gdb/README

   1                      README for gdb-5.1.1 release
   2                 Updated 23 January, 2002 by Andrew Cagney
   3
   4 This is GDB, the GNU source-level debugger.
   5 A summary of new features is in the file `NEWS'.
   6
   7 See the GDB home page at http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/ for up to
   8 date release information, mailing list links and archives, etc.
   9
  10 See the file PROBLEMS for late breaking news.
  11
  12
  13 Unpacking and Installation -- quick overview
  14 ==========================
  15
  16    In this release, the GDB debugger sources, the generic GNU include
  17 files, the BFD ("binary file description") library, the readline
  18 library, and other libraries all have directories of their own
  19 underneath the gdb-5.1.1 directory.  The idea is that a variety of GNU
  20 tools can share a common copy of these things.  Be aware of variation
  21 over time--for example don't try to build gdb with a copy of bfd from
  22 a release other than the gdb release (such as a binutils release),
  23 especially if the releases are more than a few weeks apart.
  24 Configuration scripts and makefiles exist to cruise up and down this
  25 directory tree and automatically build all the pieces in the right
  26 order.
  27
  28    When you unpack the gdb-5.1.1.tar.gz file, you'll find a directory
  29 called `gdb-5.1.1', which contains:
  30
  31   COPYING       config.sub    intl         missing         opcodes
  32   COPYING.LIB   configure     libiberty    mkinstalldirs   readline
  33   Makefile.in   configure.in  libtool.m4   mmalloc         sim
  34   README        djunpack.bat  ltcf-c.sh    move-if-change  symlink-tree
  35   bfd           etc           ltcf-cxx.sh  mpw-README      texinfo
  36   config        gdb           ltcf-gcj.sh  mpw-build.in    utils
  37   config-ml.in  gettext.m4    ltconfig     mpw-config.in   ylwrap
  38   config.guess  include       ltmain.sh    mpw-configure
  39   config.if     install-sh    md5.sum      mpw-install
  40
  41 You can build GDB right in the source directory:
  42
  43       cd gdb-5.1.1
  44       ./configure
  45       make
  46       cp gdb/gdb /usr/local/bin/gdb     (or wherever you want)
  47
  48 However, we recommend that an empty directory be used instead.
  49 This way you do not clutter your source tree with binary files
  50 and will be able to create different builds with different
  51 configuration options.
  52
  53 You can build GDB in any empty build directory:
  54
  55       mkdir build
  56       cd build
  57       <full path to your sources>/gdb-5.1.1/configure
  58       make
  59       cp gdb/gdb /usr/local/bin/gdb     (or wherever you want)
  60
  61 (Building GDB with DJGPP tools for MS-DOS/MS-Windows is slightly
  62 different; see the file gdb-5.1.1/gdb/config/djgpp/README for details.)
  63
  64    This will configure and build all the libraries as well as GDB.  If
  65 `configure' can't determine your system type, specify one as its
  66 argument, e.g., `./configure sun4' or `./configure decstation'.
  67
  68    If you get compiler errors during this stage, see the `Reporting
  69 Bugs' section below; there are a few known problems.
  70
  71    GDB requires an ISO C (ANSI C) compiler.  If you do not have an ISO
  72 C compiler for your system, you may be able to download and install
  73 the GNU CC compiler.  It is available via anonymous FTP from the
  74 directory `ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/gcc'.
  75
  76    GDB can be used as a cross-debugger, running on a machine of one
  77 type while debugging a program running on a machine of another type.
  78 See below.
  79
  80
  81 More Documentation
  82 ******************
  83
  84    All the documentation for GDB comes as part of the machine-readable
  85 distribution.  The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which
  86 is a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce
  87 both on-line information and a printed manual.  You can use one of the
  88 Info formatting commands to create the on-line version of the
  89 documentation and TeX (or `texi2roff') to typeset the printed version.
  90
  91    GDB includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info version
  92 of this manual in the `gdb/doc' subdirectory.  The main Info file is
  93 `gdb-5.1.1/gdb/doc/gdb.info', and it refers to subordinate files
  94 matching `gdb.info*' in the same directory.  If necessary, you can
  95 print out these files, or read them with any editor; but they are
  96 easier to read using the `info' subsystem in GNU Emacs or the
  97 standalone `info' program, available as part of the GNU Texinfo
  98 distribution.
  99
 100    If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
 101 Info formatting programs, such as `texinfo-format-buffer' or
 102 `makeinfo'.
