@defvar Parameter.show_doc
25947If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
25948the help text for this parameter's @code{show} command. The value is
25949examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
25950have no effect.
25951@end defvar
25952
25953@defvar Parameter.value
25954The @code{value} attribute holds the underlying value of the
25955parameter. It can be read and assigned to just as any other
25956attribute. @value{GDBN} does validation when assignments are made.
25957@end defvar
25958
25959There are two methods that should be implemented in any
25960@code{Parameter} class. These are:
25961
25962@defun Parameter.get_set_string (self)
25963@value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s value has
25964been changed via the @code{set} API (for example, @kbd{set foo off}).
25965The @code{value} attribute has already been populated with the new
25966value and may be used in output. This method must return a string.
25967@end defun
25968
25969@defun Parameter.get_show_string (self, svalue)
25970@value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s
25971@code{show} API has been invoked (for example, @kbd{show foo}). The
25972argument @code{svalue} receives the string representation of the
25973current value. This method must return a string.
25974@end defun
25975
25976When a new parameter is defined, its type must be specified. The
25977available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
25978module:
25979
25980@table @code
25981@findex PARAM_BOOLEAN
25982@findex gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
25983@item gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
25984The value is a plain boolean. The Python boolean values, @code{True}
25985and @code{False} are the only valid values.
25986
25987@findex PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
25988@findex gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
25989@item gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
25990The value has three possible states: true, false, and @samp{auto}. In
25991Python, true and false are represented using boolean constants, and
25992@samp{auto} is represented using @code{None}.
25993
25994@findex PARAM_UINTEGER
25995@findex gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
25996@item gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
25997The value is an unsigned integer. The value of 0 should be
25998interpreted to mean ``unlimited''.
25999
26000@findex PARAM_INTEGER
26001@findex gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
26002@item gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
26003The value is a signed integer. The value of 0 should be interpreted
26004to mean ``unlimited''.
26005
26006@findex PARAM_STRING
26007@findex gdb.PARAM_STRING
26008@item gdb.PARAM_STRING
26009The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, any escape
26010sequences, such as @samp{\t}, @samp{\f}, and octal escapes, are
26011translated into corresponding characters and encoded into the current
26012host charset.
26013
26014@findex PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
26015@findex gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
26016@item gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
26017The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, escapes are
26018passed through untranslated.
26019
26020@findex PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
26021@findex gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
26022@item gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
26023The value is a either a filename (a string), or @code{None}.
26024
26025@findex PARAM_FILENAME
26026@findex gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
26027@item gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
26028The value is a filename. This is just like
26029@code{PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE}, but uses file names for completion.
26030
26031@findex PARAM_ZINTEGER
26032@findex gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
26033@item gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
26034The value is an integer. This is like @code{PARAM_INTEGER}, except 0
26035is interpreted as itself.
26036
26037@findex PARAM_ENUM
26038@findex gdb.PARAM_ENUM
26039@item gdb.PARAM_ENUM
26040The value is a string, which must be one of a collection string
26041constants provided when the parameter is created.
26042@end table
26043
26044@node Functions In Python
26045@subsubsection Writing new convenience functions
26046
26047@cindex writing convenience functions
26048@cindex convenience functions in python
26049@cindex python convenience functions
26050@tindex gdb.Function
26051@tindex Function
26052You can implement new convenience functions (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
26053in Python. A convenience function is an instance of a subclass of the
26054class @code{gdb.Function}.
26055
26056@defun Function.__init__ (name)
26057The initializer for @code{Function} registers the new function with
26058@value{GDBN}. The argument @var{name} is the name of the function,
26059a string. The function will be visible to the user as a convenience
26060variable of type @code{internal function}, whose name is the same as
26061the given @var{name}.
26062
26063The documentation for the new function is taken from the documentation
26064string for the new class.
26065@end defun
26066
26067@defun Function.invoke (@var{*args})
26068When a convenience function is evaluated, its arguments are converted
26069to instances of @code{gdb.Value}, and then the function's
26070@code{invoke} method is called. Note that @value{GDBN} does not
26071predetermine the arity of convenience functions. Instead, all
26072available arguments are passed to @code{invoke}, following the
26073standard Python calling convention. In particular, a convenience
26074function can have default values for parameters without ill effect.
26075
26076The return value of this method is used as its value in the enclosing
26077expression. If an ordinary Python value is returned, it is converted
26078to a @code{gdb.Value} following the usual rules.
26079@end defun
26080
26081The following code snippet shows how a trivial convenience function can
26082be implemented in Python:
26083
26084@smallexample
26085class Greet (gdb.Function):
26086 """Return string to greet someone.
26087Takes a name as argument."""
26088
26089 def __init__ (self):
26090 super (Greet, self).__init__ ("greet")
26091
26092 def invoke (self, name):
26093 return "Hello, %s!" % name.string ()
26094
26095Greet ()
26096@end smallexample
26097
26098The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
26099registration of the function with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
26100Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
26101@code{gdb} module explicitly.
26102
26103Now you can use the function in an expression:
26104
26105@smallexample
26106(gdb) print $greet("Bob")
26107$1 = "Hello, Bob!"
26108@end smallexample
26109
26110@node Progspaces In Python
26111@subsubsection Program Spaces In Python
26112
26113@cindex progspaces in python
26114@tindex gdb.Progspace
26115@tindex Progspace
26116A program space, or @dfn{progspace}, represents a symbolic view
26117of an address space.
26118It consists of all of the objfiles of the program.
26119@xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26120@xref{Inferiors and Programs, program spaces}, for more details
26121about program spaces.
26122
26123The following progspace-related functions are available in the
26124@code{gdb} module:
26125
26126@findex gdb.current_progspace
26127@defun gdb.current_progspace ()
26128This function returns the program space of the currently selected inferior.
26129@xref{Inferiors and Programs}.
26130@end defun
26131
26132@findex gdb.progspaces
26133@defun gdb.progspaces ()
26134Return a sequence of all the progspaces currently known to @value{GDBN}.
26135@end defun
26136
26137Each progspace is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Progspace}
26138class.
26139
26140@defvar Progspace.filename
26141The file name of the progspace as a string.
26142@end defvar
26143
26144@defvar Progspace.pretty_printers
26145The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
26146used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
26147function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
26148search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
26149which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
26150information.
26151@end defvar
26152
26153@defvar Progspace.type_printers
26154The @code{type_printers} attribute is a list of type printer objects.
26155@xref{Type Printing API}, for more information.
26156@end defvar
26157
26158@defvar Progspace.frame_filters
26159The @code{frame_filters} attribute is a dictionary of frame filter
26160objects. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for more information.
26161@end defvar
26162
26163@node Objfiles In Python
26164@subsubsection Objfiles In Python
26165
26166@cindex objfiles in python
26167@tindex gdb.Objfile
26168@tindex Objfile
26169@value{GDBN} loads symbols for an inferior from various
26170symbol-containing files (@pxref{Files}). These include the primary
26171executable file, any shared libraries used by the inferior, and any
26172separate debug info files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}).
26173@value{GDBN} calls these symbol-containing files @dfn{objfiles}.
26174
26175The following objfile-related functions are available in the
26176@code{gdb} module:
26177
26178@findex gdb.current_objfile
26179@defun gdb.current_objfile ()
26180When auto-loading a Python script (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}), @value{GDBN}
26181sets the ``current objfile'' to the corresponding objfile. This
26182function returns the current objfile. If there is no current objfile,
26183this function returns @code{None}.
26184@end defun
26185
26186@findex gdb.objfiles
26187@defun gdb.objfiles ()
26188Return a sequence of all the objfiles current known to @value{GDBN}.
26189@xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26190@end defun
26191
26192Each objfile is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Objfile}
26193class.
26194
26195@defvar Objfile.filename
26196The file name of the objfile as a string.
26197@end defvar
26198
26199@defvar Objfile.pretty_printers
26200The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
26201used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
26202function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
26203search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
26204which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
26205information.
26206@end defvar
26207
26208@defvar Objfile.type_printers
26209The @code{type_printers} attribute is a list of type printer objects.
26210@xref{Type Printing API}, for more information.
26211@end defvar
26212
26213@defvar Objfile.frame_filters
26214The @code{frame_filters} attribute is a dictionary of frame filter
26215objects. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for more information.
26216@end defvar
26217
26218A @code{gdb.Objfile} object has the following methods:
26219
26220@defun Objfile.is_valid ()
26221Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Objfile} object is valid,
26222@code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Objfile} object can become invalid
26223if the object file it refers to is not loaded in @value{GDBN} any
26224longer. All other @code{gdb.Objfile} methods will throw an exception
26225if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26226@end defun
26227
26228@node Frames In Python
26229@subsubsection Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
26230
26231@cindex frames in python
26232When the debugged program stops, @value{GDBN} is able to analyze its call
26233stack (@pxref{Frames,,Stack frames}). The @code{gdb.Frame} class
26234represents a frame in the stack. A @code{gdb.Frame} object is only valid
26235while its corresponding frame exists in the inferior's stack. If you try
26236to use an invalid frame object, @value{GDBN} will throw a @code{gdb.error}
26237exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
26238
26239Two @code{gdb.Frame} objects can be compared for equality with the @code{==}
26240operator, like:
26241
26242@smallexample
26243(@value{GDBP}) python print gdb.newest_frame() == gdb.selected_frame ()
26244True
26245@end smallexample
26246
26247The following frame-related functions are available in the @code{gdb} module:
26248
26249@findex gdb.selected_frame
26250@defun gdb.selected_frame ()
26251Return the selected frame object. (@pxref{Selection,,Selecting a Frame}).
26252@end defun
26253
26254@findex gdb.newest_frame
26255@defun gdb.newest_frame ()
26256Return the newest frame object for the selected thread.
26257@end defun
26258
26259@defun gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
26260Return a string explaining the reason why @value{GDBN} stopped unwinding
26261frames, as expressed by the given @var{reason} code (an integer, see the
26262@code{unwind_stop_reason} method further down in this section).
26263@end defun
26264
26265A @code{gdb.Frame} object has the following methods:
26266
26267@defun Frame.is_valid ()
26268Returns true if the @code{gdb.Frame} object is valid, false if not.
26269A frame object can become invalid if the frame it refers to doesn't
26270exist anymore in the inferior. All @code{gdb.Frame} methods will throw
26271an exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26272@end defun
26273
26274@defun Frame.name ()
26275Returns the function name of the frame, or @code{None} if it can't be
26276obtained.
26277@end defun
26278
26279@defun Frame.architecture ()
26280Returns the @code{gdb.Architecture} object corresponding to the frame's
26281architecture. @xref{Architectures In Python}.
26282@end defun
26283
26284@defun Frame.type ()
26285Returns the type of the frame. The value can be one of:
26286@table @code
26287@item gdb.NORMAL_FRAME
26288An ordinary stack frame.
26289
26290@item gdb.DUMMY_FRAME
26291A fake stack frame that was created by @value{GDBN} when performing an
26292inferior function call.
26293
26294@item gdb.INLINE_FRAME
26295A frame representing an inlined function. The function was inlined
26296into a @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME} that is older than this one.
26297
26298@item gdb.TAILCALL_FRAME
26299A frame representing a tail call. @xref{Tail Call Frames}.
26300
26301@item gdb.SIGTRAMP_FRAME
26302A signal trampoline frame. This is the frame created by the OS when
26303it calls into a signal handler.
26304
26305@item gdb.ARCH_FRAME
26306A fake stack frame representing a cross-architecture call.
26307
26308@item gdb.SENTINEL_FRAME
26309This is like @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME}, but it is only used for the
26310newest frame.
26311@end table
26312@end defun
26313
26314@defun Frame.unwind_stop_reason ()
26315Return an integer representing the reason why it's not possible to find
26316more frames toward the outermost frame. Use
26317@code{gdb.frame_stop_reason_string} to convert the value returned by this
26318function to a string. The value can be one of:
26319
26320@table @code
26321@item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_REASON
26322No particular reason (older frames should be available).
26323
26324@item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NULL_ID
26325The previous frame's analyzer returns an invalid result.
26326
26327@item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_OUTERMOST
26328This frame is the outermost.
26329
26330@item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_UNAVAILABLE
26331Cannot unwind further, because that would require knowing the
26332values of registers or memory that have not been collected.
26333
26334@item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_INNER_ID
26335This frame ID looks like it ought to belong to a NEXT frame,
26336but we got it for a PREV frame. Normally, this is a sign of
26337unwinder failure. It could also indicate stack corruption.
26338
26339@item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_SAME_ID
26340This frame has the same ID as the previous one. That means
26341that unwinding further would almost certainly give us another
26342frame with exactly the same ID, so break the chain. Normally,
26343this is a sign of unwinder failure. It could also indicate
26344stack corruption.
26345
26346@item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_SAVED_PC
26347The frame unwinder did not find any saved PC, but we needed
26348one to unwind further.
26349
26350@item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR
26351Any stop reason greater or equal to this value indicates some kind
26352of error. This special value facilitates writing code that tests
26353for errors in unwinding in a way that will work correctly even if
26354the list of the other values is modified in future @value{GDBN}
26355versions. Using it, you could write:
26356@smallexample
26357reason = gdb.selected_frame().unwind_stop_reason ()
26358reason_str = gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
26359if reason >= gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR:
26360 print "An error occured: %s" % reason_str
26361@end smallexample
26362@end table
26363
26364@end defun
26365
26366@defun Frame.pc ()
26367Returns the frame's resume address.
26368@end defun
26369
26370@defun Frame.block ()
26371Return the frame's code block. @xref{Blocks In Python}.
26372@end defun
26373
26374@defun Frame.function ()
26375Return the symbol for the function corresponding to this frame.
26376@xref{Symbols In Python}.
26377@end defun
26378
26379@defun Frame.older ()
26380Return the frame that called this frame.
26381@end defun
26382
26383@defun Frame.newer ()
26384Return the frame called by this frame.
26385@end defun
26386
26387@defun Frame.find_sal ()
26388Return the frame's symtab and line object.
26389@xref{Symbol Tables In Python}.
26390@end defun
26391
26392@defun Frame.read_var (variable @r{[}, block@r{]})
26393Return the value of @var{variable} in this frame. If the optional
26394argument @var{block} is provided, search for the variable from that
26395block; otherwise start at the frame's current block (which is
26396determined by the frame's current program counter). @var{variable}
26397must be a string or a @code{gdb.Symbol} object. @var{block} must be a
26398@code{gdb.Block} object.
26399@end defun
26400
26401@defun Frame.select ()
26402Set this frame to be the selected frame. @xref{Stack, ,Examining the
26403Stack}.
26404@end defun
26405
26406@node Blocks In Python
26407@subsubsection Accessing blocks from Python.
26408
26409@cindex blocks in python
26410@tindex gdb.Block
26411
26412In @value{GDBN}, symbols are stored in blocks. A block corresponds
26413roughly to a scope in the source code. Blocks are organized
26414hierarchically, and are represented individually in Python as a
26415@code{gdb.Block}. Blocks rely on debugging information being
26416available.
26417
26418A frame has a block. Please see @ref{Frames In Python}, for a more
26419in-depth discussion of frames.
26420
26421The outermost block is known as the @dfn{global block}. The global
26422block typically holds public global variables and functions.
26423
26424The block nested just inside the global block is the @dfn{static
26425block}. The static block typically holds file-scoped variables and
26426functions.
26427
26428@value{GDBN} provides a method to get a block's superblock, but there
26429is currently no way to examine the sub-blocks of a block, or to
26430iterate over all the blocks in a symbol table (@pxref{Symbol Tables In
26431Python}).
26432
26433Here is a short example that should help explain blocks:
26434
26435@smallexample
26436/* This is in the global block. */
26437int global;
26438
26439/* This is in the static block. */
26440static int file_scope;
26441
26442/* 'function' is in the global block, and 'argument' is
26443 in a block nested inside of 'function'. */
26444int function (int argument)
26445@{
26446 /* 'local' is in a block inside 'function'. It may or may
26447 not be in the same block as 'argument'. */
26448 int local;
26449
26450 @{
26451 /* 'inner' is in a block whose superblock is the one holding
26452 'local'. */
26453 int inner;
26454
26455 /* If this call is expanded by the compiler, you may see
26456 a nested block here whose function is 'inline_function'
26457 and whose superblock is the one holding 'inner'. */
26458 inline_function ();
26459 @}
26460@}
26461@end smallexample
26462
26463A @code{gdb.Block} is iterable. The iterator returns the symbols
26464(@pxref{Symbols In Python}) local to the block. Python programs
26465should not assume that a specific block object will always contain a
26466given symbol, since changes in @value{GDBN} features and
26467infrastructure may cause symbols move across blocks in a symbol
26468table.
26469
26470The following block-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
26471module:
26472
26473@findex gdb.block_for_pc
26474@defun gdb.block_for_pc (pc)
26475Return the innermost @code{gdb.Block} containing the given @var{pc}
26476value. If the block cannot be found for the @var{pc} value specified,
26477the function will return @code{None}.
26478@end defun
26479
26480A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following methods:
26481
26482@defun Block.is_valid ()
26483Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is valid,
26484@code{False} if not. A block object can become invalid if the block it
26485refers to doesn't exist anymore in the inferior. All other
26486@code{gdb.Block} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid at
26487the time the method is called. The block's validity is also checked
26488during iteration over symbols of the block.
26489@end defun
26490
26491A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following attributes:
26492
26493@defvar Block.start
26494The start address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
26495@end defvar
26496
26497@defvar Block.end
26498The end address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
26499@end defvar
26500
26501@defvar Block.function
26502The name of the block represented as a @code{gdb.Symbol}. If the
26503block is not named, then this attribute holds @code{None}. This
26504attribute is not writable.
26505
26506For ordinary function blocks, the superblock is the static block.
26507However, you should note that it is possible for a function block to
26508have a superblock that is not the static block -- for instance this
26509happens for an inlined function.
26510@end defvar
26511
26512@defvar Block.superblock
26513The block containing this block. If this parent block does not exist,
26514this attribute holds @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
26515@end defvar
26516
26517@defvar Block.global_block
26518The global block associated with this block. This attribute is not
26519writable.
26520@end defvar
26521
26522@defvar Block.static_block
26523The static block associated with this block. This attribute is not
26524writable.
26525@end defvar
26526
26527@defvar Block.is_global
26528@code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a global block,
26529@code{False} if not. This attribute is not
26530writable.
26531@end defvar
26532
26533@defvar Block.is_static
26534@code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a static block,
26535@code{False} if not. This attribute is not writable.
26536@end defvar
26537
26538@node Symbols In Python
26539@subsubsection Python representation of Symbols.
26540
26541@cindex symbols in python
26542@tindex gdb.Symbol
26543
26544@value{GDBN} represents every variable, function and type as an
26545entry in a symbol table. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
26546Similarly, Python represents these symbols in @value{GDBN} with the
26547@code{gdb.Symbol} object.
26548
26549The following symbol-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
26550module:
26551
26552@findex gdb.lookup_symbol
26553@defun gdb.lookup_symbol (name @r{[}, block @r{[}, domain@r{]]})
26554This function searches for a symbol by name. The search scope can be
26555restricted to the parameters defined in the optional domain and block
26556arguments.
26557
26558@var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string. The
26559optional @var{block} argument restricts the search to symbols visible
26560in that @var{block}. The @var{block} argument must be a
26561@code{gdb.Block} object. If omitted, the block for the current frame
26562is used. The optional @var{domain} argument restricts
26563the search to the domain type. The @var{domain} argument must be a
26564domain constant defined in the @code{gdb} module and described later
26565in this chapter.
26566
26567The result is a tuple of two elements.
26568The first element is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
26569is not found.
26570If the symbol is found, the second element is @code{True} if the symbol
26571is a field of a method's object (e.g., @code{this} in C@t{++}),
26572otherwise it is @code{False}.
26573If the symbol is not found, the second element is @code{False}.
26574@end defun
26575
26576@findex gdb.lookup_global_symbol
26577@defun gdb.lookup_global_symbol (name @r{[}, domain@r{]})
26578This function searches for a global symbol by name.
26579The search scope can be restricted to by the domain argument.
26580
26581@var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string.
26582The optional @var{domain} argument restricts the search to the domain type.
26583The @var{domain} argument must be a domain constant defined in the @code{gdb}
26584module and described later in this chapter.
26585
26586The result is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
26587is not found.
26588@end defun
26589
26590A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following attributes:
26591
26592@defvar Symbol.type
26593The type of the symbol or @code{None} if no type is recorded.
26594This attribute is represented as a @code{gdb.Type} object.
26595@xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not writable.
26596@end defvar
26597
26598@defvar Symbol.symtab
26599The symbol table in which the symbol appears. This attribute is
26600represented as a @code{gdb.Symtab} object. @xref{Symbol Tables In
26601Python}. This attribute is not writable.
26602@end defvar
26603
26604@defvar Symbol.line
26605The line number in the source code at which the symbol was defined.
26606This is an integer.
26607@end defvar
26608
26609@defvar Symbol.name
26610The name of the symbol as a string. This attribute is not writable.
26611@end defvar
26612
26613@defvar Symbol.linkage_name
26614The name of the symbol, as used by the linker (i.e., may be mangled).
26615This attribute is not writable.
26616@end defvar
26617
26618@defvar Symbol.print_name
26619The name of the symbol in a form suitable for output. This is either
26620@code{name} or @code{linkage_name}, depending on whether the user
26621asked @value{GDBN} to display demangled or mangled names.
26622@end defvar
26623
26624@defvar Symbol.addr_class
26625The address class of the symbol. This classifies how to find the value
26626of a symbol. Each address class is a constant defined in the
26627@code{gdb} module and described later in this chapter.
26628@end defvar
26629
26630@defvar Symbol.needs_frame
26631This is @code{True} if evaluating this symbol's value requires a frame
26632(@pxref{Frames In Python}) and @code{False} otherwise. Typically,
26633local variables will require a frame, but other symbols will not.
26634@end defvar
26635
26636@defvar Symbol.is_argument
26637@code{True} if the symbol is an argument of a function.
26638@end defvar
26639
26640@defvar Symbol.is_constant
26641@code{True} if the symbol is a constant.
26642@end defvar
26643
26644@defvar Symbol.is_function
26645@code{True} if the symbol is a function or a method.
26646@end defvar
26647
26648@defvar Symbol.is_variable
26649@code{True} if the symbol is a variable.
26650@end defvar
26651
26652A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following methods:
26653
26654@defun Symbol.is_valid ()
26655Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symbol} object is valid,
26656@code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symbol} object can become invalid if
26657the symbol it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any longer.
26658All other @code{gdb.Symbol} methods will throw an exception if it is
26659invalid at the time the method is called.
26660@end defun
26661
26662@defun Symbol.value (@r{[}frame@r{]})
26663Compute the value of the symbol, as a @code{gdb.Value}. For
26664functions, this computes the address of the function, cast to the
26665appropriate type. If the symbol requires a frame in order to compute
26666its value, then @var{frame} must be given. If @var{frame} is not
26667given, or if @var{frame} is invalid, then this method will throw an
26668exception.
26669@end defun
26670
26671The available domain categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
26672as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
26673
26674@table @code
26675@findex SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
26676@findex gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
26677@item gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
26678This is used when a domain has not been discovered or none of the
26679following domains apply. This usually indicates an error either
26680in the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
26681@findex SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
26682@findex gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
26683@item gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
26684This domain contains variables, function names, typedef names and enum
26685type values.
26686@findex SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
26687@findex gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
26688@item gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
26689This domain holds struct, union and enum type names.
26690@findex SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
26691@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
26692@item gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
26693This domain contains names of labels (for gotos).
26694@findex SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
26695@findex gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
26696@item gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
26697This domain holds a subset of the @code{SYMBOLS_VAR_DOMAIN}; it
26698contains everything minus functions and types.
26699@findex SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
26700@findex gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
26701@item gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTION_DOMAIN
26702This domain contains all functions.
26703@findex SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
26704@findex gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
26705@item gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
26706This domain contains all types.
26707@end table
26708
26709The available address class categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
26710as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
26711
26712@table @code
26713@findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
26714@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
26715@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
26716If this is returned by address class, it indicates an error either in
26717the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
26718@findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
26719@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
26720@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
26721Value is constant int.
26722@findex SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
26723@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
26724@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
26725Value is at a fixed address.
26726@findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
26727@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
26728@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
26729Value is in a register.
26730@findex SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
26731@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
26732@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
26733Value is an argument. This value is at the offset stored within the
26734symbol inside the frame's argument list.
26735@findex SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
26736@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
26737@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
26738Value address is stored in the frame's argument list. Just like
26739@code{LOC_ARG} except that the value's address is stored at the
26740offset, not the value itself.
26741@findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
26742@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
26743@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
26744Value is a specified register. Just like @code{LOC_REGISTER} except
26745the register holds the address of the argument instead of the argument
26746itself.
26747@findex SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
26748@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
26749@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
26750Value is a local variable.
26751@findex SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
26752@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
26753@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
26754Value not used. Symbols in the domain @code{SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN} all
26755have this class.
26756@findex SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
26757@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
26758@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
26759Value is a block.
26760@findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
26761@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
26762@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
26763Value is a byte-sequence.
26764@findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
26765@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
26766@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
26767Value is at a fixed address, but the address of the variable has to be
26768determined from the minimal symbol table whenever the variable is
26769referenced.
26770@findex SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
26771@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
26772@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
26773The value does not actually exist in the program.
26774@findex SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
26775@findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
26776@item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
26777The value's address is a computed location.
26778@end table
26779
26780@node Symbol Tables In Python
26781@subsubsection Symbol table representation in Python.
26782
26783@cindex symbol tables in python
26784@tindex gdb.Symtab
26785@tindex gdb.Symtab_and_line
26786
26787Access to symbol table data maintained by @value{GDBN} on the inferior
26788is exposed to Python via two objects: @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} and
26789@code{gdb.Symtab}. Symbol table and line data for a frame is returned
26790from the @code{find_sal} method in @code{gdb.Frame} object.
26791@xref{Frames In Python}.
26792
26793For more information on @value{GDBN}'s symbol table management, see
26794@ref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, for more information.
26795
26796A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following attributes:
26797
26798@defvar Symtab_and_line.symtab
26799The symbol table object (@code{gdb.Symtab}) for this frame.
26800This attribute is not writable.
26801@end defvar
26802
26803@defvar Symtab_and_line.pc
26804Indicates the start of the address range occupied by code for the
26805current source line. This attribute is not writable.
26806@end defvar
26807
26808@defvar Symtab_and_line.last
26809Indicates the end of the address range occupied by code for the current
26810source line. This attribute is not writable.
26811@end defvar
26812
26813@defvar Symtab_and_line.line
26814Indicates the current line number for this object. This
26815attribute is not writable.
26816@end defvar
26817
26818A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following methods:
26819
26820@defun Symtab_and_line.is_valid ()
26821Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object is valid,
26822@code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object can become
26823invalid if the Symbol table and line object it refers to does not
26824exist in @value{GDBN} any longer. All other
26825@code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} methods will throw an exception if it is
26826invalid at the time the method is called.
26827@end defun
26828
26829A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following attributes:
26830
26831@defvar Symtab.filename
26832The symbol table's source filename. This attribute is not writable.
26833@end defvar
26834
26835@defvar Symtab.objfile
26836The symbol table's backing object file. @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26837This attribute is not writable.
26838@end defvar
26839
26840A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following methods:
26841
26842@defun Symtab.is_valid ()
26843Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab} object is valid,
26844@code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab} object can become invalid if
26845the symbol table it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any
26846longer. All other @code{gdb.Symtab} methods will throw an exception
26847if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26848@end defun
26849
26850@defun Symtab.fullname ()
26851Return the symbol table's source absolute file name.
26852@end defun
26853
26854@defun Symtab.global_block ()
26855Return the global block of the underlying symbol table.
26856@xref{Blocks In Python}.
26857@end defun
26858
26859@defun Symtab.static_block ()
26860Return the static block of the underlying symbol table.
26861@xref{Blocks In Python}.
26862@end defun
26863
26864@node Breakpoints In Python
26865@subsubsection Manipulating breakpoints using Python
26866
26867@cindex breakpoints in python
26868@tindex gdb.Breakpoint
26869
26870Python code can manipulate breakpoints via the @code{gdb.Breakpoint}
26871class.
26872
26873@defun Breakpoint.__init__ (spec @r{[}, type @r{[}, wp_class @r{[},internal@r{]]]})
26874Create a new breakpoint. @var{spec} is a string naming the
26875location of the breakpoint, or an expression that defines a
26876watchpoint. The contents can be any location recognized by the
26877@code{break} command, or in the case of a watchpoint, by the @code{watch}
26878command. The optional @var{type} denotes the breakpoint to create
26879from the types defined later in this chapter. This argument can be
26880either: @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT} or @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. @var{type}
26881defaults to @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT}. The optional @var{internal} argument
26882allows the breakpoint to become invisible to the user. The breakpoint
26883will neither be reported when created, nor will it be listed in the
26884output from @code{info breakpoints} (but will be listed with the
26885@code{maint info breakpoints} command). The optional @var{wp_class}
26886argument defines the class of watchpoint to create, if @var{type} is
26887@code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. If a watchpoint class is not provided, it is
26888assumed to be a @code{gdb.WP_WRITE} class.
26889@end defun
26890
26891@defun Breakpoint.stop (self)
26892The @code{gdb.Breakpoint} class can be sub-classed and, in
26893particular, you may choose to implement the @code{stop} method.
26894If this method is defined as a sub-class of @code{gdb.Breakpoint},
26895it will be called when the inferior reaches any location of a
26896breakpoint which instantiates that sub-class. If the method returns
26897@code{True}, the inferior will be stopped at the location of the
26898breakpoint, otherwise the inferior will continue.
26899
26900If there are multiple breakpoints at the same location with a
26901@code{stop} method, each one will be called regardless of the
26902return status of the previous. This ensures that all @code{stop}
26903methods have a chance to execute at that location. In this scenario
26904if one of the methods returns @code{True} but the others return
26905@code{False}, the inferior will still be stopped.
26906
26907You should not alter the execution state of the inferior (i.e.@:, step,
26908next, etc.), alter the current frame context (i.e.@:, change the current
26909active frame), or alter, add or delete any breakpoint. As a general
26910rule, you should not alter any data within @value{GDBN} or the inferior
26911at this time.
26912
26913Example @code{stop} implementation:
26914
26915@smallexample
26916class MyBreakpoint (gdb.Breakpoint):
26917 def stop (self):
26918 inf_val = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo")
26919 if inf_val == 3:
26920 return True
26921 return False
26922@end smallexample
26923@end defun
26924
26925The available watchpoint types represented by constants are defined in the
26926@code{gdb} module:
26927
26928@table @code
26929@findex WP_READ
26930@findex gdb.WP_READ
26931@item gdb.WP_READ
26932Read only watchpoint.
26933
26934@findex WP_WRITE
26935@findex gdb.WP_WRITE
26936@item gdb.WP_WRITE
26937Write only watchpoint.
26938
26939@findex WP_ACCESS
26940@findex gdb.WP_ACCESS
26941@item gdb.WP_ACCESS
26942Read/Write watchpoint.
26943@end table
26944
26945@defun Breakpoint.is_valid ()
26946Return @code{True} if this @code{Breakpoint} object is valid,
26947@code{False} otherwise. A @code{Breakpoint} object can become invalid
26948if the user deletes the breakpoint. In this case, the object still
26949exists, but the underlying breakpoint does not. In the cases of
26950watchpoint scope, the watchpoint remains valid even if execution of the
26951inferior leaves the scope of that watchpoint.
26952@end defun
26953
26954@defun Breakpoint.delete
26955Permanently deletes the @value{GDBN} breakpoint. This also
26956invalidates the Python @code{Breakpoint} object. Any further access
26957to this object's attributes or methods will raise an error.
26958@end defun
26959
26960@defvar Breakpoint.enabled
26961This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is enabled, and
26962@code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
26963@end defvar
26964
26965@defvar Breakpoint.silent
26966This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is silent, and
26967@code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
26968
26969Note that a breakpoint can also be silent if it has commands and the
26970first command is @code{silent}. This is not reported by the
26971@code{silent} attribute.
26972@end defvar
26973
26974@defvar Breakpoint.thread
26975If the breakpoint is thread-specific, this attribute holds the thread
26976id. If the breakpoint is not thread-specific, this attribute is
26977@code{None}. This attribute is writable.
26978@end defvar
26979
26980@defvar Breakpoint.task
26981If the breakpoint is Ada task-specific, this attribute holds the Ada task
26982id. If the breakpoint is not task-specific (or the underlying
26983language is not Ada), this attribute is @code{None}. This attribute
26984is writable.
26985@end defvar
26986
26987@defvar Breakpoint.ignore_count
26988This attribute holds the ignore count for the breakpoint, an integer.
26989This attribute is writable.
26990@end defvar
26991
26992@defvar Breakpoint.number
26993This attribute holds the breakpoint's number --- the identifier used by
26994the user to manipulate the breakpoint. This attribute is not writable.
26995@end defvar
26996
26997@defvar Breakpoint.type
26998This attribute holds the breakpoint's type --- the identifier used to
26999determine the actual breakpoint type or use-case. This attribute is not
27000writable.
27001@end defvar
27002
27003@defvar Breakpoint.visible
27004This attribute tells whether the breakpoint is visible to the user
27005when set, or when the @samp{info breakpoints} command is run. This
27006attribute is not writable.
27007@end defvar
27008
27009The available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
27010module:
27011
27012@table @code
27013@findex BP_BREAKPOINT
27014@findex gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
27015@item gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
27016Normal code breakpoint.
27017
27018@findex BP_WATCHPOINT
27019@findex gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
27020@item gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
27021Watchpoint breakpoint.
27022
27023@findex BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
27024@findex gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
27025@item gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
27026Hardware assisted watchpoint.
27027
27028@findex BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
27029@findex gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
27030@item gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
27031Hardware assisted read watchpoint.
27032
27033@findex BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
27034@findex gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
27035@item gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
27036Hardware assisted access watchpoint.
27037@end table
27038
27039@defvar Breakpoint.hit_count
27040This attribute holds the hit count for the breakpoint, an integer.
27041This attribute is writable, but currently it can only be set to zero.
27042@end defvar
27043
27044@defvar Breakpoint.location
27045This attribute holds the location of the breakpoint, as specified by
27046the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have a location
27047(that is, it is a watchpoint) the attribute's value is @code{None}. This
27048attribute is not writable.
27049@end defvar
27050
27051@defvar Breakpoint.expression
27052This attribute holds a breakpoint expression, as specified by
27053the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have an
27054expression (the breakpoint is not a watchpoint) the attribute's value
27055is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
27056@end defvar
27057
27058@defvar Breakpoint.condition
27059This attribute holds the condition of the breakpoint, as specified by
27060the user. It is a string. If there is no condition, this attribute's
27061value is @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
27062@end defvar
27063
27064@defvar Breakpoint.commands
27065This attribute holds the commands attached to the breakpoint. If
27066there are commands, this attribute's value is a string holding all the
27067commands, separated by newlines. If there are no commands, this
27068attribute is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
27069@end defvar
27070
27071@node Finish Breakpoints in Python
27072@subsubsection Finish Breakpoints
27073
27074@cindex python finish breakpoints
27075@tindex gdb.FinishBreakpoint
27076
27077A finish breakpoint is a temporary breakpoint set at the return address of
27078a frame, based on the @code{finish} command. @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint}
27079extends @code{gdb.Breakpoint}. The underlying breakpoint will be disabled
27080and deleted when the execution will run out of the breakpoint scope (i.e.@:
27081@code{Breakpoint.stop} or @code{FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope} triggered).
27082Finish breakpoints are thread specific and must be create with the right
27083thread selected.
27084
27085@defun FinishBreakpoint.__init__ (@r{[}frame@r{]} @r{[}, internal@r{]})
27086Create a finish breakpoint at the return address of the @code{gdb.Frame}
27087object @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not provided, this defaults to the
27088newest frame. The optional @var{internal} argument allows the breakpoint to
27089become invisible to the user. @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for further
27090details about this argument.
27091@end defun
27092
27093@defun FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope (self)
27094In some circumstances (e.g.@: @code{longjmp}, C@t{++} exceptions, @value{GDBN}
27095@code{return} command, @dots{}), a function may not properly terminate, and
27096thus never hit the finish breakpoint. When @value{GDBN} notices such a
27097situation, the @code{out_of_scope} callback will be triggered.
27098
27099You may want to sub-class @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} and override this
27100method:
27101
27102@smallexample
27103class MyFinishBreakpoint (gdb.FinishBreakpoint)
27104 def stop (self):
27105 print "normal finish"
27106 return True
27107
27108 def out_of_scope ():
27109 print "abnormal finish"
27110@end smallexample
27111@end defun
27112
27113@defvar FinishBreakpoint.return_value
27114When @value{GDBN} is stopped at a finish breakpoint and the frame
27115used to build the @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} object had debug symbols, this
27116attribute will contain a @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the return
27117value of the function. The value will be @code{None} if the function return
27118type is @code{void} or if the return value was not computable. This attribute
27119is not writable.
27120@end defvar
27121
27122@node Lazy Strings In Python
27123@subsubsection Python representation of lazy strings.
27124
27125@cindex lazy strings in python
27126@tindex gdb.LazyString
27127
27128A @dfn{lazy string} is a string whose contents is not retrieved or
27129encoded until it is needed.
27130
27131A @code{gdb.LazyString} is represented in @value{GDBN} as an
27132@code{address} that points to a region of memory, an @code{encoding}
27133that will be used to encode that region of memory, and a @code{length}
27134to delimit the region of memory that represents the string. The
27135difference between a @code{gdb.LazyString} and a string wrapped within
27136a @code{gdb.Value} is that a @code{gdb.LazyString} will be treated
27137differently by @value{GDBN} when printing. A @code{gdb.LazyString} is
27138retrieved and encoded during printing, while a @code{gdb.Value}
27139wrapping a string is immediately retrieved and encoded on creation.
27140
27141A @code{gdb.LazyString} object has the following functions:
27142
27143@defun LazyString.value ()
27144Convert the @code{gdb.LazyString} to a @code{gdb.Value}. This value
27145will point to the string in memory, but will lose all the delayed
27146retrieval, encoding and handling that @value{GDBN} applies to a
27147@code{gdb.LazyString}.
27148@end defun
27149
27150@defvar LazyString.address
27151This attribute holds the address of the string. This attribute is not
27152writable.
27153@end defvar
27154
27155@defvar LazyString.length
27156This attribute holds the length of the string in characters. If the
27157length is -1, then the string will be fetched and encoded up to the
27158first null of appropriate width. This attribute is not writable.
27159@end defvar
27160
27161@defvar LazyString.encoding
27162This attribute holds the encoding that will be applied to the string
27163when the string is printed by @value{GDBN}. If the encoding is not
27164set, or contains an empty string, then @value{GDBN} will select the
27165most appropriate encoding when the string is printed. This attribute
27166is not writable.
27167@end defvar
27168
27169@defvar LazyString.type
27170This attribute holds the type that is represented by the lazy string's
27171type. For a lazy string this will always be a pointer type. To
27172resolve this to the lazy string's character type, use the type's
27173@code{target} method. @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not
27174writable.
27175@end defvar
27176
27177@node Architectures In Python
27178@subsubsection Python representation of architectures
27179@cindex Python architectures
27180
27181@value{GDBN} uses architecture specific parameters and artifacts in a
27182number of its various computations. An architecture is represented
27183by an instance of the @code{gdb.Architecture} class.
27184
27185A @code{gdb.Architecture} class has the following methods:
27186
27187@defun Architecture.name ()
27188Return the name (string value) of the architecture.
27189@end defun
27190
27191@defun Architecture.disassemble (@var{start_pc} @r{[}, @var{end_pc} @r{[}, @var{count}@r{]]})
27192Return a list of disassembled instructions starting from the memory
27193address @var{start_pc}. The optional arguments @var{end_pc} and
27194@var{count} determine the number of instructions in the returned list.
27195If both the optional arguments @var{end_pc} and @var{count} are
27196specified, then a list of at most @var{count} disassembled instructions
27197whose start address falls in the closed memory address interval from
27198@var{start_pc} to @var{end_pc} are returned. If @var{end_pc} is not
27199specified, but @var{count} is specified, then @var{count} number of
27200instructions starting from the address @var{start_pc} are returned. If
27201@var{count} is not specified but @var{end_pc} is specified, then all
27202instructions whose start address falls in the closed memory address
27203interval from @var{start_pc} to @var{end_pc} are returned. If neither
27204@var{end_pc} nor @var{count} are specified, then a single instruction at
27205@var{start_pc} is returned. For all of these cases, each element of the
27206returned list is a Python @code{dict} with the following string keys:
27207
27208@table @code
27209
27210@item addr
27211The value corresponding to this key is a Python long integer capturing
27212the memory address of the instruction.
27213
27214@item asm
27215The value corresponding to this key is a string value which represents
27216the instruction with assembly language mnemonics. The assembly
27217language flavor used is the same as that specified by the current CLI
27218variable @code{disassembly-flavor}. @xref{Machine Code}.
27219
27220@item length
27221The value corresponding to this key is the length (integer value) of the
27222instruction in bytes.
27223
27224@end table
27225@end defun
27226
27227@node Python Auto-loading
27228@subsection Python Auto-loading
27229@cindex Python auto-loading
27230
27231When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
27232command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
27233@value{GDBN} will look for Python support scripts in several ways:
27234@file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} (@pxref{objfile-gdb.py file})
27235and @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27236(@pxref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}).
27237
27238The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
27239debugging commands and scripts.
27240
27241Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
27242and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
27243
27244@table @code
27245@anchor{set auto-load python-scripts}
27246@kindex set auto-load python-scripts
27247@item set auto-load python-scripts [on|off]
27248Enable or disable the auto-loading of Python scripts.
27249
27250@anchor{show auto-load python-scripts}
27251@kindex show auto-load python-scripts
27252@item show auto-load python-scripts
27253Show whether auto-loading of Python scripts is enabled or disabled.
27254
27255@anchor{info auto-load python-scripts}
27256@kindex info auto-load python-scripts
27257@cindex print list of auto-loaded Python scripts
27258@item info auto-load python-scripts [@var{regexp}]
27259Print the list of all Python scripts that @value{GDBN} auto-loaded.
27260
27261Also printed is the list of Python scripts that were mentioned in
27262the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section and were not found
27263(@pxref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}).
27264This is useful because their names are not printed when @value{GDBN}
27265tries to load them and fails. There may be many of them, and printing
27266an error message for each one is problematic.
27267
27268If @var{regexp} is supplied only Python scripts with matching names are printed.
27269
27270Example:
27271
27272@smallexample
27273(gdb) info auto-load python-scripts
27274Loaded Script
27275Yes py-section-script.py
27276 full name: /tmp/py-section-script.py
27277No my-foo-pretty-printers.py
27278@end smallexample
27279@end table
27280
27281When reading an auto-loaded file, @value{GDBN} sets the
27282@dfn{current objfile}. This is available via the @code{gdb.current_objfile}
27283function (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}). This can be useful for
27284registering objfile-specific pretty-printers and frame-filters.
27285
27286@menu
27287* objfile-gdb.py file:: The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
27288* dotdebug_gdb_scripts section:: The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27289* Which flavor to choose?::
27290@end menu
27291
27292@node objfile-gdb.py file
27293@subsubsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
27294@cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
27295
27296When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for
27297a file named @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} (we call it @var{script-name} below),
27298where @var{objfile} is the object file's real name, formed by ensuring
27299that the file name is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving
27300@code{.} and @code{..} components. If this file exists and is
27301readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a Python script.
27302
27303If this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
27304@var{script-name} file in all of the directories as specified below.
27305
27306Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
27307@code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27308
27309For object files using @file{.exe} suffix @value{GDBN} tries to load first the
27310scripts normally according to its @file{.exe} filename. But if no scripts are
27311found @value{GDBN} also tries script filenames matching the object file without
27312its @file{.exe} suffix. This @file{.exe} stripping is case insensitive and it
27313is attempted on any platform. This makes the script filenames compatible
27314between Unix and MS-Windows hosts.
27315
27316@table @code
27317@anchor{set auto-load scripts-directory}
27318@kindex set auto-load scripts-directory
27319@item set auto-load scripts-directory @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
27320Control @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location. Multiple directory entries
27321may be delimited by the host platform path separator in use
27322(@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS).
27323
27324Each entry here needs to be covered also by the security setting
27325@code{set auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{set auto-load safe-path}).
27326
27327@anchor{with-auto-load-dir}
27328This variable defaults to @file{$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load}. The default
27329@code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by @value{GDBN}
27330configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-dir}.
27331
27332Any reference to @file{$debugdir} will get replaced by
27333@var{debug-file-directory} value (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}) and any
27334reference to @file{$datadir} will get replaced by @var{data-directory} which is
27335determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}). @file{$debugdir} and
27336@file{$datadir} must be placed as a directory component --- either alone or
27337delimited by @file{/} or @file{\} directory separators, depending on the host
27338platform.
27339
27340The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
27341systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
27342to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
27343
27344@anchor{show auto-load scripts-directory}
27345@kindex show auto-load scripts-directory
27346@item show auto-load scripts-directory
27347Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
27348@end table
27349
27350@value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
27351@value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
27352@var{objfile} is opened.
27353So your @file{-gdb.py} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
27354is evaluated more than once.
27355
27356@node dotdebug_gdb_scripts section
27357@subsubsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27358@cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27359
27360For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
27361when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
27362it will look for a special section named @samp{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
27363If this section exists, its contents is a list of names of scripts to load.
27364
27365@value{GDBN} will look for each specified script file first in the
27366current directory and then along the source search path
27367(@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
27368except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
27369directory is not relevant to scripts.
27370
27371Entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
27372for example, this GCC macro:
27373
27374@example
27375/* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remove duplicates. */
27376#define DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT(script_name) \
27377 asm("\
27378.pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
27379.byte 1\n\
27380.asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
27381.popsection \n\
27382");
27383@end example
27384
27385@noindent
27386Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
27387
27388@example
27389DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
27390@end example
27391
27392The script name may include directories if desired.
27393
27394Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
27395@code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27396
27397If the macro is put in a header, any application or library
27398using this header will get a reference to the specified script.
27399
27400@node Which flavor to choose?
27401@subsubsection Which flavor to choose?