 103
 104    If you have `makeinfo' installed, and are in the top level GDB
 105 source directory (`gdb-5.1.1', in the case of version 5.1.1), you can make
 106 the Info file by typing:
 107
 108       cd gdb/doc
 109       make info
 110
 111    If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need
 112 TeX, a program to print its DVI output files, and `texinfo.tex', the
 113 Texinfo definitions file.  This file is included in the GDB
 114 distribution, in the directory `gdb-5.1.1/texinfo'.
 115
 116    TeX is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
 117 produces output files called DVI files.  To print a typeset document,
 118 you need a program to print DVI files.  If your system has TeX
 119 installed, chances are it has such a program.  The precise command to
 120 use depends on your system; `lpr -d' is common; another (for PostScript
 121 devices) is `dvips'.  The DVI print command may require a file name
 122 without any extension or a `.dvi' extension.
 123
 124    TeX also requires a macro definitions file called `texinfo.tex'.
 125 This file tells TeX how to typeset a document written in Texinfo
 126 format.  On its own, TeX cannot read, much less typeset a Texinfo file.
 127  `texinfo.tex' is distributed with GDB and is located in the
 128 `gdb-5.1.1/texinfo' directory.
 129
 130    If you have TeX and a DVI printer program installed, you can typeset
 131 and print this manual.  First switch to the the `gdb' subdirectory of
 132 the main source directory (for example, to `gdb-5.1.1/gdb') and then type:
 133
 134       make doc/gdb.dvi
 135
 136    If you prefer to have the manual in PDF format, type this from the
 137 `gdb/doc' subdirectory of the main source directory:
 138
 139       make gdb.pdf
 140
 141 For this to work, you will need the PDFTeX package to be installed.
 142
 143
 144 Installing GDB
 145 **************
 146
 147    GDB comes with a `configure' script that automates the process of
 148 preparing GDB for installation; you can then use `make' to build the
 149 `gdb' program.
 150
 151    The GDB distribution includes all the source code you need for GDB in
 152 a single directory, whose name is usually composed by appending the
 153 version number to `gdb'.
 154
 155    For example, the GDB version 5.1.1 distribution is in the `gdb-5.1.1'
 156 directory.  That directory contains:
 157
 158 `gdb-5.1.1/{COPYING,COPYING.LIB}'
 159      Standard GNU license files.  Please read them.
 160
 161 `gdb-5.1.1/bfd'
 162      source for the Binary File Descriptor library
 163
 164 `gdb-5.1.1/config*'
 165      script for configuring GDB, along with other support files
 166
 167 `gdb-5.1.1/gdb'
 168      the source specific to GDB itself
 169
 170 `gdb-5.1.1/include'
 171      GNU include files
 172
 173 `gdb-5.1.1/libiberty'
 174      source for the `-liberty' free software library
 175
 176 `gdb-5.1.1/mmalloc'
 177      source for the GNU memory-mapped malloc package
 178
 179 `gdb-5.1.1/opcodes'
 180      source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
 181
 182 `gdb-5.1.1/readline'
 183      source for the GNU command-line interface
 184      NOTE:  The readline library is compiled for use by GDB, but will
 185      not be installed on your system when "make install" is issued.
 186
 187 `gdb-5.1.1/sim'
 188      source for some simulators (ARM, D10V, SPARC, M32R, MIPS, PPC, V850, etc)
 189
 190 `gdb-5.1.1/intl'
 191      source for the GNU gettext library, for internationalization.
 192      This is slightly modified from the standalone gettext
 193      distribution you can get from GNU.
 194
 195 `gdb-5.1.1/texinfo'
 196      The `texinfo.tex' file, which you need in order to make a printed
 197      manual using TeX.
 198
 199 `gdb-5.1.1/etc'
 200      Coding standards, useful files for editing GDB, and other
 201      miscellanea.
 202
 203 `gdb-5.1.1/utils'
 204      A grab bag of random utilities.
 205
 206    Note: the following instructions are for building GDB on Unix or
 207 Unix-like systems.  Instructions for building with DJGPP for
 208 MS-DOS/MS-Windows are in the file gdb/config/djgpp/README.
 209
 210    The simplest way to configure and build GDB is to run `configure'
 211 from the `gdb-VERSION-NUMBER' source directory, which in this example
 212 is the `gdb-5.1.1' directory.
 213
 214    First switch to the `gdb-VERSION-NUMBER' source directory if you are
 215 not already in it; then run `configure'.
 216
 217    For example:
 218
 219       cd gdb-5.1.1
 220       ./configure
 221       make
 222
 223    Running `configure' followed by `make' builds the `bfd',
 224 `readline', `mmalloc', and `libiberty' libraries, then `gdb' itself.
 225 The configured source files, and the binaries, are left in the
 226 corresponding source directories.
 227
 228    `configure' is a Bourne-shell (`/bin/sh') script; if your system
 229 does not recognize this automatically when you run a different shell,
 230 you may need to run `sh' on it explicitly:
 231
 232       sh configure
 233
 234    If you run `configure' from a directory that contains source
 235 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the `gdb-5.1.1'
 236 source directory for version 5.1.1, `configure' creates configuration
 237 files for every directory level underneath (unless you tell it not to,
 238 with the `--norecursion' option).
 239
 240    You can run the `configure' script from any of the subordinate
 241 directories in the GDB distribution, if you only want to configure that
 242 subdirectory; but be sure to specify a path to it.
 243
 244    For example, with version 5.1.1, type the following to configure only
 245 the `bfd' subdirectory:
 246
 247       cd gdb-5.1.1/bfd
 248       ../configure
 249
 250    You can install `gdb' anywhere; it has no hardwired paths. However,
 251 you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by the `SHELL'
 252 environment variable) is publicly readable.  Remember that GDB uses the
 253 shell to start your program--some systems refuse to let GDB debug child
 254 processes whose programs are not readable.
 255
 256
 257 Compiling GDB in another directory
 258 ==================================
 259
 260    If you want to run GDB versions for several host or target machines,
 261 you need a different `gdb' compiled for each combination of host and
 262 target.  `configure' is designed to make this easy by allowing you to
 263 generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory, rather than in
 264 the source directory.  If your `make' program handles the `VPATH'
 265 feature correctly (GNU `make' and SunOS 'make' are two that should),
 266 running `make' in each of these directories builds the `gdb' program
 267 specified there.
 268
 269    To build `gdb' in a separate directory, run `configure' with the
 270 `--srcdir' option to specify where to find the source. (You also need
 271 to specify a path to find `configure' itself from your working
 272 directory.  If the path to `configure' would be the same as the
 273 argument to `--srcdir', you can leave out the `--srcdir' option; it
 274 will be assumed.)
 275
 276    For example, with version 5.1.1, you can build GDB in a separate
 277 directory for a Sun 4 like this:
 278
 279      cd gdb-5.1.1
 280      mkdir ../gdb-sun4
 281      cd ../gdb-sun4
 282      ../gdb-5.1.1/configure
 283      make
 284
 285    When `configure' builds a configuration using a remote source
 286 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
 287 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory.  In
 288 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library `libiberty.a' in the
 289 directory `gdb-sun4/libiberty', and GDB itself in `gdb-sun4/gdb'.
 290
 291    One popular reason to build several GDB configurations in separate
 292 directories is to configure GDB for cross-compiling (where GDB runs on
 293 one machine--the host--while debugging programs that run on another
 294 machine--the target).  You specify a cross-debugging target by giving
 295 the `--target=TARGET' option to `configure'.
 296
 297    When you run `make' to build a program or library, you must run it
 298 in a configured directory--whatever directory you were in when you
 299 called `configure' (or one of its subdirectories).
 300
 301    The `Makefile' that `configure' generates in each source directory
 302 also runs recursively.  If you type `make' in a source directory such
 303 as `gdb-5.1.1' (or in a separate configured directory configured with
 304 `--srcdir=PATH/gdb-5.1.1'), you will build all the required libraries,
 305 and then build GDB.
 306
 307    When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
 308 directories, you can run `make' on them in parallel (for example, if
 309 they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
 310 with each other.
 311
 312
 313 Specifying names for hosts and targets
 314 ======================================
 315
 316    The specifications used for hosts and targets in the `configure'
 317 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short
 318 predefined aliases are also supported.  The full naming scheme encodes
 319 three pieces of information in the following pattern:
 320
 321      ARCHITECTURE-VENDOR-OS
 322
 323    For example, you can use the alias `sun4' as a HOST argument or in a
 324 `--target=TARGET' option.  The equivalent full name is
 325 `sparc-sun-sunos4'.
 326
 327    The `configure' script accompanying GDB does not provide any query
 328 facility to list all supported host and target names or aliases.