27402
27403Given the multiple ways of auto-loading Python scripts, it might not always
27404be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
27405
27406Benefits of the @file{-gdb.py} way:
27407
27408@itemize @bullet
27409@item
27410Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
27411
27412@item
27413Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
27414
27415Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
27416in the source search path.
27417For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
27418isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
27419
27420@item
27421Doesn't require source code additions.
27422@end itemize
27423
27424Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
27425
27426@itemize @bullet
27427@item
27428Works with static linking.
27429
27430Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.py} way require an objfile to
27431trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
27432objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
27433scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's @file{-gdb.py} script.
27434
27435@item
27436Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
27437
27438Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
27439shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.py} script to.
27440
27441@item
27442Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
27443
27444In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
27445libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
27446@file{-gdb.py} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
27447cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
27448@code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
27449top of the source tree to the source search path.
27450@end itemize
27451
27452@node Python modules
27453@subsection Python modules
27454@cindex python modules
27455
27456@value{GDBN} comes with several modules to assist writing Python code.
27457
27458@menu
27459* gdb.printing:: Building and registering pretty-printers.
27460* gdb.types:: Utilities for working with types.
27461* gdb.prompt:: Utilities for prompt value substitution.
27462@end menu
27463
27464@node gdb.printing
27465@subsubsection gdb.printing
27466@cindex gdb.printing
27467
27468This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
27469pretty-printers.
27470
27471@table @code
27472@item PrettyPrinter (@var{name}, @var{subprinters}=None)
27473This class specifies the API that makes @samp{info pretty-printer},
27474@samp{enable pretty-printer} and @samp{disable pretty-printer} work.
27475Pretty-printers should generally inherit from this class.
27476
27477@item SubPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
27478For printers that handle multiple types, this class specifies the
27479corresponding API for the subprinters.
27480
27481@item RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
27482Utility class for handling multiple printers, all recognized via
27483regular expressions.
27484@xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for an example.
27485
27486@item FlagEnumerationPrinter (@var{name})
27487A pretty-printer which handles printing of @code{enum} values. Unlike
27488@value{GDBN}'s built-in @code{enum} printing, this printer attempts to
27489work properly when there is some overlap between the enumeration
27490constants. @var{name} is the name of the printer and also the name of
27491the @code{enum} type to look up.
27492
27493@item register_pretty_printer (@var{obj}, @var{printer}, @var{replace}=False)
27494Register @var{printer} with the pretty-printer list of @var{obj}.
27495If @var{replace} is @code{True} then any existing copy of the printer
27496is replaced. Otherwise a @code{RuntimeError} exception is raised
27497if a printer with the same name already exists.
27498@end table
27499
27500@node gdb.types
27501@subsubsection gdb.types
27502@cindex gdb.types
27503
27504This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
27505@code{gdb.Type} objects.
27506
27507@table @code
27508@item get_basic_type (@var{type})
27509Return @var{type} with const and volatile qualifiers stripped,
27510and with typedefs and C@t{++} references converted to the underlying type.
27511
27512C@t{++} example:
27513
27514@smallexample
27515typedef const int const_int;
27516const_int foo (3);
27517const_int& foo_ref (foo);
27518int main () @{ return 0; @}
27519@end smallexample
27520
27521Then in gdb:
27522
27523@smallexample
27524(gdb) start
27525(gdb) python import gdb.types
27526(gdb) python foo_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo_ref")
27527(gdb) python print gdb.types.get_basic_type(foo_ref.type)
27528int
27529@end smallexample
27530
27531@item has_field (@var{type}, @var{field})
27532Return @code{True} if @var{type}, assumed to be a type with fields
27533(e.g., a structure or union), has field @var{field}.
27534
27535@item make_enum_dict (@var{enum_type})
27536Return a Python @code{dictionary} type produced from @var{enum_type}.
27537
27538@item deep_items (@var{type})
27539Returns a Python iterator similar to the standard
27540@code{gdb.Type.iteritems} method, except that the iterator returned
27541by @code{deep_items} will recursively traverse anonymous struct or
27542union fields. For example:
27543
27544@smallexample
27545struct A
27546@{
27547 int a;
27548 union @{
27549 int b0;
27550 int b1;
27551 @};
27552@};
27553@end smallexample
27554
27555@noindent
27556Then in @value{GDBN}:
27557@smallexample
27558(@value{GDBP}) python import gdb.types
27559(@value{GDBP}) python struct_a = gdb.lookup_type("struct A")
27560(@value{GDBP}) python print struct_a.keys ()
27561@{['a', '']@}
27562(@value{GDBP}) python print [k for k,v in gdb.types.deep_items(struct_a)]
27563@{['a', 'b0', 'b1']@}
27564@end smallexample
27565
27566@item get_type_recognizers ()
27567Return a list of the enabled type recognizers for the current context.
27568This is called by @value{GDBN} during the type-printing process
27569(@pxref{Type Printing API}).
27570
27571@item apply_type_recognizers (recognizers, type_obj)
27572Apply the type recognizers, @var{recognizers}, to the type object
27573@var{type_obj}. If any recognizer returns a string, return that
27574string. Otherwise, return @code{None}. This is called by
27575@value{GDBN} during the type-printing process (@pxref{Type Printing
27576API}).
27577
27578@item register_type_printer (locus, printer)
27579This is a convenience function to register a type printer.
27580@var{printer} is the type printer to register. It must implement the
27581type printer protocol. @var{locus} is either a @code{gdb.Objfile}, in
27582which case the printer is registered with that objfile; a
27583@code{gdb.Progspace}, in which case the printer is registered with
27584that progspace; or @code{None}, in which case the printer is
27585registered globally.
27586
27587@item TypePrinter
27588This is a base class that implements the type printer protocol. Type
27589printers are encouraged, but not required, to derive from this class.
27590It defines a constructor:
27591
27592@defmethod TypePrinter __init__ (self, name)
27593Initialize the type printer with the given name. The new printer
27594starts in the enabled state.
27595@end defmethod
27596
27597@end table
27598
27599@node gdb.prompt
27600@subsubsection gdb.prompt
27601@cindex gdb.prompt
27602
27603This module provides a method for prompt value-substitution.
27604
27605@table @code
27606@item substitute_prompt (@var{string})
27607Return @var{string} with escape sequences substituted by values. Some
27608escape sequences take arguments. You can specify arguments inside
27609``@{@}'' immediately following the escape sequence.
27610
27611The escape sequences you can pass to this function are:
27612
27613@table @code
27614@item \\
27615Substitute a backslash.
27616@item \e
27617Substitute an ESC character.
27618@item \f
27619Substitute the selected frame; an argument names a frame parameter.
27620@item \n
27621Substitute a newline.
27622@item \p
27623Substitute a parameter's value; the argument names the parameter.
27624@item \r
27625Substitute a carriage return.
27626@item \t
27627Substitute the selected thread; an argument names a thread parameter.
27628@item \v
27629Substitute the version of GDB.
27630@item \w
27631Substitute the current working directory.
27632@item \[
27633Begin a sequence of non-printing characters. These sequences are
27634typically used with the ESC character, and are not counted in the string
27635length. Example: ``\[\e[0;34m\](gdb)\[\e[0m\]'' will return a
27636blue-colored ``(gdb)'' prompt where the length is five.
27637@item \]
27638End a sequence of non-printing characters.
27639@end table
27640
27641For example:
27642
27643@smallexample
27644substitute_prompt (``frame: \f,
27645 print arguments: \p@{print frame-arguments@}'')
27646@end smallexample
27647
27648@exdent will return the string:
27649
27650@smallexample
27651"frame: main, print arguments: scalars"
27652@end smallexample
27653@end table
27654
27655@node Aliases
27656@section Creating new spellings of existing commands
27657@cindex aliases for commands
27658
27659It is often useful to define alternate spellings of existing commands.
27660For example, if a new @value{GDBN} command defined in Python has
27661a long name to type, it is handy to have an abbreviated version of it
27662that involves less typing.
27663
27664@value{GDBN} itself uses aliases. For example @samp{s} is an alias
27665of the @samp{step} command even though it is otherwise an ambiguous
27666abbreviation of other commands like @samp{set} and @samp{show}.
27667
27668Aliases are also used to provide shortened or more common versions
27669of multi-word commands. For example, @value{GDBN} provides the
27670@samp{tty} alias of the @samp{set inferior-tty} command.
27671
27672You can define a new alias with the @samp{alias} command.
27673
27674@table @code
27675
27676@kindex alias
27677@item alias [-a] [--] @var{ALIAS} = @var{COMMAND}
27678
27679@end table
27680
27681@var{ALIAS} specifies the name of the new alias.
27682Each word of @var{ALIAS} must consist of letters, numbers, dashes and
27683underscores.
27684
27685@var{COMMAND} specifies the name of an existing command
27686that is being aliased.
27687
27688The @samp{-a} option specifies that the new alias is an abbreviation
27689of the command. Abbreviations are not shown in command
27690lists displayed by the @samp{help} command.
27691
27692The @samp{--} option specifies the end of options,
27693and is useful when @var{ALIAS} begins with a dash.
27694
27695Here is a simple example showing how to make an abbreviation
27696of a command so that there is less to type.
27697Suppose you were tired of typing @samp{disas}, the current
27698shortest unambiguous abbreviation of the @samp{disassemble} command
27699and you wanted an even shorter version named @samp{di}.
27700The following will accomplish this.
27701
27702@smallexample
27703(gdb) alias -a di = disas
27704@end smallexample
27705
27706Note that aliases are different from user-defined commands.
27707With a user-defined command, you also need to write documentation
27708for it with the @samp{document} command.
27709An alias automatically picks up the documentation of the existing command.
27710
27711Here is an example where we make @samp{elms} an abbreviation of
27712@samp{elements} in the @samp{set print elements} command.
27713This is to show that you can make an abbreviation of any part
27714of a command.
27715
27716@smallexample
27717(gdb) alias -a set print elms = set print elements
27718(gdb) alias -a show print elms = show print elements
27719(gdb) set p elms 20
27720(gdb) show p elms
27721Limit on string chars or array elements to print is 200.
27722@end smallexample
27723
27724Note that if you are defining an alias of a @samp{set} command,
27725and you want to have an alias for the corresponding @samp{show}
27726command, then you need to define the latter separately.
27727
27728Unambiguously abbreviated commands are allowed in @var{COMMAND} and
27729@var{ALIAS}, just as they are normally.
27730
27731@smallexample
27732(gdb) alias -a set pr elms = set p ele
27733@end smallexample
27734
27735Finally, here is an example showing the creation of a one word
27736alias for a more complex command.
27737This creates alias @samp{spe} of the command @samp{set print elements}.
27738
27739@smallexample
27740(gdb) alias spe = set print elements
27741(gdb) spe 20
27742@end smallexample
27743
27744@node Interpreters
27745@chapter Command Interpreters
27746@cindex command interpreters
27747
27748@value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
27749infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
27750between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
27751
27752@value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
27753interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
27754and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
27755describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
27756
27757By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
27758However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
27759interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
27760startup options. Defined interpreters include:
27761
27762@table @code
27763@item console
27764@cindex console interpreter
27765The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
27766used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
27767@value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
27768
27769@item mi
27770@cindex mi interpreter
27771The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
27772by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
27773or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
27774Interface}.
27775
27776@item mi2
27777@cindex mi2 interpreter
27778The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
27779
27780@item mi1
27781@cindex mi1 interpreter
27782The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
27783
27784@end table
27785
27786@cindex invoke another interpreter
27787The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
27788switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
27789precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
27790enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
27791@value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
27792the IDE inoperable!
27793
27794@kindex interpreter-exec
27795Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
27796commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
27797command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
27798@code{interpreter-exec} command:
27799
27800@smallexample
27801interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
27802@end smallexample
27803
27804@sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
27805@value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
27806
27807@node TUI
27808@chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
27809@cindex TUI
27810@cindex Text User Interface
27811
27812@menu
27813* TUI Overview:: TUI overview
27814* TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
27815* TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
27816* TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
27817* TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
27818@end menu
27819
27820The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
27821interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
27822file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
27823commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
27824on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
27825is available.
27826
27827The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
27828@samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
27829You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
27830using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @kbd{C-x C-a}.
27831@xref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
27832
27833@node TUI Overview
27834@section TUI Overview
27835
27836In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
27837
27838@table @emph
27839@item command
27840This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
27841prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
27842managed using readline.
27843
27844@item source
27845The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
27846line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
27847
27848@item assembly
27849The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
27850
27851@item register
27852This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
27853when their values change.
27854@end table
27855
27856The source and assembly windows show the current program position
27857by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
27858Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
27859indicates the breakpoint type:
27860
27861@table @code
27862@item B
27863Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
27864
27865@item b
27866Breakpoint which was never hit.
27867
27868@item H
27869Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
27870
27871@item h
27872Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
27873@end table
27874
27875The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
27876
27877@table @code
27878@item +
27879Breakpoint is enabled.
27880
27881@item -
27882Breakpoint is disabled.
27883@end table
27884
27885The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
27886thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
27887changes.
27888
27889These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
27890window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
27891layouts:
27892
27893@itemize @bullet
27894@item
27895source only,
27896
27897@item
27898assembly only,
27899
27900@item
27901source and assembly,
27902
27903@item
27904source and registers, or
27905
27906@item
27907assembly and registers.
27908@end itemize
27909
27910A status line above the command window shows the following information:
27911
27912@table @emph
27913@item target
27914Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
27915(@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
27916
27917@item process
27918Gives the current process or thread number.
27919When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
27920
27921@item function
27922Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
27923The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
27924When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
27925the string @code{??} is displayed.
27926
27927@item line
27928Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
27929When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
27930
27931@item pc
27932Indicates the current program counter address.
27933@end table
27934
27935@node TUI Keys
27936@section TUI Key Bindings
27937@cindex TUI key bindings
27938
27939The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
27940@ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
27941(@pxref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library}).
27942@end ifset
27943@ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
27944(@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
27945@end ifclear
27946The following key bindings are installed for both TUI mode and the
27947@value{GDBN} standard mode.
27948
27949@table @kbd
27950@kindex C-x C-a
27951@item C-x C-a
27952@kindex C-x a
27953@itemx C-x a
27954@kindex C-x A
27955@itemx C-x A
27956Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
27957the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
27958its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
27959the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
27960The screen is then refreshed.
27961
27962@kindex C-x 1
27963@item C-x 1
27964Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
27965either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
27966is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
27967
27968Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
27969
27970@kindex C-x 2
27971@item C-x 2
27972Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
27973layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
27974When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
27975previous layout and the new one.
27976
27977Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
27978
27979@kindex C-x o
27980@item C-x o
27981Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
27982(like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
27983gives the focus to the next TUI window.
27984
27985Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
27986
27987@kindex C-x s
27988@item C-x s
27989Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
27990keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
27991@end table
27992
27993The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
27994
27995@table @asis
27996@kindex PgUp
27997@item @key{PgUp}
27998Scroll the active window one page up.
27999
28000@kindex PgDn
28001@item @key{PgDn}
28002Scroll the active window one page down.
28003
28004@kindex Up
28005@item @key{Up}
28006Scroll the active window one line up.
28007
28008@kindex Down
28009@item @key{Down}
28010Scroll the active window one line down.
28011
28012@kindex Left
28013@item @key{Left}
28014Scroll the active window one column left.
28015
28016@kindex Right
28017@item @key{Right}
28018Scroll the active window one column right.
28019
28020@kindex C-L
28021@item @kbd{C-L}
28022Refresh the screen.
28023@end table
28024
28025Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
28026are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
28027window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
28028other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
28029and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
28030
28031@node TUI Single Key Mode
28032@section TUI Single Key Mode
28033@cindex TUI single key mode
28034
28035The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
28036frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
28037switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
28038
28039@table @kbd
28040@kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28041@item c
28042continue
28043
28044@kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28045@item d
28046down
28047
28048@kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28049@item f
28050finish
28051
28052@kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28053@item n
28054next
28055
28056@kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28057@item q
28058exit the SingleKey mode.
28059
28060@kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28061@item r
28062run
28063
28064@kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28065@item s
28066step
28067
28068@kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28069@item u
28070up
28071
28072@kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28073@item v
28074info locals
28075
28076@kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28077@item w
28078where
28079@end table
28080
28081Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
28082The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
28083it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
28084with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
28085SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
28086this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
28087
28088
28089@node TUI Commands
28090@section TUI-specific Commands
28091@cindex TUI commands
28092
28093The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
28094These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
28095the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
28096of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
28097
28098Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
28099terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
28100interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
28101these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
28102possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
28103
28104@table @code
28105@item info win
28106@kindex info win
28107List and give the size of all displayed windows.
28108
28109@item layout next
28110@kindex layout
28111Display the next layout.
28112
28113@item layout prev
28114Display the previous layout.
28115
28116@item layout src
28117Display the source window only.
28118
28119@item layout asm
28120Display the assembly window only.
28121
28122@item layout split
28123Display the source and assembly window.
28124
28125@item layout regs
28126Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
28127
28128@item focus next
28129@kindex focus
28130Make the next window active for scrolling.
28131
28132@item focus prev
28133Make the previous window active for scrolling.
28134
28135@item focus src
28136Make the source window active for scrolling.
28137
28138@item focus asm
28139Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
28140
28141@item focus regs
28142Make the register window active for scrolling.
28143
28144@item focus cmd
28145Make the command window active for scrolling.
28146
28147@item refresh
28148@kindex refresh
28149Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
28150
28151@item tui reg float
28152@kindex tui reg
28153Show the floating point registers in the register window.
28154
28155@item tui reg general
28156Show the general registers in the register window.
28157
28158@item tui reg next
28159Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
28160their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
28161following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
28162@code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
28163
28164@item tui reg system
28165Show the system registers in the register window.
28166
28167@item update
28168@kindex update
28169Update the source window and the current execution point.
28170
28171@item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
28172@itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
28173@kindex winheight
28174Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
28175lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
28176decrease it.
28177
28178@item tabset @var{nchars}
28179@kindex tabset
28180Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
28181@end table
28182
28183@node TUI Configuration
28184@section TUI Configuration Variables
28185@cindex TUI configuration variables
28186
28187Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
28188
28189@table @code
28190@item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
28191@kindex set tui border-kind
28192Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
28193The possible values are the following:
28194@table @code
28195@item space
28196Use a space character to draw the border.
28197
28198@item ascii
28199Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
28200
28201@item acs
28202Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
28203drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
28204@end table
28205
28206@item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
28207@kindex set tui border-mode
28208@itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
28209@kindex set tui active-border-mode
28210Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
28211or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
28212@table @code
28213@item normal
28214Use normal attributes to display the border.
28215
28216@item standout
28217Use standout mode.
28218
28219@item reverse
28220Use reverse video mode.
28221
28222@item half
28223Use half bright mode.
28224
28225@item half-standout
28226Use half bright and standout mode.
28227
28228@item bold
28229Use extra bright or bold mode.
28230
28231@item bold-standout
28232Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
28233@end table
28234@end table
28235
28236@node Emacs
28237@chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
28238
28239@cindex Emacs
28240@cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
28241A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
28242edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
28243@value{GDBN}.
28244
28245To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
28246executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
28247@value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
28248created Emacs buffer.
28249@c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
28250
28251Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
28252things:
28253
28254@itemize @bullet
28255@item
28256All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
28257the GUD buffer.
28258
28259This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
28260and output done by the program you are debugging.
28261
28262This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
28263commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
28264in this way.
28265
28266All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
28267with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
28268way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
28269stop.
28270
28271@item
28272@value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
28273
28274Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
28275source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
28276left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
28277source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
28278and the source.
28279
28280Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
28281usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
28282@end itemize
28283
28284We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
28285a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
28286that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
28287@xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
28288
28289If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
28290gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
28291your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
28292sets your current working directory to the directory associated
28293with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
28294program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
28295some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
28296@value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
28297buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
28298
28299The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
28300line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
28301that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
28302,Commands to Specify Files}.
28303
28304By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
28305need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
28306keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
28307customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
28308one you want.
28309
28310In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
28311addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
28312
28313@table @kbd
28314@item C-h m
28315Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
28316
28317@item C-c C-s
28318Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
28319update the display window to show the current file and location.
28320
28321@item C-c C-n
28322Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
28323calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
28324to show the current file and location.
28325
28326@item C-c C-i
28327Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
28328display window accordingly.
28329
28330@item C-c C-f
28331Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
28332@code{finish} command.
28333
28334@item C-c C-r
28335Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
28336command.
28337
28338@item C-c <
28339Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
28340(@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
28341like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
28342
28343@item C-c >
28344Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
28345@value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
28346@end table
28347
28348In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
28349tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
28350
28351In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
28352separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
28353Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
28354become the current frame and display the associated source in the
28355source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
28356selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
28357speedbar displays watch expressions.
28358
28359If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
28360it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
28361request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
28362the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
28363frame.
28364
28365The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
28366which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
28367the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
28368communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
28369delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
28370to correspond properly with the code.
28371
28372A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
28373given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
28374Emacs Manual}).
28375
28376@node GDB/MI
28377@chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
28378
28379@unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
28380
28381@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
28382@sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
28383@value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
28384@option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
28385is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
28386use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
28387
28388This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
28389in the form of a reference manual.
28390
28391Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
28392features described below are incomplete and subject to change
28393(@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
28394
28395@unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
28396
28397@cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
28398This chapter uses the following notation:
28399
28400@itemize @bullet
28401@item
28402@code{|} separates two alternatives.
28403
28404@item
28405@code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
28406it may or may not be given.
28407
28408@item
28409@code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28410may repeat zero or more times.
28411
28412@item
28413@code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28414may repeat one or more times.
28415
28416@item
28417@code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
28418@end itemize
28419
28420@ignore
28421@heading Dependencies
28422@end ignore
28423
28424@menu
28425* GDB/MI General Design::
28426* GDB/MI Command Syntax::
28427* GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
28428* GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
28429* GDB/MI Output Records::
28430* GDB/MI Simple Examples::
28431* GDB/MI Command Description Format::
28432* GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
28433* GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
28434* GDB/MI Program Context::
28435* GDB/MI Thread Commands::
28436* GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands::
28437* GDB/MI Program Execution::
28438* GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
28439* GDB/MI Variable Objects::
28440* GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
28441* GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
28442* GDB/MI Symbol Query::
28443* GDB/MI File Commands::
28444@ignore
28445* GDB/MI Kod Commands::
28446* GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
28447* GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
28448@end ignore
28449* GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
28450* GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
28451* GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
28452@end menu
28453
28454@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28455@node GDB/MI General Design
28456@section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
28457@cindex GDB/MI General Design
28458
28459Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
28460parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
28461and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
28462indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
28463For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
28464requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
28465response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
28466Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
28467target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
28468a command and reported as part of that command response.
28469
28470The important examples of notifications are:
28471@itemize @bullet
28472
28473@item
28474Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
28475target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
28476be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
28477commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
28478different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
28479happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
28480command itself was successfully executed.
28481
28482@item
28483Console output, and status notifications. Console output
28484notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
28485diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
28486report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
28487this information in command response would mean no output is produced
28488until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
28489
28490@item
28491General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
28492the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
28493a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
28494be included in command response, using notification allows for more
28495orthogonal frontend design.
28496
28497@end itemize
28498
28499There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
28500@value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
28501the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
28502processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
28503we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
28504the user interface.
28505
28506
28507@menu
28508* Context management::
28509* Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
28510* Thread groups::
28511@end menu
28512
28513@node Context management
28514@subsection Context management
28515
28516In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
28517done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
28518Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
28519be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
28520and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
28521because a command line user would not want to specify that information
28522explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
28523@value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
28524to what thread and frame are the current ones.
28525
28526In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
28527useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
28528itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
28529each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
28530want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
28531increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
28532frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
28533should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
28534make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
28535@samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} identifier
28536for thread and frame to operate on.
28537
28538Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
28539a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
28540operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
28541current thread be changed. For example, when stopping on a breakpoint
28542it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is hit. For
28543another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} command via
28544the frontend, it is desirable to change the frontend's selected thread to the
28545one specified by user. @value{GDBN} communicates the suggestion to
28546change current thread using the @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
28547No such notification is available for the selected frame at the moment.
28548
28549Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
28550frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
28551right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
28552simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
28553before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
28554to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
28555if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
28556thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
28557optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
28558sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
28559selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
28560change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
28561problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
28562all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
28563right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
28564@samp{--frame} options.
28565
28566@node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
28567@subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
28568
28569On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
28570even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
28571command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
28572specify a preferrence for asynchronous execution using the
28573@code{-gdb-set target-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
28574either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
28575frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
28576find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
28577@code{-list-target-features} command.
28578
28579Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
28580many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
28581running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
28582when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
28583it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
28584are running.
28585
28586When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
28587target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
28588some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
28589stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
28590modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
28591that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
28592@code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
28593context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
28594stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
28595@samp{--thread} option).
28596
28597Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
28598highly target dependent. However, the two commands
28599@code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
28600to find the state of a thread, will always work.
28601
28602@node Thread groups
28603@subsection Thread groups
28604@value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
28605On some platfroms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
28606hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
28607processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
28608mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
28609
28610The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
28611target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
28612accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
28613thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
28614neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
28615current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
28616that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
28617into processes.
28618
28619To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
28620hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
28621@dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
28622thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
28623and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
28624command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
28625thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
28626debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
28627to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
28628the members of specific thread group.
28629
28630To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
28631wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
28632introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
28633@value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
28634@code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
28635groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
28636In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
28637after attaching to that thread group.
28638
28639Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
28640Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
28641type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
28642such thread groups.
28643
28644@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28645@node GDB/MI Command Syntax
28646@section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
28647
28648@menu
28649* GDB/MI Input Syntax::
28650* GDB/MI Output Syntax::
28651@end menu
28652
28653@node GDB/MI Input Syntax
28654@subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
28655
28656@cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
28657@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
28658@table @code
28659@item @var{command} @expansion{}
28660@code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
28661
28662@item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
28663@code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
28664@var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
28665
28666@item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
28667@code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
28668@code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
28669
28670@item @var{token} @expansion{}
28671"any sequence of digits"
28672
28673@item @var{option} @expansion{}
28674@code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
28675
28676@item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
28677@code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
28678
28679@item @var{operation} @expansion{}
28680@emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
28681
28682@item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
28683@emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
28684"-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
28685
28686@item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
28687@code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
28688
28689@item @var{nl} @expansion{}
28690@code{CR | CR-LF}
28691@end table
28692
28693@noindent
28694Notes:
28695
28696@itemize @bullet
28697@item
28698The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
28699output is described below.
28700
28701@item
28702The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
28703finishes.
28704
28705@item
28706Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
28707list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
28708followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
28709parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
28710@samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
28711@end itemize
28712
28713Pragmatics:
28714
28715@itemize @bullet
28716@item
28717We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
28718
28719@item
28720We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
28721@end itemize
28722
28723@node GDB/MI Output Syntax
28724@subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
28725
28726@cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
28727@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
28728The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
28729followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
28730is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
28731terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
28732
28733If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
28734corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
28735@var{token}.
28736
28737@table @code
28738@item @var{output} @expansion{}
28739@code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
28740
28741@item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
28742@code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
28743
28744@item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
28745@code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
28746
28747@item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
28748@code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
28749
28750@item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
28751@code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output}}
28752
28753@item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
28754@code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output}}
28755
28756@item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
28757@code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output}}
28758
28759@item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
28760@code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
28761
28762@item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
28763@code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
28764
28765@item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
28766@code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
28767depending on the needs---this is still in development).
28768
28769@item @var{result} @expansion{}
28770@code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
28771
28772@item @var{variable} @expansion{}
28773@code{ @var{string} }
28774
28775@item @var{value} @expansion{}
28776@code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
28777
28778@item @var{const} @expansion{}
28779@code{@var{c-string}}
28780
28781@item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
28782@code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
28783
28784@item @var{list} @expansion{}
28785@code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
28786@var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
28787
28788@item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
28789@code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
28790
28791@item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
28792@code{"~" @var{c-string}}
28793
28794@item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
28795@code{"@@" @var{c-string}}
28796
28797@item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
28798@code{"&" @var{c-string}}
28799
28800@item @var{nl} @expansion{}
28801@code{CR | CR-LF}
28802
28803@item @var{token} @expansion{}
28804@emph{any sequence of digits}.
28805@end table
28806
28807@noindent
28808Notes:
28809
28810@itemize @bullet
28811@item
28812All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
28813
28814@item
28815The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
28816for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
28817may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
28818output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
28819all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
28820target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
28821prior command.
28822
28823@item
28824@cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28825@var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
28826progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
28827prefixed by @samp{+}.
28828
28829@item
28830@cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28831@var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
28832(stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
28833@samp{*}.
28834
28835@item
28836@cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28837@var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
28838client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
28839output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
28840
28841@item
28842@cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28843@var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
28844console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
28845output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
28846
28847@item
28848@cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28849@var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
28850All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
28851
28852@item
28853@cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28854@var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
28855instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
28856the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
28857
28858@item
28859@cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28860New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
28861@var{values}.
28862
28863
28864@end itemize
28865
28866@xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
28867details about the various output records.
28868
28869@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28870@node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
28871@section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
28872
28873@cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
28874@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
28875
28876For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
28877but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
28878that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
28879command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
28880@code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
28881@samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
28882
28883This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
28884recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
28885(@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
28886
28887@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28888@node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
28889@section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
28890@cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
28891
28892The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
28893program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
28894
28895Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
28896by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
28897to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
28898section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
28899might change.
28900
28901Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
28902for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
28903list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
28904parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
28905
28906@itemize @bullet
28907@item
28908New MI commands may be added.
28909
28910@item
28911New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
28912
28913@item
28914The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
28915@code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
28916
28917@c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
28918@c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
28919
28920@c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
28921@c resolve inconsistencies.
28922@end itemize
28923
28924If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
28925will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
28926output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
28927@value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
28928responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
28929
28930@c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
28931@c version?
28932
28933The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
28934end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
28935follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
28936@email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
28937@cindex mailing lists
28938
28939@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28940@node GDB/MI Output Records
28941@section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
28942
28943@menu
28944* GDB/MI Result Records::
28945* GDB/MI Stream Records::
28946* GDB/MI Async Records::
28947* GDB/MI Breakpoint Information::
28948* GDB/MI Frame Information::
28949* GDB/MI Thread Information::
28950* GDB/MI Ada Exception Information::
28951@end menu
28952
28953@node GDB/MI Result Records
28954@subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
28955
28956@cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
28957@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
28958In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
28959@sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
28960
28961@table @code
28962@findex ^done
28963@item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
28964The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
28965values.
28966
28967@item "^running"
28968@findex ^running
28969This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
28970was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
28971target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
28972all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
28973identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
28974which threads are resumed.
28975
28976@item "^connected"
28977@findex ^connected
28978@value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
28979
28980@item "^error" "," @var{c-string}
28981@findex ^error
28982The operation failed. The @code{@var{c-string}} contains the corresponding
28983error message.
28984
28985@item "^exit"
28986@findex ^exit
28987@value{GDBN} has terminated.
28988
28989@end table
28990
28991@node GDB/MI Stream Records
28992@subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
28993
28994@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
28995@cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
28996@value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
28997target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
28998funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
28999
29000Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
29001identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
29002Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
29003@code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
29004line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
29005
29006@table @code
29007@item "~" @var{string-output}
29008The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
29009CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
29010
29011@item "@@" @var{string-output}
29012The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
29013target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
29014asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
29015
29016@item "&" @var{string-output}
29017The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
29018internals.
29019@end table
29020
29021@node GDB/MI Async Records
29022@subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
29023
29024@cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
29025@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
29026@dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
29027additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
29028consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
29029target activity (e.g., target stopped).
29030
29031The following is the list of possible async records:
29032
29033@table @code
29034
29035@item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
29036The target is now running. The @var{thread} field tells which
29037specific thread is now running, and can be @samp{all} if all threads
29038are running. The frontend should assume that no interaction with a
29039running thread is possible after this notification is produced.
29040The frontend should not assume that this notification is output
29041only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may emit this notification
29042several times, either for different threads, because it cannot resume
29043all threads together, or even for a single thread, if the thread must
29044be stepped though some code before letting it run freely.
29045
29046@item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
29047The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
29048following values:
29049
29050@table @code
29051@item breakpoint-hit
29052A breakpoint was reached.
29053@item watchpoint-trigger
29054A watchpoint was triggered.
29055@item read-watchpoint-trigger
29056A read watchpoint was triggered.
29057@item access-watchpoint-trigger
29058An access watchpoint was triggered.
29059@item function-finished
29060An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
29061@item location-reached
29062An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
29063@item watchpoint-scope
29064A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
29065@item end-stepping-range
29066An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
29067similar CLI command was accomplished.
29068@item exited-signalled
29069The inferior exited because of a signal.
29070@item exited
29071The inferior exited.
29072@item exited-normally
29073The inferior exited normally.
29074@item signal-received
29075A signal was received by the inferior.
29076@item solib-event
29077The inferior has stopped due to a library being loaded or unloaded.
29078This can happen when @code{stop-on-solib-events} (@pxref{Files}) is
29079set or when a @code{catch load} or @code{catch unload} catchpoint is
29080in use (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
29081@item fork
29082The inferior has forked. This is reported when @code{catch fork}
29083(@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29084@item vfork
29085The inferior has vforked. This is reported in when @code{catch vfork}
29086(@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29087@item syscall-entry
29088The inferior entered a system call. This is reported when @code{catch
29089syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29090@item syscall-entry
29091The inferior returned from a system call. This is reported when
29092@code{catch syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29093@item exec
29094The inferior called @code{exec}. This is reported when @code{catch exec}
29095(@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29096@end table
29097
29098The @var{id} field identifies the thread that directly caused the stop
29099-- for example by hitting a breakpoint. Depending on whether all-stop
29100mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
29101stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
29102If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
29103value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
29104field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
29105always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
29106several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
29107processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
29108if such information is not available.
29109
29110@item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
29111@itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
29112A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
29113contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
29114group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
29115process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
29116cannot be used in any way.
29117
29118@item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
29119A thread group became associated with a running program,
29120either because the program was just started or the thread group
29121was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
29122@value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
29123contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
29124
29125@item =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"[,exit-code="@var{code}"]
29126A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
29127either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
29128from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
29129thread group. @var{code} is the exit code of the inferior; it exists
29130only when the inferior exited with some code.
29131
29132@item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29133@itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29134A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
29135contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
29136field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
29137
29138@item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"
29139Informs that the selected thread was changed as result of the last
29140command. This notification is not emitted as result of @code{-thread-select}
29141command but is emitted whenever an MI command that is not documented
29142to change the selected thread actually changes it. In particular,
29143invoking, directly or indirectly (via user-defined command), the CLI
29144@code{thread} command, will generate this notification.
29145
29146We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
29147highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
29148that thread.
29149
29150@item =library-loaded,...
29151Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
29152notification has 4 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
29153@var{host-name}, and @var{symbols-loaded}. The @var{id} field is an
29154opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
29155@var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
29156library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
29157debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
29158@var{symbols-loaded} field is emitted only for backward compatibility
29159and should not be relied on to convey any useful information. The
29160@var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the thread
29161group in whose context the library was loaded. If the field is
29162absent, it means the library was loaded in the context of all present
29163thread groups.
29164
29165@item =library-unloaded,...
29166Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
29167has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
29168the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
29169The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
29170thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
29171absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
29172thread groups.
29173
29174@item =traceframe-changed,num=@var{tfnum},tracepoint=@var{tpnum}
29175@itemx =traceframe-changed,end
29176Reports that the trace frame was changed and its new number is
29177@var{tfnum}. The number of the tracepoint associated with this trace
29178frame is @var{tpnum}.
29179
29180@item =tsv-created,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}
29181Reports that the new trace state variable @var{name} is created with
29182initial value @var{initial}.
29183
29184@item =tsv-deleted,name=@var{name}
29185@itemx =tsv-deleted
29186Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is deleted or all
29187trace state variables are deleted.
29188
29189@item =tsv-modified,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}[,current=@var{current}]
29190Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is modified with
29191the initial value @var{initial}. The current value @var{current} of
29192trace state variable is optional and is reported if the current
29193value of trace state variable is known.
29194
29195@item =breakpoint-created,bkpt=@{...@}
29196@itemx =breakpoint-modified,bkpt=@{...@}
29197@itemx =breakpoint-deleted,id=@var{number}
29198Reports that a breakpoint was created, modified, or deleted,
29199respectively. Only user-visible breakpoints are reported to the MI
29200user.
29201
29202The @var{bkpt} argument is of the same form as returned by the various
29203breakpoint commands; @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}. The
29204@var{number} is the ordinal number of the breakpoint.
29205
29206Note that if a breakpoint is emitted in the result record of a
29207command, then it will not also be emitted in an async record.
29208
29209@item =record-started,thread-group="@var{id}"
29210@itemx =record-stopped,thread-group="@var{id}"
29211Execution log recording was either started or stopped on an
29212inferior. The @var{id} is the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread
29213group corresponding to the affected inferior.
29214
29215@item =cmd-param-changed,param=@var{param},value=@var{value}
29216Reports that a parameter of the command @code{set @var{param}} is
29217changed to @var{value}. In the multi-word @code{set} command,
29218the @var{param} is the whole parameter list to @code{set} command.
29219For example, In command @code{set check type on}, @var{param}
29220is @code{check type} and @var{value} is @code{on}.
29221
29222@item =memory-changed,thread-group=@var{id},addr=@var{addr},len=@var{len}[,type="code"]
29223Reports that bytes from @var{addr} to @var{data} + @var{len} were
29224written in an inferior. The @var{id} is the identifier of the
29225thread group corresponding to the affected inferior. The optional
29226@code{type="code"} part is reported if the memory written to holds
29227executable code.
29228@end table
29229
29230@node GDB/MI Breakpoint Information
29231@subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Information
29232
29233When @value{GDBN} reports information about a breakpoint, a
29234tracepoint, a watchpoint, or a catchpoint, it uses a tuple with the
29235following fields:
29236
29237@table @code
29238@item number
29239The breakpoint number. For a breakpoint that represents one location
29240of a multi-location breakpoint, this will be a dotted pair, like
29241@samp{1.2}.
29242
29243@item type
29244The type of the breakpoint. For ordinary breakpoints this will be
29245@samp{breakpoint}, but many values are possible.
29246
29247@item catch-type
29248If the type of the breakpoint is @samp{catchpoint}, then this
29249indicates the exact type of catchpoint.
29250
29251@item disp
29252This is the breakpoint disposition---either @samp{del}, meaning that
29253the breakpoint will be deleted at the next stop, or @samp{keep},
29254meaning that the breakpoint will not be deleted.
29255
29256@item enabled
29257This indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled, in which case the
29258value is @samp{y}, or disabled, in which case the value is @samp{n}.
29259Note that this is not the same as the field @code{enable}.
29260
29261@item addr
29262The address of the breakpoint. This may be a hexidecimal number,
29263giving the address; or the string @samp{<PENDING>}, for a pending
29264breakpoint; or the string @samp{<MULTIPLE>}, for a breakpoint with
29265multiple locations. This field will not be present if no address can
29266be determined. For example, a watchpoint does not have an address.
29267
29268@item func
29269If known, the function in which the breakpoint appears.
29270If not known, this field is not present.
29271
29272@item filename
29273The name of the source file which contains this function, if known.
29274If not known, this field is not present.
29275
29276@item fullname
29277The full file name of the source file which contains this function, if
29278known. If not known, this field is not present.
29279
29280@item line
29281The line number at which this breakpoint appears, if known.
29282If not known, this field is not present.
29283
29284@item at
29285If the source file is not known, this field may be provided. If
29286provided, this holds the address of the breakpoint, possibly followed
29287by a symbol name.
29288
29289@item pending
29290If this breakpoint is pending, this field is present and holds the
29291text used to set the breakpoint, as entered by the user.
29292
29293@item evaluated-by
29294Where this breakpoint's condition is evaluated, either @samp{host} or
29295@samp{target}.
29296
29297@item thread
29298If this is a thread-specific breakpoint, then this identifies the
29299thread in which the breakpoint can trigger.
29300
29301@item task
29302If this breakpoint is restricted to a particular Ada task, then this
29303field will hold the task identifier.
29304
29305@item cond
29306If the breakpoint is conditional, this is the condition expression.
29307
29308@item ignore
29309The ignore count of the breakpoint.
29310
29311@item enable
29312The enable count of the breakpoint.
29313
29314@item traceframe-usage
29315FIXME.
29316
29317@item static-tracepoint-marker-string-id
29318For a static tracepoint, the name of the static tracepoint marker.
29319
29320@item mask
29321For a masked watchpoint, this is the mask.
29322
29323@item pass
29324A tracepoint's pass count.
29325
29326@item original-location
29327The location of the breakpoint as originally specified by the user.
29328This field is optional.
29329
29330@item times
29331The number of times the breakpoint has been hit.
29332
29333@item installed
29334This field is only given for tracepoints. This is either @samp{y},
29335meaning that the tracepoint is installed, or @samp{n}, meaning that it
29336is not.
29337
29338@item what
29339Some extra data, the exact contents of which are type-dependent.
29340
29341@end table
29342
29343For example, here is what the output of @code{-break-insert}
29344(@pxref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}) might be:
29345
29346@smallexample
29347-> -break-insert main
29348<- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29349 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29350 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
29351 times="0"@}
29352<- (gdb)
29353@end smallexample
29354
29355@node GDB/MI Frame Information
29356@subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
29357
29358Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
29359frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
29360fields:
29361
29362@table @code
29363@item level
29364The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
29365zero. This field is always present.
29366
29367@item func
29368The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
29369be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
29370
29371@item addr
29372The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
29373
29374@item file
29375The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
29376address. This field may be absent.
29377
29378@item line
29379The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
29380may be absent.
29381
29382@item from
29383The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
29384corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
29385
29386@end table
29387
29388@node GDB/MI Thread Information
29389@subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
29390
29391Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
29392uses a tuple with the following fields:
29393
29394@table @code
29395@item id
29396The numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}. This field is
29397always present.
29398
29399@item target-id
29400Target-specific string identifying the thread. This field is always present.
29401
29402@item details
29403Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
29404It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
29405frontend. This field is optional.
29406
29407@item state
29408Either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running}, depending on whether the
29409thread is presently running. This field is always present.
29410
29411@item core
29412The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
29413thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
29414@end table
29415
29416@node GDB/MI Ada Exception Information
29417@subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Exception Information
29418
29419Whenever a @code{*stopped} record is emitted because the program
29420stopped after hitting an exception catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}),
29421@value{GDBN} provides the name of the exception that was raised via
29422the @code{exception-name} field.
29423
29424@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29425@node GDB/MI Simple Examples
29426@section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
29427@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
29428
29429This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
29430the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
29431following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
29432the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
29433
29434Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
29435readability, they don't appear in the real output.
29436
29437@subheading Setting a Breakpoint
29438
29439Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
29440information of the breakpoint.
29441
29442@smallexample
29443-> -break-insert main
29444<- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29445 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29446 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
29447 times="0"@}
29448<- (gdb)
29449@end smallexample
29450
29451@subheading Program Execution
29452
29453Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
29454reason that execution stopped.
29455
29456@smallexample
29457-> -exec-run
29458<- ^running
29459<- (gdb)
29460<- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
29461 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
29462 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
29463 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
29464<- (gdb)
29465-> -exec-continue
29466<- ^running
29467<- (gdb)
29468<- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
29469<- (gdb)
29470@end smallexample
29471
29472@subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
29473
29474Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
29475
29476@smallexample
29477-> (gdb)
29478<- -gdb-exit
29479<- ^exit
29480@end smallexample
29481
29482Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
29483take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
29484performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
29485or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
29486@value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
29487fails to exit in reasonable time.
29488
29489@subheading A Bad Command
29490
29491Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
29492
29493@smallexample
29494-> -rubbish
29495<- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
29496<- (gdb)
29497@end smallexample
29498
29499
29500@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29501@node GDB/MI Command Description Format
29502@section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
29503
29504The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
29505commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
29506
29507@subheading Motivation
29508
29509The motivation for this collection of commands.
29510
29511@subheading Introduction
29512
29513A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
29514
29515@subheading Commands
29516
29517For each command in the block, the following is described:
29518
29519@subsubheading Synopsis
29520
29521@smallexample
29522 -command @var{args}@dots{}
29523@end smallexample
29524
29525@subsubheading Result
29526
29527@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29528
29529The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
29530
29531@subsubheading Example
29532
29533Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
29534not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
29535
29536
29537@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29538@node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
29539@section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
29540
29541@cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
29542@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
29543This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
29544breakpoints.
29545
29546@subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
29547@findex -break-after
29548
29549@subsubheading Synopsis
29550
29551@smallexample
29552 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
29553@end smallexample
29554
29555The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
29556hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
29557the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
29558@samp{-break-list} command below.
29559
29560@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29561
29562The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
29563
29564@subsubheading Example
29565
29566@smallexample
29567(gdb)
29568-break-insert main
29569^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29570enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
29571fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
29572times="0"@}
29573(gdb)
29574-break-after 1 3
29575~
29576^done
29577(gdb)
29578-break-list
29579^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29580hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29581@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29582@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29583@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29584@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29585@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29586body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29587addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29588line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
29589(gdb)
29590@end smallexample
29591
29592@ignore
29593@subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
29594@findex -break-catch
29595@end ignore
29596
29597@subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
29598@findex -break-commands
29599
29600@subsubheading Synopsis
29601
29602@smallexample
29603 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
29604@end smallexample
29605
29606Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
29607@var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
29608are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
29609commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
29610functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
29611some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
29612
29613@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29614
29615The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
29616
29617@subsubheading Example
29618
29619@smallexample
29620(gdb)
29621-break-insert main
29622^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29623enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
29624fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
29625times="0"@}
29626(gdb)
29627-break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
29628^done
29629(gdb)
29630@end smallexample
29631
29632@subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
29633@findex -break-condition
29634
29635@subsubheading Synopsis
29636
29637@smallexample
29638 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
29639@end smallexample
29640
29641Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
29642@var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
29643@samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
29644command below).
29645
29646@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29647
29648The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
29649
29650@subsubheading Example
29651
29652@smallexample
29653(gdb)
29654-break-condition 1 1
29655^done
29656(gdb)
29657-break-list
29658^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29659hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29660@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29661@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29662@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29663@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29664@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29665body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29666addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29667line="5",cond="1",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
29668(gdb)
29669@end smallexample
29670
29671@subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
29672@findex -break-delete
29673
29674@subsubheading Synopsis
29675
29676@smallexample
29677 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29678@end smallexample
29679
29680Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
29681list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
29682
29683@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29684
29685The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
29686
29687@subsubheading Example
29688
29689@smallexample
29690(gdb)
29691-break-delete 1
29692^done
29693(gdb)
29694-break-list
29695^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
29696hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29697@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29698@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29699@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29700@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29701@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29702body=[]@}
29703(gdb)
29704@end smallexample
29705
29706@subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
29707@findex -break-disable
29708
29709@subsubheading Synopsis
29710
29711@smallexample
29712 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29713@end smallexample
29714
29715Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
29716break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
29717
29718@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29719
29720The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
29721
29722@subsubheading Example
29723
29724@smallexample
29725(gdb)
29726-break-disable 2
29727^done
29728(gdb)
29729-break-list
29730^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29731hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29732@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29733@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29734@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29735@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29736@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29737body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
29738addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29739line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29740(gdb)
29741@end smallexample
29742
29743@subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
29744@findex -break-enable
29745
29746@subsubheading Synopsis
29747
29748@smallexample
29749 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29750@end smallexample
29751
29752Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
29753
29754@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29755
29756The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
29757
29758@subsubheading Example
29759
29760@smallexample
29761(gdb)
29762-break-enable 2
29763^done
29764(gdb)
29765-break-list
29766^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29767hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29768@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29769@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29770@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29771@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29772@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29773body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29774addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29775line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29776(gdb)
29777@end smallexample
29778
29779@subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
29780@findex -break-info
29781
29782@subsubheading Synopsis
29783
29784@smallexample
29785 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
29786@end smallexample
29787
29788@c REDUNDANT???
29789Get information about a single breakpoint.
29790
29791The result is a table of breakpoints. @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint
29792Information}, for details on the format of each breakpoint in the
29793table.
29794
29795@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29796
29797The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
29798
29799@subsubheading Example
29800N.A.
29801
29802@subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
29803@findex -break-insert
29804
29805@subsubheading Synopsis
29806
29807@smallexample
29808 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
29809 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
29810 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ]
29811@end smallexample
29812
29813@noindent
29814If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
29815
29816@itemize @bullet
29817@item function
29818@c @item +offset
29819@c @item -offset
29820@c @item linenum
29821@item filename:linenum
29822@item filename:function
29823@item *address
29824@end itemize
29825
29826The possible optional parameters of this command are:
29827
29828@table @samp
29829@item -t
29830Insert a temporary breakpoint.
29831@item -h
29832Insert a hardware breakpoint.
29833@item -f
29834If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
29835refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
29836breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
29837an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
29838cannot be parsed.
29839@item -d
29840Create a disabled breakpoint.
29841@item -a
29842Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
29843is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
29844@item -c @var{condition}
29845Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
29846@item -i @var{ignore-count}
29847Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
29848@item -p @var{thread-id}
29849Restrict the breakpoint to the specified @var{thread-id}.
29850@end table
29851
29852@subsubheading Result
29853
29854@xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Information}, for details on the format of the
29855resulting breakpoint.
29856
29857Note: this format is open to change.
29858@c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
29859
29860@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29861
29862The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
29863@samp{hbreak}, and @samp{thbreak}. @c and @samp{rbreak}.
29864
29865@subsubheading Example
29866
29867@smallexample
29868(gdb)
29869-break-insert main
29870^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
29871fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
29872times="0"@}
29873(gdb)
29874-break-insert -t foo
29875^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
29876fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
29877times="0"@}
29878(gdb)
29879-break-list
29880^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
29881hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29882@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29883@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29884@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29885@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29886@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29887body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29888addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
29889fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
29890times="0"@},
29891bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
29892addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
29893fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
29894times="0"@}]@}
29895(gdb)
29896@c -break-insert -r foo.*
29897@c ~int foo(int, int);
29898@c ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
29899@c "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
29900@c times="0"@}
29901@c (gdb)
29902@end smallexample
29903
29904@subheading The @code{-dprintf-insert} Command
29905@findex -dprintf-insert
29906
29907@subsubheading Synopsis
29908
29909@smallexample
29910 -dprintf-insert [ -t ] [ -f ] [ -d ]
29911 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
29912 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ] [ @var{format} ]
29913 [ @var{argument} ]
29914@end smallexample
29915
29916@noindent
29917If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
29918
29919@itemize @bullet
29920@item @var{function}
29921@c @item +offset
29922@c @item -offset
29923@c @item @var{linenum}
29924@item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
29925@item @var{filename}:function
29926@item *@var{address}
29927@end itemize
29928
29929The possible optional parameters of this command are:
29930
29931@table @samp
29932@item -t
29933Insert a temporary breakpoint.
29934@item -f
29935If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example, if it
29936refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
29937breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
29938an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
29939cannot be parsed.
29940@item -d
29941Create a disabled breakpoint.
29942@item -c @var{condition}
29943Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
29944@item -i @var{ignore-count}
29945Set the ignore count of the breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ignore count})
29946to @var{ignore-count}.
29947@item -p @var{thread-id}
29948Restrict the breakpoint to the specified @var{thread-id}.
29949@end table
29950
29951@subsubheading Result
29952
29953@xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Information}, for details on the format of the
29954resulting breakpoint.
29955
29956@c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
29957
29958@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29959
29960The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dprintf}.
29961
29962@subsubheading Example
29963
29964@smallexample
29965(gdb)
299664-dprintf-insert foo "At foo entry\n"
299674^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="dprintf",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29968addr="0x000000000040061b",func="foo",file="mi-dprintf.c",
29969fullname="mi-dprintf.c",line="25",thread-groups=["i1"],
29970times="0",script=@{"printf \"At foo entry\\n\"","continue"@},
29971original-location="foo"@}
29972(gdb)
299735-dprintf-insert 26 "arg=%d, g=%d\n" arg g
299745^done,bkpt=@{number="2",type="dprintf",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29975addr="0x000000000040062a",func="foo",file="mi-dprintf.c",
29976fullname="mi-dprintf.c",line="26",thread-groups=["i1"],
29977times="0",script=@{"printf \"arg=%d, g=%d\\n\", arg, g","continue"@},
29978original-location="mi-dprintf.c:26"@}
29979(gdb)
29980@end smallexample
29981
29982@subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
29983@findex -break-list
29984
29985@subsubheading Synopsis
29986
29987@smallexample
29988 -break-list
29989@end smallexample
29990
29991Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
29992
29993@table @samp
29994@item Number
29995number of the breakpoint
29996@item Type
29997type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
29998@item Disposition
29999should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
30000or @samp{nokeep}
30001@item Enabled
30002is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
30003@item Address
30004memory location at which the breakpoint is set
30005@item What
30006logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
30007name, line number
30008@item Thread-groups
30009list of thread groups to which this breakpoint applies
30010@item Times
30011number of times the breakpoint has been hit
30012@end table
30013
30014If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
30015@code{body} field is an empty list.
30016
30017@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30018
30019The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
30020
30021@subsubheading Example
30022
30023@smallexample
30024(gdb)
30025-break-list
30026^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30027hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30028@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30029@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30030@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30031@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30032@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30033body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30034addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
30035times="0"@},
30036bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30037addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
30038line="13",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30039(gdb)
30040@end smallexample
30041
30042Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
30043
30044@smallexample
30045(gdb)
30046-break-list
30047^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
30048hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30049@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30050@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30051@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30052@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30053@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30054body=[]@}
30055(gdb)
30056@end smallexample
30057
30058@subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
30059@findex -break-passcount
30060
30061@subsubheading Synopsis
30062
30063@smallexample
30064 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
30065@end smallexample
30066
30067Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
30068@var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
30069is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
30070command @samp{passcount}.
30071
30072@subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
30073@findex -break-watch
30074
30075@subsubheading Synopsis
30076
30077@smallexample
30078 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
30079@end smallexample
30080
30081Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
30082@dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
30083read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
30084option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
30085trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
30086either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
30087i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
30088@xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
30089
30090Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
30091breakpoints inserted.
30092
30093@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30094
30095The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
30096@samp{rwatch}.
30097
30098@subsubheading Example
30099
30100Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
30101
30102@smallexample
30103(gdb)
30104-break-watch x
30105^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
30106(gdb)
30107-exec-continue
30108^running
30109(gdb)
30110*stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
30111value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
30112frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
30113fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
30114(gdb)
30115@end smallexample
30116
30117Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
30118the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
30119for the watchpoint going out of scope.
30120
30121@smallexample
30122(gdb)
30123-break-watch C
30124^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
30125(gdb)
30126-exec-continue
30127^running
30128(gdb)
30129*stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
30130wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
30131frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
30132file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30133fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
30134(gdb)
30135-exec-continue
30136^running
30137(gdb)
30138*stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
30139frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
30140value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
30141file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30142fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
30143(gdb)
30144@end smallexample
30145
30146Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
30147execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
30148deleted.
30149
30150@smallexample
30151(gdb)
30152-break-watch C
30153^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
30154(gdb)
30155-break-list
30156^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30157hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30158@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30159@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30160@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30161@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30162@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30163body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30164addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30165file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30166fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
30167times="1"@},
30168bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
30169enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30170(gdb)
30171-exec-continue
30172^running
30173(gdb)
30174*stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
30175value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
30176frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
30177file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30178fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
30179(gdb)
30180-break-list
30181^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30182hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30183@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30184@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30185@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30186@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30187@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30188body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30189addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30190file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30191fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
30192times="1"@},
30193bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
30194enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="-5"@}]@}
30195(gdb)
30196-exec-continue
30197^running
30198^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
30199frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
30200value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
30201file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30202fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
30203(gdb)
30204-break-list
30205^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
30206hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30207@{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30208@{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30209@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30210@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30211@{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30212body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30213addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30214file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30215fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
30216thread-groups=["i1"],times="1"@}]@}
30217(gdb)
30218@end smallexample
30219
30220
30221@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30222@node GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30223@section @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoint Commands
30224
30225This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
30226catchpoints.
30227
30228@subheading The @code{-catch-load} Command
30229@findex -catch-load
30230
30231@subsubheading Synopsis
30232
30233@smallexample
30234 -catch-load [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30235@end smallexample
30236
30237Add a catchpoint for library load events. If the @samp{-t} option is used,
30238the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30239Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is created
30240in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30241expression used to match the name of the loaded library.
30242
30243
30244@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30245
30246The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch load}.
30247
30248@subsubheading Example
30249
30250@smallexample
30251-catch-load -t foo.so
30252^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="catchpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
30253what="load of library matching foo.so",catch-type="load",times="0"@}
30254(gdb)
30255@end smallexample
30256
30257
30258@subheading The @code{-catch-unload} Command
30259@findex -catch-unload
30260
30261@subsubheading Synopsis
30262
30263@smallexample
30264 -catch-unload [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30265@end smallexample
30266
30267Add a catchpoint for library unload events. If the @samp{-t} option is
30268used, the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30269Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is
30270created in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30271expression used to match the name of the unloaded library.
30272
30273@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30274
30275The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch unload}.
30276
30277@subsubheading Example
30278
30279@smallexample
30280-catch-unload -d bar.so
30281^done,bkpt=@{number="2",type="catchpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
30282what="load of library matching bar.so",catch-type="unload",times="0"@}
30283(gdb)
30284@end smallexample
30285
30286
30287@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30288@node GDB/MI Program Context
30289@section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
30290
30291@subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
30292@findex -exec-arguments
30293
30294
30295@subsubheading Synopsis
30296
30297@smallexample
30298 -exec-arguments @var{args}
30299@end smallexample
30300
30301Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
30302@samp{-exec-run}.
30303
30304@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30305
30306The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
30307
30308@subsubheading Example
30309
30310@smallexample
30311(gdb)
30312-exec-arguments -v word
30313^done
30314(gdb)
30315@end smallexample
30316
30317
30318@ignore
30319@subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
30320@findex -exec-show-arguments
30321
30322@subsubheading Synopsis
30323
30324@smallexample
30325 -exec-show-arguments
30326@end smallexample
30327
30328Print the arguments of the program.
30329
30330@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30331
30332The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
30333
30334@subsubheading Example
30335N.A.
30336@end ignore
30337
30338
30339@subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
30340@findex -environment-cd
30341
30342@subsubheading Synopsis
30343
30344@smallexample
30345 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
30346@end smallexample
30347
30348Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
30349
30350@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30351
30352The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
30353
30354@subsubheading Example
30355
30356@smallexample
30357(gdb)
30358-environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
30359^done
30360(gdb)
30361@end smallexample
30362
30363
30364@subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
30365@findex -environment-directory
30366
30367@subsubheading Synopsis
30368
30369@smallexample
30370 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
30371@end smallexample
30372
30373Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
30374If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
30375search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
30376@samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
30377occurs as normal.
30378Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
30379multiple directories in a single command
30380results in the directories added to the beginning of the
30381search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
30382If blanks are needed as
30383part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
30384the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
30385by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
30386character must not be used
30387in any directory name.
30388If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
30389
30390@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30391
30392The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
30393
30394@subsubheading Example
30395
30396@smallexample
30397(gdb)
30398-environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
30399^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
30400(gdb)
30401-environment-directory ""
30402^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
30403(gdb)
30404-environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
30405^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
30406(gdb)
30407-environment-directory -r
30408^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
30409(gdb)
30410@end smallexample
30411
30412
30413@subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
30414@findex -environment-path
30415
30416@subsubheading Synopsis
30417
30418@smallexample
30419 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
30420@end smallexample
30421
30422Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
30423If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
30424search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
30425supplied in addition to the
30426@samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
30427occurs as normal.
30428Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
30429multiple directories in a single command
30430results in the directories added to the beginning of the
30431search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
30432If blanks are needed as
30433part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
30434the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
30435by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
30436character must not be used
30437in any directory name.
30438If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
30439
30440
30441@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30442
30443The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
30444
30445@subsubheading Example
30446
30447@smallexample
30448(gdb)
30449-environment-path
30450^done,path="/usr/bin"
30451(gdb)
30452-environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
30453^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
30454(gdb)
30455-environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
30456^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
30457(gdb)
30458@end smallexample
30459
30460
30461@subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
30462@findex -environment-pwd
30463
30464@subsubheading Synopsis
30465
30466@smallexample
30467 -environment-pwd
30468@end smallexample
30469
30470Show the current working directory.
30471
30472@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30473
30474The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
30475
30476@subsubheading Example
30477
30478@smallexample
30479(gdb)
30480-environment-pwd
30481^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
30482(gdb)
30483@end smallexample
30484
30485@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30486@node GDB/MI Thread Commands
30487@section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
30488
30489
30490@subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
30491@findex -thread-info
30492
30493@subsubheading Synopsis
30494
30495@smallexample
30496 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
30497@end smallexample
30498
30499Reports information about either a specific thread, if
30500the @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all
30501threads. When printing information about all threads,
30502also reports the current thread.
30503
30504@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30505
30506The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
30507about all threads.
30508
30509@subsubheading Result
30510
30511The result is a list of threads. The following attributes are
30512defined for a given thread:
30513
30514@table @samp
30515@item current
30516This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
30517
30518@item id
30519The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the thread.
30520
30521@item target-id
30522The identifier that the target uses to refer to the thread.
30523
30524@item details
30525Extra information about the thread, in a target-specific format. This
30526field is optional.
30527
30528@item name
30529The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using the
30530@code{thread name} command, then this name is given. Otherwise, if
30531@value{GDBN} can extract the thread name from the target, then that
30532name is given. If @value{GDBN} cannot find the thread name, then this
30533field is omitted.
30534
30535@item frame
30536The stack frame currently executing in the thread.
30537
30538@item state
30539The thread's state. The @samp{state} field may have the following
30540values:
30541
30542@table @code
30543@item stopped
30544The thread is stopped. Frame information is available for stopped
30545threads.
30546
30547@item running
30548The thread is running. There's no frame information for running
30549threads.
30550
30551@end table
30552
30553@item core
30554If @value{GDBN} can find the CPU core on which this thread is running,
30555then this field is the core identifier. This field is optional.
30556
30557@end table
30558
30559@subsubheading Example
30560
30561@smallexample
30562-thread-info
30563^done,threads=[
30564@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
30565 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",
30566 args=[]@},state="running"@},
30567@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
30568 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",
30569 args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
30570 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},
30571 state="running"@}],
30572current-thread-id="1"
30573(gdb)
30574@end smallexample
30575
30576@subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
30577@findex -thread-list-ids
30578
30579@subsubheading Synopsis
30580
30581@smallexample
30582 -thread-list-ids
30583@end smallexample
30584
30585Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
30586end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
30587
30588This command is retained for historical reasons, the
30589@code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
30590
30591@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30592
30593Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
30594
30595@subsubheading Example
30596
30597@smallexample
30598(gdb)
30599-thread-list-ids
30600^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
30601current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
30602(gdb)
30603@end smallexample
30604
30605
30606@subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
30607@findex -thread-select
30608
30609@subsubheading Synopsis
30610
30611@smallexample
30612 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
30613@end smallexample
30614
30615Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
30616current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
30617
30618This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
30619@samp{--thread} option to each command.
30620
30621@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30622
30623The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
30624
30625@subsubheading Example
30626
30627@smallexample
30628(gdb)
30629-exec-next
30630^running
30631(gdb)
30632*stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
30633file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
30634(gdb)
30635-thread-list-ids
30636^done,
30637thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
30638number-of-threads="3"
30639(gdb)
30640-thread-select 3
30641^done,new-thread-id="3",
30642frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
30643args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
30644@{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
30645(gdb)
30646@end smallexample
30647
30648@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30649@node GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands
30650@section @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Tasking Commands
30651
30652@subheading The @code{-ada-task-info} Command
30653@findex -ada-task-info
30654
30655@subsubheading Synopsis
30656
30657@smallexample
30658 -ada-task-info [ @var{task-id} ]
30659@end smallexample
30660
30661Reports information about either a specific Ada task, if the
30662@var{task-id} parameter is present, or about all Ada tasks.
30663
30664@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30665
30666The @samp{info tasks} command prints the same information
30667about all Ada tasks (@pxref{Ada Tasks}).
30668
30669@subsubheading Result
30670
30671The result is a table of Ada tasks. The following columns are
30672defined for each Ada task:
30673
30674@table @samp
30675@item current
30676This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
30677
30678@item id
30679The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the Ada task.
30680
30681@item task-id
30682The identifier that the target uses to refer to the Ada task.
30683
30684@item thread-id
30685The identifier of the thread corresponding to the Ada task.
30686
30687This field should always exist, as Ada tasks are always implemented
30688on top of a thread. But if @value{GDBN} cannot find this corresponding
30689thread for any reason, the field is omitted.
30690
30691@item parent-id
30692This field exists only when the task was created by another task.
30693In this case, it provides the ID of the parent task.
30694
30695@item priority
30696The base priority of the task.
30697
30698@item state
30699The current state of the task. For a detailed description of the
30700possible states, see @ref{Ada Tasks}.
30701
30702@item name
30703The name of the task.
30704
30705@end table
30706
30707@subsubheading Example
30708
30709@smallexample
30710-ada-task-info
30711^done,tasks=@{nr_rows="3",nr_cols="8",
30712hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr=""@},
30713@{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="id",colhdr="ID"@},
30714@{width="9",alignment="1",col_name="task-id",colhdr="TID"@},
30715@{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="thread-id",colhdr=""@},
30716@{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="parent-id",colhdr="P-ID"@},
30717@{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="priority",colhdr="Pri"@},
30718@{width="22",alignment="-1",col_name="state",colhdr="State"@},
30719@{width="1",alignment="2",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@}],
30720body=[@{current="*",id="1",task-id=" 644010",thread-id="1",priority="48",
30721state="Child Termination Wait",name="main_task"@}]@}
30722(gdb)
30723@end smallexample
30724
30725@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30726@node GDB/MI Program Execution
30727@section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
30728
30729These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
30730record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
30731asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
30732other cases.
30733
30734@subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
30735@findex -exec-continue
30736
30737@subsubheading Synopsis
30738
30739@smallexample
30740 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
30741@end smallexample
30742
30743Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
30744to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
30745@samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
30746it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
30747@itemize @bullet
30748@item
30749breakpoints or watchpoints
30750@item
30751signals or exceptions
30752@item
30753the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
30754@item
30755the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
30756@end itemize
30757In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
30758Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
30759value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
30760specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
30761ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
30762specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
30763
30764@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30765
30766The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
30767
30768@subsubheading Example
30769
30770@smallexample
30771-exec-continue
30772^running
30773(gdb)
30774@@Hello world
30775*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
30776func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
30777line="13"@}
30778(gdb)
30779@end smallexample
30780
30781
30782@subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
30783@findex -exec-finish
30784
30785@subsubheading Synopsis
30786
30787@smallexample
30788 -exec-finish [--reverse]
30789@end smallexample
30790
30791Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
30792function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
30793If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
30794execution of the inferior program until the point where current
30795function was called.
30796
30797@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30798
30799The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
30800
30801@subsubheading Example
30802
30803Function returning @code{void}.
30804
30805@smallexample
30806-exec-finish
30807^running
30808(gdb)
30809@@hello from foo
30810*stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
30811file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
30812(gdb)
30813@end smallexample
30814
30815Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
30816@value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
30817value itself.
30818
30819@smallexample
30820-exec-finish
30821^running
30822(gdb)
30823*stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
30824args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
30825file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
30826gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
30827(gdb)
30828@end smallexample
30829
30830
30831@subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
30832@findex -exec-interrupt
30833
30834@subsubheading Synopsis
30835
30836@smallexample
30837 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
30838@end smallexample
30839
30840Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
30841associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
30842that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
30843appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
30844interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
30845
30846Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
30847asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
30848@samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
30849reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
30850
30851In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
30852All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
30853@samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
30854option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
30855
30856@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30857
30858The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
30859
30860@subsubheading Example
30861
30862@smallexample
30863(gdb)
30864111-exec-continue
30865111^running
30866
30867(gdb)
30868222-exec-interrupt
30869222^done
30870(gdb)
30871111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
30872frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
30873fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
30874(gdb)
30875
30876(gdb)
30877-exec-interrupt
30878^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
30879(gdb)
30880@end smallexample
30881
30882@subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
30883@findex -exec-jump
30884
30885@subsubheading Synopsis
30886
30887@smallexample
30888 -exec-jump @var{location}
30889@end smallexample
30890
30891Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
30892parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
30893different forms of @var{location}.
30894
30895@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30896
30897The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
30898
30899@subsubheading Example
30900
30901@smallexample
30902-exec-jump foo.c:10
30903*running,thread-id="all"
30904^running
30905@end smallexample
30906
30907
30908@subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
30909@findex -exec-next
30910
30911@subsubheading Synopsis
30912
30913@smallexample
30914 -exec-next [--reverse]
30915@end smallexample
30916
30917Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
30918of the next source line is reached.
30919
30920If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
30921of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
30922source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
30923function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
30924source line where the function was called.
30925
30926
30927@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30928
30929The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
30930
30931@subsubheading Example
30932
30933@smallexample
30934-exec-next
30935^running
30936(gdb)
30937*stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
30938(gdb)
30939@end smallexample
30940
30941
30942@subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
30943@findex -exec-next-instruction
30944
30945@subsubheading Synopsis
30946
30947@smallexample
30948 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
30949@end smallexample
30950
30951Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
30952call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
30953instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
30954printed as well.
30955
30956If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
30957of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
30958previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
30959it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
30960(from the current stack frame) is reached.
30961
30962@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30963
30964The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
30965
30966@subsubheading Example
30967
30968@smallexample
30969(gdb)
30970-exec-next-instruction
30971^running
30972
30973(gdb)
30974*stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
30975addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
30976(gdb)
30977@end smallexample
30978
30979
30980@subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
30981@findex -exec-return
30982
30983@subsubheading Synopsis
30984
30985@smallexample
30986 -exec-return
30987@end smallexample
30988
30989Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
30990Displays the new current frame.
30991
30992@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30993
30994The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
30995
30996@subsubheading Example
30997
30998@smallexample
30999(gdb)
31000200-break-insert callee4
31001200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
31002file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
31003(gdb)
31004000-exec-run
31005000^running
31006(gdb)
31007000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
31008frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
31009file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31010fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
31011(gdb)
31012205-break-delete
31013205^done
31014(gdb)
31015111-exec-return
31016111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
31017args=[@{name="strarg",
31018value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
31019file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31020fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
31021(gdb)
31022@end smallexample
31023
31024
31025@subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
31026@findex -exec-run
31027
31028@subsubheading Synopsis
31029
31030@smallexample
31031 -exec-run [--all | --thread-group N]
31032@end smallexample
31033
31034Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
31035executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
31036exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
31037the program has exited exceptionally.
31038
31039When no option is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
31040@samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
31041group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
31042If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
31043
31044@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31045
31046The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
31047
31048@subsubheading Examples
31049
31050@smallexample
31051(gdb)
31052-break-insert main
31053^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
31054(gdb)
31055-exec-run
31056^running
31057(gdb)
31058*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
31059frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
31060fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
31061(gdb)
31062@end smallexample
31063
31064@noindent
31065Program exited normally:
31066
31067@smallexample
31068(gdb)
31069-exec-run
31070^running
31071(gdb)
31072x = 55
31073*stopped,reason="exited-normally"
31074(gdb)
31075@end smallexample
31076
31077@noindent
31078Program exited exceptionally:
31079
31080@smallexample
31081(gdb)
31082-exec-run
31083^running
31084(gdb)
31085x = 55
31086*stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
31087(gdb)
31088@end smallexample
31089
31090Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
31091@code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
31092
31093@smallexample
31094(gdb)
31095*stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
31096signal-meaning="Interrupt"
31097@end smallexample
31098
31099
31100@c @subheading -exec-signal
31101
31102
31103@subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
31104@findex -exec-step
31105
31106@subsubheading Synopsis
31107
31108@smallexample
31109 -exec-step [--reverse]
31110@end smallexample
31111
31112Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
31113of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
31114function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
31115function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
31116execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
31117previously executed source line.
31118
31119@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31120
31121The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
31122
31123@subsubheading Example
31124
31125Stepping into a function:
31126
31127@smallexample
31128-exec-step
31129^running
31130(gdb)
31131*stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31132frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
31133@{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
31134fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
31135(gdb)
31136@end smallexample
31137
31138Regular stepping:
31139
31140@smallexample
31141-exec-step
31142^running
31143(gdb)
31144*stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
31145(gdb)
31146@end smallexample
31147
31148
31149@subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
31150@findex -exec-step-instruction
31151
31152@subsubheading Synopsis
31153
31154@smallexample
31155 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
31156@end smallexample
31157
31158Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
31159@samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
31160inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
31161The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
31162whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
31163former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
31164as well.
31165
31166@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31167
31168The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
31169
31170@subsubheading Example
31171
31172@smallexample
31173(gdb)
31174-exec-step-instruction
31175^running
31176
31177(gdb)
31178*stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31179frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31180fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
31181(gdb)
31182-exec-step-instruction
31183^running
31184
31185(gdb)
31186*stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31187frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31188fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
31189(gdb)
31190@end smallexample
31191
31192
31193@subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
31194@findex -exec-until
31195
31196@subsubheading Synopsis
31197
31198@smallexample
31199 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
31200@end smallexample
31201
31202Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
31203argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
31204until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
31205reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
31206
31207@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31208
31209The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
31210
31211@subsubheading Example
31212
31213@smallexample
31214(gdb)
31215-exec-until recursive2.c:6
31216^running
31217(gdb)
31218x = 55
31219*stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
31220file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
31221(gdb)
31222@end smallexample
31223
31224@ignore
31225@subheading -file-clear
31226Is this going away????
31227@end ignore
31228
31229@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31230@node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
31231@section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
31232
31233@subheading The @code{-enable-frame-filters} Command
31234@findex -enable-frame-filters
31235
31236@smallexample
31237-enable-frame-filters
31238@end smallexample
31239
31240@value{GDBN} allows Python-based frame filters to affect the output of
31241the MI commands relating to stack traces. As there is no way to
31242implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
31243request that this functionality be enabled.
31244
31245Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
31246
31247Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
31248this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
31249
31250@subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
31251@findex -stack-info-frame
31252
31253@subsubheading Synopsis
31254
31255@smallexample
31256 -stack-info-frame
31257@end smallexample
31258
31259Get info on the selected frame.
31260
31261@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31262
31263The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
31264(without arguments).
31265
31266@subsubheading Example
31267
31268@smallexample
31269(gdb)
31270-stack-info-frame
31271^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
31272file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31273fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
31274(gdb)
31275@end smallexample
31276
31277@subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
31278@findex -stack-info-depth
31279
31280@subsubheading Synopsis
31281
31282@smallexample
31283 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
31284@end smallexample
31285
31286Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
31287is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
31288
31289@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31290
31291There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
31292
31293@subsubheading Example
31294
31295For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
31296
31297@smallexample
31298(gdb)
31299-stack-info-depth
31300^done,depth="12"
31301(gdb)
31302-stack-info-depth 4
31303^done,depth="4"
31304(gdb)
31305-stack-info-depth 12
31306^done,depth="12"
31307(gdb)
31308-stack-info-depth 11
31309^done,depth="11"
31310(gdb)
31311-stack-info-depth 13
31312^done,depth="12"
31313(gdb)
31314@end smallexample
31315
31316@anchor{-stack-list-arguments}
31317@subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
31318@findex -stack-list-arguments
31319
31320@subsubheading Synopsis
31321
31322@smallexample
31323 -stack-list-arguments [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
31324 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
31325@end smallexample
31326
31327Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
31328and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
31329@var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
31330call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
31331at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
31332larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
31333@var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
31334which case only existing frames will be returned.
31335
31336If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31337the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31338values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31339type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31340structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
31341supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
31342
31343If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, arguments that
31344are not available are not listed. Partially available arguments
31345are still displayed, however.
31346
31347Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
31348deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
31349
31350@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31351
31352@value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
31353@samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
31354functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
31355
31356@subsubheading Example
31357
31358@smallexample
31359(gdb)
31360-stack-list-frames
31361^done,
31362stack=[
31363frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
31364file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31365fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
31366frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
31367file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31368fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
31369frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
31370file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31371fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
31372frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
31373file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31374fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
31375frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
31376file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31377fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
31378(gdb)
31379-stack-list-arguments 0
31380^done,
31381stack-args=[
31382frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
31383frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
31384frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
31385frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
31386frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
31387(gdb)
31388-stack-list-arguments 1
31389^done,
31390stack-args=[
31391frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
31392frame=@{level="1",
31393 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
31394frame=@{level="2",args=[
31395@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31396@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
31397@{frame=@{level="3",args=[
31398@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31399@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
31400@{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
31401frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
31402(gdb)
31403-stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
31404^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
31405(gdb)
31406-stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
31407^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
31408args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31409@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
31410(gdb)
31411@end smallexample
31412
31413@c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
31414
31415
31416@anchor{-stack-list-frames}
31417@subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
31418@findex -stack-list-frames
31419
31420@subsubheading Synopsis
31421
31422@smallexample
31423 -stack-list-frames [ --no-frame-filters @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
31424@end smallexample
31425
31426List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
31427following info:
31428
31429@table @samp
31430@item @var{level}
31431The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
31432@item @var{addr}
31433The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
31434@item @var{func}
31435Function name.
31436@item @var{file}
31437File name of the source file where the function lives.
31438@item @var{fullname}
31439The full file name of the source file where the function lives.
31440@item @var{line}
31441Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
31442@item @var{from}
31443The shared library where this function is defined. This is only given
31444if the frame's function is not known.
31445@end table
31446
31447If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
31448whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
31449levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
31450are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
31451an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
31452frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
31453actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be
31454returned. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
31455Python frame filters will not be executed.
31456
31457@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31458
31459The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
31460
31461@subsubheading Example
31462
31463Full stack backtrace:
31464
31465@smallexample
31466(gdb)
31467-stack-list-frames
31468^done,stack=
31469[frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
31470 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
31471frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31472 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31473frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31474 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31475frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31476 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31477frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31478 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31479frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31480 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31481frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31482 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31483frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31484 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31485frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31486 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31487frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31488 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31489frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31490 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31491frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
31492 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
31493(gdb)
31494@end smallexample
31495
31496Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
31497
31498@smallexample
31499(gdb)
31500-stack-list-frames 3 5
31501^done,stack=
31502[frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31503 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31504frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31505 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31506frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31507 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
31508(gdb)
31509@end smallexample
31510
31511Show a single frame:
31512
31513@smallexample
31514(gdb)
31515-stack-list-frames 3 3
31516^done,stack=
31517[frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31518 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
31519(gdb)
31520@end smallexample
31521
31522
31523@subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
31524@findex -stack-list-locals
31525@anchor{-stack-list-locals}
31526
31527@subsubheading Synopsis
31528
31529@smallexample
31530 -stack-list-locals [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
31531@end smallexample
31532
31533Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
31534@var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31535the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31536values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31537type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31538structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
31539display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
31540other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
31541more detail. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
31542Python frame filters will not be executed.
31543
31544If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, local variables
31545that are not available are not listed. Partially available local
31546variables are still displayed, however.
31547
31548This command is deprecated in favor of the
31549@samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
31550
31551@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31552
31553@samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
31554
31555@subsubheading Example
31556
31557@smallexample
31558(gdb)
31559-stack-list-locals 0
31560^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
31561(gdb)
31562-stack-list-locals --all-values
31563^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
31564 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
31565-stack-list-locals --simple-values
31566^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
31567 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
31568(gdb)
31569@end smallexample
31570
31571@anchor{-stack-list-variables}
31572@subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
31573@findex -stack-list-variables
31574
31575@subsubheading Synopsis
31576
31577@smallexample
31578 -stack-list-variables [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
31579@end smallexample
31580
31581Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
31582@var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31583the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31584values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31585type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31586structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
31587supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
31588
31589If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, local variables
31590and arguments that are not available are not listed. Partially
31591available arguments and local variables are still displayed, however.
31592
31593@subsubheading Example
31594
31595@smallexample
31596(gdb)
31597-stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
31598^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
31599(gdb)
31600@end smallexample
31601
31602
31603@subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
31604@findex -stack-select-frame
31605
31606@subsubheading Synopsis
31607
31608@smallexample
31609 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
31610@end smallexample
31611
31612Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
31613the stack.
31614
31615This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
31616option to every command.
31617
31618@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31619
31620The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
31621@samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
31622
31623@subsubheading Example
31624
31625@smallexample
31626(gdb)
31627-stack-select-frame 2
31628^done
31629(gdb)
31630@end smallexample
31631
31632@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31633@node GDB/MI Variable Objects
31634@section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
31635
31636@ignore
31637
31638@subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
31639
31640For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
31641expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
31642used by @code{Insight}.
31643
31644The two main reasons for that are:
31645
31646@enumerate 1
31647@item
31648It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
31649
31650@item
31651It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
31652now).
31653@end enumerate
31654
31655The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
31656slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
31657describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
31658hints about their use.
31659
31660@emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
31661expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
31662least, the following operations:
31663
31664@itemize @bullet
31665@item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
31666@item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
31667@item @code{-stack-list-locals}
31668@item @code{-stack-select-frame}
31669@end itemize
31670
31671@end ignore
31672
31673@subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
31674
31675@cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
31676
31677Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
31678changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
31679work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
31680simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
31681is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
31682frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
31683expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
31684expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
31685variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
31686operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
31687object, or to change display format.
31688
31689Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
31690that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
31691a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
31692element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
31693children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
31694leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
31695objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
31696is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
31697child will be created.
31698
31699For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
31700string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
31701obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
31702that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
31703contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
31704
31705A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
31706the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
31707variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
31708operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
31709be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
31710objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
31711real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
31712variables that frontend has created.
31713
31714The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
31715might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
31716and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
31717relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
31718to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
31719visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
31720called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
31721implicitly updated.
31722
31723Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
31724fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
31725object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
31726variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
31727variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
31728expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
31729frame. Consider this example:
31730
31731@smallexample
31732void do_work(...)
31733@{
31734 struct work_state state;
31735
31736 if (...)
31737 do_work(...);
31738@}
31739@end smallexample
31740
31741If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
31742this function, and we enter the recursive call, the variable
31743object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
31744@code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
31745object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
31746
31747If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
31748refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
31749thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
31750variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
31751thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
31752and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
31753
31754The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
31755access this functionality:
31756
31757@multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
31758@item @strong{Operation}
31759@tab @strong{Description}
31760
31761@item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
31762@tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
31763@item @code{-var-create}
31764@tab create a variable object
31765@item @code{-var-delete}
31766@tab delete the variable object and/or its children
31767@item @code{-var-set-format}
31768@tab set the display format of this variable
31769@item @code{-var-show-format}
31770@tab show the display format of this variable
31771@item @code{-var-info-num-children}
31772@tab tells how many children this object has
31773@item @code{-var-list-children}
31774@tab return a list of the object's children
31775@item @code{-var-info-type}
31776@tab show the type of this variable object
31777@item @code{-var-info-expression}
31778@tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
31779@item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
31780@tab print full expression that this variable object represents
31781@item @code{-var-show-attributes}
31782@tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
31783@item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
31784@tab get the value of this variable
31785@item @code{-var-assign}
31786@tab set the value of this variable
31787@item @code{-var-update}
31788@tab update the variable and its children
31789@item @code{-var-set-frozen}
31790@tab set frozeness attribute
31791@item @code{-var-set-update-range}
31792@tab set range of children to display on update
31793@end multitable
31794
31795In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
31796how it can be used.
31797
31798@subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
31799
31800@subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
31801@findex -enable-pretty-printing
31802
31803@smallexample
31804-enable-pretty-printing
31805@end smallexample
31806
31807@value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
31808MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
31809implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
31810request that this functionality be enabled.
31811
31812Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
31813
31814Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
31815this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
31816
31817This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
31818may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
31819
31820@subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
31821@findex -var-create
31822
31823@subsubheading Synopsis
31824
31825@smallexample
31826 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
31827 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
31828@end smallexample
31829
31830This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
31831a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
31832register.
31833
31834The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
31835referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
31836system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
31837unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
31838The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
31839
31840The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
31841specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
31842frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
31843object must be created.
31844
31845@var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
31846begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
31847
31848@itemize @bullet
31849@item
31850@samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
31851
31852@item
31853@samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
31854
31855@item
31856@samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
31857@end itemize
31858
31859@cindex dynamic varobj
31860A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
31861case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
31862have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
31863@code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
31864will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
31865compatibility for existing clients.
31866
31867@subsubheading Result
31868
31869This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
31870are:
31871
31872@table @samp
31873@item name
31874The name of the varobj.
31875
31876@item numchild
31877The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
31878reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
31879@samp{has_more} attribute.
31880
31881@item value
31882The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
31883aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
31884will not be interesting.
31885
31886@item type
31887The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
31888would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI. If @samp{print object}
31889(@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
31890@emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
31891@emph{declared} one.
31892
31893@item thread-id
31894If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
31895thread's identifier.
31896
31897@item has_more
31898For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
31899children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
31900
31901@item dynamic
31902This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
31903varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
31904then this attribute will not be present.
31905
31906@item displayhint
31907A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
31908value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
31909@code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
31910@end table
31911
31912Typical output will look like this:
31913
31914@smallexample
31915 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
31916 has_more="@var{has_more}"
31917@end smallexample
31918
31919
31920@subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
31921@findex -var-delete
31922
31923@subsubheading Synopsis
31924
31925@smallexample
31926 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
31927@end smallexample
31928
31929Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
31930With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
31931
31932Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
31933
31934
31935@subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
31936@findex -var-set-format
31937
31938@subsubheading Synopsis
31939
31940@smallexample
31941 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
31942@end smallexample
31943
31944Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
31945@var{format-spec}.
31946
31947@anchor{-var-set-format}
31948The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
31949
31950@smallexample
31951 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
31952 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
31953@end smallexample
31954
31955The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
31956based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
31957for pointers, etc.).
31958
31959For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
31960variable itself, and the children are not affected.
31961
31962@subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
31963@findex -var-show-format
31964
31965@subsubheading Synopsis
31966
31967@smallexample
31968 -var-show-format @var{name}
31969@end smallexample
31970
31971Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
31972
31973@smallexample
31974 @var{format} @expansion{}
31975 @var{format-spec}
31976@end smallexample
31977
31978
31979@subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
31980@findex -var-info-num-children
31981
31982@subsubheading Synopsis
31983
31984@smallexample
31985 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
31986@end smallexample
31987
31988Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
31989
31990@smallexample
31991 numchild=@var{n}
31992@end smallexample
31993
31994Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
31995It will return the current number of children, but more children may
31996be available.
31997
31998
31999@subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
32000@findex -var-list-children
32001
32002@subsubheading Synopsis
32003
32004@smallexample
32005 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
32006@end smallexample
32007@anchor{-var-list-children}
32008
32009Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
32010create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
32011a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
32012@code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
32013@var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
32014values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
32015value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
32016and unions.
32017
32018@var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
32019to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
32020reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
32021at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
32022reported.
32023
32024If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
32025@code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
32026For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
32027intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
32028update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
32029front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
32030then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
32031different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
32032the visible items.
32033
32034For each child the following results are returned:
32035
32036@table @var
32037
32038@item name
32039Name of the variable object created for this child.
32040
32041@item exp
32042The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
32043For example this may be the name of a structure member.
32044
32045For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
32046expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
32047
32048For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
32049designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
32050@samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
32051type and value are not present.
32052
32053A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
32054pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
32055available at all with a dynamic varobj.
32056
32057@item numchild
32058Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
320590.
32060
32061@item type
32062The type of the child. If @samp{print object}
32063(@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
32064@emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
32065@emph{declared} one.
32066
32067@item value
32068If values were requested, this is the value.
32069
32070@item thread-id
32071If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the thread id.
32072Otherwise this result is not present.
32073
32074@item frozen
32075If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
32076@end table
32077
32078The result may have its own attributes:
32079
32080@table @samp
32081@item displayhint
32082A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
32083value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
32084@code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
32085
32086@item has_more
32087This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
32088remaining after the end of the selected range.
32089@end table
32090
32091@subsubheading Example
32092
32093@smallexample
32094(gdb)
32095 -var-list-children n
32096 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
32097 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
32098(gdb)
32099 -var-list-children --all-values n
32100 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
32101 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
32102@end smallexample
32103
32104
32105@subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
32106@findex -var-info-type
32107
32108@subsubheading Synopsis
32109
32110@smallexample
32111 -var-info-type @var{name}
32112@end smallexample
32113
32114Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
32115returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
32116@value{GDBN} CLI:
32117
32118@smallexample
32119 type=@var{typename}
32120@end smallexample
32121
32122
32123@subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
32124@findex -var-info-expression
32125
32126@subsubheading Synopsis
32127
32128@smallexample
32129 -var-info-expression @var{name}
32130@end smallexample
32131
32132Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
32133variable object in user interface. The string is generally
32134not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
32135
32136For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
32137@code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
32138
32139@smallexample
32140(gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
32141^done,lang="C",exp="1"
32142@end smallexample
32143
32144@noindent
32145Here, the values of @code{lang} can be @code{@{"C" | "C++" | "Java"@}}.
32146
32147Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
32148includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
32149is of limited use.
32150
32151@subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
32152@findex -var-info-path-expression
32153
32154@subsubheading Synopsis
32155
32156@smallexample
32157 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
32158@end smallexample
32159
32160Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
32161context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
32162Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
32163result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
32164the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
32165watchpoint from a variable object.
32166
32167This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
32168and will give an error when invoked on one.
32169
32170For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
32171@code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
32172@code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
32173@code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
32174@code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
32175@smallexample
32176(gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
32177^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
32178@end smallexample
32179
32180@subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
32181@findex -var-show-attributes
32182
32183@subsubheading Synopsis
32184
32185@smallexample
32186 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
32187@end smallexample
32188
32189List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
32190
32191@smallexample
32192 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
32193@end smallexample
32194
32195@noindent
32196where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
32197
32198@subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
32199@findex -var-evaluate-expression
32200
32201@subsubheading Synopsis
32202
32203@smallexample
32204 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
32205@end smallexample
32206
32207Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
32208object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
32209can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
32210this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
32211(@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
32212the current display format will be used. The current display format
32213can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
32214
32215@smallexample
32216 value=@var{value}
32217@end smallexample
32218
32219Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
32220before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
32221
32222@subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
32223@findex -var-assign
32224
32225@subsubheading Synopsis
32226
32227@smallexample
32228 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
32229@end smallexample
32230
32231Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
32232by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
32233value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
32234subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
32235
32236@subsubheading Example
32237
32238@smallexample
32239(gdb)
32240-var-assign var1 3
32241^done,value="3"
32242(gdb)
32243-var-update *
32244^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
32245(gdb)
32246@end smallexample
32247
32248@subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
32249@findex -var-update
32250
32251@subsubheading Synopsis
32252
32253@smallexample
32254 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
32255@end smallexample
32256
32257Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
32258@var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
32259list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
32260be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
32261@code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
32262@code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
32263object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
32264for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
32265@var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
32266names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
32267as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
32268recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
32269number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
32270
32271With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
32272currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
32273diagnostic.
32274
32275If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
32276only the selected range of children will be reported.
32277
32278@code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
32279@samp{changelist}.
32280
32281Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
32282
32283@table @samp
32284@item name
32285The name of the varobj.
32286
32287@item value
32288If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
32289present and will hold the value of the varobj.
32290
32291@item in_scope
32292@anchor{-var-update}
32293This field is a string which may take one of three values:
32294
32295@table @code
32296@item "true"
32297The variable object's current value is valid.
32298
32299@item "false"
32300The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
32301hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
32302scope.
32303
32304@item "invalid"
32305The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
32306This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
32307either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
32308command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
32309objects.
32310@end table
32311
32312In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
32313be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
32314
32315@item type_changed
32316This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
32317changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
32318be @samp{false}.
32319
32320When a varobj's type changes, its children are also likely to have
32321become incorrect. Therefore, the varobj's children are automatically
32322deleted when this attribute is @samp{true}. Also, the varobj's update
32323range, when set using the @code{-var-set-update-range} command, is
32324unset.
32325
32326@item new_type
32327If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
32328hold the new type.
32329
32330@item new_num_children
32331For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
32332type changed, this will be the new number of children.
32333
32334The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
32335valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
32336@value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
32337instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
32338children which may be available.
32339
32340The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
32341number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
32342detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
32343only happen at the end of the update range).
32344
32345@item displayhint
32346The display hint, if any.
32347
32348@item has_more
32349This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
32350available outside the varobj's update range.
32351
32352@item dynamic
32353This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
32354varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
32355then this attribute will not be present.
32356
32357@item new_children
32358If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
32359update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
32360be listed in this attribute.
32361@end table
32362
32363@subsubheading Example
32364
32365@smallexample
32366(gdb)
32367-var-assign var1 3
32368^done,value="3"
32369(gdb)
32370-var-update --all-values var1
32371^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
32372type_changed="false"@}]
32373(gdb)
32374@end smallexample
32375
32376@subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
32377@findex -var-set-frozen
32378@anchor{-var-set-frozen}
32379
32380@subsubheading Synopsis
32381
32382@smallexample
32383 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
32384@end smallexample
32385
32386Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
32387@var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
32388frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
32389frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
32390implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
32391a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
32392@code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
32393values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
32394implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
32395Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
32396@code{-var-update} does.
32397
32398@subsubheading Example
32399
32400@smallexample
32401(gdb)
32402-var-set-frozen V 1
32403^done
32404(gdb)
32405@end smallexample
32406
32407@subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
32408@findex -var-set-update-range
32409@anchor{-var-set-update-range}
32410
32411@subsubheading Synopsis
32412
32413@smallexample
32414 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
32415@end smallexample
32416
32417Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
32418@code{-var-update}.
32419
32420@var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
32421@var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
32422children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
32423(zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
32424
32425@subsubheading Example
32426
32427@smallexample
32428(gdb)
32429-var-set-update-range V 1 2
32430^done
32431@end smallexample
32432
32433@subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
32434@findex -var-set-visualizer
32435@anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
32436
32437@subsubheading Synopsis
32438
32439@smallexample
32440 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
32441@end smallexample
32442
32443Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
32444
32445@var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
32446@samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
32447
32448If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
32449This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
32450single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
32451the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
32452Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
32453When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
32454pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
32455
32456The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
32457select a visualizer by following the built-in process
32458(@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
32459a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
32460
32461This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
32462command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands})
32463can be used to check this.
32464
32465@subsubheading Example
32466
32467Resetting the visualizer:
32468
32469@smallexample
32470(gdb)
32471-var-set-visualizer V None
32472^done
32473@end smallexample
32474
32475Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
32476
32477@smallexample
32478(gdb)
32479-var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
32480^done
32481@end smallexample
32482
32483Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
32484can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
32485
32486@smallexample
32487(gdb)
32488-var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
32489^done
32490@end smallexample
32491
32492@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
32493@node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
32494@section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
32495
32496@cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
32497@cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
32498This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
32499examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
32500
32501@c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
32502@c @subheading -data-assign
32503@c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
32504@c @subsubheading GDB Command
32505@c set variable
32506@c @subsubheading Example
32507@c N.A.
32508
32509@subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
32510@findex -data-disassemble
32511
32512@subsubheading Synopsis
32513
32514@smallexample
32515 -data-disassemble
32516 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
32517 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
32518 -- @var{mode}
32519@end smallexample
32520
32521@noindent
32522Where:
32523
32524@table @samp
32525@item @var{start-addr}
32526is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
32527@item @var{end-addr}
32528is the end address
32529@item @var{filename}
32530is the name of the file to disassemble
32531@item @var{linenum}
32532is the line number to disassemble around
32533@item @var{lines}
32534is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
32535the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
32536specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
32537@var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
32538@var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
32539displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
32540@var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
32541are displayed.
32542@item @var{mode}
32543is either 0 (meaning only disassembly), 1 (meaning mixed source and
32544disassembly), 2 (meaning disassembly with raw opcodes), or 3 (meaning
32545mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes).
32546@end table
32547
32548@subsubheading Result
32549
32550The result of the @code{-data-disassemble} command will be a list named
32551@samp{asm_insns}, the contents of this list depend on the @var{mode}
32552used with the @code{-data-disassemble} command.
32553
32554For modes 0 and 2 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples with the
32555following fields:
32556
32557@table @code
32558@item address
32559The address at which this instruction was disassembled.
32560
32561@item func-name
32562The name of the function this instruction is within.
32563
32564@item offset
32565The decimal offset in bytes from the start of @samp{func-name}.
32566
32567@item inst
32568The text disassembly for this @samp{address}.
32569
32570@item opcodes
32571This field is only present for mode 2. This contains the raw opcode
32572bytes for the @samp{inst} field.
32573
32574@end table
32575
32576For modes 1 and 3 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples named
32577@samp{src_and_asm_line}, each of which has the following fields:
32578
32579@table @code
32580@item line
32581The line number within @samp{file}.
32582
32583@item file
32584The file name from the compilation unit. This might be an absolute
32585file name or a relative file name depending on the compile command
32586used.
32587
32588@item fullname
32589Absolute file name of @samp{file}. It is converted to a canonical form
32590using the source file search path
32591(@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories})
32592and after resolving all the symbolic links.
32593
32594If the source file is not found this field will contain the path as
32595present in the debug information.
32596
32597@item line_asm_insn
32598This is a list of tuples containing the disassembly for @samp{line} in
32599@samp{file}. The fields of each tuple are the same as for
32600@code{-data-disassemble} in @var{mode} 0 and 2, so @samp{address},
32601@samp{func-name}, @samp{offset}, @samp{inst}, and optionally
32602@samp{opcodes}.
32603
32604@end table
32605
32606Note that whatever included in the @samp{inst} field, is not
32607manipulated directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to
32608adjust its format.
32609
32610@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32611
32612The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disassemble}.
32613
32614@subsubheading Example
32615
32616Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
32617
32618@smallexample
32619(gdb)
32620-data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
32621^done,
32622asm_insns=[
32623@{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
32624inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32625@{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32626inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
32627@{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
32628inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
32629@{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
32630inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
32631@{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
32632inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
32633(gdb)
32634@end smallexample
32635
32636Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
32637@code{main}.
32638
32639@smallexample
32640-data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
32641^done,asm_insns=[
32642@{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
32643inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
32644@{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
32645inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32646@{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32647inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
32648[@dots{}]
32649@{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
32650@{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
32651(gdb)
32652@end smallexample
32653
32654Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
32655
32656@smallexample
32657(gdb)
32658-data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
32659^done,asm_insns=[
32660@{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
32661inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
32662@{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
32663inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32664@{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32665inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
32666(gdb)
32667@end smallexample
32668
32669Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
32670
32671@smallexample
32672(gdb)
32673-data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
32674^done,asm_insns=[
32675src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
32676file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32677fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32678line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107bc",
32679func-name="main",offset="0",inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
32680src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
32681file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32682fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32683line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107c0",
32684func-name="main",offset="4",inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32685@{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32686inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
32687(gdb)
32688@end smallexample
32689
32690
32691@subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
32692@findex -data-evaluate-expression
32693
32694@subsubheading Synopsis
32695
32696@smallexample
32697 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
32698@end smallexample
32699
32700Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
32701inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
32702If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
32703
32704@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32705
32706The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
32707@samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
32708@samp{gdb_eval} command.
32709
32710@subsubheading Example
32711
32712In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
32713@dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
32714Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
32715output.
32716
32717@smallexample
32718211-data-evaluate-expression A
32719211^done,value="1"
32720(gdb)
32721311-data-evaluate-expression &A
32722311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
32723(gdb)
32724411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
32725411^done,value="4"
32726(gdb)
32727511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
32728511^done,value="4"
32729(gdb)
32730@end smallexample
32731
32732
32733@subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
32734@findex -data-list-changed-registers
32735
32736@subsubheading Synopsis
32737
32738@smallexample
32739 -data-list-changed-registers
32740@end smallexample
32741
32742Display a list of the registers that have changed.
32743
32744@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32745
32746@value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
32747has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
32748
32749@subsubheading Example
32750
32751On a PPC MBX board:
32752
32753@smallexample
32754(gdb)
32755-exec-continue
32756^running
32757
32758(gdb)
32759*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
32760func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
32761line="5"@}
32762(gdb)
32763-data-list-changed-registers
32764^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
32765"10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
32766"24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
32767(gdb)
32768@end smallexample
32769
32770
32771@subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
32772@findex -data-list-register-names
32773
32774@subsubheading Synopsis
32775
32776@smallexample
32777 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
32778@end smallexample
32779
32780Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
32781are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
32782integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
32783names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
32784consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
32785include empty register names.
32786
32787@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32788
32789@value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
32790@samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
32791corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
32792
32793@subsubheading Example
32794
32795For the PPC MBX board:
32796@smallexample
32797(gdb)
32798-data-list-register-names
32799^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
32800"r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
32801"r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
32802"r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
32803"f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
32804"f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
32805"", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
32806(gdb)
32807-data-list-register-names 1 2 3
32808^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
32809(gdb)
32810@end smallexample
32811
32812@subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
32813@findex -data-list-register-values
32814
32815@subsubheading Synopsis
32816
32817@smallexample
32818 -data-list-register-values
32819 [ @code{--skip-unavailable} ] @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
32820@end smallexample
32821
32822Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
32823which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
32824list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
32825numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be
32826returned. The @code{--skip-unavailable} option indicates that only
32827the available registers are to be returned.
32828
32829Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
32830
32831@table @code
32832@item x
32833Hexadecimal
32834@item o
32835Octal
32836@item t
32837Binary
32838@item d
32839Decimal
32840@item r
32841Raw
32842@item N
32843Natural
32844@end table
32845
32846@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32847
32848The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
32849all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
32850
32851@subsubheading Example
32852
32853For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
32854don't appear in the actual output):
32855
32856@smallexample
32857(gdb)
32858-data-list-register-values r 64 65
32859^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
32860@{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
32861(gdb)
32862-data-list-register-values x
32863^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
32864@{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
32865@{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
32866@{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
32867@{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
32868@{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
32869@{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
32870@{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
32871@{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
32872@{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
32873@{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
32874@{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
32875@{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
32876@{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
32877@{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
32878@{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
32879@{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
32880@{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
32881@{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
32882@{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
32883@{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
32884@{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
32885@{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
32886@{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
32887@{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
32888@{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
32889@{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
32890@{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
32891@{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
32892@{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
32893@{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
32894@{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
32895@{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
32896@{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
32897@{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
32898@{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
32899(gdb)
32900@end smallexample
32901
32902
32903@subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
32904@findex -data-read-memory
32905
32906This command is deprecated, use @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} instead.
32907
32908@subsubheading Synopsis
32909
32910@smallexample
32911 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
32912 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
32913 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
32914@end smallexample
32915
32916@noindent
32917where:
32918
32919@table @samp
32920@item @var{address}
32921An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
32922read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
32923quoted using the C convention.
32924
32925@item @var{word-format}
32926The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
32927same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
32928,Output Formats}).
32929
32930@item @var{word-size}
32931The size of each memory word in bytes.
32932
32933@item @var{nr-rows}
32934The number of rows in the output table.
32935
32936@item @var{nr-cols}
32937The number of columns in the output table.
32938
32939@item @var{aschar}
32940If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
32941value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
32942member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
32943characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
32944
32945@item @var{byte-offset}
32946An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
32947@end table
32948
32949This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
32950@var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
32951@code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
32952(returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
32953of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
32954using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
32955in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
32956@samp{addr}.
32957
32958The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
32959@samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
32960@samp{prev-page}.
32961
32962@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32963
32964The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
32965@samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
32966
32967@subsubheading Example
32968
32969Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
32970@code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
32971word. Display each word in hex.
32972
32973@smallexample
32974(gdb)
329759-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
329769^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
32977next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
32978prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
32979@{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
32980@{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
32981@{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
32982(gdb)
32983@end smallexample
32984
32985Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
32986display as a single word formatted in decimal.
32987
32988@smallexample
32989(gdb)
329905-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
329915^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
32992next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
32993next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
32994@{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
32995(gdb)
32996@end smallexample
32997
32998Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
32999as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
33000used as the non-printable character.
33001
33002@smallexample
33003(gdb)
330044-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
330054^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
33006next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
33007next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
33008@{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33009@{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33010@{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33011@{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33012@{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
33013@{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
33014@{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
33015@{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
33016(gdb)
33017@end smallexample
33018
33019@subheading The @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} Command
33020@findex -data-read-memory-bytes
33021
33022@subsubheading Synopsis
33023
33024@smallexample
33025 -data-read-memory-bytes [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
33026 @var{address} @var{count}
33027@end smallexample
33028
33029@noindent
33030where:
33031
33032@table @samp
33033@item @var{address}
33034An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
33035read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33036quoted using the C convention.
33037
33038@item @var{count}
33039The number of bytes to read. This should be an integer literal.
33040
33041@item @var{byte-offset}
33042The offsets in bytes relative to @var{address} at which to start
33043reading. This should be an integer literal. This option is provided
33044so that a frontend is not required to first evaluate address and then
33045perform address arithmetics itself.
33046
33047@end table
33048
33049This command attempts to read all accessible memory regions in the
33050specified range. First, all regions marked as unreadable in the memory
33051map (if one is defined) will be skipped. @xref{Memory Region
33052Attributes}. Second, @value{GDBN} will attempt to read the remaining
33053regions. For each one, if reading full region results in an errors,
33054@value{GDBN} will try to read a subset of the region.
33055
33056In general, every single byte in the region may be readable or not,
33057and the only way to read every readable byte is to try a read at
33058every address, which is not practical. Therefore, @value{GDBN} will
33059attempt to read all accessible bytes at either beginning or the end
33060of the region, using a binary division scheme. This heuristic works
33061well for reading accross a memory map boundary. Note that if a region
33062has a readable range that is neither at the beginning or the end,
33063@value{GDBN} will not read it.
33064
33065The result record (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}) that is output of
33066the command includes a field named @samp{memory} whose content is a
33067list of tuples. Each tuple represent a successfully read memory block
33068and has the following fields:
33069
33070@table @code
33071@item begin
33072The start address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
33073
33074@item end
33075The end address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
33076
33077@item offset
33078The offset of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal, relative to
33079the start address passed to @code{-data-read-memory-bytes}.
33080
33081@item contents
33082The contents of the memory block, in hex.
33083
33084@end table
33085
33086
33087
33088@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33089
33090The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}.
33091
33092@subsubheading Example
33093
33094@smallexample
33095(gdb)
33096-data-read-memory-bytes &a 10
33097^done,memory=[@{begin="0xbffff154",offset="0x00000000",
33098 end="0xbffff15e",
33099 contents="01000000020000000300"@}]
33100(gdb)
33101@end smallexample
33102
33103
33104@subheading The @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} Command
33105@findex -data-write-memory-bytes
33106
33107@subsubheading Synopsis
33108
33109@smallexample
33110 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents}
33111 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents} @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
33112@end smallexample
33113
33114@noindent
33115where:
33116
33117@table @samp
33118@item @var{address}
33119An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
33120read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33121quoted using the C convention.
33122
33123@item @var{contents}
33124The hex-encoded bytes to write.
33125
33126@item @var{count}
33127Optional argument indicating the number of bytes to be written. If @var{count}
33128is greater than @var{contents}' length, @value{GDBN} will repeatedly
33129write @var{contents} until it fills @var{count} bytes.
33130
33131@end table
33132
33133@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33134
33135There's no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33136
33137@subsubheading Example
33138
33139@smallexample
33140(gdb)
33141-data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd"
33142^done
33143(gdb)
33144@end smallexample
33145
33146@smallexample
33147(gdb)
33148-data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd" 16e
33149^done
33150(gdb)
33151@end smallexample
33152
33153@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33154@node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
33155@section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
33156
33157The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
33158tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
33159
33160@subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
33161@findex -trace-find
33162
33163@subsubheading Synopsis
33164
33165@smallexample
33166 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
33167@end smallexample
33168
33169Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
33170@var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
33171modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
33172
33173@table @samp
33174
33175@item none
33176No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
33177
33178@item frame-number
33179An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
33180that index.
33181
33182@item tracepoint-number
33183An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
33184trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
33185
33186@item pc
33187An address is required as parameter. Finds
33188next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
33189address.
33190
33191@item pc-inside-range
33192Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
33193frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
33194specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
33195
33196@item pc-outside-range
33197Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
33198next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
33199the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
33200
33201@item line
33202Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
33203Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
33204the specified location.
33205
33206@end table
33207
33208If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
33209have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
33210
33211@table @samp
33212@item found
33213This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
33214on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
33215
33216@item traceframe
33217The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
33218the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
33219
33220@item tracepoint
33221The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
33222the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
33223
33224@item frame
33225The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
33226frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
33227@xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
33228
33229@end table
33230
33231@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33232
33233The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
33234
33235@subheading -trace-define-variable
33236@findex -trace-define-variable
33237
33238@subsubheading Synopsis
33239
33240@smallexample
33241 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
33242@end smallexample
33243
33244Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
33245@var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
33246trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
33247with the @samp{$} character.
33248
33249@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33250
33251The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
33252
33253@subheading The @code{-trace-frame-collected} Command
33254@findex -trace-frame-collected
33255
33256@subsubheading Synopsis
33257
33258@smallexample
33259 -trace-frame-collected
33260 [--var-print-values @var{var_pval}]
33261 [--comp-print-values @var{comp_pval}]
33262 [--registers-format @var{regformat}]
33263 [--memory-contents]
33264@end smallexample
33265
33266This command returns the set of collected objects, register names,
33267trace state variable names, memory ranges and computed expressions
33268that have been collected at a particular trace frame. The optional
33269parameters to the command affect the output format in different ways.
33270See the output description table below for more details.
33271
33272The reported names can be used in the normal manner to create
33273varobjs and inspect the objects themselves. The items returned by
33274this command are categorized so that it is clear which is a variable,
33275which is a register, which is a trace state variable, which is a
33276memory range and which is a computed expression.
33277
33278For instance, if the actions were
33279@smallexample
33280collect myVar, myArray[myIndex], myObj.field, myPtr->field, myCount + 2
33281collect *(int*)0xaf02bef0@@40
33282@end smallexample
33283
33284@noindent
33285the object collected in its entirety would be @code{myVar}. The
33286object @code{myArray} would be partially collected, because only the
33287element at index @code{myIndex} would be collected. The remaining
33288objects would be computed expressions.
33289
33290An example output would be:
33291
33292@smallexample
33293(gdb)
33294-trace-frame-collected
33295^done,
33296 explicit-variables=[@{name="myVar",value="1"@}],
33297 computed-expressions=[@{name="myArray[myIndex]",value="0"@},
33298 @{name="myObj.field",value="0"@},
33299 @{name="myPtr->field",value="1"@},
33300 @{name="myCount + 2",value="3"@},
33301 @{name="$tvar1 + 1",value="43970027"@}],
33302 registers=[@{number="0",value="0x7fe2c6e79ec8"@},
33303 @{number="1",value="0x0"@},
33304 @{number="2",value="0x4"@},
33305 ...
33306 @{number="125",value="0x0"@}],
33307 tvars=[@{name="$tvar1",current="43970026"@}],
33308 memory=[@{address="0x0000000000602264",length="4"@},
33309 @{address="0x0000000000615bc0",length="4"@}]
33310(gdb)
33311@end smallexample
33312
33313Where:
33314
33315@table @code
33316@item explicit-variables
33317The set of objects that have been collected in their entirety (as
33318opposed to collecting just a few elements of an array or a few struct
33319members). For each object, its name and value are printed.
33320The @code{--var-print-values} option affects how or whether the value
33321field is output. If @var{var_pval} is 0, then print only the names;
33322if it is 1, print also their values; and if it is 2, print the name,
33323type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for
33324arrays, structures and unions.
33325
33326@item computed-expressions
33327The set of computed expressions that have been collected at the
33328current trace frame. The @code{--comp-print-values} option affects
33329this set like the @code{--var-print-values} option affects the
33330@code{explicit-variables} set. See above.
33331
33332@item registers
33333The registers that have been collected at the current trace frame.
33334For each register collected, the name and current value are returned.
33335The value is formatted according to the @code{--registers-format}
33336option. See the @command{-data-list-register-values} command for a
33337list of the allowed formats. The default is @samp{x}.
33338
33339@item tvars
33340The trace state variables that have been collected at the current
33341trace frame. For each trace state variable collected, the name and
33342current value are returned.
33343
33344@item memory
33345The set of memory ranges that have been collected at the current trace
33346frame. Its content is a list of tuples. Each tuple represents a
33347collected memory range and has the following fields:
33348
33349@table @code
33350@item address
33351The start address of the memory range, as hexadecimal literal.
33352
33353@item length
33354The length of the memory range, as decimal literal.
33355
33356@item contents
33357The contents of the memory block, in hex. This field is only present
33358if the @code{--memory-contents} option is specified.
33359
33360@end table
33361
33362@end table
33363
33364@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33365
33366There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33367
33368@subsubheading Example
33369
33370@subheading -trace-list-variables
33371@findex -trace-list-variables
33372
33373@subsubheading Synopsis
33374
33375@smallexample
33376 -trace-list-variables
33377@end smallexample
33378
33379Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
33380table has the following fields:
33381
33382@table @samp
33383@item name
33384The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
33385
33386@item initial
33387The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
33388field is always present.
33389
33390@item current
33391The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
33392signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
33393not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
33394presently running.
33395
33396@end table
33397
33398@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33399
33400The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
33401
33402@subsubheading Example
33403
33404@smallexample
33405(gdb)
33406-trace-list-variables
33407^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
33408hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
33409 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
33410 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
33411body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
33412 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
33413(gdb)
33414@end smallexample
33415
33416@subheading -trace-save
33417@findex -trace-save
33418
33419@subsubheading Synopsis
33420
33421@smallexample
33422 -trace-save [-r ] @var{filename}
33423@end smallexample
33424
33425Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
33426@samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
33427in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
33428to perform the save.
33429
33430@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33431
33432The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
33433
33434
33435@subheading -trace-start
33436@findex -trace-start
33437
33438@subsubheading Synopsis
33439
33440@smallexample
33441 -trace-start
33442@end smallexample
33443
33444Starts a tracing experiments. The result of this command does not
33445have any fields.
33446
33447@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33448
33449The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
33450
33451@subheading -trace-status
33452@findex -trace-status
33453
33454@subsubheading Synopsis
33455
33456@smallexample
33457 -trace-status
33458@end smallexample
33459
33460Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
33461the following fields:
33462
33463@table @samp
33464
33465@item supported
33466May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
33467supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
33468@samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
33469of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
33470started. This field is always present.
33471
33472@item running
33473May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
33474tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
33475if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
33476
33477@item stop-reason
33478Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
33479may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
33480value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
33481the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
33482the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
33483tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
33484The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
33485tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
33486This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
33487
33488@item stopping-tracepoint
33489The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
33490present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
33491@samp{passcount}.
33492
33493@item frames
33494@itemx frames-created
33495The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
33496in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
33497during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
33498circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
33499
33500@item buffer-size
33501@itemx buffer-free
33502These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
33503remaining space. These fields are optional.
33504
33505@item circular
33506The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
33507trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
33508necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
33509and may fill up.
33510
33511@item disconnected
33512The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
33513tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
33514that the trace run will stop.
33515
33516@item trace-file
33517The filename of the trace file being examined. This field is
33518optional, and only present when examining a trace file.
33519
33520@end table
33521
33522@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33523
33524The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
33525
33526@subheading -trace-stop
33527@findex -trace-stop
33528
33529@subsubheading Synopsis
33530
33531@smallexample
33532 -trace-stop
33533@end smallexample
33534
33535Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
33536fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
33537@samp{running} fields are not output.
33538
33539@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33540
33541The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
33542
33543
33544@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33545@node GDB/MI Symbol Query
33546@section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
33547
33548
33549@ignore
33550@subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
33551@findex -symbol-info-address
33552
33553@subsubheading Synopsis
33554
33555@smallexample
33556 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
33557@end smallexample
33558
33559Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
33560
33561@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33562
33563The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
33564
33565@subsubheading Example
33566N.A.
33567
33568
33569@subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
33570@findex -symbol-info-file
33571
33572@subsubheading Synopsis
33573
33574@smallexample
33575 -symbol-info-file
33576@end smallexample
33577
33578Show the file for the symbol.
33579
33580@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33581
33582There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
33583@samp{gdb_find_file}.
33584
33585@subsubheading Example
33586N.A.
33587
33588
33589@subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
33590@findex -symbol-info-function
33591
33592@subsubheading Synopsis
33593
33594@smallexample
33595 -symbol-info-function
33596@end smallexample
33597
33598Show which function the symbol lives in.
33599
33600@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33601
33602@samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
33603
33604@subsubheading Example
33605N.A.
33606
33607
33608@subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
33609@findex -symbol-info-line
33610
33611@subsubheading Synopsis
33612
33613@smallexample
33614 -symbol-info-line
33615@end smallexample
33616
33617Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
33618
33619@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33620
33621The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
33622@code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
33623
33624@subsubheading Example
33625N.A.
33626
33627
33628@subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
33629@findex -symbol-info-symbol
33630
33631@subsubheading Synopsis
33632
33633@smallexample
33634 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
33635@end smallexample
33636
33637Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
33638
33639@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33640
33641The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
33642
33643@subsubheading Example
33644N.A.
33645
33646
33647@subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
33648@findex -symbol-list-functions
33649
33650@subsubheading Synopsis
33651
33652@smallexample
33653 -symbol-list-functions
33654@end smallexample
33655
33656List the functions in the executable.
33657
33658@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33659
33660@samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
33661@samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
33662
33663@subsubheading Example
33664N.A.
33665@end ignore
33666
33667
33668@subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
33669@findex -symbol-list-lines
33670
33671@subsubheading Synopsis
33672
33673@smallexample
33674 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
33675@end smallexample
33676
33677Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
33678addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
33679ascending PC order.
33680
33681@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33682
33683There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33684
33685@subsubheading Example
33686@smallexample
33687(gdb)
33688-symbol-list-lines basics.c
33689^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
33690(gdb)
33691@end smallexample
33692
33693
33694@ignore
33695@subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
33696@findex -symbol-list-types
33697
33698@subsubheading Synopsis
33699
33700@smallexample
33701 -symbol-list-types
33702@end smallexample
33703
33704List all the type names.
33705
33706@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33707
33708The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
33709@samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
33710
33711@subsubheading Example
33712N.A.
33713
33714
33715@subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
33716@findex -symbol-list-variables
33717
33718@subsubheading Synopsis
33719
33720@smallexample
33721 -symbol-list-variables
33722@end smallexample
33723
33724List all the global and static variable names.
33725
33726@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33727
33728@samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
33729
33730@subsubheading Example
33731N.A.
33732
33733
33734@subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
33735@findex -symbol-locate
33736
33737@subsubheading Synopsis
33738
33739@smallexample
33740 -symbol-locate
33741@end smallexample
33742
33743@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33744
33745@samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
33746
33747@subsubheading Example
33748N.A.
33749
33750
33751@subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
33752@findex -symbol-type
33753
33754@subsubheading Synopsis
33755
33756@smallexample
33757 -symbol-type @var{variable}
33758@end smallexample
33759
33760Show type of @var{variable}.
33761
33762@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33763
33764The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
33765@samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
33766
33767@subsubheading Example
33768N.A.
33769@end ignore
33770
33771
33772@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33773@node GDB/MI File Commands
33774@section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
33775
33776This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
33777and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
33778
33779@subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
33780@findex -file-exec-and-symbols
33781
33782@subsubheading Synopsis
33783
33784@smallexample
33785 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
33786@end smallexample
33787
33788Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
33789which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
33790command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
33791are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
33792error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
33793notification.
33794
33795@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33796
33797The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
33798
33799@subsubheading Example
33800
33801@smallexample
33802(gdb)
33803-file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
33804^done
33805(gdb)
33806@end smallexample
33807
33808
33809@subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
33810@findex -file-exec-file
33811
33812@subsubheading Synopsis
33813
33814@smallexample
33815 -file-exec-file @var{file}
33816@end smallexample
33817
33818Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
33819@samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
33820from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
33821about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
33822notification.
33823
33824@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33825
33826The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
33827
33828@subsubheading Example
33829
33830@smallexample
33831(gdb)
33832-file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
33833^done
33834(gdb)
33835@end smallexample
33836
33837
33838@ignore
33839@subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
33840@findex -file-list-exec-sections
33841
33842@subsubheading Synopsis
33843
33844@smallexample
33845 -file-list-exec-sections
33846@end smallexample
33847
33848List the sections of the current executable file.
33849
33850@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33851
33852The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
33853information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
33854@samp{gdb_load_info}.
33855
33856@subsubheading Example
33857N.A.
33858@end ignore
33859
33860
33861@subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
33862@findex -file-list-exec-source-file
33863
33864@subsubheading Synopsis
33865
33866@smallexample
33867 -file-list-exec-source-file
33868@end smallexample
33869
33870List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
33871to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
33872information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
33873whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
33874
33875@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33876
33877The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
33878
33879@subsubheading Example
33880
33881@smallexample
33882(gdb)
33883123-file-list-exec-source-file
33884123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
33885(gdb)
33886@end smallexample
33887
33888
33889@subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
33890@findex -file-list-exec-source-files
33891
33892@subsubheading Synopsis
33893
33894@smallexample
33895 -file-list-exec-source-files
33896@end smallexample
33897
33898List the source files for the current executable.
33899
33900It will always output both the filename and fullname (absolute file
33901name) of a source file.
33902
33903@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33904
33905The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
33906@code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
33907
33908@subsubheading Example
33909@smallexample
33910(gdb)
33911-file-list-exec-source-files
33912^done,files=[
33913@{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
33914@{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
33915@{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
33916(gdb)
33917@end smallexample
33918
33919@ignore
33920@subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
33921@findex -file-list-shared-libraries
33922
33923@subsubheading Synopsis
33924
33925@smallexample
33926 -file-list-shared-libraries
33927@end smallexample
33928
33929List the shared libraries in the program.
33930
33931@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33932
33933The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
33934
33935@subsubheading Example
33936N.A.
33937
33938
33939@subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
33940@findex -file-list-symbol-files
33941
33942@subsubheading Synopsis
33943
33944@smallexample
33945 -file-list-symbol-files
33946@end smallexample
33947
33948List symbol files.
33949
33950@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33951
33952The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
33953
33954@subsubheading Example
33955N.A.
33956@end ignore
33957
33958
33959@subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
33960@findex -file-symbol-file
33961
33962@subsubheading Synopsis
33963
33964@smallexample
33965 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
33966@end smallexample
33967
33968Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
33969used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
33970produced, except for a completion notification.
33971
33972@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33973
33974The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
33975
33976@subsubheading Example
33977
33978@smallexample
33979(gdb)
33980-file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
33981^done
33982(gdb)
33983@end smallexample
33984
33985@ignore
33986@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33987@node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
33988@section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
33989
33990The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
33991
33992@c @subheading -overlay-auto
33993
33994@c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
33995
33996@c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
33997
33998@c @subheading -overlay-map
33999
34000@c @subheading -overlay-off
34001
34002@c @subheading -overlay-on
34003
34004@c @subheading -overlay-unmap
34005
34006@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34007@node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
34008@section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
34009
34010Signal handling commands are not implemented.
34011
34012@c @subheading -signal-handle
34013
34014@c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
34015
34016@c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
34017@end ignore
34018
34019
34020@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34021@node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
34022@section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
34023
34024
34025@subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
34026@findex -target-attach
34027
34028@subsubheading Synopsis
34029
34030@smallexample
34031 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
34032@end smallexample
34033
34034Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
34035@value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
34036group, the id previously returned by
34037@samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
34038
34039@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34040
34041The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
34042
34043@subsubheading Example
34044@smallexample
34045(gdb)
34046-target-attach 34
34047=thread-created,id="1"
34048*stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
34049^done
34050(gdb)
34051@end smallexample
34052
34053@ignore
34054@subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
34055@findex -target-compare-sections
34056
34057@subsubheading Synopsis
34058
34059@smallexample
34060 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
34061@end smallexample
34062
34063Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
34064Without the argument, all sections are compared.
34065
34066@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34067
34068The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
34069
34070@subsubheading Example
34071N.A.
34072@end ignore
34073
34074
34075@subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
34076@findex -target-detach
34077
34078@subsubheading Synopsis
34079
34080@smallexample
34081 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
34082@end smallexample
34083
34084Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
34085If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
34086the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
34087
34088@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34089
34090The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
34091
34092@subsubheading Example
34093
34094@smallexample
34095(gdb)
34096-target-detach
34097^done
34098(gdb)
34099@end smallexample
34100
34101
34102@subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
34103@findex -target-disconnect
34104
34105@subsubheading Synopsis
34106
34107@smallexample
34108 -target-disconnect
34109@end smallexample
34110
34111Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
34112generally not resumed.
34113
34114@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34115
34116The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
34117
34118@subsubheading Example
34119
34120@smallexample
34121(gdb)
34122-target-disconnect
34123^done
34124(gdb)
34125@end smallexample
34126
34127
34128@subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
34129@findex -target-download
34130
34131@subsubheading Synopsis
34132
34133@smallexample
34134 -target-download
34135@end smallexample
34136
34137Loads the executable onto the remote target.
34138It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
34139
34140@table @samp
34141@item section
34142The name of the section.
34143@item section-sent
34144The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
34145@item section-size
34146The size of the section.
34147@item total-sent
34148The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
34149@item total-size
34150The size of the overall executable to download.
34151@end table
34152
34153@noindent
34154Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
34155@sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
34156
34157In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
34158downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
34159
34160@table @samp
34161@item section
34162The name of the section.
34163@item section-size
34164The size of the section.
34165@item total-size
34166The size of the overall executable to download.
34167@end table
34168
34169@noindent
34170At the end, a summary is printed.
34171
34172@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34173
34174The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
34175
34176@subsubheading Example
34177
34178Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
34179have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
34180
34181@smallexample
34182(gdb)
34183-target-download
34184+download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
34185+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
34186total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
34187+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
34188total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
34189+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
34190total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
34191+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
34192total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
34193+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
34194total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
34195+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
34196total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
34197+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
34198total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
34199+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
34200total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
34201+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
34202total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
34203+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
34204total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
34205+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
34206total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
34207+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
34208total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
34209+download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
34210total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
34211+download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
34212+download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
34213+download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
34214+download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
34215total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
34216+download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
34217total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
34218+download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
34219total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
34220+download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
34221total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
34222+download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
34223total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
34224+download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
34225total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
34226^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
34227write-rate="429"
34228(gdb)
34229@end smallexample
34230
34231
34232@ignore
34233@subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
34234@findex -target-exec-status
34235
34236@subsubheading Synopsis
34237
34238@smallexample
34239 -target-exec-status
34240@end smallexample
34241
34242Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
34243not, for instance).
34244
34245@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34246
34247There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
34248
34249@subsubheading Example
34250N.A.
34251
34252
34253@subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
34254@findex -target-list-available-targets
34255
34256@subsubheading Synopsis
34257
34258@smallexample
34259 -target-list-available-targets
34260@end smallexample
34261
34262List the possible targets to connect to.
34263
34264@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34265
34266The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
34267
34268@subsubheading Example
34269N.A.
34270
34271
34272@subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
34273@findex -target-list-current-targets
34274
34275@subsubheading Synopsis
34276
34277@smallexample
34278 -target-list-current-targets
34279@end smallexample
34280
34281Describe the current target.
34282
34283@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34284
34285The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
34286other things).
34287
34288@subsubheading Example
34289N.A.
34290
34291
34292@subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
34293@findex -target-list-parameters
34294
34295@subsubheading Synopsis
34296
34297@smallexample
34298 -target-list-parameters
34299@end smallexample
34300
34301@c ????
34302@end ignore
34303
34304@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34305
34306No equivalent.
34307
34308@subsubheading Example
34309N.A.
34310
34311
34312@subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
34313@findex -target-select
34314
34315@subsubheading Synopsis
34316
34317@smallexample
34318 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
34319@end smallexample
34320
34321Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
34322
34323@table @samp
34324@item @var{type}
34325The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
34326@item @var{parameters}
34327Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
34328Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
34329@end table
34330
34331The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
34332which the target program is, in the following form:
34333
34334@smallexample
34335^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
34336 args=[@var{arg list}]
34337@end smallexample
34338
34339@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34340
34341The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
34342
34343@subsubheading Example
34344
34345@smallexample
34346(gdb)
34347-target-select remote /dev/ttya
34348^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
34349(gdb)
34350@end smallexample
34351
34352@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34353@node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
34354@section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
34355
34356
34357@subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
34358@findex -target-file-put
34359
34360@subsubheading Synopsis
34361
34362@smallexample
34363 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
34364@end smallexample
34365
34366Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
34367@value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
34368
34369@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34370
34371The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
34372
34373@subsubheading Example
34374
34375@smallexample
34376(gdb)
34377-target-file-put localfile remotefile
34378^done
34379(gdb)
34380@end smallexample
34381
34382
34383@subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
34384@findex -target-file-get
34385
34386@subsubheading Synopsis
34387
34388@smallexample
34389 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
34390@end smallexample
34391
34392Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
34393on the host system.
34394
34395@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34396
34397The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
34398
34399@subsubheading Example
34400
34401@smallexample
34402(gdb)
34403-target-file-get remotefile localfile
34404^done
34405(gdb)
34406@end smallexample
34407
34408
34409@subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
34410@findex -target-file-delete
34411
34412@subsubheading Synopsis
34413
34414@smallexample
34415 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
34416@end smallexample
34417
34418Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
34419
34420@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34421
34422The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
34423
34424@subsubheading Example
34425
34426@smallexample
34427(gdb)
34428-target-file-delete remotefile
34429^done
34430(gdb)
34431@end smallexample
34432
34433
34434@c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34435@node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
34436@section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
34437
34438@c @subheading -gdb-complete
34439
34440@subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
34441@findex -gdb-exit
34442
34443@subsubheading Synopsis
34444
34445@smallexample
34446 -gdb-exit
34447@end smallexample
34448
34449Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
34450
34451@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34452
34453Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
34454
34455@subsubheading Example
34456
34457@smallexample
34458(gdb)
34459-gdb-exit
34460^exit
34461@end smallexample
34462
34463
34464@ignore
34465@subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
34466@findex -exec-abort
34467
34468@subsubheading Synopsis
34469
34470@smallexample
34471 -exec-abort
34472@end smallexample
34473
34474Kill the inferior running program.
34475
34476@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34477
34478The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
34479
34480@subsubheading Example
34481N.A.
34482@end ignore
34483
34484
34485@subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
34486@findex -gdb-set
34487
34488@subsubheading Synopsis
34489
34490@smallexample
34491 -gdb-set
34492@end smallexample
34493
34494Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
34495@c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
34496
34497@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34498
34499The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
34500
34501@subsubheading Example
34502
34503@smallexample
34504(gdb)
34505-gdb-set $foo=3
34506^done
34507(gdb)
34508@end smallexample
34509
34510
34511@subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
34512@findex -gdb-show
34513
34514@subsubheading Synopsis
34515
34516@smallexample
34517 -gdb-show
34518@end smallexample
34519
34520Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
34521
34522@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34523
34524The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
34525
34526@subsubheading Example
34527
34528@smallexample
34529(gdb)
34530-gdb-show annotate
34531^done,value="0"
34532(gdb)
34533@end smallexample
34534
34535@c @subheading -gdb-source
34536
34537
34538@subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
34539@findex -gdb-version
34540
34541@subsubheading Synopsis
34542
34543@smallexample
34544 -gdb-version
34545@end smallexample
34546
34547Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
34548
34549@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34550
34551The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
34552default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
34553
34554@subsubheading Example
34555
34556@c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
34557@c box in TeX.
34558@smallexample
34559(gdb)
34560-gdb-version
34561~GNU gdb 5.2.1
34562~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
34563~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
34564~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
34565~ certain conditions.
34566~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
34567~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
34568~ details.
34569~This GDB was configured as
34570 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
34571^done
34572(gdb)
34573@end smallexample
34574
34575@subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
34576@findex -list-features
34577
34578Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
34579this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
34580or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
34581important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
34582of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
34583startup.
34584
34585The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
34586available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
34587have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
34588is given below.
34589
34590Example output:
34591
34592@smallexample
34593(gdb) -list-features
34594^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
34595@end smallexample
34596
34597The current list of features is:
34598
34599@table @samp
34600@item frozen-varobjs
34601Indicates support for the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
34602as possible presense of the @code{frozen} field in the output
34603of @code{-varobj-create}.
34604@item pending-breakpoints
34605Indicates support for the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert}
34606command.
34607@item python
34608Indicates Python scripting support, Python-based
34609pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
34610@samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
34611@item thread-info
34612Indicates support for the @code{-thread-info} command.
34613@item data-read-memory-bytes
34614Indicates support for the @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} and the
34615@code{-data-write-memory-bytes} commands.
34616@item breakpoint-notifications
34617Indicates that changes to breakpoints and breakpoints created via the
34618CLI will be announced via async records.
34619@item ada-task-info
34620Indicates support for the @code{-ada-task-info} command.
34621@end table
34622
34623@subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
34624@findex -list-target-features
34625
34626Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
34627target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
34628unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
34629features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
34630a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
34631@code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
34632may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
34633Example output:
34634
34635@smallexample
34636(gdb) -list-target-features
34637^done,result=["async"]
34638@end smallexample
34639
34640The current list of features is:
34641
34642@table @samp
34643@item async
34644Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
34645execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
34646while the target is running.
34647
34648@item reverse
34649Indicates that the target is capable of reverse execution.
34650@xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
34651
34652@end table
34653
34654@subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
34655@findex -list-thread-groups
34656
34657@subheading Synopsis
34658
34659@smallexample
34660-list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
34661@end smallexample
34662
34663Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
34664group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
34665When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
34666thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
34667top-level thread groups.
34668
34669Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
34670With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
34671available on the target.
34672
34673The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
34674a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
34675as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
34676Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
34677each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
34678requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
34679are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
34680of the @samp{group} result is described below.
34681
34682To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
34683together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
34684and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
34685permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
34686will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
34687@samp{threads} field.
34688
34689In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
34690the following caveats:
34691
34692@itemize @bullet
34693@item
34694When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
34695be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
34696anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
34697
34698@item
34699When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
34700be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
34701be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
34702not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
34703The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
34704is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
34705
34706@end itemize
34707
34708The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
34709have the following fields:
34710
34711@table @code
34712@item id
34713Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
34714The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
34715convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
34716
34717@item type
34718The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
34719valid type.
34720
34721@item pid
34722The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
34723for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
34724
34725@item num_children
34726The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
34727absent for an available thread group.
34728
34729@item threads
34730This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
34731thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
34732specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
34733
34734@item cores
34735This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
34736thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
34737such information is not available.
34738
34739@item executable
34740The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
34741The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
34742and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
34743
34744@end table
34745
34746@subheading Example
34747
34748@smallexample
34749@value{GDBP}
34750-list-thread-groups
34751^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
34752-list-thread-groups 17
34753^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
34754 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
34755@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
34756 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
34757 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}]]
34758-list-thread-groups --available
34759^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
34760-list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
34761 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
34762 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
34763 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
34764-list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
34765^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
34766 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
34767 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
34768@end smallexample
34769
34770@subheading The @code{-info-os} Command
34771@findex -info-os
34772
34773@subsubheading Synopsis
34774
34775@smallexample
34776-info-os [ @var{type} ]
34777@end smallexample
34778
34779If no argument is supplied, the command returns a table of available
34780operating-system-specific information types. If one of these types is
34781supplied as an argument @var{type}, then the command returns a table
34782of data of that type.
34783
34784The types of information available depend on the target operating
34785system.
34786
34787@subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34788
34789The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info os}.
34790
34791@subsubheading Example
34792
34793When run on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, the output will look something
34794like this:
34795
34796@smallexample
34797@value{GDBP}
34798-info-os
34799^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="9",nr_cols="3",
34800hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="Type"@},
34801 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="Description"@},
34802 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="Title"@}],
34803body=[item=@{col0="processes",col1="Listing of all processes",
34804 col2="Processes"@},
34805 item=@{col0="procgroups",col1="Listing of all process groups",
34806 col2="Process groups"@},
34807 item=@{col0="threads",col1="Listing of all threads",
34808 col2="Threads"@},
34809 item=@{col0="files",col1="Listing of all file descriptors",
34810 col2="File descriptors"@},
34811 item=@{col0="sockets",col1="Listing of all internet-domain sockets",
34812 col2="Sockets"@},
34813 item=@{col0="shm",col1="Listing of all shared-memory regions",
34814 col2="Shared-memory regions"@},
34815 item=@{col0="semaphores",col1="Listing of all semaphores",
34816 col2="Semaphores"@},
34817 item=@{col0="msg",col1="Listing of all message queues",
34818 col2="Message queues"@},
34819 item=@{col0="modules",col1="Listing of all loaded kernel modules",
34820 col2="Kernel modules"@}]@}
34821@value{GDBP}
34822-info-os processes
34823^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="190",nr_cols="4",
34824hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="pid"@},
34825 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="user"@},
34826 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="command"@},
34827 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col3",colhdr="cores"@}],
34828body=[item=@{col0="1",col1="root",col2="/sbin/init",col3="0"@},
34829 item=@{col0="2",col1="root",col2="[kthreadd]",col3="1"@},
34830 item=@{col0="3",col1="root",col2="[ksoftirqd/0]",col3="0"@},
34831 ...
34832 item=@{col0="26446",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="0"@},
34833 item=@{col0="28152",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="1"@}]@}
34834(gdb)
34835@end smallexample
34836
34837(Note that the MI output here includes a @code{"Title"} column that
34838does not appear in command-line @code{info os}; this column is useful
34839for MI clients that want to enumerate the types of data, such as in a
34840popup menu, but is needless clutter on the command line, and
34841@code{info os} omits it.)
34842
34843@subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
34844@findex -add-inferior
34845
34846@subheading Synopsis
34847
34848@smallexample
34849-add-inferior
34850@end smallexample
34851
34852Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
34853inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
34854be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
34855(@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
34856field, @samp{inferior}, whose value is the identifier of the
34857thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
34858
34859@subheading Example
34860
34861@smallexample
34862@value{GDBP}
34863-add-inferior
34864^done,inferior="i3"
34865@end smallexample
34866
34867@subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
34868@findex -interpreter-exec
34869
34870@subheading Synopsis
34871
34872@smallexample
34873-interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
34874@end smallexample
34875@anchor{-interpreter-exec}
34876
34877Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
34878
34879@subheading @value{GDBN} Command
34880
34881The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
34882
34883@subheading Example
34884
34885@smallexample
34886(gdb)
34887-interpreter-exec console "break main"
34888&"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
34889&"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
34890~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
34891^done
34892(gdb)
34893@end smallexample
34894
34895@subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
34896@findex -inferior-tty-set
34897
34898@subheading Synopsis
34899
34900@smallexample
34901-inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
34902@end smallexample
34903
34904Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
34905
34906@subheading @value{GDBN} Command
34907
34908The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
34909
34910@subheading Example
34911
34912@smallexample
34913(gdb)
34914-inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
34915^done
34916(gdb)
34917@end smallexample
34918
34919@subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
34920@findex -inferior-tty-show
34921
34922@subheading Synopsis
34923
34924@smallexample
34925-inferior-tty-show
34926@end smallexample
34927
34928Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
34929
34930@subheading @value{GDBN} Command
34931
34932The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
34933
34934@subheading Example
34935
34936@smallexample
34937(gdb)
34938-inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
34939^done
34940(gdb)
34941-inferior-tty-show
34942^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
34943(gdb)
34944@end smallexample
34945
34946@subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
34947@findex -enable-timings
34948
34949@subheading Synopsis
34950
34951@smallexample
34952-enable-timings [yes | no]
34953@end smallexample
34954
34955Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
34956command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
34957developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
34958equivalent to @samp{yes}.
34959
34960@subheading @value{GDBN} Command
34961
34962No equivalent.
34963
34964@subheading Example
34965
34966@smallexample
34967(gdb)
34968-enable-timings
34969^done
34970(gdb)
34971-break-insert main
34972^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
34973addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
34974fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",thread-groups=["i1"],
34975times="0"@},
34976time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
34977(gdb)
34978-enable-timings no
34979^done
34980(gdb)
34981-exec-run
34982^running
34983(gdb)
34984*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
34985frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
34986@{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
34987fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73"@}
34988(gdb)
34989@end smallexample
34990
34991@node Annotations
34992@chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
34993
34994This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
34995designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
34996similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
34997relatively high level.
34998
34999The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
35000(@pxref{GDB/MI}).
35001
35002@ignore
35003This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
35004@end ignore
35005
35006@menu
35007* Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
35008* Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
35009* Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
35010* Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
35011* Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
35012* Annotations for Running::
35013 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
35014* Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
35015@end menu
35016
35017@node Annotations Overview
35018@section What is an Annotation?
35019@cindex annotations
35020
35021Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
35022characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
35023information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
35024is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
35025information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
35026additional information, and a newline. The additional information
35027cannot contain newline characters.
35028
35029Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
35030characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
35031no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
35032@samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
35033annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
35034means those three characters as output.
35035
35036The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
35037@option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
35038how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
35039values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
35040is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
35041subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
35042for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
35043been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
35044Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
35045
35046@table @code
35047@kindex set annotate
35048@item set annotate @var{level}
35049The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
35050annotations to the specified @var{level}.
35051
35052@item show annotate
35053@kindex show annotate
35054Show the current annotation level.
35055@end table
35056
35057This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
35058
35059A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
35060
35061@smallexample
35062$ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
35063GNU gdb 6.0
35064Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
35065GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
35066and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
35067under certain conditions.
35068Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
35069There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
35070for details.
35071This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
35072
35073^Z^Zpre-prompt
35074(@value{GDBP})
35075^Z^Zprompt
35076@kbd{quit}
35077
35078^Z^Zpost-prompt
35079$
35080@end smallexample
35081
35082Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
35083@value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
35084denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
35085output from @value{GDBN}.
35086
35087@node Server Prefix
35088@section The Server Prefix
35089@cindex server prefix
35090
35091If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
35092the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
35093command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
35094means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
35095a transparent manner.
35096
35097The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
35098the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
35099value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
35100@code{print} command.
35101
35102Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
35103(@pxref{confirmation requests}).
35104
35105@node Prompting
35106@section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
35107
35108@cindex annotations for prompts
35109When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
35110to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
35111over, etc.
35112
35113Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
35114input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
35115denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
35116annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
35117annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
35118associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
35119features the following annotations:
35120
35121@smallexample
35122^Z^Zpre-prompt
35123^Z^Zprompt
35124^Z^Zpost-prompt
35125@end smallexample
35126
35127The input types are
35128
35129@table @code
35130@findex pre-prompt annotation
35131@findex prompt annotation
35132@findex post-prompt annotation
35133@item prompt
35134When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
35135
35136@findex pre-commands annotation
35137@findex commands annotation
35138@findex post-commands annotation
35139@item commands
35140When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
35141command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
35142
35143@findex pre-overload-choice annotation
35144@findex overload-choice annotation
35145@findex post-overload-choice annotation
35146@item overload-choice
35147When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
35148
35149@findex pre-query annotation
35150@findex query annotation
35151@findex post-query annotation
35152@item query
35153When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
35154
35155@findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
35156@findex prompt-for-continue annotation
35157@findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
35158@item prompt-for-continue
35159When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
35160expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
35161prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
35162presence of annotations.
35163@end table
35164
35165@node Errors
35166@section Errors
35167@cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
35168
35169@findex quit annotation
35170@smallexample
35171^Z^Zquit
35172@end smallexample
35173
35174This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
35175
35176@findex error annotation
35177@smallexample
35178^Z^Zerror
35179@end smallexample
35180
35181This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
35182
35183Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
35184in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
35185@code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
35186cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
35187cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
35188does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
35189to the top level.
35190
35191@findex error-begin annotation
35192A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
35193
35194@smallexample
35195^Z^Zerror-begin
35196@end smallexample
35197
35198Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
35199message.
35200
35201Warning messages are not yet annotated.
35202@c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
35203@c range_error(), and possibly other places.
35204
35205@node Invalidation
35206@section Invalidation Notices
35207
35208@cindex annotations for invalidation messages
35209The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
35210changed.
35211
35212@table @code
35213@findex frames-invalid annotation
35214@item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
35215
35216The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
35217have changed.
35218
35219@findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
35220@item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
35221
35222The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
35223deleted a breakpoint.
35224@end table
35225
35226@node Annotations for Running
35227@section Running the Program
35228@cindex annotations for running programs
35229
35230@findex starting annotation
35231@findex stopping annotation
35232When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
35233@code{step} or @code{continue},
35234
35235@smallexample
35236^Z^Zstarting
35237@end smallexample
35238
35239is output. When the program stops,
35240
35241@smallexample
35242^Z^Zstopped
35243@end smallexample
35244
35245is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
35246annotations describe how the program stopped.
35247
35248@table @code
35249@findex exited annotation
35250@item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
35251The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
35252successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
35253
35254@findex signalled annotation
35255@findex signal-name annotation
35256@findex signal-name-end annotation
35257@findex signal-string annotation
35258@findex signal-string-end annotation
35259@item ^Z^Zsignalled
35260The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
35261annotation continues:
35262
35263@smallexample
35264@var{intro-text}
35265^Z^Zsignal-name
35266@var{name}
35267^Z^Zsignal-name-end
35268@var{middle-text}
35269^Z^Zsignal-string
35270@var{string}
35271^Z^Zsignal-string-end
35272@var{end-text}
35273@end smallexample
35274
35275@noindent
35276where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
35277@code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
35278as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
35279@var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
35280user's benefit and have no particular format.
35281
35282@findex signal annotation
35283@item ^Z^Zsignal
35284The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
35285just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
35286terminated with it.
35287
35288@findex breakpoint annotation
35289@item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
35290The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
35291
35292@findex watchpoint annotation
35293@item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
35294The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
35295@end table
35296
35297@node Source Annotations
35298@section Displaying Source
35299@cindex annotations for source display
35300
35301@findex source annotation
35302The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
35303
35304@smallexample
35305^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
35306@end smallexample
35307
35308where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
35309file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
35310first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
35311within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
35312debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
35313@var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
35314line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
35315@var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
35316source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
35317followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
35318depend on the language).
35319
35320@node JIT Interface
35321@chapter JIT Compilation Interface
35322@cindex just-in-time compilation
35323@cindex JIT compilation interface
35324
35325This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
35326interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
35327executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
35328performance while maintaining platform independence.
35329
35330Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
35331portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
35332object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
35333and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
35334@value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
35335symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
35336
35337If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
35338it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
35339you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
35340of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
35341LLVM JIT.
35342
35343Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
35344JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
35345variable and calling a fuction at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
35346attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
35347find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
35348out about additional code.
35349
35350@menu
35351* Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
35352* Registering Code:: Steps to register code
35353* Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
35354* Custom Debug Info:: Emit debug information in a custom format
35355@end menu
35356
35357@node Declarations
35358@section JIT Declarations
35359
35360These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
35361implement the interface:
35362
35363@smallexample
35364typedef enum
35365@{
35366 JIT_NOACTION = 0,
35367 JIT_REGISTER_FN,
35368 JIT_UNREGISTER_FN
35369@} jit_actions_t;
35370
35371struct jit_code_entry
35372@{
35373 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
35374 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
35375 const char *symfile_addr;
35376 uint64_t symfile_size;
35377@};
35378
35379struct jit_descriptor
35380@{
35381 uint32_t version;
35382 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
35383 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
35384 uint32_t action_flag;
35385 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
35386 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
35387@};
35388
35389/* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
35390void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
35391
35392/* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
35393 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
35394struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
35395@end smallexample
35396
35397If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
35398modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
35399a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
35400
35401@node Registering Code
35402@section Registering Code
35403
35404To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
35405
35406@itemize @bullet
35407@item
35408Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
35409information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
35410
35411@item
35412Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
35413file.
35414
35415@item
35416Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
35417
35418@item
35419Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
35420
35421@item
35422Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
35423@code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
35424@end itemize
35425
35426When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
35427@code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
35428new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
35429@value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
35430
35431@node Unregistering Code
35432@section Unregistering Code
35433
35434If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
35435
35436@itemize @bullet
35437@item
35438Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
35439
35440@item
35441Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
35442
35443@item
35444Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
35445@code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
35446@end itemize
35447
35448If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
35449and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
35450
35451@node Custom Debug Info
35452@section Custom Debug Info
35453@cindex custom JIT debug info
35454@cindex JIT debug info reader
35455
35456Generating debug information in platform-native file formats (like ELF
35457or COFF) may be an overkill for JIT compilers; especially if all the
35458debug info is used for is displaying a meaningful backtrace. The
35459issue can be resolved by having the JIT writers decide on a debug info
35460format and also provide a reader that parses the debug info generated
35461by the JIT compiler. This section gives a brief overview on writing
35462such a parser. More specific details can be found in the source file
35463@file{gdb/jit-reader.in}, which is also installed as a header at
35464@file{@var{includedir}/gdb/jit-reader.h} for easy inclusion.
35465
35466The reader is implemented as a shared object (so this functionality is
35467not available on platforms which don't allow loading shared objects at
35468runtime). Two @value{GDBN} commands, @code{jit-reader-load} and
35469@code{jit-reader-unload} are provided, to be used to load and unload
35470the readers from a preconfigured directory. Once loaded, the shared
35471object is used the parse the debug information emitted by the JIT
35472compiler.
35473
35474@menu
35475* Using JIT Debug Info Readers:: How to use supplied readers correctly
35476* Writing JIT Debug Info Readers:: Creating a debug-info reader
35477@end menu
35478
35479@node Using JIT Debug Info Readers
35480@subsection Using JIT Debug Info Readers
35481@kindex jit-reader-load
35482@kindex jit-reader-unload
35483
35484Readers can be loaded and unloaded using the @code{jit-reader-load}
35485and @code{jit-reader-unload} commands.
35486
35487@table @code
35488@item jit-reader-load @var{reader}
35489Load the JIT reader named @var{reader}. @var{reader} is a shared
35490object specified as either an absolute or a relative file name. In
35491the latter case, @value{GDBN} will try to load the reader from a
35492pre-configured directory, usually @file{@var{libdir}/gdb/} on a UNIX
35493system (here @var{libdir} is the system library directory, often
35494@file{/usr/local/lib}).
35495
35496Only one reader can be active at a time; trying to load a second
35497reader when one is already loaded will result in @value{GDBN}
35498reporting an error. A new JIT reader can be loaded by first unloading
35499the current one using @code{jit-reader-unload} and then invoking
35500@code{jit-reader-load}.
35501
35502@item jit-reader-unload
35503Unload the currently loaded JIT reader.
35504
35505@end table
35506
35507@node Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
35508@subsection Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
35509@cindex writing JIT debug info readers
35510
35511As mentioned, a reader is essentially a shared object conforming to a
35512certain ABI. This ABI is described in @file{jit-reader.h}.
35513
35514@file{jit-reader.h} defines the structures, macros and functions
35515required to write a reader. It is installed (along with
35516@value{GDBN}), in @file{@var{includedir}/gdb} where @var{includedir} is
35517the system include directory.
35518
35519Readers need to be released under a GPL compatible license. A reader
35520can be declared as released under such a license by placing the macro
35521@code{GDB_DECLARE_GPL_COMPATIBLE_READER} in a source file.
35522
35523The entry point for readers is the symbol @code{gdb_init_reader},
35524which is expected to be a function with the prototype
35525
35526@findex gdb_init_reader
35527@smallexample
35528extern struct gdb_reader_funcs *gdb_init_reader (void);
35529@end smallexample
35530
35531@cindex @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs}
35532
35533@code{struct gdb_reader_funcs} contains a set of pointers to callback
35534functions. These functions are executed to read the debug info
35535generated by the JIT compiler (@code{read}), to unwind stack frames
35536(@code{unwind}) and to create canonical frame IDs
35537(@code{get_Frame_id}). It also has a callback that is called when the
35538reader is being unloaded (@code{destroy}). The struct looks like this
35539
35540@smallexample
35541struct gdb_reader_funcs
35542@{
35543 /* Must be set to GDB_READER_INTERFACE_VERSION. */
35544 int reader_version;
35545
35546 /* For use by the reader. */
35547 void *priv_data;
35548
35549 gdb_read_debug_info *read;
35550 gdb_unwind_frame *unwind;
35551 gdb_get_frame_id *get_frame_id;
35552 gdb_destroy_reader *destroy;
35553@};
35554@end smallexample
35555
35556@cindex @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks}
35557@cindex @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}
35558
35559The callbacks are provided with another set of callbacks by
35560@value{GDBN} to do their job. For @code{read}, these callbacks are
35561passed in a @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} and for @code{unwind}
35562and @code{get_frame_id}, in a @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}.
35563@code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} has callbacks to create new object
35564files and new symbol tables inside those object files. @code{struct
35565gdb_unwind_callbacks} has callbacks to read registers off the current
35566frame and to write out the values of the registers in the previous
35567frame. Both have a callback (@code{target_read}) to read bytes off the
35568target's address space.
35569
35570@node In-Process Agent
35571@chapter In-Process Agent
35572@cindex debugging agent
35573The traditional debugging model is conceptually low-speed, but works fine,
35574because most bugs can be reproduced in debugging-mode execution. However,
35575as multi-core or many-core processors are becoming mainstream, and
35576multi-threaded programs become more and more popular, there should be more
35577and more bugs that only manifest themselves at normal-mode execution, for
35578example, thread races, because debugger's interference with the program's
35579timing may conceal the bugs. On the other hand, in some applications,
35580it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt the program's execution
35581long enough for the developer to learn anything helpful about its behavior.
35582If the program's correctness depends on its real-time behavior, delays
35583introduced by a debugger might cause the program to fail, even when the
35584code itself is correct. It is useful to be able to observe the program's
35585behavior without interrupting it.
35586
35587Therefore, traditional debugging model is too intrusive to reproduce
35588some bugs. In order to reduce the interference with the program, we can
35589reduce the number of operations performed by debugger. The
35590@dfn{In-Process Agent}, a shared library, is running within the same
35591process with inferior, and is able to perform some debugging operations
35592itself. As a result, debugger is only involved when necessary, and
35593performance of debugging can be improved accordingly. Note that
35594interference with program can be reduced but can't be removed completely,
35595because the in-process agent will still stop or slow down the program.
35596
35597The in-process agent can interpret and execute Agent Expressions
35598(@pxref{Agent Expressions}) during performing debugging operations. The
35599agent expressions can be used for different purposes, such as collecting
35600data in tracepoints, and condition evaluation in breakpoints.
35601
35602@anchor{Control Agent}
35603You can control whether the in-process agent is used as an aid for
35604debugging with the following commands:
35605
35606@table @code
35607@kindex set agent on
35608@item set agent on
35609Causes the in-process agent to perform some operations on behalf of the
35610debugger. Just which operations requested by the user will be done
35611by the in-process agent depends on the its capabilities. For example,
35612if you request to evaluate breakpoint conditions in the in-process agent,
35613and the in-process agent has such capability as well, then breakpoint
35614conditions will be evaluated in the in-process agent.
35615
35616@kindex set agent off
35617@item set agent off
35618Disables execution of debugging operations by the in-process agent. All
35619of the operations will be performed by @value{GDBN}.
35620
35621@kindex show agent
35622@item show agent
35623Display the current setting of execution of debugging operations by
35624the in-process agent.
35625@end table
35626
35627@menu
35628* In-Process Agent Protocol::
35629@end menu
35630
35631@node In-Process Agent Protocol
35632@section In-Process Agent Protocol
35633@cindex in-process agent protocol
35634
35635The in-process agent is able to communicate with both @value{GDBN} and
35636GDBserver (@pxref{In-Process Agent}). This section documents the protocol
35637used for communications between @value{GDBN} or GDBserver and the IPA.
35638In general, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver sends commands
35639(@pxref{IPA Protocol Commands}) and data to in-process agent, and then
35640in-process agent replies back with the return result of the command, or
35641some other information. The data sent to in-process agent is composed
35642of primitive data types, such as 4-byte or 8-byte type, and composite
35643types, which are called objects (@pxref{IPA Protocol Objects}).
35644
35645@menu
35646* IPA Protocol Objects::
35647* IPA Protocol Commands::
35648@end menu
35649
35650@node IPA Protocol Objects
35651@subsection IPA Protocol Objects
35652@cindex ipa protocol objects
35653
35654The commands sent to and results received from agent may contain some
35655complex data types called @dfn{objects}.
35656
35657The in-process agent is running on the same machine with @value{GDBN}
35658or GDBserver, so it doesn't have to handle as much differences between
35659two ends as remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}) tries to handle.
35660However, there are still some differences of two ends in two processes:
35661
35662@enumerate
35663@item
35664word size. On some 64-bit machines, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver can be
35665compiled as a 64-bit executable, while in-process agent is a 32-bit one.
35666@item
35667ABI. Some machines may have multiple types of ABI, @value{GDBN} or
35668GDBserver is compiled with one, and in-process agent is compiled with
35669the other one.
35670@end enumerate
35671
35672Here are the IPA Protocol Objects:
35673
35674@enumerate
35675@item
35676agent expression object. It represents an agent expression
35677(@pxref{Agent Expressions}).
35678@anchor{agent expression object}
35679@item
35680tracepoint action object. It represents a tracepoint action
35681(@pxref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}) to collect registers,
35682memory, static trace data and to evaluate expression.
35683@anchor{tracepoint action object}
35684@item
35685tracepoint object. It represents a tracepoint (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
35686@anchor{tracepoint object}
35687
35688@end enumerate
35689
35690The following table describes important attributes of each IPA protocol
35691object:
35692
35693@multitable @columnfractions .30 .20 .50
35694@headitem Name @tab Size @tab Description
35695@item @emph{agent expression object} @tab @tab
35696@item length @tab 4 @tab length of bytes code
35697@item byte code @tab @var{length} @tab contents of byte code
35698@item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting memory} @tab @tab
35699@item 'M' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35700@item addr @tab 8 @tab if @var{basereg} is @samp{-1}, @var{addr} is the
35701address of the lowest byte to collect, otherwise @var{addr} is the offset
35702of @var{basereg} for memory collecting.
35703@item len @tab 8 @tab length of memory for collecting
35704@item basereg @tab 4 @tab the register number containing the starting
35705memory address for collecting.
35706@item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting registers} @tab @tab
35707@item 'R' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35708@item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting static trace data} @tab @tab
35709@item 'L' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35710@item @emph{tracepoint action for expression evaluation} @tab @tab
35711@item 'X' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35712@item agent expression @tab length of @tab @ref{agent expression object}
35713@item @emph{tracepoint object} @tab @tab
35714@item number @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint
35715@item address @tab 8 @tab address of tracepoint inserted on
35716@item type @tab 4 @tab type of tracepoint
35717@item enabled @tab 1 @tab enable or disable of tracepoint
35718@item step_count @tab 8 @tab step
35719@item pass_count @tab 8 @tab pass
35720@item numactions @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint actions
35721@item hit count @tab 8 @tab hit count
35722@item trace frame usage @tab 8 @tab trace frame usage
35723@item compiled_cond @tab 8 @tab compiled condition
35724@item orig_size @tab 8 @tab orig size
35725@item condition @tab 4 if condition is NULL otherwise length of
35726@ref{agent expression object}
35727@tab zero if condition is NULL, otherwise is
35728@ref{agent expression object}
35729@item actions @tab variable
35730@tab numactions number of @ref{tracepoint action object}
35731@end multitable
35732
35733@node IPA Protocol Commands
35734@subsection IPA Protocol Commands
35735@cindex ipa protocol commands
35736
35737The spaces in each command are delimiters to ease reading this commands
35738specification. They don't exist in real commands.
35739
35740@table @samp
35741
35742@item FastTrace:@var{tracepoint_object} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}
35743Installs a new fast tracepoint described by @var{tracepoint_object}
35744(@pxref{tracepoint object}). @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}, 8-byte long, is the
35745head of @dfn{jumppad}, which is used to jump to data collection routine
35746in IPA finally.
35747
35748Replies:
35749@table @samp
35750@item OK @var{target_address} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} @var{fjump_size} @var{fjump}
35751@var{target_address} is address of tracepoint in the inferior.
35752@var{gdb_jump_pad_head} is updated head of jumppad. Both of
35753@var{target_address} and @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} are 8-byte long.
35754@var{fjump} contains a sequence of instructions jump to jumppad entry.
35755@var{fjump_size}, 4-byte long, is the size of @var{fjump}.
35756@item E @var{NN}
35757for an error
35758
35759@end table
35760
35761@item close
35762Closes the in-process agent. This command is sent when @value{GDBN} or GDBserver
35763is about to kill inferiors.
35764
35765@item qTfSTM
35766@xref{qTfSTM}.
35767@item qTsSTM
35768@xref{qTsSTM}.
35769@item qTSTMat
35770@xref{qTSTMat}.
35771@item probe_marker_at:@var{address}
35772Asks in-process agent to probe the marker at @var{address}.
35773
35774Replies:
35775@table @samp
35776@item E @var{NN}
35777for an error
35778@end table
35779@item unprobe_marker_at:@var{address}
35780Asks in-process agent to unprobe the marker at @var{address}.
35781@end table
35782
35783@node GDB Bugs
35784@chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
35785@cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
35786@cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
35787
35788Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
35789
35790Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
35791may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
35792the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
35793reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
35794
35795In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
35796information that enables us to fix the bug.
35797
35798@menu
35799* Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
35800* Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
35801@end menu
35802
35803@node Bug Criteria
35804@section Have You Found a Bug?
35805@cindex bug criteria
35806
35807If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
35808
35809@itemize @bullet
35810@cindex fatal signal
35811@cindex debugger crash
35812@cindex crash of debugger
35813@item
35814If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
35815@value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
35816
35817@cindex error on valid input
35818@item
35819If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
35820bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
35821somewhere in the connection to the target.)
35822
35823@cindex invalid input
35824@item
35825If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
35826that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
35827``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
35828for traditional practice''.
35829
35830@item
35831If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
35832for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
35833@end itemize
35834
35835@node Bug Reporting
35836@section How to Report Bugs
35837@cindex bug reports
35838@cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
35839
35840A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
35841If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
35842contact that organization first.
35843
35844You can find contact information for many support companies and
35845individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
35846distribution.
35847@c should add a web page ref...
35848
35849@ifset BUGURL
35850@ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
35851In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
35852@value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
35853@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
35854page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
35855be used.
35856
35857@strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
35858@samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
35859not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
35860@samp{bug-gdb}.
35861
35862The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
35863serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
35864the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
35865newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
35866problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
35867path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
35868we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
35869bug reports to the mailing list.
35870@end ifset
35871@ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
35872In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
35873@value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
35874@end ifclear
35875@end ifset
35876
35877The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
35878@strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
35879fact or leave it out, state it!
35880
35881Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
35882problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
35883assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
35884Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
35885stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
35886name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
35887of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
35888the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
35889easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
35890
35891Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
35892bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
35893you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
35894self-contained.
35895
35896Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
35897bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
35898@emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
35899bugs properly.
35900
35901To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
35902
35903@itemize @bullet
35904@item
35905The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
35906with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
35907version}.
35908
35909Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
35910the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
35911
35912@item
35913The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
35914version number.
35915
35916@item
35917The details of the @value{GDBN} build-time configuration.
35918@value{GDBN} shows these details if you invoke it with the
35919@option{--configuration} command-line option, or if you type
35920@code{show configuration} at @value{GDBN}'s prompt.
35921
35922@item
35923What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
35924``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
35925
35926@item
35927What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
35928debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
35929C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
35930to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
35931those compilers.
35932
35933@item
35934The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
35935observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
35936you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
35937Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
35938
35939If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
35940and then we might not encounter the bug.
35941
35942@item
35943A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
35944reproduce the bug.
35945
35946@item
35947A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
35948incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
35949
35950Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
35951will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
35952not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
35953a chance to make a mistake.
35954
35955Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
35956say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
35957copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
35958the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
35959crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
35960ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
35961us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
35962to draw any conclusion from our observations.
35963
35964@pindex script
35965@cindex recording a session script
35966To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
35967such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
35968Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
35969include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
35970
35971Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
35972inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
35973
35974@item
35975If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
35976diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
35977it by context, not by line number.
35978
35979The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
35980sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
35981
35982@end itemize
35983
35984Here are some things that are not necessary:
35985
35986@itemize @bullet
35987@item
35988A description of the envelope of the bug.
35989
35990Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
35991which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
35992changes will not affect it.
35993
35994This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
35995will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
35996with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
35997We recommend that you save your time for something else.
35998
35999Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
36000of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
36001output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
36002less time, and so on.
36003
36004However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
36005report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
36006
36007@item
36008A patch for the bug.
36009
36010A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
36011the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
36012a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
36013to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
36014
36015Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
36016construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
36017through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
36018to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
36019
36020And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
36021patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
36022help us to understand.
36023
36024@item
36025A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
36026
36027Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
36028things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
36029@end itemize
36030
36031@c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
36032@c and consists of the two following files:
36033@c rluser.texi
36034@c hsuser.texi
36035@c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
36036@c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
36037@ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
36038@include rluser.texi
36039@include hsuser.texi
36040@end ifclear
36041
36042@node In Memoriam
36043@appendix In Memoriam
36044
36045The @value{GDBN} project mourns the loss of the following long-time
36046contributors:
36047
36048@table @code
36049@item Fred Fish
36050Fred was a long-standing contributor to @value{GDBN} (1991-2006), and
36051to Free Software in general. Outside of @value{GDBN}, he was known in
36052the Amiga world for his series of Fish Disks, and the GeekGadget project.
36053
36054@item Michael Snyder
36055Michael was one of the Global Maintainers of the @value{GDBN} project,
36056with contributions recorded as early as 1996, until 2011. In addition
36057to his day to day participation, he was a large driving force behind
36058adding Reverse Debugging to @value{GDBN}.
36059@end table
36060
36061Beyond their technical contributions to the project, they were also
36062enjoyable members of the Free Software Community. We will miss them.
36063
36064@node Formatting Documentation
36065@appendix Formatting Documentation
36066
36067@cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
36068@cindex reference card
36069The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
36070for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
36071subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
36072@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
36073release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
36074you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
36075
36076The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
36077can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
36078
36079@smallexample
36080make refcard.dvi
36081@end smallexample
36082
36083The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
36084mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
36085that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
36086high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
36087your @sc{dvi} output program.
36088
36089@cindex documentation
36090
36091All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
36092distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
36093a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
36094on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
36095formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
36096and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
36097
36098@value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
36099version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
36100file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
36101subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
36102necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
36103but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
36104Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
36105@sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
36106
36107If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
36108Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
36109@code{makeinfo}.
36110
36111If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
36112@value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
36113version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
36114
36115@smallexample
36116cd gdb
36117make gdb.info
36118@end smallexample
36119
36120If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
36121a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
36122Texinfo definitions file.
36123
36124@TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
36125produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
36126document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
36127has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
36128command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
36129(for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
36130require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
36131
36132@TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
36133@file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
36134written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
36135typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
36136and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
36137directory.
36138
36139If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
36140typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
36141subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
36142@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
36143
36144@smallexample
36145make gdb.dvi
36146@end smallexample
36147
36148Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
36149
36150@node Installing GDB
36151@appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
36152@cindex installation
36153
36154@menu
36155* Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
36156* Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
36157* Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
36158* Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
36159* Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
36160* System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
36161@end menu
36162
36163@node Requirements
36164@section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
36165@cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
36166
36167Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
36168Other packages will be used only if they are found.
36169
36170@heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
36171@table @asis
36172@item ISO C90 compiler
36173@value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
36174working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
36175
36176@end table
36177
36178@heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
36179@table @asis
36180@item Expat
36181@anchor{Expat}
36182@value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
36183included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
36184can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
36185The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
36186standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
36187use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
36188
36189Expat is used for:
36190
36191@itemize @bullet
36192@item
36193Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
36194@item
36195Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
36196@item
36197Remote shared library lists (@xref{Library List Format},
36198or alternatively @pxref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets})
36199@item
36200MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
36201@item
36202Traceframe info (@pxref{Traceframe Info Format})
36203@item
36204Branch trace (@pxref{Branch Trace Format})
36205@end itemize
36206
36207@item zlib
36208@cindex compressed debug sections
36209@value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
36210compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
36211of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
36212is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
36213information in such binaries.
36214
36215The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
36216distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
36217@url{http://zlib.net}.
36218
36219@item iconv
36220@value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
36221Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
36222on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
36223other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
36224
36225If @value{GDBN} is using the @code{iconv} program which is installed
36226in a non-standard place, you will need to tell @value{GDBN} where to find it.
36227This is done with @option{--with-iconv-bin} which specifies the
36228directory that contains the @code{iconv} program.
36229
36230On systems without @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If you
36231have previously installed Libiconv, you can use the
36232@option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to configure.
36233
36234@value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
36235arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
36236in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
36237if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
36238implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
36239by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
36240Libiconv, unpack it, and then rename the directory holding the
36241Libiconv source code to @samp{libiconv}.
36242@end table
36243
36244@node Running Configure
36245@section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
36246@cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
36247@value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
36248of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
36249build the @code{gdb} program.
36250@iftex
36251@c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
36252@footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
36253look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
36254installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
36255@end iftex
36256
36257The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
36258@value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
36259appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
36260
36261For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
36262@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
36263
36264@table @code
36265@item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
36266script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
36267
36268@item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
36269the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
36270
36271@item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
36272source for the Binary File Descriptor library
36273
36274@item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
36275@sc{gnu} include files
36276
36277@item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
36278source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
36279
36280@item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
36281source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
36282
36283@item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
36284source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
36285
36286@item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
36287source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
36288
36289@item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
36290source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
36291@end table
36292
36293The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
36294from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
36295this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
36296
36297First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
36298if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
36299identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
36300argument.
36301
36302For example:
36303
36304@smallexample
36305cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
36306./configure @var{host}
36307make
36308@end smallexample
36309
36310@noindent
36311where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
36312@samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
36313(You can often leave off @var{host}; @file{configure} tries to guess the
36314correct value by examining your system.)
36315
36316Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
36317@file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
36318libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
36319binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
36320
36321@need 750
36322@file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
36323system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
36324shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
36325
36326@smallexample
36327sh configure @var{host}
36328@end smallexample
36329
36330If you run @file{configure} from a directory that contains source
36331directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
36332@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN},
36333@file{configure}
36334creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
36335you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
36336
36337You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
36338source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
36339@file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
36340that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
36341if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
36342of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
36343configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
36344directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
36345about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
36346
36347You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
36348However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
36349the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
36350that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
36351let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
36352
36353@node Separate Objdir
36354@section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
36355
36356If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
36357you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
36358host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
36359allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
36360rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
36361handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
36362@code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
36363program specified there.
36364
36365To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
36366with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
36367(You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
36368itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
36369would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
36370the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
36371
36372For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
36373separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
36374
36375@smallexample
36376@group
36377cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
36378mkdir ../gdb-sun4
36379cd ../gdb-sun4
36380../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
36381make
36382@end group
36383@end smallexample
36384
36385When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
36386directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
36387(and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
36388the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
36389directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
36390@file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
36391
36392Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
36393instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
36394like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
36395one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
36396build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
36397
36398One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
36399directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
36400@value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
36401programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
36402You specify a cross-debugging target by
36403giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
36404
36405When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
36406it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
36407called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
36408
36409The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
36410directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
36411directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
36412directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
36413will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
36414
36415When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
36416directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
36417if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
36418with each other.
36419
36420@node Config Names
36421@section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
36422
36423The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
36424script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
36425aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
36426of information in the following pattern:
36427
36428@smallexample
36429@var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
36430@end smallexample
36431
36432For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
36433or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
36434option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
36435
36436The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
36437any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
36438aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
36439@code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
36440script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
36441abbreviations---for example:
36442
36443@smallexample
36444% sh config.sub i386-linux
36445i386-pc-linux-gnu
36446% sh config.sub alpha-linux
36447alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
36448% sh config.sub hp9k700
36449hppa1.1-hp-hpux
36450% sh config.sub sun4
36451sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
36452% sh config.sub sun3
36453m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
36454% sh config.sub i986v
36455Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
36456@end smallexample
36457
36458@noindent
36459@code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
36460directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
36461
36462@node Configure Options
36463@section @file{configure} Options
36464
36465Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
36466are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure} also has
36467several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
36468Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @file{configure}.
36469
36470@smallexample
36471configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
36472 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
36473 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
36474 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
36475 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
36476 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
36477 @var{host}
36478@end smallexample
36479
36480@noindent
36481You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
36482@samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
36483@samp{--}.
36484
36485@table @code
36486@item --help
36487Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
36488
36489@item --prefix=@var{dir}
36490Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
36491@file{@var{dir}}.
36492
36493@item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
36494Configure the source to install programs under directory
36495@file{@var{dir}}.
36496
36497@c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
36498@need 2000
36499@item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
36500@strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
36501@code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
36502Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
36503@value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
36504build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
36505directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
36506the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
36507directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
36508the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
36509@var{dirname}.
36510
36511@item --norecursion
36512Configure only the directory level where @file{configure} is executed; do not
36513propagate configuration to subdirectories.
36514
36515@item --target=@var{target}
36516Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
36517@var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
36518programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
36519
36520There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
36521
36522@item @var{host} @dots{}
36523Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
36524
36525There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
36526@end table
36527
36528There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
36529needed for special purposes only.
36530
36531@node System-wide configuration
36532@section System-wide configuration and settings
36533@cindex system-wide init file
36534
36535@value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
36536this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
36537@value{GDBN} does during startup}).
36538
36539Here is the corresponding configure option:
36540
36541@table @code
36542@item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
36543Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
36544@var{file}.
36545@end table
36546
36547If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
36548it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
36549
36550@itemize @bullet
36551@item
36552If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
36553it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
36554are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
36555if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
36556init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
36557@file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
36558
36559@item
36560By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
36561it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
36562@option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
36563then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
36564wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
36565@end itemize
36566
36567If the configured location of the system-wide init file (as given by the
36568@option{--with-system-gdbinit} option at configure time) is in the
36569data-directory (as specified by @option{--with-gdb-datadir} at configure
36570time) or in one of its subdirectories, then @value{GDBN} will look for the
36571system-wide init file in the directory specified by the
36572@option{--data-directory} command-line option.
36573Note that the system-wide init file is only read once, during @value{GDBN}
36574initialization. If the data-directory is changed after @value{GDBN} has
36575started with the @code{set data-directory} command, the file will not be
36576reread.
36577
36578@menu
36579* System-wide Configuration Scripts:: Installed System-wide Configuration Scripts
36580@end menu
36581
36582@node System-wide Configuration Scripts
36583@subsection Installed System-wide Configuration Scripts
36584@cindex system-wide configuration scripts
36585
36586The @file{system-gdbinit} directory, located inside the data-directory
36587(as specified by @option{--with-gdb-datadir} at configure time) contains
36588a number of scripts which can be used as system-wide init files. To
36589automatically source those scripts at startup, @value{GDBN} should be
36590configured with @option{--with-system-gdbinit}. Otherwise, any user
36591should be able to source them by hand as needed.
36592
36593The following scripts are currently available:
36594@itemize @bullet
36595
36596@item @file{elinos.py}
36597@pindex elinos.py
36598@cindex ELinOS system-wide configuration script
36599This script is useful when debugging a program on an ELinOS target.
36600It takes advantage of the environment variables defined in a standard
36601ELinOS environment in order to determine the location of the system
36602shared libraries, and then sets the @samp{solib-absolute-prefix}
36603and @samp{solib-search-path} variables appropriately.
36604
36605@item @file{wrs-linux.py}
36606@pindex wrs-linux.py
36607@cindex Wind River Linux system-wide configuration script
36608This script is useful when debugging a program on a target running
36609Wind River Linux. It expects the @env{ENV_PREFIX} to be set to
36610the host-side sysroot used by the target system.
36611
36612@end itemize
36613
36614@node Maintenance Commands
36615@appendix Maintenance Commands
36616@cindex maintenance commands
36617@cindex internal commands
36618
36619In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
36620includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
36621that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
36622provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
36623messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
36624
36625@table @code
36626@kindex maint agent
36627@kindex maint agent-eval
36628@item maint agent @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
36629@itemx maint agent-eval @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
36630Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
36631This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
36632(@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
36633expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
36634@samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
36635to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
36636globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
36637of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
36638the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
36639addition and return the sum.
36640If @code{-at} is given, generate remote agent bytecode for @var{location}.
36641If not, generate remote agent bytecode for current frame PC address.
36642
36643@kindex maint agent-printf
36644@item maint agent-printf @var{format},@var{expr},...
36645Translate the given format string and list of argument expressions
36646into remote agent bytecodes and display them as a disassembled list.
36647This command is useful for debugging the agent version of dynamic
36648printf (@pxref{Dynamic Printf}).
36649
36650@kindex maint info breakpoints
36651@item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
36652Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
36653breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
36654internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
36655breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
36656is shown:
36657
36658@table @code
36659@item breakpoint
36660Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
36661
36662@item watchpoint
36663Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
36664
36665@item longjmp
36666Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
36667@code{longjmp} calls.
36668
36669@item longjmp resume
36670Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
36671
36672@item until
36673Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
36674
36675@item finish
36676Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
36677
36678@item shlib events
36679Shared library events.
36680
36681@end table
36682
36683@kindex maint info bfds
36684@item maint info bfds
36685This prints information about each @code{bfd} object that is known to
36686@value{GDBN}. @xref{Top, , BFD, bfd, The Binary File Descriptor Library}.
36687
36688@kindex set displaced-stepping
36689@kindex show displaced-stepping
36690@cindex displaced stepping support
36691@cindex out-of-line single-stepping
36692@item set displaced-stepping
36693@itemx show displaced-stepping
36694Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
36695if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
36696over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
36697an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
36698breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
36699
36700@table @code
36701@item set displaced-stepping on
36702If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
36703displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
36704
36705@item set displaced-stepping off
36706@value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
36707even if such is supported by the target architecture.
36708
36709@cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
36710@item set displaced-stepping auto
36711This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
36712only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
36713architecture supports displaced stepping.
36714@end table
36715
36716@kindex maint check-psymtabs
36717@item maint check-psymtabs
36718Check the consistency of currently expanded psymtabs versus symtabs.
36719Use this to check, for example, whether a symbol is in one but not the other.
36720
36721@kindex maint check-symtabs
36722@item maint check-symtabs
36723Check the consistency of currently expanded symtabs.
36724
36725@kindex maint expand-symtabs
36726@item maint expand-symtabs [@var{regexp}]
36727Expand symbol tables.
36728If @var{regexp} is specified, only expand symbol tables for file
36729names matching @var{regexp}.
36730
36731@kindex maint cplus first_component
36732@item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
36733Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
36734
36735@kindex maint cplus namespace
36736@item maint cplus namespace
36737Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
36738
36739@kindex maint demangle
36740@item maint demangle @var{name}
36741Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C mangled @var{name}.
36742
36743@kindex maint deprecate
36744@kindex maint undeprecate
36745@cindex deprecated commands
36746@item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
36747@itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
36748Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
36749cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
36750argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
36751favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
36752the replacement as part of the warning.
36753
36754@kindex maint dump-me
36755@item maint dump-me
36756@cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
36757Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
36758This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
36759with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
36760
36761@kindex maint internal-error
36762@kindex maint internal-warning
36763@item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
36764@itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
36765Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
36766or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
36767or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
36768internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
36769either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
36770@value{GDBN} session.
36771
36772These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
36773used as the text of the error or warning message.
36774
36775Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
36776
36777@smallexample
36778(@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
36779@dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
36780A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
36781debugging may prove unreliable.
36782Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
36783Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
36784(@value{GDBP})
36785@end smallexample
36786
36787@cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
36788@cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
36789
36790@kindex maint set internal-error
36791@kindex maint show internal-error
36792@kindex maint set internal-warning
36793@kindex maint show internal-warning
36794@item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
36795@itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
36796@itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
36797@itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
36798When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
36799gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
36800core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
36801override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
36802described in the table below.
36803
36804@table @samp
36805@item quit
36806You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
36807quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
36808
36809@item corefile
36810You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
36811create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do.
36812@end table
36813
36814@kindex maint packet
36815@item maint packet @var{text}
36816If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
36817then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
36818displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
36819@samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
36820checksum.
36821
36822@kindex maint print architecture
36823@item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36824Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
36825@var{file} names the file where the output goes.
36826
36827@kindex maint print c-tdesc
36828@item maint print c-tdesc
36829Print the current target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
36830a C source file. The created source file can be used in @value{GDBN}
36831when an XML parser is not available to parse the description.
36832
36833@kindex maint print dummy-frames
36834@item maint print dummy-frames
36835Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
36836
36837@smallexample
36838(@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
36839@dots{}
36840(@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
36841Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
3684258 return (a + b);
36843The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
36844@dots{}
36845(@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
368460x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
36847 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
36848 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
36849(@value{GDBP})
36850@end smallexample
36851
36852Takes an optional file parameter.
36853
36854@kindex maint print registers
36855@kindex maint print raw-registers
36856@kindex maint print cooked-registers
36857@kindex maint print register-groups
36858@kindex maint print remote-registers
36859@item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36860@itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36861@itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36862@itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36863@itemx maint print remote-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36864Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
36865
36866The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
36867the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print
36868cooked-registers} includes the (cooked) value of all registers,
36869including registers which aren't available on the target nor visible
36870to user; the command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the
36871groups that each register is a member of; and the command @code{maint
36872print remote-registers} includes the remote target's register numbers
36873and offsets in the `G' packets.
36874
36875These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
36876write the information.
36877
36878@kindex maint print reggroups
36879@item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36880Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
36881optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
36882information.
36883
36884The register groups info looks like this:
36885
36886@smallexample
36887(@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
36888 Group Type
36889 general user
36890 float user
36891 all user
36892 vector user
36893 system user
36894 save internal
36895 restore internal
36896@end smallexample
36897
36898@kindex flushregs
36899@item flushregs
36900This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
36901
36902@kindex maint print objfiles
36903@cindex info for known object files
36904@item maint print objfiles @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
36905Print a dump of all known object files.
36906If @var{regexp} is specified, only print object files whose names
36907match @var{regexp}. For each object file, this command prints its name,
36908address in memory, and all of its psymtabs and symtabs.
36909
36910@kindex maint print section-scripts
36911@cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
36912@item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
36913Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
36914If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
36915matching @var{regexp}.
36916For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
36917and the full path if known.
36918@xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}.
36919
36920@kindex maint print statistics
36921@cindex bcache statistics
36922@item maint print statistics
36923This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
36924about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
36925statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
36926of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
36927defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
36928the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
36929used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
36930sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
36931average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
36932savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
36933lengths.
36934
36935@kindex maint print target-stack
36936@cindex target stack description
36937@item maint print target-stack
36938A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
36939kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
36940so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
36941In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
36942until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
36943address.
36944
36945This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
36946the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
36947
36948@kindex maint print type
36949@cindex type chain of a data type
36950@item maint print type @var{expr}
36951Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
36952can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
36953that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
36954a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
36955data structures, including its flags and contained types.
36956
36957@kindex maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
36958@kindex maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
36959@item maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
36960@item maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
36961Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
36962information.
36963
36964The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
36965describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
36966@code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
36967expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
36968too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
36969always see the disassembly form.
36970
36971Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
36972
36973@smallexample
36974(gdb) info addr argc
36975Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
36976 1: DW_OP_fbreg 0
36977@end smallexample
36978
36979For more information on these expressions, see
36980@uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
36981
36982@kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
36983@kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
36984@item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
36985@itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
36986Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
36987
36988@cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
36989In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
36990produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
36991reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
36992This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
36993cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
36994compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
36995memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
36996slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
36997
36998@kindex maint set profile
36999@kindex maint show profile
37000@cindex profiling GDB
37001@item maint set profile
37002@itemx maint show profile
37003Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
37004
37005Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
37006command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
37007collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
37008exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
37009if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
37010(often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
37011data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
37012
37013Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
37014compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
37015
37016@kindex maint set show-debug-regs
37017@kindex maint show show-debug-regs
37018@cindex hardware debug registers
37019@item maint set show-debug-regs
37020@itemx maint show show-debug-regs
37021Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
37022registers. Use @code{ON} to enable, @code{OFF} to disable. If
37023enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
37024removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
37025triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
37026
37027@kindex maint set show-all-tib
37028@kindex maint show show-all-tib
37029@item maint set show-all-tib
37030@itemx maint show show-all-tib
37031Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
37032at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
37033command.
37034
37035@kindex maint set per-command
37036@kindex maint show per-command
37037@item maint set per-command
37038@itemx maint show per-command
37039@cindex resources used by commands
37040
37041@value{GDBN} can display the resources used by each command.
37042This is useful in debugging performance problems.
37043
37044@table @code
37045@item maint set per-command space [on|off]
37046@itemx maint show per-command space
37047Enable or disable the printing of the memory used by GDB for each command.
37048If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
37049took, following the command's own output.
37050This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
37051@option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
37052
37053@item maint set per-command time [on|off]
37054@itemx maint show per-command time
37055Enable or disable the printing of the execution time of @value{GDBN}
37056for each command.
37057If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
37058took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
37059Both CPU time and wallclock time are printed.
37060Printing both is useful when trying to determine whether the cost is
37061CPU or, e.g., disk/network latency.
37062Note that the CPU time printed is for @value{GDBN} only, it does not include
37063the execution time of the inferior because there's no mechanism currently
37064to compute how much time was spent by @value{GDBN} and how much time was
37065spent by the program been debugged.
37066This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
37067@option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
37068
37069@item maint set per-command symtab [on|off]
37070@itemx maint show per-command symtab
37071Enable or disable the printing of basic symbol table statistics
37072for each command.
37073If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display the following information:
37074
37075@enumerate a
37076@item
37077number of symbol tables
37078@item
37079number of primary symbol tables
37080@item
37081number of blocks in the blockvector
37082@end enumerate
37083@end table
37084
37085@kindex maint space
37086@cindex memory used by commands
37087@item maint space @var{value}
37088An alias for @code{maint set per-command space}.
37089A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
37090
37091@kindex maint time
37092@cindex time of command execution
37093@item maint time @var{value}
37094An alias for @code{maint set per-command time}.
37095A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
37096
37097@kindex maint translate-address
37098@item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
37099Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
37100@var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
37101@value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
37102the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
37103the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
37104command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
37105
37106If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
37107is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
37108executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
37109
37110@end table
37111
37112The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
37113@value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
37114
37115@table @code
37116@item set watchdog @var{nsec}
37117@kindex set watchdog
37118@cindex watchdog timer
37119@cindex timeout for commands
37120Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
37121target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
37122reports and error and the command is aborted.
37123
37124@item show watchdog
37125Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
37126@end table
37127
37128@node Remote Protocol
37129@appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
37130
37131@menu
37132* Overview::
37133* Packets::
37134* Stop Reply Packets::
37135* General Query Packets::
37136* Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
37137* Tracepoint Packets::
37138* Host I/O Packets::
37139* Interrupts::
37140* Notification Packets::
37141* Remote Non-Stop::
37142* Packet Acknowledgment::
37143* Examples::
37144* File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
37145* Library List Format::
37146* Library List Format for SVR4 Targets::
37147* Memory Map Format::
37148* Thread List Format::
37149* Traceframe Info Format::
37150* Branch Trace Format::
37151@end menu
37152
37153@node Overview
37154@section Overview
37155
37156There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
37157protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
37158machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
37159recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
37160
37161In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
37162transmitted and received data, respectively.
37163
37164@cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
37165@cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
37166@cindex remote serial protocol
37167All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
37168and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
37169@var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
37170@samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
37171@samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
37172
37173@smallexample
37174@code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
37175@end smallexample
37176@noindent
37177
37178@cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
37179@noindent
37180The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
37181characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
37182eight bit unsigned checksum).
37183
37184Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
37185specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
37186
37187@smallexample
37188@code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
37189@end smallexample
37190
37191@cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
37192@noindent
37193That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
37194has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
37195since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
37196
37197When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
37198response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
37199the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
37200retransmission):
37201
37202@smallexample
37203-> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
37204<- @code{+}
37205@end smallexample
37206@noindent
37207
37208The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
37209once a connection is established.
37210@xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
37211
37212The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
37213debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
37214the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
37215when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
37216threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
37217behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
37218execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
37219
37220@var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
37221exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
37222exceptions).
37223
37224@cindex remote protocol, field separator
37225Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
37226@samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
37227@sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
37228
37229Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
37230@samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
37231would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
37232
37233@cindex remote protocol, binary data
37234@anchor{Binary Data}
37235Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
37236digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
37237protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
37238Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
37239connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
37240binary data.
37241
37242The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
37243as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
37244character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
37245For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
37246bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
37247@code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
37248@samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
37249must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
37250is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
37251(described next).
37252
37253Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
37254Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
37255instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
37256repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
37257binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
37258@code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
37259produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
37260code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
37261encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
37262@samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
37263after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
372643}} more times.
37265
37266The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
37267greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
37268seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
37269five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
37270@samp{0*"00}.
37271
37272The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
37273error number. That number is not well defined.
37274
37275@cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
37276For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
37277(@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
37278protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
37279on that response.
37280
37281At a minimum, a stub is required to support the @samp{g} and @samp{G}
37282commands for register access, and the @samp{m} and @samp{M} commands
37283for memory access. Stubs that only control single-threaded targets
37284can implement run control with the @samp{c} (continue), and @samp{s}
37285(step) commands. Stubs that support multi-threading targets should
37286support the @samp{vCont} command. All other commands are optional.
37287
37288@node Packets
37289@section Packets
37290
37291The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
37292@var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
37293@xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
37294I/O extension of the remote protocol.
37295
37296Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
37297syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
37298include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
37299part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
37300separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
37301@var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
37302bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
37303@var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
37304@samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
37305@var{baz}.
37306
37307@cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
37308@anchor{thread-id syntax}
37309Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
37310a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
37311interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
37312can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
37313pick any thread.
37314
37315In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
37316which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
37317process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
37318The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
37319format described above: a positive number with target-specific
37320interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
37321to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
37322indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
37323@samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
37324error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
37325@samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
37326for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
37327ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
37328
37329The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
37330@value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
37331feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
37332more information.
37333
37334Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
37335letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
37336
37337Here are the packet descriptions.
37338
37339@table @samp
37340
37341@item !
37342@cindex @samp{!} packet
37343@anchor{extended mode}
37344Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
37345persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
37346debugged.
37347
37348Reply:
37349@table @samp
37350@item OK
37351The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
37352@end table
37353
37354@item ?
37355@cindex @samp{?} packet
37356Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
37357step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
37358target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
37359
37360Reply:
37361@xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37362
37363@item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
37364@cindex @samp{A} packet
37365Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
37366specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
37367@var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
37368
37369Reply:
37370@table @samp
37371@item OK
37372The arguments were set.
37373@item E @var{NN}
37374An error occurred.
37375@end table
37376
37377@item b @var{baud}
37378@cindex @samp{b} packet
37379(Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
37380Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
37381
37382JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
37383received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
37384problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
37385
37386Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
37387it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
37388some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
37389switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
37390of view, nothing actually happened.}
37391
37392@item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
37393@cindex @samp{B} packet
37394Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
37395breakpoint at @var{addr}.
37396
37397Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
37398(@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
37399
37400@cindex @samp{bc} packet
37401@anchor{bc}
37402@item bc
37403Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
37404@xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
37405
37406Reply:
37407@xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37408
37409@cindex @samp{bs} packet
37410@anchor{bs}
37411@item bs
37412Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
37413@xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
37414
37415Reply:
37416@xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37417
37418@item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
37419@cindex @samp{c} packet
37420Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
37421resume at current address.
37422
37423This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37424packet}.
37425
37426Reply:
37427@xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37428
37429@item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
37430@cindex @samp{C} packet
37431Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
37432@samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
37433
37434This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37435packet}.
37436
37437Reply:
37438@xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37439
37440@item d
37441@cindex @samp{d} packet
37442Toggle debug flag.
37443
37444Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
37445(@pxref{General Query Packets}).
37446
37447@item D
37448@itemx D;@var{pid}
37449@cindex @samp{D} packet
37450The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
37451remote system. It is sent to the remote target
37452before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
37453
37454The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
37455protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
37456detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
37457big-endian hex string.
37458
37459Reply:
37460@table @samp
37461@item OK
37462for success
37463@item E @var{NN}
37464for an error
37465@end table
37466
37467@item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
37468@cindex @samp{F} packet
37469A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
37470This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
37471Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
37472
37473@item g
37474@anchor{read registers packet}
37475@cindex @samp{g} packet
37476Read general registers.
37477
37478Reply:
37479@table @samp
37480@item @var{XX@dots{}}
37481Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
37482with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
37483each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
37484determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
37485@code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}. The
37486specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
37487
37488When reading registers from a trace frame (@pxref{Analyze Collected
37489Data,,Using the Collected Data}), the stub may also return a string of
37490literal @samp{x}'s in place of the register data digits, to indicate
37491that the corresponding register has not been collected, thus its value
37492is unavailable. For example, for an architecture with 4 registers of
374934 bytes each, the following reply indicates to @value{GDBN} that
37494registers 0 and 2 have not been collected, while registers 1 and 3
37495have been collected, and both have zero value:
37496
37497@smallexample
37498-> @code{g}
37499<- @code{xxxxxxxx00000000xxxxxxxx00000000}
37500@end smallexample
37501
37502@item E @var{NN}
37503for an error.
37504@end table
37505
37506@item G @var{XX@dots{}}
37507@cindex @samp{G} packet
37508Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
37509description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
37510
37511Reply:
37512@table @samp
37513@item OK
37514for success
37515@item E @var{NN}
37516for an error
37517@end table
37518
37519@item H @var{op} @var{thread-id}
37520@cindex @samp{H} packet
37521Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
37522@samp{G}, et.al.). @var{op} depends on the operation to be performed:
37523it should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations (note that this
37524is deprecated, supporting the @samp{vCont} command is a better
37525option), @samp{g} for other operations. The thread designator
37526@var{thread-id} has the format and interpretation described in
37527@ref{thread-id syntax}.
37528
37529Reply:
37530@table @samp
37531@item OK
37532for success
37533@item E @var{NN}
37534for an error
37535@end table
37536
37537@c FIXME: JTC:
37538@c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
37539@c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
37540@c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
37541@c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
37542@c described. For example:
37543@c
37544@c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
37545@c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
37546@c otherwise returns current registers.
37547@c
37548@c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
37549@c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
37550@c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
37551
37552@item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
37553@anchor{cycle step packet}
37554@cindex @samp{i} packet
37555Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
37556present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
37557step starting at that address.
37558
37559@item I
37560@cindex @samp{I} packet
37561Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
37562step packet}.
37563
37564@item k
37565@cindex @samp{k} packet
37566Kill request.
37567
37568FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
37569thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
37570thread?)}.
37571
37572@item m @var{addr},@var{length}
37573@cindex @samp{m} packet
37574Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
37575Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
37576
37577The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
37578data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
37579and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
37580use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
37581suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
37582@cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
37583@cindex size of remote memory accesses
37584@cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
37585
37586Reply:
37587@table @samp
37588@item @var{XX@dots{}}
37589Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
37590number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
37591server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
37592@item E @var{NN}
37593@var{NN} is errno
37594@end table
37595
37596@item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
37597@cindex @samp{M} packet
37598Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
37599@var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
37600hexadecimal number.
37601
37602Reply:
37603@table @samp
37604@item OK
37605for success
37606@item E @var{NN}
37607for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
37608written).
37609@end table
37610
37611@item p @var{n}
37612@cindex @samp{p} packet
37613Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
37614@xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
37615register value is encoded.
37616
37617Reply:
37618@table @samp
37619@item @var{XX@dots{}}
37620the register's value
37621@item E @var{NN}
37622for an error
37623@item @w{}
37624Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
37625@end table
37626
37627@item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
37628@anchor{write register packet}
37629@cindex @samp{P} packet
37630Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
37631number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
37632digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
37633
37634Reply:
37635@table @samp
37636@item OK
37637for success
37638@item E @var{NN}
37639for an error
37640@end table
37641
37642@item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
37643@itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
37644@cindex @samp{q} packet
37645@cindex @samp{Q} packet
37646General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
37647described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
37648
37649@item r
37650@cindex @samp{r} packet
37651Reset the entire system.
37652
37653Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
37654
37655@item R @var{XX}
37656@cindex @samp{R} packet
37657Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
37658This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
37659
37660The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
37661
37662@item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
37663@cindex @samp{s} packet
37664Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
37665@var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
37666
37667This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37668packet}.
37669
37670Reply:
37671@xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37672
37673@item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
37674@anchor{step with signal packet}
37675@cindex @samp{S} packet
37676Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
37677requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
37678
37679This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37680packet}.
37681
37682Reply:
37683@xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37684
37685@item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
37686@cindex @samp{t} packet
37687Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
37688@var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
37689@var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
37690
37691@item T @var{thread-id}
37692@cindex @samp{T} packet
37693Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
37694
37695Reply:
37696@table @samp
37697@item OK
37698thread is still alive
37699@item E @var{NN}
37700thread is dead
37701@end table
37702
37703@item v
37704Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
37705up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
37706
37707@item vAttach;@var{pid}
37708@cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
37709Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
37710The process ID is a
37711hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
37712threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
37713attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
37714
37715@c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
37716@c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
37717@c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
37718@c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
37719@c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
37720@c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
37721@c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
37722@c stopping or restarting threads.
37723
37724This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
37725
37726Reply:
37727@table @samp
37728@item E @var{nn}
37729for an error
37730@item @r{Any stop packet}
37731for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
37732@item OK
37733for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
37734@end table
37735
37736@item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
37737@cindex @samp{vCont} packet
37738@anchor{vCont packet}
37739Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
37740If an action is specified with no @var{thread-id}, then it is applied to any
37741threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
37742specified then other threads should remain stopped in all-stop mode and
37743in their current state in non-stop mode.
37744Specifying multiple
37745default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
37746Thread IDs are specified using the syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
37747
37748Currently supported actions are:
37749
37750@table @samp
37751@item c
37752Continue.
37753@item C @var{sig}
37754Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
37755@item s
37756Step.
37757@item S @var{sig}
37758Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
37759@item t
37760Stop.
37761@item r @var{start},@var{end}
37762Step once, and then keep stepping as long as the thread stops at
37763addresses between @var{start} (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive).
37764The remote stub reports a stop reply when either the thread goes out
37765of the range or is stopped due to an unrelated reason, such as hitting
37766a breakpoint. @xref{range stepping}.
37767
37768If the range is empty (@var{start} == @var{end}), then the action
37769becomes equivalent to the @samp{s} action. In other words,
37770single-step once, and report the stop (even if the stepped instruction
37771jumps to @var{start}).
37772
37773(A stop reply may be sent at any point even if the PC is still within
37774the stepping range; for example, it is valid to implement this packet
37775in a degenerate way as a single instruction step operation.)
37776
37777@end table
37778
37779The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
37780@samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
37781not supported in @samp{vCont}.
37782
37783The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
37784(@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
37785A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
37786When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
37787the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
37788signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
37789as an implementation detail.
37790
37791The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
37792multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}). Note that in
37793this case @samp{vCont} actions can be specified to apply to all threads
37794in a process by using the @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the
37795@var{thread-id}.
37796
37797Reply:
37798@xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37799
37800@item vCont?
37801@cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
37802Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
37803
37804Reply:
37805@table @samp
37806@item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
37807The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
37808command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
37809@item @w{}
37810The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
37811@end table
37812
37813@item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
37814@cindex @samp{vFile} packet
37815Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
37816see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
37817
37818@item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
37819@cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
37820Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
37821@var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
37822its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
37823flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
37824Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
37825together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
37826stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
37827packet is received.
37828
37829Reply:
37830@table @samp
37831@item OK
37832for success
37833@item E @var{NN}
37834for an error
37835@end table
37836
37837@item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
37838@cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
37839Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
37840is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
37841packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
37842@samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
37843not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
37844(although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
37845have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
37846@samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
37847neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
37848target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
37849
37850
37851Reply:
37852@table @samp
37853@item OK
37854for success
37855@item E.memtype
37856for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
37857@item E @var{NN}
37858for an error
37859@end table
37860
37861@item vFlashDone
37862@cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
37863Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
37864The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
37865@samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
37866@samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
37867regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
37868request is completed.
37869
37870@item vKill;@var{pid}
37871@cindex @samp{vKill} packet
37872Kill the process with the specified process ID. @var{pid} is a
37873hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
37874preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
37875supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
37876
37877Reply:
37878@table @samp
37879@item E @var{nn}
37880for an error
37881@item OK
37882for success
37883@end table
37884
37885@item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
37886@cindex @samp{vRun} packet
37887Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
37888command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
37889@var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
37890(e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
37891state.
37892
37893@c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
37894
37895This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
37896
37897Reply:
37898@table @samp
37899@item E @var{nn}
37900for an error
37901@item @r{Any stop packet}
37902for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
37903@end table
37904
37905@item vStopped
37906@cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
37907@xref{Notification Packets}.
37908
37909@item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
37910@anchor{X packet}
37911@cindex @samp{X} packet
37912Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
37913@var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
37914@samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
37915
37916Reply:
37917@table @samp
37918@item OK
37919for success
37920@item E @var{NN}
37921for an error
37922@end table
37923
37924@item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
37925@itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
37926@anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
37927@cindex @samp{z} packet
37928@cindex @samp{Z} packets
37929Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
37930watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
37931
37932Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
37933separately.
37934
37935@emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
37936for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
37937remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
37938@samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
37939avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
37940be implemented in an idempotent way.}
37941
37942@item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
37943@itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}@r{[};cmds:@var{persist},@var{cmd_list}@dots{}@r{]}
37944@cindex @samp{z0} packet
37945@cindex @samp{Z0} packet
37946Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
37947@var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
37948
37949A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
37950@var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
37951@var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of
37952the breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm}
37953and @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
37954architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind};
37955@var{cond_list} is an optional list of conditional expressions in bytecode
37956form that should be evaluated on the target's side. These are the
37957conditions that should be taken into consideration when deciding if
37958the breakpoint trigger should be reported back to @var{GDBN}.
37959
37960The @var{cond_list} parameter is comprised of a series of expressions,
37961concatenated without separators. Each expression has the following form:
37962
37963@table @samp
37964
37965@item X @var{len},@var{expr}
37966@var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
37967actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
37968
37969@end table
37970
37971The optional @var{cmd_list} parameter introduces commands that may be
37972run on the target, rather than being reported back to @value{GDBN}.
37973The parameter starts with a numeric flag @var{persist}; if the flag is
37974nonzero, then the breakpoint may remain active and the commands
37975continue to be run even when @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target.
37976Following this flag is a series of expressions concatenated with no
37977separators. Each expression has the following form:
37978
37979@table @samp
37980
37981@item X @var{len},@var{expr}
37982@var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
37983actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
37984
37985@end table
37986
37987see @ref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}.
37988
37989@emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
37990code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
37991overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
37992target, is not defined.}
37993
37994Reply:
37995@table @samp
37996@item OK
37997success
37998@item @w{}
37999not supported
38000@item E @var{NN}
38001for an error
38002@end table
38003
38004@item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38005@itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}
38006@cindex @samp{z1} packet
38007@cindex @samp{Z1} packet
38008Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
38009address @var{addr}.
38010
38011A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
38012dependant on being able to modify the target's memory. @var{kind}
38013and @var{cond_list} have the same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
38014
38015@emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
38016movement.}
38017
38018Reply:
38019@table @samp
38020@item OK
38021success
38022@item @w{}
38023not supported
38024@item E @var{NN}
38025for an error
38026@end table
38027
38028@item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38029@itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38030@cindex @samp{z2} packet
38031@cindex @samp{Z2} packet
38032Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
38033@var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
38034
38035Reply:
38036@table @samp
38037@item OK
38038success
38039@item @w{}
38040not supported
38041@item E @var{NN}
38042for an error
38043@end table
38044
38045@item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38046@itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38047@cindex @samp{z3} packet
38048@cindex @samp{Z3} packet
38049Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
38050@var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
38051
38052Reply:
38053@table @samp
38054@item OK
38055success
38056@item @w{}
38057not supported
38058@item E @var{NN}
38059for an error
38060@end table
38061
38062@item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38063@itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38064@cindex @samp{z4} packet
38065@cindex @samp{Z4} packet
38066Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
38067@var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
38068
38069Reply:
38070@table @samp
38071@item OK
38072success
38073@item @w{}
38074not supported
38075@item E @var{NN}
38076for an error
38077@end table
38078
38079@end table
38080
38081@node Stop Reply Packets
38082@section Stop Reply Packets
38083@cindex stop reply packets
38084
38085The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
38086@samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
38087receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
38088and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
38089when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
38090number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
38091@value{GDBN} source code.
38092
38093As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
38094reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
38095syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
38096components.
38097
38098@table @samp
38099
38100@item S @var{AA}
38101The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
38102number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
38103@var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
38104
38105@item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
38106@cindex @samp{T} packet reply
38107The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
38108number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
38109@samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
38110and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
38111round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
38112this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
38113
38114@itemize @bullet
38115@item
38116If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
38117corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
38118series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
38119two-digit hex number.
38120
38121@item
38122If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
38123the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
38124
38125@item
38126If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
38127the core on which the stop event was detected.
38128
38129@item
38130If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
38131specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
38132reasons are listed below. @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
38133signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
38134
38135@item
38136Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
38137and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
38138future.
38139@end itemize
38140
38141The currently defined stop reasons are:
38142
38143@table @samp
38144@item watch
38145@itemx rwatch
38146@itemx awatch
38147The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
38148hex.
38149
38150@cindex shared library events, remote reply
38151@item library
38152The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
38153@value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
38154list of loaded libraries. @var{r} is ignored.
38155
38156@cindex replay log events, remote reply
38157@item replaylog
38158The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
38159logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
38160beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
38161will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
38162for more information.
38163@end table
38164
38165@item W @var{AA}
38166@itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
38167The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
38168applicable to certain targets.
38169
38170The second form of the response, including the process ID of the exited
38171process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported support for
38172multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
38173The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
38174
38175@item X @var{AA}
38176@itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
38177The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
38178
38179The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
38180terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
38181support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
38182extensions}. The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
38183
38184@item O @var{XX}@dots{}
38185@samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
38186written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
38187while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
38188for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
38189
38190@item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
38191@var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
38192be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
38193correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
38194@xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
38195system calls.
38196
38197@samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
38198this very system call.
38199
38200The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
38201call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
38202with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
38203reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
38204or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
38205Protocol Extension}, for more details.
38206
38207@end table
38208
38209@node General Query Packets
38210@section General Query Packets
38211@cindex remote query requests
38212
38213Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
38214packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
38215query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
38216sending information to and from the stub.
38217
38218The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
38219indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
38220@value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
38221definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
38222conventions:
38223
38224@itemize @bullet
38225@item
38226The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
38227@item
38228Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
38229letter.
38230@item
38231The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
38232lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
38233the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
38234foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
38235@end itemize
38236
38237The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
38238parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
38239separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
38240full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
38241in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
38242with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
38243packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
38244for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
38245are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
38246existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
38247packet.}.
38248
38249Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
38250has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
38251explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
38252templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
38253@value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
38254
38255Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
38256
38257@table @samp
38258
38259@item QAgent:1
38260@itemx QAgent:0
38261Turn on or off the agent as a helper to perform some debugging operations
38262delegated from @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Control Agent}).
38263
38264@item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
38265@cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
38266Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
38267target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
38268pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
38269@samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
38270@samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
38271indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
38272indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
38273own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
38274insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
38275
38276@item qC
38277@cindex current thread, remote request
38278@cindex @samp{qC} packet
38279Return the current thread ID.
38280
38281Reply:
38282@table @samp
38283@item QC @var{thread-id}
38284Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
38285@ref{thread-id syntax}.
38286@item @r{(anything else)}
38287Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
38288@end table
38289
38290@item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
38291@cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
38292@cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
38293Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
38294IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
38295significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
38296@code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
38297
38298@emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
38299files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
38300Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
38301separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
38302significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
38303detect trailing zeros.
38304
38305Reply:
38306@table @samp
38307@item E @var{NN}
38308An error (such as memory fault)
38309@item C @var{crc32}
38310The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
38311@end table
38312
38313@item QDisableRandomization:@var{value}
38314@cindex disable address space randomization, remote request
38315@cindex @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet
38316Some target operating systems will randomize the virtual address space
38317of the inferior process as a security feature, but provide a feature
38318to disable such randomization, e.g.@: to allow for a more deterministic
38319debugging experience. On such systems, this packet with a @var{value}
38320of 1 directs the target to disable address space randomization for
38321processes subsequently started via @samp{vRun} packets, while a packet
38322with a @var{value} of 0 tells the target to enable address space
38323randomization.
38324
38325This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
38326
38327Reply:
38328@table @samp
38329@item OK
38330The request succeeded.
38331
38332@item E @var{nn}
38333An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38334
38335@item @w{}
38336An empty reply indicates that @samp{QDisableRandomization} is not supported
38337by the stub.
38338@end table
38339
38340This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38341by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38342This should only be done on targets that actually support disabling
38343address space randomization.
38344
38345@item qfThreadInfo
38346@itemx qsThreadInfo
38347@cindex list active threads, remote request
38348@cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
38349@cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
38350Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
38351may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
38352works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
38353obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
38354be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
38355sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
38356
38357NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
38358
38359Reply:
38360@table @samp
38361@item m @var{thread-id}
38362A single thread ID
38363@item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
38364a comma-separated list of thread IDs
38365@item l
38366(lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
38367@end table
38368
38369In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
38370more thread IDs, separated by commas.
38371@value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
38372ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
38373with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
38374Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
38375fields.
38376
38377@item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
38378@cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
38379@cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
38380Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
38381by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
38382
38383@var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
38384thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
38385
38386@var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
38387thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
38388information associated with the variable.)
38389
38390@var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
38391load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
38392a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
38393object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
38394Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
38395differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
38396
38397Reply:
38398@table @samp
38399@item @var{XX}@dots{}
38400Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
38401local storage requested.
38402
38403@item E @var{nn}
38404An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38405
38406@item @w{}
38407An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
38408@end table
38409
38410@item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
38411@cindex get thread information block address
38412@cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
38413Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
38414
38415@var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
38416
38417Reply:
38418@table @samp
38419@item @var{XX}@dots{}
38420Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
38421thread information block.
38422
38423@item E @var{nn}
38424An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
38425address could not be retrieved.
38426
38427@item @w{}
38428An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
38429@end table
38430
38431@item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
38432Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
38433digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
38434subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
38435number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
38436(eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
38437returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
38438
38439Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
38440
38441Reply:
38442@table @samp
38443@item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
38444Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
38445returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
38446and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
38447digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
38448is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
38449digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
38450@end table
38451
38452@item qOffsets
38453@cindex section offsets, remote request
38454@cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
38455Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
38456image.
38457
38458Reply:
38459@table @samp
38460@item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
38461Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
38462Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
38463If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
38464@samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
38465segments by the supplied offsets.
38466
38467@emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
38468@value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
38469to the @code{Bss} section.}
38470
38471@item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
38472Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
38473contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
38474@samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
38475conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
38476@var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
38477does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
38478as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
38479kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
38480@end table
38481
38482@item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
38483@cindex thread information, remote request
38484@cindex @samp{qP} packet
38485Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
38486encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
38487(@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
38488
38489Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
38490(see below).
38491
38492Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
38493
38494@item QNonStop:1
38495@itemx QNonStop:0
38496@cindex non-stop mode, remote request
38497@cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
38498@anchor{QNonStop}
38499Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
38500@xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
38501
38502Reply:
38503@table @samp
38504@item OK
38505The request succeeded.
38506
38507@item E @var{nn}
38508An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38509
38510@item @w{}
38511An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
38512the stub.
38513@end table
38514
38515This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38516by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38517Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
38518@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
38519
38520@item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
38521@cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
38522@cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
38523@anchor{QPassSignals}
38524Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
38525Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
38526(@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
38527strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
38528the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
38529reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
38530combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
38531new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
38532@var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
38533
38534Reply:
38535@table @samp
38536@item OK
38537The request succeeded.
38538
38539@item E @var{nn}
38540An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38541
38542@item @w{}
38543An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
38544the stub.
38545@end table
38546
38547Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
38548command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
38549This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38550by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38551
38552@item QProgramSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
38553@cindex signals the inferior may see, remote request
38554@cindex @samp{QProgramSignals} packet
38555@anchor{QProgramSignals}
38556Each listed @var{signal} may be delivered to the inferior process.
38557Others should be silently discarded.
38558
38559In some cases, the remote stub may need to decide whether to deliver a
38560signal to the program or not without @value{GDBN} involvement. One
38561example of that is while detaching --- the program's threads may have
38562stopped for signals that haven't yet had a chance of being reported to
38563@value{GDBN}, and so the remote stub can use the signal list specified
38564by this packet to know whether to deliver or ignore those pending
38565signals.
38566
38567This does not influence whether to deliver a signal as requested by a
38568resumption packet (@pxref{vCont packet}).
38569
38570Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
38571(@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
38572strictly greater than the previous item. Multiple
38573@samp{QProgramSignals} packets do not combine; any earlier
38574@samp{QProgramSignals} list is completely replaced by the new list.
38575
38576Reply:
38577@table @samp
38578@item OK
38579The request succeeded.
38580
38581@item E @var{nn}
38582An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38583
38584@item @w{}
38585An empty reply indicates that @samp{QProgramSignals} is not supported
38586by the stub.
38587@end table
38588
38589Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote program-signals}
38590command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote program-signals}).
38591This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38592by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38593
38594@item qRcmd,@var{command}
38595@cindex execute remote command, remote request
38596@cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
38597@var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
38598execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
38599string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
38600with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
38601packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
38602stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
38603
38604Reply:
38605@table @samp
38606@item OK
38607A command response with no output.
38608@item @var{OUTPUT}
38609A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
38610@item E @var{NN}
38611Indicate a badly formed request.
38612@item @w{}
38613An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
38614@end table
38615
38616(Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
38617command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
38618conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
38619packets.)
38620
38621@item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
38622@cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
38623@ifnotinfo
38624@cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
38625@end ifnotinfo
38626@cindex @samp{qSearch memory} packet
38627@anchor{qSearch memory}
38628Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
38629@var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex.
38630@var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, hex encoded.
38631
38632Reply:
38633@table @samp
38634@item 0
38635The pattern was not found.
38636@item 1,address
38637The pattern was found at @var{address}.
38638@item E @var{NN}
38639A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
38640@item @w{}
38641An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
38642@end table
38643
38644@item QStartNoAckMode
38645@cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
38646@anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
38647Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
38648protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
38649
38650Reply:
38651@table @samp
38652@item OK
38653The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
38654@value{GDBN} acknowledges this reponse,
38655but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
38656@samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
38657@item @w{}
38658An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
38659@end table
38660
38661@item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
38662@cindex supported packets, remote query
38663@cindex features of the remote protocol
38664@cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
38665@anchor{qSupported}
38666Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
38667query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
38668@value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
38669features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
38670at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
38671packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
38672high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
38673be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
38674stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
38675automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
38676reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
38677unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
38678helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
38679versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
38680
38681Reply:
38682@table @samp
38683@item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
38684The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
38685depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
38686possible forms).
38687@item @w{}
38688An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
38689or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
38690@end table
38691
38692The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
38693@samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
38694are:
38695
38696@table @samp
38697@item @var{name}=@var{value}
38698The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
38699with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
38700on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
38701@item @var{name}+
38702The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
38703need an associated value.
38704@item @var{name}-
38705The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
38706@item @var{name}?
38707The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
38708@value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
38709needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
38710but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
38711@end table
38712
38713Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
38714supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
38715request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
38716state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
38717a different version of @value{GDBN}.
38718
38719The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
38720are defined:
38721
38722@table @samp
38723@item multiprocess
38724This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
38725extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
38726extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
38727including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
38728@xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
38729
38730@item xmlRegisters
38731This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
38732description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
38733specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
38734description.
38735
38736@item qRelocInsn
38737This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
38738@samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
38739instruction reply packet}).
38740@end table
38741
38742Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
38743@var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
38744packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
38745versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
38746for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
38747advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
38748improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
38749an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
38750of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
38751describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
38752all the features it supports.
38753
38754Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
38755responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
38756
38757Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
38758should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
38759require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
38760form response.
38761
38762Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
38763@samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
38764in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
38765stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
38766
38767Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
38768mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
38769architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
38770about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
38771stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
38772
38773These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
38774
38775@multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
38776@c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
38777@c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
38778@item Feature Name
38779@tab Value Required
38780@tab Default
38781@tab Probe Allowed
38782
38783@item @samp{PacketSize}
38784@tab Yes
38785@tab @samp{-}
38786@tab No
38787
38788@item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
38789@tab No
38790@tab @samp{-}
38791@tab Yes
38792
38793@item @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
38794@tab No
38795@tab @samp{-}
38796@tab Yes
38797
38798@item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
38799@tab No
38800@tab @samp{-}
38801@tab Yes
38802
38803@item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
38804@tab No
38805@tab @samp{-}
38806@tab Yes
38807
38808@item @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read}
38809@tab No
38810@tab @samp{-}
38811@tab Yes
38812
38813@item @samp{augmented-libraries-svr4-read}
38814@tab No
38815@tab @samp{-}
38816@tab No
38817
38818@item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
38819@tab No
38820@tab @samp{-}
38821@tab Yes
38822
38823@item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
38824@tab No
38825@tab @samp{-}
38826@tab Yes
38827
38828@item @samp{qXfer:spu:read}
38829@tab No
38830@tab @samp{-}
38831@tab Yes
38832
38833@item @samp{qXfer:spu:write}
38834@tab No
38835@tab @samp{-}
38836@tab Yes
38837
38838@item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
38839@tab No
38840@tab @samp{-}
38841@tab Yes
38842
38843@item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
38844@tab No
38845@tab @samp{-}
38846@tab Yes
38847
38848@item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
38849@tab No
38850@tab @samp{-}
38851@tab Yes
38852
38853@item @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
38854@tab No
38855@tab @samp{-}
38856@tab Yes
38857
38858@item @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
38859@tab No
38860@tab @samp{-}
38861@tab Yes
38862
38863@item @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
38864@tab No
38865@tab @samp{-}
38866@tab Yes
38867
38868@item @samp{Qbtrace:off}
38869@tab Yes
38870@tab @samp{-}
38871@tab Yes
38872
38873@item @samp{Qbtrace:bts}
38874@tab Yes
38875@tab @samp{-}
38876@tab Yes
38877
38878@item @samp{QNonStop}
38879@tab No
38880@tab @samp{-}
38881@tab Yes
38882
38883@item @samp{QPassSignals}
38884@tab No
38885@tab @samp{-}
38886@tab Yes
38887
38888@item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
38889@tab No
38890@tab @samp{-}
38891@tab Yes
38892
38893@item @samp{multiprocess}
38894@tab No
38895@tab @samp{-}
38896@tab No
38897
38898@item @samp{ConditionalBreakpoints}
38899@tab No
38900@tab @samp{-}
38901@tab No
38902
38903@item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
38904@tab No
38905@tab @samp{-}
38906@tab No
38907
38908@item @samp{ReverseContinue}
38909@tab No
38910@tab @samp{-}
38911@tab No
38912
38913@item @samp{ReverseStep}
38914@tab No
38915@tab @samp{-}
38916@tab No
38917
38918@item @samp{TracepointSource}
38919@tab No
38920@tab @samp{-}
38921@tab No
38922
38923@item @samp{QAgent}
38924@tab No
38925@tab @samp{-}
38926@tab No
38927
38928@item @samp{QAllow}
38929@tab No
38930@tab @samp{-}
38931@tab No
38932
38933@item @samp{QDisableRandomization}
38934@tab No
38935@tab @samp{-}
38936@tab No
38937
38938@item @samp{EnableDisableTracepoints}
38939@tab No
38940@tab @samp{-}
38941@tab No
38942
38943@item @samp{QTBuffer:size}
38944@tab No
38945@tab @samp{-}
38946@tab No
38947
38948@item @samp{tracenz}
38949@tab No
38950@tab @samp{-}
38951@tab No
38952
38953@item @samp{BreakpointCommands}
38954@tab No
38955@tab @samp{-}
38956@tab No
38957
38958@end multitable
38959
38960These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
38961
38962@table @samp
38963@cindex packet size, remote protocol
38964@item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
38965The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
38966length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
38967transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
38968data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
38969There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
38970stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
38971byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
38972@value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
38973
38974@item qXfer:auxv:read
38975The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
38976(@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
38977
38978@item qXfer:btrace:read
38979The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
38980packet (@pxref{qXfer btrace read}).
38981
38982@item qXfer:features:read
38983The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
38984(@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
38985
38986@item qXfer:libraries:read
38987The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
38988(@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
38989
38990@item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read
38991The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
38992(@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
38993
38994@item augmented-libraries-svr4-read
38995The remote stub understands the augmented form of the
38996@samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
38997(@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
38998
38999@item qXfer:memory-map:read
39000The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
39001(@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
39002
39003@item qXfer:sdata:read
39004The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
39005(@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
39006
39007@item qXfer:spu:read
39008The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:read} packet
39009(@pxref{qXfer spu read}).
39010
39011@item qXfer:spu:write
39012The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:write} packet
39013(@pxref{qXfer spu write}).
39014
39015@item qXfer:siginfo:read
39016The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
39017(@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
39018
39019@item qXfer:siginfo:write
39020The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
39021(@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
39022
39023@item qXfer:threads:read
39024The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
39025(@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
39026
39027@item qXfer:traceframe-info:read
39028The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
39029packet (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}).
39030
39031@item qXfer:uib:read
39032The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
39033packet (@pxref{qXfer unwind info block}).
39034
39035@item qXfer:fdpic:read
39036The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
39037packet (@pxref{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}).
39038
39039@item QNonStop
39040The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
39041(@pxref{QNonStop}).
39042
39043@item QPassSignals
39044The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
39045(@pxref{QPassSignals}).
39046
39047@item QStartNoAckMode
39048The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
39049prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
39050
39051@item multiprocess
39052@anchor{multiprocess extensions}
39053@cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
39054The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
39055protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
39056thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
39057add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
39058replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
39059syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
39060debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
39061multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
39062indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
39063
39064@item qXfer:osdata:read
39065The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
39066((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
39067
39068@item ConditionalBreakpoints
39069The target accepts and implements evaluation of conditional expressions
39070defined for breakpoints. The target will only report breakpoint triggers
39071when such conditions are true (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
39072
39073@item ConditionalTracepoints
39074The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
39075for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
39076
39077@item ReverseContinue
39078The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
39079(@pxref{bc}).
39080
39081@item ReverseStep
39082The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
39083(@pxref{bs}).
39084
39085@item TracepointSource
39086The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
39087the source form of tracepoint definitions.
39088
39089@item QAgent
39090The remote stub understands the @samp{QAgent} packet.
39091
39092@item QAllow
39093The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
39094
39095@item QDisableRandomization
39096The remote stub understands the @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet.
39097
39098@item StaticTracepoint
39099@cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
39100The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
39101
39102@item InstallInTrace
39103@anchor{install tracepoint in tracing}
39104The remote stub supports installing tracepoint in tracing.
39105
39106@item EnableDisableTracepoints
39107The remote stub supports the @samp{QTEnable} (@pxref{QTEnable}) and
39108@samp{QTDisable} (@pxref{QTDisable}) packets that allow tracepoints
39109to be enabled and disabled while a trace experiment is running.
39110
39111@item QTBuffer:size
39112The remote stub supports the @samp{QTBuffer:size} (@pxref{QTBuffer-size})
39113packet that allows to change the size of the trace buffer.
39114
39115@item tracenz
39116@cindex string tracing, in remote protocol
39117The remote stub supports the @samp{tracenz} bytecode for collecting strings.
39118See @ref{Bytecode Descriptions} for details about the bytecode.
39119
39120@item BreakpointCommands
39121@cindex breakpoint commands, in remote protocol
39122The remote stub supports running a breakpoint's command list itself,
39123rather than reporting the hit to @value{GDBN}.
39124
39125@item Qbtrace:off
39126The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:off} packet.
39127
39128@item Qbtrace:bts
39129The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:bts} packet.
39130
39131@end table
39132
39133@item qSymbol::
39134@cindex symbol lookup, remote request
39135@cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
39136Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
39137requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
39138
39139Reply:
39140@table @samp
39141@item OK
39142The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
39143@item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
39144The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
39145@value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
39146@samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
39147below.
39148@end table
39149
39150@item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
39151Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
39152
39153@var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
39154target has previously requested.
39155
39156@var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
39157@value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
39158will be empty.
39159
39160Reply:
39161@table @samp
39162@item OK
39163The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
39164@item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
39165The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
39166encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
39167(if available), until the target ceases to request them.
39168@end table
39169
39170@item qTBuffer
39171@itemx QTBuffer
39172@itemx QTDisconnected
39173@itemx QTDP
39174@itemx QTDPsrc
39175@itemx QTDV
39176@itemx qTfP
39177@itemx qTfV
39178@itemx QTFrame
39179@itemx qTMinFTPILen
39180
39181@xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
39182
39183@item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
39184@cindex thread attributes info, remote request
39185@cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
39186Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
39187the target OS. @var{thread-id} is a thread ID;
39188see @ref{thread-id syntax}. This
39189string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
39190for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
39191displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
39192examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
39193@samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
39194
39195Reply:
39196@table @samp
39197@item @var{XX}@dots{}
39198Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
39199comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
39200the thread's attributes.
39201@end table
39202
39203(Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
39204the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
39205conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
39206packets.)
39207
39208@item QTNotes
39209@itemx qTP
39210@itemx QTSave
39211@itemx qTsP
39212@itemx qTsV
39213@itemx QTStart
39214@itemx QTStop
39215@itemx QTEnable
39216@itemx QTDisable
39217@itemx QTinit
39218@itemx QTro
39219@itemx qTStatus
39220@itemx qTV
39221@itemx qTfSTM
39222@itemx qTsSTM
39223@itemx qTSTMat
39224@xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
39225
39226@item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39227@cindex read special object, remote request
39228@cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
39229@anchor{qXfer read}
39230Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
39231identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
39232starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
39233encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
39234additional details about what data to access.
39235
39236Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
39237@samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
39238formats, listed below.
39239
39240@table @samp
39241@item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39242@anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
39243Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
39244auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
39245
39246This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39247by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39248
39249@item qXfer:btrace:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39250@anchor{qXfer btrace read}
39251
39252Return a description of the current branch trace.
39253@xref{Branch Trace Format}. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer}
39254packet may have one of the following values:
39255
39256@table @code
39257@item all
39258Returns all available branch trace.
39259
39260@item new
39261Returns all available branch trace if the branch trace changed since
39262the last read request.
39263@end table
39264
39265This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it
39266by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39267
39268@item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39269@anchor{qXfer target description read}
39270Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
39271annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
39272always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
39273
39274This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39275by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39276
39277@item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39278@anchor{qXfer library list read}
39279Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
39280The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
39281(@pxref{qXfer read}).
39282
39283Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
39284not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
39285the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
39286
39287This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39288by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39289
39290@item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39291@anchor{qXfer svr4 library list read}
39292Access the target's list of loaded libraries when the target is an SVR4
39293platform. @xref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets}. The annex part
39294of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty unless the remote
39295stub indicated it supports the augmented form of this packet
39296by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39297(@pxref{qXfer read}, @ref{qSupported}).
39298
39299This packet is optional for better performance on SVR4 targets.
39300@value{GDBN} uses memory read packets to read the SVR4 library list otherwise.
39301
39302This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39303by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39304
39305If the remote stub indicates it supports the augmented form of this
39306packet then the annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet may
39307contain a semicolon-separated list of @samp{@var{name}=@var{value}}
39308arguments. The currently supported arguments are:
39309
39310@table @code
39311@item start=@var{address}
39312A hexadecimal number specifying the address of the @samp{struct
39313link_map} to start reading the library list from. If unset or zero
39314then the first @samp{struct link_map} in the library list will be
39315chosen as the starting point.
39316
39317@item prev=@var{address}
39318A hexadecimal number specifying the address of the @samp{struct
39319link_map} immediately preceding the @samp{struct link_map}
39320specified by the @samp{start} argument. If unset or zero then
39321the remote stub will expect that no @samp{struct link_map}
39322exists prior to the starting point.
39323
39324@end table
39325
39326Arguments that are not understood by the remote stub will be silently
39327ignored.
39328
39329@item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39330@anchor{qXfer memory map read}
39331Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
39332annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
39333(@pxref{qXfer read}).
39334
39335This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39336by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39337
39338@item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39339@anchor{qXfer sdata read}
39340
39341Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
39342information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
39343be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
39344Action Lists}.
39345
39346This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39347by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39348(@pxref{qSupported}).
39349
39350@item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39351@anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
39352Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
39353system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
39354empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
39355
39356This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39357by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39358(@pxref{qSupported}).
39359
39360@item qXfer:spu:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39361@anchor{qXfer spu read}
39362Read contents of an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
39363annex specifies which file to read; it must be of the form
39364@file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
39365in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
39366in that context to be accessed.
39367
39368This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39369by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39370(@pxref{qSupported}).
39371
39372@item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39373@anchor{qXfer threads read}
39374Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
39375annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
39376(@pxref{qXfer read}).
39377
39378This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39379by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39380
39381@item qXfer:traceframe-info:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39382@anchor{qXfer traceframe info read}
39383
39384Return a description of the current traceframe's contents.
39385@xref{Traceframe Info Format}. The annex part of the generic
39386@samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
39387
39388This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39389by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39390
39391@item qXfer:uib:read:@var{pc}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39392@anchor{qXfer unwind info block}
39393
39394Return the unwind information block for @var{pc}. This packet is used
39395on OpenVMS/ia64 to ask the kernel unwind information.
39396
39397This packet is not probed by default.
39398
39399@item qXfer:fdpic:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39400@anchor{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}
39401Read contents of @code{loadmap}s on the target system. The
39402annex, either @samp{exec} or @samp{interp}, specifies which @code{loadmap},
39403executable @code{loadmap} or interpreter @code{loadmap} to read.
39404
39405This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39406by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39407
39408@item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39409@anchor{qXfer osdata read}
39410Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
39411@xref{Operating System Information}.
39412
39413@end table
39414
39415Reply:
39416@table @samp
39417@item m @var{data}
39418Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
39419target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
39420it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
39421block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
39422@var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
39423request.
39424
39425@item l @var{data}
39426Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
39427There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
39428than the @var{length} in the request.
39429
39430@item l
39431The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
39432There is no more data to be read.
39433
39434@item E00
39435The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
39436
39437@item E @var{nn}
39438The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
39439@var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
39440
39441@item @w{}
39442An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
39443the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
39444@end table
39445
39446@item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
39447@cindex write data into object, remote request
39448@anchor{qXfer write}
39449Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
39450identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
39451into the data. @var{data}@dots{} is the binary-encoded data
39452(@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
39453is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
39454to access.
39455
39456Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
39457@samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
39458formats, listed below.
39459
39460@table @samp
39461@item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
39462@anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
39463Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
39464The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
39465empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
39466
39467This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39468by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39469(@pxref{qSupported}).
39470
39471@item qXfer:spu:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
39472@anchor{qXfer spu write}
39473Write @var{data} to an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
39474annex specifies which file to write; it must be of the form
39475@file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
39476in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
39477in that context to be accessed.
39478
39479This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39480by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39481@end table
39482
39483Reply:
39484@table @samp
39485@item @var{nn}
39486@var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
39487This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
39488
39489@item E00
39490The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
39491
39492@item E @var{nn}
39493The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
39494@var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
39495
39496@item @w{}
39497An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
39498recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
39499@end table
39500
39501@item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
39502Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
39503not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
39504@var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
39505must respond with an empty packet.
39506
39507@item qAttached:@var{pid}
39508@cindex query attached, remote request
39509@cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
39510Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
39511existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
39512protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
39513@var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
39514process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
39515the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
39516
39517This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
39518should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
39519the @code{quit} command.
39520
39521Reply:
39522@table @samp
39523@item 1
39524The remote server attached to an existing process.
39525@item 0
39526The remote server created a new process.
39527@item E @var{NN}
39528A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
39529@end table
39530
39531@item Qbtrace:bts
39532Enable branch tracing for the current thread using bts tracing.
39533
39534Reply:
39535@table @samp
39536@item OK
39537Branch tracing has been enabled.
39538@item E.errtext
39539A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
39540@end table
39541
39542@item Qbtrace:off
39543Disable branch tracing for the current thread.
39544
39545Reply:
39546@table @samp
39547@item OK
39548Branch tracing has been disabled.
39549@item E.errtext
39550A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
39551@end table
39552
39553@end table
39554
39555@node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
39556@section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
39557
39558This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
39559target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
39560details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
39561
39562@menu
39563* ARM-Specific Protocol Details::
39564* MIPS-Specific Protocol Details::
39565@end menu
39566
39567@node ARM-Specific Protocol Details
39568@subsection @acronym{ARM}-specific Protocol Details
39569
39570@menu
39571* ARM Breakpoint Kinds::
39572@end menu
39573
39574@node ARM Breakpoint Kinds
39575@subsubsection @acronym{ARM} Breakpoint Kinds
39576@cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{ARM}
39577
39578These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
39579
39580@table @r
39581
39582@item 2
3958316-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
39584
39585@item 3
3958632-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
39587
39588@item 4
3958932-bit @acronym{ARM} mode breakpoint.
39590
39591@end table
39592
39593@node MIPS-Specific Protocol Details
39594@subsection @acronym{MIPS}-specific Protocol Details
39595
39596@menu
39597* MIPS Register packet Format::
39598* MIPS Breakpoint Kinds::
39599@end menu
39600
39601@node MIPS Register packet Format
39602@subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Register Packet Format
39603@cindex register packet format, @acronym{MIPS}
39604
39605The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
39606In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
39607sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
39608to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
39609byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
39610most-significant -- least-significant.
39611
39612@table @r
39613
39614@item MIPS32
39615All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
3961632 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
39617registers; fsr; fir; fp.
39618
39619@item MIPS64
39620All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
39621thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
39622as @code{MIPS32}.
39623
39624@end table
39625
39626@node MIPS Breakpoint Kinds
39627@subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Breakpoint Kinds
39628@cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{MIPS}
39629
39630These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
39631
39632@table @r
39633
39634@item 2
3963516-bit @acronym{MIPS16} mode breakpoint.
39636
39637@item 3
3963816-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
39639
39640@item 4
3964132-bit standard @acronym{MIPS} mode breakpoint.
39642
39643@item 5
3964432-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
39645
39646@end table
39647
39648@node Tracepoint Packets
39649@section Tracepoint Packets
39650@cindex tracepoint packets
39651@cindex packets, tracepoint
39652
39653Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
39654tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
39655
39656@table @samp
39657
39658@item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
39659@cindex @samp{QTDP} packet
39660Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
39661is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
39662the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
39663count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
39664then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
39665the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
39666for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
39667tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
39668by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
39669encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
39670further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
39671actions.
39672
39673Replies:
39674@table @samp
39675@item OK
39676The packet was understood and carried out.
39677@item qRelocInsn
39678@xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
39679@item @w{}
39680The packet was not recognized.
39681@end table
39682
39683@item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
39684Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
39685@var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
39686this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
39687another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
39688trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
39689specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
39690
39691In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
39692can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
39693is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
39694actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
39695taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
39696@samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
39697tracepoint actions.
39698
39699The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
39700actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
39701following forms:
39702
39703@table @samp
39704
39705@item R @var{mask}
39706Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
39707a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
39708@var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
39709zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
39710not fit in a 32-bit word.
39711
39712@item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
39713Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
39714number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
39715@samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
39716address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
39717@var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
39718values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
39719
39720@item X @var{len},@var{expr}
39721Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
39722it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
39723@ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
39724two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
39725in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
39726packet).
39727
39728@end table
39729
39730Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
39731packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
39732length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
39733action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
39734actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
39735must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
39736``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
39737separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
39738
39739Replies:
39740@table @samp
39741@item OK
39742The packet was understood and carried out.
39743@item qRelocInsn
39744@xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
39745@item @w{}
39746The packet was not recognized.
39747@end table
39748
39749@item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
39750@cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
39751Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
39752This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
39753originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. @var{type}
39754is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
39755tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
39756@var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
39757
39758@var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
39759string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
39760This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
39761fit in a single packet.
39762@c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
39763@c tracepoint descriptions section.
39764
39765The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
39766@samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
39767@value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
39768list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
39769
39770The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
39771report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
39772query packets.
39773
39774Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
39775if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
39776Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
39777much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
39778tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
39779the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
39780could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
39781be found.
39782
39783@item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}
39784@cindex define trace state variable, remote request
39785@cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
39786Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
39787value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
39788and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
39789the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
39790target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
39791mentioned in expressions.
39792
39793@item QTFrame:@var{n}
39794@cindex @samp{QTFrame} packet
39795Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
39796register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
39797request packets from @value{GDBN}.
39798
39799A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
39800requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
39801without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
39802one of the following forms:
39803
39804@table @samp
39805@item F @var{f}
39806The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
39807@var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
39808was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
39809
39810@item T @var{t}
39811The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
39812@var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
39813
39814@end table
39815
39816@item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
39817Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
39818currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
39819@var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
39820
39821@item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
39822Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
39823currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
39824is a hexadecimal number.
39825
39826@item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
39827Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
39828currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
39829and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
39830numbers.
39831
39832@item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
39833Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
39834frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
39835
39836@item qTMinFTPILen
39837@cindex @samp{qTMinFTPILen} packet
39838This packet requests the minimum length of instruction at which a fast
39839tracepoint (@pxref{Set Tracepoints}) may be placed. For instance, on
39840the 32-bit x86 architecture, it is possible to use a 4-byte jump, but
39841it depends on the target system being able to create trampolines in
39842the first 64K of memory, which might or might not be possible for that
39843system. So the reply to this packet will be 4 if it is able to
39844arrange for that.
39845
39846Replies:
39847
39848@table @samp
39849@item 0
39850The minimum instruction length is currently unknown.
39851@item @var{length}
39852The minimum instruction length is @var{length}, where @var{length} is greater
39853or equal to 1. @var{length} is a hexadecimal number. A reply of 1 means
39854that a fast tracepoint may be placed on any instruction regardless of size.
39855@item E
39856An error has occurred.
39857@item @w{}
39858An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the stub.
39859@end table
39860
39861@item QTStart
39862@cindex @samp{QTStart} packet
39863Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
39864tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
39865@samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
39866instruction reply packet}).
39867
39868@item QTStop
39869@cindex @samp{QTStop} packet
39870End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
39871
39872@item QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
39873@anchor{QTEnable}
39874@cindex @samp{QTEnable} packet
39875Enable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
39876experiment. If the tracepoint was previously disabled, then collection
39877of data from it will resume.
39878
39879@item QTDisable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
39880@anchor{QTDisable}
39881@cindex @samp{QTDisable} packet
39882Disable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
39883experiment. No more data will be collected from the tracepoint unless
39884@samp{QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}} is subsequently issued.
39885
39886@item QTinit
39887@cindex @samp{QTinit} packet
39888Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
39889
39890@item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
39891@cindex @samp{QTro} packet
39892Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
39893will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
39894if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
39895
39896@value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
39897containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
39898still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
39899there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
39900
39901@item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
39902@cindex @samp{QTDisconnected} packet
39903Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
39904disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
39905continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
39906@value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
39907
39908@item qTStatus
39909@cindex @samp{qTStatus} packet
39910Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
39911
39912The reply has the form:
39913
39914@table @samp
39915
39916@item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
39917@var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
39918running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
39919optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
39920
39921@end table
39922
39923If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
39924explanations as one of the optional fields:
39925
39926@table @samp
39927
39928@item tnotrun:0
39929No trace has been run yet.
39930
39931@item tstop[:@var{text}]:0
39932The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command. The optional
39933@var{text} field is a user-supplied string supplied as part of the
39934stop command (for instance, an explanation of why the trace was
39935stopped manually). It is hex-encoded.
39936
39937@item tfull:0
39938The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
39939
39940@item tdisconnected:0
39941The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
39942
39943@item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
39944The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
39945
39946@item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
39947The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
39948string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
39949(for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression).
39950@var{text} is hex encoded.
39951
39952@item tunknown:0
39953The trace stopped for some other reason.
39954
39955@end table
39956
39957Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
39958Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
39959the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
39960numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
39961trace.
39962
39963@table @samp
39964
39965@item tframes:@var{n}
39966The number of trace frames in the buffer.
39967
39968@item tcreated:@var{n}
39969The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
39970be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
39971
39972@item tsize:@var{n}
39973The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
39974
39975@item tfree:@var{n}
39976The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
39977
39978@item circular:@var{n}
39979The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
39980trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
39981necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
39982and may fill up.
39983
39984@item disconn:@var{n}
39985The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
39986tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
39987that the trace run will stop.
39988
39989@end table
39990
39991@item qTP:@var{tp}:@var{addr}
39992@cindex tracepoint status, remote request
39993@cindex @samp{qTP} packet
39994Ask the stub for the current state of tracepoint number @var{tp} at
39995address @var{addr}.
39996
39997Replies:
39998@table @samp
39999@item V@var{hits}:@var{usage}
40000The tracepoint has been hit @var{hits} times so far during the trace
40001run, and accounts for @var{usage} in the trace buffer. Note that
40002@code{while-stepping} steps are not counted as separate hits, but the
40003steps' space consumption is added into the usage number.
40004
40005@end table
40006
40007@item qTV:@var{var}
40008@cindex trace state variable value, remote request
40009@cindex @samp{qTV} packet
40010Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
40011
40012Replies:
40013@table @samp
40014@item V@var{value}
40015The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
40016value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
40017saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
40018user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
40019different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
40020program is running.
40021
40022@item U
40023The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
40024if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
40025was not collected.
40026@end table
40027
40028@item qTfP
40029@cindex @samp{qTfP} packet
40030@itemx qTsP
40031@cindex @samp{qTsP} packet
40032These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
40033the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
40034of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
40035to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
40036that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
40037
40038@item qTfV
40039@cindex @samp{qTfV} packet
40040@itemx qTsV
40041@cindex @samp{qTsV} packet
40042These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
40043target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
40044and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
40045these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
40046trace state variables.
40047
40048@item qTfSTM
40049@itemx qTsSTM
40050@anchor{qTfSTM}
40051@anchor{qTsSTM}
40052@cindex @samp{qTfSTM} packet
40053@cindex @samp{qTsSTM} packet
40054These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
40055in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
40056first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
40057pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
40058
40059Reply:
40060@table @samp
40061@item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
40062A single marker
40063@item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
40064a comma-separated list of markers
40065@item l
40066(lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
40067@item E @var{nn}
40068An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
40069@item @w{}
40070An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
40071stub.
40072@end table
40073
40074@var{address} is encoded in hex.
40075@var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
40076
40077In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
40078more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
40079reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
40080query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
40081@dfn{last}).
40082
40083@item qTSTMat:@var{address}
40084@anchor{qTSTMat}
40085@cindex @samp{qTSTMat} packet
40086This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
40087target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
40088syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
40089tracepoint markers.
40090
40091@item QTSave:@var{filename}
40092@cindex @samp{QTSave} packet
40093This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
40094@var{filename} in the target's filesystem. @var{filename} is encoded
40095as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
40096absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
40097
40098@item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
40099@cindex @samp{qTBuffer} packet
40100Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
40101starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
40102a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
40103The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
40104in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
40105A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
40106available.
40107
40108@item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
40109This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
40110@var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
40111
40112@item QTBuffer:size:@var{size}
40113@anchor{QTBuffer-size}
40114@cindex @samp{QTBuffer size} packet
40115This packet directs the target to make the trace buffer be of size
40116@var{size} if possible. A value of @code{-1} tells the target to
40117use whatever size it prefers.
40118
40119@item QTNotes:@r{[}@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@r{[};@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@dots{}
40120@cindex @samp{QTNotes} packet
40121This packet adds optional textual notes to the trace run. Allowable
40122types include @code{user}, @code{notes}, and @code{tstop}, the
40123@var{text} fields are arbitrary strings, hex-encoded.
40124
40125@end table
40126
40127@subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
40128When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
40129relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
40130different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
40131enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
40132return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
40133PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
40134of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
40135it had executed in the original location.
40136
40137In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
40138respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
40139packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
40140this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
40141documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
40142descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
40143format of the request is:
40144
40145@table @samp
40146@item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
40147
40148This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
40149to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
40150instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
40151@var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
40152memory starting at @var{to}.
40153@end table
40154
40155Replies:
40156@table @samp
40157@item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
40158Informs the stub the relocation is complete. @var{adjusted_size} is
40159the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
40160@item E @var{NN}
40161A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
40162relocating the instruction.
40163@end table
40164
40165@node Host I/O Packets
40166@section Host I/O Packets
40167@cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
40168@cindex file transfer, remote protocol
40169
40170The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
40171operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
40172used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
40173filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
40174layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
40175Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
40176protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
40177Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
40178target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
40179Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
40180
40181The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
40182its arguments. They have this format:
40183
40184@table @samp
40185
40186@item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
40187@var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
40188should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
40189for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
40190the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
40191numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
40192used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
40193hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
40194buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
40195
40196@end table
40197
40198The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
40199
40200@table @samp
40201
40202@item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
40203@var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
40204non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
40205@var{errno} will be included in the result. @var{errno} will have a
40206value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
40207operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
40208binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
40209normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
40210documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
40211@var{attachment}.
40212
40213@item @w{}
40214An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
40215
40216@end table
40217
40218These are the supported Host I/O operations:
40219
40220@table @samp
40221@item vFile:open: @var{pathname}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
40222Open a file at @var{pathname} and return a file descriptor for it, or
40223return -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string,
40224@var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
40225(@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
40226of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
40227@xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
40228
40229@item vFile:close: @var{fd}
40230Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
40231-1 if an error occurs.
40232
40233@item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
40234Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
40235@var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
40236relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
40237common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
40238condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
40239returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
40240@var{count} was zero.
40241
40242The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
40243If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
40244attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
40245number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
40246some characters were escaped.
40247
40248@item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
40249Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
40250to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
40251file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
40252separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
40253packet is used. @samp{vFile:write} returns the number of bytes written,
40254which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
40255error occurred.
40256
40257@item vFile:unlink: @var{pathname}
40258Delete the file at @var{pathname} on the target. Return 0,
40259or -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string.
40260
40261@item vFile:readlink: @var{filename}
40262Read value of symbolic link @var{filename} on the target. Return
40263the number of bytes read, or -1 if an error occurs.
40264
40265The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
40266If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
40267attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
40268number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
40269some characters were escaped.
40270
40271@end table
40272
40273@node Interrupts
40274@section Interrupts
40275@cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
40276
40277When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
40278attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or
40279a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g},
40280control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
40281
40282The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
40283mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
40284currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
40285interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
40286@code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
40287
40288@samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
40289transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
40290@code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
40291the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
40292transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
40293and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
40294(@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
40295@code{0x03} as part of its packet.
40296
40297@code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
40298When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
40299it stops execution and connects to gdb.
40300
40301Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
40302precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
40303implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
40304threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
40305currently-executing threads and processes.
40306If the stub is successful at interrupting the
40307running program, it should send one of the stop
40308reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
40309of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
40310for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
40311Interrupts received while the
40312program is stopped are discarded.
40313
40314@node Notification Packets
40315@section Notification Packets
40316@cindex notification packets
40317@cindex packets, notification
40318
40319The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
40320packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
40321may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
40322present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
40323without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
40324are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
40325is not a problem.
40326
40327A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
40328@var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
40329and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
40330as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
40331never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
40332receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
40333to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
40334
40335Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
40336colon characters, followed by a colon character.
40337
40338Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
40339notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
40340timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
40341not they understand it.
40342
40343Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
40344protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
40345future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
40346new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
40347recipients.
40348
40349(Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
40350the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
40351transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
40352are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
40353assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
40354
40355Each notification is comprised of three parts:
40356@table @samp
40357@item @var{name}:@var{event}
40358The notification packet is sent by the side that initiates the
40359exchange (currently, only the stub does that), with @var{event}
40360carrying the specific information about the notification.
40361@var{name} is the name of the notification.
40362@item @var{ack}
40363The acknowledge sent by the other side, usually @value{GDBN}, to
40364acknowledge the exchange and request the event.
40365@end table
40366
40367The purpose of an asynchronous notification mechanism is to report to
40368@value{GDBN} that something interesting happened in the remote stub.
40369
40370The remote stub may send notification @var{name}:@var{event}
40371at any time, but @value{GDBN} acknowledges the notification when
40372appropriate. The notification event is pending before @value{GDBN}
40373acknowledges. Only one notification at a time may be pending; if
40374additional events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
40375previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
40376synchronous transmission in response to @var{ack} packets from
40377@value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
40378the stub is permitted to resend a notification if it believes
40379@value{GDBN} may not have received it.
40380
40381Specifically, notifications may appear when @value{GDBN} is not
40382otherwise reading input from the stub, or when @value{GDBN} is
40383expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
40384@samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
40385Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
40386the stub so there is no ambiguity.
40387
40388After receiving a notification, @value{GDBN} shall acknowledge it by
40389sending a @var{ack} packet as a regular, synchronous request to the
40390stub. Such acknowledgment is not required to happen immediately, as
40391@value{GDBN} is permitted to send other, unrelated packets to the
40392stub first, which the stub should process normally.
40393
40394Upon receiving a @var{ack} packet, if the stub has other queued
40395events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
40396normal @var{event}. @value{GDBN} shall then send another @var{ack}
40397packet to solicit further responses; again, it is permitted to send
40398other, unrelated packets as well which the stub should process
40399normally.
40400
40401If the stub receives a @var{ack} packet and there are no additional
40402@var{event} to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK} response.
40403At this point, @value{GDBN} has finished processing a notification
40404and the stub has completed sending any queued events. @value{GDBN}
40405won't accept any new notifications until the final @samp{OK} is
40406received . If further notification events occur, the stub shall send
40407a new notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the notification, and
40408the process shall be repeated.
40409
40410The process of asynchronous notification can be illustrated by the
40411following example:
40412@smallexample
40413<- @code{%%Stop:T0505:98e7ffbf;04:4ce6ffbf;08:b1b6e54c;thread:p7526.7526;core:0;}
40414@code{...}
40415-> @code{vStopped}
40416<- @code{T0505:68f37db7;04:40f37db7;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7528;core:0;}
40417-> @code{vStopped}
40418<- @code{T0505:68e3fdb6;04:40e3fdb6;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7529;core:0;}
40419-> @code{vStopped}
40420<- @code{OK}
40421@end smallexample
40422
40423The following notifications are defined:
40424@multitable @columnfractions 0.12 0.12 0.38 0.38
40425
40426@item Notification
40427@tab Ack
40428@tab Event
40429@tab Description
40430
40431@item Stop
40432@tab vStopped
40433@tab @var{reply}. The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
40434described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
40435for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
40436@value{GDBN}.
40437@tab Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
40438
40439@end multitable
40440
40441@node Remote Non-Stop
40442@section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
40443
40444@value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
40445multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
40446supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
40447@samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40448
40449@value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
40450establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
40451does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
40452must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
40453all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
40454probe the target state after a mode change.
40455
40456In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
40457would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
40458asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
40459inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
40460in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
40461mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
40462when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
40463of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
40464affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
40465to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
40466threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
40467
40468In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
40469follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
40470sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
40471sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
40472it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
40473stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
40474subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
40475using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
40476asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
40477If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
40478or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
40479@samp{OK}.
40480
40481@node Packet Acknowledgment
40482@section Packet Acknowledgment
40483
40484@cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
40485@cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
40486By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
40487the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
40488the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
40489This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
40490unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
40491
40492In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
40493TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
40494It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
40495overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
40496@samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
40497
40498When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
40499expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
40500and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
40501@ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
40502
40503If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
40504no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
40505by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
40506@pxref{qSupported}.
40507If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
40508disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
40509(@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
40510@value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
40511Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
40512@value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
40513response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
40514
40515Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
40516between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
40517it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
40518connection.
40519Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
40520new connection is established,
40521there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
40522for the current connection, once disabled.
40523
40524@node Examples
40525@section Examples
40526
40527Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
40528does not get any direct output:
40529
40530@smallexample
40531-> @code{R00}
40532<- @code{+}
40533@emph{target restarts}
40534-> @code{?}
40535<- @code{+}
40536<- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
40537-> @code{+}
40538@end smallexample
40539
40540Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
40541
40542@smallexample
40543-> @code{G1445@dots{}}
40544<- @code{+}
40545-> @code{s}
40546<- @code{+}
40547@emph{time passes}
40548<- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
40549-> @code{+}
40550-> @code{g}
40551<- @code{+}
40552<- @code{1455@dots{}}
40553-> @code{+}
40554@end smallexample
40555
40556@node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
40557@section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
40558@cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
40559
40560@menu
40561* File-I/O Overview::
40562* Protocol Basics::
40563* The F Request Packet::
40564* The F Reply Packet::
40565* The Ctrl-C Message::
40566* Console I/O::
40567* List of Supported Calls::
40568* Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
40569* Constants::
40570* File-I/O Examples::
40571@end menu
40572
40573@node File-I/O Overview
40574@subsection File-I/O Overview
40575@cindex file-i/o overview
40576
40577The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
40578target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
40579system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
40580remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
40581actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
40582This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
40583
40584The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
40585It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
40586@value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
40587translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
40588protocol representations when data is transmitted.
40589
40590The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
40591@value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
40592or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
40593the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
40594memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
40595the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
40596(@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
40597
40598The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
40599the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
40600after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
40601previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
40602request from @value{GDBN} is required.
40603
40604@smallexample
40605(@value{GDBP}) continue
40606 <- target requests 'system call X'
40607 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
40608 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
40609 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
40610 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
40611@end smallexample
40612
40613The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
40614the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
40615named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
40616system are not supported by this protocol.
40617
40618File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
40619
40620@node Protocol Basics
40621@subsection Protocol Basics
40622@cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
40623
40624The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
40625as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
40626@value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
40627the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
40628of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
40629This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
40630to call the appropriate host system call:
40631
40632@itemize @bullet
40633@item
40634A unique identifier for the requested system call.
40635
40636@item
40637All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
40638in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
40639pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
40640Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
40641
40642@end itemize
40643
40644At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
40645
40646@itemize @bullet
40647@item
40648If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
40649system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
40650standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
40651expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
40652packet.
40653
40654@item
40655@value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
40656representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
40657
40658@item
40659@value{GDBN} calls the system call.
40660
40661@item
40662It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
40663
40664@item
40665If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
40666by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
40667target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
40668by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
40669packet.
40670
40671@end itemize
40672
40673Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
40674necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
40675
40676@itemize @bullet
40677@item
40678Return value.
40679
40680@item
40681@code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
40682
40683@item
40684``Ctrl-C'' flag.
40685
40686@end itemize
40687
40688After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
40689the latest continue or step action.
40690
40691@node The F Request Packet
40692@subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
40693@cindex file-i/o request packet
40694@cindex @code{F} request packet
40695
40696The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
40697
40698@table @samp
40699@item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
40700
40701@var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
40702This is just the name of the function.
40703
40704@var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
40705Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
40706of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
40707datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
40708of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
40709comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
40710string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
40711
40712@end table
40713
40714
40715
40716@node The F Reply Packet
40717@subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
40718@cindex file-i/o reply packet
40719@cindex @code{F} reply packet
40720
40721The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
40722
40723@table @samp
40724
40725@item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
40726
40727@var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
40728
40729@var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
40730representation.
40731This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
40732
40733@var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
40734case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
40735The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
40736
40737@smallexample
40738F0,0,C
40739@end smallexample
40740
40741@noindent
40742or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
40743
40744@smallexample
40745F-1,4,C
40746@end smallexample
40747
40748@noindent
40749assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
40750
40751@end table
40752
40753
40754@node The Ctrl-C Message
40755@subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
40756@cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
40757
40758If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
40759reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
40760the target should behave as if it had
40761gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
40762interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
40763(as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
40764packet.
40765
40766It's important for the target to know in which
40767state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
40768
40769@itemize @bullet
40770@item
40771The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
40772
40773@item
40774The system call on the host has been finished.
40775
40776@end itemize
40777
40778These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
40779returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
40780call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
40781on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
40782system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
40783as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
40784
40785@value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
40786yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
40787@code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
40788before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
40789@value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
40790The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
40791or the full action has been completed.
40792
40793@node Console I/O
40794@subsection Console I/O
40795@cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
40796
40797By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
40798descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
40799on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
40800(@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
40801by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
408020 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
40803conditions is met:
40804
40805@itemize @bullet
40806@item
40807The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
40808@code{read}
40809system call is treated as finished.
40810
40811@item
40812The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
40813newline.
40814
40815@item
40816The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
40817character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
40818
40819@end itemize
40820
40821If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
40822the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
40823either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
40824is stopped at the user's request.
40825
40826
40827@node List of Supported Calls
40828@subsection List of Supported Calls
40829@cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
40830
40831@menu
40832* open::
40833* close::
40834* read::
40835* write::
40836* lseek::
40837* rename::
40838* unlink::
40839* stat/fstat::
40840* gettimeofday::
40841* isatty::
40842* system::
40843@end menu
40844
40845@node open
40846@unnumberedsubsubsec open
40847@cindex open, file-i/o system call
40848
40849@table @asis
40850@item Synopsis:
40851@smallexample
40852int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
40853int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
40854@end smallexample
40855
40856@item Request:
40857@samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
40858
40859@noindent
40860@var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
40861
40862@table @code
40863@item O_CREAT
40864If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
40865rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
40866are concerned.
40867
40868@item O_EXCL
40869When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
40870an error and open() fails.
40871
40872@item O_TRUNC
40873If the file already exists and the open mode allows
40874writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
40875truncated to zero length.
40876
40877@item O_APPEND
40878The file is opened in append mode.
40879
40880@item O_RDONLY
40881The file is opened for reading only.
40882
40883@item O_WRONLY
40884The file is opened for writing only.
40885
40886@item O_RDWR
40887The file is opened for reading and writing.
40888@end table
40889
40890@noindent
40891Other bits are silently ignored.
40892
40893
40894@noindent
40895@var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
40896
40897@table @code
40898@item S_IRUSR
40899User has read permission.
40900
40901@item S_IWUSR
40902User has write permission.
40903
40904@item S_IRGRP
40905Group has read permission.
40906
40907@item S_IWGRP
40908Group has write permission.
40909
40910@item S_IROTH
40911Others have read permission.
40912
40913@item S_IWOTH
40914Others have write permission.
40915@end table
40916
40917@noindent
40918Other bits are silently ignored.
40919
40920
40921@item Return value:
40922@code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
40923occurred.
40924
40925@item Errors:
40926
40927@table @code
40928@item EEXIST
40929@var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
40930
40931@item EISDIR
40932@var{pathname} refers to a directory.
40933
40934@item EACCES
40935The requested access is not allowed.
40936
40937@item ENAMETOOLONG
40938@var{pathname} was too long.
40939
40940@item ENOENT
40941A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
40942
40943@item ENODEV
40944@var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
40945
40946@item EROFS
40947@var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
40948write access was requested.
40949
40950@item EFAULT
40951@var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
40952
40953@item ENOSPC
40954No space on device to create the file.
40955
40956@item EMFILE
40957The process already has the maximum number of files open.
40958
40959@item ENFILE
40960The limit on the total number of files open on the system
40961has been reached.
40962
40963@item EINTR
40964The call was interrupted by the user.
40965@end table
40966
40967@end table
40968
40969@node close
40970@unnumberedsubsubsec close
40971@cindex close, file-i/o system call
40972
40973@table @asis
40974@item Synopsis:
40975@smallexample
40976int close(int fd);
40977@end smallexample
40978
40979@item Request:
40980@samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
40981
40982@item Return value:
40983@code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
40984
40985@item Errors:
40986
40987@table @code
40988@item EBADF
40989@var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
40990
40991@item EINTR
40992The call was interrupted by the user.
40993@end table
40994
40995@end table
40996
40997@node read
40998@unnumberedsubsubsec read
40999@cindex read, file-i/o system call
41000
41001@table @asis
41002@item Synopsis:
41003@smallexample
41004int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
41005@end smallexample
41006
41007@item Request:
41008@samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
41009
41010@item Return value:
41011On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
41012Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
41013returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
41014
41015@item Errors:
41016
41017@table @code
41018@item EBADF
41019@var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
41020reading.
41021
41022@item EFAULT
41023@var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41024
41025@item EINTR
41026The call was interrupted by the user.
41027@end table
41028
41029@end table
41030
41031@node write
41032@unnumberedsubsubsec write
41033@cindex write, file-i/o system call
41034
41035@table @asis
41036@item Synopsis:
41037@smallexample
41038int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
41039@end smallexample
41040
41041@item Request:
41042@samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
41043
41044@item Return value:
41045On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
41046Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
41047is returned.
41048
41049@item Errors:
41050
41051@table @code
41052@item EBADF
41053@var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
41054writing.
41055
41056@item EFAULT
41057@var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41058
41059@item EFBIG
41060An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
41061host-specific maximum file size allowed.
41062
41063@item ENOSPC
41064No space on device to write the data.
41065
41066@item EINTR
41067The call was interrupted by the user.
41068@end table
41069
41070@end table
41071
41072@node lseek
41073@unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
41074@cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
41075
41076@table @asis
41077@item Synopsis:
41078@smallexample
41079long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
41080@end smallexample
41081
41082@item Request:
41083@samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
41084
41085@var{flag} is one of:
41086
41087@table @code
41088@item SEEK_SET
41089The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
41090
41091@item SEEK_CUR
41092The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
41093bytes.
41094
41095@item SEEK_END
41096The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
41097bytes.
41098@end table
41099
41100@item Return value:
41101On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
41102the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
41103value of -1 is returned.
41104
41105@item Errors:
41106
41107@table @code
41108@item EBADF
41109@var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
41110
41111@item ESPIPE
41112@var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
41113
41114@item EINVAL
41115@var{flag} is not a proper value.
41116
41117@item EINTR
41118The call was interrupted by the user.
41119@end table
41120
41121@end table
41122
41123@node rename
41124@unnumberedsubsubsec rename
41125@cindex rename, file-i/o system call
41126
41127@table @asis
41128@item Synopsis:
41129@smallexample
41130int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
41131@end smallexample
41132
41133@item Request:
41134@samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
41135
41136@item Return value:
41137On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
41138
41139@item Errors:
41140
41141@table @code
41142@item EISDIR
41143@var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
41144directory.
41145
41146@item EEXIST
41147@var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
41148
41149@item EBUSY
41150@var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
41151process.
41152
41153@item EINVAL
41154An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
41155of itself.
41156
41157@item ENOTDIR
41158A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
41159path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
41160and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
41161
41162@item EFAULT
41163@var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
41164
41165@item EACCES
41166No access to the file or the path of the file.
41167
41168@item ENAMETOOLONG
41169
41170@var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
41171
41172@item ENOENT
41173A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
41174
41175@item EROFS
41176The file is on a read-only filesystem.
41177
41178@item ENOSPC
41179The device containing the file has no room for the new
41180directory entry.
41181
41182@item EINTR
41183The call was interrupted by the user.
41184@end table
41185
41186@end table
41187
41188@node unlink
41189@unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
41190@cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
41191
41192@table @asis
41193@item Synopsis:
41194@smallexample
41195int unlink(const char *pathname);
41196@end smallexample
41197
41198@item Request:
41199@samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
41200
41201@item Return value:
41202On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
41203
41204@item Errors:
41205
41206@table @code
41207@item EACCES
41208No access to the file or the path of the file.
41209
41210@item EPERM
41211The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
41212
41213@item EBUSY
41214The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
41215being used by another process.
41216
41217@item EFAULT
41218@var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41219
41220@item ENAMETOOLONG
41221@var{pathname} was too long.
41222
41223@item ENOENT
41224A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
41225
41226@item ENOTDIR
41227A component of the path is not a directory.
41228
41229@item EROFS
41230The file is on a read-only filesystem.
41231
41232@item EINTR
41233The call was interrupted by the user.
41234@end table
41235
41236@end table
41237
41238@node stat/fstat
41239@unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
41240@cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
41241@cindex stat, file-i/o system call
41242
41243@table @asis
41244@item Synopsis:
41245@smallexample
41246int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
41247int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
41248@end smallexample
41249
41250@item Request:
41251@samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
41252@samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
41253
41254@item Return value:
41255On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
41256
41257@item Errors:
41258
41259@table @code
41260@item EBADF
41261@var{fd} is not a valid open file.
41262
41263@item ENOENT
41264A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
41265path is an empty string.
41266
41267@item ENOTDIR
41268A component of the path is not a directory.
41269
41270@item EFAULT
41271@var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41272
41273@item EACCES
41274No access to the file or the path of the file.
41275
41276@item ENAMETOOLONG
41277@var{pathname} was too long.
41278
41279@item EINTR
41280The call was interrupted by the user.
41281@end table
41282
41283@end table
41284
41285@node gettimeofday
41286@unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
41287@cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
41288
41289@table @asis
41290@item Synopsis:
41291@smallexample
41292int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
41293@end smallexample
41294
41295@item Request:
41296@samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
41297
41298@item Return value:
41299On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
41300
41301@item Errors:
41302
41303@table @code
41304@item EINVAL
41305@var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
41306
41307@item EFAULT
41308@var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41309@end table
41310
41311@end table
41312
41313@node isatty
41314@unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
41315@cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
41316
41317@table @asis
41318@item Synopsis:
41319@smallexample
41320int isatty(int fd);
41321@end smallexample
41322
41323@item Request:
41324@samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
41325
41326@item Return value:
41327Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
41328
41329@item Errors:
41330
41331@table @code
41332@item EINTR
41333The call was interrupted by the user.
41334@end table
41335
41336@end table
41337
41338Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
413391 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
41340to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
41341would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
41342needed.
41343
41344
41345@node system
41346@unnumberedsubsubsec system
41347@cindex system, file-i/o system call
41348
41349@table @asis
41350@item Synopsis:
41351@smallexample
41352int system(const char *command);
41353@end smallexample
41354
41355@item Request:
41356@samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
41357
41358@item Return value:
41359If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
41360available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
41361For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
41362return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
41363command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
41364return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
41365@file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
41366
41367@item Errors:
41368
41369@table @code
41370@item EINTR
41371The call was interrupted by the user.
41372@end table
41373
41374@end table
41375
41376@value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
41377to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
41378the host is simplified before it's returned
41379to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
41380is discarded, and the return value consists
41381entirely of the exit status of the called command.
41382
41383Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
41384by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
41385@code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
41386
41387@table @code
41388@item set remote system-call-allowed
41389@kindex set remote system-call-allowed
41390Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
41391protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
41392
41393@item show remote system-call-allowed
41394@kindex show remote system-call-allowed
41395Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
41396protocol.
41397@end table
41398
41399@node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
41400@subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
41401@cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
41402
41403@menu
41404* Integral Datatypes::
41405* Pointer Values::
41406* Memory Transfer::
41407* struct stat::
41408* struct timeval::
41409@end menu
41410
41411@node Integral Datatypes
41412@unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
41413@cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
41414
41415The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
41416@code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
41417@code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
41418
41419@code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
41420implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
41421
41422@code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
41423
41424@xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
41425in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
41426
41427@code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
41428
41429All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
41430structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
41431byte order.
41432
41433@node Pointer Values
41434@unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
41435@cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
41436
41437Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
41438is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
41439transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
41440are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
41441
41442@smallexample
41443@code{1aaf/12}
41444@end smallexample
41445
41446@noindent
41447which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
41448The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
41449the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
41450at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
41451
41452@smallexample
41453@code{123456/d}
41454@end smallexample
41455
41456@node Memory Transfer
41457@unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
41458@cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
41459
41460Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
41461example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
41462with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
41463this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
41464packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
41465it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
41466data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
41467
41468
41469@node struct stat
41470@unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
41471@cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
41472
41473The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
41474is defined as follows:
41475
41476@smallexample
41477struct stat @{
41478 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
41479 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
41480 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
41481 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
41482 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
41483 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
41484 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
41485 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
41486 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
41487 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
41488 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
41489 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
41490 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
41491@};
41492@end smallexample
41493
41494The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
41495appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
41496structure is of size 64 bytes.
41497
41498The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
41499range of values.
41500
41501@table @code
41502
41503@item st_dev
41504A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
41505
41506@item st_ino
41507No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
41508
41509@item st_mode
41510Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
41511bits have currently no meaning for the target.
41512
41513@item st_uid
41514@itemx st_gid
41515@itemx st_rdev
41516No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
41517
41518@item st_atime
41519@itemx st_mtime
41520@itemx st_ctime
41521These values have a host and file system dependent
41522accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
41523support exact timing values.
41524@end table
41525
41526The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
41527responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
41528continuing.
41529
41530Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
41531representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
41532get truncated on the target.
41533
41534@node struct timeval
41535@unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
41536@cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
41537
41538The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
41539is defined as follows:
41540
41541@smallexample
41542struct timeval @{
41543 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
41544 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
41545@};
41546@end smallexample
41547
41548The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
41549appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
41550structure is of size 8 bytes.
41551
41552@node Constants
41553@subsection Constants
41554@cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
41555
41556The following values are used for the constants inside of the
41557protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
41558values before and after the call as needed.
41559
41560@menu
41561* Open Flags::
41562* mode_t Values::
41563* Errno Values::
41564* Lseek Flags::
41565* Limits::
41566@end menu
41567
41568@node Open Flags
41569@unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
41570@cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
41571
41572All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
41573
41574@smallexample
41575 O_RDONLY 0x0
41576 O_WRONLY 0x1
41577 O_RDWR 0x2
41578 O_APPEND 0x8
41579 O_CREAT 0x200
41580 O_TRUNC 0x400
41581 O_EXCL 0x800
41582@end smallexample
41583
41584@node mode_t Values
41585@unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
41586@cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
41587
41588All values are given in octal representation.
41589
41590@smallexample
41591 S_IFREG 0100000
41592 S_IFDIR 040000
41593 S_IRUSR 0400
41594 S_IWUSR 0200
41595 S_IXUSR 0100
41596 S_IRGRP 040
41597 S_IWGRP 020
41598 S_IXGRP 010
41599 S_IROTH 04
41600 S_IWOTH 02
41601 S_IXOTH 01
41602@end smallexample
41603
41604@node Errno Values
41605@unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
41606@cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
41607
41608All values are given in decimal representation.
41609
41610@smallexample
41611 EPERM 1
41612 ENOENT 2
41613 EINTR 4
41614 EBADF 9
41615 EACCES 13
41616 EFAULT 14
41617 EBUSY 16
41618 EEXIST 17
41619 ENODEV 19
41620 ENOTDIR 20
41621 EISDIR 21
41622 EINVAL 22
41623 ENFILE 23
41624 EMFILE 24
41625 EFBIG 27
41626 ENOSPC 28
41627 ESPIPE 29
41628 EROFS 30
41629 ENAMETOOLONG 91
41630 EUNKNOWN 9999
41631@end smallexample
41632
41633 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
41634 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
41635
41636@node Lseek Flags
41637@unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
41638@cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
41639
41640@smallexample
41641 SEEK_SET 0
41642 SEEK_CUR 1
41643 SEEK_END 2
41644@end smallexample
41645
41646@node Limits
41647@unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
41648@cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
41649
41650All values are given in decimal representation.
41651
41652@smallexample
41653 INT_MIN -2147483648
41654 INT_MAX 2147483647
41655 UINT_MAX 4294967295
41656 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
41657 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
41658 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
41659@end smallexample
41660
41661@node File-I/O Examples
41662@subsection File-I/O Examples
41663@cindex file-i/o examples
41664
41665Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
41666address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
41667
41668@smallexample
41669<- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
41670@emph{request memory read from target}
41671-> @code{m1234,6}
41672<- XXXXXX
41673@emph{return "6 bytes written"}
41674-> @code{F6}
41675@end smallexample
41676
41677Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
41678address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
41679
41680@smallexample
41681<- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41682@emph{request memory write to target}
41683-> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
41684@emph{return "6 bytes read"}
41685-> @code{F6}
41686@end smallexample
41687
41688Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
41689file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
41690
41691@smallexample
41692<- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41693-> @code{F-1,9}
41694@end smallexample
41695
41696Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
41697host is called:
41698
41699@smallexample
41700<- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41701-> @code{F-1,4,C}
41702<- @code{T02}
41703@end smallexample
41704
41705Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
41706host is called:
41707
41708@smallexample
41709<- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41710-> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
41711<- @code{T02}
41712@end smallexample
41713
41714@node Library List Format
41715@section Library List Format
41716@cindex library list format, remote protocol
41717
41718On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
41719same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
41720@value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
41721operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
41722platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
41723@value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
41724through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
41725packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
41726queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
41727are loaded.
41728
41729The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
41730lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
41731associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
41732which report where the library was loaded in memory.
41733
41734For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
41735library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
41736dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
41737should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
41738section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
41739depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
41740
41741@value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41742library lists. @xref{Expat}.
41743
41744A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
41745offset, looks like this:
41746
41747@smallexample
41748<library-list>
41749 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
41750 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
41751 </library>
41752</library-list>
41753@end smallexample
41754
41755Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
41756allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
41757
41758@smallexample
41759<library-list>
41760 <library name="sharedlib.o">
41761 <section address="0x10000000"/>
41762 <section address="0x20000000"/>
41763 <section address="0x30000000"/>
41764 </library>
41765</library-list>
41766@end smallexample
41767
41768The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
41769
41770@smallexample
41771<!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
41772<!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
41773<!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
41774<!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
41775<!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
41776<!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
41777<!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
41778<!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
41779<!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
41780@end smallexample
41781
41782In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
41783single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
41784section for each library.
41785
41786@node Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
41787@section Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
41788@cindex library list format, remote protocol
41789
41790On SVR4 platforms @value{GDBN} can use the symbol table of a dynamic loader
41791(e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) and normal memory operations to maintain a list of
41792shared libraries. Still a special library list provided by this packet is
41793more efficient for the @value{GDBN} remote protocol.
41794
41795The @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet returns an XML document which lists
41796loaded libraries and their SVR4 linker parameters. For each library on SVR4
41797target, the following parameters are reported:
41798
41799@itemize @minus
41800@item
41801@code{name}, the absolute file name from the @code{l_name} field of
41802@code{struct link_map}.
41803@item
41804@code{lm} with address of @code{struct link_map} used for TLS
41805(Thread Local Storage) access.
41806@item
41807@code{l_addr}, the displacement as read from the field @code{l_addr} of
41808@code{struct link_map}. For prelinked libraries this is not an absolute
41809memory address. It is a displacement of absolute memory address against
41810address the file was prelinked to during the library load.
41811@item
41812@code{l_ld}, which is memory address of the @code{PT_DYNAMIC} segment
41813@end itemize
41814
41815Additionally the single @code{main-lm} attribute specifies address of
41816@code{struct link_map} used for the main executable. This parameter is used
41817for TLS access and its presence is optional.
41818
41819@value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41820SVR4 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
41821
41822A simple memory map, with two loaded libraries (which do not use prelink),
41823looks like this:
41824
41825@smallexample
41826<library-list-svr4 version="1.0" main-lm="0xe4f8f8">
41827 <library name="/lib/ld-linux.so.2" lm="0xe4f51c" l_addr="0xe2d000"
41828 l_ld="0xe4eefc"/>
41829 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6" lm="0xe4fbe8" l_addr="0x154000"
41830 l_ld="0x152350"/>
41831</library-list-svr>
41832@end smallexample
41833
41834The format of an SVR4 library list is described by this DTD:
41835
41836@smallexample
41837<!-- library-list-svr4: Root element with versioning -->
41838<!ELEMENT library-list-svr4 (library)*>
41839<!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
41840<!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 main-lm CDATA #IMPLIED>
41841<!ELEMENT library EMPTY>
41842<!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
41843<!ATTLIST library lm CDATA #REQUIRED>
41844<!ATTLIST library l_addr CDATA #REQUIRED>
41845<!ATTLIST library l_ld CDATA #REQUIRED>
41846@end smallexample
41847
41848@node Memory Map Format
41849@section Memory Map Format
41850@cindex memory map format
41851
41852To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
41853memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
41854memory map.
41855
41856The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
41857(@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
41858lists memory regions.
41859
41860@value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41861memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
41862
41863The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
41864
41865@smallexample
41866<?xml version="1.0"?>
41867<!DOCTYPE memory-map
41868 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
41869 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
41870<memory-map>
41871 region...
41872</memory-map>
41873@end smallexample
41874
41875Each region can be either:
41876
41877@itemize
41878
41879@item
41880A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
41881bytes from there:
41882
41883@smallexample
41884<memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
41885@end smallexample
41886
41887
41888@item
41889A region of read-only memory:
41890
41891@smallexample
41892<memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
41893@end smallexample
41894
41895
41896@item
41897A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
41898bytes in length:
41899
41900@smallexample
41901<memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
41902 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
41903</memory>
41904@end smallexample
41905
41906@end itemize
41907
41908Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
41909by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
41910packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
41911
41912The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
41913
41914@smallexample
41915<!-- ................................................... -->
41916<!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
41917<!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
41918<!-- .................................... .............. -->
41919<!-- memory-map.dtd -->
41920<!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
41921<!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
41922<!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
41923<!ELEMENT memory (property)>
41924<!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
41925 and its type, or device. -->
41926<!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
41927 start CDATA #REQUIRED
41928 length CDATA #REQUIRED
41929 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
41930<!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
41931<!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
41932<!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
41933@end smallexample
41934
41935@node Thread List Format
41936@section Thread List Format
41937@cindex thread list format
41938
41939To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
41940@value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
41941(@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
41942the following structure:
41943
41944@smallexample
41945<?xml version="1.0"?>
41946<threads>
41947 <thread id="id" core="0">
41948 ... description ...
41949 </thread>
41950</threads>
41951@end smallexample
41952
41953Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
41954identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
41955@samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
41956the thread was last executing on. The content of the of @samp{thread}
41957element is interpreted as human-readable auxilliary information.
41958
41959@node Traceframe Info Format
41960@section Traceframe Info Format
41961@cindex traceframe info format
41962
41963To be able to know which objects in the inferior can be examined when
41964inspecting a tracepoint hit, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of
41965memory ranges, registers and trace state variables that have been
41966collected in a traceframe.
41967
41968This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
41969(@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}) packet and is an XML document.
41970
41971@value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41972traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
41973
41974The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
41975
41976@smallexample
41977<?xml version="1.0"?>
41978<!DOCTYPE traceframe-info
41979 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
41980 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-traceframe-info.dtd">
41981<traceframe-info>
41982 block...
41983</traceframe-info>
41984@end smallexample
41985
41986Each traceframe block can be either:
41987
41988@itemize
41989
41990@item
41991A region of collected memory starting at @var{addr} and extending for
41992@var{length} bytes from there:
41993
41994@smallexample
41995<memory start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
41996@end smallexample
41997
41998@item
41999A block indicating trace state variable numbered @var{number} has been
42000collected:
42001
42002@smallexample
42003<tvar id="@var{number}"/>
42004@end smallexample
42005
42006@end itemize
42007
42008The formal DTD for the traceframe info format is given below:
42009
42010@smallexample
42011<!ELEMENT traceframe-info (memory | tvar)* >
42012<!ATTLIST traceframe-info version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42013
42014<!ELEMENT memory EMPTY>
42015<!ATTLIST memory start CDATA #REQUIRED
42016 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
42017<!ELEMENT tvar>
42018<!ATTLIST tvar id CDATA #REQUIRED>
42019@end smallexample
42020
42021@node Branch Trace Format
42022@section Branch Trace Format
42023@cindex branch trace format
42024
42025In order to display the branch trace of an inferior thread,
42026@value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of branches. This list is
42027represented as list of sequential code blocks that are connected via
42028branches. The code in each block has been executed sequentially.
42029
42030This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
42031(@pxref{qXfer btrace read}) packet and is an XML document.
42032
42033@value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42034traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
42035
42036The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
42037
42038@smallexample
42039<?xml version="1.0"?>
42040<!DOCTYPE btrace
42041 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Branch Trace V1.0//EN"
42042 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-btrace.dtd">
42043<btrace>
42044 block...
42045</btrace>
42046@end smallexample
42047
42048@itemize
42049
42050@item
42051A block of sequentially executed instructions starting at @var{begin}
42052and ending at @var{end}:
42053
42054@smallexample
42055<block begin="@var{begin}" end="@var{end}"/>
42056@end smallexample
42057
42058@end itemize
42059
42060The formal DTD for the branch trace format is given below:
42061
42062@smallexample
42063<!ELEMENT btrace (block)* >
42064<!ATTLIST btrace version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42065
42066<!ELEMENT block EMPTY>
42067<!ATTLIST block begin CDATA #REQUIRED
42068 end CDATA #REQUIRED>
42069@end smallexample
42070
42071@include agentexpr.texi
42072
42073@node Target Descriptions
42074@appendix Target Descriptions
42075@cindex target descriptions
42076
42077One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
42078is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
42079architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
42080a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or @acronym{MIPS}, for example ---
42081and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
42082architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
42083vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
42084
42085@itemize @bullet
42086@item
42087With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
42088the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
42089@item
42090Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
42091audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
42092variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
42093@item
42094When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
42095at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
42096@command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
42097@end itemize
42098
42099To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
42100target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
42101actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
42102processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
42103descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
42104
42105@value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42106target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
42107
42108@menu
42109* Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
42110* Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
42111* Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
42112 descriptions.
42113* Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
42114@end menu
42115
42116@node Retrieving Descriptions
42117@section Retrieving Descriptions
42118
42119Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
42120specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
42121description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
42122protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
42123qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
42124@samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
42125XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
42126Format}.
42127
42128Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
42129If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
42130specify a file are:
42131
42132@table @code
42133@cindex set tdesc filename
42134@item set tdesc filename @var{path}
42135Read the target description from @var{path}.
42136
42137@cindex unset tdesc filename
42138@item unset tdesc filename
42139Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
42140will use the description supplied by the current target.
42141
42142@cindex show tdesc filename
42143@item show tdesc filename
42144Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
42145@end table
42146
42147
42148@node Target Description Format
42149@section Target Description Format
42150@cindex target descriptions, XML format
42151
42152A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
42153document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
42154the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
42155means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
42156check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
42157However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
42158their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
42159
42160Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
42161and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
42162sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
42163@value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
42164target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
42165
42166Here is a simple target description:
42167
42168@smallexample
42169<target version="1.0">
42170 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
42171</target>
42172@end smallexample
42173
42174@noindent
42175This minimal description only says that the target uses
42176the x86-64 architecture.
42177
42178A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
42179optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
42180are explained further below.
42181
42182@smallexample
42183<?xml version="1.0"?>
42184<!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
42185<target version="1.0">
42186 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
42187 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
42188 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
42189 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
42190</target>
42191@end smallexample
42192
42193@noindent
42194The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
42195breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
42196declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
42197(@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
42198useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
42199@samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
42200including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
42201revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
42202the version mismatch.
42203
42204@subsection Inclusion
42205@cindex target descriptions, inclusion
42206@cindex XInclude
42207@ifnotinfo
42208@cindex <xi:include>
42209@end ifnotinfo
42210
42211It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
42212several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
42213share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
42214divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
42215the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
42216
42217@smallexample
42218<xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
42219@end smallexample
42220
42221@noindent
42222When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
42223the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
42224the contents of that document. If the current description was read
42225using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
42226@var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
42227current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
42228@var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
42229original description.
42230
42231@subsection Architecture
42232@cindex <architecture>
42233
42234An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
42235
42236@smallexample
42237 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
42238@end smallexample
42239
42240@var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
42241@code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
42242
42243@subsection OS ABI
42244@cindex @code{<osabi>}
42245
42246This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
42247Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
42248
42249An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
42250
42251@smallexample
42252 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
42253@end smallexample
42254
42255@var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
42256@w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
42257
42258@subsection Compatible Architecture
42259@cindex @code{<compatible>}
42260
42261This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
42262Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
42263
42264A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
42265
42266@smallexample
42267 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
42268@end smallexample
42269
42270@var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
42271@code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
42272
42273A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
42274is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
42275given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
42276Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
42277or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
42278in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
42279capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
42280
42281@smallexample
42282 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
42283 <compatible>spu</compatible>
42284@end smallexample
42285
42286@subsection Features
42287@cindex <feature>
42288
42289Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
42290system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
42291registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
42292has this form:
42293
42294@smallexample
42295<feature name="@var{name}">
42296 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
42297 @var{reg}@dots{}
42298</feature>
42299@end smallexample
42300
42301@noindent
42302Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
42303of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
42304knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
42305should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
42306
42307@subsection Types
42308
42309Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
42310interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
42311but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
42312Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
42313Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite types.
42314
42315Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
42316a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
42317Types must be defined before they are used.
42318
42319@cindex <vector>
42320Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
42321of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
42322specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
42323@var{count}:
42324
42325@smallexample
42326<vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
42327@end smallexample
42328
42329@cindex <union>
42330If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
42331with a union type containing the useful representations. The
42332@samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
42333each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
42334
42335@smallexample
42336<union id="@var{id}">
42337 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
42338 @dots{}
42339</union>
42340@end smallexample
42341
42342@cindex <struct>
42343If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
42344it with a structure type. There are two forms of the @samp{<struct>}
42345element; a @samp{<struct>} element must either contain only bitfields
42346or contain no bitfields. If the structure contains only bitfields,
42347its total size in bytes must be specified, each bitfield must have an
42348explicit start and end, and bitfields are automatically assigned an
42349integer type. The field's @var{start} should be less than or
42350equal to its @var{end}, and zero represents the least significant bit.
42351
42352@smallexample
42353<struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
42354 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
42355 @dots{}
42356</struct>
42357@end smallexample
42358
42359If the structure contains no bitfields, then each field has an
42360explicit type, and no implicit padding is added.
42361
42362@smallexample
42363<struct id="@var{id}">
42364 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
42365 @dots{}
42366</struct>
42367@end smallexample
42368
42369@cindex <flags>
42370If a register's value is a series of single-bit flags, define it with
42371a flags type. The @samp{<flags>} element has an explicit @var{size}
42372and contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements. Each field has a
42373@var{name}, a @var{start}, and an @var{end}. Only single-bit flags
42374are supported.
42375
42376@smallexample
42377<flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
42378 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
42379 @dots{}
42380</flags>
42381@end smallexample
42382
42383@subsection Registers
42384@cindex <reg>
42385
42386Each register is represented as an element with this form:
42387
42388@smallexample
42389<reg name="@var{name}"
42390 bitsize="@var{size}"
42391 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
42392 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
42393 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
42394 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
42395@end smallexample
42396
42397@noindent
42398The components are as follows:
42399
42400@table @var
42401
42402@item name
42403The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
42404
42405@item bitsize
42406The register's size, in bits.
42407
42408@item regnum
42409The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
42410than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
42411a preceding feature); the first register in the target description
42412defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
42413the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
42414packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
42415in order of increasing register number.
42416
42417@item save-restore
42418Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
42419calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
42420@code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
42421some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
42422ABI.
42423
42424@item type
42425The type of the register. @var{type} may be a predefined type, a type
42426defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
42427and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
42428for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
42429architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
42430@var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
42431
42432@item group
42433The register group to which this register belongs. @var{group} must
42434be either @code{general}, @code{float}, or @code{vector}. If no
42435@var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register
42436in @code{info registers}.
42437
42438@end table
42439
42440@node Predefined Target Types
42441@section Predefined Target Types
42442@cindex target descriptions, predefined types
42443
42444Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
42445from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
42446standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
42447types. The currently supported types are:
42448
42449@table @code
42450
42451@item int8
42452@itemx int16
42453@itemx int32
42454@itemx int64
42455@itemx int128
42456Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
42457
42458@item uint8
42459@itemx uint16
42460@itemx uint32
42461@itemx uint64
42462@itemx uint128
42463Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
42464
42465@item code_ptr
42466@itemx data_ptr
42467Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
42468any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
42469pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
42470address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
42471may be marked as data pointers.
42472
42473@item ieee_single
42474Single precision IEEE floating point.
42475
42476@item ieee_double
42477Double precision IEEE floating point.
42478
42479@item arm_fpa_ext
42480The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
42481
42482@item i387_ext
42483The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
42484
42485@item i386_eflags
4248632bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
42487
42488@item i386_mxcsr
4248932bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
42490
42491@end table
42492
42493@node Standard Target Features
42494@section Standard Target Features
42495@cindex target descriptions, standard features
42496
42497A target description must contain either no registers or all the
42498target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
42499@value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
42500the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
42501default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
42502described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
42503can recognize them.
42504
42505This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
42506which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
42507with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
42508if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
42509feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
42510description. You can add additional registers to any of the
42511standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
42512they were added to an unrecognized feature.
42513
42514This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
42515Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
42516@value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
42517
42518Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
42519company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
42520architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
42521containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
42522
42523The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
42524of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
42525registers using the capitalization used in the description.
42526
42527@menu
42528* AArch64 Features::
42529* ARM Features::
42530* i386 Features::
42531* MIPS Features::
42532* M68K Features::
42533* Nios II Features::
42534* PowerPC Features::
42535* S/390 and System z Features::
42536* TIC6x Features::
42537@end menu
42538
42539
42540@node AArch64 Features
42541@subsection AArch64 Features
42542@cindex target descriptions, AArch64 features
42543
42544The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.core} feature is required for AArch64
42545targets. It should contain registers @samp{x0} through @samp{x30},
42546@samp{sp}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
42547
42548The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.fpu} feature is optional. If present,
42549it should contain registers @samp{v0} through @samp{v31}, @samp{fpsr},
42550and @samp{fpcr}.
42551
42552@node ARM Features
42553@subsection ARM Features
42554@cindex target descriptions, ARM features
42555
42556The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for non-M-profile
42557ARM targets.
42558It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
42559@samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
42560
42561For M-profile targets (e.g. Cortex-M3), the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}
42562feature is replaced by @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.m-profile}. It should contain
42563registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp}, @samp{lr}, @samp{pc},
42564and @samp{xpsr}.
42565
42566The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
42567should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
42568
42569The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
42570it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
42571@samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
42572@samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
42573
42574The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
42575should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
42576they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
42577@value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
42578halves of the double-precision registers.
42579
42580The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
42581need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
42582VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
42583quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
42584If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
42585be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
42586
42587@node i386 Features
42588@subsection i386 Features
42589@cindex target descriptions, i386 features
42590
42591The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
42592targets. It should describe the following registers:
42593
42594@itemize @minus
42595@item
42596@samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
42597@item
42598@samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
42599@item
42600@samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
42601@samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
42602@item
42603@samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
42604@item
42605@samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
42606@samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
42607@end itemize
42608
42609The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
42610
42611The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
42612describe registers:
42613
42614@itemize @minus
42615@item
42616@samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
42617@item
42618@samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
42619@item
42620@samp{mxcsr}
42621@end itemize
42622
42623The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
42624@samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
42625describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
42626
42627@itemize @minus
42628@item
42629@samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
42630@item
42631@samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
42632@end itemize
42633
42634The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
42635describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
42636
42637@node MIPS Features
42638@subsection @acronym{MIPS} Features
42639@cindex target descriptions, @acronym{MIPS} features
42640
42641The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for @acronym{MIPS} targets.
42642It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
42643@samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
42644on the target.
42645
42646The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
42647contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
42648registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42649
42650The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
42651it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
42652contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
42653@samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42654
42655The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.dsp} feature is optional. It should
42656contain registers @samp{hi1} through @samp{hi3}, @samp{lo1} through
42657@samp{lo3}, and @samp{dspctl}. The @samp{dspctl} register should
42658be 32-bit and the rest may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42659
42660The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
42661contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
42662Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
42663
42664@node M68K Features
42665@subsection M68K Features
42666@cindex target descriptions, M68K features
42667
42668@table @code
42669@item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
42670@itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
42671@itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
42672One of those features must be always present.
42673The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
42674used. The feature that is present should contain registers
42675@samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
42676@samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
42677
42678@item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
42679This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
42680@samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
42681@samp{fpiaddr}.
42682@end table
42683
42684@node Nios II Features
42685@subsection Nios II Features
42686@cindex target descriptions, Nios II features
42687
42688The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.nios2.cpu} feature is required for Nios II
42689targets. It should contain the 32 core registers (@samp{zero},
42690@samp{at}, @samp{r2} through @samp{r23}, @samp{et} through @samp{ra}),
42691@samp{pc}, and the 16 control registers (@samp{status} through
42692@samp{mpuacc}).
42693
42694@node PowerPC Features
42695@subsection PowerPC Features
42696@cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
42697
42698The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
42699targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
42700@samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
42701@samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42702
42703The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
42704contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
42705
42706The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
42707contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr},
42708and @samp{vrsave}.
42709
42710The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
42711contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN}
42712will combine these registers with the floating point registers
42713(@samp{f0} through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0}
42714through @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0}
42715through @samp{vs63}, the set of vector registers for POWER7.
42716
42717The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
42718contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
42719@samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
42720@samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
42721@samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
42722these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
42723user.
42724
42725@node S/390 and System z Features
42726@subsection S/390 and System z Features
42727@cindex target descriptions, S/390 features
42728@cindex target descriptions, System z features
42729
42730The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.core} feature is required for S/390 and
42731System z targets. It should contain the PSW and the 16 general
42732registers. In particular, System z targets should provide the 64-bit
42733registers @samp{pswm}, @samp{pswa}, and @samp{r0} through @samp{r15}.
42734S/390 targets should provide the 32-bit versions of these registers.
42735A System z target that runs in 31-bit addressing mode should provide
4273632-bit versions of @samp{pswm} and @samp{pswa}, as well as the general
42737register's upper halves @samp{r0h} through @samp{r15h}, and their
42738lower halves @samp{r0l} through @samp{r15l}.
42739
42740The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.fpr} feature is required. It should
42741contain the 64-bit registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f15}, and
42742@samp{fpc}.
42743
42744The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.acr} feature is required. It should
42745contain the 32-bit registers @samp{acr0} through @samp{acr15}.
42746
42747The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.linux} feature is optional. It should
42748contain the register @samp{orig_r2}, which is 64-bit wide on System z
42749targets and 32-bit otherwise. In addition, the feature may contain
42750the @samp{last_break} register, whose width depends on the addressing
42751mode, as well as the @samp{system_call} register, which is always
4275232-bit wide.
42753
42754The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.tdb} feature is optional. It should
42755contain the 64-bit registers @samp{tdb0}, @samp{tac}, @samp{tct},
42756@samp{atia}, and @samp{tr0} through @samp{tr15}.
42757
42758@node TIC6x Features
42759@subsection TMS320C6x Features
42760@cindex target descriptions, TIC6x features
42761@cindex target descriptions, TMS320C6x features
42762The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.core} feature is required for TMS320C6x
42763targets. It should contain registers @samp{A0} through @samp{A15},
42764registers @samp{B0} through @samp{B15}, @samp{CSR} and @samp{PC}.
42765
42766The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.gp} feature is optional. It should
42767contain registers @samp{A16} through @samp{A31} and @samp{B16}
42768through @samp{B31}.
42769
42770The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.c6xp} feature is optional. It should
42771contain registers @samp{TSR}, @samp{ILC} and @samp{RILC}.
42772
42773@node Operating System Information
42774@appendix Operating System Information
42775@cindex operating system information
42776
42777@menu
42778* Process list::
42779@end menu
42780
42781Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
42782the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
42783processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
42784mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
42785target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
42786on a different aspect of target.
42787
42788Operating system information is retrived from the target via the
42789remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
42790read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
42791the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
42792
42793@node Process list
42794@appendixsection Process list
42795@cindex operating system information, process list
42796
42797When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
42798@samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
42799an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
42800@file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
42801
42802An example document is:
42803
42804@smallexample
42805<?xml version="1.0"?>
42806<!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
42807<osdata type="processes">
42808 <item>
42809 <column name="pid">1</column>
42810 <column name="user">root</column>
42811 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
42812 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
42813 </item>
42814</osdata>
42815@end smallexample
42816
42817Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
42818of that column should identify the process on the target. The
42819@samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
42820displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
42821should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
42822is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
42823which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
42824
42825@node Trace File Format
42826@appendix Trace File Format
42827@cindex trace file format
42828
42829The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
42830section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
42831
42832The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
42833@code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
42834while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
42835in the future.
42836
42837The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
42838separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
42839variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
42840as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
42841ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
42842of this section.
42843
42844@c FIXME add some specific types of data
42845
42846The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
42847Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
42848four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
42849the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
42850character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
42851state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
42852hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
42853endianness.
42854
42855@c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
42856
42857@table @code
42858@item R @var{bytes}
42859Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
42860@code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
42861actual bytes, in target order and @value{GDBN} register order, not a
42862hexadecimal encoding.
42863
42864@item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
42865Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
42866address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
42867@var{length} bytes.
42868
42869@item V @var{number} @var{value}
42870Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
42871@var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
42872
42873@end table
42874
42875Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
42876of blocks.
42877
42878@node Index Section Format
42879@appendix @code{.gdb_index} section format
42880@cindex .gdb_index section format
42881@cindex index section format
42882
42883This section documents the index section that is created by @code{save
42884gdb-index} (@pxref{Index Files}). The index section is
42885DWARF-specific; some knowledge of DWARF is assumed in this
42886description.
42887
42888The mapped index file format is designed to be directly
42889@code{mmap}able on any architecture. In most cases, a datum is
42890represented using a little-endian 32-bit integer value, called an
42891@code{offset_type}. Big endian machines must byte-swap the values
42892before using them. Exceptions to this rule are noted. The data is
42893laid out such that alignment is always respected.
42894
42895A mapped index consists of several areas, laid out in order.
42896
42897@enumerate
42898@item
42899The file header. This is a sequence of values, of @code{offset_type}
42900unless otherwise noted:
42901
42902@enumerate
42903@item
42904The version number, currently 8. Versions 1, 2 and 3 are obsolete.
42905Version 4 uses a different hashing function from versions 5 and 6.
42906Version 6 includes symbols for inlined functions, whereas versions 4
42907and 5 do not. Version 7 adds attributes to the CU indices in the
42908symbol table. Version 8 specifies that symbols from DWARF type units
42909(@samp{DW_TAG_type_unit}) refer to the type unit's symbol table and not the
42910compilation unit (@samp{DW_TAG_comp_unit}) using the type.
42911
42912@value{GDBN} will only read version 4, 5, or 6 indices
42913by specifying @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
42914GDB has a workaround for potentially broken version 7 indices so it is
42915currently not flagged as deprecated.
42916
42917@item
42918The offset, from the start of the file, of the CU list.
42919
42920@item
42921The offset, from the start of the file, of the types CU list. Note
42922that this area can be empty, in which case this offset will be equal
42923to the next offset.
42924
42925@item
42926The offset, from the start of the file, of the address area.
42927
42928@item
42929The offset, from the start of the file, of the symbol table.
42930
42931@item
42932The offset, from the start of the file, of the constant pool.
42933@end enumerate
42934
42935@item
42936The CU list. This is a sequence of pairs of 64-bit little-endian
42937values, sorted by the CU offset. The first element in each pair is
42938the offset of a CU in the @code{.debug_info} section. The second
42939element in each pair is the length of that CU. References to a CU
42940elsewhere in the map are done using a CU index, which is just the
429410-based index into this table. Note that if there are type CUs, then
42942conceptually CUs and type CUs form a single list for the purposes of
42943CU indices.
42944
42945@item
42946The types CU list. This is a sequence of triplets of 64-bit
42947little-endian values. In a triplet, the first value is the CU offset,
42948the second value is the type offset in the CU, and the third value is
42949the type signature. The types CU list is not sorted.
42950
42951@item
42952The address area. The address area consists of a sequence of address
42953entries. Each address entry has three elements:
42954
42955@enumerate
42956@item
42957The low address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value.
42958
42959@item
42960The high address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value. Like
42961@code{DW_AT_high_pc}, the value is one byte beyond the end.
42962
42963@item
42964The CU index. This is an @code{offset_type} value.
42965@end enumerate
42966
42967@item
42968The symbol table. This is an open-addressed hash table. The size of
42969the hash table is always a power of 2.
42970
42971Each slot in the hash table consists of a pair of @code{offset_type}
42972values. The first value is the offset of the symbol's name in the
42973constant pool. The second value is the offset of the CU vector in the
42974constant pool.
42975
42976If both values are 0, then this slot in the hash table is empty. This
42977is ok because while 0 is a valid constant pool index, it cannot be a
42978valid index for both a string and a CU vector.
42979
42980The hash value for a table entry is computed by applying an
42981iterative hash function to the symbol's name. Starting with an
42982initial value of @code{r = 0}, each (unsigned) character @samp{c} in
42983the string is incorporated into the hash using the formula depending on the
42984index version:
42985
42986@table @asis
42987@item Version 4
42988The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + c - 113}.
42989
42990@item Versions 5 to 7
42991The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + tolower (c) - 113}.
42992@end table
42993
42994The terminating @samp{\0} is not incorporated into the hash.
42995
42996The step size used in the hash table is computed via
42997@code{((hash * 17) & (size - 1)) | 1}, where @samp{hash} is the hash
42998value, and @samp{size} is the size of the hash table. The step size
42999is used to find the next candidate slot when handling a hash
43000collision.
43001
43002The names of C@t{++} symbols in the hash table are canonicalized. We
43003don't currently have a simple description of the canonicalization
43004algorithm; if you intend to create new index sections, you must read
43005the code.
43006
43007@item
43008The constant pool. This is simply a bunch of bytes. It is organized
43009so that alignment is correct: CU vectors are stored first, followed by
43010strings.
43011
43012A CU vector in the constant pool is a sequence of @code{offset_type}
43013values. The first value is the number of CU indices in the vector.
43014Each subsequent value is the index and symbol attributes of a CU in
43015the CU list. This element in the hash table is used to indicate which
43016CUs define the symbol and how the symbol is used.
43017See below for the format of each CU index+attributes entry.
43018
43019A string in the constant pool is zero-terminated.
43020@end enumerate
43021
43022Attributes were added to CU index values in @code{.gdb_index} version 7.
43023If a symbol has multiple uses within a CU then there is one
43024CU index+attributes value for each use.
43025
43026The format of each CU index+attributes entry is as follows
43027(bit 0 = LSB):
43028
43029@table @asis
43030
43031@item Bits 0-23
43032This is the index of the CU in the CU list.
43033@item Bits 24-27
43034These bits are reserved for future purposes and must be zero.
43035@item Bits 28-30
43036The kind of the symbol in the CU.
43037
43038@table @asis
43039@item 0
43040This value is reserved and should not be used.
43041By reserving zero the full @code{offset_type} value is backwards compatible
43042with previous versions of the index.
43043@item 1
43044The symbol is a type.
43045@item 2
43046The symbol is a variable or an enum value.
43047@item 3
43048The symbol is a function.
43049@item 4
43050Any other kind of symbol.
43051@item 5,6,7
43052These values are reserved.
43053@end table
43054
43055@item Bit 31
43056This bit is zero if the value is global and one if it is static.
43057
43058The determination of whether a symbol is global or static is complicated.
43059The authorative reference is the file @file{dwarf2read.c} in
43060@value{GDBN} sources.
43061
43062@end table
43063
43064This pseudo-code describes the computation of a symbol's kind and
43065global/static attributes in the index.
43066
43067@smallexample
43068is_external = get_attribute (die, DW_AT_external);
43069language = get_attribute (cu_die, DW_AT_language);
43070switch (die->tag)
43071 @{
43072 case DW_TAG_typedef:
43073 case DW_TAG_base_type:
43074 case DW_TAG_subrange_type:
43075 kind = TYPE;
43076 is_static = 1;
43077 break;
43078 case DW_TAG_enumerator:
43079 kind = VARIABLE;
43080 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
43081 break;
43082 case DW_TAG_subprogram:
43083 kind = FUNCTION;
43084 is_static = ! (is_external || language == ADA);
43085 break;
43086 case DW_TAG_constant:
43087 kind = VARIABLE;
43088 is_static = ! is_external;
43089 break;
43090 case DW_TAG_variable:
43091 kind = VARIABLE;
43092 is_static = ! is_external;
43093 break;
43094 case DW_TAG_namespace:
43095 kind = TYPE;
43096 is_static = 0;
43097 break;
43098 case DW_TAG_class_type:
43099 case DW_TAG_interface_type:
43100 case DW_TAG_structure_type:
43101 case DW_TAG_union_type:
43102 case DW_TAG_enumeration_type:
43103 kind = TYPE;
43104 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
43105 break;
43106 default:
43107 assert (0);
43108 @}
43109@end smallexample
43110
43111@node Man Pages
43112@appendix Manual pages
43113@cindex Man pages
43114
43115@menu
43116* gdb man:: The GNU Debugger man page
43117* gdbserver man:: Remote Server for the GNU Debugger man page
43118* gcore man:: Generate a core file of a running program
43119* gdbinit man:: gdbinit scripts
43120@end menu
43121
43122@node gdb man
43123@heading gdb man
43124
43125@c man title gdb The GNU Debugger
43126
43127@c man begin SYNOPSIS gdb
43128gdb [@option{-help}] [@option{-nh}] [@option{-nx}] [@option{-q}]
43129[@option{-batch}] [@option{-cd=}@var{dir}] [@option{-f}]
43130[@option{-b}@w{ }@var{bps}]
43131 [@option{-tty=}@var{dev}] [@option{-s} @var{symfile}]
43132[@option{-e}@w{ }@var{prog}] [@option{-se}@w{ }@var{prog}]
43133[@option{-c}@w{ }@var{core}] [@option{-p}@w{ }@var{procID}]
43134 [@option{-x}@w{ }@var{cmds}] [@option{-d}@w{ }@var{dir}]
43135[@var{prog}|@var{prog} @var{procID}|@var{prog} @var{core}]
43136@c man end
43137
43138@c man begin DESCRIPTION gdb
43139The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
43140going on ``inside'' another program while it executes -- or what another
43141program was doing at the moment it crashed.
43142
43143@value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
43144these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
43145
43146@itemize @bullet
43147@item
43148Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
43149
43150@item
43151Make your program stop on specified conditions.
43152
43153@item
43154Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
43155
43156@item
43157Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
43158effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
43159@end itemize
43160
43161You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C, C@t{++}, Fortran and
43162Modula-2.
43163
43164@value{GDBN} is invoked with the shell command @code{gdb}. Once started, it reads
43165commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit with the @value{GDBN}
43166command @code{quit}. You can get online help from @value{GDBN} itself
43167by using the command @code{help}.
43168
43169You can run @code{gdb} with no arguments or options; but the most
43170usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument or two, specifying an
43171executable program as the argument:
43172
43173@smallexample
43174gdb program
43175@end smallexample
43176
43177You can also start with both an executable program and a core file specified:
43178
43179@smallexample
43180gdb program core
43181@end smallexample
43182
43183You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
43184to debug a running process:
43185
43186@smallexample
43187gdb program 1234
43188gdb -p 1234
43189@end smallexample
43190
43191@noindent
43192would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
43193named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
43194With option @option{-p} you can omit the @var{program} filename.
43195
43196Here are some of the most frequently needed @value{GDBN} commands:
43197
43198@c pod2man highlights the right hand side of the @item lines.
43199@table @env
43200@item break [@var{file}:]@var{functiop}
43201Set a breakpoint at @var{function} (in @var{file}).
43202
43203@item run [@var{arglist}]
43204Start your program (with @var{arglist}, if specified).
43205
43206@item bt
43207Backtrace: display the program stack.
43208
43209@item print @var{expr}
43210Display the value of an expression.
43211
43212@item c
43213Continue running your program (after stopping, e.g. at a breakpoint).
43214
43215@item next
43216Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{over} any
43217function calls in the line.
43218
43219@item edit [@var{file}:]@var{function}
43220look at the program line where it is presently stopped.
43221
43222@item list [@var{file}:]@var{function}
43223type the text of the program in the vicinity of where it is presently stopped.
43224
43225@item step
43226Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{into} any
43227function calls in the line.
43228
43229@item help [@var{name}]
43230Show information about @value{GDBN} command @var{name}, or general information
43231about using @value{GDBN}.
43232
43233@item quit
43234Exit from @value{GDBN}.
43235@end table
43236
43237@ifset man
43238For full details on @value{GDBN},
43239see @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43240by Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch. The same text is available online
43241as the @code{gdb} entry in the @code{info} program.
43242@end ifset
43243@c man end
43244
43245@c man begin OPTIONS gdb
43246Any arguments other than options specify an executable
43247file and core file (or process ID); that is, the first argument
43248encountered with no
43249associated option flag is equivalent to a @option{-se} option, and the second,
43250if any, is equivalent to a @option{-c} option if it's the name of a file.
43251Many options have
43252both long and short forms; both are shown here. The long forms are also
43253recognized if you truncate them, so long as enough of the option is
43254present to be unambiguous. (If you prefer, you can flag option
43255arguments with @option{+} rather than @option{-}, though we illustrate the
43256more usual convention.)
43257
43258All the options and command line arguments you give are processed
43259in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the @option{-x}
43260option is used.
43261
43262@table @env
43263@item -help
43264@itemx -h
43265List all options, with brief explanations.
43266
43267@item -symbols=@var{file}
43268@itemx -s @var{file}
43269Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
43270
43271@item -write
43272Enable writing into executable and core files.
43273
43274@item -exec=@var{file}
43275@itemx -e @var{file}
43276Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when
43277appropriate, and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core
43278dump.
43279
43280@item -se=@var{file}
43281Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
43282file.
43283
43284@item -core=@var{file}
43285@itemx -c @var{file}
43286Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
43287
43288@item -command=@var{file}
43289@itemx -x @var{file}
43290Execute @value{GDBN} commands from file @var{file}.
43291
43292@item -ex @var{command}
43293Execute given @value{GDBN} @var{command}.
43294
43295@item -directory=@var{directory}
43296@itemx -d @var{directory}
43297Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source files.
43298
43299@item -nh
43300Do not execute commands from @file{~/.gdbinit}.
43301
43302@item -nx
43303@itemx -n
43304Do not execute commands from any @file{.gdbinit} initialization files.
43305
43306@item -quiet
43307@itemx -q
43308``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
43309messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
43310
43311@item -batch
43312Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the command
43313files specified with @option{-x} (and @file{.gdbinit}, if not inhibited).
43314Exit with nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN}
43315commands in the command files.
43316
43317Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for example to
43318download and run a program on another computer; in order to make this
43319more useful, the message
43320
43321@smallexample
43322Program exited normally.
43323@end smallexample
43324
43325@noindent
43326(which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under @value{GDBN} control
43327terminates) is not issued when running in batch mode.
43328
43329@item -cd=@var{directory}
43330Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
43331instead of the current directory.
43332
43333@item -fullname
43334@itemx -f
43335Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells
43336@value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line number in a standard,
43337recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is displayed (which
43338includes each time the program stops). This recognizable format looks
43339like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by the file name, line number
43340and character position separated by colons, and a newline. The
43341Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two @samp{\032}
43342characters as a signal to display the source code for the frame.
43343
43344@item -b @var{bps}
43345Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
43346interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
43347
43348@item -tty=@var{device}
43349Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
43350@end table
43351@c man end
43352
43353@c man begin SEEALSO gdb
43354@ifset man
43355The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43356If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43357documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43358
43359@smallexample
43360info gdb
43361@end smallexample
43362
43363@noindent
43364should give you access to the complete manual.
43365
43366@cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43367Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43368@end ifset
43369@c man end
43370
43371@node gdbserver man
43372@heading gdbserver man
43373
43374@c man title gdbserver Remote Server for the GNU Debugger
43375@format
43376@c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbserver
43377gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
43378
43379gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43380
43381gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43382@c man end
43383@end format
43384
43385@c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbserver
43386@command{gdbserver} is a program that allows you to run @value{GDBN} on a different machine
43387than the one which is running the program being debugged.
43388
43389@ifclear man
43390@subheading Usage (server (target) side)
43391@end ifclear
43392@ifset man
43393Usage (server (target) side):
43394@end ifset
43395
43396First, you need to have a copy of the program you want to debug put onto
43397the target system. The program can be stripped to save space if needed, as
43398@command{gdbserver} doesn't care about symbols. All symbol handling is taken care of by
43399the @value{GDBN} running on the host system.
43400
43401To use the server, you log on to the target system, and run the @command{gdbserver}
43402program. You must tell it (a) how to communicate with @value{GDBN}, (b) the name of
43403your program, and (c) its arguments. The general syntax is:
43404
43405@smallexample
43406target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [@var{args} ...]
43407@end smallexample
43408
43409For example, using a serial port, you might say:
43410
43411@smallexample
43412@ifset man
43413@c @file would wrap it as F</dev/com1>.
43414target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
43415@end ifset
43416@ifclear man
43417target> gdbserver @file{/dev/com1} emacs foo.txt
43418@end ifclear
43419@end smallexample
43420
43421This tells @command{gdbserver} to debug emacs with an argument of foo.txt, and
43422to communicate with @value{GDBN} via @file{/dev/com1}. @command{gdbserver} now
43423waits patiently for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate with it.
43424
43425To use a TCP connection, you could say:
43426
43427@smallexample
43428target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
43429@end smallexample
43430
43431This says pretty much the same thing as the last example, except that we are
43432going to communicate with the @code{host} @value{GDBN} via TCP. The @code{host:2345} argument means
43433that we are expecting to see a TCP connection from @code{host} to local TCP port
434342345. (Currently, the @code{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number you
43435want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any existing TCP
43436ports on the target system. This same port number must be used in the host
43437@value{GDBN}s @code{target remote} command, which will be described shortly. Note that if
43438you chose a port number that conflicts with another service, @command{gdbserver} will
43439print an error message and exit.
43440
43441@command{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
43442This is accomplished via the @option{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
43443
43444@smallexample
43445target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43446@end smallexample
43447
43448@var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
43449necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
43450
43451To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
43452or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
43453In such case you should connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} to start
43454the program you want to debug.
43455
43456@smallexample
43457target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43458@end smallexample
43459
43460@ifclear man
43461@subheading Usage (host side)
43462@end ifclear
43463@ifset man
43464Usage (host side):
43465@end ifset
43466
43467You need an unstripped copy of the target program on your host system, since
43468@value{GDBN} needs to examine it's symbol tables and such. Start up @value{GDBN} as you normally
43469would, with the target program as the first argument. (You may need to use the
43470@option{--baud} option if the serial line is running at anything except 9600 baud.)
43471That is @code{gdb TARGET-PROG}, or @code{gdb --baud BAUD TARGET-PROG}. After that, the only
43472new command you need to know about is @code{target remote}
43473(or @code{target extended-remote}). Its argument is either
43474a device name (usually a serial device, like @file{/dev/ttyb}), or a @code{HOST:PORT}
43475descriptor. For example:
43476
43477@smallexample
43478@ifset man
43479@c @file would wrap it as F</dev/ttyb>.
43480(gdb) target remote /dev/ttyb
43481@end ifset
43482@ifclear man
43483(gdb) target remote @file{/dev/ttyb}
43484@end ifclear
43485@end smallexample
43486
43487@noindent
43488communicates with the server via serial line @file{/dev/ttyb}, and:
43489
43490@smallexample
43491(gdb) target remote the-target:2345
43492@end smallexample
43493
43494@noindent
43495communicates via a TCP connection to port 2345 on host `the-target', where
43496you previously started up @command{gdbserver} with the same port number. Note that for
43497TCP connections, you must start up @command{gdbserver} prior to using the `target remote'
43498command, otherwise you may get an error that looks something like
43499`Connection refused'.
43500
43501@command{gdbserver} can also debug multiple inferiors at once,
43502described in
43503@ifset man
43504the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Inferiors and Programs}
43505-- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Inferiors and Programs'}.
43506@end ifset
43507@ifclear man
43508@ref{Inferiors and Programs}.
43509@end ifclear
43510In such case use the @code{extended-remote} @value{GDBN} command variant:
43511
43512@smallexample
43513(gdb) target extended-remote the-target:2345
43514@end smallexample
43515
43516The @command{gdbserver} option @option{--multi} may or may not be used in such
43517case.
43518@c man end
43519
43520@c man begin OPTIONS gdbserver
43521There are three different modes for invoking @command{gdbserver}:
43522
43523@itemize @bullet
43524
43525@item
43526Debug a specific program specified by its program name:
43527
43528@smallexample
43529gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
43530@end smallexample
43531
43532The @var{comm} parameter specifies how should the server communicate
43533with @value{GDBN}; it is either a device name (to use a serial line),
43534a TCP port number (@code{:1234}), or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
43535stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}. Specify the name of the program to
43536debug in @var{prog}. Any remaining arguments will be passed to the
43537program verbatim. When the program exits, @value{GDBN} will close the
43538connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
43539
43540@item
43541Debug a specific program by specifying the process ID of a running
43542program:
43543
43544@smallexample
43545gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43546@end smallexample
43547
43548The @var{comm} parameter is as described above. Supply the process ID
43549of a running program in @var{pid}; @value{GDBN} will do everything
43550else. Like with the previous mode, when the process @var{pid} exits,
43551@value{GDBN} will close the connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
43552
43553@item
43554Multi-process mode -- debug more than one program/process:
43555
43556@smallexample
43557gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43558@end smallexample
43559
43560In this mode, @value{GDBN} can instruct @command{gdbserver} which
43561command(s) to run. Unlike the other 2 modes, @value{GDBN} will not
43562close the connection when a process being debugged exits, so you can
43563debug several processes in the same session.
43564@end itemize
43565
43566In each of the modes you may specify these options:
43567
43568@table @env
43569
43570@item --help
43571List all options, with brief explanations.
43572
43573@item --version
43574This option causes @command{gdbserver} to print its version number and exit.
43575
43576@item --attach
43577@command{gdbserver} will attach to a running program. The syntax is:
43578
43579@smallexample
43580target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43581@end smallexample
43582
43583@var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
43584necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
43585
43586@item --multi
43587To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
43588or process ID to attach, use this command line option.
43589Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
43590the program you want to debug. The syntax is:
43591
43592@smallexample
43593target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43594@end smallexample
43595
43596@item --debug
43597Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display extra status information about the debugging
43598process.
43599This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
43600the developers.
43601
43602@item --remote-debug
43603Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display remote protocol debug output.
43604This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
43605the developers.
43606
43607@item --wrapper
43608Specify a wrapper to launch programs
43609for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
43610wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
43611@kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
43612
43613@item --once
43614By default, @command{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
43615additional connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
43616with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
43617connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session.
43618
43619@c --disable-packet is not documented for users.
43620
43621@c --disable-randomization and --no-disable-randomization are superseded by
43622@c QDisableRandomization.
43623
43624@end table
43625@c man end
43626
43627@c man begin SEEALSO gdbserver
43628@ifset man
43629The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43630If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43631documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43632
43633@smallexample
43634info gdb
43635@end smallexample
43636
43637should give you access to the complete manual.
43638
43639@cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43640Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43641@end ifset
43642@c man end
43643
43644@node gcore man
43645@heading gcore
43646
43647@c man title gcore Generate a core file of a running program
43648
43649@format
43650@c man begin SYNOPSIS gcore
43651gcore [-o @var{filename}] @var{pid}
43652@c man end
43653@end format
43654
43655@c man begin DESCRIPTION gcore
43656Generate a core dump of a running program with process ID @var{pid}.
43657Produced file is equivalent to a kernel produced core file as if the process
43658crashed (and if @kbd{ulimit -c} were used to set up an appropriate core dump
43659limit). Unlike after a crash, after @command{gcore} the program remains
43660running without any change.
43661@c man end
43662
43663@c man begin OPTIONS gcore
43664@table @env
43665@item -o @var{filename}
43666The optional argument
43667@var{filename} specifies the file name where to put the core dump.
43668If not specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}},
43669where @var{pid} is the running program process ID.
43670@end table
43671@c man end
43672
43673@c man begin SEEALSO gcore
43674@ifset man
43675The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43676If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43677documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43678
43679@smallexample
43680info gdb
43681@end smallexample
43682
43683@noindent
43684should give you access to the complete manual.
43685
43686@cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43687Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43688@end ifset
43689@c man end
43690
43691@node gdbinit man
43692@heading gdbinit
43693
43694@c man title gdbinit GDB initialization scripts
43695
43696@format
43697@c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbinit
43698@ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
43699@value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
43700@end ifset
43701
43702~/.gdbinit
43703
43704./.gdbinit
43705@c man end
43706@end format
43707
43708@c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbinit
43709These files contain @value{GDBN} commands to automatically execute during
43710@value{GDBN} startup. The lines of contents are canned sequences of commands,
43711described in
43712@ifset man
43713the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Sequences}
43714-- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Sequences}.
43715@end ifset
43716@ifclear man
43717@ref{Sequences}.
43718@end ifclear
43719
43720Please read more in
43721@ifset man
43722the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Startup}
43723-- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}.
43724@end ifset
43725@ifclear man
43726@ref{Startup}.
43727@end ifclear
43728
43729@table @env
43730@ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
43731@item @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
43732@end ifset
43733@ifclear SYSTEM_GDBINIT
43734@item (not enabled with @code{--with-system-gdbinit} during compilation)
43735@end ifclear
43736System-wide initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
43737@value{GDBN} option @code{-nx} or @code{-n}.
43738See more in
43739@ifset man
43740the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{System-wide configuration}
43741-- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'System-wide configuration'}.
43742@end ifset
43743@ifclear man
43744@ref{System-wide configuration}.
43745@end ifclear
43746
43747@item ~/.gdbinit
43748User initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
43749@value{GDBN} options @code{-nx}, @code{-n} or @code{-nh}.
43750
43751@item ./.gdbinit
43752Initialization file for current directory. It may need to be enabled with
43753@value{GDBN} security command @code{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
43754See more in
43755@ifset man
43756the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Init File in the Current Directory}
43757-- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Init File in the Current Directory'}.
43758@end ifset
43759@ifclear man
43760@ref{Init File in the Current Directory}.
43761@end ifclear
43762@end table
43763@c man end
43764
43765@c man begin SEEALSO gdbinit
43766@ifset man
43767gdb(1), @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}
43768
43769The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43770If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43771documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43772
43773@smallexample
43774info gdb
43775@end smallexample
43776
43777should give you access to the complete manual.
43778
43779@cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43780Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43781@end ifset
43782@c man end
43783
43784@include gpl.texi
43785
43786@node GNU Free Documentation License
43787@appendix GNU Free Documentation License
43788@include fdl.texi
43789
43790@node Concept Index
43791@unnumbered Concept Index
43792
43793@printindex cp
43794
43795@node Command and Variable Index
43796@unnumbered Command, Variable, and Function Index
43797
43798@printindex fn
43799
43800@tex
43801% I think something like @@colophon should be in texinfo. In the
43802% meantime:
43803\long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
43804\centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
43805\centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
43806\centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
43807\centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
43808\centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
43809\centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
43810\centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
43811\centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
43812\page\colophon
43813% Blame: doc@@cygnus.com, 1991.
43814@end tex
43815
43816@bye
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