 329 `configure' calls the Bourne shell script `config.sub' to map
 330 abbreviations to full names; you can read the script, if you wish, or
 331 you can use it to test your guesses on abbreviations--for example:
 332
 333      % sh config.sub sun4
 334      sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
 335      % sh config.sub sun3
 336      m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
 337      % sh config.sub decstation
 338      mips-dec-ultrix4.2
 339      % sh config.sub hp300bsd
 340      m68k-hp-bsd
 341      % sh config.sub i386v
 342      i386-pc-sysv
 343      % sh config.sub i786v
 344      Invalid configuration `i786v': machine `i786v' not recognized
 345
 346 `config.sub' is also distributed in the GDB source directory
 347 (`gdb-5.1.1', for version 5.1.1).
 348
 349
 350 `configure' options
 351 ===================
 352
 353    Here is a summary of the `configure' options and arguments that are
 354 most often useful for building GDB.  `configure' also has several other
 355 options not listed here.  *note : (configure.info)What Configure Does,
 356 for a full explanation of `configure'.
 357
 358      configure [--help]
 359                [--prefix=DIR]
 360                [--srcdir=PATH]
 361                [--norecursion] [--rm]
 362                [--enable-build-warnings]
 363                [--target=TARGET]
 364                [--host=HOST]
 365                [HOST]
 366
 367 You may introduce options with a single `-' rather than `--' if you
 368 prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use `--'.
 369
 370 `--help'
 371      Display a quick summary of how to invoke `configure'.
 372
 373 `-prefix=DIR'
 374      Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
 375      `DIR'.
 376
 377 `--srcdir=PATH'
 378      *Warning: using this option requires GNU `make', or another `make'
 379      that compatibly implements the `VPATH' feature.*
 380      Use this option to make configurations in directories separate
 381      from the GDB source directories.  Among other things, you can use
 382      this to build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously,
 383      in separate directories.  `configure' writes configuration
 384      specific files in the current directory, but arranges for them to
 385      use the source in the directory PATH.  `configure' will create
 386      directories under the working directory in parallel to the source
 387      directories below PATH.
 388
 389 `--norecursion'
 390      Configure only the directory level where `configure' is executed;
 391      do not propagate configuration to subdirectories.
 392
 393 `--rm'
 394      Remove the configuration that the other arguments specify.
 395
 396 `--enable-build-warnings'
 397      When building the GDB sources, ask the compiler to warn about any
 398      code which looks even vaguely suspicious.  You should only using
 399      this feature if you're compiling with GNU CC.  It passes the
 400      following flags:
 401         -Wimplicit
 402         -Wreturn-type
 403         -Wcomment
 404         -Wtrigraphs
 405         -Wformat
 406         -Wparentheses
 407         -Wpointer-arith
 408
 409 `--target=TARGET'
 410      Configure GDB for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
 411      TARGET.  Without this option, GDB is configured to debug programs
 412      that run on the same machine (HOST) as GDB itself.
 413
 414      There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available
 415      targets.
 416
 417 `--host=HOST'
 418      Configure GDB to run on the specified HOST.
 419
 420      There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available
 421      hosts.
 422
 423 `HOST ...'
 424      Same as `--host=HOST'.  If you omit this, GDB will guess; it's
 425      quite accurate.
 426
 427 `configure' accepts other options, for compatibility with configuring
 428 other GNU tools recursively; but these are the only options that affect
 429 GDB or its supporting libraries.
 430
 431
 432 Remote debugging
 433 =================
 434
 435    The files m68k-stub.c, i386-stub.c, and sparc-stub.c are examples
 436 of remote stubs to be used with remote.c.  They are designed to run
 437 standalone on an m68k, i386, or SPARC cpu and communicate properly
 438 with the remote.c stub over a serial line.
 439
 440    The directory gdb/gdbserver/ contains `gdbserver', a program that
 441 allows remote debugging for Unix applications.  gdbserver is only
 442 supported for some native configurations, including Sun 3, Sun 4, and
 443 Linux.
 444
 445    There are a number of remote interfaces for talking to existing ROM
 446 monitors and other hardware:
 447
 448         remote-adapt.c   AMD 29000 "Adapt"
 449         remote-array.c   Array Tech RAID controller
 450         remote-bug.c     Motorola BUG monitor
 451         remote-e7000.c   Hitachi E7000 ICE
 452         remote-eb.c      AMD 29000 "EBMON"
 453         remote-es.c      Ericsson 1800 monitor
 454         remote-est.c     EST emulator
 455         remote-hms.c     Hitachi Micro Systems H8/300 monitor
 456         remote-mips.c    MIPS remote debugging protocol
 457         remote-mm.c      AMD 29000 "minimon"
 458         remote-nindy.c   Intel 960 "Nindy"
 459         remote-nrom.c    NetROM ROM emulator
 460         remote-os9k.c    PC running OS/9000
 461         remote-rdi.c     ARM with Angel monitor
 462         remote-rdp.c     ARM with Demon monitor
 463         remote-sds.c     PowerPC SDS monitor
 464         remote-sim.c     Generalized simulator protocol
 465         remote-st.c      Tandem ST-2000 monitor
 466         remote-udi.c     AMD 29000 using the AMD "Universal Debug Interface"
 467         remote-vx.c      VxWorks realtime kernel
 468
 469    Remote-vx.c and the vx-share subdirectory contain a remote
 470 interface for the VxWorks realtime kernel, which communicates over TCP
 471 using the Sun RPC library.  This would be a useful starting point for
 472 other remote- via-ethernet back ends.
 473
 474    Remote-udi.c and the 29k-share subdirectory contain a remote
 475 interface for AMD 29000 programs, which uses the AMD "Universal Debug
 476 Interface".  This allows GDB to talk to software simulators,
 477 emulators, and/or bare hardware boards, via network or serial
 478 interfaces.  Note that GDB only provides an interface that speaks UDI,
 479 not a complete solution.  You will need something on the other end
 480 that also speaks UDI.
 481
 482
 483 Reporting Bugs
 484 ===============
 485
 486    The correct address for reporting bugs found in gdb is
 487 "bug-gdb@gnu.org".  Please email all bugs, and all requests for help
 488 with GDB, to that address.  Please include the GDB version number
 489 (e.g., gdb-5.1.1), and how you configured it (e.g., "sun4" or "mach386
 490 host, i586-intel-synopsys target").  Since GDB now supports so many
 491 different configurations, it is important that you be precise about
 492 this.  If at all possible, you should include the actual banner that
 493 GDB prints when it starts up, or failing that, the actual configure
 494 command that you used when configuring GDB.
 495
 496    For more information on how/whether to report bugs, see the GDB
 497 Bugs section of the GDB manual (gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo) or the
 498 gdb/CONTRIBUTE file.
 499
 500
 501 Graphical interface to GDB -- X Windows, MS Windows
 502 ==========================
 503
 504    Several graphical interfaces to GDB are available.  You should
 505 check:
 506
 507         http://sourceware.cygnus.com/gdb/#gui
 508
 509 for an up-to-date list.
 510
 511    Emacs users will very likely enjoy the Grand Unified Debugger mode;
 512 try typing `M-x gdb RET'.
 513
 514
 515 Writing Code for GDB
 516 =====================
 517
 518    There is a lot of information about writing code for GDB in the
 519 internals manual, distributed with GDB in gdb/doc/gdbint.texinfo.  You
 520 can read it by hand, print it by using TeX and texinfo, or process it
 521 into an `info' file for use with Emacs' info mode or the standalone
 522 `info' program.
 523
 524    If you are pondering writing anything but a short patch, especially
 525 take note of the information about copyrights in the node Submitting
 526 Patches.  It can take quite a while to get all the paperwork done, so
 527 we encourage you to start that process as soon as you decide you are
 528 planning to work on something, or at least well ahead of when you
 529 think you will be ready to submit the patches.
 530
 531
 532 GDB Testsuite
 533 =============
 534
 535    Included with the GDB distribution is a DejaGNU based testsuite
 536 that can either be used to test your newly built GDB, or for
 537 regression testing a GDB with local modifications.
 538
 539    Running the testsuite requires the prior installation of DejaGNU,
 540 which is generally available via ftp.  The directory
 541 ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/dejagnu/ will contain a recent
 542 snapshot.  Once DejaGNU is installed, you can run the tests in one of
 543 the following ways:
 544
 545   (1)   cd gdb-5.1.1
 546         make check-gdb
 547
 548 or
 549
 550   (2)   cd gdb-5.1.1/gdb
 551         make check
 552
 553 or
 554
 555   (3)   cd gdb-5.1.1/gdb/testsuite
 556         make site.exp   (builds the site specific file)
 557         runtest -tool gdb GDB=../gdb    (or GDB=<somepath> as appropriate)
 558
 559 The last method gives you slightly more control in case of problems
 560 with building one or more test executables or if you are using the
 561 testsuite `standalone', without it being part of the GDB source tree.
 562
 563 See the DejaGNU documentation for further details.
 564
 565 \f
 566 (this is for editing this file with GNU emacs)
 567 Local Variables:
 568 mode: text
 569 End: