2011-02-21 Michael Snyder <msnyder@vmware.com>
[deliverable/binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
3 @c 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
4 @c 2010, 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5 @c
6 @c %**start of header
7 @c makeinfo ignores cmds prev to setfilename, so its arg cannot make use
8 @c of @set vars. However, you can override filename with makeinfo -o.
9 @setfilename gdb.info
10 @c
11 @include gdb-cfg.texi
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 @syncodeindex ky cp
24 @syncodeindex tp cp
25
26 @c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
27 @c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
28 @syncodeindex vr cp
29 @syncodeindex fn cp
30
31 @c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
32 @c This is updated by GNU Press.
33 @set EDITION Ninth
34
35 @c !!set GDB edit command default editor
36 @set EDITOR /bin/ex
37
38 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
39
40 @c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
41 @c manuals to an info tree.
42 @dircategory Software development
43 @direntry
44 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
45 @end direntry
46
47 @copying
48 Copyright @copyright{} 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
49 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
50 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
51
52 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
53 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
54 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
55 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
56 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
57 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
58
59 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
60 this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
61 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
62 @end copying
63
64 @ifnottex
65 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
66
67 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
68 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
69 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
70 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
71 @end ifset
72 Version @value{GDBVN}.
73
74 @insertcopying
75 @end ifnottex
76
77 @titlepage
78 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
79 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
80 @sp 1
81 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
82 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
83 @sp 1
84 @subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
85 @end ifset
86 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
87 @page
88 @tex
89 {\parskip=0pt
90 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
91 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
92 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
93 }
94 @end tex
95
96 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
97 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
98 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
99 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
100 ISBN 1-882114-77-9 @*
101
102 @insertcopying
103 @page
104 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
105 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
106 software in general. We will miss him.
107 @end titlepage
108 @page
109
110 @ifnottex
111 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
112
113 @top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
114
115 This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
116
117 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN}
118 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
119 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
120 @end ifset
121 Version @value{GDBVN}.
122
123 Copyright (C) 1988-2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
124
125 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
126 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
127 software in general. We will miss him.
128
129 @menu
130 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
131 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
132
133 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
134 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
135 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
136 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
137 * Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
138 * Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
139 * Stack:: Examining the stack
140 * Source:: Examining source files
141 * Data:: Examining data
142 * Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
143 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
144 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
145 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
146
147 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
148
149 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
150 * Altering:: Altering execution
151 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
152 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
153 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
154 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
155 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
156 * Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
157 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
158 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
159 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
160 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
161 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
162 * JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
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 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
175 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
176 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
177 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
178 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
179 * Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
180 @value{GDBN}
181 * Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
182 the operating system
183 * Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
184 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
185 how you can copy and share GDB
186 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
187 * Index:: Index
188 @end menu
189
190 @end ifnottex
191
192 @contents
193
194 @node Summary
195 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
196
197 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
198 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
199 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
200
201 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
202 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
203
204 @itemize @bullet
205 @item
206 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
207
208 @item
209 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
210
211 @item
212 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
213
214 @item
215 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
216 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
217 @end itemize
218
219 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
220 For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
221 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
222
223 Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
224 @ref{D,,D}.
225
226 @cindex Modula-2
227 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
228 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
229
230 Support for OpenCL C is partial. For information on OpenCL C, see
231 @ref{OpenCL C,,OpenCL C}.
232
233 @cindex Pascal
234 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
235 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
236 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
237 syntax.
238
239 @cindex Fortran
240 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
241 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
242 underscore.
243
244 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
245 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
246
247 @menu
248 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
249 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
250 @end menu
251
252 @node Free Software
253 @unnumberedsec Free Software
254
255 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
256 General Public License
257 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
258 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
259 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
260 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
261 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
262 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
263
264 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
265 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
266 from anyone else.
267
268 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
269
270 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
271 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
272 include with the free software. Many of our most important
273 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
274 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
275 when an important free software package does not come with a free
276 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
277 gaps today.
278
279 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
280 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
281 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
282 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
283 them from the free software world.
284
285 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
286 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
287 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
288 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
289 contract to make it non-free.
290
291 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
292 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
293 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
294 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
295 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
296 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
297 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
298
299 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
300 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
301 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
302 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
303
304 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
305 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
306 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
307 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
308 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
309 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
310 community.
311
312 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
313 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
314 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
315 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
316 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
317 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
318 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
319 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
320 of the manual.
321
322 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
323 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
324 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
325 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
326 manual to replace it.
327
328 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
329 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
330 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
331 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
332 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
333 the free software community.
334
335 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
336 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
337 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
338 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
339 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
340 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
341 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
342 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
343 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
344
345 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
346 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
347 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
348 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
349 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
350 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
351 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
352 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
353
354 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
355 published by other publishers, at
356 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
357
358 @node Contributors
359 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
360
361 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
362 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
363 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
364 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
365 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
366 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
367 blow-by-blow account.
368
369 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
370
371 @quotation
372 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
373 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
374 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
375 @end quotation
376
377 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
378 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
379 releases:
380 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
381 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
382 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
383 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
384 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
385 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
386 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
387 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
388 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
389
390 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
391 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
392
393 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
394 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
395 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
396 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
397 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
398
399 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
400 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
401 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
402
403 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
404 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
405
406 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
407
408 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
409 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
410 support.
411 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
412 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
413 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
414 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
415 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
416 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
417 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
418 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
419 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
420 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
421 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
422 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
423 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
424 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
425 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
426 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
427
428 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
429
430 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
431 libraries.
432
433 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
434 about several machine instruction sets.
435
436 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
437 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
438 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
439 and RDI targets, respectively.
440
441 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
442 command-line editing and command history.
443
444 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
445 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
446
447 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
448 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
449 symbols.
450
451 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
452 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
453
454 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
455
456 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
457 processors.
458
459 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
460
461 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
462
463 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
464
465 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
466 watchpoints.
467
468 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
469
470 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
471
472 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
473 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
474
475 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
476 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
477 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
478 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
479 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
480 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
481 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
482
483 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
484 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
485
486 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
487 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
488 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
489 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
490 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
491 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
492 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
493 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
494 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
495 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
496 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
497 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
498 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
499 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
500 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
501
502 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
503 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
504
505 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
506 Hat.
507
508 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
509 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
510 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
511 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
512 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
513 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
514
515 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
516 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
517 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
518 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
519 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
520 trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
521 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
522 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
523 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
524 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
525 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
526 Weigand.
527
528 Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
529 Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
530 who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
531 Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
532
533 Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
534 Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
535
536 @node Sample Session
537 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
538
539 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
540 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
541 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
542
543 @iftex
544 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
545 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
546 @end iftex
547
548 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
549 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
550
551 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
552 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
553 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
554 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
555 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
556 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
557 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
558 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
559 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
560
561 @smallexample
562 $ @b{cd gnu/m4}
563 $ @b{./m4}
564 @b{define(foo,0000)}
565
566 @b{foo}
567 0000
568 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
569
570 @b{bar}
571 0000
572 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
573
574 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
575 @b{baz}
576 @b{Ctrl-d}
577 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
578 @end smallexample
579
580 @noindent
581 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
582
583 @smallexample
584 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
585 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
586 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
587 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
588 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
589 the conditions.
590 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
591 for details.
592
593 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
594 (@value{GDBP})
595 @end smallexample
596
597 @noindent
598 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
599 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
600 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
601 that examples fit in this manual.
602
603 @smallexample
604 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
605 @end smallexample
606
607 @noindent
608 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
609 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
610 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
611 @code{break} command.
612
613 @smallexample
614 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
615 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
616 @end smallexample
617
618 @noindent
619 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
620 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
621 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
622
623 @smallexample
624 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
625 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
626 @b{define(foo,0000)}
627
628 @b{foo}
629 0000
630 @end smallexample
631
632 @noindent
633 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
634 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
635 context where it stops.
636
637 @smallexample
638 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
639
640 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
641 at builtin.c:879
642 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
643 @end smallexample
644
645 @noindent
646 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
647 the next line of the current function.
648
649 @smallexample
650 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
651 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
652 : nil,
653 @end smallexample
654
655 @noindent
656 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
657 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
658 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
659 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
660
661 @smallexample
662 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
663 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
664 at input.c:530
665 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
666 @end smallexample
667
668 @noindent
669 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
670 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
671 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
672 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
673 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
674 stack frame for each active subroutine.
675
676 @smallexample
677 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
678 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
679 at input.c:530
680 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
681 at builtin.c:882
682 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
683 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
684 at macro.c:71
685 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
686 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
687 @end smallexample
688
689 @noindent
690 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
691 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
692 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
693
694 @smallexample
695 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
696 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
697 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
698 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
699 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
700 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
701 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
702 : xstrdup(rq);
703 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
704 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
705 @end smallexample
706
707 @noindent
708 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
709 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
710 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
711 (@code{print}) to see their values.
712
713 @smallexample
714 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
715 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
716 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
717 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
718 @end smallexample
719
720 @noindent
721 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
722 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
723 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
724
725 @smallexample
726 (@value{GDBP}) @b{l}
727 533 xfree(rquote);
728 534
729 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
730 : xstrdup (lq);
731 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
732 : xstrdup (rq);
733 537
734 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
735 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
736 540 @}
737 541
738 542 void
739 @end smallexample
740
741 @noindent
742 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
743 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
744
745 @smallexample
746 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
747 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
748 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
749 540 @}
750 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
751 $3 = 9
752 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
753 $4 = 7
754 @end smallexample
755
756 @noindent
757 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
758 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
759 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
760 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
761 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
762 assignments.
763
764 @smallexample
765 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
766 $5 = 7
767 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
768 $6 = 9
769 @end smallexample
770
771 @noindent
772 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
773 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
774 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
775 example that caused trouble initially:
776
777 @smallexample
778 (@value{GDBP}) @b{c}
779 Continuing.
780
781 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
782
783 baz
784 0000
785 @end smallexample
786
787 @noindent
788 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
789 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
790 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
791
792 @smallexample
793 @b{Ctrl-d}
794 Program exited normally.
795 @end smallexample
796
797 @noindent
798 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
799 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
800 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
801
802 @smallexample
803 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
804 @end smallexample
805
806 @node Invocation
807 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
808
809 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
810 The essentials are:
811 @itemize @bullet
812 @item
813 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
814 @item
815 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
816 @end itemize
817
818 @menu
819 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
820 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
821 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
822 * Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
823 @end menu
824
825 @node Invoking GDB
826 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
827
828 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
829 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
830
831 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
832 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
833
834 The command-line options described here are designed
835 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
836 options may effectively be unavailable.
837
838 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
839 specifying an executable program:
840
841 @smallexample
842 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
843 @end smallexample
844
845 @noindent
846 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
847 specified:
848
849 @smallexample
850 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
851 @end smallexample
852
853 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
854 to debug a running process:
855
856 @smallexample
857 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
858 @end smallexample
859
860 @noindent
861 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
862 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
863
864 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
865 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
866 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
867 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
868 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
869
870 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
871 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
872 option processing.
873 @smallexample
874 @value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
875 @end smallexample
876 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
877 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
878
879 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
880 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
881
882 @smallexample
883 @value{GDBP} -silent
884 @end smallexample
885
886 @noindent
887 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
888 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
889
890 @noindent
891 Type
892
893 @smallexample
894 @value{GDBP} -help
895 @end smallexample
896
897 @noindent
898 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
899 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
900
901 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
902 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
903 @samp{-x} option is used.
904
905
906 @menu
907 * File Options:: Choosing files
908 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
909 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
910 @end menu
911
912 @node File Options
913 @subsection Choosing Files
914
915 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
916 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
917 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
918 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
919 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
920 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
921 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
922 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
923 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
924 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
925 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
926 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
927 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
928
929 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
930 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
931 argument and ignore it.
932
933 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
934 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
935 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
936 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
937 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
938
939 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
940 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
941 @c it.
942
943 @table @code
944 @item -symbols @var{file}
945 @itemx -s @var{file}
946 @cindex @code{--symbols}
947 @cindex @code{-s}
948 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
949
950 @item -exec @var{file}
951 @itemx -e @var{file}
952 @cindex @code{--exec}
953 @cindex @code{-e}
954 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
955 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
956
957 @item -se @var{file}
958 @cindex @code{--se}
959 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
960 file.
961
962 @item -core @var{file}
963 @itemx -c @var{file}
964 @cindex @code{--core}
965 @cindex @code{-c}
966 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
967
968 @item -pid @var{number}
969 @itemx -p @var{number}
970 @cindex @code{--pid}
971 @cindex @code{-p}
972 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
973
974 @item -command @var{file}
975 @itemx -x @var{file}
976 @cindex @code{--command}
977 @cindex @code{-x}
978 Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
979 evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
980 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
981
982 @item -eval-command @var{command}
983 @itemx -ex @var{command}
984 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
985 @cindex @code{-ex}
986 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
987
988 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
989 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
990
991 @smallexample
992 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
993 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
994 @end smallexample
995
996 @item -directory @var{directory}
997 @itemx -d @var{directory}
998 @cindex @code{--directory}
999 @cindex @code{-d}
1000 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
1001
1002 @item -r
1003 @itemx -readnow
1004 @cindex @code{--readnow}
1005 @cindex @code{-r}
1006 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
1007 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
1008 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1009
1010 @end table
1011
1012 @node Mode Options
1013 @subsection Choosing Modes
1014
1015 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1016 batch mode or quiet mode.
1017
1018 @table @code
1019 @item -nx
1020 @itemx -n
1021 @cindex @code{--nx}
1022 @cindex @code{-n}
1023 Do not execute commands found in any initialization files. Normally,
1024 @value{GDBN} executes the commands in these files after all the command
1025 options and arguments have been processed. @xref{Command Files,,Command
1026 Files}.
1027
1028 @item -quiet
1029 @itemx -silent
1030 @itemx -q
1031 @cindex @code{--quiet}
1032 @cindex @code{--silent}
1033 @cindex @code{-q}
1034 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1035 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1036
1037 @item -batch
1038 @cindex @code{--batch}
1039 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1040 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1041 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1042 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1043 in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination, sets unlimited
1044 terminal width and height @pxref{Screen Size}, and acts as if @kbd{set confirm
1045 off} were in effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1046
1047 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1048 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1049 make this more useful, the message
1050
1051 @smallexample
1052 Program exited normally.
1053 @end smallexample
1054
1055 @noindent
1056 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1057 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1058 mode.
1059
1060 @item -batch-silent
1061 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1062 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1063 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1064 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1065 for an interactive session.
1066
1067 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1068 messages, for example.
1069
1070 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1071 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1072
1073 @item -return-child-result
1074 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1075 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1076 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1077
1078 @itemize @bullet
1079 @item
1080 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1081 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1082 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1083 @item
1084 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1085 @item
1086 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1087 the exit code will be -1.
1088 @end itemize
1089
1090 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1091 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1092 interface.
1093
1094 @item -nowindows
1095 @itemx -nw
1096 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1097 @cindex @code{-nw}
1098 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1099 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1100 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1101
1102 @item -windows
1103 @itemx -w
1104 @cindex @code{--windows}
1105 @cindex @code{-w}
1106 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1107 used if possible.
1108
1109 @item -cd @var{directory}
1110 @cindex @code{--cd}
1111 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1112 instead of the current directory.
1113
1114 @item -data-directory @var{directory}
1115 @cindex @code{--data-directory}
1116 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its data directory.
1117 The data directory is where @value{GDBN} searches for its
1118 auxiliary files. @xref{Data Files}.
1119
1120 @item -fullname
1121 @itemx -f
1122 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1123 @cindex @code{-f}
1124 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1125 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1126 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1127 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1128 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1129 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1130 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1131 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1132 frame.
1133
1134 @item -epoch
1135 @cindex @code{--epoch}
1136 The Epoch Emacs-@value{GDBN} interface sets this option when it runs
1137 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to modify its print
1138 routines so as to allow Epoch to display values of expressions in a
1139 separate window.
1140
1141 @item -annotate @var{level}
1142 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1143 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1144 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1145 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1146 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1147 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1148 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1149 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1150 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1151
1152 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1153 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
1154
1155 @item --args
1156 @cindex @code{--args}
1157 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1158 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1159 This option stops option processing.
1160
1161 @item -baud @var{bps}
1162 @itemx -b @var{bps}
1163 @cindex @code{--baud}
1164 @cindex @code{-b}
1165 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1166 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1167
1168 @item -l @var{timeout}
1169 @cindex @code{-l}
1170 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1171 for remote debugging.
1172
1173 @item -tty @var{device}
1174 @itemx -t @var{device}
1175 @cindex @code{--tty}
1176 @cindex @code{-t}
1177 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1178 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1179
1180 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1181 @item -tui
1182 @cindex @code{--tui}
1183 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1184 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1185 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1186 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Alternatively, the
1187 Text User Interface can be enabled by invoking the program
1188 @samp{@value{GDBTUI}}. Do not use this option if you run @value{GDBN} from
1189 Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1190
1191 @c @item -xdb
1192 @c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1193 @c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1194 @c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1195 @c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1196 @c systems.
1197
1198 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1199 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1200 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1201 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1202 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1203 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1204
1205 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1206 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1207 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1208 previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1209 selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1210 @sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1211
1212 @item -write
1213 @cindex @code{--write}
1214 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1215 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1216 (@pxref{Patching}).
1217
1218 @item -statistics
1219 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1220 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1221 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1222
1223 @item -version
1224 @cindex @code{--version}
1225 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1226 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1227
1228 @end table
1229
1230 @node Startup
1231 @subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1232 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1233
1234 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1235
1236 @enumerate
1237 @item
1238 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1239 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1240
1241 @item
1242 @cindex init file
1243 Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1244 used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1245 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
1246 that file.
1247
1248 @item
1249 Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1250 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1251 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1252 that file.
1253
1254 @item
1255 Processes command line options and operands.
1256
1257 @item
1258 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1259 working directory. This is only done if the current directory is
1260 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1261 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1262 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1263 @value{GDBN}.
1264
1265 @item
1266 If the command line specified a program to debug, or a process to
1267 attach to, or a core file, @value{GDBN} loads any auto-loaded
1268 scripts provided for the program or for its loaded shared libraries.
1269 @xref{Auto-loading}.
1270
1271 If you wish to disable the auto-loading during startup,
1272 you must do something like the following:
1273
1274 @smallexample
1275 $ gdb -ex "set auto-load-scripts off" -ex "file myprogram"
1276 @end smallexample
1277
1278 The following does not work because the auto-loading is turned off too late:
1279
1280 @smallexample
1281 $ gdb -ex "set auto-load-scripts off" myprogram
1282 @end smallexample
1283
1284 @item
1285 Reads command files specified by the @samp{-x} option. @xref{Command
1286 Files}, for more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1287
1288 @item
1289 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1290 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1291 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1292 @end enumerate
1293
1294 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1295 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1296 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1297 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1298 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1299 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1300
1301 To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1302 can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1303
1304 @cindex init file name
1305 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1306 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1307 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1308 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1309 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1310 ports of @value{GDBN} use the standard name, but if they find a
1311 @file{gdb.ini} file, they warn you about that and suggest to rename
1312 the file to the standard name.
1313
1314
1315 @node Quitting GDB
1316 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1317 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1318 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1319
1320 @table @code
1321 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1322 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1323 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1324 @itemx q
1325 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1326 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1327 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1328 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1329 error code.
1330 @end table
1331
1332 @cindex interrupt
1333 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1334 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1335 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1336 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1337 until a time when it is safe.
1338
1339 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1340 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1341 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1342
1343 @node Shell Commands
1344 @section Shell Commands
1345
1346 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1347 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1348 just use the @code{shell} command.
1349
1350 @table @code
1351 @kindex shell
1352 @cindex shell escape
1353 @item shell @var{command string}
1354 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command string}.
1355 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1356 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1357 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1358 @end table
1359
1360 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1361 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1362 @value{GDBN}:
1363
1364 @table @code
1365 @kindex make
1366 @cindex calling make
1367 @item make @var{make-args}
1368 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1369 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1370 @end table
1371
1372 @node Logging Output
1373 @section Logging Output
1374 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1375 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1376
1377 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1378 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1379
1380 @table @code
1381 @kindex set logging
1382 @item set logging on
1383 Enable logging.
1384 @item set logging off
1385 Disable logging.
1386 @cindex logging file name
1387 @item set logging file @var{file}
1388 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1389 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1390 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1391 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1392 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1393 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1394 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1395 @kindex show logging
1396 @item show logging
1397 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1398 @end table
1399
1400 @node Commands
1401 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1402
1403 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1404 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1405 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1406 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1407 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1408
1409 @menu
1410 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1411 * Completion:: Command completion
1412 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1413 @end menu
1414
1415 @node Command Syntax
1416 @section Command Syntax
1417
1418 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1419 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1420 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1421 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1422 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1423 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1424
1425 @cindex abbreviation
1426 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1427 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1428 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1429 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1430 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1431 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1432 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1433
1434 @cindex repeating commands
1435 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1436 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1437 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1438 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1439 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1440 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1441 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1442
1443 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1444 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1445 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1446
1447 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1448 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1449 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1450 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1451 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1452
1453 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1454 @cindex comment
1455 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1456 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1457 Files,,Command Files}).
1458
1459 @cindex repeating command sequences
1460 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1461 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1462 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1463 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1464 for editing.
1465
1466 @node Completion
1467 @section Command Completion
1468
1469 @cindex completion
1470 @cindex word completion
1471 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1472 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1473 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1474 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1475
1476 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1477 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1478 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1479 enter it). For example, if you type
1480
1481 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1482 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1483 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1484 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1485 @smallexample
1486 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1487 @end smallexample
1488
1489 @noindent
1490 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1491 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1492
1493 @smallexample
1494 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1495 @end smallexample
1496
1497 @noindent
1498 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1499 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1500 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1501 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1502 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1503 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1504
1505 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1506 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1507 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1508 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1509 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1510 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1511 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1512 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1513 example:
1514
1515 @smallexample
1516 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1517 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1518 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1519 make_abs_section make_function_type
1520 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1521 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1522 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1523 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1524 @end smallexample
1525
1526 @noindent
1527 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1528 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1529 command.
1530
1531 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1532 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1533 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1534 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1535 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1536
1537 @cindex quotes in commands
1538 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1539 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1540 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1541 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1542 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1543 @value{GDBN} commands.
1544
1545 The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1546 name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1547 overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1548 by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1549 may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1550 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1551 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1552 word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1553 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1554 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1555 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1556
1557 @smallexample
1558 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1559 bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1560 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1561 @end smallexample
1562
1563 In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1564 quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1565 completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1566 place:
1567
1568 @smallexample
1569 (@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1570 @exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1571 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1572 @end smallexample
1573
1574 @noindent
1575 In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1576 you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1577 completion on an overloaded symbol.
1578
1579 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1580 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1581 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1582 see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1583
1584 @cindex completion of structure field names
1585 @cindex structure field name completion
1586 @cindex completion of union field names
1587 @cindex union field name completion
1588 When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1589 structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1590 confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1591 examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1592 limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1593 left-hand-side:
1594
1595 @smallexample
1596 (@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1597 magic to_delete to_fputs to_put to_rewind
1598 to_data to_flush to_isatty to_read to_write
1599 @end smallexample
1600
1601 @noindent
1602 This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1603 @code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1604 follows:
1605
1606 @smallexample
1607 struct ui_file
1608 @{
1609 int *magic;
1610 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1611 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1612 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1613 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1614 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1615 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1616 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1617 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1618 void *to_data;
1619 @}
1620 @end smallexample
1621
1622
1623 @node Help
1624 @section Getting Help
1625 @cindex online documentation
1626 @kindex help
1627
1628 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1629 using the command @code{help}.
1630
1631 @table @code
1632 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1633 @item help
1634 @itemx h
1635 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1636 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1637
1638 @smallexample
1639 (@value{GDBP}) help
1640 List of classes of commands:
1641
1642 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1643 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1644 data -- Examining data
1645 files -- Specifying and examining files
1646 internals -- Maintenance commands
1647 obscure -- Obscure features
1648 running -- Running the program
1649 stack -- Examining the stack
1650 status -- Status inquiries
1651 support -- Support facilities
1652 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
1653 stopping the program
1654 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1655
1656 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1657 commands in that class.
1658 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1659 documentation.
1660 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1661 (@value{GDBP})
1662 @end smallexample
1663 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1664
1665 @item help @var{class}
1666 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1667 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1668 help display for the class @code{status}:
1669
1670 @smallexample
1671 (@value{GDBP}) help status
1672 Status inquiries.
1673
1674 List of commands:
1675
1676 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1677 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
1678 info -- Generic command for showing things
1679 about the program being debugged
1680 show -- Generic command for showing things
1681 about the debugger
1682
1683 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1684 documentation.
1685 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1686 (@value{GDBP})
1687 @end smallexample
1688
1689 @item help @var{command}
1690 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1691 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1692
1693 @kindex apropos
1694 @item apropos @var{args}
1695 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1696 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1697 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1698
1699 @smallexample
1700 apropos reload
1701 @end smallexample
1702
1703 @noindent
1704 results in:
1705
1706 @smallexample
1707 @c @group
1708 set symbol-reloading -- Set dynamic symbol table reloading
1709 multiple times in one run
1710 show symbol-reloading -- Show dynamic symbol table reloading
1711 multiple times in one run
1712 @c @end group
1713 @end smallexample
1714
1715 @kindex complete
1716 @item complete @var{args}
1717 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1718 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1719 command you want completed. For example:
1720
1721 @smallexample
1722 complete i
1723 @end smallexample
1724
1725 @noindent results in:
1726
1727 @smallexample
1728 @group
1729 if
1730 ignore
1731 info
1732 inspect
1733 @end group
1734 @end smallexample
1735
1736 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1737 @end table
1738
1739 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1740 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1741 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1742 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1743 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Index point to
1744 all the sub-commands. @xref{Index}.
1745
1746 @c @group
1747 @table @code
1748 @kindex info
1749 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1750 @item info
1751 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1752 program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
1753 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1754 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1755 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1756 @w{@code{help info}}.
1757
1758 @kindex set
1759 @item set
1760 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1761 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1762 @code{set prompt $}.
1763
1764 @kindex show
1765 @item show
1766 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1767 @value{GDBN} itself.
1768 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1769 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1770 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1771 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1772
1773 @kindex info set
1774 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1775 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1776 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1777 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1778 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1779 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1780 @end table
1781 @c @end group
1782
1783 Here are three miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1784 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1785
1786 @table @code
1787 @kindex show version
1788 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1789 @item show version
1790 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1791 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1792 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1793 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1794 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1795 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1796 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1797 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1798 @value{GDBN}.
1799
1800 @kindex show copying
1801 @kindex info copying
1802 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1803 @item show copying
1804 @itemx info copying
1805 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1806
1807 @kindex show warranty
1808 @kindex info warranty
1809 @item show warranty
1810 @itemx info warranty
1811 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1812 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1813
1814 @end table
1815
1816 @node Running
1817 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1818
1819 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1820 debugging information when you compile it.
1821
1822 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1823 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1824 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1825 kill a child process.
1826
1827 @menu
1828 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1829 * Starting:: Starting your program
1830 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1831 * Environment:: Your program's environment
1832
1833 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1834 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1835 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1836 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1837
1838 * Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
1839 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1840 * Forks:: Debugging forks
1841 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1842 @end menu
1843
1844 @node Compilation
1845 @section Compiling for Debugging
1846
1847 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1848 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1849 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1850 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1851 and addresses in the executable code.
1852
1853 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1854 the compiler.
1855
1856 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1857 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
1858 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1859 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1860 executables containing debugging information.
1861
1862 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1863 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1864 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1865 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1866 in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
1867
1868 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1869 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1870 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1871
1872 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1873 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1874 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1875 the @option{-g} flag alone, because this information is rather large.
1876 Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
1877 provides macro information if you specify the options
1878 @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-g3}; the former option requests
1879 debugging information in the Dwarf 2 format, and the latter requests
1880 ``extra information''. In the future, we hope to find more compact
1881 ways to represent macro information, so that it can be included with
1882 @option{-g} alone.
1883
1884 @need 2000
1885 @node Starting
1886 @section Starting your Program
1887 @cindex starting
1888 @cindex running
1889
1890 @table @code
1891 @kindex run
1892 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1893 @item run
1894 @itemx r
1895 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1896 You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1897 argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1898 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1899 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
1900
1901 @end table
1902
1903 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1904 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1905 that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
1906 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
1907 like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
1908 message like this one:
1909
1910 @smallexample
1911 The "remote" target does not support "run".
1912 Try "help target" or "continue".
1913 @end smallexample
1914
1915 @noindent
1916 then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
1917 first (@pxref{load}).
1918
1919 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
1920 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
1921 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
1922 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
1923 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
1924 divided into four categories:
1925
1926 @table @asis
1927 @item The @emph{arguments.}
1928 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
1929 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
1930 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
1931 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
1932 the arguments.
1933 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
1934 @code{SHELL} environment variable.
1935 @xref{Arguments, ,Your Program's Arguments}.
1936
1937 @item The @emph{environment.}
1938 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
1939 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
1940 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
1941 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
1942
1943 @item The @emph{working directory.}
1944 Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
1945 the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
1946 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
1947
1948 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
1949 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
1950 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
1951 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
1952 set a different device for your program.
1953 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
1954
1955 @cindex pipes
1956 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
1957 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
1958 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
1959 wrong program.
1960 @end table
1961
1962 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
1963 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
1964 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
1965 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
1966 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
1967
1968 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
1969 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
1970 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
1971 your current breakpoints.
1972
1973 @table @code
1974 @kindex start
1975 @item start
1976 @cindex run to main procedure
1977 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
1978 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
1979 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
1980 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
1981 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
1982 procedure, depending on the language used.
1983
1984 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
1985 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
1986 the @samp{run} command.
1987
1988 @cindex elaboration phase
1989 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
1990 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
1991 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
1992 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
1993 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
1994 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
1995 will remain to halt execution.
1996
1997 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
1998 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
1999 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
2000 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
2001 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
2002
2003 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
2004 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
2005 your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
2006 elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
2007 elaboration code before running your program.
2008
2009 @kindex set exec-wrapper
2010 @item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
2011 @itemx show exec-wrapper
2012 @itemx unset exec-wrapper
2013 When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
2014 launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
2015 with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
2016 @var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
2017 arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
2018 appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
2019 your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
2020
2021 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
2022 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
2023 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
2024 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
2025
2026 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
2027 the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
2028 environment:
2029
2030 @smallexample
2031 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
2032 (@value{GDBP}) run
2033 @end smallexample
2034
2035 This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2036 @sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2037
2038 @kindex set disable-randomization
2039 @item set disable-randomization
2040 @itemx set disable-randomization on
2041 This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2042 randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2043 is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2044 reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2045
2046 This feature is implemented only on @sc{gnu}/Linux. You can get the same
2047 behavior using
2048
2049 @smallexample
2050 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2051 @end smallexample
2052
2053 @item set disable-randomization off
2054 Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2055 ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2056 disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2057 @value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2058 as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2059 disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2060
2061 The virtual address space randomization is implemented only on @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2062 It protects the programs against some kinds of security attacks. In these
2063 cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2064 code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2065 a code at its expected addresses.
2066
2067 Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2068 makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2069 having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2070 library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2071 misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2072 random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2073 startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2074 a randomly chosen address.
2075
2076 Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2077 similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2078 a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2079 already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2080 executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2081
2082 Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2083 (as long as the randomization is enabled).
2084
2085 @item show disable-randomization
2086 Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2087 the virtual address space of the started program.
2088
2089 @end table
2090
2091 @node Arguments
2092 @section Your Program's Arguments
2093
2094 @cindex arguments (to your program)
2095 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2096 @code{run} command.
2097 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2098 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2099 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2100 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2101 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2102
2103 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2104 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2105 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2106 the program, not by the shell.
2107
2108 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2109 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2110
2111 @table @code
2112 @kindex set args
2113 @item set args
2114 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2115 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2116 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2117 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2118 it again without arguments.
2119
2120 @kindex show args
2121 @item show args
2122 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2123 @end table
2124
2125 @node Environment
2126 @section Your Program's Environment
2127
2128 @cindex environment (of your program)
2129 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2130 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2131 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2132 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2133 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2134 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2135 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2136
2137 @table @code
2138 @kindex path
2139 @item path @var{directory}
2140 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2141 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2142 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2143 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2144 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2145 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2146 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2147
2148 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2149 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2150 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2151 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2152 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2153 @var{directory} to the search path.
2154 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2155 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2156
2157 @kindex show paths
2158 @item show paths
2159 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2160 environment variable).
2161
2162 @kindex show environment
2163 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2164 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2165 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2166 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2167 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2168
2169 @kindex set environment
2170 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2171 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2172 changes for your program only, not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may
2173 be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
2174 any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2175 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2176 null value.
2177 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2178 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2179
2180 For example, this command:
2181
2182 @smallexample
2183 set env USER = foo
2184 @end smallexample
2185
2186 @noindent
2187 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2188 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2189 are not actually required.)
2190
2191 @kindex unset environment
2192 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2193 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2194 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2195 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2196 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2197 @end table
2198
2199 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2200 the shell indicated
2201 by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it exists (or
2202 @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable names a shell
2203 that runs an initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, or
2204 @file{.bashrc} for BASH---any variables you set in that file affect
2205 your program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to
2206 files that are only run when you sign on, such as @file{.login} or
2207 @file{.profile}.
2208
2209 @node Working Directory
2210 @section Your Program's Working Directory
2211
2212 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2213 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2214 working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2215 The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2216 from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2217 working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2218
2219 The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2220 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2221 Specify Files}.
2222
2223 @table @code
2224 @kindex cd
2225 @cindex change working directory
2226 @item cd @var{directory}
2227 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}.
2228
2229 @kindex pwd
2230 @item pwd
2231 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2232 @end table
2233
2234 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2235 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2236 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2237 configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2238 proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2239 current working directory of the debuggee.
2240
2241 @node Input/Output
2242 @section Your Program's Input and Output
2243
2244 @cindex redirection
2245 @cindex i/o
2246 @cindex terminal
2247 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2248 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2249 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2250 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2251 running your program.
2252
2253 @table @code
2254 @kindex info terminal
2255 @item info terminal
2256 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2257 program is using.
2258 @end table
2259
2260 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2261 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2262
2263 @smallexample
2264 run > outfile
2265 @end smallexample
2266
2267 @noindent
2268 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2269
2270 @kindex tty
2271 @cindex controlling terminal
2272 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2273 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2274 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2275 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2276 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2277
2278 @smallexample
2279 tty /dev/ttyb
2280 @end smallexample
2281
2282 @noindent
2283 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2284 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2285 that as their controlling terminal.
2286
2287 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2288 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2289 terminal.
2290
2291 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2292 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2293 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2294 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2295
2296 @cindex inferior tty
2297 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2298 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2299 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2300 program.
2301
2302 @table @code
2303 @item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2304 @kindex set inferior-tty
2305 Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2306
2307 @item show inferior-tty
2308 @kindex show inferior-tty
2309 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2310 @end table
2311
2312 @node Attach
2313 @section Debugging an Already-running Process
2314 @kindex attach
2315 @cindex attach
2316
2317 @table @code
2318 @item attach @var{process-id}
2319 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2320 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2321 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2322 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2323 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2324
2325 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2326 executing the command.
2327 @end table
2328
2329 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2330 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2331 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2332 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2333
2334 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2335 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2336 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2337 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2338 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2339 Specify Files}.
2340
2341 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2342 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2343 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2344 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2345 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2346 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2347 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2348
2349 @table @code
2350 @kindex detach
2351 @item detach
2352 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2353 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2354 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2355 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2356 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2357 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2358 executing the command.
2359 @end table
2360
2361 If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2362 that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2363 By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2364 things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2365 @code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2366 Messages}).
2367
2368 @node Kill Process
2369 @section Killing the Child Process
2370
2371 @table @code
2372 @kindex kill
2373 @item kill
2374 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2375 @end table
2376
2377 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2378 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2379 is running.
2380
2381 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2382 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2383 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2384 outside the debugger.
2385
2386 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2387 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2388 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2389 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2390 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2391 breakpoint settings).
2392
2393 @node Inferiors and Programs
2394 @section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2395
2396 @value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2397 session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2398 several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2399 before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2400 multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2401 from multiple executables.
2402
2403 @cindex inferior
2404 @value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2405 object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2406 a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2407 have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2408 may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2409 identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2410 inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2411 embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2412 of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2413 threads running in it.
2414
2415 To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2416 inferiors}}:
2417
2418 @table @code
2419 @kindex info inferiors
2420 @item info inferiors
2421 Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2422
2423 @value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2424
2425 @enumerate
2426 @item
2427 the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2428
2429 @item
2430 the target system's inferior identifier
2431
2432 @item
2433 the name of the executable the inferior is running.
2434
2435 @end enumerate
2436
2437 @noindent
2438 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
2439 indicates the current inferior.
2440
2441 For example,
2442 @end table
2443 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2444
2445 @smallexample
2446 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2447 Num Description Executable
2448 2 process 2307 hello
2449 * 1 process 3401 goodbye
2450 @end smallexample
2451
2452 To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
2453
2454 @table @code
2455 @kindex inferior @var{infno}
2456 @item inferior @var{infno}
2457 Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
2458 @var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
2459 in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
2460 @end table
2461
2462
2463 You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
2464 @code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
2465 systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
2466 automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
2467 remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
2468 @w{@code{remove-inferior}} command.
2469
2470 @table @code
2471 @kindex add-inferior
2472 @item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
2473 Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
2474 executable. @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
2475 the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
2476 change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
2477 @code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
2478
2479 @kindex clone-inferior
2480 @item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
2481 Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
2482 @var{infno}. @var{n} defaults to 1. @var{infno} defaults to the
2483 number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
2484 want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
2485
2486 @smallexample
2487 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2488 Num Description Executable
2489 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2490 (@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
2491 Added inferior 2.
2492 1 inferiors added.
2493 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2494 Num Description Executable
2495 2 <null> helloworld
2496 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2497 @end smallexample
2498
2499 You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
2500
2501 @kindex remove-inferior
2502 @item remove-inferior @var{infno}
2503 Removes the inferior @var{infno}. It is not possible to remove an
2504 inferior that is running with this command. For those, use the
2505 @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
2506
2507 @end table
2508
2509 To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
2510 inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
2511 inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
2512 using the @w{@code{kill inferior}} command:
2513
2514 @table @code
2515 @kindex detach inferior @var{infno}
2516 @item detach inferior @var{infno}
2517 Detach from the inferior identified by @value{GDBN} inferior number
2518 @var{infno}. Note that the inferior's entry still stays on the list
2519 of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its Description will
2520 show @samp{<null>}.
2521
2522 @kindex kill inferior @var{infno}
2523 @item kill inferior @var{infno}
2524 Kill the inferior identified by @value{GDBN} inferior number
2525 @var{infno}. Note that the inferior's entry still stays on the list
2526 of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its Description will
2527 show @samp{<null>}.
2528 @end table
2529
2530 After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
2531 @code{detach inferior}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferior}, or after
2532 a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
2533 @code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
2534
2535
2536 To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
2537 control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
2538
2539 @table @code
2540 @kindex set print inferior-events
2541 @cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
2542 @item set print inferior-events
2543 @itemx set print inferior-events on
2544 @itemx set print inferior-events off
2545 The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
2546 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
2547 inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
2548 detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
2549
2550 @kindex show print inferior-events
2551 @item show print inferior-events
2552 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
2553 inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
2554 @end table
2555
2556 Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
2557 single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
2558 value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
2559
2560
2561 Occasionaly, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
2562 get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
2563 spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
2564 info program-spaces}} command.
2565
2566 @table @code
2567 @kindex maint info program-spaces
2568 @item maint info program-spaces
2569 Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
2570 @value{GDBN}.
2571
2572 @value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
2573
2574 @enumerate
2575 @item
2576 the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2577
2578 @item
2579 the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
2580 the @code{file} command.
2581
2582 @end enumerate
2583
2584 @noindent
2585 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
2586 indicates the current program space.
2587
2588 In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
2589 information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
2590 example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
2591
2592 @smallexample
2593 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2594 Id Executable
2595 2 goodbye
2596 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
2597 * 1 hello
2598 @end smallexample
2599
2600 Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
2601 while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
2602 some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
2603 same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
2604 the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
2605
2606 @smallexample
2607 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2608 Id Executable
2609 * 1 vfork-test
2610 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
2611 @end smallexample
2612
2613 Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
2614 space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
2615 @end table
2616
2617 @node Threads
2618 @section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
2619
2620 @cindex threads of execution
2621 @cindex multiple threads
2622 @cindex switching threads
2623 In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2624 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2625 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2626 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2627 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2628 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2629 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2630
2631 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2632 programs:
2633
2634 @itemize @bullet
2635 @item automatic notification of new threads
2636 @item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2637 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2638 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2639 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2640 @item thread-specific breakpoints
2641 @item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
2642 messages on thread start and exit.
2643 @item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
2644 the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
2645 isn't compatible with the program.
2646 @end itemize
2647
2648 @quotation
2649 @emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2650 @value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2651 If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2652 effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2653 from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2654 like this:
2655
2656 @smallexample
2657 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2658 (@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2659 Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2660 see the IDs of currently known threads.
2661 @end smallexample
2662 @c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2663 @c doesn't support threads"?
2664 @end quotation
2665
2666 @cindex focus of debugging
2667 @cindex current thread
2668 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2669 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2670 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2671 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2672 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2673
2674 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2675 @cindex thread identifier (system)
2676 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2677 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2678 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2679 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2680 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2681 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2682 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2683 @sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
2684
2685 @smallexample
2686 [New Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 25582)]
2687 @end smallexample
2688
2689 @noindent
2690 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2691 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2692 further qualifier.
2693
2694 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2695 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2696 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2697 @c program?
2698 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2699 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2700 @c threads ab initio?
2701
2702 @cindex thread number
2703 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2704 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2705 number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2706
2707 @table @code
2708 @kindex info threads
2709 @item info threads @r{[}@var{id}@dots{}@r{]}
2710 Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. Optional
2711 argument @var{id}@dots{} is one or more thread ids separated by spaces, and
2712 means to print information only about the specified thread or threads.
2713 @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2714
2715 @enumerate
2716 @item
2717 the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2718
2719 @item
2720 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2721
2722 @item
2723 the thread's name, if one is known. A thread can either be named by
2724 the user (see @code{thread name}, below), or, in some cases, by the
2725 program itself.
2726
2727 @item
2728 the current stack frame summary for that thread
2729 @end enumerate
2730
2731 @noindent
2732 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2733 indicates the current thread.
2734
2735 For example,
2736 @end table
2737 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2738
2739 @smallexample
2740 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2741 Id Target Id Frame
2742 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2743 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2744 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2745 at threadtest.c:68
2746 @end smallexample
2747
2748 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2749 Solaris-specific command:
2750
2751 @table @code
2752 @item maint info sol-threads
2753 @kindex maint info sol-threads
2754 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
2755 Display info on Solaris user threads.
2756 @end table
2757
2758 @table @code
2759 @kindex thread @var{threadno}
2760 @item thread @var{threadno}
2761 Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2762 argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2763 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2764 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2765 you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2766
2767 @smallexample
2768 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2769 [Switching to thread 2 (Thread 0xb7fdab70 (LWP 12747))]
2770 #0 some_function (ignore=0x0) at example.c:8
2771 8 printf ("hello\n");
2772 @end smallexample
2773
2774 @noindent
2775 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2776 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2777 threads.
2778
2779 @vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
2780 The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_thread} contains the number
2781 of the current thread. You may find this useful in writing breakpoint
2782 conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth. See
2783 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
2784 information on convenience variables.
2785
2786 @kindex thread apply
2787 @cindex apply command to several threads
2788 @item thread apply [@var{threadno} | all] @var{command}
2789 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2790 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2791 threads that you want affected with the command argument
2792 @var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2793 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2794 could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2795 command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2796
2797 @kindex thread name
2798 @cindex name a thread
2799 @item thread name [@var{name}]
2800 This command assigns a name to the current thread. If no argument is
2801 given, any existing user-specified name is removed. The thread name
2802 appears in the @samp{info threads} display.
2803
2804 On some systems, such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, @value{GDBN} is able to
2805 determine the name of the thread as given by the OS. On these
2806 systems, a name specified with @samp{thread name} will override the
2807 system-give name, and removing the user-specified name will cause
2808 @value{GDBN} to once again display the system-specified name.
2809
2810 @kindex thread find
2811 @cindex search for a thread
2812 @item thread find [@var{regexp}]
2813 Search for and display thread ids whose name or @var{systag}
2814 matches the supplied regular expression.
2815
2816 As well as being the complement to the @samp{thread name} command,
2817 this command also allows you to identify a thread by its target
2818 @var{systag}. For instance, on @sc{gnu}/Linux, the target @var{systag}
2819 is the LWP id.
2820
2821 @smallexample
2822 (@value{GDBN}) thread find 26688
2823 Thread 4 has target id 'Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688)'
2824 (@value{GDBN}) info thread 4
2825 Id Target Id Frame
2826 4 Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688) 0x00000031ca6cd372 in select ()
2827 @end smallexample
2828
2829 @kindex set print thread-events
2830 @cindex print messages on thread start and exit
2831 @item set print thread-events
2832 @itemx set print thread-events on
2833 @itemx set print thread-events off
2834 The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
2835 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
2836 started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
2837 be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
2838 Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
2839
2840 @kindex show print thread-events
2841 @item show print thread-events
2842 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
2843 have started and exited.
2844 @end table
2845
2846 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
2847 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2848 programs with multiple threads.
2849
2850 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
2851 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2852
2853 @table @code
2854 @kindex set libthread-db-search-path
2855 @cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
2856 @item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
2857 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
2858 directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
2859 If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
2860 an empty list.
2861
2862 On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
2863 @code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
2864 inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2865 to find @code{libthread_db}. If that fails, @value{GDBN} will continue
2866 with default system shared library directories, and finally the directory
2867 from which @code{libpthread} was loaded in the inferior process.
2868
2869 For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
2870 @value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
2871 If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
2872 mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
2873 will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
2874 If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
2875 @value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
2876
2877 Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
2878 only on some platforms.
2879
2880 @kindex show libthread-db-search-path
2881 @item show libthread-db-search-path
2882 Display current libthread_db search path.
2883
2884 @kindex set debug libthread-db
2885 @kindex show debug libthread-db
2886 @cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
2887 @item set debug libthread-db
2888 @itemx show debug libthread-db
2889 Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
2890 Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
2891 @end table
2892
2893 @node Forks
2894 @section Debugging Forks
2895
2896 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
2897 @cindex multiple processes
2898 @cindex processes, multiple
2899 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
2900 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
2901 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
2902 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
2903 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
2904 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
2905 will cause it to terminate.
2906
2907 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
2908 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
2909 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
2910 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
2911 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
2912 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
2913 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
2914 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
2915 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
2916 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
2917
2918 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
2919 create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
2920 Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
2921 only?) and @sc{gnu}/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
2922
2923 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
2924 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
2925
2926 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
2927 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
2928
2929 @table @code
2930 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
2931 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
2932 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
2933 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
2934 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
2935
2936 @table @code
2937 @item parent
2938 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
2939 unimpeded. This is the default.
2940
2941 @item child
2942 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
2943 unimpeded.
2944
2945 @end table
2946
2947 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
2948 @item show follow-fork-mode
2949 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
2950 @end table
2951
2952 @cindex debugging multiple processes
2953 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
2954 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
2955
2956 @table @code
2957 @kindex set detach-on-fork
2958 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
2959 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
2960 retain debugger control over them both.
2961
2962 @table @code
2963 @item on
2964 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
2965 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
2966 independently. This is the default.
2967
2968 @item off
2969 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
2970 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
2971 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
2972 is held suspended.
2973
2974 @end table
2975
2976 @kindex show detach-on-fork
2977 @item show detach-on-fork
2978 Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
2979 @end table
2980
2981 If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
2982 will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
2983 You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
2984 using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
2985 to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
2986 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
2987
2988 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
2989 from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferior}} command (allowing it
2990 to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferior}}
2991 command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
2992 and Programs}.
2993
2994 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
2995 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
2996 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
2997 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
2998 the child process's @code{main}.
2999
3000 On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
3001 cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
3002
3003 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
3004 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
3005 process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
3006 as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
3007 @value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
3008 You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
3009 command.
3010
3011 @table @code
3012 @kindex set follow-exec-mode
3013 @item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
3014
3015 Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3016 @code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3017
3018 @code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3019
3020 @table @code
3021 @item new
3022 @value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3023 new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3024 @code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3025 original inferior.
3026
3027 For example:
3028
3029 @smallexample
3030 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3031 (gdb) info inferior
3032 Id Description Executable
3033 * 1 <null> prog1
3034 (@value{GDBP}) run
3035 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3036 Program exited normally.
3037 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3038 Id Description Executable
3039 * 2 <null> prog2
3040 1 <null> prog1
3041 @end smallexample
3042
3043 @item same
3044 @value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3045 executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3046 inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3047 e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3048 running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3049
3050 For example:
3051
3052 @smallexample
3053 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3054 Id Description Executable
3055 * 1 <null> prog1
3056 (@value{GDBP}) run
3057 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3058 Program exited normally.
3059 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3060 Id Description Executable
3061 * 1 <null> prog2
3062 @end smallexample
3063
3064 @end table
3065 @end table
3066
3067 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3068 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3069 Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3070
3071 @node Checkpoint/Restart
3072 @section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3073
3074 @cindex checkpoint
3075 @cindex restart
3076 @cindex bookmark
3077 @cindex snapshot of a process
3078 @cindex rewind program state
3079
3080 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3081 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3082 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3083 later.
3084
3085 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3086 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3087 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3088 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3089 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3090
3091 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3092 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3093 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3094 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3095 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3096 start again from there.
3097
3098 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3099 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3100
3101 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3102
3103 @table @code
3104 @kindex checkpoint
3105 @item checkpoint
3106 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3107 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3108 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3109
3110 @kindex info checkpoints
3111 @item info checkpoints
3112 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3113 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3114 listed:
3115
3116 @table @code
3117 @item Checkpoint ID
3118 @item Process ID
3119 @item Code Address
3120 @item Source line, or label
3121 @end table
3122
3123 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3124 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3125 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3126 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3127 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3128 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3129 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3130
3131 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3132 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3133 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3134 the debugger.
3135
3136 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3137 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3138 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3139
3140 @end table
3141
3142 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3143 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3144 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3145 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3146 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3147 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3148 previously read data can be read again.
3149
3150 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3151 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3152 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3153 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3154 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3155 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3156
3157 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3158 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3159 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3160 different execution path this time.
3161
3162 @cindex checkpoints and process id
3163 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3164 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3165 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3166 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3167 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3168 potentially pose a problem.
3169
3170 @subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3171
3172 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3173 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3174 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3175 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3176 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3177 next.
3178
3179 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3180 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3181 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3182 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3183 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3184
3185 @node Stopping
3186 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
3187
3188 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3189 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3190 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3191
3192 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3193 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3194 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3195 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3196 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3197 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3198 explicitly request this information at any time.
3199
3200 @table @code
3201 @kindex info program
3202 @item info program
3203 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3204 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3205 @end table
3206
3207 @menu
3208 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3209 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3210 * Signals:: Signals
3211 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3212 @end menu
3213
3214 @node Breakpoints
3215 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3216
3217 @cindex breakpoints
3218 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3219 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3220 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3221 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3222 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3223 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3224 program.
3225
3226 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3227 the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
3228 you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
3229 in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
3230 (for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
3231 call).
3232
3233 @cindex watchpoints
3234 @cindex data breakpoints
3235 @cindex memory tracing
3236 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
3237 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3238 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3239 when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3240 of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3241 combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3242 @dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3243 watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3244 from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3245 enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3246 same commands.
3247
3248 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3249 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3250 Automatic Display}.
3251
3252 @cindex catchpoints
3253 @cindex breakpoint on events
3254 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3255 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3256 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3257 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3258 Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3259 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
3260 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3261
3262 @cindex breakpoint numbers
3263 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
3264 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3265 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
3266 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
3267 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
3268 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
3269 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
3270 enable it again.
3271
3272 @cindex breakpoint ranges
3273 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
3274 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
3275 operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
3276 @samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
3277 hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
3278 all breakpoints in that range are operated on.
3279
3280 @menu
3281 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
3282 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
3283 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
3284 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
3285 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
3286 * Conditions:: Break conditions
3287 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
3288 * Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
3289 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3290 * Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3291 @end menu
3292
3293 @node Set Breaks
3294 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
3295
3296 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
3297 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
3298 @c
3299 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
3300
3301 @kindex break
3302 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
3303 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
3304 @cindex latest breakpoint
3305 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
3306 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
3307 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
3308 Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
3309 convenience variables.
3310
3311 @table @code
3312 @item break @var{location}
3313 Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
3314 function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
3315 (@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
3316 specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
3317 before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
3318
3319 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
3320 C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
3321 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
3322 that situation.
3323
3324 It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
3325 only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
3326 or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
3327
3328 @item break
3329 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
3330 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
3331 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
3332 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
3333 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
3334 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
3335 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
3336 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
3337 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
3338 inside loops.
3339
3340 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
3341 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
3342 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
3343 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
3344 existed when your program stopped.
3345
3346 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
3347 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
3348 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
3349 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
3350 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
3351 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
3352 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
3353
3354 @kindex tbreak
3355 @item tbreak @var{args}
3356 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
3357 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
3358 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
3359 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3360
3361 @kindex hbreak
3362 @cindex hardware breakpoints
3363 @item hbreak @var{args}
3364 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
3365 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
3366 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
3367 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
3368 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
3369 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
3370 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
3371 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
3372 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
3373 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
3374 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
3375 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
3376 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
3377 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
3378 @xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3379 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3380 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3381 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3382
3383 @kindex thbreak
3384 @item thbreak @var{args}
3385 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
3386 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
3387 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
3388 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
3389 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
3390 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
3391 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3392 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3393
3394 @kindex rbreak
3395 @cindex regular expression
3396 @cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
3397 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
3398 @item rbreak @var{regex}
3399 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
3400 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
3401 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
3402 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
3403 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
3404 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
3405
3406 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
3407 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
3408 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
3409 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
3410 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
3411 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
3412
3413 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
3414 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
3415 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
3416 classes.
3417
3418 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
3419 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
3420 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
3421
3422 @smallexample
3423 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
3424 @end smallexample
3425
3426 @item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
3427 If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
3428 the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
3429 specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
3430 every function in a given file:
3431
3432 @smallexample
3433 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
3434 @end smallexample
3435
3436 The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
3437 optionally be surrounded by spaces.
3438
3439 @kindex info breakpoints
3440 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
3441 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3442 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3443 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
3444 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
3445 about the specified breakpoint(s) (or watchpoint(s) or catchpoint(s)).
3446 For each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
3447
3448 @table @emph
3449 @item Breakpoint Numbers
3450 @item Type
3451 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
3452 @item Disposition
3453 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
3454 @item Enabled or Disabled
3455 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3456 that are not enabled.
3457 @item Address
3458 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
3459 pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
3460 contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
3461 library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
3462 See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
3463 have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
3464 @item What
3465 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3466 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3467 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3468 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3469 @end table
3470
3471 @noindent
3472 If a breakpoint is conditional, @code{info break} shows the condition on
3473 the line following the affected breakpoint; breakpoint commands, if any,
3474 are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is allowed to have a condition
3475 specified for it. The condition is not parsed for validity until a shared
3476 library is loaded that allows the pending breakpoint to resolve to a
3477 valid location.
3478
3479 @noindent
3480 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
3481 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3482 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3483 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3484 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
3485
3486 @noindent
3487 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3488 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3489 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3490 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3491 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3492 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3493 @end table
3494
3495 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3496 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3497 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3498 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
3499
3500 @cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
3501 @cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
3502 It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
3503 in your program. Examples of this situation are:
3504
3505 @itemize @bullet
3506 @item
3507 For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
3508 instances of the function body, used in different cases.
3509
3510 @item
3511 For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
3512 correspond to any number of instantiations.
3513
3514 @item
3515 For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
3516 several places where that function is inlined.
3517 @end itemize
3518
3519 In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
3520 the relevant locations@footnote{
3521 As of this writing, multiple-location breakpoints work only if there's
3522 line number information for all the locations. This means that they
3523 will generally not work in system libraries, unless you have debug
3524 info with line numbers for them.}.
3525
3526 A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
3527 table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
3528 each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
3529 address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
3530 addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
3531 locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
3532 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
3533
3534 For example:
3535
3536 @smallexample
3537 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
3538 1 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
3539 stop only if i==1
3540 breakpoint already hit 1 time
3541 1.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
3542 1.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
3543 @end smallexample
3544
3545 Each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
3546 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
3547 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. Note that you cannot
3548 delete the individual locations from the list, you can only delete the
3549 entire list of locations that belong to their parent breakpoint (with
3550 the @kbd{delete @var{num}} command, where @var{num} is the number of
3551 the parent breakpoint, 1 in the above example). Disabling or enabling
3552 the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects all of the locations
3553 that belong to that breakpoint.
3554
3555 @cindex pending breakpoints
3556 It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
3557 Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
3558 and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
3559 this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
3560 any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
3561 set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
3562 debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
3563 symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
3564 breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
3565 a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
3566 is not yet resolved.
3567
3568 After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
3569 @value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
3570 shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
3571 pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
3572 ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
3573 that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
3574
3575 This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
3576 example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
3577 a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
3578 a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
3579
3580 Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
3581 differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
3582 enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
3583
3584 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
3585 happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
3586 address specification to an address:
3587
3588 @kindex set breakpoint pending
3589 @kindex show breakpoint pending
3590 @table @code
3591 @item set breakpoint pending auto
3592 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3593 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3594
3595 @item set breakpoint pending on
3596 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3597 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3598
3599 @item set breakpoint pending off
3600 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3601 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3602 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3603
3604 @item show breakpoint pending
3605 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3606 @end table
3607
3608 The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
3609 variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
3610 as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
3611
3612 @cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
3613 For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
3614 software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
3615 breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
3616 breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
3617 breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
3618 breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
3619 breakpoints.
3620
3621 You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands::
3622
3623 @kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
3624 @kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
3625 @table @code
3626 @item set breakpoint auto-hw on
3627 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
3628 will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
3629 breakpoint must be used.
3630
3631 @item set breakpoint auto-hw off
3632 This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
3633 type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
3634 trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
3635 @end table
3636
3637 @value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
3638 at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
3639 executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
3640 code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
3641 the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
3642 behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
3643 target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
3644 targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
3645 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
3646
3647 @kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
3648 @kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
3649 @table @code
3650 @item set breakpoint always-inserted off
3651 All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
3652 the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
3653 removed from the target when it stops.
3654
3655 @item set breakpoint always-inserted on
3656 Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
3657 the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
3658 breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
3659 removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is removed.
3660
3661 @cindex non-stop mode, and @code{breakpoint always-inserted}
3662 @item set breakpoint always-inserted auto
3663 This is the default mode. If @value{GDBN} is controlling the inferior
3664 in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}), gdb behaves as if
3665 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is on. If @value{GDBN} is
3666 controlling the inferior in all-stop mode, @value{GDBN} behaves as if
3667 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is off.
3668 @end table
3669
3670 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3671 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3672 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3673 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3674 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3675 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3676 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3677 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3678
3679
3680 @node Set Watchpoints
3681 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
3682
3683 @cindex setting watchpoints
3684 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3685 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3686 this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
3687 The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
3688 as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
3689
3690 @itemize @bullet
3691 @item
3692 A reference to the value of a single variable.
3693
3694 @item
3695 An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
3696 @samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
3697 address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
3698
3699 @item
3700 An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
3701 expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
3702 language (@pxref{Languages}).
3703 @end itemize
3704
3705 You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
3706 not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
3707 @samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
3708 @value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
3709 the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
3710 valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
3711 pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
3712 @code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
3713 the expression changes.
3714
3715 @cindex software watchpoints
3716 @cindex hardware watchpoints
3717 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3718 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3719 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3720 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3721 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3722 culprit.)
3723
3724 On some systems, such as HP-UX, PowerPC, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3725 x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3726 watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3727
3728 @table @code
3729 @kindex watch
3730 @item watch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}
3731 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
3732 expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
3733 changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
3734 to watch the value of a single variable:
3735
3736 @smallexample
3737 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo
3738 @end smallexample
3739
3740 If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}}
3741 clause, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
3742 @var{threadnum} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
3743 change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
3744 that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
3745 with Hardware Watchpoints.
3746
3747 Ordinarily a watchpoint respects the scope of variables in @var{expr}
3748 (see below). The @code{-location} argument tells @value{GDBN} to
3749 instead watch the memory referred to by @var{expr}. In this case,
3750 @value{GDBN} will evaluate @var{expr}, take the address of the result,
3751 and watch the memory at that address. The type of the result is used
3752 to determine the size of the watched memory. If the expression's
3753 result does not have an address, then @value{GDBN} will print an
3754 error.
3755
3756 @kindex rwatch
3757 @item rwatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}
3758 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3759 by the program.
3760
3761 @kindex awatch
3762 @item awatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}
3763 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3764 or written into by the program.
3765
3766 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3767 @item info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3768 This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
3769 @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3770 @end table
3771
3772 If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
3773 dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
3774 never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
3775 a never-changing value:
3776
3777 @smallexample
3778 (@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
3779 Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
3780 (@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
3781 Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
3782 @end smallexample
3783
3784 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3785 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3786 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3787 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3788 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3789 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3790
3791 @cindex use only software watchpoints
3792 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3793 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3794 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3795 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
3796 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
3797 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
3798 mechanism of watching expression values.)
3799
3800 @table @code
3801 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3802 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3803 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
3804
3805 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3806 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3807 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
3808 @end table
3809
3810 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3811 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3812 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3813
3814 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
3815
3816 @smallexample
3817 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
3818 @end smallexample
3819
3820 @noindent
3821 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
3822
3823 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
3824 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
3825 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
3826 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
3827 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
3828 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
3829 will print a message like this:
3830
3831 @smallexample
3832 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
3833 @end smallexample
3834
3835 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
3836 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
3837 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
3838 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
3839 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
3840 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
3841 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
3842 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
3843
3844 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
3845 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
3846 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
3847 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
3848 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
3849 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
3850
3851 @smallexample
3852 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
3853 @end smallexample
3854
3855 @noindent
3856 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
3857
3858 Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
3859 exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
3860 That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
3861 expression with separately allocated resources.
3862
3863 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
3864 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
3865 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
3866
3867 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
3868 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
3869 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
3870 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
3871 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
3872 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
3873 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
3874 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
3875 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
3876
3877 @cindex watchpoints and threads
3878 @cindex threads and watchpoints
3879 In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
3880 watched expression from every thread.
3881
3882 @quotation
3883 @emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
3884 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
3885 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
3886 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
3887 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
3888 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
3889 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
3890 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
3891 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
3892 @end quotation
3893
3894 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
3895
3896 @node Set Catchpoints
3897 @subsection Setting Catchpoints
3898 @cindex catchpoints, setting
3899 @cindex exception handlers
3900 @cindex event handling
3901
3902 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
3903 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
3904 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
3905
3906 @table @code
3907 @kindex catch
3908 @item catch @var{event}
3909 Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
3910 @table @code
3911 @item throw
3912 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
3913 The throwing of a C@t{++} exception.
3914
3915 @item catch
3916 The catching of a C@t{++} exception.
3917
3918 @item exception
3919 @cindex Ada exception catching
3920 @cindex catch Ada exceptions
3921 An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
3922 at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
3923 the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
3924 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
3925
3926 When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
3927 name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
3928 fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
3929 @value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
3930 rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
3931 called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
3932 the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
3933 Pck.Constraint_Error}.
3934
3935 @item exception unhandled
3936 An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program.
3937
3938 @item assert
3939 A failed Ada assertion.
3940
3941 @item exec
3942 @cindex break on fork/exec
3943 A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
3944 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
3945
3946 @item syscall
3947 @itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number}@r{]} @dots{}
3948 @cindex break on a system call.
3949 A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
3950 syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
3951 from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
3952 @value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
3953 debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
3954 argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
3955 will be caught.
3956
3957 @var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
3958 underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
3959 GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
3960 names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
3961
3962 @c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
3963 @c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
3964 @c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
3965 @c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
3966
3967 Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
3968 each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
3969 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
3970 available choices.
3971
3972 You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
3973 number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
3974 identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
3975 name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
3976 into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
3977 may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
3978 list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
3979 behind the OS upgrades).
3980
3981 The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
3982 arguments to it:
3983
3984 @smallexample
3985 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
3986 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
3987 (@value{GDBP}) r
3988 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
3989
3990 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
3991 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
3992 (@value{GDBP}) c
3993 Continuing.
3994
3995 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
3996 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
3997 (@value{GDBP})
3998 @end smallexample
3999
4000 Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
4001
4002 @smallexample
4003 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
4004 Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
4005 (@value{GDBP}) r
4006 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4007
4008 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
4009 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4010 (@value{GDBP}) c
4011 Continuing.
4012
4013 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
4014 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4015 (@value{GDBP})
4016 @end smallexample
4017
4018 An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
4019 below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
4020 file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
4021
4022 @smallexample
4023 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4024 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4025 (@value{GDBP}) r
4026 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4027
4028 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4029 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4030 (@value{GDBP}) c
4031 Continuing.
4032
4033 Program exited normally.
4034 (@value{GDBP})
4035 @end smallexample
4036
4037 However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4038 in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4039 a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4040 but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4041
4042 @smallexample
4043 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4044 warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4045 Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4046 (@value{GDBP})
4047 @end smallexample
4048
4049 If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4050 it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4051 architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4052 you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4053 notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4054 name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4055
4056 @smallexample
4057 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4058 warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4059 warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4060 GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4061 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4062 (@value{GDBP})
4063 @end smallexample
4064
4065 Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4066
4067 Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4068 number. In this case, you would see something like:
4069
4070 @smallexample
4071 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4072 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
4073 @end smallexample
4074
4075 Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
4076
4077 @item fork
4078 A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4079 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4080
4081 @item vfork
4082 A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4083 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4084
4085 @end table
4086
4087 @item tcatch @var{event}
4088 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
4089 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
4090
4091 @end table
4092
4093 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
4094
4095 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling
4096 (@code{catch throw} and @code{catch catch}) in @value{GDBN}:
4097
4098 @itemize @bullet
4099 @item
4100 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4101 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4102 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4103 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4104 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4105 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4106 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4107 disabled within interactive calls.
4108
4109 @item
4110 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4111
4112 @item
4113 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4114 @end itemize
4115
4116 @cindex raise exceptions
4117 Sometimes @code{catch} is not the best way to debug exception handling:
4118 if you need to know exactly where an exception is raised, it is better to
4119 stop @emph{before} the exception handler is called, since that way you
4120 can see the stack before any unwinding takes place. If you set a
4121 breakpoint in an exception handler instead, it may not be easy to find
4122 out where the exception was raised.
4123
4124 To stop just before an exception handler is called, you need some
4125 knowledge of the implementation. In the case of @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, exceptions are
4126 raised by calling a library function named @code{__raise_exception}
4127 which has the following ANSI C interface:
4128
4129 @smallexample
4130 /* @var{addr} is where the exception identifier is stored.
4131 @var{id} is the exception identifier. */
4132 void __raise_exception (void **addr, void *id);
4133 @end smallexample
4134
4135 @noindent
4136 To make the debugger catch all exceptions before any stack
4137 unwinding takes place, set a breakpoint on @code{__raise_exception}
4138 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Exceptions}).
4139
4140 With a conditional breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions})
4141 that depends on the value of @var{id}, you can stop your program when
4142 a specific exception is raised. You can use multiple conditional
4143 breakpoints to stop your program when any of a number of exceptions are
4144 raised.
4145
4146
4147 @node Delete Breaks
4148 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
4149
4150 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4151 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4152 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4153 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
4154 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
4155 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
4156
4157 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
4158 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
4159 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
4160 their breakpoint numbers.
4161
4162 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
4163 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
4164 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
4165
4166 @table @code
4167 @kindex clear
4168 @item clear
4169 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
4170 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
4171 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
4172 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
4173
4174 @item clear @var{location}
4175 Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
4176 @xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
4177 most useful ones are listed below:
4178
4179 @table @code
4180 @item clear @var{function}
4181 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
4182 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
4183
4184 @item clear @var{linenum}
4185 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
4186 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
4187 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
4188 @end table
4189
4190 @cindex delete breakpoints
4191 @kindex delete
4192 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
4193 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4194 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
4195 ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
4196 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
4197 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
4198 @end table
4199
4200 @node Disabling
4201 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
4202
4203 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
4204 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
4205 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
4206 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
4207 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
4208
4209 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
4210 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
4211 one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
4212 print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
4213 do not know which numbers to use.
4214
4215 Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
4216 affects all of its locations.
4217
4218 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of four different
4219 states of enablement:
4220
4221 @itemize @bullet
4222 @item
4223 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
4224 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
4225 @item
4226 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
4227 @item
4228 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
4229 disabled.
4230 @item
4231 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
4232 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
4233 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
4234 @end itemize
4235
4236 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
4237 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
4238
4239 @table @code
4240 @kindex disable
4241 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
4242 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4243 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
4244 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
4245 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
4246 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
4247 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
4248
4249 @kindex enable
4250 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4251 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
4252 become effective once again in stopping your program.
4253
4254 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
4255 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
4256 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
4257
4258 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
4259 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
4260 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
4261 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
4262 @end table
4263
4264 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
4265 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
4266 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4267 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
4268 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
4269 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
4270 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
4271 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
4272 Stepping}.)
4273
4274 @node Conditions
4275 @subsection Break Conditions
4276 @cindex conditional breakpoints
4277 @cindex breakpoint conditions
4278
4279 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
4280 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
4281 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
4282 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
4283 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
4284 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
4285 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
4286 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
4287
4288 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
4289 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
4290 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
4291 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
4292 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
4293
4294 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
4295 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
4296 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
4297 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
4298 one.
4299
4300 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
4301 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
4302 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
4303 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
4304 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
4305 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
4306 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
4307 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
4308 conditions for the
4309 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
4310 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
4311
4312 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
4313 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
4314 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
4315 with the @code{condition} command.
4316
4317 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
4318 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
4319 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
4320 catchpoint.
4321
4322 @table @code
4323 @kindex condition
4324 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
4325 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
4326 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
4327 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
4328 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
4329 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
4330 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
4331 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
4332 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
4333 prints an error message:
4334
4335 @smallexample
4336 No symbol "foo" in current context.
4337 @end smallexample
4338
4339 @noindent
4340 @value{GDBN} does
4341 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
4342 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
4343 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
4344
4345 @item condition @var{bnum}
4346 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
4347 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
4348 @end table
4349
4350 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
4351 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
4352 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
4353 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
4354 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
4355 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
4356 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
4357 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
4358 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
4359 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
4360 your program reaches it.
4361
4362 @table @code
4363 @kindex ignore
4364 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
4365 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
4366 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
4367 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
4368 takes no action.
4369
4370 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
4371 a count of zero.
4372
4373 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
4374 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
4375 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
4376 Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
4377
4378 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
4379 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
4380 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
4381
4382 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
4383 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
4384 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
4385 Variables}.
4386 @end table
4387
4388 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
4389
4390
4391 @node Break Commands
4392 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
4393
4394 @cindex breakpoint commands
4395 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
4396 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
4397 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
4398 enable other breakpoints.
4399
4400 @table @code
4401 @kindex commands
4402 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
4403 @item commands @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4404 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
4405 @itemx end
4406 Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
4407 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
4408 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
4409
4410 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
4411 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
4412
4413 With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
4414 watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
4415 encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
4416 command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
4417 set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
4418 @code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
4419 creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
4420 Expressions}).
4421 @end table
4422
4423 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
4424 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
4425
4426 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
4427 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
4428 that resumes execution.
4429
4430 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
4431 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
4432 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
4433 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
4434 ambiguities about which list to execute.
4435
4436 @kindex silent
4437 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
4438 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
4439 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
4440 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
4441 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
4442 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
4443
4444 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
4445 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
4446 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
4447
4448 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
4449 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
4450
4451 @smallexample
4452 break foo if x>0
4453 commands
4454 silent
4455 printf "x is %d\n",x
4456 cont
4457 end
4458 @end smallexample
4459
4460 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
4461 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
4462 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
4463 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
4464 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
4465 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
4466 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
4467
4468 @smallexample
4469 break 403
4470 commands
4471 silent
4472 set x = y + 4
4473 cont
4474 end
4475 @end smallexample
4476
4477 @node Save Breakpoints
4478 @subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
4479
4480 To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
4481 breakpoints}} command.
4482
4483 @table @code
4484 @kindex save breakpoints
4485 @cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
4486 @item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
4487 This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
4488 their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
4489 suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
4490 types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
4491 tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
4492 @code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
4493 with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
4494 because it may not be possible to access the context where the
4495 watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
4496 are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
4497 breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
4498 and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
4499 that can no longer be recreated.
4500 @end table
4501
4502 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
4503 @node Error in Breakpoints
4504 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4505
4506 If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
4507 watchpoints, you will see this error message:
4508
4509 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
4510 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
4511 @smallexample
4512 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
4513 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
4514 @end smallexample
4515
4516 @noindent
4517 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
4518 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
4519 watchpoints it needs to insert.
4520
4521 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
4522 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
4523
4524 @node Breakpoint-related Warnings
4525 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4526 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
4527
4528 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
4529 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
4530 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
4531 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
4532
4533 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
4534 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
4535 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
4536 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
4537 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
4538 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
4539 first in the bundle.
4540
4541 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
4542 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
4543 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
4544 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
4545 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
4546 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
4547 is hit.
4548
4549 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
4550 that's been subject to address adjustment:
4551
4552 @smallexample
4553 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
4554 @end smallexample
4555
4556 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
4557 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
4558 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
4559 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
4560 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
4561 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
4562 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
4563 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
4564
4565 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
4566 adjusted breakpoints:
4567
4568 @smallexample
4569 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
4570 to 0x00010410.
4571 @end smallexample
4572
4573 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
4574 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
4575 frequently than expected.
4576
4577 @node Continuing and Stepping
4578 @section Continuing and Stepping
4579
4580 @cindex stepping
4581 @cindex continuing
4582 @cindex resuming execution
4583 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
4584 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
4585 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
4586 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
4587 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
4588 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
4589 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
4590 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
4591
4592 @table @code
4593 @kindex continue
4594 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
4595 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
4596 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4597 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4598 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4599 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
4600 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
4601 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
4602 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
4603 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
4604
4605 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
4606 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
4607 @code{continue} is ignored.
4608
4609 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
4610 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
4611 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
4612 @code{continue}.
4613 @end table
4614
4615 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
4616 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
4617 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
4618 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
4619
4620 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
4621 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
4622 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
4623 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
4624 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
4625 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
4626
4627 @table @code
4628 @kindex step
4629 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
4630 @item step
4631 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
4632 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
4633 abbreviated @code{s}.
4634
4635 @quotation
4636 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
4637 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
4638 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
4639 @c distinction here.
4640 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
4641 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
4642 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
4643 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
4644 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
4645 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
4646 below.
4647 @end quotation
4648
4649 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
4650 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
4651 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
4652 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
4653 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
4654 called within the line.
4655
4656 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
4657 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
4658 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
4659 on MIPS machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
4660 was any debugging information about the routine.
4661
4662 @item step @var{count}
4663 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
4664 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
4665 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
4666
4667 @kindex next
4668 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
4669 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
4670 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
4671 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
4672 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
4673 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
4674 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
4675 is abbreviated @code{n}.
4676
4677 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
4678
4679
4680 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
4681 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
4682 @c
4683 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
4684 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
4685 @c function are executed without stopping.
4686
4687 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
4688 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
4689 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
4690
4691 @kindex set step-mode
4692 @item set step-mode
4693 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
4694 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
4695 @itemx set step-mode on
4696 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
4697 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
4698 information rather than stepping over it.
4699
4700 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
4701 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
4702 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
4703
4704 @item set step-mode off
4705 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
4706 debug information. This is the default.
4707
4708 @item show step-mode
4709 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
4710 source line debug information.
4711
4712 @kindex finish
4713 @kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
4714 @item finish
4715 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
4716 returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
4717 abbreviated as @code{fin}.
4718
4719 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
4720 ,Returning from a Function}).
4721
4722 @kindex until
4723 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
4724 @cindex run until specified location
4725 @item until
4726 @itemx u
4727 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
4728 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
4729 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
4730 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
4731 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
4732 than the address of the jump.
4733
4734 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
4735 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
4736 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
4737 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
4738 through the next iteration.
4739
4740 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
4741 stack frame.
4742
4743 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
4744 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
4745 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
4746 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
4747 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
4748
4749 @smallexample
4750 (@value{GDBP}) f
4751 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
4752 206 expand_input();
4753 (@value{GDBP}) until
4754 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
4755 @end smallexample
4756
4757 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
4758 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
4759 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
4760 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
4761 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
4762 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
4763 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
4764
4765 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
4766 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
4767 argument.
4768
4769 @item until @var{location}
4770 @itemx u @var{location}
4771 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
4772 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
4773 the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
4774 This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
4775 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
4776 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
4777 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
4778 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
4779 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
4780 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
4781 invocations have returned.
4782
4783 @smallexample
4784 94 int factorial (int value)
4785 95 @{
4786 96 if (value > 1) @{
4787 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
4788 98 @}
4789 99 return (value);
4790 100 @}
4791 @end smallexample
4792
4793
4794 @kindex advance @var{location}
4795 @itemx advance @var{location}
4796 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
4797 required, which should be of one of the forms described in
4798 @ref{Specify Location}.
4799 Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
4800 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
4801 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
4802 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
4803
4804
4805 @kindex stepi
4806 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
4807 @item stepi
4808 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
4809 @itemx si
4810 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
4811
4812 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
4813 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
4814 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
4815 Display,, Automatic Display}.
4816
4817 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
4818
4819 @need 750
4820 @kindex nexti
4821 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
4822 @item nexti
4823 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
4824 @itemx ni
4825 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
4826 proceed until the function returns.
4827
4828 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
4829 @end table
4830
4831 @node Signals
4832 @section Signals
4833 @cindex signals
4834
4835 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
4836 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
4837 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
4838 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
4839 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
4840 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
4841 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
4842 requested an alarm).
4843
4844 @cindex fatal signals
4845 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
4846 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
4847 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
4848 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
4849 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
4850 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
4851
4852 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
4853 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
4854 signal.
4855
4856 @cindex handling signals
4857 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
4858 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
4859 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
4860 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
4861 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
4862
4863 @table @code
4864 @kindex info signals
4865 @kindex info handle
4866 @item info signals
4867 @itemx info handle
4868 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
4869 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
4870 the defined types of signals.
4871
4872 @item info signals @var{sig}
4873 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
4874
4875 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
4876
4877 @kindex handle
4878 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
4879 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
4880 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
4881 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
4882 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
4883 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
4884 say what change to make.
4885 @end table
4886
4887 @c @group
4888 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
4889 Their full names are:
4890
4891 @table @code
4892 @item nostop
4893 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
4894 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
4895
4896 @item stop
4897 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
4898 the @code{print} keyword as well.
4899
4900 @item print
4901 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
4902
4903 @item noprint
4904 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
4905 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
4906
4907 @item pass
4908 @itemx noignore
4909 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
4910 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
4911 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
4912
4913 @item nopass
4914 @itemx ignore
4915 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
4916 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
4917 @end table
4918 @c @end group
4919
4920 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
4921 program until you
4922 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
4923 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
4924 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
4925 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
4926 program sees that signal when you continue.
4927
4928 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
4929 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
4930 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
4931 erroneous signals.
4932
4933 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
4934 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
4935 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
4936 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
4937 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
4938 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
4939 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
4940 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
4941 Program a Signal}.
4942
4943 @cindex extra signal information
4944 @anchor{extra signal information}
4945
4946 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
4947 associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
4948 delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
4949 by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
4950 that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
4951 receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
4952 target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
4953 $_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
4954 standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
4955 system header.
4956
4957 Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
4958 referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
4959
4960 @smallexample
4961 @group
4962 (@value{GDBP}) continue
4963 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
4964 0x0000000000400766 in main ()
4965 69 *(int *)p = 0;
4966 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
4967 type = struct @{
4968 int si_signo;
4969 int si_errno;
4970 int si_code;
4971 union @{
4972 int _pad[28];
4973 struct @{...@} _kill;
4974 struct @{...@} _timer;
4975 struct @{...@} _rt;
4976 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
4977 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
4978 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
4979 @} _sifields;
4980 @}
4981 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
4982 type = struct @{
4983 void *si_addr;
4984 @}
4985 (@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
4986 $1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
4987 @end group
4988 @end smallexample
4989
4990 Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
4991
4992 @node Thread Stops
4993 @section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
4994
4995 @cindex stopped threads
4996 @cindex threads, stopped
4997
4998 @cindex continuing threads
4999 @cindex threads, continuing
5000
5001 @value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
5002 (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
5003 are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
5004 debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
5005 when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
5006 or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
5007 @value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
5008 @dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
5009 you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
5010
5011 @menu
5012 * All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
5013 * Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
5014 * Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
5015 * Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
5016 * Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
5017 * Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
5018 @end menu
5019
5020 @node All-Stop Mode
5021 @subsection All-Stop Mode
5022
5023 @cindex all-stop mode
5024
5025 In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
5026 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
5027 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
5028 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
5029 underfoot.
5030
5031 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
5032 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
5033 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
5034
5035 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
5036 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
5037 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
5038 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
5039 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
5040 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
5041 stops.
5042
5043 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
5044 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
5045 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
5046 first thread completes whatever you requested.
5047
5048 @cindex automatic thread selection
5049 @cindex switching threads automatically
5050 @cindex threads, automatic switching
5051 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
5052 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
5053 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
5054 message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
5055 thread.
5056
5057 On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
5058 locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
5059
5060 @table @code
5061 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
5062 @cindex scheduler locking mode
5063 @cindex lock scheduler
5064 Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
5065 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
5066 current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
5067 mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other threads
5068 from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so that
5069 the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly.
5070 Other threads only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
5071 when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
5072 function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
5073 like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
5074 thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change
5075 the current thread away from the thread that you are debugging.
5076
5077 @item show scheduler-locking
5078 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
5079 @end table
5080
5081 @cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
5082 By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
5083 @code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
5084 threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
5085 is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
5086 @code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
5087 inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
5088 forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
5089 it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
5090 situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
5091 of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
5092 to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
5093 you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
5094 inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
5095
5096 @table @code
5097 @kindex set schedule-multiple
5098 @item set schedule-multiple
5099 Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
5100 when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
5101 all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
5102 of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
5103 @code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
5104 or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
5105
5106 @item show schedule-multiple
5107 Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
5108 multiple processes.
5109 @end table
5110
5111 @node Non-Stop Mode
5112 @subsection Non-Stop Mode
5113
5114 @cindex non-stop mode
5115
5116 @c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
5117 @c with more details.
5118
5119 For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
5120 mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
5121 the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
5122 minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
5123 where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
5124 respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
5125
5126 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
5127 @emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
5128 threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
5129 execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
5130 only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
5131 in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
5132 ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
5133 one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
5134 one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
5135 independently and simultaneously.
5136
5137 To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
5138 or attach to your program:
5139
5140 @smallexample
5141 # Enable the async interface.
5142 set target-async 1
5143
5144 # If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
5145 set pagination off
5146
5147 # Finally, turn it on!
5148 set non-stop on
5149 @end smallexample
5150
5151 You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
5152
5153 @table @code
5154 @kindex set non-stop
5155 @item set non-stop on
5156 Enable selection of non-stop mode.
5157 @item set non-stop off
5158 Disable selection of non-stop mode.
5159 @kindex show non-stop
5160 @item show non-stop
5161 Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
5162 @end table
5163
5164 Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
5165 not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
5166 In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
5167 @value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
5168 not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
5169 since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
5170 non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
5171 default.
5172
5173 In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
5174 by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
5175 To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
5176
5177 You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
5178 (@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
5179 while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
5180 The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
5181 always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
5182
5183 Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
5184 running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
5185 In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
5186 but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
5187 To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
5188
5189 Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
5190
5191 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
5192 that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
5193 thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
5194 command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
5195 changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
5196 previously current thread.
5197
5198 @node Background Execution
5199 @subsection Background Execution
5200
5201 @cindex foreground execution
5202 @cindex background execution
5203 @cindex asynchronous execution
5204 @cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
5205
5206 @value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
5207 foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
5208 (asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
5209 the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
5210 another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
5211 a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
5212
5213 You need to explicitly enable asynchronous mode before you can use
5214 background execution commands. You can use these commands to
5215 manipulate the asynchronous mode setting:
5216
5217 @table @code
5218 @kindex set target-async
5219 @item set target-async on
5220 Enable asynchronous mode.
5221 @item set target-async off
5222 Disable asynchronous mode.
5223 @kindex show target-async
5224 @item show target-async
5225 Show the current target-async setting.
5226 @end table
5227
5228 If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
5229 message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
5230
5231 To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
5232 the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
5233 just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
5234 are:
5235
5236 @table @code
5237 @kindex run&
5238 @item run
5239 @xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
5240
5241 @item attach
5242 @kindex attach&
5243 @xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
5244
5245 @item step
5246 @kindex step&
5247 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
5248
5249 @item stepi
5250 @kindex stepi&
5251 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
5252
5253 @item next
5254 @kindex next&
5255 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
5256
5257 @item nexti
5258 @kindex nexti&
5259 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
5260
5261 @item continue
5262 @kindex continue&
5263 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
5264
5265 @item finish
5266 @kindex finish&
5267 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
5268
5269 @item until
5270 @kindex until&
5271 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
5272
5273 @end table
5274
5275 Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
5276 mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
5277 However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
5278 the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
5279 previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
5280 mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
5281
5282 You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
5283 using the @code{interrupt} command.
5284
5285 @table @code
5286 @kindex interrupt
5287 @item interrupt
5288 @itemx interrupt -a
5289
5290 Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
5291 @code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
5292 only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
5293 use @code{interrupt -a}.
5294 @end table
5295
5296 @node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5297 @subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5298
5299 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
5300 Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
5301 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
5302
5303 @table @code
5304 @cindex breakpoints and threads
5305 @cindex thread breakpoints
5306 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
5307 @item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
5308 @itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
5309 @var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
5310 writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
5311 specify some source line.
5312
5313 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
5314 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
5315 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
5316 numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
5317 column of the @samp{info threads} display.
5318
5319 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
5320 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
5321 program.
5322
5323 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
5324 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before or
5325 after the breakpoint condition, like this:
5326
5327 @smallexample
5328 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
5329 @end smallexample
5330
5331 @end table
5332
5333 @node Interrupted System Calls
5334 @subsection Interrupted System Calls
5335
5336 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
5337 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
5338 @cindex premature return from system calls
5339 There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
5340 multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
5341 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
5342 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
5343 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
5344 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
5345 stop execution.
5346
5347 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
5348 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
5349 style anyways.
5350
5351 For example, do not write code like this:
5352
5353 @smallexample
5354 sleep (10);
5355 @end smallexample
5356
5357 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
5358 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
5359
5360 Instead, write this:
5361
5362 @smallexample
5363 int unslept = 10;
5364 while (unslept > 0)
5365 unslept = sleep (unslept);
5366 @end smallexample
5367
5368 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
5369 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
5370 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
5371 @value{GDBN}.
5372
5373 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
5374 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
5375 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
5376 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
5377
5378 @node Observer Mode
5379 @subsection Observer Mode
5380
5381 If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
5382 without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
5383 variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
5384 whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
5385 at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
5386
5387 When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
5388 be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
5389 @code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
5390 mode.
5391
5392 Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
5393 combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
5394 @code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
5395 then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
5396 stream will still not be able to be placed.
5397
5398 @table @code
5399
5400 @kindex observer
5401 @item set observer on
5402 @itemx set observer off
5403 When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
5404 below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
5405 non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
5406 normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
5407
5408 @item show observer
5409 Show whether observer mode is on or off.
5410
5411 @kindex may-write-registers
5412 @item set may-write-registers on
5413 @itemx set may-write-registers off
5414 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
5415 registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
5416 @code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
5417
5418 @item show may-write-registers
5419 Show the current permission to write registers.
5420
5421 @kindex may-write-memory
5422 @item set may-write-memory on
5423 @itemx set may-write-memory off
5424 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
5425 of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
5426 defaults to @code{on}.
5427
5428 @item show may-write-memory
5429 Show the current permission to write memory.
5430
5431 @kindex may-insert-breakpoints
5432 @item set may-insert-breakpoints on
5433 @itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
5434 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
5435 This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
5436 by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5437
5438 @item show may-insert-breakpoints
5439 Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
5440
5441 @kindex may-insert-tracepoints
5442 @item set may-insert-tracepoints on
5443 @itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
5444 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
5445 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5446 non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
5447 @code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5448
5449 @item show may-insert-tracepoints
5450 Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
5451
5452 @kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5453 @item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
5454 @itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
5455 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
5456 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5457 fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
5458 control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5459
5460 @item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5461 Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
5462
5463 @kindex may-interrupt
5464 @item set may-interrupt on
5465 @itemx set may-interrupt off
5466 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
5467 program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
5468 @code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
5469 @kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5470
5471 @item show may-interrupt
5472 Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
5473
5474 @end table
5475
5476 @node Reverse Execution
5477 @chapter Running programs backward
5478 @cindex reverse execution
5479 @cindex running programs backward
5480
5481 When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
5482 you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
5483 If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
5484 ``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
5485
5486 A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
5487 to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
5488 program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
5489 revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
5490 deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
5491 all target environments can support reverse execution.
5492
5493 When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
5494 have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
5495 order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
5496 thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
5497 the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
5498 instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
5499 a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
5500 should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
5501 prior values@footnote{
5502 Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
5503 memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
5504 targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
5505
5506 The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
5507 requires only that the target do something reasonable when
5508 @value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
5509 results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
5510 @value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
5511 assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
5512 consistant state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
5513 }.
5514
5515 If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
5516 reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
5517
5518 @table @code
5519 @kindex reverse-continue
5520 @kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
5521 @item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5522 @itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5523 Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
5524 in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
5525 exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
5526 asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
5527
5528 @kindex reverse-step
5529 @kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
5530 @item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5531 Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
5532 different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
5533
5534 Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
5535 at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
5536 executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
5537 debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
5538 the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
5539 statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
5540
5541 Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
5542 called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
5543
5544 @kindex reverse-stepi
5545 @kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
5546 @item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5547 Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
5548 to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
5549 counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
5550 if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
5551 back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
5552
5553 @kindex reverse-next
5554 @kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
5555 @item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5556 Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
5557 the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
5558 calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
5559 the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
5560 to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
5561 just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
5562 line of a function back to its return to its caller
5563 @footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
5564
5565 @kindex reverse-nexti
5566 @kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
5567 @item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5568 Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
5569 in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
5570 That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
5571 another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
5572 in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
5573 frame) is reached.
5574
5575 @kindex reverse-finish
5576 @item reverse-finish
5577 Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
5578 current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
5579 where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
5580 function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
5581
5582 @kindex set exec-direction
5583 @item set exec-direction
5584 Set the direction of target execution.
5585 @itemx set exec-direction reverse
5586 @cindex execute forward or backward in time
5587 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
5588 exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
5589 @code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
5590 command cannot be used in reverse mode.
5591 @item set exec-direction forward
5592 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
5593 This is the default.
5594 @end table
5595
5596
5597 @node Process Record and Replay
5598 @chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
5599 @cindex process record and replay
5600 @cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
5601
5602 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
5603 and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
5604 replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
5605
5606 @cindex replay mode
5607 When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
5608 for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
5609 mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
5610 instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
5611 code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
5612 really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
5613 program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
5614 changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
5615 execution log.
5616
5617 @cindex record mode
5618 If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
5619 @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
5620 inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
5621 for future replay.
5622
5623 The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
5624 (@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
5625 inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
5626 this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
5627 log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
5628 support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
5629
5630 When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
5631 replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
5632 previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
5633 platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
5634
5635 For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
5636 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
5637
5638 @table @code
5639 @kindex target record
5640 @kindex record
5641 @kindex rec
5642 @item target record
5643 This command starts the process record and replay target. The process
5644 record and replay target can only debug a process that is already
5645 running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with the
5646 @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording with
5647 the @kbd{target record} command.
5648
5649 Both @code{record} and @code{rec} are aliases of @code{target record}.
5650
5651 @cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
5652 Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
5653 will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
5654 is started. That's because the process record and replay target
5655 doesn't support displaced stepping.
5656
5657 @cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
5658 @cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
5659 If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
5660 the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), the
5661 process record and replay target cannot be started because it doesn't
5662 support these two modes.
5663
5664 @kindex record stop
5665 @kindex rec s
5666 @item record stop
5667 Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
5668 replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
5669 inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
5670
5671 When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
5672 the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
5673 next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
5674 you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
5675 will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
5676
5677 On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
5678 while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
5679 but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
5680 at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
5681 usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
5682
5683 When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
5684 process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
5685
5686 @kindex record save
5687 @item record save @var{filename}
5688 Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
5689 Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
5690 @var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
5691
5692 @kindex record restore
5693 @item record restore @var{filename}
5694 Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
5695 File must have been created with @code{record save}.
5696
5697 @kindex set record insn-number-max
5698 @item set record insn-number-max @var{limit}
5699 Set the limit of instructions to be recorded. Default value is 200000.
5700
5701 If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
5702 deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
5703 instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
5704 instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
5705 instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
5706 (Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
5707 lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
5708 the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
5709
5710 If @var{limit} is zero, @value{GDBN} will never delete recorded
5711 instructions from the execution log. The number of recorded
5712 instructions is unlimited in this case.
5713
5714 @kindex show record insn-number-max
5715 @item show record insn-number-max
5716 Show the limit of instructions to be recorded.
5717
5718 @kindex set record stop-at-limit
5719 @item set record stop-at-limit
5720 Control the behavior when the number of recorded instructions reaches
5721 the limit. If ON (the default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit
5722 is reached for the first time and ask you whether you want to stop the
5723 inferior or continue running it and recording the execution log. If
5724 you decide to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will
5725 cause the oldest one to be deleted.
5726
5727 If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
5728 oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
5729
5730 @kindex show record stop-at-limit
5731 @item show record stop-at-limit
5732 Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
5733
5734 @kindex set record memory-query
5735 @item set record memory-query
5736 Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
5737 changes caused by an instruction. If ON, @value{GDBN} will query
5738 whether to stop the inferior in that case.
5739
5740 If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
5741 ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
5742 @value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
5743 instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
5744 results.
5745
5746 @kindex show record memory-query
5747 @item show record memory-query
5748 Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
5749
5750 @kindex info record
5751 @item info record
5752 Show various statistics about the state of process record and its
5753 in-memory execution log buffer, including:
5754
5755 @itemize @bullet
5756 @item
5757 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
5758 @item
5759 Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
5760 @item
5761 Highest recorded instruction number.
5762 @item
5763 Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
5764 @item
5765 Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
5766 @item
5767 Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
5768 @end itemize
5769
5770 @kindex record delete
5771 @kindex rec del
5772 @item record delete
5773 When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
5774 subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
5775 from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
5776 recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
5777 @end table
5778
5779
5780 @node Stack
5781 @chapter Examining the Stack
5782
5783 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
5784 stopped and how it got there.
5785
5786 @cindex call stack
5787 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
5788 is generated.
5789 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
5790 the arguments of the call,
5791 and the local variables of the function being called.
5792 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
5793 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
5794 stack}.
5795
5796 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
5797 stack allow you to see all of this information.
5798
5799 @cindex selected frame
5800 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
5801 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
5802 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
5803 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
5804 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
5805 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
5806
5807 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
5808 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
5809 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
5810
5811 @menu
5812 * Frames:: Stack frames
5813 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
5814 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
5815 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
5816
5817 @end menu
5818
5819 @node Frames
5820 @section Stack Frames
5821
5822 @cindex frame, definition
5823 @cindex stack frame
5824 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
5825 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
5826 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
5827 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
5828 which the function is executing.
5829
5830 @cindex initial frame
5831 @cindex outermost frame
5832 @cindex innermost frame
5833 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
5834 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
5835 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
5836 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
5837 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
5838 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
5839 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
5840 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
5841
5842 @cindex frame pointer
5843 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
5844 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
5845 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
5846 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
5847 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
5848 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
5849
5850 @cindex frame number
5851 @value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
5852 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
5853 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
5854 they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
5855 frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
5856
5857 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
5858 @c underflow problems.
5859 @cindex frameless execution
5860 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
5861 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
5862 @smallexample
5863 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
5864 @end smallexample
5865 generates functions without a frame.)
5866 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
5867 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
5868 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
5869 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
5870 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
5871 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
5872 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
5873
5874 @table @code
5875 @kindex frame@r{, command}
5876 @cindex current stack frame
5877 @item frame @var{args}
5878 The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
5879 and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
5880 address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
5881 @code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
5882
5883 @kindex select-frame
5884 @cindex selecting frame silently
5885 @item select-frame
5886 The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
5887 to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
5888 @code{frame}.
5889 @end table
5890
5891 @node Backtrace
5892 @section Backtraces
5893
5894 @cindex traceback
5895 @cindex call stack traces
5896 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
5897 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
5898 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
5899 stack.
5900
5901 @table @code
5902 @kindex backtrace
5903 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
5904 @item backtrace
5905 @itemx bt
5906 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
5907 frames in the stack.
5908
5909 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
5910 character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
5911
5912 @item backtrace @var{n}
5913 @itemx bt @var{n}
5914 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
5915
5916 @item backtrace -@var{n}
5917 @itemx bt -@var{n}
5918 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
5919
5920 @item backtrace full
5921 @itemx bt full
5922 @itemx bt full @var{n}
5923 @itemx bt full -@var{n}
5924 Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
5925 number of frames to print, as described above.
5926 @end table
5927
5928 @kindex where
5929 @kindex info stack
5930 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
5931 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
5932
5933 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
5934 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
5935 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
5936 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
5937 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
5938 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
5939 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
5940 multi-threaded program.
5941
5942 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
5943 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
5944 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
5945 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
5946 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
5947 line number.
5948
5949 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
5950 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
5951
5952 @smallexample
5953 @group
5954 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
5955 at builtin.c:993
5956 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
5957 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
5958 at macro.c:71
5959 (More stack frames follow...)
5960 @end group
5961 @end smallexample
5962
5963 @noindent
5964 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
5965 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
5966 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
5967
5968 @noindent
5969 The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
5970 @code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
5971 only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
5972 @kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
5973 on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
5974
5975 @cindex optimized out, in backtrace
5976 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
5977 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
5978 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
5979 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
5980 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
5981 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
5982 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
5983 such a backtrace might look like:
5984
5985 @smallexample
5986 @group
5987 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
5988 at builtin.c:993
5989 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<optimized out>) at macro.c:242
5990 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
5991 at macro.c:71
5992 (More stack frames follow...)
5993 @end group
5994 @end smallexample
5995
5996 @noindent
5997 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
5998 shown as @samp{<optimized out>}.
5999
6000 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
6001 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
6002 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
6003
6004 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
6005 @cindex program entry point
6006 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
6007 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
6008 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
6009 @code{main}@footnote{
6010 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
6011 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
6012 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
6013 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
6014 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
6015 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
6016
6017 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
6018 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
6019
6020 @table @code
6021 @item set backtrace past-main
6022 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
6023 @kindex set backtrace
6024 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
6025
6026 @item set backtrace past-main off
6027 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
6028 default.
6029
6030 @item show backtrace past-main
6031 @kindex show backtrace
6032 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
6033
6034 @item set backtrace past-entry
6035 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
6036 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
6037 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
6038 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
6039
6040 @item set backtrace past-entry off
6041 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
6042 application. This is the default.
6043
6044 @item show backtrace past-entry
6045 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
6046
6047 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
6048 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
6049 @cindex backtrace limit
6050 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of zero means
6051 unlimited.
6052
6053 @item show backtrace limit
6054 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
6055 @end table
6056
6057 @node Selection
6058 @section Selecting a Frame
6059
6060 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
6061 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
6062 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
6063 of the stack frame just selected.
6064
6065 @table @code
6066 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
6067 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
6068 @item frame @var{n}
6069 @itemx f @var{n}
6070 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
6071 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
6072 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
6073 @code{main}.
6074
6075 @item frame @var{addr}
6076 @itemx f @var{addr}
6077 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
6078 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
6079 impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
6080 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
6081 switches between them.
6082
6083 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
6084 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
6085
6086 On the MIPS and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
6087 pointer and a program counter.
6088
6089 On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
6090 pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
6091
6092 @kindex up
6093 @item up @var{n}
6094 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6095 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
6096 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
6097
6098 @kindex down
6099 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
6100 @item down @var{n}
6101 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6102 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
6103 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
6104 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
6105 @end table
6106
6107 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
6108 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
6109 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
6110 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
6111
6112 @need 1000
6113 For example:
6114
6115 @smallexample
6116 @group
6117 (@value{GDBP}) up
6118 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
6119 at env.c:10
6120 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
6121 @end group
6122 @end smallexample
6123
6124 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
6125 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
6126 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
6127 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
6128 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
6129 for details.
6130
6131 @table @code
6132 @kindex down-silently
6133 @kindex up-silently
6134 @item up-silently @var{n}
6135 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
6136 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
6137 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
6138 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
6139 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
6140 distracting.
6141 @end table
6142
6143 @node Frame Info
6144 @section Information About a Frame
6145
6146 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
6147 stack frame.
6148
6149 @table @code
6150 @item frame
6151 @itemx f
6152 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
6153 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
6154 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
6155 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
6156 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6157
6158 @kindex info frame
6159 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
6160 @item info frame
6161 @itemx info f
6162 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
6163 including:
6164
6165 @itemize @bullet
6166 @item
6167 the address of the frame
6168 @item
6169 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
6170 @item
6171 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
6172 @item
6173 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
6174 @item
6175 the address of the frame's arguments
6176 @item
6177 the address of the frame's local variables
6178 @item
6179 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
6180 @item
6181 which registers were saved in the frame
6182 @end itemize
6183
6184 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
6185 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
6186 the usual conventions.
6187
6188 @item info frame @var{addr}
6189 @itemx info f @var{addr}
6190 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
6191 selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
6192 command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
6193 architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
6194 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6195
6196 @kindex info args
6197 @item info args
6198 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
6199
6200 @item info locals
6201 @kindex info locals
6202 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
6203 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
6204 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
6205
6206 @kindex info catch
6207 @cindex catch exceptions, list active handlers
6208 @cindex exception handlers, how to list
6209 @item info catch
6210 Print a list of all the exception handlers that are active in the
6211 current stack frame at the current point of execution. To see other
6212 exception handlers, visit the associated frame (using the @code{up},
6213 @code{down}, or @code{frame} commands); then type @code{info catch}.
6214 @xref{Set Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
6215
6216 @end table
6217
6218
6219 @node Source
6220 @chapter Examining Source Files
6221
6222 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
6223 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
6224 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
6225 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
6226 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
6227 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
6228 source files by explicit command.
6229
6230 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
6231 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
6232 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
6233
6234 @menu
6235 * List:: Printing source lines
6236 * Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
6237 * Edit:: Editing source files
6238 * Search:: Searching source files
6239 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
6240 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
6241 @end menu
6242
6243 @node List
6244 @section Printing Source Lines
6245
6246 @kindex list
6247 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
6248 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
6249 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
6250 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
6251 print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
6252
6253 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
6254
6255 @table @code
6256 @item list @var{linenum}
6257 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
6258 current source file.
6259
6260 @item list @var{function}
6261 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
6262 @var{function}.
6263
6264 @item list
6265 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
6266 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
6267 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
6268 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
6269 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
6270
6271 @item list -
6272 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6273 @end table
6274
6275 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
6276 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
6277 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
6278
6279 @table @code
6280 @kindex set listsize
6281 @item set listsize @var{count}
6282 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
6283 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
6284
6285 @kindex show listsize
6286 @item show listsize
6287 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
6288 @end table
6289
6290 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
6291 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
6292 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
6293 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
6294 each repetition moves up in the source file.
6295
6296 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
6297 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
6298 of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
6299 to specify some source line.
6300
6301 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
6302
6303 @table @code
6304 @item list @var{linespec}
6305 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
6306
6307 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
6308 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
6309 linespecs. When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, and the
6310 source file of the second linespec is omitted, this refers to
6311 the same source file as the first linespec.
6312
6313 @item list ,@var{last}
6314 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
6315
6316 @item list @var{first},
6317 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
6318
6319 @item list +
6320 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
6321
6322 @item list -
6323 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6324
6325 @item list
6326 As described in the preceding table.
6327 @end table
6328
6329 @node Specify Location
6330 @section Specifying a Location
6331 @cindex specifying location
6332 @cindex linespec
6333
6334 Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
6335 of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
6336 debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code;
6337 for that reason, locations are also known as @dfn{linespecs}.
6338
6339 Here are all the different ways of specifying a code location that
6340 @value{GDBN} understands:
6341
6342 @table @code
6343 @item @var{linenum}
6344 Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
6345
6346 @item -@var{offset}
6347 @itemx +@var{offset}
6348 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
6349 line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
6350 printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
6351 execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
6352 (@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
6353 used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
6354 this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
6355 linespec.
6356
6357 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
6358 Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
6359
6360 @item @var{function}
6361 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
6362 For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
6363
6364 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
6365 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
6366 in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
6367 function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
6368 functions in different source files.
6369
6370 @item @var{label}
6371 Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears.
6372 @value{GDBN} searches for the label in the function corresponding to
6373 the currently selected stack frame. If there is no current selected
6374 stack frame (for instance, if the inferior is not running), then
6375 @value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
6376
6377 @item *@var{address}
6378 Specifies the program address @var{address}. For line-oriented
6379 commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this specifies a source
6380 line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and other
6381 breakpoint oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
6382 parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
6383 source files.
6384
6385 Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
6386 language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
6387 address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
6388 semantics of expressions used in locations to cover the situations
6389 that frequently happen during debugging. Here are the various forms
6390 of @var{address}:
6391
6392 @table @code
6393 @item @var{expression}
6394 Any expression valid in the current working language.
6395
6396 @item @var{funcaddr}
6397 An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
6398 C@t{++}, Java, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
6399 simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
6400 of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
6401 @code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
6402 (although the Pascal form also works).
6403
6404 This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
6405 before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
6406
6407 @item '@var{filename}'::@var{funcaddr}
6408 Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
6409 file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
6410 specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
6411 functions with identical names in different source files.
6412 @end table
6413
6414 @end table
6415
6416
6417 @node Edit
6418 @section Editing Source Files
6419 @cindex editing source files
6420
6421 @kindex edit
6422 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
6423 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
6424 The editing program of your choice
6425 is invoked with the current line set to
6426 the active line in the program.
6427 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
6428 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
6429
6430 @table @code
6431 @item edit @var{location}
6432 Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
6433 that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
6434 specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
6435 of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
6436 command most commonly used:
6437
6438 @table @code
6439 @item edit @var{number}
6440 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
6441
6442 @item edit @var{function}
6443 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
6444 @end table
6445
6446 @end table
6447
6448 @subsection Choosing your Editor
6449 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
6450 @footnote{
6451 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
6452 following command-line syntax:
6453 @smallexample
6454 ex +@var{number} file
6455 @end smallexample
6456 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
6457 the file where to start editing.}.
6458 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
6459 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
6460 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
6461 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
6462 @smallexample
6463 EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
6464 export EDITOR
6465 gdb @dots{}
6466 @end smallexample
6467 or in the @code{csh} shell,
6468 @smallexample
6469 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
6470 gdb @dots{}
6471 @end smallexample
6472
6473 @node Search
6474 @section Searching Source Files
6475 @cindex searching source files
6476
6477 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
6478 regular expression.
6479
6480 @table @code
6481 @kindex search
6482 @kindex forward-search
6483 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
6484 @itemx search @var{regexp}
6485 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
6486 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
6487 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
6488 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
6489 @code{fo}.
6490
6491 @kindex reverse-search
6492 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
6493 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
6494 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
6495 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
6496 this command as @code{rev}.
6497 @end table
6498
6499 @node Source Path
6500 @section Specifying Source Directories
6501
6502 @cindex source path
6503 @cindex directories for source files
6504 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
6505 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
6506 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
6507 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
6508 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
6509 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
6510 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
6511
6512 For example, suppose an executable references the file
6513 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
6514 @file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
6515 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
6516 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
6517 message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
6518 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
6519 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
6520 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
6521 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
6522 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
6523
6524 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
6525 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
6526 instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
6527 is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
6528 @file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
6529 that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
6530
6531 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
6532 source files.
6533
6534 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
6535 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
6536 each line is in the file.
6537
6538 @kindex directory
6539 @kindex dir
6540 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
6541 and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
6542 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
6543
6544 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
6545 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
6546
6547 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
6548 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
6549 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
6550 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
6551 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
6552 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
6553 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
6554 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
6555 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
6556 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
6557 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
6558 name to look up the sources.
6559
6560 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
6561 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
6562 @value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
6563 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
6564 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
6565 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
6566 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
6567 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
6568
6569 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
6570 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
6571 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
6572 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
6573 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
6574 is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
6575 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
6576
6577 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
6578 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
6579 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
6580 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
6581 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
6582 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
6583 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
6584 command.
6585
6586 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
6587 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
6588 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
6589 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
6590 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
6591 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
6592 method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
6593
6594 @cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
6595 @cindex default source path substitution
6596 You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
6597 configuring @value{GDBN} with the
6598 @samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
6599 should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
6600 prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
6601 directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
6602 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
6603 location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
6604 with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
6605 together.
6606
6607 @table @code
6608 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
6609 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
6610 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
6611 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
6612 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
6613 part of absolute file names) or
6614 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
6615 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
6616
6617 @kindex cdir
6618 @kindex cwd
6619 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
6620 @vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
6621 @cindex compilation directory
6622 @cindex current directory
6623 @cindex working directory
6624 @cindex directory, current
6625 @cindex directory, compilation
6626 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
6627 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
6628 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
6629 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
6630 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
6631 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
6632
6633 @item directory
6634 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
6635
6636 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
6637 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
6638
6639 @item set directories @var{path-list}
6640 @kindex set directories
6641 Set the source path to @var{path-list}.
6642 @samp{$cdir:$cwd} are added if missing.
6643
6644 @item show directories
6645 @kindex show directories
6646 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
6647
6648 @anchor{set substitute-path}
6649 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
6650 @kindex set substitute-path
6651 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
6652 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
6653 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
6654
6655 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
6656 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
6657
6658 @smallexample
6659 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
6660 @end smallexample
6661
6662 @noindent
6663 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
6664 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
6665 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
6666
6667 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
6668 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
6669 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
6670 the substitution.
6671
6672 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
6673
6674 @smallexample
6675 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
6676 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
6677 @end smallexample
6678
6679 @noindent
6680 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
6681 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
6682 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
6683 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
6684
6685
6686 @item unset substitute-path [path]
6687 @kindex unset substitute-path
6688 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
6689 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
6690 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
6691
6692 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
6693
6694 @item show substitute-path [path]
6695 @kindex show substitute-path
6696 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
6697 which would rewrite that path, if any.
6698
6699 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
6700 rules.
6701
6702 @end table
6703
6704 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
6705 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
6706 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
6707
6708 @enumerate
6709 @item
6710 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
6711
6712 @item
6713 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
6714 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
6715 directories in one command.
6716 @end enumerate
6717
6718 @node Machine Code
6719 @section Source and Machine Code
6720 @cindex source line and its code address
6721
6722 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
6723 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
6724 a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
6725 @code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
6726 source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
6727 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
6728 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
6729 well as hex.
6730
6731 @table @code
6732 @kindex info line
6733 @item info line @var{linespec}
6734 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
6735 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
6736 the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}.
6737 @end table
6738
6739 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
6740 the object code for the first line of function
6741 @code{m4_changequote}:
6742
6743 @c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
6744 @c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
6745 @smallexample
6746 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
6747 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
6748 @end smallexample
6749
6750 @noindent
6751 @cindex code address and its source line
6752 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
6753 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
6754 @smallexample
6755 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
6756 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
6757 @end smallexample
6758
6759 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
6760 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
6761 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
6762 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
6763 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
6764 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
6765 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
6766 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
6767 Variables}).
6768
6769 @table @code
6770 @kindex disassemble
6771 @cindex assembly instructions
6772 @cindex instructions, assembly
6773 @cindex machine instructions
6774 @cindex listing machine instructions
6775 @item disassemble
6776 @itemx disassemble /m
6777 @itemx disassemble /r
6778 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
6779 instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
6780 the @code{/m} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex as well as
6781 in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r}.
6782 The default memory range is the function surrounding the
6783 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
6784 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
6785 surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
6786 be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
6787 arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
6788
6789 @table @code
6790 @item @var{start},@var{end}
6791 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
6792 @item @var{start},+@var{length}
6793 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
6794 @code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
6795 @end table
6796
6797 @noindent
6798 When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
6799 printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
6800
6801 The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
6802 @samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
6803
6804 If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
6805 the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
6806 @end table
6807
6808 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
6809 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
6810
6811 @smallexample
6812 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
6813 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
6814 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
6815 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
6816 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
6817 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
6818 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
6819 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
6820 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
6821 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
6822 End of assembler dump.
6823 @end smallexample
6824
6825 Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86, when the
6826 program is stopped just after function prologue:
6827
6828 @smallexample
6829 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
6830 Dump of assembler code for function main:
6831 5 @{
6832 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
6833 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
6834 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
6835 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
6836 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
6837
6838 6 printf ("Hello.\n");
6839 => 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
6840 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
6841
6842 7 return 0;
6843 8 @}
6844 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
6845 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
6846 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
6847
6848 End of assembler dump.
6849 @end smallexample
6850
6851 Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
6852
6853 @smallexample
6854 (gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
6855 Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
6856 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
6857 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
6858 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
6859 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
6860 End of assembler dump.
6861 @end smallexample
6862
6863 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
6864 mnemonics or other syntax.
6865
6866 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
6867 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
6868 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
6869 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
6870 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
6871
6872 @table @code
6873 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
6874 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
6875 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
6876 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
6877 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
6878 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
6879
6880 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
6881 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
6882 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
6883 assemblers for x86-based targets.
6884
6885 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
6886 @item show disassembly-flavor
6887 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
6888 @end table
6889
6890 @table @code
6891 @kindex set disassemble-next-line
6892 @kindex show disassemble-next-line
6893 @item set disassemble-next-line
6894 @itemx show disassemble-next-line
6895 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
6896 line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
6897 display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
6898 program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
6899 displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
6900 possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
6901 (e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
6902 info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
6903 next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
6904 AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
6905 if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
6906 @value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
6907 with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
6908 OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
6909 instruction.
6910 @end table
6911
6912
6913 @node Data
6914 @chapter Examining Data
6915
6916 @cindex printing data
6917 @cindex examining data
6918 @kindex print
6919 @kindex inspect
6920 @c "inspect" is not quite a synonym if you are using Epoch, which we do not
6921 @c document because it is nonstandard... Under Epoch it displays in a
6922 @c different window or something like that.
6923 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
6924 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
6925 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
6926 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
6927 Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
6928 Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
6929
6930 @table @code
6931 @item print @var{expr}
6932 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
6933 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
6934 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
6935 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
6936 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
6937 Formats}.
6938
6939 @item print
6940 @itemx print /@var{f}
6941 @cindex reprint the last value
6942 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
6943 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
6944 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
6945 @end table
6946
6947 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
6948 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
6949 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
6950
6951 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
6952 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
6953 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
6954 Table}.
6955
6956 @menu
6957 * Expressions:: Expressions
6958 * Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
6959 * Variables:: Program variables
6960 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
6961 * Output Formats:: Output formats
6962 * Memory:: Examining memory
6963 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
6964 * Print Settings:: Print settings
6965 * Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
6966 * Value History:: Value history
6967 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
6968 * Registers:: Registers
6969 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
6970 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
6971 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
6972 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
6973 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
6974 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
6975 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
6976 character set than GDB does
6977 * Caching Remote Data:: Data caching for remote targets
6978 * Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
6979 @end menu
6980
6981 @node Expressions
6982 @section Expressions
6983
6984 @cindex expressions
6985 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
6986 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
6987 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
6988 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
6989 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
6990 you compiled your program to include this information; see
6991 @ref{Compilation}.
6992
6993 @cindex arrays in expressions
6994 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
6995 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
6996 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
6997 of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
6998 to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
6999 is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
7000
7001 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
7002 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
7003 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
7004 languages.
7005
7006 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
7007 expressions regardless of your programming language.
7008
7009 @cindex casts, in expressions
7010 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
7011 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
7012 at that address in memory.
7013 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
7014
7015 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
7016 to programming languages:
7017
7018 @table @code
7019 @item @@
7020 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
7021 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
7022
7023 @item ::
7024 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
7025 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
7026
7027 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
7028 @cindex type casting memory
7029 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
7030 @cindex casts, to view memory
7031 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
7032 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
7033 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
7034 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
7035 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
7036 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
7037 @end table
7038
7039 @node Ambiguous Expressions
7040 @section Ambiguous Expressions
7041 @cindex ambiguous expressions
7042
7043 Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
7044 some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
7045 a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
7046 different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
7047 involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
7048 templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
7049 the same function name being defined in different contexts.
7050
7051 In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
7052 the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
7053 can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
7054 @kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
7055 qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
7056 as well.
7057
7058 When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
7059 has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
7060 possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
7061 The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
7062 aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
7063 used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
7064 menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
7065 choices.
7066
7067 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
7068 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
7069 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
7070
7071 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
7072 @smallexample
7073 @group
7074 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
7075 [0] cancel
7076 [1] all
7077 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
7078 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
7079 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
7080 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
7081 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
7082 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
7083 > 2 4 6
7084 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
7085 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
7086 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
7087 Multiple breakpoints were set.
7088 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
7089 breakpoints.
7090 (@value{GDBP})
7091 @end group
7092 @end smallexample
7093
7094 @table @code
7095 @kindex set multiple-symbols
7096 @item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
7097 @cindex multiple-symbols menu
7098
7099 This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
7100 is ambiguous.
7101
7102 By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
7103 the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
7104 automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
7105 a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
7106 inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
7107 then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
7108 For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
7109 in the use of the menu.
7110
7111 When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
7112 when an ambiguity is detected.
7113
7114 Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
7115 an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
7116
7117 @kindex show multiple-symbols
7118 @item show multiple-symbols
7119 Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
7120 @end table
7121
7122 @node Variables
7123 @section Program Variables
7124
7125 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
7126 in your program.
7127
7128 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
7129 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
7130
7131 @itemize @bullet
7132 @item
7133 global (or file-static)
7134 @end itemize
7135
7136 @noindent or
7137
7138 @itemize @bullet
7139 @item
7140 visible according to the scope rules of the
7141 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
7142 @end itemize
7143
7144 @noindent This means that in the function
7145
7146 @smallexample
7147 foo (a)
7148 int a;
7149 @{
7150 bar (a);
7151 @{
7152 int b = test ();
7153 bar (b);
7154 @}
7155 @}
7156 @end smallexample
7157
7158 @noindent
7159 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
7160 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
7161 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
7162 the block where @code{b} is declared.
7163
7164 @cindex variable name conflict
7165 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
7166 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
7167 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
7168 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
7169 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
7170 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file,
7171 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
7172
7173 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
7174 @ifnotinfo
7175 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
7176 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
7177 @end ifnotinfo
7178 @smallexample
7179 @var{file}::@var{variable}
7180 @var{function}::@var{variable}
7181 @end smallexample
7182
7183 @noindent
7184 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
7185 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
7186 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
7187 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
7188
7189 @smallexample
7190 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
7191 @end smallexample
7192
7193 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
7194 This use of @samp{::} is very rarely in conflict with the very similar
7195 use of the same notation in C@t{++}. @value{GDBN} also supports use of the C@t{++}
7196 scope resolution operator in @value{GDBN} expressions.
7197 @c FIXME: Um, so what happens in one of those rare cases where it's in
7198 @c conflict?? --mew
7199
7200 @cindex wrong values
7201 @cindex variable values, wrong
7202 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
7203 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
7204 @quotation
7205 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
7206 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
7207 scope, and just before exit.
7208 @end quotation
7209 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
7210 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
7211 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
7212 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
7213 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
7214 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
7215 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
7216 variable definitions may be gone.
7217
7218 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
7219 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
7220 when compiling.
7221
7222 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
7223 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
7224 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
7225 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
7226 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
7227 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
7228 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
7229
7230 @smallexample
7231 No symbol "foo" in current context.
7232 @end smallexample
7233
7234 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
7235 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
7236 formats. For example, @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler,
7237 usually supports the @option{-gstabs+} option. @option{-gstabs+}
7238 produces debug info in a format that is superior to formats such as
7239 COFF. You may be able to use DWARF 2 (@option{-gdwarf-2}), which is also
7240 an effective form for debug info. @xref{Debugging Options,,Options
7241 for Debugging Your Program or GCC, gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu}
7242 Compiler Collection (GCC)}.
7243 @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug info formats
7244 that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
7245
7246 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
7247 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
7248 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
7249 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
7250
7251 Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
7252 signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
7253 printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
7254 @code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
7255 defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
7256 For program code
7257
7258 @smallexample
7259 char var0[] = "A";
7260 signed char var1[] = "A";
7261 @end smallexample
7262
7263 You get during debugging
7264 @smallexample
7265 (gdb) print var0
7266 $1 = "A"
7267 (gdb) print var1
7268 $2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
7269 @end smallexample
7270
7271 @node Arrays
7272 @section Artificial Arrays
7273
7274 @cindex artificial array
7275 @cindex arrays
7276 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
7277 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
7278 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
7279 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
7280 program.
7281
7282 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
7283 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
7284 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
7285 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
7286 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
7287 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
7288 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
7289 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
7290 example. If a program says
7291
7292 @smallexample
7293 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
7294 @end smallexample
7295
7296 @noindent
7297 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
7298
7299 @smallexample
7300 p *array@@len
7301 @end smallexample
7302
7303 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
7304 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
7305 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
7306 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
7307 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
7308
7309 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
7310 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
7311 The value need not be in memory:
7312 @smallexample
7313 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
7314 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7315 @end smallexample
7316
7317 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
7318 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
7319 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
7320 @smallexample
7321 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
7322 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7323 @end smallexample
7324
7325 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
7326 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
7327 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
7328 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
7329 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7330 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
7331 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
7332 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
7333 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
7334 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
7335
7336 @smallexample
7337 set $i = 0
7338 p dtab[$i++]->fv
7339 @key{RET}
7340 @key{RET}
7341 @dots{}
7342 @end smallexample
7343
7344 @node Output Formats
7345 @section Output Formats
7346
7347 @cindex formatted output
7348 @cindex output formats
7349 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
7350 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
7351 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
7352 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
7353 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
7354
7355 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
7356 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
7357 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
7358 letters supported are:
7359
7360 @table @code
7361 @item x
7362 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
7363 hexadecimal.
7364
7365 @item d
7366 Print as integer in signed decimal.
7367
7368 @item u
7369 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
7370
7371 @item o
7372 Print as integer in octal.
7373
7374 @item t
7375 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
7376 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
7377 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
7378 see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
7379
7380 @item a
7381 @cindex unknown address, locating
7382 @cindex locate address
7383 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
7384 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
7385 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
7386
7387 @smallexample
7388 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
7389 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
7390 @end smallexample
7391
7392 @noindent
7393 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
7394 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
7395
7396 @item c
7397 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
7398 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
7399 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
7400 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
7401
7402 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
7403 @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
7404 constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
7405 data.
7406
7407 @item f
7408 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
7409 using typical floating point syntax.
7410
7411 @item s
7412 @cindex printing strings
7413 @cindex printing byte arrays
7414 Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
7415 data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
7416 are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
7417 natural types.
7418
7419 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
7420 @code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
7421 strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
7422 array.
7423
7424 @item r
7425 @cindex raw printing
7426 Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
7427 use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
7428 Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
7429 value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
7430 pretty-printer which might exist.
7431 @end table
7432
7433 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
7434
7435 @smallexample
7436 p/x $pc
7437 @end smallexample
7438
7439 @noindent
7440 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
7441 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
7442
7443 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
7444 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
7445 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
7446
7447 @node Memory
7448 @section Examining Memory
7449
7450 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
7451 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
7452
7453 @cindex examining memory
7454 @table @code
7455 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
7456 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
7457 @itemx x @var{addr}
7458 @itemx x
7459 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
7460 @end table
7461
7462 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
7463 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
7464 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
7465 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
7466 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
7467
7468 @table @r
7469 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
7470 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
7471 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
7472 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
7473 @c 4.1.2.
7474
7475 @item @var{f}, the display format
7476 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
7477 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
7478 @samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
7479 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
7480 each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
7481
7482 @item @var{u}, the unit size
7483 The unit size is any of
7484
7485 @table @code
7486 @item b
7487 Bytes.
7488 @item h
7489 Halfwords (two bytes).
7490 @item w
7491 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
7492 @item g
7493 Giant words (eight bytes).
7494 @end table
7495
7496 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
7497 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
7498 the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
7499 the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
7500 Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
7501 32-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
7502 Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
7503 current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
7504 modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
7505 UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
7506 be altered.
7507
7508 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
7509 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
7510 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
7511 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
7512 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
7513 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
7514 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
7515 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
7516 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
7517 a value from memory).
7518 @end table
7519
7520 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
7521 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
7522 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
7523 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
7524 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
7525
7526 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
7527 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
7528 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
7529 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
7530 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
7531
7532 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
7533 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
7534 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
7535 including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
7536 the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
7537 slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
7538 follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
7539 @code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
7540 instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
7541
7542 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
7543 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
7544 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
7545 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
7546 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
7547 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
7548 for successive uses of @code{x}.
7549
7550 When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
7551 counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
7552
7553 @smallexample
7554 (@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
7555 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
7556 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
7557 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
7558 => 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
7559 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
7560 @end smallexample
7561
7562 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
7563 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
7564 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
7565 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
7566 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
7567 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
7568 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
7569 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
7570 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
7571
7572 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
7573 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
7574 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
7575
7576 @cindex remote memory comparison
7577 @cindex verify remote memory image
7578 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
7579 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
7580 remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
7581 the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
7582 situations.
7583
7584 @table @code
7585 @kindex compare-sections
7586 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
7587 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
7588 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
7589 the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
7590 arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
7591 availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
7592 remote request.
7593 @end table
7594
7595 @node Auto Display
7596 @section Automatic Display
7597 @cindex automatic display
7598 @cindex display of expressions
7599
7600 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
7601 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
7602 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
7603 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
7604 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
7605 The automatic display looks like this:
7606
7607 @smallexample
7608 2: foo = 38
7609 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
7610 @end smallexample
7611
7612 @noindent
7613 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
7614 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
7615 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
7616 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
7617 specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
7618 or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
7619
7620 @table @code
7621 @kindex display
7622 @item display @var{expr}
7623 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
7624 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
7625
7626 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
7627
7628 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
7629 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
7630 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
7631 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
7632 @xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
7633
7634 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
7635 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
7636 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
7637 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
7638 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7639 @end table
7640
7641 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
7642 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
7643 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
7644
7645 @table @code
7646 @kindex delete display
7647 @kindex undisplay
7648 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
7649 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7650 Remove item numbers @var{dnums} from the list of expressions to display.
7651
7652 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
7653 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
7654
7655 @kindex disable display
7656 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7657 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
7658 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
7659 enabled again later.
7660
7661 @kindex enable display
7662 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7663 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
7664 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
7665
7666 @item display
7667 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
7668 done when your program stops.
7669
7670 @kindex info display
7671 @item info display
7672 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
7673 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
7674 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
7675 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
7676 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
7677 @end table
7678
7679 @cindex display disabled out of scope
7680 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
7681 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
7682 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
7683 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
7684 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
7685 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
7686 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
7687 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
7688 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
7689 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
7690
7691 @node Print Settings
7692 @section Print Settings
7693
7694 @cindex format options
7695 @cindex print settings
7696 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
7697 and symbols are printed.
7698
7699 @noindent
7700 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
7701
7702 @table @code
7703 @kindex set print
7704 @item set print address
7705 @itemx set print address on
7706 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
7707 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
7708 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
7709 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
7710 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
7711 @code{set print address on}:
7712
7713 @smallexample
7714 @group
7715 (@value{GDBP}) f
7716 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
7717 at input.c:530
7718 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
7719 @end group
7720 @end smallexample
7721
7722 @item set print address off
7723 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
7724 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
7725
7726 @smallexample
7727 @group
7728 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
7729 (@value{GDBP}) f
7730 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
7731 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
7732 @end group
7733 @end smallexample
7734
7735 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
7736 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
7737 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
7738 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
7739
7740 @kindex show print
7741 @item show print address
7742 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
7743 @end table
7744
7745 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
7746 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
7747 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
7748 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
7749 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
7750 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
7751 it prints a symbolic address:
7752
7753 @table @code
7754 @item set print symbol-filename on
7755 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
7756 @cindex symbol, source file and line
7757 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
7758 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
7759
7760 @item set print symbol-filename off
7761 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
7762 default.
7763
7764 @item show print symbol-filename
7765 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
7766 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
7767 @end table
7768
7769 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
7770 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
7771 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
7772
7773 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
7774 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
7775
7776 @table @code
7777 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
7778 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
7779 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
7780 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
7781 @var{max-offset}. The default is 0, which tells @value{GDBN}
7782 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes it.
7783
7784 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
7785 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
7786 symbolic address.
7787 @end table
7788
7789 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
7790 @cindex pointer, finding referent
7791 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
7792 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
7793 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
7794 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
7795 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
7796 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
7797
7798 @smallexample
7799 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
7800 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
7801 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
7802 @end smallexample
7803
7804 @quotation
7805 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
7806 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
7807 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
7808 @end quotation
7809
7810 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
7811
7812 @table @code
7813 @item set print array
7814 @itemx set print array on
7815 @cindex pretty print arrays
7816 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
7817 but uses more space. The default is off.
7818
7819 @item set print array off
7820 Return to compressed format for arrays.
7821
7822 @item show print array
7823 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
7824 arrays.
7825
7826 @cindex print array indexes
7827 @item set print array-indexes
7828 @itemx set print array-indexes on
7829 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
7830 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
7831 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
7832
7833 @item set print array-indexes off
7834 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
7835
7836 @item show print array-indexes
7837 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
7838 arrays.
7839
7840 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
7841 @cindex number of array elements to print
7842 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
7843 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
7844 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
7845 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
7846 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
7847 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
7848 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to zero means that the printing is unlimited.
7849
7850 @item show print elements
7851 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
7852 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
7853
7854 @item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
7855 @kindex set print frame-arguments
7856 @cindex printing frame argument values
7857 @cindex print all frame argument values
7858 @cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
7859 @cindex do not print frame argument values
7860 This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
7861 when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
7862 values are:
7863
7864 @table @code
7865 @item all
7866 The values of all arguments are printed.
7867
7868 @item scalars
7869 Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
7870 complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
7871 by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
7872 only scalar arguments are shown:
7873
7874 @smallexample
7875 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
7876 at frame-args.c:23
7877 @end smallexample
7878
7879 @item none
7880 None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
7881 is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
7882
7883 @smallexample
7884 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
7885 at frame-args.c:23
7886 @end smallexample
7887 @end table
7888
7889 By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
7890 to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
7891 of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
7892 of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
7893 information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
7894 Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
7895 the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
7896 especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
7897 to @code{scalars} (the default) or @code{none} avoids this computation,
7898 thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
7899
7900 @item show print frame-arguments
7901 Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
7902
7903 @item set print repeats
7904 @cindex repeated array elements
7905 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
7906 elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
7907 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
7908 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
7909 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
7910 themselves. Setting the threshold to zero will cause all elements to
7911 be individually printed. The default threshold is 10.
7912
7913 @item show print repeats
7914 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
7915 elements.
7916
7917 @item set print null-stop
7918 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
7919 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
7920 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
7921 contain only short strings.
7922 The default is off.
7923
7924 @item show print null-stop
7925 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
7926 @sc{null} character.
7927
7928 @item set print pretty on
7929 @cindex print structures in indented form
7930 @cindex indentation in structure display
7931 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
7932 per line, like this:
7933
7934 @smallexample
7935 @group
7936 $1 = @{
7937 next = 0x0,
7938 flags = @{
7939 sweet = 1,
7940 sour = 1
7941 @},
7942 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
7943 @}
7944 @end group
7945 @end smallexample
7946
7947 @item set print pretty off
7948 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
7949
7950 @smallexample
7951 @group
7952 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
7953 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
7954 @end group
7955 @end smallexample
7956
7957 @noindent
7958 This is the default format.
7959
7960 @item show print pretty
7961 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
7962
7963 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
7964 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
7965 @cindex octal escapes in strings
7966 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
7967 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
7968 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
7969 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
7970 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
7971
7972 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
7973 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
7974 international character sets, and is the default.
7975
7976 @item show print sevenbit-strings
7977 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
7978
7979 @item set print union on
7980 @cindex unions in structures, printing
7981 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
7982 and other unions. This is the default setting.
7983
7984 @item set print union off
7985 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
7986 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
7987 instead.
7988
7989 @item show print union
7990 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
7991 structures and other unions.
7992
7993 For example, given the declarations
7994
7995 @smallexample
7996 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
7997 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
7998 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
7999 Bug_forms;
8000
8001 struct thing @{
8002 Species it;
8003 union @{
8004 Tree_forms tree;
8005 Bug_forms bug;
8006 @} form;
8007 @};
8008
8009 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
8010 @end smallexample
8011
8012 @noindent
8013 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
8014
8015 @smallexample
8016 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
8017 @end smallexample
8018
8019 @noindent
8020 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
8021
8022 @smallexample
8023 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
8024 @end smallexample
8025
8026 @noindent
8027 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
8028 and in Pascal.
8029 @end table
8030
8031 @need 1000
8032 @noindent
8033 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
8034
8035 @table @code
8036 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
8037 @item set print demangle
8038 @itemx set print demangle on
8039 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
8040 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
8041 linkage. The default is on.
8042
8043 @item show print demangle
8044 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
8045
8046 @item set print asm-demangle
8047 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
8048 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
8049 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
8050 The default is off.
8051
8052 @item show print asm-demangle
8053 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
8054 or demangled form.
8055
8056 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
8057 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
8058 @kindex set demangle-style
8059 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
8060 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
8061 represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
8062
8063 @table @code
8064 @item auto
8065 Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
8066
8067 @item gnu
8068 Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
8069 This is the default.
8070
8071 @item hp
8072 Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
8073
8074 @item lucid
8075 Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
8076
8077 @item arm
8078 Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
8079 @strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
8080 debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
8081 require further enhancement to permit that.
8082
8083 @end table
8084 If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
8085
8086 @item show demangle-style
8087 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
8088
8089 @item set print object
8090 @itemx set print object on
8091 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
8092 @cindex display derived types
8093 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
8094 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
8095 the virtual function table.
8096
8097 @item set print object off
8098 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
8099 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
8100
8101 @item show print object
8102 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
8103
8104 @item set print static-members
8105 @itemx set print static-members on
8106 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
8107 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
8108
8109 @item set print static-members off
8110 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
8111
8112 @item show print static-members
8113 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
8114
8115 @item set print pascal_static-members
8116 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
8117 @cindex static members of Pascal objects
8118 @cindex Pascal objects, static members display
8119 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
8120
8121 @item set print pascal_static-members off
8122 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
8123
8124 @item show print pascal_static-members
8125 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
8126
8127 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
8128 @item set print vtbl
8129 @itemx set print vtbl on
8130 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
8131 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
8132 @cindex VTBL display
8133 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
8134 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
8135 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
8136
8137 @item set print vtbl off
8138 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
8139
8140 @item show print vtbl
8141 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
8142 @end table
8143
8144 @node Pretty Printing
8145 @section Pretty Printing
8146
8147 @value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
8148 Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
8149 mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
8150
8151 @menu
8152 * Pretty-Printer Introduction:: Introduction to pretty-printers
8153 * Pretty-Printer Example:: An example pretty-printer
8154 * Pretty-Printer Commands:: Pretty-printer commands
8155 @end menu
8156
8157 @node Pretty-Printer Introduction
8158 @subsection Pretty-Printer Introduction
8159
8160 When @value{GDBN} prints a value, it first sees if there is a pretty-printer
8161 registered for the value. If there is then @value{GDBN} invokes the
8162 pretty-printer to print the value. Otherwise the value is printed normally.
8163
8164 Pretty-printers are normally named. This makes them easy to manage.
8165 The @samp{info pretty-printer} command will list all the installed
8166 pretty-printers with their names.
8167 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
8168 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
8169 Each such subprinter has its own name.
8170 The format of the name is @var{printer-name};@var{subprinter-name}.
8171
8172 Pretty-printers are installed by @dfn{registering} them with @value{GDBN}.
8173 Typically they are automatically loaded and registered when the corresponding
8174 debug information is loaded, thus making them available without having to
8175 do anything special.
8176
8177 There are three places where a pretty-printer can be registered.
8178
8179 @itemize @bullet
8180 @item
8181 Pretty-printers registered globally are available when debugging
8182 all inferiors.
8183
8184 @item
8185 Pretty-printers registered with a program space are available only
8186 when debugging that program.
8187 @xref{Progspaces In Python}, for more details on program spaces in Python.
8188
8189 @item
8190 Pretty-printers registered with an objfile are loaded and unloaded
8191 with the corresponding objfile (e.g., shared library).
8192 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for more details on objfiles in Python.
8193 @end itemize
8194
8195 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for further information on how
8196 pretty-printers are selected,
8197
8198 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for implementing pretty printers
8199 for new types.
8200
8201 @node Pretty-Printer Example
8202 @subsection Pretty-Printer Example
8203
8204 Here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a pretty-printer:
8205
8206 @smallexample
8207 (@value{GDBP}) print s
8208 $1 = @{
8209 static npos = 4294967295,
8210 _M_dataplus = @{
8211 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
8212 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
8213 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
8214 @},
8215 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
8216 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
8217 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
8218 @}
8219 @}
8220 @end smallexample
8221
8222 With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
8223
8224 @smallexample
8225 (@value{GDBP}) print s
8226 $2 = "abcd"
8227 @end smallexample
8228
8229 @node Pretty-Printer Commands
8230 @subsection Pretty-Printer Commands
8231 @cindex pretty-printer commands
8232
8233 @table @code
8234 @kindex info pretty-printer
8235 @item info pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
8236 Print the list of installed pretty-printers.
8237 This includes disabled pretty-printers, which are marked as such.
8238
8239 @var{object-regexp} is a regular expression matching the objects
8240 whose pretty-printers to list.
8241 Objects can be @code{global}, the program space's file
8242 (@pxref{Progspaces In Python}),
8243 and the object files within that program space (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}).
8244 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for details on how @value{GDBN}
8245 looks up a printer from these three objects.
8246
8247 @var{name-regexp} is a regular expression matching the name of the printers
8248 to list.
8249
8250 @kindex disable pretty-printer
8251 @item disable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
8252 Disable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
8253 A disabled pretty-printer is not forgotten, it may be enabled again later.
8254
8255 @kindex enable pretty-printer
8256 @item enable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
8257 Enable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
8258 @end table
8259
8260 Example:
8261
8262 Suppose we have three pretty-printers installed: one from library1.so
8263 named @code{foo} that prints objects of type @code{foo}, and
8264 another from library2.so named @code{bar} that prints two types of objects,
8265 @code{bar1} and @code{bar2}.
8266
8267 @smallexample
8268 (gdb) info pretty-printer
8269 library1.so:
8270 foo
8271 library2.so:
8272 bar
8273 bar1
8274 bar2
8275 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
8276 library2.so:
8277 bar
8278 bar1
8279 bar2
8280 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library1
8281 1 printer disabled
8282 2 of 3 printers enabled
8283 (gdb) info pretty-printer
8284 library1.so:
8285 foo [disabled]
8286 library2.so:
8287 bar
8288 bar1
8289 bar2
8290 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar:bar1
8291 1 printer disabled
8292 1 of 3 printers enabled
8293 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
8294 library1.so:
8295 foo [disabled]
8296 library2.so:
8297 bar
8298 bar1 [disabled]
8299 bar2
8300 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar
8301 1 printer disabled
8302 0 of 3 printers enabled
8303 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
8304 library1.so:
8305 foo [disabled]
8306 library2.so:
8307 bar [disabled]
8308 bar1 [disabled]
8309 bar2
8310 @end smallexample
8311
8312 Note that for @code{bar} the entire printer can be disabled,
8313 as can each individual subprinter.
8314
8315 @node Value History
8316 @section Value History
8317
8318 @cindex value history
8319 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
8320 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
8321 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
8322 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
8323 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
8324 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
8325 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
8326 symbol table.
8327
8328 @cindex @code{$}
8329 @cindex @code{$$}
8330 @cindex history number
8331 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
8332 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
8333 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
8334 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
8335 history number.
8336
8337 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
8338 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
8339 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
8340 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
8341 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
8342 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
8343 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
8344
8345 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
8346 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
8347
8348 @smallexample
8349 p *$
8350 @end smallexample
8351
8352 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
8353 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
8354
8355 @smallexample
8356 p *$.next
8357 @end smallexample
8358
8359 @noindent
8360 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
8361 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
8362
8363 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
8364 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
8365
8366 @smallexample
8367 print x
8368 set x=5
8369 @end smallexample
8370
8371 @noindent
8372 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
8373 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
8374
8375 @table @code
8376 @kindex show values
8377 @item show values
8378 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
8379 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
8380 values} does not change the history.
8381
8382 @item show values @var{n}
8383 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
8384
8385 @item show values +
8386 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
8387 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
8388 @end table
8389
8390 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
8391 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
8392
8393 @node Convenience Vars
8394 @section Convenience Variables
8395
8396 @cindex convenience variables
8397 @cindex user-defined variables
8398 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
8399 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
8400 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
8401 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
8402 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
8403
8404 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
8405 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
8406 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
8407 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
8408 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
8409
8410 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
8411 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
8412 For example:
8413
8414 @smallexample
8415 set $foo = *object_ptr
8416 @end smallexample
8417
8418 @noindent
8419 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
8420 @code{object_ptr}.
8421
8422 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
8423 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
8424 value with another assignment at any time.
8425
8426 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
8427 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
8428 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
8429 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
8430
8431 @table @code
8432 @kindex show convenience
8433 @cindex show all user variables
8434 @item show convenience
8435 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values.
8436 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
8437
8438 @kindex init-if-undefined
8439 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
8440 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
8441 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
8442 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
8443 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
8444 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
8445 override default values used in a command script.
8446
8447 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
8448 any side-effects do not occur.
8449 @end table
8450
8451 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
8452 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
8453 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
8454
8455 @smallexample
8456 set $i = 0
8457 print bar[$i++]->contents
8458 @end smallexample
8459
8460 @noindent
8461 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
8462
8463 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
8464 values likely to be useful.
8465
8466 @table @code
8467 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
8468 @item $_
8469 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
8470 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
8471 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
8472 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
8473 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
8474 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
8475 to the type of @code{$__}.
8476
8477 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
8478 @item $__
8479 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
8480 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
8481 to match the format in which the data was printed.
8482
8483 @item $_exitcode
8484 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
8485 The variable @code{$_exitcode} is automatically set to the exit code when
8486 the program being debugged terminates.
8487
8488 @item $_sdata
8489 @vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
8490 The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
8491 data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
8492 @code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
8493 if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
8494
8495 @item $_siginfo
8496 @vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
8497 The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
8498 (@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
8499 could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
8500 For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
8501
8502 @item $_tlb
8503 @vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
8504 The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
8505 applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
8506 gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
8507 @xref{General Query Packets}.
8508 This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
8509
8510 @end table
8511
8512 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
8513 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
8514 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
8515
8516 @cindex convenience functions
8517 @value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
8518 have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
8519 function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
8520 however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
8521 @value{GDBN}.
8522
8523 @table @code
8524 @item help function
8525 @kindex help function
8526 @cindex show all convenience functions
8527 Print a list of all convenience functions.
8528 @end table
8529
8530 @node Registers
8531 @section Registers
8532
8533 @cindex registers
8534 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
8535 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
8536 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
8537 your machine.
8538
8539 @table @code
8540 @kindex info registers
8541 @item info registers
8542 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
8543 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
8544
8545 @kindex info all-registers
8546 @cindex floating point registers
8547 @item info all-registers
8548 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
8549 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
8550
8551 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
8552 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
8553 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
8554 the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
8555 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
8556 @end table
8557
8558 @cindex stack pointer register
8559 @cindex program counter register
8560 @cindex process status register
8561 @cindex frame pointer register
8562 @cindex standard registers
8563 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
8564 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
8565 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
8566 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
8567 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
8568 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
8569 register that contains the processor status. For example,
8570 you could print the program counter in hex with
8571
8572 @smallexample
8573 p/x $pc
8574 @end smallexample
8575
8576 @noindent
8577 or print the instruction to be executed next with
8578
8579 @smallexample
8580 x/i $pc
8581 @end smallexample
8582
8583 @noindent
8584 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
8585 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
8586 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
8587 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
8588 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
8589 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
8590 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
8591
8592 @smallexample
8593 set $sp += 4
8594 @end smallexample
8595
8596 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
8597 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
8598 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
8599 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
8600 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
8601 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
8602 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
8603
8604 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
8605 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
8606 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
8607 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
8608 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
8609 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
8610 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
8611
8612 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
8613 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
8614 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
8615 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
8616 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
8617 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
8618 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
8619 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
8620 prints the data in both formats.
8621
8622 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
8623 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
8624 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
8625 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
8626 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
8627 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
8628 registers in @code{struct} notation:
8629
8630 @smallexample
8631 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
8632 $1 = @{
8633 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
8634 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
8635 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
8636 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
8637 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
8638 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
8639 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
8640 @}
8641 @end smallexample
8642
8643 @noindent
8644 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
8645 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
8646 value to a @code{struct} member:
8647
8648 @smallexample
8649 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
8650 @end smallexample
8651
8652 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
8653 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
8654 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
8655 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
8656 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
8657 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
8658
8659 However, @value{GDBN} must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
8660 code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
8661 @value{GDBN} is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack
8662 frame makes no difference.
8663
8664 @node Floating Point Hardware
8665 @section Floating Point Hardware
8666 @cindex floating point
8667
8668 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
8669 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
8670
8671 @table @code
8672 @kindex info float
8673 @item info float
8674 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
8675 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
8676 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
8677 the ARM and x86 machines.
8678 @end table
8679
8680 @node Vector Unit
8681 @section Vector Unit
8682 @cindex vector unit
8683
8684 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
8685 more information about the status of the vector unit.
8686
8687 @table @code
8688 @kindex info vector
8689 @item info vector
8690 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
8691 layout vary depending on the hardware.
8692 @end table
8693
8694 @node OS Information
8695 @section Operating System Auxiliary Information
8696 @cindex OS information
8697
8698 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
8699 you debug your program.
8700
8701 @cindex @code{ptrace} system call
8702 @cindex @code{struct user} contents
8703 When @value{GDBN} runs on a @dfn{Posix system} (such as GNU or Unix
8704 machines), it interfaces with the inferior via the @code{ptrace}
8705 system call. The operating system creates a special sata structure,
8706 called @code{struct user}, for this interface. You can use the
8707 command @code{info udot} to display the contents of this data
8708 structure.
8709
8710 @table @code
8711 @item info udot
8712 @kindex info udot
8713 Display the contents of the @code{struct user} maintained by the OS
8714 kernel for the program being debugged. @value{GDBN} displays the
8715 contents of @code{struct user} as a list of hex numbers, similar to
8716 the @code{examine} command.
8717 @end table
8718
8719 @cindex auxiliary vector
8720 @cindex vector, auxiliary
8721 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
8722 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
8723 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
8724 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
8725 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
8726 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
8727 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
8728 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
8729 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
8730 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
8731 @ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
8732
8733 @table @code
8734 @kindex info auxv
8735 @item info auxv
8736 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
8737 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
8738 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
8739 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
8740 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
8741 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
8742 an unrecognized tag.
8743 @end table
8744
8745 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating-system-specific information
8746 and display it to user, without interpretation. For remote targets,
8747 this functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
8748 @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
8749
8750 @table @code
8751 @kindex info os
8752 @item info os
8753 List the types of OS information available for the target. If the
8754 target does not return a list of possible types, this command will
8755 report an error.
8756
8757 @kindex info os processes
8758 @item info os processes
8759 Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
8760 @value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, and
8761 the command corresponding to the process.
8762 @end table
8763
8764 @node Memory Region Attributes
8765 @section Memory Region Attributes
8766 @cindex memory region attributes
8767
8768 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
8769 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
8770 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
8771 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
8772 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
8773 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
8774 user can override the fetched regions.
8775
8776 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
8777 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
8778 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
8779 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
8780 all memory.
8781
8782 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
8783 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
8784
8785 @table @code
8786 @kindex mem
8787 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
8788 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
8789 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
8790 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
8791 case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
8792 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
8793
8794 @item mem auto
8795 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
8796 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
8797
8798 @kindex delete mem
8799 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
8800 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
8801 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
8802
8803 @kindex disable mem
8804 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
8805 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
8806 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
8807 It may be enabled again later.
8808
8809 @kindex enable mem
8810 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
8811 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
8812
8813 @kindex info mem
8814 @item info mem
8815 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
8816 for each region:
8817
8818 @table @emph
8819 @item Memory Region Number
8820 @item Enabled or Disabled.
8821 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
8822 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
8823
8824 @item Lo Address
8825 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
8826
8827 @item Hi Address
8828 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
8829
8830 @item Attributes
8831 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
8832 @end table
8833 @end table
8834
8835
8836 @subsection Attributes
8837
8838 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
8839 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
8840 write accesses to a memory region.
8841
8842 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
8843 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
8844 etc.@: from accessing memory.
8845
8846 @table @code
8847 @item ro
8848 Memory is read only.
8849 @item wo
8850 Memory is write only.
8851 @item rw
8852 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
8853 @end table
8854
8855 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
8856 The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
8857 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
8858 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
8859 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
8860
8861 @table @code
8862 @item 8
8863 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
8864 @item 16
8865 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
8866 @item 32
8867 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
8868 @item 64
8869 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
8870 @end table
8871
8872 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
8873 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
8874 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
8875 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
8876 @c
8877 @c @table @code
8878 @c @item hwbreak
8879 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
8880 @c @item swbreak (default)
8881 @c @end table
8882
8883 @subsubsection Data Cache
8884 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
8885 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
8886 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
8887 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
8888 registers.
8889
8890 @table @code
8891 @item cache
8892 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
8893 @item nocache
8894 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
8895 @end table
8896
8897 @subsection Memory Access Checking
8898 @value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
8899 not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
8900 regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
8901 better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
8902
8903 @table @code
8904 @kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
8905 @item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
8906 If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
8907 explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
8908 to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
8909 memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
8910 treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
8911 The default value is @code{on}.
8912 @kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
8913 @item show mem inaccessible-by-default
8914 Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
8915 @end table
8916
8917
8918 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
8919 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
8920 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
8921 @c
8922 @c @table @code
8923 @c @item verify
8924 @c @item noverify (default)
8925 @c @end table
8926
8927 @node Dump/Restore Files
8928 @section Copy Between Memory and a File
8929 @cindex dump/restore files
8930 @cindex append data to a file
8931 @cindex dump data to a file
8932 @cindex restore data from a file
8933
8934 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
8935 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
8936 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
8937 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
8938 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
8939 Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
8940 files.
8941
8942 @table @code
8943
8944 @kindex dump
8945 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
8946 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
8947 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
8948 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
8949
8950 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
8951 @table @code
8952 @item binary
8953 Raw binary form.
8954 @item ihex
8955 Intel hex format.
8956 @item srec
8957 Motorola S-record format.
8958 @item tekhex
8959 Tektronix Hex format.
8960 @end table
8961
8962 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
8963 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
8964 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
8965 form.
8966
8967 @kindex append
8968 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
8969 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
8970 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
8971 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
8972 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
8973
8974 @kindex restore
8975 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
8976 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
8977 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
8978 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
8979 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
8980
8981 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
8982 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
8983 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
8984 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
8985 from that location.
8986
8987 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
8988 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
8989 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
8990 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
8991
8992 @end table
8993
8994 @node Core File Generation
8995 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
8996 @cindex dump core from inferior
8997
8998 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
8999 image of a running process and its process status (register values
9000 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
9001 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
9002 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
9003 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
9004 the post-mortem debugging mode.
9005
9006 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
9007 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
9008 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
9009
9010 @table @code
9011 @kindex gcore
9012 @kindex generate-core-file
9013 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
9014 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
9015 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
9016 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
9017 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
9018 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
9019
9020 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
9021 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Unixware, and S390).
9022 @end table
9023
9024 @node Character Sets
9025 @section Character Sets
9026 @cindex character sets
9027 @cindex charset
9028 @cindex translating between character sets
9029 @cindex host character set
9030 @cindex target character set
9031
9032 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
9033 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
9034 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
9035 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
9036 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
9037 @dfn{target character set}.
9038
9039 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
9040 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
9041 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
9042 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
9043 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
9044 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
9045 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
9046 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
9047 character and string literals in expressions.
9048
9049 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
9050 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
9051 target-charset} command, described below.
9052
9053 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
9054 support:
9055
9056 @table @code
9057 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
9058 @kindex set target-charset
9059 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
9060 list of supported target character sets, type
9061 @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
9062
9063 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
9064 @kindex set host-charset
9065 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
9066
9067 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
9068 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
9069 @code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
9070 automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
9071 case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
9072
9073 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
9074 set. If you type @kbd{@w{set host-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
9075 @value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
9076
9077 @item set charset @var{charset}
9078 @kindex set charset
9079 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
9080 above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
9081 @value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
9082 for both host and target.
9083
9084 @item show charset
9085 @kindex show charset
9086 Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
9087
9088 @item show host-charset
9089 @kindex show host-charset
9090 Show the name of the current host character set.
9091
9092 @item show target-charset
9093 @kindex show target-charset
9094 Show the name of the current target character set.
9095
9096 @item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
9097 @kindex set target-wide-charset
9098 Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
9099 the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
9100 display the list of supported wide character sets, type
9101 @kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
9102
9103 @item show target-wide-charset
9104 @kindex show target-wide-charset
9105 Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
9106 @end table
9107
9108 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
9109 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
9110 @file{charset-test.c}:
9111
9112 @smallexample
9113 #include <stdio.h>
9114
9115 char ascii_hello[]
9116 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
9117 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
9118 char ibm1047_hello[]
9119 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
9120 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
9121
9122 main ()
9123 @{
9124 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9125 @}
9126 @end smallexample
9127
9128 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
9129 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
9130 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
9131
9132 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
9133
9134 @smallexample
9135 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
9136 $ gdb -nw charset-test
9137 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
9138 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
9139 @dots{}
9140 (@value{GDBP})
9141 @end smallexample
9142
9143 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
9144 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
9145 strings:
9146
9147 @smallexample
9148 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9149 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
9150 (@value{GDBP})
9151 @end smallexample
9152
9153 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
9154 initial character set:
9155 @smallexample
9156 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
9157 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9158 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
9159 (@value{GDBP})
9160 @end smallexample
9161
9162 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
9163 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
9164 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
9165 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
9166 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
9167
9168 @smallexample
9169 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
9170 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
9171 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
9172 $2 = 72 'H'
9173 (@value{GDBP})
9174 @end smallexample
9175
9176 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
9177 literals you use in expressions:
9178
9179 @smallexample
9180 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
9181 $3 = 43 '+'
9182 (@value{GDBP})
9183 @end smallexample
9184
9185 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
9186 character.
9187
9188 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
9189 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
9190 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
9191
9192 @smallexample
9193 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
9194 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
9195 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
9196 $5 = 200 '\310'
9197 (@value{GDBP})
9198 @end smallexample
9199
9200 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
9201 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
9202
9203 @smallexample
9204 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
9205 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
9206 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
9207 @end smallexample
9208
9209 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
9210 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
9211 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
9212 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
9213 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
9214
9215 @smallexample
9216 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
9217 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9218 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
9219 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
9220 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
9221 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
9222 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
9223 $7 = 72 '\110'
9224 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
9225 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
9226 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
9227 $9 = 200 'H'
9228 (@value{GDBP})
9229 @end smallexample
9230
9231 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
9232 string literals you use in expressions:
9233
9234 @smallexample
9235 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
9236 $10 = 78 '+'
9237 (@value{GDBP})
9238 @end smallexample
9239
9240 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
9241 character.
9242
9243 @node Caching Remote Data
9244 @section Caching Data of Remote Targets
9245 @cindex caching data of remote targets
9246
9247 @value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a
9248 remote target (@pxref{Remote Debugging}). Such caching generally improves
9249 performance, because it reduces the overhead of the remote protocol by
9250 bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks. Unfortunately, simply
9251 caching everything would lead to incorrect results, since @value{GDBN}
9252 does not necessarily know anything about volatile values, memory-mapped I/O
9253 addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode})
9254 memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command is executing.
9255 Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
9256 known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
9257 rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
9258 in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
9259 stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.}.
9260 Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
9261 cacheable; see @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
9262
9263 @table @code
9264 @kindex set remotecache
9265 @item set remotecache on
9266 @itemx set remotecache off
9267 This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
9268 with old scripts.
9269
9270 @kindex show remotecache
9271 @item show remotecache
9272 Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
9273
9274 @kindex set stack-cache
9275 @item set stack-cache on
9276 @itemx set stack-cache off
9277 Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{ON}, use
9278 caching. By default, this option is @code{ON}.
9279
9280 @kindex show stack-cache
9281 @item show stack-cache
9282 Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
9283
9284 @kindex info dcache
9285 @item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
9286 Print the information about the data cache performance. The
9287 information displayed includes the dcache width and depth, and for
9288 each cache line, its number, address, and how many times it was
9289 referenced. This command is useful for debugging the data cache
9290 operation.
9291
9292 If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
9293 printed in hex.
9294 @end table
9295
9296 @node Searching Memory
9297 @section Search Memory
9298 @cindex searching memory
9299
9300 Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
9301 @code{find} command.
9302
9303 @table @code
9304 @kindex find
9305 @item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
9306 @itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
9307 Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
9308 etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
9309 @var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
9310 @end table
9311
9312 @var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
9313 They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
9314
9315 @table @r
9316 @item @var{s}, search query size
9317 The size of each search query value.
9318
9319 @table @code
9320 @item b
9321 bytes
9322 @item h
9323 halfwords (two bytes)
9324 @item w
9325 words (four bytes)
9326 @item g
9327 giant words (eight bytes)
9328 @end table
9329
9330 All values are interpreted in the current language.
9331 This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
9332 then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
9333
9334 If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
9335 value's type in the current language.
9336 This is useful when one wants to specify the search
9337 pattern as a mixture of types.
9338 Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
9339 a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
9340 which is typically four bytes.
9341
9342 @item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
9343 The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
9344 @end table
9345
9346 You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
9347 (@code{"}).
9348 The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
9349 regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
9350
9351 The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
9352 number of matches found.
9353
9354 The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
9355 @samp{$_}.
9356 A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
9357
9358 For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
9359
9360 @smallexample
9361 void
9362 hello ()
9363 @{
9364 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
9365 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
9366 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
9367 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
9368 printf ("%s\n", hello);
9369 @}
9370 @end smallexample
9371
9372 @noindent
9373 you get during debugging:
9374
9375 @smallexample
9376 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
9377 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
9378 1 pattern found
9379 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
9380 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
9381 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
9382 2 patterns found
9383 (gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
9384 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
9385 1 pattern found
9386 (gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
9387 0x8049560 <mixed.1625>
9388 1 pattern found
9389 (gdb) print $numfound
9390 $1 = 1
9391 (gdb) print $_
9392 $2 = (void *) 0x8049560
9393 @end smallexample
9394
9395 @node Optimized Code
9396 @chapter Debugging Optimized Code
9397 @cindex optimized code, debugging
9398 @cindex debugging optimized code
9399
9400 Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
9401 disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
9402 directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
9403 applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
9404 diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
9405 information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
9406 the running program back to constructs from your original source.
9407
9408 @value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
9409 can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
9410 progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
9411 where you may need to debug an optimized version.
9412
9413 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
9414 optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
9415 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
9416 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
9417 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
9418 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
9419
9420 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
9421 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
9422 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
9423 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
9424 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
9425
9426 @menu
9427 * Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
9428 @end menu
9429
9430 @node Inline Functions
9431 @section Inline Functions
9432 @cindex inline functions, debugging
9433
9434 @dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
9435 body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
9436 routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
9437 non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
9438 arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
9439 them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
9440 You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
9441 @code{info frame} command.
9442
9443 For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
9444 record information about inlining in the debug information ---
9445 @value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
9446 other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
9447 when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
9448 do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
9449 @samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
9450 function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
9451 displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
9452 local variables in the caller.
9453
9454 The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
9455 unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
9456 the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
9457 start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
9458 the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
9459 the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
9460 instructions are executed.
9461
9462 This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
9463 context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
9464 a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
9465 this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
9466
9467 There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
9468 function calls are the same as normal calls:
9469
9470 @itemize @bullet
9471 @item
9472 You cannot set breakpoints on inlined functions. @value{GDBN}
9473 either reports that there is no symbol with that name, or else sets the
9474 breakpoint only on non-inlined copies of the function. This limitation
9475 will be removed in a future version of @value{GDBN}; until then,
9476 set a breakpoint by line number on the first line of the inlined
9477 function instead.
9478
9479 @item
9480 Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
9481 work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
9482 may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
9483 function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
9484 version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
9485 or inside the inlined function instead.
9486
9487 @item
9488 @value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
9489 using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
9490 debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
9491 and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
9492
9493 @end itemize
9494
9495
9496 @node Macros
9497 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
9498
9499 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
9500 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
9501 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
9502 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
9503 where it was defined.
9504
9505 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
9506 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
9507 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
9508 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
9509
9510 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
9511 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
9512 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
9513 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
9514 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
9515 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
9516 see @ref{List}.
9517
9518 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
9519 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
9520 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
9521
9522 @table @code
9523
9524 @kindex macro expand
9525 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
9526 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
9527 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
9528 @item macro expand @var{expression}
9529 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
9530 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
9531 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
9532 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
9533 it can be any string of tokens.
9534
9535 @kindex macro exp1
9536 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
9537 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
9538 @cindex expand macro once
9539 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
9540 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
9541 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
9542 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
9543 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
9544 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
9545 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
9546 can be any string of tokens.
9547
9548 @kindex info macro
9549 @cindex macro definition, showing
9550 @cindex definition, showing a macro's
9551 @item info macro @var{macro}
9552 Show the definition of the macro named @var{macro}, and describe the
9553 source location or compiler command-line where that definition was established.
9554
9555 @kindex macro define
9556 @cindex user-defined macros
9557 @cindex defining macros interactively
9558 @cindex macros, user-defined
9559 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
9560 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
9561 Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
9562 invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
9563 @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
9564 ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
9565 defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
9566 @var{arglist}.
9567
9568 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
9569 expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
9570 @code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
9571 all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
9572 as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
9573
9574 @kindex macro undef
9575 @item macro undef @var{macro}
9576 Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
9577 This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
9578 define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
9579 in the program being debugged.
9580
9581 @kindex macro list
9582 @item macro list
9583 List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
9584 @end table
9585
9586 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
9587 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
9588 show our source files:
9589
9590 @smallexample
9591 $ cat sample.c
9592 #include <stdio.h>
9593 #include "sample.h"
9594
9595 #define M 42
9596 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
9597
9598 main ()
9599 @{
9600 #define N 28
9601 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9602 #undef N
9603 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
9604 #define N 1729
9605 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
9606 @}
9607 $ cat sample.h
9608 #define Q <
9609 $
9610 @end smallexample
9611
9612 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler, @value{NGCC}.
9613 We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-g3} flags to ensure the
9614 compiler includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
9615 information.
9616
9617 @smallexample
9618 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
9619 $
9620 @end smallexample
9621
9622 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
9623
9624 @smallexample
9625 $ gdb -nw sample
9626 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
9627 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
9628 GDB is free software, @dots{}
9629 (@value{GDBP})
9630 @end smallexample
9631
9632 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
9633 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
9634 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
9635
9636 @smallexample
9637 (@value{GDBP}) list main
9638 3
9639 4 #define M 42
9640 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
9641 6
9642 7 main ()
9643 8 @{
9644 9 #define N 28
9645 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9646 11 #undef N
9647 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
9648 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
9649 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
9650 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
9651 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
9652 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
9653 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
9654 #define Q <
9655 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
9656 expands to: (42 + 1)
9657 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
9658 expands to: once (M + 1)
9659 (@value{GDBP})
9660 @end smallexample
9661
9662 In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
9663 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
9664 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
9665 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
9666
9667 Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
9668 force at the source line of the current stack frame:
9669
9670 @smallexample
9671 (@value{GDBP}) break main
9672 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
9673 (@value{GDBP}) run
9674 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
9675
9676 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
9677 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9678 (@value{GDBP})
9679 @end smallexample
9680
9681 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
9682
9683 @smallexample
9684 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
9685 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
9686 #define N 28
9687 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
9688 expands to: 28 < 42
9689 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
9690 $1 = 1
9691 (@value{GDBP})
9692 @end smallexample
9693
9694 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
9695 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
9696 thereof) in force at each point:
9697
9698 @smallexample
9699 (@value{GDBP}) next
9700 Hello, world!
9701 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
9702 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
9703 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
9704 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
9705 (@value{GDBP}) next
9706 We're so creative.
9707 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
9708 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
9709 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
9710 #define N 1729
9711 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
9712 expands to: 1729 < 42
9713 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
9714 $2 = 0
9715 (@value{GDBP})
9716 @end smallexample
9717
9718 In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
9719 line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
9720 such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
9721 of the source file submitted to the compiler.
9722
9723 @smallexample
9724 (@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
9725 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
9726 -D__STDC__=1
9727 (@value{GDBP})
9728 @end smallexample
9729
9730
9731 @node Tracepoints
9732 @chapter Tracepoints
9733 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
9734 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
9735
9736 @cindex tracepoints
9737 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
9738 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
9739 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
9740 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
9741 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
9742 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
9743 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
9744
9745 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
9746 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
9747 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
9748 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
9749 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
9750 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
9751 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
9752 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
9753 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
9754 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
9755 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
9756
9757 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
9758 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
9759 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
9760 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
9761 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
9762 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
9763 Packets}.
9764
9765 It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
9766 of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
9767 through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
9768
9769 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
9770
9771 @menu
9772 * Set Tracepoints::
9773 * Analyze Collected Data::
9774 * Tracepoint Variables::
9775 * Trace Files::
9776 @end menu
9777
9778 @node Set Tracepoints
9779 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
9780
9781 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
9782 tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
9783 breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
9784 standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
9785 tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
9786 of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
9787 as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
9788
9789 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
9790 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
9791 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
9792 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
9793 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
9794 tracepoint was hit.
9795
9796 Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
9797 tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
9798 commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
9799 either.
9800
9801 @cindex fast tracepoints
9802 Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
9803 a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
9804 faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
9805
9806 @cindex static tracepoints
9807 @cindex markers, static tracepoints
9808 @cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
9809 Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
9810 that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
9811 in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
9812 tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
9813 instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
9814 the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
9815 address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
9816 investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
9817 support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
9818 points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
9819 tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
9820 @value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namelly, support for collecting
9821 registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
9822 point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
9823 The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
9824 instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
9825 static tracepoint marker.
9826
9827 @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
9828 @xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
9829
9830 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
9831 conditions and actions.
9832
9833 @menu
9834 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
9835 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
9836 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
9837 * Tracepoint Conditions::
9838 * Trace State Variables::
9839 * Tracepoint Actions::
9840 * Listing Tracepoints::
9841 * Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
9842 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
9843 * Tracepoint Restrictions::
9844 @end menu
9845
9846 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
9847 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
9848
9849 @table @code
9850 @cindex set tracepoint
9851 @kindex trace
9852 @item trace @var{location}
9853 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
9854 Its argument @var{location} can be a source line, a function name, or
9855 an address in the target program. @xref{Specify Location}. The
9856 @code{trace} command defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the
9857 target program where the debugger will briefly stop, collect some
9858 data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or
9859 changing its actions doesn't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
9860 command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
9861 not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts.
9862
9863 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
9864
9865 @smallexample
9866 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
9867
9868 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
9869
9870 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
9871
9872 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
9873
9874 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
9875 @end smallexample
9876
9877 @noindent
9878 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
9879
9880 @item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
9881 Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
9882 @var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
9883 if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
9884 @xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
9885 information on tracepoint conditions.
9886
9887 @item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
9888 @cindex set fast tracepoint
9889 @cindex fast tracepoints, setting
9890 @kindex ftrace
9891 The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
9892 support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
9893 less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
9894 instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
9895 may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
9896 location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
9897 message.
9898
9899 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
9900 @code{trace}.
9901
9902 @item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
9903 @cindex set static tracepoint
9904 @cindex static tracepoints, setting
9905 @cindex probe static tracepoint marker
9906 @kindex strace
9907 The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
9908 support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
9909 instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
9910 be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
9911 which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
9912
9913 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
9914 @code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
9915 @code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
9916 identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
9917 depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
9918 using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
9919 of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
9920 @xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
9921 Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
9922 tracing engine:
9923
9924 @smallexample
9925 main ()
9926 @{
9927 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
9928 @}
9929 @end smallexample
9930
9931 @noindent
9932 the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
9933 @code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
9934
9935 @smallexample
9936 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
9937 Cnt Enb ID Address What
9938 1 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
9939 Data: "str %s"
9940 [etc...]
9941 @end smallexample
9942
9943 @noindent
9944 so you may probe the marker above with:
9945
9946 @smallexample
9947 (@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
9948 @end smallexample
9949
9950 Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
9951 $_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
9952 call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
9953 that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
9954 string. The user data is then the result of running that formating
9955 string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
9956 static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
9957 the @samp{Data:} field.
9958
9959 You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
9960 the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
9961 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
9962
9963 @vindex $tpnum
9964 @cindex last tracepoint number
9965 @cindex recent tracepoint number
9966 @cindex tracepoint number
9967 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
9968 of the most recently set tracepoint.
9969
9970 @kindex delete tracepoint
9971 @cindex tracepoint deletion
9972 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
9973 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
9974 default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
9975 @code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
9976
9977 Examples:
9978
9979 @smallexample
9980 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
9981
9982 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
9983 @end smallexample
9984
9985 @noindent
9986 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
9987 @end table
9988
9989 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
9990 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
9991
9992 These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
9993
9994 @table @code
9995 @kindex disable tracepoint
9996 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
9997 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
9998 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
9999 the next trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
10000 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
10001
10002 @kindex enable tracepoint
10003 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10004 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. The enabled
10005 tracepoints will become effective the next time a trace experiment is
10006 run.
10007 @end table
10008
10009 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
10010 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
10011
10012 @table @code
10013 @kindex passcount
10014 @cindex tracepoint pass count
10015 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
10016 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
10017 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
10018 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
10019 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
10020 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
10021 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
10022 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
10023 user.
10024
10025 Examples:
10026
10027 @smallexample
10028 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
10029 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
10030
10031 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
10032 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
10033 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
10034 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
10035 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
10036 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
10037 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
10038 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
10039 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
10040 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
10041 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
10042 @end smallexample
10043 @end table
10044
10045 @node Tracepoint Conditions
10046 @subsection Tracepoint Conditions
10047 @cindex conditional tracepoints
10048 @cindex tracepoint conditions
10049
10050 The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
10051 reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
10052 a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
10053 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
10054 tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
10055 program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
10056 is true.
10057
10058 Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
10059 using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
10060 @xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
10061 also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
10062 just as with breakpoints.
10063
10064 Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
10065 the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
10066 expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions}
10067 suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
10068 Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
10069 accesses, and so forth.
10070
10071 For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
10072 frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
10073 could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
10074 of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
10075 through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
10076 collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
10077 search through.
10078
10079 @smallexample
10080 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
10081 @end smallexample
10082
10083 @node Trace State Variables
10084 @subsection Trace State Variables
10085 @cindex trace state variables
10086
10087 A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
10088 created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
10089 that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
10090 but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
10091 using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
10092 integers.
10093
10094 Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
10095 to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
10096 experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
10097 trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
10098
10099 @cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
10100 Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
10101 them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
10102 variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
10103 while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
10104 the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
10105 cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
10106 @code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
10107 variable with the same name.
10108
10109 @table @code
10110
10111 @item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
10112 @kindex tvariable
10113 The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
10114 @code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
10115 @var{expression}. @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
10116 entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
10117 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
10118 @code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
10119 variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
10120 existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
10121 value. The default initial value is 0.
10122
10123 @item info tvariables
10124 @kindex info tvariables
10125 List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
10126 Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
10127 currently running.
10128
10129 @item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
10130 @kindex delete tvariable
10131 Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
10132 are specified.
10133
10134 @end table
10135
10136 @node Tracepoint Actions
10137 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
10138
10139 @table @code
10140 @kindex actions
10141 @cindex tracepoint actions
10142 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10143 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
10144 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
10145 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
10146 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
10147 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
10148 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
10149 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
10150 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
10151 @code{while-stepping}.
10152
10153 @code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
10154 Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
10155 actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
10156
10157 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
10158 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
10159 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
10160
10161 @smallexample
10162 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
10163
10164 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
10165
10166 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
10167 @end smallexample
10168
10169 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
10170 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
10171 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
10172 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
10173 followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
10174 sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
10175 terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
10176 list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
10177
10178 @smallexample
10179 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
10180 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
10181 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
10182 > collect bar,baz
10183 > collect $regs
10184 > while-stepping 12
10185 > collect $pc, arr[i]
10186 > end
10187 end
10188 @end smallexample
10189
10190 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
10191 @item collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10192 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
10193 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
10194 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
10195 special arguments are supported:
10196
10197 @table @code
10198 @item $regs
10199 Collect all registers.
10200
10201 @item $args
10202 Collect all function arguments.
10203
10204 @item $locals
10205 Collect all local variables.
10206
10207 @item $_sdata
10208 @vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
10209 Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
10210 static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
10211 Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
10212 instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
10213 tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
10214 character string using the format provided by the programmer that
10215 instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
10216 Here's an example of a UST marker call:
10217
10218 @smallexample
10219 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
10220 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
10221 @end smallexample
10222
10223 In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
10224 @samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
10225 inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
10226 @value{GDBN}.
10227 @end table
10228
10229 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
10230 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
10231 arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
10232
10233 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
10234 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
10235
10236 @kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
10237 @item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10238 Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
10239 command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
10240 are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
10241 state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
10242 values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
10243 action were used.
10244
10245 @kindex printf
10246 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
10247 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
10248 the string @var{template} in @code{gdbserver} part.
10249 The command format is with simple @code{printf} (@pxref{Output, printf}).
10250
10251 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
10252 @item while-stepping @var{n}
10253 Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
10254 collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
10255 command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
10256 (followed by its own @code{end} command):
10257
10258 @smallexample
10259 > while-stepping 12
10260 > collect $regs, myglobal
10261 > end
10262 >
10263 @end smallexample
10264
10265 @noindent
10266 Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
10267 @code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
10268 you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
10269 @code{stepping}.
10270
10271 @item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10272 @kindex set default-collect
10273 @cindex default collection action
10274 This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
10275 hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
10276 to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
10277 individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
10278 @code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
10279 local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
10280
10281 @item show default-collect
10282 @kindex show default-collect
10283 Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
10284 tracepoint hit.
10285
10286 @end table
10287
10288 @node Listing Tracepoints
10289 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
10290
10291 @table @code
10292 @kindex info tracepoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
10293 @kindex info tp @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
10294 @cindex information about tracepoints
10295 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@dots{}@r{]}
10296 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
10297 specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
10298 tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
10299 @code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
10300 command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
10301
10302 A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
10303 tracing:
10304
10305 @itemize @bullet
10306 @item
10307 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
10308 @end itemize
10309
10310 @smallexample
10311 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
10312 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
10313 1 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
10314 while-stepping 20
10315 collect globfoo, $regs
10316 end
10317 collect globfoo2
10318 end
10319 pass count 1200
10320 (@value{GDBP})
10321 @end smallexample
10322
10323 @noindent
10324 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
10325 @end table
10326
10327 @node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
10328 @subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
10329
10330 @table @code
10331 @kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
10332 @cindex information about static tracepoint markers
10333 @item info static-tracepoint-markers
10334 Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
10335 program.
10336
10337 For each marker, the following columns are printed:
10338
10339 @table @emph
10340 @item Count
10341 An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
10342 stable identifier.
10343 @item ID
10344 The marker ID, as reported by the target.
10345 @item Enabled or Disabled
10346 Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
10347 that are not enabled.
10348 @item Address
10349 Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
10350 @item What
10351 Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
10352 number. If the debug information included in the program does not
10353 allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
10354 will be left blank.
10355 @end table
10356
10357 @noindent
10358 In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
10359
10360 @table @emph
10361 @item Data
10362 User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
10363 UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
10364 marker call.
10365 @item Static tracepoints probing the marker
10366 The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
10367 @end table
10368
10369 @smallexample
10370 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
10371 Cnt ID Enb Address What
10372 1 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
10373 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
10374 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
10375 2 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
10376 Data: str %s
10377 (@value{GDBP})
10378 @end smallexample
10379 @end table
10380
10381 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
10382 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
10383
10384 @table @code
10385 @kindex tstart
10386 @cindex start a new trace experiment
10387 @cindex collected data discarded
10388 @item tstart
10389 This command takes no arguments. It starts the trace experiment, and
10390 begins collecting data. This has the side effect of discarding all
10391 the data collected in the trace buffer during the previous trace
10392 experiment.
10393
10394 @kindex tstop
10395 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
10396 @item tstop
10397 This command takes no arguments. It ends the trace experiment, and
10398 stops collecting data.
10399
10400 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
10401 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
10402 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
10403
10404 @kindex tstatus
10405 @cindex status of trace data collection
10406 @cindex trace experiment, status of
10407 @item tstatus
10408 This command displays the status of the current trace data
10409 collection.
10410 @end table
10411
10412 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
10413
10414 @smallexample
10415 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
10416 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
10417 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
10418 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
10419 > while-stepping 11
10420 > collect $regs
10421 > end
10422 > end
10423 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
10424 [time passes @dots{}]
10425 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
10426 @end smallexample
10427
10428 @cindex disconnected tracing
10429 You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
10430 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
10431 involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
10432 ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
10433 terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
10434 unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
10435 @code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
10436 continue running without @value{GDBN}.
10437
10438 @table @code
10439 @item set disconnected-tracing on
10440 @itemx set disconnected-tracing off
10441 @kindex set disconnected-tracing
10442 Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
10443 has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
10444 @code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
10445 matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
10446 for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
10447
10448 @item show disconnected-tracing
10449 @kindex show disconnected-tracing
10450 Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
10451
10452 @end table
10453
10454 When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
10455 still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
10456 meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
10457 it will continue after reconnection.
10458
10459 Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
10460 tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
10461 information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
10462 to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
10463 have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
10464 the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
10465 debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
10466 which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
10467 necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
10468 created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
10469
10470 @cindex circular trace buffer
10471 If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
10472 can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
10473 buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
10474 frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
10475 collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
10476 hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
10477 buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
10478 @samp{circular_trace_buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
10479 including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
10480 buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
10481 the next run.
10482
10483 @table @code
10484 @item set circular-trace-buffer on
10485 @itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
10486 @kindex set circular-trace-buffer
10487 Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
10488 for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
10489 fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
10490 data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
10491
10492 @item show circular-trace-buffer
10493 @kindex show circular-trace-buffer
10494 Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
10495 match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
10496 match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
10497 for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
10498
10499 @end table
10500
10501 @node Tracepoint Restrictions
10502 @subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
10503
10504 @cindex tracepoint restrictions
10505 There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
10506 described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
10507 without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
10508 the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
10509 examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
10510 collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
10511 is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
10512 mentioned here.
10513
10514 @itemize @bullet
10515
10516 @item
10517 Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
10518 the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
10519 You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
10520 convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
10521 state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
10522 functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
10523 cannot be collected either.
10524
10525 @item
10526 Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
10527 @code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
10528 behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
10529 instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
10530 may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
10531 tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
10532 variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
10533 tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
10534 where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
10535 program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
10536
10537 @item
10538 Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
10539 may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
10540 in a misleading way.
10541
10542 @item
10543 When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
10544 dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
10545 being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
10546 not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
10547 dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
10548 collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
10549 @code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
10550 by @code{ptr}.
10551
10552 @item
10553 It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
10554 tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
10555 bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*$esp@@300}
10556 (adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
10557 target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
10558 Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
10559 using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
10560 depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
10561 if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
10562 stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
10563 invalid address.
10564
10565 @item
10566 If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
10567 infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
10568 the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
10569 for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
10570 multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
10571 inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
10572 @value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
10573 it to zero.
10574
10575 @end itemize
10576
10577 @node Analyze Collected Data
10578 @section Using the Collected Data
10579
10580 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
10581 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
10582 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
10583 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
10584 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
10585 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
10586 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
10587 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
10588 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
10589 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
10590 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
10591 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
10592 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
10593 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
10594 the buffer will fail.
10595
10596 @menu
10597 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
10598 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
10599 * save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
10600 @end menu
10601
10602 @node tfind
10603 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
10604
10605 @kindex tfind
10606 @cindex select trace snapshot
10607 @cindex find trace snapshot
10608 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
10609 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
10610 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
10611 snapshot is selected.
10612
10613 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
10614
10615 @table @code
10616 @item tfind start
10617 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
10618 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
10619
10620 @item tfind none
10621 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
10622
10623 @item tfind end
10624 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
10625
10626 @item tfind
10627 No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
10628
10629 @item tfind -
10630 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
10631 retracing earlier steps.
10632
10633 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
10634 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
10635 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
10636 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
10637 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
10638
10639 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
10640 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
10641 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
10642 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
10643 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
10644
10645 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
10646 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
10647 addresses (exclusive).
10648
10649 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
10650 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
10651 @var{addr2} (inclusive).
10652
10653 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
10654 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
10655 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
10656 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
10657 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
10658 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
10659 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
10660 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
10661 @end table
10662
10663 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
10664 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
10665 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
10666 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
10667 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
10668 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
10669 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
10670 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
10671 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
10672 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
10673 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
10674 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
10675 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
10676 tracepoint as the current one.
10677
10678 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
10679 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
10680 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
10681 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
10682 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
10683
10684 @smallexample
10685 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
10686 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
10687 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
10688 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
10689 > tfind
10690 > end
10691
10692 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
10693 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
10694 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
10695 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
10696 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
10697 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
10698 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
10699 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
10700 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
10701 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
10702 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
10703 @end smallexample
10704
10705 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
10706 the buffer:
10707
10708 @smallexample
10709 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
10710 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
10711 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
10712 > tfind line
10713 > end
10714
10715 Frame 0, X = 1
10716 Frame 7, X = 2
10717 Frame 13, X = 255
10718 @end smallexample
10719
10720 @node tdump
10721 @subsection @code{tdump}
10722 @kindex tdump
10723 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
10724 @cindex tracepoint data, display
10725
10726 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
10727 the current trace snapshot.
10728
10729 @smallexample
10730 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
10731 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
10732 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
10733 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
10734 > end
10735
10736 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
10737
10738 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
10739 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
10740 at gdb_test.c:444
10741 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
10742
10743 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
10744 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
10745 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
10746 d1 0x18 24
10747 d2 0x80 128
10748 d3 0x33 51
10749 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
10750 d5 0x22 34
10751 d6 0xe0 224
10752 d7 0x380035 3670069
10753 a0 0x19e24a 1696330
10754 a1 0x3000668 50333288
10755 a2 0x100 256
10756 a3 0x322000 3284992
10757 a4 0x3000698 50333336
10758 a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
10759 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
10760 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
10761 ps 0x0 0
10762 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
10763 fpcontrol 0x0 0
10764 fpstatus 0x0 0
10765 fpiaddr 0x0 0
10766 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
10767 p1 = (void *) 0x11
10768 p2 = (void *) 0x22
10769 p3 = (void *) 0x33
10770 p4 = (void *) 0x44
10771 p5 = (void *) 0x55
10772 p6 = (void *) 0x66
10773 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
10774
10775 (@value{GDBP})
10776 @end smallexample
10777
10778 @code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
10779 actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
10780 @code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
10781 actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
10782
10783 Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
10784 uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
10785 frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
10786 collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
10787 to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
10788 body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
10789 then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
10790 list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
10791 same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
10792 @c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
10793
10794 @node save tracepoints
10795 @subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
10796 @kindex save tracepoints
10797 @kindex save-tracepoints
10798 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
10799
10800 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
10801 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
10802 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
10803 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
10804 Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
10805 alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
10806
10807 @node Tracepoint Variables
10808 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
10809 @cindex tracepoint variables
10810 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
10811
10812 @table @code
10813 @vindex $trace_frame
10814 @item (int) $trace_frame
10815 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
10816 snapshot is selected.
10817
10818 @vindex $tracepoint
10819 @item (int) $tracepoint
10820 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
10821
10822 @vindex $trace_line
10823 @item (int) $trace_line
10824 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
10825
10826 @vindex $trace_file
10827 @item (char []) $trace_file
10828 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
10829
10830 @vindex $trace_func
10831 @item (char []) $trace_func
10832 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
10833 @end table
10834
10835 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
10836 use @code{output} instead.
10837
10838 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
10839 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
10840 data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
10841 which are managed by the target.
10842
10843 @smallexample
10844 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
10845
10846 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
10847 > output $trace_file
10848 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
10849 > tfind
10850 > end
10851 @end smallexample
10852
10853 @node Trace Files
10854 @section Using Trace Files
10855 @cindex trace files
10856
10857 In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
10858 longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
10859 for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
10860 dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
10861 of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
10862
10863 @table @code
10864
10865 @kindex tsave
10866 @item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
10867 Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
10868 assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
10869 necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
10870 then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
10871 optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
10872 the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
10873 more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
10874 @code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
10875
10876 @kindex target tfile
10877 @kindex tfile
10878 @item target tfile @var{filename}
10879 Use the file named @var{filename} as a source of trace data. Commands
10880 that examine data work as they do with a live target, but it is not
10881 possible to run any new trace experiments. @code{tstatus} will report
10882 the state of the trace run at the moment the data was saved, as well
10883 as the current trace frame you are examining. @var{filename} must be
10884 on a filesystem accessible to the host.
10885
10886 @end table
10887
10888 @node Overlays
10889 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
10890 @cindex overlays
10891
10892 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
10893 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
10894 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
10895 use overlays.
10896
10897 @menu
10898 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
10899 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
10900 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
10901 mapped by asking the inferior.
10902 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
10903 @end menu
10904
10905 @node How Overlays Work
10906 @section How Overlays Work
10907 @cindex mapped overlays
10908 @cindex unmapped overlays
10909 @cindex load address, overlay's
10910 @cindex mapped address
10911 @cindex overlay area
10912
10913 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
10914 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
10915 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
10916 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
10917 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
10918
10919 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
10920 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
10921 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
10922 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
10923 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
10924 largest overlay as well.
10925
10926 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
10927 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
10928 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
10929 there.
10930
10931 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
10932 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
10933 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
10934
10935 @smallexample
10936 @group
10937 Data Instruction Larger
10938 Address Space Address Space Address Space
10939 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
10940 | | | | | |
10941 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
10942 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
10943 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
10944 | and heap | | | | | |
10945 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
10946 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
10947 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
10948 | | | | | |
10949 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
10950 address | | | | | |
10951 | overlay | <-' | | |
10952 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
10953 | | <---. | | load address
10954 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
10955 | | | |
10956 +-----------+ | |
10957 +-----------+
10958 | |
10959 +-----------+
10960
10961 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
10962 @end group
10963 @end smallexample
10964
10965 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
10966 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
10967 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
10968 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
10969 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
10970 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
10971 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
10972 program and the overlay area.
10973
10974 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
10975 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
10976 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
10977 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
10978 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
10979 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
10980 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
10981
10982 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
10983 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
10984 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
10985
10986 @itemize @bullet
10987
10988 @item
10989 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
10990 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
10991 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
10992 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
10993
10994 @item
10995 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
10996 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
10997 your program's performance.
10998
10999 @item
11000 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
11001 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
11002 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
11003 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
11004 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
11005 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
11006 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
11007
11008 @item
11009 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
11010 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
11011 instruction and data spaces.
11012
11013 @end itemize
11014
11015 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
11016 improved in many ways:
11017
11018 @itemize @bullet
11019
11020 @item
11021 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
11022 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
11023 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
11024 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
11025 area in the usual way.
11026
11027 @item
11028 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
11029 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
11030
11031 @item
11032 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
11033 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
11034 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
11035 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
11036 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
11037 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
11038 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
11039
11040 @end itemize
11041
11042
11043 @node Overlay Commands
11044 @section Overlay Commands
11045
11046 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
11047 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
11048 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
11049 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
11050 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
11051 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
11052
11053 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
11054 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
11055
11056 @table @code
11057 @item overlay off
11058 @kindex overlay
11059 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
11060 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
11061 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
11062 overlay support is disabled.
11063
11064 @item overlay manual
11065 @cindex manual overlay debugging
11066 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
11067 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
11068 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
11069 commands described below.
11070
11071 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
11072 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
11073 @cindex map an overlay
11074 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
11075 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
11076 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
11077 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
11078 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
11079 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
11080
11081 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
11082 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
11083 @cindex unmap an overlay
11084 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
11085 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
11086 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
11087 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
11088
11089 @item overlay auto
11090 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
11091 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
11092 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
11093 Overlay Debugging}.
11094
11095 @item overlay load-target
11096 @itemx overlay load
11097 @cindex reloading the overlay table
11098 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
11099 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
11100 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
11101 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
11102 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
11103
11104 @item overlay list-overlays
11105 @itemx overlay list
11106 @cindex listing mapped overlays
11107 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
11108 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
11109
11110 @end table
11111
11112 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
11113 of the function the address falls in:
11114
11115 @smallexample
11116 (@value{GDBP}) print main
11117 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
11118 @end smallexample
11119 @noindent
11120 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
11121 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
11122 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
11123 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
11124
11125 @smallexample
11126 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
11127 No sections are mapped.
11128 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
11129 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
11130 @end smallexample
11131 @noindent
11132 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
11133 name normally:
11134
11135 @smallexample
11136 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
11137 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
11138 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
11139 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
11140 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
11141 @end smallexample
11142
11143 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
11144 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
11145 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
11146 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
11147 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
11148
11149 @itemize @bullet
11150 @item
11151 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
11152 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
11153 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
11154 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
11155 @item
11156 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
11157 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
11158 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
11159 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
11160 breakpoints properly.
11161 @end itemize
11162
11163
11164 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
11165 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
11166 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
11167
11168 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
11169 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
11170 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
11171 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
11172 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
11173 current state of the overlays.
11174
11175 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
11176 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
11177
11178 @table @asis
11179
11180 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
11181 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
11182
11183 @smallexample
11184 struct
11185 @{
11186 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
11187 unsigned long vma;
11188
11189 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
11190 unsigned long size;
11191
11192 /* The overlay's load address. */
11193 unsigned long lma;
11194
11195 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
11196 zero otherwise. */
11197 unsigned long mapped;
11198 @}
11199 @end smallexample
11200
11201 @item @code{_novlys}:
11202 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
11203 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
11204
11205 @end table
11206
11207 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
11208 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
11209 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
11210 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
11211 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
11212 currently mapped.
11213
11214 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
11215 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
11216 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
11217 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
11218 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
11219 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
11220 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
11221 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
11222 are not being executed.
11223
11224 @node Overlay Sample Program
11225 @section Overlay Sample Program
11226 @cindex overlay example program
11227
11228 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
11229 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
11230 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
11231 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
11232 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
11233 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
11234 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
11235
11236 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
11237 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
11238 suite. The program consists of the following files from
11239 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
11240
11241 @table @file
11242 @item overlays.c
11243 The main program file.
11244 @item ovlymgr.c
11245 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
11246 @item foo.c
11247 @itemx bar.c
11248 @itemx baz.c
11249 @itemx grbx.c
11250 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
11251 @item d10v.ld
11252 @itemx m32r.ld
11253 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
11254 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
11255 @end table
11256
11257 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
11258 cross-compiler like this:
11259
11260 @smallexample
11261 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
11262 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
11263 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
11264 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
11265 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
11266 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
11267 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
11268 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
11269 @end smallexample
11270
11271 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
11272 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
11273 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
11274
11275
11276 @node Languages
11277 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
11278 @cindex languages
11279
11280 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
11281 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
11282 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
11283 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
11284 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
11285 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
11286
11287 @cindex working language
11288 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
11289 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
11290 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
11291 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
11292 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
11293 language}.
11294
11295 @menu
11296 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
11297 * Show:: Displaying the language
11298 * Checks:: Type and range checks
11299 * Supported Languages:: Supported languages
11300 * Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
11301 @end menu
11302
11303 @node Setting
11304 @section Switching Between Source Languages
11305
11306 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
11307 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
11308 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
11309 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
11310 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
11311 are printed, etc.
11312
11313 In addition to the working language, every source file that
11314 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
11315 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
11316 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
11317 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
11318 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
11319 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
11320 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
11321 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
11322 Displaying the Language}.
11323
11324 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
11325 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
11326 another language. In that case, make the
11327 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
11328 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
11329 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
11330
11331 @menu
11332 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
11333 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
11334 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
11335 @end menu
11336
11337 @node Filenames
11338 @subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
11339
11340 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
11341 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
11342
11343 @table @file
11344 @item .ada
11345 @itemx .ads
11346 @itemx .adb
11347 @itemx .a
11348 Ada source file.
11349
11350 @item .c
11351 C source file
11352
11353 @item .C
11354 @itemx .cc
11355 @itemx .cp
11356 @itemx .cpp
11357 @itemx .cxx
11358 @itemx .c++
11359 C@t{++} source file
11360
11361 @item .d
11362 D source file
11363
11364 @item .m
11365 Objective-C source file
11366
11367 @item .f
11368 @itemx .F
11369 Fortran source file
11370
11371 @item .mod
11372 Modula-2 source file
11373
11374 @item .s
11375 @itemx .S
11376 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
11377 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
11378 @end table
11379
11380 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
11381 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
11382
11383 @node Manually
11384 @subsection Setting the Working Language
11385
11386 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
11387 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
11388 your program.
11389
11390 @kindex set language
11391 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
11392 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
11393 a language, such as
11394 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
11395 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
11396
11397 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
11398 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
11399 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
11400 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
11401 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
11402 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
11403 command such as:
11404
11405 @smallexample
11406 print a = b + c
11407 @end smallexample
11408
11409 @noindent
11410 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
11411 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
11412 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
11413 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
11414
11415 @node Automatically
11416 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
11417
11418 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
11419 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
11420 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
11421 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
11422 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
11423 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
11424 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
11425 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
11426 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
11427
11428 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
11429 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
11430 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
11431 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
11432 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
11433
11434 @node Show
11435 @section Displaying the Language
11436
11437 The following commands help you find out which language is the
11438 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
11439
11440 @table @code
11441 @item show language
11442 @kindex show language
11443 Display the current working language. This is the
11444 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
11445 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
11446
11447 @item info frame
11448 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
11449 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
11450 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
11451 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
11452 information listed here.
11453
11454 @item info source
11455 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
11456 Display the source language of this source file.
11457 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
11458 information listed here.
11459 @end table
11460
11461 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
11462 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
11463 with a language explicitly:
11464
11465 @table @code
11466 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
11467 @kindex set extension-language
11468 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
11469 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
11470
11471 @item info extensions
11472 @kindex info extensions
11473 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
11474 @end table
11475
11476 @node Checks
11477 @section Type and Range Checking
11478
11479 @quotation
11480 @emph{Warning:} In this release, the @value{GDBN} commands for type and range
11481 checking are included, but they do not yet have any effect. This
11482 section documents the intended facilities.
11483 @end quotation
11484 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range code added
11485
11486 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
11487 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
11488 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators, and making
11489 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
11490 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
11491 by eliminating type mismatches, and providing active checks for range
11492 errors when your program is running.
11493
11494 @value{GDBN} can check for conditions like the above if you wish.
11495 Although @value{GDBN} does not check the statements in your program,
11496 it can check expressions entered directly into @value{GDBN} for
11497 evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example. As with the
11498 working language, @value{GDBN} can also decide whether or not to check
11499 automatically based on your program's source language.
11500 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default
11501 settings of supported languages.
11502
11503 @menu
11504 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
11505 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
11506 @end menu
11507
11508 @cindex type checking
11509 @cindex checks, type
11510 @node Type Checking
11511 @subsection An Overview of Type Checking
11512
11513 Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that the
11514 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
11515 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
11516 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
11517
11518 @smallexample
11519 1 + 2 @result{} 3
11520 @exdent but
11521 @error{} 1 + 2.3
11522 @end smallexample
11523
11524 The second example fails because the @code{CARDINAL} 1 is not
11525 type-compatible with the @code{REAL} 2.3.
11526
11527 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell the
11528 @value{GDBN} type checker to skip checking;
11529 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
11530 or to only issue warnings when type mismatches occur,
11531 but evaluate the expression anyway. When you choose the last of
11532 these, @value{GDBN} evaluates expressions like the second example above, but
11533 also issues a warning.
11534
11535 Even if you turn type checking off, there may be other reasons
11536 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
11537 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
11538 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
11539 with the language in use, and usually arise from expressions, such as
11540 the one described above, which make little sense to evaluate anyway.
11541
11542 Each language defines to what degree it is strict about type. For
11543 instance, both Modula-2 and C require the arguments to arithmetical
11544 operators to be numbers. In C, enumerated types and pointers can be
11545 represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
11546 operators. @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for further
11547 details on specific languages.
11548
11549 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the type checker:
11550
11551 @kindex set check type
11552 @kindex show check type
11553 @table @code
11554 @item set check type auto
11555 Set type checking on or off based on the current working language.
11556 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
11557 each language.
11558
11559 @item set check type on
11560 @itemx set check type off
11561 Set type checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
11562 current working language. Issue a warning if the setting does not
11563 match the language default. If any type mismatches occur in
11564 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
11565 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
11566
11567 @item set check type warn
11568 Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to
11569 evaluate the expression. Evaluating the expression may still
11570 be impossible for other reasons. For example, @value{GDBN} cannot add
11571 numbers and structures.
11572
11573 @item show type
11574 Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not @value{GDBN}
11575 is setting it automatically.
11576 @end table
11577
11578 @cindex range checking
11579 @cindex checks, range
11580 @node Range Checking
11581 @subsection An Overview of Range Checking
11582
11583 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
11584 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
11585 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
11586 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
11587 not exceed the bounds of the array.
11588
11589 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
11590 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
11591 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
11592 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
11593
11594 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
11595 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
11596 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
11597 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
11598 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
11599 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
11600
11601 @smallexample
11602 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
11603 @end smallexample
11604
11605 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
11606 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
11607 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
11608
11609 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
11610
11611 @kindex set check range
11612 @kindex show check range
11613 @table @code
11614 @item set check range auto
11615 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
11616 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
11617 each language.
11618
11619 @item set check range on
11620 @itemx set check range off
11621 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
11622 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
11623 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
11624 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
11625
11626 @item set check range warn
11627 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
11628 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
11629 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
11630 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
11631 systems).
11632
11633 @item show range
11634 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
11635 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
11636 @end table
11637
11638 @node Supported Languages
11639 @section Supported Languages
11640
11641 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Objective-C, Fortran, Java, OpenCL C, Pascal,
11642 assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
11643 @c This is false ...
11644 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
11645 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
11646 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
11647 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
11648 language.
11649
11650 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
11651 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
11652 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
11653 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
11654 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
11655 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
11656 language reference or tutorial.
11657
11658 @menu
11659 * C:: C and C@t{++}
11660 * D:: D
11661 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
11662 * OpenCL C:: OpenCL C
11663 * Fortran:: Fortran
11664 * Pascal:: Pascal
11665 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
11666 * Ada:: Ada
11667 @end menu
11668
11669 @node C
11670 @subsection C and C@t{++}
11671
11672 @cindex C and C@t{++}
11673 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
11674
11675 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
11676 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
11677 together.
11678
11679 @cindex C@t{++}
11680 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
11681 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
11682 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
11683 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
11684 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
11685 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
11686 compiler (@code{aCC}).
11687
11688 For best results when using @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, use the DWARF 2 debugging
11689 format; if it doesn't work on your system, try the stabs+ debugging
11690 format. You can select those formats explicitly with the @code{g++}
11691 command-line options @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-gstabs+}.
11692 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
11693 gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}.
11694
11695 @menu
11696 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
11697 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
11698 * C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
11699 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
11700 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
11701 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
11702 * Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
11703 * Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
11704 @end menu
11705
11706 @node C Operators
11707 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
11708
11709 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
11710
11711 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
11712 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
11713 often defined on groups of types.
11714
11715 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
11716
11717 @itemize @bullet
11718
11719 @item
11720 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
11721 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
11722
11723 @item
11724 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
11725 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
11726
11727 @item
11728 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
11729
11730 @item
11731 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
11732
11733 @end itemize
11734
11735 @noindent
11736 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
11737 in order of increasing precedence:
11738
11739 @table @code
11740 @item ,
11741 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
11742 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
11743 expression being the last expression evaluated.
11744
11745 @item =
11746 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
11747 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
11748
11749 @item @var{op}=
11750 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
11751 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
11752 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
11753 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
11754 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
11755
11756 @item ?:
11757 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
11758 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
11759 integral type.
11760
11761 @item ||
11762 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
11763
11764 @item &&
11765 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
11766
11767 @item |
11768 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
11769
11770 @item ^
11771 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
11772
11773 @item &
11774 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
11775
11776 @item ==@r{, }!=
11777 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
11778 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
11779
11780 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
11781 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
11782 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
11783 and non-zero for true.
11784
11785 @item <<@r{, }>>
11786 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
11787
11788 @item @@
11789 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
11790
11791 @item +@r{, }-
11792 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
11793 pointer types.
11794
11795 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
11796 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
11797 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
11798 integral types.
11799
11800 @item ++@r{, }--
11801 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
11802 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
11803 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
11804 operation takes place.
11805
11806 @item *
11807 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
11808 @code{++}.
11809
11810 @item &
11811 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
11812
11813 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
11814 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
11815 to examine the address
11816 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
11817 stored.
11818
11819 @item -
11820 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
11821 precedence as @code{++}.
11822
11823 @item !
11824 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
11825 @code{++}.
11826
11827 @item ~
11828 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
11829 @code{++}.
11830
11831
11832 @item .@r{, }->
11833 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
11834 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
11835 pointer based on the stored type information.
11836 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
11837
11838 @item .*@r{, }->*
11839 Dereferences of pointers to members.
11840
11841 @item []
11842 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
11843 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
11844
11845 @item ()
11846 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
11847
11848 @item ::
11849 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
11850 and @code{class} types.
11851
11852 @item ::
11853 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
11854 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
11855 above.
11856 @end table
11857
11858 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
11859 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
11860 predefined meaning.
11861
11862 @node C Constants
11863 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
11864
11865 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
11866
11867 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
11868 following ways:
11869
11870 @itemize @bullet
11871 @item
11872 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
11873 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
11874 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
11875 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
11876 @code{long} value.
11877
11878 @item
11879 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
11880 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
11881 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
11882 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
11883 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
11884 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
11885 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
11886 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
11887 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
11888 constant.
11889
11890 @item
11891 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
11892 integral equivalents.
11893
11894 @item
11895 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
11896 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
11897 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
11898 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
11899 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
11900 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
11901 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
11902 @samp{\n} for newline.
11903
11904 @item
11905 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
11906 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
11907 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
11908 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
11909 characters.
11910
11911 @item
11912 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
11913 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
11914
11915 @item
11916 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
11917 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
11918 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
11919 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
11920 @end itemize
11921
11922 @node C Plus Plus Expressions
11923 @subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
11924
11925 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
11926 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
11927
11928 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
11929 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
11930 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
11931 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
11932 @quotation
11933 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use the
11934 proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently, @value{GDBN}
11935 works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled with
11936 @value{NGCC} 2.95.3 or with @value{NGCC} 3.1 or newer, using the options
11937 @option{-gdwarf-2} or @option{-gstabs+}. DWARF 2 is preferred over
11938 stabs+. Most configurations of @value{NGCC} emit either DWARF 2 or
11939 stabs+ as their default debug format, so you usually don't need to
11940 specify a debug format explicitly. Other compilers and/or debug formats
11941 are likely to work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug
11942 C@t{++} code.
11943 @end quotation
11944
11945 @enumerate
11946
11947 @cindex member functions
11948 @item
11949 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
11950
11951 @smallexample
11952 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
11953 @end smallexample
11954
11955 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
11956 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
11957 @item
11958 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
11959 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
11960 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
11961 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}.
11962
11963 @cindex call overloaded functions
11964 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
11965 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
11966 @item
11967 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
11968 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
11969 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
11970 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
11971 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
11972 default arguments.
11973
11974 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
11975 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
11976 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
11977 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
11978 number of function arguments.
11979
11980 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
11981 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
11982 ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
11983
11984 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
11985 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
11986 @smallexample
11987 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
11988 @end smallexample
11989
11990 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
11991 see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
11992
11993 @cindex reference declarations
11994 @item
11995 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
11996 them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
11997 dereferenced.
11998
11999 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
12000 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
12001 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
12002 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
12003 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
12004
12005 @item
12006 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
12007 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
12008 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
12009 necessary, for example in an expression like
12010 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
12011 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
12012 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
12013 @end enumerate
12014
12015 In addition, when used with HP's C@t{++} compiler, @value{GDBN} supports
12016 calling virtual functions correctly, printing out virtual bases of
12017 objects, calling functions in a base subobject, casting objects, and
12018 invoking user-defined operators.
12019
12020 @node C Defaults
12021 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
12022
12023 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
12024
12025 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set type and range checking automatically, they
12026 both default to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
12027 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
12028 selects the working language.
12029
12030 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
12031 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
12032 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
12033 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
12034 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
12035 for further details.
12036
12037 @c Type checking is (a) primarily motivated by Modula-2, and (b)
12038 @c unimplemented. If (b) changes, it might make sense to let this node
12039 @c appear even if Mod-2 does not, but meanwhile ignore it. roland 16jul93.
12040
12041 @node C Checks
12042 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
12043
12044 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
12045
12046 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, type checking
12047 is not used. However, if you turn type checking on, @value{GDBN}
12048 considers two variables type equivalent if:
12049
12050 @itemize @bullet
12051 @item
12052 The two variables are structured and have the same structure, union, or
12053 enumerated tag.
12054
12055 @item
12056 The two variables have the same type name, or types that have been
12057 declared equivalent through @code{typedef}.
12058
12059 @ignore
12060 @c leaving this out because neither J Gilmore nor R Pesch understand it.
12061 @c FIXME--beers?
12062 @item
12063 The two @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} variables are
12064 declared in the same declaration. (Note: this may not be true for all C
12065 compilers.)
12066 @end ignore
12067 @end itemize
12068
12069 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
12070 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
12071 that is not itself an array.
12072
12073 @node Debugging C
12074 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
12075
12076 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
12077 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
12078 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
12079 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
12080
12081 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
12082 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
12083 ,Expressions}.
12084
12085 @node Debugging C Plus Plus
12086 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
12087
12088 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
12089
12090 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
12091 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
12092
12093 @table @code
12094 @cindex break in overloaded functions
12095 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
12096 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
12097 @value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
12098 locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
12099 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
12100
12101 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
12102 @item rbreak @var{regex}
12103 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
12104 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
12105 classes.
12106 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
12107
12108 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
12109 @item catch throw
12110 @itemx catch catch
12111 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
12112 Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
12113
12114 @cindex inheritance
12115 @item ptype @var{typename}
12116 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
12117 @var{typename}.
12118 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
12119
12120 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
12121 @item set print demangle
12122 @itemx show print demangle
12123 @itemx set print asm-demangle
12124 @itemx show print asm-demangle
12125 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
12126 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
12127 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
12128
12129 @item set print object
12130 @itemx show print object
12131 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
12132 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
12133
12134 @item set print vtbl
12135 @itemx show print vtbl
12136 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
12137 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
12138 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
12139 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
12140
12141 @kindex set overload-resolution
12142 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
12143 @item set overload-resolution on
12144 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
12145 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
12146 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
12147 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
12148 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
12149 If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
12150
12151 @item set overload-resolution off
12152 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
12153 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
12154 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
12155 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
12156 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
12157 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
12158 argument types.
12159
12160 @kindex show overload-resolution
12161 @item show overload-resolution
12162 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
12163
12164 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
12165 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
12166 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
12167 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
12168 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
12169 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
12170 @xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
12171 @end table
12172
12173 @node Decimal Floating Point
12174 @subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
12175 @cindex decimal floating point format
12176
12177 @value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
12178 decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
12179 @code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
12180 specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
12181
12182 There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
12183 Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
12184 PowerPC. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the configured
12185 target.
12186
12187 Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
12188 to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
12189 (using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
12190
12191 In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
12192 point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
12193 underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
12194
12195 In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
12196 to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
12197 See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
12198
12199 @node D
12200 @subsection D
12201
12202 @cindex D
12203 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
12204 GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
12205 specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
12206
12207 @node Objective-C
12208 @subsection Objective-C
12209
12210 @cindex Objective-C
12211 This section provides information about some commands and command
12212 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
12213 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
12214 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
12215
12216 @menu
12217 * Method Names in Commands::
12218 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
12219 @end menu
12220
12221 @node Method Names in Commands
12222 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
12223
12224 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
12225 names as line specifications:
12226
12227 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
12228 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
12229 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
12230 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
12231 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
12232 @itemize
12233 @item @code{clear}
12234 @item @code{break}
12235 @item @code{info line}
12236 @item @code{jump}
12237 @item @code{list}
12238 @end itemize
12239
12240 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
12241
12242 @smallexample
12243 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
12244 @end smallexample
12245
12246 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
12247 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
12248 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
12249 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
12250 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
12251 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
12252 debugged, enter:
12253
12254 @smallexample
12255 break -[Fruit create]
12256 @end smallexample
12257
12258 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
12259 enter:
12260
12261 @smallexample
12262 list +[NSText initialize]
12263 @end smallexample
12264
12265 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
12266 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
12267 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
12268 is also possible to specify just a method name:
12269
12270 @smallexample
12271 break create
12272 @end smallexample
12273
12274 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
12275 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
12276 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
12277 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
12278 none apply.
12279
12280 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
12281 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
12282
12283 @smallexample
12284 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
12285 @end smallexample
12286
12287 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
12288 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
12289 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
12290 @kindex print-object
12291 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
12292
12293 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
12294
12295 @smallexample
12296 print -[@var{object} hash]
12297 @end smallexample
12298
12299 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
12300 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
12301 @noindent
12302 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
12303 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
12304 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
12305 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
12306 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
12307 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
12308
12309 @node OpenCL C
12310 @subsection OpenCL C
12311
12312 @cindex OpenCL C
12313 This section provides information about @value{GDBN}s OpenCL C support.
12314
12315 @menu
12316 * OpenCL C Datatypes::
12317 * OpenCL C Expressions::
12318 * OpenCL C Operators::
12319 @end menu
12320
12321 @node OpenCL C Datatypes
12322 @subsubsection OpenCL C Datatypes
12323
12324 @cindex OpenCL C Datatypes
12325 @value{GDBN} supports the builtin scalar and vector datatypes specified
12326 by OpenCL 1.1. In addition the half- and double-precision floating point
12327 data types of the @code{cl_khr_fp16} and @code{cl_khr_fp64} OpenCL
12328 extensions are also known to @value{GDBN}.
12329
12330 @node OpenCL C Expressions
12331 @subsubsection OpenCL C Expressions
12332
12333 @cindex OpenCL C Expressions
12334 @value{GDBN} supports accesses to vector components including the access as
12335 lvalue where possible. Since OpenCL C is based on C99 most C expressions
12336 supported by @value{GDBN} can be used as well.
12337
12338 @node OpenCL C Operators
12339 @subsubsection OpenCL C Operators
12340
12341 @cindex OpenCL C Operators
12342 @value{GDBN} supports the operators specified by OpenCL 1.1 for scalar and
12343 vector data types.
12344
12345 @node Fortran
12346 @subsection Fortran
12347 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
12348
12349 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
12350 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
12351
12352 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
12353 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
12354 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
12355 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
12356 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
12357 underscore.
12358
12359 @menu
12360 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
12361 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
12362 * Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
12363 @end menu
12364
12365 @node Fortran Operators
12366 @subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
12367
12368 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
12369
12370 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
12371 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
12372 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
12373
12374 @table @code
12375 @item **
12376 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
12377 of the second one.
12378
12379 @item :
12380 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
12381 represent a section of array.
12382
12383 @item %
12384 The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
12385 types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
12386 this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
12387 union type.
12388 @end table
12389
12390 @node Fortran Defaults
12391 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
12392
12393 @cindex Fortran Defaults
12394
12395 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
12396 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
12397 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
12398 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
12399
12400 @node Special Fortran Commands
12401 @subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
12402
12403 @cindex Special Fortran commands
12404
12405 @value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
12406 such as displaying common blocks.
12407
12408 @table @code
12409 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
12410 @kindex info common
12411 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
12412 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
12413 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
12414 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
12415 printed.
12416 @end table
12417
12418 @node Pascal
12419 @subsection Pascal
12420
12421 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
12422 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
12423 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
12424 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
12425 syntax.
12426
12427 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
12428 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
12429 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
12430
12431 @node Modula-2
12432 @subsection Modula-2
12433
12434 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
12435
12436 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
12437 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
12438 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
12439 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
12440 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
12441 table.
12442
12443 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
12444 @menu
12445 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
12446 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
12447 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
12448 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
12449 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
12450 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
12451 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
12452 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
12453 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
12454 @end menu
12455
12456 @node M2 Operators
12457 @subsubsection Operators
12458 @cindex Modula-2 operators
12459
12460 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
12461 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
12462 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
12463 following definitions hold:
12464
12465 @itemize @bullet
12466
12467 @item
12468 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
12469 their subranges.
12470
12471 @item
12472 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
12473
12474 @item
12475 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
12476
12477 @item
12478 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
12479 @var{type}}.
12480
12481 @item
12482 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
12483
12484 @item
12485 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
12486
12487 @item
12488 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
12489 @end itemize
12490
12491 @noindent
12492 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
12493 increasing precedence:
12494
12495 @table @code
12496 @item ,
12497 Function argument or array index separator.
12498
12499 @item :=
12500 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
12501 @var{value}.
12502
12503 @item <@r{, }>
12504 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
12505 types.
12506
12507 @item <=@r{, }>=
12508 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
12509 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
12510 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
12511
12512 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
12513 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
12514 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
12515 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
12516 comment character.
12517
12518 @item IN
12519 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
12520 Same precedence as @code{<}.
12521
12522 @item OR
12523 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
12524
12525 @item AND@r{, }&
12526 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
12527
12528 @item @@
12529 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
12530
12531 @item +@r{, }-
12532 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
12533 and difference on set types.
12534
12535 @item *
12536 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
12537 on set types.
12538
12539 @item /
12540 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
12541 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
12542
12543 @item DIV@r{, }MOD
12544 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
12545 precedence as @code{*}.
12546
12547 @item -
12548 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
12549
12550 @item ^
12551 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
12552
12553 @item NOT
12554 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
12555 @code{^}.
12556
12557 @item .
12558 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
12559 precedence as @code{^}.
12560
12561 @item []
12562 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
12563
12564 @item ()
12565 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
12566 as @code{^}.
12567
12568 @item ::@r{, }.
12569 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
12570 @end table
12571
12572 @quotation
12573 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
12574 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
12575 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
12576 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
12577 @end quotation
12578
12579
12580 @node Built-In Func/Proc
12581 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
12582 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
12583
12584 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
12585 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
12586
12587 @table @var
12588
12589 @item a
12590 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
12591
12592 @item c
12593 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
12594
12595 @item i
12596 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
12597
12598 @item m
12599 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
12600 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
12601 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
12602
12603 @item n
12604 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
12605
12606 @item r
12607 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
12608
12609 @item t
12610 represents a type.
12611
12612 @item v
12613 represents a variable.
12614
12615 @item x
12616 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
12617 explanation of the function for details.
12618 @end table
12619
12620 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
12621
12622 @table @code
12623 @item ABS(@var{n})
12624 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
12625
12626 @item CAP(@var{c})
12627 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
12628 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
12629
12630 @item CHR(@var{i})
12631 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
12632
12633 @item DEC(@var{v})
12634 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
12635
12636 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
12637 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
12638 new value.
12639
12640 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
12641 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
12642 set.
12643
12644 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
12645 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
12646
12647 @item HIGH(@var{a})
12648 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
12649
12650 @item INC(@var{v})
12651 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
12652
12653 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
12654 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
12655 new value.
12656
12657 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
12658 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
12659 there. Returns the new set.
12660
12661 @item MAX(@var{t})
12662 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
12663
12664 @item MIN(@var{t})
12665 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
12666
12667 @item ODD(@var{i})
12668 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
12669
12670 @item ORD(@var{x})
12671 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
12672 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
12673 @sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
12674 integral, character and enumerated types.
12675
12676 @item SIZE(@var{x})
12677 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
12678
12679 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
12680 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
12681
12682 @item TSIZE(@var{x})
12683 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
12684
12685 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
12686 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
12687 @end table
12688
12689 @quotation
12690 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
12691 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
12692 an error.
12693 @end quotation
12694
12695 @cindex Modula-2 constants
12696 @node M2 Constants
12697 @subsubsection Constants
12698
12699 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
12700 ways:
12701
12702 @itemize @bullet
12703
12704 @item
12705 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
12706 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
12707 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
12708 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
12709
12710 @item
12711 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
12712 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
12713 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
12714 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
12715 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
12716 digits.
12717
12718 @item
12719 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
12720 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
12721 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
12722 followed by a @samp{C}.
12723
12724 @item
12725 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
12726 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
12727 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
12728 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
12729 sequences.
12730
12731 @item
12732 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
12733
12734 @item
12735 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
12736 @code{FALSE}.
12737
12738 @item
12739 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
12740
12741 @item
12742 Set constants are not yet supported.
12743 @end itemize
12744
12745 @node M2 Types
12746 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
12747 @cindex Modula-2 types
12748
12749 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
12750 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
12751 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
12752 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
12753 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
12754 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
12755
12756 The first example contains the following section of code:
12757
12758 @smallexample
12759 VAR
12760 s: SET OF CHAR ;
12761 r: [20..40] ;
12762 @end smallexample
12763
12764 @noindent
12765 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
12766 @code{r} and @code{s}.
12767
12768 @smallexample
12769 (@value{GDBP}) print s
12770 @{'A'..'C', 'Z'@}
12771 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12772 SET OF CHAR
12773 (@value{GDBP}) print r
12774 21
12775 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
12776 [20..40]
12777 @end smallexample
12778
12779 @noindent
12780 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
12781
12782 @smallexample
12783 VAR
12784 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
12785 @end smallexample
12786
12787 @noindent
12788 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
12789
12790 @smallexample
12791 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12792 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
12793 @end smallexample
12794
12795 @noindent
12796 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
12797 expressions using the debugger.
12798
12799 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
12800 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
12801
12802 @smallexample
12803 VAR
12804 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
12805 @end smallexample
12806
12807 @smallexample
12808 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12809 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
12810 @end smallexample
12811
12812 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
12813 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
12814 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
12815 above.
12816
12817 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
12818
12819 @smallexample
12820 TYPE
12821 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
12822 t = [blue..yellow] ;
12823 VAR
12824 s: t ;
12825 BEGIN
12826 s := blue ;
12827 @end smallexample
12828
12829 @noindent
12830 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
12831 and value of a variable.
12832
12833 @smallexample
12834 (@value{GDBP}) print s
12835 $1 = blue
12836 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
12837 type = [blue..yellow]
12838 @end smallexample
12839
12840 @noindent
12841 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
12842 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
12843 their @code{C} counterparts.
12844
12845 @smallexample
12846 VAR
12847 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
12848 BEGIN
12849 s[1] := 1 ;
12850 @end smallexample
12851
12852 @smallexample
12853 (@value{GDBP}) print s
12854 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
12855 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12856 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
12857 @end smallexample
12858
12859 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
12860 pointer types as shown in this example:
12861
12862 @smallexample
12863 VAR
12864 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
12865 BEGIN
12866 NEW(s) ;
12867 s^[1] := 1 ;
12868 @end smallexample
12869
12870 @noindent
12871 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
12872
12873 @smallexample
12874 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12875 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
12876 @end smallexample
12877
12878 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
12879 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
12880 types:
12881
12882 @smallexample
12883 TYPE
12884 foo = RECORD
12885 f1: CARDINAL ;
12886 f2: CHAR ;
12887 f3: myarray ;
12888 END ;
12889
12890 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
12891 myrange = [-2..2] ;
12892 VAR
12893 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
12894 @end smallexample
12895
12896 @noindent
12897 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
12898 below.
12899
12900 @smallexample
12901 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12902 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
12903 f1 : CARDINAL;
12904 f2 : CHAR;
12905 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
12906 END
12907 @end smallexample
12908
12909 @node M2 Defaults
12910 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
12911 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
12912
12913 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
12914 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
12915 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
12916 selected the working language.
12917
12918 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
12919 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
12920 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
12921 Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
12922
12923 @node Deviations
12924 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
12925 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
12926
12927 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
12928 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
12929
12930 @itemize @bullet
12931 @item
12932 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
12933 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
12934 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
12935 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
12936 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
12937 returned a pointer.)
12938
12939 @item
12940 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
12941 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
12942 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
12943 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
12944
12945 @item
12946 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
12947 argument.
12948
12949 @item
12950 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
12951 @end itemize
12952
12953 @node M2 Checks
12954 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
12955 @cindex Modula-2 checks
12956
12957 @quotation
12958 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
12959 range checking.
12960 @end quotation
12961 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
12962
12963 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
12964
12965 @itemize @bullet
12966 @item
12967 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
12968 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
12969
12970 @item
12971 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
12972 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
12973 @end itemize
12974
12975 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
12976 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
12977
12978 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
12979 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
12980
12981 @node M2 Scope
12982 @subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
12983 @cindex scope
12984 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
12985 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
12986 @ifinfo
12987 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
12988 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
12989 @end ifinfo
12990 @ifnotinfo
12991 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
12992 @end ifnotinfo
12993
12994 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
12995 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
12996 similar syntax:
12997
12998 @smallexample
12999
13000 @var{module} . @var{id}
13001 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
13002 @end smallexample
13003
13004 @noindent
13005 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
13006 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
13007 identifier within your program, except another module.
13008
13009 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
13010 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
13011 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
13012 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
13013
13014 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
13015 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
13016 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
13017 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
13018 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
13019 @var{module}.
13020
13021 @node GDB/M2
13022 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
13023
13024 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
13025 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
13026 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
13027 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
13028 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
13029 analogue in Modula-2.
13030
13031 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
13032 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
13033 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
13034 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
13035 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
13036 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
13037
13038 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
13039 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
13040 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
13041
13042 @node Ada
13043 @subsection Ada
13044 @cindex Ada
13045
13046 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
13047 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
13048 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
13049 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
13050 to be difficult.
13051
13052
13053 @cindex expressions in Ada
13054 @menu
13055 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
13056 and semantics supported by Ada mode
13057 in @value{GDBN}.
13058 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
13059 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
13060 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
13061 * Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
13062 * Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
13063 * Ravenscar Profile:: Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar
13064 Profile
13065 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
13066 @end menu
13067
13068 @node Ada Mode Intro
13069 @subsubsection Introduction
13070 @cindex Ada mode, general
13071
13072 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
13073 syntax, with some extensions.
13074 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
13075
13076 @itemize @bullet
13077 @item
13078 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
13079 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
13080 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
13081 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
13082
13083 @item
13084 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
13085 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
13086
13087 @item
13088 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
13089 @end itemize
13090
13091 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
13092 user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
13093 according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
13094 names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
13095 ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
13096
13097 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
13098 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
13099 was translated from an Ada source file.
13100
13101 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
13102 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
13103 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
13104 middle (to allow based literals).
13105
13106 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
13107 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
13108 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
13109 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
13110 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
13111 functions to procedures elsewhere.
13112
13113 @node Omissions from Ada
13114 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
13115 @cindex Ada, omissions from
13116
13117 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
13118
13119 @itemize @bullet
13120 @item
13121 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
13122
13123 @itemize @minus
13124 @item
13125 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
13126 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
13127
13128 @item
13129 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
13130
13131 @item
13132 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
13133
13134 @item
13135 @t{'Tag}.
13136
13137 @item
13138 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
13139 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
13140
13141 @item
13142 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
13143 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
13144
13145 @item
13146 @t{'Address}.
13147 @end itemize
13148
13149 @item
13150 The names in
13151 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
13152 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
13153 not currently available.
13154
13155 @item
13156 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
13157 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
13158 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
13159 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
13160 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
13161 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
13162 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
13163 indeterminate values.
13164
13165 @item
13166 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
13167 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
13168 are not implemented.
13169
13170 @item
13171 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
13172 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
13173 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
13174 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
13175 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
13176
13177 @smallexample
13178 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
13179 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
13180 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
13181 (@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
13182 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
13183 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
13184 @end smallexample
13185
13186 Changing a
13187 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
13188 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
13189 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
13190 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
13191 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
13192 declared to have a type such as:
13193
13194 @smallexample
13195 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
13196 Id : Integer;
13197 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
13198 end record;
13199 @end smallexample
13200
13201 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
13202 assignments:
13203
13204 @smallexample
13205 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
13206 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
13207 @end smallexample
13208
13209 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
13210 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
13211 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
13212 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
13213 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
13214 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
13215 redundant component associations, although which component values are
13216 assigned in such cases is not defined.
13217
13218 @item
13219 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
13220
13221 @item
13222 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
13223 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
13224 which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
13225 looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
13226 function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
13227 the proper resolution.
13228
13229 @item
13230 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
13231
13232 @item
13233 Entry calls are not implemented.
13234
13235 @item
13236 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
13237 formats are not supported.
13238
13239 @item
13240 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
13241
13242 @item
13243 The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
13244 are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
13245 context.
13246 Should your program
13247 redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
13248 you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
13249 @end itemize
13250
13251 @node Additions to Ada
13252 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
13253 @cindex Ada, deviations from
13254
13255 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
13256 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
13257
13258 @itemize @bullet
13259 @item
13260 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
13261 a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
13262 then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
13263 @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
13264 Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
13265 in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
13266 Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
13267 which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
13268
13269 @item
13270 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
13271 appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
13272 you must typically surround it in single quotes.
13273
13274 @item
13275 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
13276 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
13277
13278 @item
13279 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
13280 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
13281 @end itemize
13282
13283 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
13284 additions specific to Ada:
13285
13286 @itemize @bullet
13287 @item
13288 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
13289 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
13290
13291 @smallexample
13292 (@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
13293 (@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
13294 @end smallexample
13295
13296 @item
13297 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
13298 the value of its right-hand operand.
13299 This allows, for example,
13300 complex conditional breaks:
13301
13302 @smallexample
13303 (@value{GDBP}) break f
13304 (@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
13305 @end smallexample
13306
13307 @item
13308 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
13309 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
13310 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
13311 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
13312 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
13313 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
13314 in strings. For example,
13315 @smallexample
13316 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
13317 @end smallexample
13318 @noindent
13319 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
13320 after each period.
13321
13322 @item
13323 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
13324 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
13325 to write
13326
13327 @smallexample
13328 (@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
13329 @end smallexample
13330
13331 @item
13332 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
13333 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
13334 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
13335 of 3 might print as
13336
13337 @smallexample
13338 (3 => 10, 17, 1)
13339 @end smallexample
13340
13341 @noindent
13342 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
13343 clause.
13344
13345 @item
13346 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
13347 multi-character subsequence of
13348 their names (an exact match gets preference).
13349 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
13350 in place of @t{a'length}.
13351
13352 @item
13353 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
13354 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
13355 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
13356 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
13357 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
13358 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
13359 For example,
13360 @smallexample
13361 (@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
13362 @end smallexample
13363
13364 @item
13365 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
13366 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
13367 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
13368 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
13369 object.
13370
13371 @end itemize
13372
13373 @node Stopping Before Main Program
13374 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
13375
13376 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
13377 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
13378 before reaching the main procedure.
13379 As defined in the Ada Reference
13380 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
13381 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
13382 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
13383 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
13384
13385 @node Ada Tasks
13386 @subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
13387 @cindex Ada, tasking
13388
13389 Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
13390 @value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
13391
13392 @table @code
13393 @kindex info tasks
13394 @item info tasks
13395 This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
13396
13397
13398 @smallexample
13399 @iftex
13400 @leftskip=0.5cm
13401 @end iftex
13402 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13403 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13404 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13405 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
13406 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
13407 * 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
13408
13409 @end smallexample
13410
13411 @noindent
13412 In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
13413 task currently being inspected.
13414
13415 @table @asis
13416 @item ID
13417 Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
13418
13419 @item TID
13420 The Ada task ID.
13421
13422 @item P-ID
13423 The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
13424
13425 @item Pri
13426 The base priority of the task.
13427
13428 @item State
13429 Current state of the task.
13430
13431 @table @code
13432 @item Unactivated
13433 The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
13434 executing.
13435
13436 @item Runnable
13437 The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
13438 for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
13439
13440 @item Terminated
13441 The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
13442 that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
13443 terminated themselves.
13444
13445 @item Child Activation Wait
13446 The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
13447
13448 @item Accept Statement
13449 The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
13450
13451 @item Waiting on entry call
13452 The task is waiting on an entry call.
13453
13454 @item Async Select Wait
13455 The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
13456 select statement.
13457
13458 @item Delay Sleep
13459 The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
13460 alternative open.
13461
13462 @item Child Termination Wait
13463 The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
13464 waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
13465 waiting on a terminate Phase.
13466
13467 @item Wait Child in Term Alt
13468 The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
13469 finish terminating.
13470
13471 @item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
13472 The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
13473 @end table
13474
13475 @item Name
13476 Name of the task in the program.
13477
13478 @end table
13479
13480 @kindex info task @var{taskno}
13481 @item info task @var{taskno}
13482 This command shows detailled informations on the specified task, as in
13483 the following example:
13484 @smallexample
13485 @iftex
13486 @leftskip=0.5cm
13487 @end iftex
13488 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13489 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13490 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13491 * 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
13492 (@value{GDBP}) info task 2
13493 Ada Task: 0x807c468
13494 Name: task_1
13495 Thread: 0x807f378
13496 Parent: 1 (main_task)
13497 Base Priority: 15
13498 State: Runnable
13499 @end smallexample
13500
13501 @item task
13502 @kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
13503 @cindex current Ada task ID
13504 This command prints the ID of the current task.
13505
13506 @smallexample
13507 @iftex
13508 @leftskip=0.5cm
13509 @end iftex
13510 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13511 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13512 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13513 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
13514 (@value{GDBP}) task
13515 [Current task is 2]
13516 @end smallexample
13517
13518 @item task @var{taskno}
13519 @cindex Ada task switching
13520 This command is like the @code{thread @var{threadno}}
13521 command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
13522 from the current task to the given task.
13523
13524 @smallexample
13525 @iftex
13526 @leftskip=0.5cm
13527 @end iftex
13528 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13529 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13530 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13531 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
13532 (@value{GDBP}) task 1
13533 [Switching to task 1]
13534 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
13535 (@value{GDBP}) bt
13536 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
13537 #1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
13538 #2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
13539 #3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
13540 #4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
13541 @end smallexample
13542
13543 @item break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno}
13544 @itemx break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
13545 @cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
13546 @cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
13547 @kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
13548 These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
13549 command (@pxref{Thread Stops}).
13550 @var{linespec} specifies source lines, as described
13551 in @ref{Specify Location}.
13552
13553 Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
13554 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
13555 particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. @var{taskno} is one of the
13556 numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
13557 column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
13558
13559 If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
13560 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
13561 program.
13562
13563 You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
13564 well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
13565 breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
13566
13567 For example,
13568
13569 @smallexample
13570 @iftex
13571 @leftskip=0.5cm
13572 @end iftex
13573 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13574 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13575 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13576 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
13577 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
13578 * 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
13579 (@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
13580 Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
13581 (@value{GDBP}) cont
13582 Continuing.
13583 task # 1 running
13584 task # 2 running
13585
13586 Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
13587 15 flush;
13588 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13589 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13590 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13591 * 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
13592 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
13593 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
13594 @end smallexample
13595 @end table
13596
13597 @node Ada Tasks and Core Files
13598 @subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
13599 @cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
13600
13601 When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
13602 tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
13603 the platform being used.
13604 For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
13605 switching is not supported. On Tru64, however, task switching will work
13606 as usual.
13607
13608 On certain platforms, including Tru64, the debugger needs to perform some
13609 memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
13610 a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
13611 privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
13612 Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
13613 file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
13614
13615 @node Ravenscar Profile
13616 @subsubsection Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar Profile
13617 @cindex Ravenscar Profile
13618
13619 The @dfn{Ravenscar Profile} is a subset of the Ada tasking features,
13620 specifically designed for systems with safety-critical real-time
13621 requirements.
13622
13623 @table @code
13624 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching on
13625 @cindex task switching with program using Ravenscar Profile
13626 @item set ravenscar task-switching on
13627 Allows task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
13628 Profile. This is the default.
13629
13630 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching off
13631 @item set ravenscar task-switching off
13632 Turn off task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
13633 Profile. This is mostly intended to disable the code that adds support
13634 for the Ravenscar Profile, in case a bug in either @value{GDBN} or in
13635 the Ravenscar runtime is preventing @value{GDBN} from working properly.
13636 To be effective, this command should be run before the program is started.
13637
13638 @kindex show ravenscar task-switching
13639 @item show ravenscar task-switching
13640 Show whether it is possible to switch from task to task in a program
13641 using the Ravenscar Profile.
13642
13643 @end table
13644
13645 @node Ada Glitches
13646 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
13647 @cindex Ada, problems
13648
13649 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
13650 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
13651 @value{GDBN},
13652 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
13653 and the GNU Ada compiler.
13654
13655 @itemize @bullet
13656 @item
13657 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
13658 storage are invisible to the debugger.
13659
13660 @item
13661 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
13662 argument lists are treated as positional).
13663
13664 @item
13665 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
13666
13667 @item
13668 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
13669 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
13670 the host machine.
13671
13672 @item
13673 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
13674 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
13675 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
13676 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
13677 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
13678 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
13679 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
13680 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
13681 you can usually resolve the confusion
13682 by qualifying the problematic names with package
13683 @code{Standard} explicitly.
13684 @end itemize
13685
13686 Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
13687 information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
13688 of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
13689 around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
13690 to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
13691 enabled.
13692
13693 @kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
13694 @kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
13695 @table @code
13696
13697 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
13698 Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
13699 value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
13700 types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
13701 a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
13702 This is the default.
13703
13704 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
13705 This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
13706 sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
13707 trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
13708 the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
13709 @code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
13710 recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
13711
13712 @end table
13713
13714 @node Unsupported Languages
13715 @section Unsupported Languages
13716
13717 @cindex unsupported languages
13718 @cindex minimal language
13719 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
13720 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
13721 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
13722 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
13723 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
13724 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
13725
13726 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
13727 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
13728 language.
13729
13730 @node Symbols
13731 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
13732
13733 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
13734 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
13735 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
13736 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
13737 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
13738 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
13739 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
13740
13741 @cindex symbol names
13742 @cindex names of symbols
13743 @cindex quoting names
13744 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
13745 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
13746 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
13747 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
13748 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
13749 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
13750 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
13751 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
13752
13753 @smallexample
13754 p 'foo.c'::x
13755 @end smallexample
13756
13757 @noindent
13758 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
13759
13760 @table @code
13761 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
13762 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
13763 @kindex set case-sensitive
13764 @item set case-sensitive on
13765 @itemx set case-sensitive off
13766 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
13767 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
13768 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
13769 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
13770 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
13771 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
13772 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
13773 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
13774 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
13775 case-insensitive matches.
13776
13777 @kindex show case-sensitive
13778 @item show case-sensitive
13779 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
13780 lookups.
13781
13782 @kindex info address
13783 @cindex address of a symbol
13784 @item info address @var{symbol}
13785 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
13786 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
13787 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
13788 is always stored.
13789
13790 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
13791 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
13792 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
13793
13794 @kindex info symbol
13795 @cindex symbol from address
13796 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
13797 @item info symbol @var{addr}
13798 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
13799 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
13800 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
13801
13802 @smallexample
13803 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
13804 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
13805 @end smallexample
13806
13807 @noindent
13808 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
13809 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
13810
13811 For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
13812 library containing the symbol is also printed:
13813
13814 @smallexample
13815 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
13816 _start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
13817 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
13818 __read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
13819 @end smallexample
13820
13821 @kindex whatis
13822 @item whatis [@var{arg}]
13823 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression or
13824 a data type. With no argument, print the data type of @code{$}, the
13825 last value in the value history. If @var{arg} is an expression, it is
13826 not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
13827 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place. If
13828 @var{arg} is a type name, it may be the name of a type or typedef, or
13829 for C code it may have the form @samp{class @var{class-name}},
13830 @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union @var{union-tag}} or
13831 @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
13832 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
13833
13834 @kindex ptype
13835 @item ptype [@var{arg}]
13836 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
13837 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
13838 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
13839
13840 For example, for this variable declaration:
13841
13842 @smallexample
13843 struct complex @{double real; double imag;@} v;
13844 @end smallexample
13845
13846 @noindent
13847 the two commands give this output:
13848
13849 @smallexample
13850 @group
13851 (@value{GDBP}) whatis v
13852 type = struct complex
13853 (@value{GDBP}) ptype v
13854 type = struct complex @{
13855 double real;
13856 double imag;
13857 @}
13858 @end group
13859 @end smallexample
13860
13861 @noindent
13862 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
13863 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
13864
13865 @cindex incomplete type
13866 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
13867 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
13868 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
13869 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
13870 given these declarations:
13871
13872 @smallexample
13873 struct foo;
13874 struct foo *fooptr;
13875 @end smallexample
13876
13877 @noindent
13878 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
13879
13880 @smallexample
13881 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
13882 $1 = <incomplete type>
13883 @end smallexample
13884
13885 @noindent
13886 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
13887 completely specified.
13888
13889 @kindex info types
13890 @item info types @var{regexp}
13891 @itemx info types
13892 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
13893 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
13894 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
13895 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
13896 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
13897 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
13898 name is @code{value}.
13899
13900 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
13901 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
13902 lists all source files where a type is defined.
13903
13904 @kindex info scope
13905 @cindex local variables
13906 @item info scope @var{location}
13907 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
13908 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
13909 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
13910 to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
13911 details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
13912
13913 @smallexample
13914 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
13915 Scope for command_line_handler:
13916 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
13917 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
13918 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
13919 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
13920 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
13921 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
13922 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
13923 @end smallexample
13924
13925 @noindent
13926 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
13927 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
13928 collect}.
13929
13930 @kindex info source
13931 @item info source
13932 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
13933 the function containing the current point of execution:
13934 @itemize @bullet
13935 @item
13936 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
13937 @item
13938 the directory it was compiled in,
13939 @item
13940 its length, in lines,
13941 @item
13942 which programming language it is written in,
13943 @item
13944 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
13945 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
13946 @item
13947 whether the debugging information includes information about
13948 preprocessor macros.
13949 @end itemize
13950
13951
13952 @kindex info sources
13953 @item info sources
13954 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
13955 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
13956 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
13957
13958 @kindex info functions
13959 @item info functions
13960 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
13961
13962 @item info functions @var{regexp}
13963 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
13964 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
13965 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
13966 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
13967 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
13968 that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
13969 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
13970
13971 @kindex info variables
13972 @item info variables
13973 Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
13974 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
13975
13976 @item info variables @var{regexp}
13977 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
13978 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
13979 @var{regexp}.
13980
13981 @kindex info classes
13982 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
13983 @item info classes
13984 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
13985 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
13986 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
13987 expression.
13988
13989 @kindex info selectors
13990 @item info selectors
13991 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
13992 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
13993 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
13994 expression.
13995
13996 @ignore
13997 This was never implemented.
13998 @kindex info methods
13999 @item info methods
14000 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
14001 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
14002 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
14003 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
14004 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
14005 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
14006 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
14007 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
14008 @end ignore
14009
14010 @cindex reloading symbols
14011 Some systems allow individual object files that make up your program to
14012 be replaced without stopping and restarting your program. For example,
14013 in VxWorks you can simply recompile a defective object file and keep on
14014 running. If you are running on one of these systems, you can allow
14015 @value{GDBN} to reload the symbols for automatically relinked modules:
14016
14017 @table @code
14018 @kindex set symbol-reloading
14019 @item set symbol-reloading on
14020 Replace symbol definitions for the corresponding source file when an
14021 object file with a particular name is seen again.
14022
14023 @item set symbol-reloading off
14024 Do not replace symbol definitions when encountering object files of the
14025 same name more than once. This is the default state; if you are not
14026 running on a system that permits automatic relinking of modules, you
14027 should leave @code{symbol-reloading} off, since otherwise @value{GDBN}
14028 may discard symbols when linking large programs, that may contain
14029 several modules (from different directories or libraries) with the same
14030 name.
14031
14032 @kindex show symbol-reloading
14033 @item show symbol-reloading
14034 Show the current @code{on} or @code{off} setting.
14035 @end table
14036
14037 @cindex opaque data types
14038 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
14039 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
14040 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
14041 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
14042 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
14043 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
14044 another source file. The default is on.
14045
14046 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
14047 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
14048
14049 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
14050 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
14051 is printed as follows:
14052 @smallexample
14053 @{<no data fields>@}
14054 @end smallexample
14055
14056 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
14057 @item show opaque-type-resolution
14058 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
14059
14060 @kindex maint print symbols
14061 @cindex symbol dump
14062 @kindex maint print psymbols
14063 @cindex partial symbol dump
14064 @item maint print symbols @var{filename}
14065 @itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
14066 @itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
14067 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
14068 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
14069 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
14070 symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
14071 collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
14072 only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
14073 command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
14074 use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
14075 symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
14076 files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
14077 @samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
14078 required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
14079 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
14080 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
14081
14082 @kindex maint info symtabs
14083 @kindex maint info psymtabs
14084 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
14085 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
14086 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
14087 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
14088 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
14089 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
14090
14091 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
14092 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
14093 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
14094 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
14095 structure in more detail. For example:
14096
14097 @smallexample
14098 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
14099 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
14100 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
14101 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
14102 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
14103 readin no
14104 fullname (null)
14105 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
14106 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
14107 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
14108 dependencies (none)
14109 @}
14110 @}
14111 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
14112 (@value{GDBP})
14113 @end smallexample
14114 @noindent
14115 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
14116 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
14117 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
14118 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
14119 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
14120
14121 @smallexample
14122 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
14123 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
14124 line 1574.
14125 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
14126 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
14127 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
14128 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
14129 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
14130 dirname (null)
14131 fullname (null)
14132 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
14133 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
14134 debugformat DWARF 2
14135 @}
14136 @}
14137 (@value{GDBP})
14138 @end smallexample
14139 @end table
14140
14141
14142 @node Altering
14143 @chapter Altering Execution
14144
14145 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
14146 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
14147 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
14148 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
14149 program.
14150
14151 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
14152 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
14153 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
14154
14155 @menu
14156 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
14157 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
14158 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
14159 * Returning:: Returning from a function
14160 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
14161 * Patching:: Patching your program
14162 @end menu
14163
14164 @node Assignment
14165 @section Assignment to Variables
14166
14167 @cindex assignment
14168 @cindex setting variables
14169 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
14170 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
14171
14172 @smallexample
14173 print x=4
14174 @end smallexample
14175
14176 @noindent
14177 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
14178 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
14179 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
14180 information on operators in supported languages.
14181
14182 @kindex set variable
14183 @cindex variables, setting
14184 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
14185 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
14186 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
14187 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
14188 ,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
14189
14190 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
14191 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
14192 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
14193 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
14194 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
14195 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
14196 command @code{set width}:
14197
14198 @smallexample
14199 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
14200 type = double
14201 (@value{GDBP}) p width
14202 $4 = 13
14203 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
14204 Invalid syntax in expression.
14205 @end smallexample
14206
14207 @noindent
14208 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
14209 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
14210
14211 @smallexample
14212 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
14213 @end smallexample
14214
14215 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
14216 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
14217 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
14218 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
14219 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
14220 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
14221
14222 @smallexample
14223 @group
14224 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
14225 type = double
14226 (@value{GDBP}) p g
14227 $1 = 1
14228 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
14229 (@value{GDBP}) p g
14230 $2 = 1
14231 (@value{GDBP}) r
14232 The program being debugged has been started already.
14233 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
14234 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
14235 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
14236 Invalid bfd target.
14237 (@value{GDBP}) show g
14238 The current BFD target is "=4".
14239 @end group
14240 @end smallexample
14241
14242 @noindent
14243 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
14244 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
14245 @code{g}, use
14246
14247 @smallexample
14248 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
14249 @end smallexample
14250
14251 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
14252 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
14253 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
14254 same length or shorter.
14255 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
14256 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
14257
14258 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
14259 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
14260 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
14261 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
14262 and representation in memory), and
14263
14264 @smallexample
14265 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
14266 @end smallexample
14267
14268 @noindent
14269 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
14270
14271 @node Jumping
14272 @section Continuing at a Different Address
14273
14274 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
14275 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
14276 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
14277
14278 @table @code
14279 @kindex jump
14280 @item jump @var{linespec}
14281 @itemx jump @var{location}
14282 Resume execution at line @var{linespec} or at address given by
14283 @var{location}. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
14284 breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
14285 different forms of @var{linespec} and @var{location}. It is common
14286 practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
14287 @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
14288
14289 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
14290 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
14291 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
14292 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
14293 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
14294 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
14295 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
14296 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
14297 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
14298 @end table
14299
14300 @c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
14301 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
14302 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
14303 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
14304 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
14305 example,
14306
14307 @smallexample
14308 set $pc = 0x485
14309 @end smallexample
14310
14311 @noindent
14312 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
14313 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
14314 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
14315
14316 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
14317 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
14318 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
14319 detail.
14320
14321 @c @group
14322 @node Signaling
14323 @section Giving your Program a Signal
14324 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
14325
14326 @table @code
14327 @kindex signal
14328 @item signal @var{signal}
14329 Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
14330 signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
14331 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
14332 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
14333
14334 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
14335 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
14336 a signal and would ordinary see the signal when resumed with the
14337 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
14338 signal.
14339
14340 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
14341 after executing the command.
14342 @end table
14343 @c @end group
14344
14345 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
14346 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
14347 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
14348 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
14349 passes the signal directly to your program.
14350
14351
14352 @node Returning
14353 @section Returning from a Function
14354
14355 @table @code
14356 @cindex returning from a function
14357 @kindex return
14358 @item return
14359 @itemx return @var{expression}
14360 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
14361 command. If you give an
14362 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
14363 value.
14364 @end table
14365
14366 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
14367 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
14368 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
14369 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
14370
14371 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
14372 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
14373 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
14374 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
14375 of functions.
14376
14377 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
14378 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
14379 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
14380 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
14381 selected stack frame returns naturally.
14382
14383 @value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
14384 the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
14385 type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
14386 OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
14387 CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
14388 registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
14389 specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
14390 current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
14391 assignment into the right register(s).
14392
14393 Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
14394 use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
14395 debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
14396 function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
14397 int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
14398 into a @code{long long int}:
14399
14400 @smallexample
14401 Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
14402 29 return 31;
14403 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
14404 Make func return now? (y or n) y
14405 #0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
14406 43 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
14407 (@value{GDBP})
14408 @end smallexample
14409
14410 However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
14411 function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
14412 to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
14413 in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
14414 typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
14415 of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
14416 architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
14417 an appropriate cast explicitly:
14418
14419 @smallexample
14420 Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
14421 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
14422 Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
14423 Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
14424 (@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
14425 Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
14426 #0 0x00400526 in main ()
14427 (@value{GDBP})
14428 @end smallexample
14429
14430 @node Calling
14431 @section Calling Program Functions
14432
14433 @table @code
14434 @cindex calling functions
14435 @cindex inferior functions, calling
14436 @item print @var{expr}
14437 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
14438 @var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
14439 debugged.
14440
14441 @kindex call
14442 @item call @var{expr}
14443 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
14444 returned values.
14445
14446 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
14447 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
14448 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
14449 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
14450 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
14451 value history.
14452 @end table
14453
14454 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
14455 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
14456 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
14457 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
14458
14459 Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
14460 call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
14461 exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
14462 frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
14463 an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
14464 dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
14465 seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
14466 in that case is controlled by the
14467 @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
14468
14469 @table @code
14470 @item set unwindonsignal
14471 @kindex set unwindonsignal
14472 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
14473 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
14474 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
14475 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
14476 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
14477 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
14478 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
14479 received.
14480
14481 @item show unwindonsignal
14482 @kindex show unwindonsignal
14483 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
14484 @value{GDBN}.
14485
14486 @item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
14487 @kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
14488 @cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
14489 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
14490 Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
14491 unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
14492 debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
14493 it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
14494 the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
14495 the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
14496
14497 @item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
14498 @kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
14499 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
14500 @value{GDBN}.
14501
14502 @end table
14503
14504 @cindex weak alias functions
14505 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
14506 for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
14507 the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
14508 which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
14509 As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
14510 even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
14511 function instead.
14512
14513 @node Patching
14514 @section Patching Programs
14515
14516 @cindex patching binaries
14517 @cindex writing into executables
14518 @cindex writing into corefiles
14519
14520 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
14521 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
14522 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
14523 patching your program's binary.
14524
14525 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
14526 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
14527 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
14528 repairs.
14529
14530 @table @code
14531 @kindex set write
14532 @item set write on
14533 @itemx set write off
14534 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
14535 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
14536 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
14537
14538 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
14539 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
14540 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
14541
14542 @item show write
14543 @kindex show write
14544 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
14545 as well as reading.
14546 @end table
14547
14548 @node GDB Files
14549 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
14550
14551 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
14552 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
14553 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
14554 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
14555
14556 @menu
14557 * Files:: Commands to specify files
14558 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
14559 * Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
14560 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
14561 * Data Files:: GDB data files
14562 @end menu
14563
14564 @node Files
14565 @section Commands to Specify Files
14566
14567 @cindex symbol table
14568 @cindex core dump file
14569
14570 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
14571 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
14572 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
14573 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
14574
14575 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
14576 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
14577 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
14578 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
14579 Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
14580 new files are useful.
14581
14582 @table @code
14583 @cindex executable file
14584 @kindex file
14585 @item file @var{filename}
14586 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
14587 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
14588 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
14589 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
14590 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
14591 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
14592 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
14593 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
14594
14595 @cindex unlinked object files
14596 @cindex patching object files
14597 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
14598 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
14599 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
14600 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
14601 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
14602 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
14603 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
14604 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
14605
14606 @item file
14607 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
14608 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
14609
14610 @kindex exec-file
14611 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
14612 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
14613 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
14614 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
14615 discard information on the executable file.
14616
14617 @kindex symbol-file
14618 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
14619 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
14620 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
14621 table and program to run from the same file.
14622
14623 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
14624 program's symbol table.
14625
14626 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
14627 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
14628 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
14629 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
14630 @value{GDBN}.
14631
14632 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
14633 executing it once.
14634
14635 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
14636 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
14637 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
14638 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
14639 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
14640 using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
14641 optimized code.
14642
14643 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
14644 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
14645 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
14646 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
14647 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
14648
14649 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
14650 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
14651 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
14652 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
14653 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
14654 Warnings and Messages}.)
14655
14656 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
14657 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
14658 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
14659 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
14660 in stabs format.
14661
14662 @kindex readnow
14663 @cindex reading symbols immediately
14664 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
14665 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
14666 @itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
14667 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
14668 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
14669 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
14670 entire symbol table available.
14671
14672 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
14673 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
14674 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
14675 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
14676 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
14677 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
14678 @c files.
14679
14680 @kindex core-file
14681 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
14682 @itemx core
14683 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
14684 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
14685 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
14686 executable file itself for other parts.
14687
14688 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
14689 to be used.
14690
14691 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
14692 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
14693 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
14694 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
14695 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
14696
14697 @kindex add-symbol-file
14698 @cindex dynamic linking
14699 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
14700 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
14701 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @r{-s}@var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
14702 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
14703 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
14704 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
14705 into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
14706 address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
14707 this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
14708 of @samp{@r{-s}@var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
14709 section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
14710 @var{address} as an expression.
14711
14712 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
14713 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
14714 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
14715 thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data
14716 instead, use the @code{symbol-file} command without any arguments.
14717
14718 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
14719 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
14720 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
14721 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
14722 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
14723 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
14724 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
14725 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
14726 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
14727
14728 @itemize @bullet
14729 @item
14730 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
14731 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
14732 @item
14733 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
14734 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
14735 @item
14736 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
14737 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
14738 @end itemize
14739
14740 @noindent
14741 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
14742 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
14743 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
14744 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
14745 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
14746 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
14747 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
14748 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
14749 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
14750 way.
14751
14752 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
14753
14754 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
14755 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
14756 @cindex load symbols from memory
14757 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
14758 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
14759 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
14760 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
14761 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
14762 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
14763 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
14764 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
14765 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
14766
14767 @kindex add-shared-symbol-files
14768 @kindex assf
14769 @item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
14770 @itemx assf @var{library-file}
14771 The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
14772 in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
14773 alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
14774 @value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
14775 @value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
14776 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
14777 library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
14778 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
14779
14780 @kindex section
14781 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
14782 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
14783 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
14784 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
14785 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
14786 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
14787 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
14788 their addresses.
14789
14790 @kindex info files
14791 @kindex info target
14792 @item info files
14793 @itemx info target
14794 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
14795 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
14796 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
14797 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
14798 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
14799 current ones.
14800
14801 @kindex maint info sections
14802 @item maint info sections
14803 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
14804 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
14805 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
14806 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
14807 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
14808 may be arbitrarily combined):
14809
14810 @table @code
14811 @item ALLOBJ
14812 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
14813 @item @var{sections}
14814 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
14815 @item @var{section-flags}
14816 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
14817 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
14818 @table @code
14819 @item ALLOC
14820 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
14821 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
14822 @item LOAD
14823 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
14824 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
14825 @item RELOC
14826 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
14827 @item READONLY
14828 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
14829 @item CODE
14830 Section contains executable code only.
14831 @item DATA
14832 Section contains data only (no executable code).
14833 @item ROM
14834 Section will reside in ROM.
14835 @item CONSTRUCTOR
14836 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
14837 @item HAS_CONTENTS
14838 Section is not empty.
14839 @item NEVER_LOAD
14840 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
14841 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
14842 A notification to the linker that the section contains
14843 COFF shared library information.
14844 @item IS_COMMON
14845 Section contains common symbols.
14846 @end table
14847 @end table
14848 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
14849 @cindex read-only sections
14850 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
14851 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
14852 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
14853 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
14854 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
14855 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
14856 enhancement to debugging performance.
14857
14858 The default is off.
14859
14860 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
14861 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
14862 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
14863 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
14864
14865 @item show trust-readonly-sections
14866 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
14867 @end table
14868
14869 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
14870 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
14871 name and remembers it that way.
14872
14873 @cindex shared libraries
14874 @anchor{Shared Libraries}
14875 @value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
14876 and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
14877
14878 On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
14879 shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
14880
14881 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
14882 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
14883 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
14884 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
14885 debugging a core file).
14886
14887 On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
14888 automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
14889
14890 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
14891 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
14892 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
14893
14894 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
14895 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
14896 particularly large or there are many of them.
14897
14898 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
14899 commands:
14900
14901 @table @code
14902 @kindex set auto-solib-add
14903 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
14904 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
14905 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
14906 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
14907 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
14908 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
14909 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
14910
14911 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
14912 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
14913 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
14914 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
14915 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
14916 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
14917 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
14918 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
14919 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
14920
14921 @kindex show auto-solib-add
14922 @item show auto-solib-add
14923 Display the current autoloading mode.
14924 @end table
14925
14926 @cindex load shared library
14927 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
14928 command:
14929
14930 @table @code
14931 @kindex info sharedlibrary
14932 @kindex info share
14933 @item info share @var{regex}
14934 @itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
14935 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
14936 that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
14937 all shared libraries that are loaded.
14938
14939 @kindex sharedlibrary
14940 @kindex share
14941 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
14942 @itemx share @var{regex}
14943 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
14944 Unix regular expression.
14945 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
14946 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
14947 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
14948 loaded.
14949
14950 @item nosharedlibrary
14951 @kindex nosharedlibrary
14952 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
14953 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
14954 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
14955 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
14956 discarded.
14957 @end table
14958
14959 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
14960 when any of shared library events happen. Use the @code{set
14961 stop-on-solib-events} command for this:
14962
14963 @table @code
14964 @item set stop-on-solib-events
14965 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
14966 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
14967 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
14968 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
14969 shared library.
14970
14971 @item show stop-on-solib-events
14972 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
14973 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
14974 library events happen.
14975 @end table
14976
14977 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
14978 configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
14979 this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
14980 on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
14981 libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
14982 provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
14983 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
14984 not.
14985
14986 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
14987 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
14988 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
14989 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
14990 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
14991
14992 @table @code
14993 @cindex prefix for shared library file names
14994 @cindex system root, alternate
14995 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
14996 @kindex set sysroot
14997 @item set sysroot @var{path}
14998 Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
14999 absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
15000 runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
15001 target program's memory. If you use @code{set sysroot} to find shared
15002 libraries, they need to be laid out in the same way that they are on
15003 the target, with e.g.@: a @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy
15004 under @var{path}.
15005
15006 If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{remote:}, @value{GDBN} will
15007 retrieve the target libraries from the remote system. This is only
15008 supported when using a remote target that supports the @code{remote get}
15009 command (@pxref{File Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}).
15010 The part of @var{path} following the initial @file{remote:}
15011 (if present) is used as system root prefix on the remote file system.
15012 @footnote{If you want to specify a local system root using a directory
15013 that happens to be named @file{remote:}, you need to use some equivalent
15014 variant of the name like @file{./remote:}.}
15015
15016 For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
15017 SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
15018 absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
15019 @value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
15020 slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
15021
15022 @smallexample
15023 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
15024 @end smallexample
15025
15026 Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
15027 @var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
15028 system:
15029
15030 @smallexample
15031 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
15032 @end smallexample
15033
15034 If that does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries removing
15035 the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
15036 for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
15037 colons:
15038
15039 @smallexample
15040 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
15041 @end smallexample
15042
15043 This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
15044 with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
15045 copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
15046 @samp{z}):
15047
15048 @smallexample
15049 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
15050 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
15051 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
15052 @end smallexample
15053
15054 @noindent
15055 and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
15056 @value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
15057 @file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
15058
15059 If that still does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries
15060 removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
15061
15062 @smallexample
15063 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
15064 @end smallexample
15065
15066 This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
15067 if you don't want or need to.
15068
15069 The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
15070 sysroot}.
15071
15072 @cindex default system root
15073 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
15074 You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
15075 @samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
15076 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
15077 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
15078 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
15079 location.
15080
15081 @kindex show sysroot
15082 @item show sysroot
15083 Display the current shared library prefix.
15084
15085 @kindex set solib-search-path
15086 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
15087 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
15088 directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
15089 is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
15090 path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
15091 use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
15092 @samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
15093 finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
15094 it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
15095 of shared library symbols.
15096
15097 @kindex show solib-search-path
15098 @item show solib-search-path
15099 Display the current shared library search path.
15100
15101 @cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
15102 @kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
15103 @kindex show target-file-system-kind
15104 @item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
15105 Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
15106
15107 Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
15108 make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
15109 example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
15110 system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
15111 @value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
15112 @file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
15113 drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
15114 indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
15115 normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
15116 the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
15117 as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
15118 it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
15119 shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
15120 with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
15121 @code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
15122 to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
15123 map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
15124 semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
15125 to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
15126 tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
15127 current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
15128 Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
15129
15130 @table @code
15131 @item unix
15132 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
15133 kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
15134 are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
15135 the forward slash.
15136
15137 @item dos-based
15138 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
15139 File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
15140 followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
15141 both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
15142 considered directory separators.
15143
15144 @item auto
15145 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
15146 target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
15147 This is the default.
15148 @end table
15149 @end table
15150
15151
15152 @node Separate Debug Files
15153 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
15154 @cindex separate debugging information files
15155 @cindex debugging information in separate files
15156 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
15157 @cindex debugging information directory, global
15158 @cindex global debugging information directory
15159 @cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
15160 @cindex @file{.build-id} directory
15161
15162 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
15163 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
15164 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
15165 Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
15166 than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
15167 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
15168 install only when they need to debug a problem.
15169
15170 @value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
15171 file:
15172
15173 @itemize @bullet
15174 @item
15175 The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
15176 the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
15177 usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
15178 name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
15179 (e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
15180 debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
15181 checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
15182 the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
15183
15184 @item
15185 The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
15186 also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
15187 only on some operating systems, notably those which use the ELF format
15188 for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
15189 this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
15190 command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld.info,
15191 The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
15192 explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
15193 below.
15194 @end itemize
15195
15196 Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
15197 uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
15198
15199 @itemize @bullet
15200 @item
15201 For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
15202 the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
15203 directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under the global debug
15204 directory, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to the leading
15205 directories of the executable's absolute file name.
15206
15207 @item
15208 For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
15209 @file{.build-id} subdirectory of the global debug directory for a file
15210 named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
15211 first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
15212 are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
15213 hex characters, not 10.)
15214 @end itemize
15215
15216 So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
15217 @file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
15218 file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
15219 @code{abcdef1234}. If the global debug directory is
15220 @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
15221 debug information files, in the indicated order:
15222
15223 @itemize @minus
15224 @item
15225 @file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
15226 @item
15227 @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
15228 @item
15229 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
15230 @item
15231 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
15232 @end itemize
15233
15234 You can set the global debugging info directory's name, and view the
15235 name @value{GDBN} is currently using.
15236
15237 @table @code
15238
15239 @kindex set debug-file-directory
15240 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
15241 Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
15242 information files to @var{directory}. Multiple directory components can be set
15243 concatenating them by a directory separator.
15244
15245 @kindex show debug-file-directory
15246 @item show debug-file-directory
15247 Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
15248 information files.
15249
15250 @end table
15251
15252 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
15253 @cindex debug link sections
15254 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
15255 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
15256
15257 @itemize
15258 @item
15259 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
15260 a zero byte,
15261 @item
15262 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
15263 boundary within the section, and
15264 @item
15265 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
15266 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
15267 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
15268 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
15269 @end itemize
15270
15271 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
15272 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
15273 described above.
15274
15275 @cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
15276 @cindex build ID sections
15277 The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
15278 ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
15279 often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
15280 It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
15281 the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
15282 algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
15283 content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
15284 value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
15285 stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
15286
15287 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
15288 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
15289 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
15290 should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
15291 but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
15292 in an ordinary executable.
15293
15294 The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
15295 @samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
15296 the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
15297 following commands:
15298
15299 @smallexample
15300 @kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
15301 @kbd{strip -g foo}
15302 @end smallexample
15303
15304 @noindent
15305 These commands remove the debugging
15306 information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
15307 @file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
15308 two files:
15309
15310 @itemize @bullet
15311 @item
15312 The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
15313 behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
15314
15315 @smallexample
15316 @kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
15317 @end smallexample
15318
15319 Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
15320 a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
15321 foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
15322 the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
15323
15324 @item
15325 Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
15326 the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
15327 compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
15328 utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
15329 @end itemize
15330
15331 @noindent
15332
15333 @cindex CRC algorithm definition
15334 The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
15335 IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
15336
15337 @c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
15338 @c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
15339 @c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
15340 @c different ways!
15341 @ifhtml
15342 @display
15343 @html
15344 <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>
15345 + <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
15346 @end html
15347 @end display
15348 @end ifhtml
15349 @ifnothtml
15350 @display
15351 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
15352 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
15353 @end display
15354 @end ifnothtml
15355
15356 The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
15357 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
15358 @code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
15359 the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
15360 CRC.
15361
15362 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
15363 @dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{Remote Protocol,
15364 , @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol}). However in the
15365 case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed @emph{most}
15366 significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so trailing
15367 zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
15368
15369 To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
15370 which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
15371 initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
15372 this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
15373 @code{0xffffffff}.
15374
15375 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
15376 @smallexample
15377 unsigned long
15378 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
15379 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
15380 @{
15381 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
15382 @{
15383 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
15384 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
15385 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
15386 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
15387 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
15388 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
15389 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
15390 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
15391 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
15392 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
15393 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
15394 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
15395 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
15396 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
15397 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
15398 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
15399 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
15400 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
15401 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
15402 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
15403 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
15404 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
15405 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
15406 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
15407 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
15408 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
15409 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
15410 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
15411 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
15412 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
15413 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
15414 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
15415 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
15416 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
15417 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
15418 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
15419 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
15420 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
15421 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
15422 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
15423 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
15424 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
15425 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
15426 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
15427 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
15428 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
15429 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
15430 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
15431 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
15432 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
15433 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
15434 0x2d02ef8d
15435 @};
15436 unsigned char *end;
15437
15438 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
15439 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
15440 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
15441 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
15442 @}
15443 @end smallexample
15444
15445 @noindent
15446 This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
15447
15448
15449 @node Index Files
15450 @section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
15451 @cindex index files
15452 @cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
15453
15454 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
15455 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
15456 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
15457 on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
15458 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
15459 startup.
15460
15461 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
15462 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
15463 using @command{objcopy}.
15464
15465 To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
15466
15467 @table @code
15468 @item save gdb-index @var{directory}
15469 @kindex save gdb-index
15470 Create an index file for each symbol file currently known by
15471 @value{GDBN}. Each file is named after its corresponding symbol file,
15472 with @samp{.gdb-index} appended, and is written into the given
15473 @var{directory}.
15474 @end table
15475
15476 Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
15477 file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
15478
15479 @smallexample
15480 $ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
15481 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
15482 @end smallexample
15483
15484 There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
15485 for DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, they do not
15486 currently work for programs using Ada.
15487
15488 @node Symbol Errors
15489 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
15490
15491 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
15492 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
15493 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
15494 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
15495 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
15496 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
15497 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
15498 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
15499 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
15500 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
15501 Messages}).
15502
15503 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
15504
15505 @table @code
15506 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
15507
15508 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
15509 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
15510 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
15511 in its outer scope blocks.
15512
15513 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
15514 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
15515 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
15516 function.
15517
15518 @item block at @var{address} out of order
15519
15520 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
15521 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
15522 do so.
15523
15524 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
15525 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
15526 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
15527 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
15528 Messages}.)
15529
15530 @item bad block start address patched
15531
15532 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
15533 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
15534 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
15535
15536 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
15537 starting on the previous source line.
15538
15539 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
15540
15541 @cindex foo
15542 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
15543 larger than the size of the string table.
15544
15545 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
15546 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
15547 with this name.
15548
15549 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
15550
15551 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
15552 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
15553 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
15554
15555 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
15556 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
15557 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
15558 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
15559 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
15560 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
15561
15562 @item stub type has NULL name
15563
15564 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
15565
15566 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
15567 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
15568 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
15569 it.
15570
15571 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
15572
15573 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
15574
15575 @end table
15576
15577 @node Data Files
15578 @section GDB Data Files
15579
15580 @cindex prefix for data files
15581 @value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
15582 are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
15583
15584 You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
15585 is currently using.
15586
15587 @table @code
15588 @kindex set data-directory
15589 @item set data-directory @var{directory}
15590 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
15591 to @var{directory}.
15592
15593 @kindex show data-directory
15594 @item show data-directory
15595 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
15596 @end table
15597
15598 @cindex default data directory
15599 @cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
15600 You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
15601 @samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
15602 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
15603 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
15604 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
15605 location.
15606
15607 The data directory may also be specified with the
15608 @code{--data-directory} command line option.
15609 @xref{Mode Options}.
15610
15611 @node Targets
15612 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
15613
15614 @cindex debugging target
15615 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
15616
15617 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
15618 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
15619 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
15620 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
15621 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
15622 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
15623 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
15624 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
15625
15626 @cindex target architecture
15627 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
15628 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
15629 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
15630 command.
15631
15632 @table @code
15633 @kindex set architecture
15634 @kindex show architecture
15635 @item set architecture @var{arch}
15636 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
15637 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
15638 supported architectures.
15639
15640 @item show architecture
15641 Show the current target architecture.
15642
15643 @item set processor
15644 @itemx processor
15645 @kindex set processor
15646 @kindex show processor
15647 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
15648 and @code{show architecture}.
15649 @end table
15650
15651 @menu
15652 * Active Targets:: Active targets
15653 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
15654 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
15655 @end menu
15656
15657 @node Active Targets
15658 @section Active Targets
15659
15660 @cindex stacking targets
15661 @cindex active targets
15662 @cindex multiple targets
15663
15664 There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
15665 recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
15666 and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
15667 on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
15668 example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
15669 the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
15670 recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
15671 presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
15672 remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
15673
15674 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
15675 file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
15676 specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
15677 command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
15678
15679 @node Target Commands
15680 @section Commands for Managing Targets
15681
15682 @table @code
15683 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
15684 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
15685 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
15686 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
15687 protocol of the target machine.
15688
15689 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
15690 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
15691 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
15692
15693 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
15694 after executing the command.
15695
15696 @kindex help target
15697 @item help target
15698 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
15699 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
15700 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
15701
15702 @item help target @var{name}
15703 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
15704 select it.
15705
15706 @kindex set gnutarget
15707 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
15708 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
15709 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
15710 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
15711 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
15712 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
15713
15714 @quotation
15715 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
15716 you must know the actual BFD name.
15717 @end quotation
15718
15719 @noindent
15720 @xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
15721
15722 @kindex show gnutarget
15723 @item show gnutarget
15724 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
15725 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
15726 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
15727 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BDF target is "auto"}.
15728 @end table
15729
15730 @cindex common targets
15731 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
15732 configuration):
15733
15734 @table @code
15735 @kindex target
15736 @item target exec @var{program}
15737 @cindex executable file target
15738 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
15739 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
15740
15741 @item target core @var{filename}
15742 @cindex core dump file target
15743 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
15744 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
15745
15746 @item target remote @var{medium}
15747 @cindex remote target
15748 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
15749 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
15750 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
15751
15752 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
15753 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
15754
15755 @smallexample
15756 target remote /dev/ttya
15757 @end smallexample
15758
15759 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
15760 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
15761 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
15762 clobbered by the download.
15763
15764 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
15765 @cindex built-in simulator target
15766 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
15767 In general,
15768 @smallexample
15769 target sim
15770 load
15771 run
15772 @end smallexample
15773 @noindent
15774 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
15775 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
15776 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
15777 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
15778 Processors}.
15779
15780 @end table
15781
15782 Some configurations may include these targets as well:
15783
15784 @table @code
15785
15786 @item target nrom @var{dev}
15787 @cindex NetROM ROM emulator target
15788 NetROM ROM emulator. This target only supports downloading.
15789
15790 @end table
15791
15792 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
15793 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
15794
15795 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
15796 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
15797 various aspects of this process.
15798
15799 @table @code
15800
15801 @item set hash
15802 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
15803 @cindex hash mark while downloading
15804 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
15805 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
15806 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
15807 monitor.
15808
15809 @item show hash
15810 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
15811 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
15812
15813 @item set debug monitor
15814 @kindex set debug monitor
15815 @cindex display remote monitor communications
15816 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
15817 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
15818
15819 @item show debug monitor
15820 @kindex show debug monitor
15821 Show the current status of displaying communications between
15822 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
15823 @end table
15824
15825 @table @code
15826
15827 @kindex load @var{filename}
15828 @item load @var{filename}
15829 @anchor{load}
15830 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
15831 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
15832 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
15833 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
15834 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
15835 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
15836
15837 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
15838 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
15839 target is @dots{}}''
15840
15841 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
15842 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
15843 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
15844 specifies a fixed address.
15845 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
15846
15847 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
15848 load programs into flash memory.
15849
15850 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
15851 @end table
15852
15853 @node Byte Order
15854 @section Choosing Target Byte Order
15855
15856 @cindex choosing target byte order
15857 @cindex target byte order
15858
15859 Some types of processors, such as the MIPS, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
15860 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
15861 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
15862 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
15863 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
15864 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
15865
15866 @table @code
15867 @kindex set endian
15868 @item set endian big
15869 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
15870
15871 @item set endian little
15872 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
15873
15874 @item set endian auto
15875 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
15876 executable.
15877
15878 @item show endian
15879 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
15880
15881 @end table
15882
15883 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
15884 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
15885 target system.
15886
15887
15888 @node Remote Debugging
15889 @chapter Debugging Remote Programs
15890 @cindex remote debugging
15891
15892 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
15893 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
15894 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
15895 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
15896 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
15897
15898 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
15899 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
15900 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
15901 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
15902 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
15903 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
15904
15905 Other remote targets may be available in your
15906 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
15907
15908 @menu
15909 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
15910 * File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
15911 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
15912 * Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
15913 * Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
15914 @end menu
15915
15916 @node Connecting
15917 @section Connecting to a Remote Target
15918
15919 On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
15920 your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symbol and debugging information.
15921 Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
15922 program as the first argument.
15923
15924 @cindex @code{target remote}
15925 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
15926 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
15927 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
15928 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
15929 @code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
15930 Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
15931
15932 @table @code
15933
15934 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
15935 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
15936 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
15937 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
15938
15939 @smallexample
15940 target remote /dev/ttyb
15941 @end smallexample
15942
15943 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
15944 @w{@samp{--baud}} option, or use the @code{set remotebaud} command
15945 (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remotebaud}) before the
15946 @code{target} command.
15947
15948 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
15949 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
15950 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
15951 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
15952 The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
15953 address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
15954 the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
15955 it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
15956 target.
15957
15958 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
15959 @code{manyfarms}:
15960
15961 @smallexample
15962 target remote manyfarms:2828
15963 @end smallexample
15964
15965 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
15966 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
15967 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
15968 port 1234 on your local machine:
15969
15970 @smallexample
15971 target remote :1234
15972 @end smallexample
15973 @noindent
15974
15975 Note that the colon is still required here.
15976
15977 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
15978 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
15979 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
15980 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
15981
15982 @smallexample
15983 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
15984 @end smallexample
15985
15986 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
15987 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
15988 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
15989 cause havoc with your debugging session.
15990
15991 @item target remote | @var{command}
15992 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
15993 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
15994 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
15995 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
15996 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
15997 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
15998 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
15999 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
16000
16001 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
16002 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
16003 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
16004
16005 @end table
16006
16007 Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
16008 commands to examine and change data. The remote program is already
16009 running; you can use @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}, and you do not
16010 need to use @kbd{run}.
16011
16012 @cindex interrupting remote programs
16013 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
16014 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
16015 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
16016 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
16017 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
16018 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
16019
16020 @smallexample
16021 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
16022 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
16023 @end smallexample
16024
16025 If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
16026 (If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
16027 remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
16028 goes back to waiting.
16029
16030 @table @code
16031 @kindex detach (remote)
16032 @item detach
16033 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
16034 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
16035 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
16036 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
16037 command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
16038
16039 @kindex disconnect
16040 @item disconnect
16041 The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
16042 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
16043 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
16044 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
16045 another target.
16046
16047 @cindex send command to remote monitor
16048 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
16049 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
16050 @kindex monitor
16051 @item monitor @var{cmd}
16052 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
16053 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
16054 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
16055 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
16056 and implement.
16057 @end table
16058
16059 @node File Transfer
16060 @section Sending files to a remote system
16061 @cindex remote target, file transfer
16062 @cindex file transfer
16063 @cindex sending files to remote systems
16064
16065 Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
16066 connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
16067 for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
16068 running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
16069 e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
16070 the only way to upload or download files.
16071
16072 Not all remote targets support these commands.
16073
16074 @table @code
16075 @kindex remote put
16076 @item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
16077 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
16078 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
16079
16080 @kindex remote get
16081 @item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
16082 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
16083 on the host system.
16084
16085 @kindex remote delete
16086 @item remote delete @var{targetfile}
16087 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
16088
16089 @end table
16090
16091 @node Server
16092 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
16093
16094 @kindex gdbserver
16095 @cindex remote connection without stubs
16096 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
16097 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
16098 @code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
16099
16100 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
16101 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
16102 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
16103 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
16104 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
16105 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
16106 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
16107 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
16108 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
16109 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
16110 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
16111 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
16112 choice for debugging.
16113
16114 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
16115 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
16116 protocol.
16117
16118 @quotation
16119 @emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
16120 Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
16121 @value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
16122 target system with the same privileges as the user running
16123 @code{gdbserver}.
16124 @end quotation
16125
16126 @subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
16127 @cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
16128
16129 Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
16130 program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
16131 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
16132 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
16133 system does all the symbol handling.
16134
16135 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
16136 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
16137 syntax is:
16138
16139 @smallexample
16140 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
16141 @end smallexample
16142
16143 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line) or a TCP
16144 hostname and portnumber. For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
16145 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
16146 @file{/dev/com1}:
16147
16148 @smallexample
16149 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
16150 @end smallexample
16151
16152 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
16153 with it.
16154
16155 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
16156
16157 @smallexample
16158 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
16159 @end smallexample
16160
16161 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
16162 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
16163 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
16164 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
16165 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
16166 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
16167 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
16168 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
16169 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
16170 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
16171 @code{target remote} command.
16172
16173 @subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
16174
16175 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
16176 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
16177
16178 @smallexample
16179 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
16180 @end smallexample
16181
16182 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
16183 to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
16184
16185 @pindex pidof
16186 @cindex attach to a program by name
16187 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
16188 @code{pidof} utility:
16189
16190 @smallexample
16191 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
16192 @end smallexample
16193
16194 In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
16195 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
16196 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
16197
16198 @subsubsection Multi-Process Mode for @code{gdbserver}
16199 @cindex gdbserver, multiple processes
16200 @cindex multiple processes with gdbserver
16201
16202 When you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target remote},
16203 @code{gdbserver} debugs the specified program only once. When the
16204 program exits, or you detach from it, @value{GDBN} closes the connection
16205 and @code{gdbserver} exits.
16206
16207 If you connect using @kbd{target extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver}
16208 enters multi-process mode. When the debugged program exits, or you
16209 detach from it, @value{GDBN} stays connected to @code{gdbserver} even
16210 though no program is running. The @code{run} and @code{attach}
16211 commands instruct @code{gdbserver} to run or attach to a new program.
16212 The @code{run} command uses @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set
16213 remote exec-file}) to select the program to run. Command line
16214 arguments are supported, except for wildcard expansion and I/O
16215 redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
16216
16217 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
16218 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
16219 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
16220 the program you want to debug.
16221
16222 @code{gdbserver} does not automatically exit in multi-process mode.
16223 You can terminate it by using @code{monitor exit}
16224 (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}).
16225
16226 @subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
16227
16228 The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
16229 status information about the debugging process. The
16230 @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
16231 remote protocol debug output. These options are intended for
16232 @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
16233
16234 The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
16235 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
16236 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
16237 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
16238
16239 @code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
16240 command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
16241 program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
16242 runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
16243
16244 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
16245 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
16246 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
16247 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
16248
16249 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
16250 the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
16251 environment:
16252
16253 @smallexample
16254 $ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
16255 @end smallexample
16256
16257 @subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
16258
16259 Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
16260
16261 First make sure you have the necessary symbol files. Load symbols for
16262 your application using the @code{file} command before you connect. Use
16263 @code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN}
16264 was compiled with the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}).
16265
16266 The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
16267 and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
16268 system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
16269 are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
16270 during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
16271 files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
16272 programs.
16273
16274 Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
16275 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
16276 the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
16277 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
16278 @samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
16279 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
16280 already on the target.
16281
16282 @subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
16283 @cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
16284 @anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
16285
16286 During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
16287 @code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
16288 Here are the available commands.
16289
16290 @table @code
16291 @item monitor help
16292 List the available monitor commands.
16293
16294 @item monitor set debug 0
16295 @itemx monitor set debug 1
16296 Disable or enable general debugging messages.
16297
16298 @item monitor set remote-debug 0
16299 @itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
16300 Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
16301 protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
16302
16303 @item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
16304 @cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
16305 When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
16306 directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
16307 libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
16308 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to an empty list.
16309
16310 @item monitor exit
16311 Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
16312 @code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
16313 detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
16314 Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
16315 of a multi-process mode debug session.
16316
16317 @end table
16318
16319 @subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
16320 @cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
16321
16322 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
16323 tracepoints and static tracepoints.
16324
16325 For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
16326 @dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
16327 This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
16328 @code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
16329 requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
16330 support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
16331 @url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
16332 is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
16333 standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
16334 @code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
16335 to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
16336 using @option{--with-ust=no}.
16337
16338 There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
16339
16340 @table @code
16341 @item Specifying it as dependency at link time
16342
16343 You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
16344 library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
16345 @code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
16346
16347 @item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
16348
16349 You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
16350 your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
16351 support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
16352 cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
16353 in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
16354 @option{--wrapper} command line option.
16355
16356 @item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
16357
16358 On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
16359 by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
16360 of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
16361 systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
16362 command for that. For example:
16363
16364 @smallexample
16365 (@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
16366 @end smallexample
16367
16368 Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
16369 available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
16370 @end table
16371
16372 On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
16373 systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
16374 remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
16375 loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
16376 program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
16377 case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
16378 features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
16379 libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
16380 main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
16381 @code{gdbserver} like so:
16382
16383 @smallexample
16384 $ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
16385 @end smallexample
16386
16387 Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
16388
16389 @smallexample
16390 $ gdb myprogram
16391 (@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
16392 0x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
16393 (@value{GDBP}) b main
16394 (@value{GDBP}) continue
16395 @end smallexample
16396
16397 The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
16398 process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
16399 command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
16400 process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
16401 tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
16402 tracing.
16403
16404 @node Remote Configuration
16405 @section Remote Configuration
16406
16407 @kindex set remote
16408 @kindex show remote
16409 This section documents the configuration options available when
16410 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
16411 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
16412 system-call-allowed}.
16413
16414 @table @code
16415 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
16416 @cindex address size for remote targets
16417 @cindex bits in remote address
16418 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
16419 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
16420 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
16421 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
16422
16423 @item show remoteaddresssize
16424 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
16425
16426 @item set remotebaud @var{n}
16427 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
16428 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
16429 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
16430 remote targets.
16431
16432 @item show remotebaud
16433 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
16434
16435 @item set remotebreak
16436 @cindex interrupt remote programs
16437 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
16438 @anchor{set remotebreak}
16439 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
16440 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
16441 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
16442 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
16443 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
16444
16445 @item show remotebreak
16446 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
16447 interrupt the remote program.
16448
16449 @item set remoteflow on
16450 @itemx set remoteflow off
16451 @kindex set remoteflow
16452 Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
16453 on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
16454
16455 @item show remoteflow
16456 @kindex show remoteflow
16457 Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
16458
16459 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
16460 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
16461 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
16462 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
16463 @code{ascii}.
16464
16465 @item show remotelogbase
16466 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
16467 protocol.
16468
16469 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
16470 @cindex record serial communications on file
16471 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
16472 default is not to record at all.
16473
16474 @item show remotelogfile.
16475 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
16476 serial communications.
16477
16478 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
16479 @cindex timeout for serial communications
16480 @cindex remote timeout
16481 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
16482 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
16483
16484 @item show remotetimeout
16485 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
16486 responses.
16487
16488 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
16489 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
16490 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
16491 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
16492 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
16493 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
16494 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
16495 watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
16496
16497 @item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
16498 @itemx show remote exec-file
16499 @anchor{set remote exec-file}
16500 @cindex executable file, for remote target
16501 Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
16502 extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
16503 target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
16504 filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
16505
16506 @item set remote interrupt-sequence
16507 @cindex interrupt remote programs
16508 @cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
16509 Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
16510 @samp{BREAK-g} as the
16511 sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
16512 @samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
16513 is high level of serial line for some certain time.
16514 Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
16515 It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
16516
16517 @item show interrupt-sequence
16518 Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
16519 is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
16520 @code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
16521 also known as Magic SysRq g.
16522
16523 @item set remote interrupt-on-connect
16524 @cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
16525 Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
16526 @value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
16527 Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
16528 which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
16529
16530 @item show interrupt-on-connect
16531 Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
16532 to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
16533
16534 @kindex set tcp
16535 @kindex show tcp
16536 @item set tcp auto-retry on
16537 @cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
16538 Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
16539 debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
16540 condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
16541 before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
16542 enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
16543 to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
16544 @code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
16545
16546 @item set tcp auto-retry off
16547 Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
16548
16549 @item show tcp auto-retry
16550 Show the current auto-retry setting.
16551
16552 @item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
16553 @cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
16554 @cindex timeout, for remote target connection
16555 Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
16556 @var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
16557 (enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
16558 that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
16559 value.
16560
16561 @item show tcp connect-timeout
16562 Show the current connection timeout setting.
16563 @end table
16564
16565 @cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
16566 The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
16567 your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
16568 can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
16569 packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
16570 packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
16571 or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
16572 all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
16573 see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
16574
16575 During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
16576 If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
16577 in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
16578 @value{GDBN} developers.
16579
16580 For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
16581 packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
16582 are:
16583
16584 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
16585 @item Command Name
16586 @tab Remote Packet
16587 @tab Related Features
16588
16589 @item @code{fetch-register}
16590 @tab @code{p}
16591 @tab @code{info registers}
16592
16593 @item @code{set-register}
16594 @tab @code{P}
16595 @tab @code{set}
16596
16597 @item @code{binary-download}
16598 @tab @code{X}
16599 @tab @code{load}, @code{set}
16600
16601 @item @code{read-aux-vector}
16602 @tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
16603 @tab @code{info auxv}
16604
16605 @item @code{symbol-lookup}
16606 @tab @code{qSymbol}
16607 @tab Detecting multiple threads
16608
16609 @item @code{attach}
16610 @tab @code{vAttach}
16611 @tab @code{attach}
16612
16613 @item @code{verbose-resume}
16614 @tab @code{vCont}
16615 @tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
16616
16617 @item @code{run}
16618 @tab @code{vRun}
16619 @tab @code{run}
16620
16621 @item @code{software-breakpoint}
16622 @tab @code{Z0}
16623 @tab @code{break}
16624
16625 @item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
16626 @tab @code{Z1}
16627 @tab @code{hbreak}
16628
16629 @item @code{write-watchpoint}
16630 @tab @code{Z2}
16631 @tab @code{watch}
16632
16633 @item @code{read-watchpoint}
16634 @tab @code{Z3}
16635 @tab @code{rwatch}
16636
16637 @item @code{access-watchpoint}
16638 @tab @code{Z4}
16639 @tab @code{awatch}
16640
16641 @item @code{target-features}
16642 @tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
16643 @tab @code{set architecture}
16644
16645 @item @code{library-info}
16646 @tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
16647 @tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
16648
16649 @item @code{memory-map}
16650 @tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
16651 @tab @code{info mem}
16652
16653 @item @code{read-sdata-object}
16654 @tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
16655 @tab @code{print $_sdata}
16656
16657 @item @code{read-spu-object}
16658 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:read}
16659 @tab @code{info spu}
16660
16661 @item @code{write-spu-object}
16662 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:write}
16663 @tab @code{info spu}
16664
16665 @item @code{read-siginfo-object}
16666 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
16667 @tab @code{print $_siginfo}
16668
16669 @item @code{write-siginfo-object}
16670 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
16671 @tab @code{set $_siginfo}
16672
16673 @item @code{threads}
16674 @tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
16675 @tab @code{info threads}
16676
16677 @item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
16678 @tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
16679 @tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
16680
16681 @item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
16682 @tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
16683 @tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
16684
16685 @item @code{search-memory}
16686 @tab @code{qSearch:memory}
16687 @tab @code{find}
16688
16689 @item @code{supported-packets}
16690 @tab @code{qSupported}
16691 @tab Remote communications parameters
16692
16693 @item @code{pass-signals}
16694 @tab @code{QPassSignals}
16695 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
16696
16697 @item @code{hostio-close-packet}
16698 @tab @code{vFile:close}
16699 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
16700
16701 @item @code{hostio-open-packet}
16702 @tab @code{vFile:open}
16703 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
16704
16705 @item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
16706 @tab @code{vFile:pread}
16707 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
16708
16709 @item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
16710 @tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
16711 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
16712
16713 @item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
16714 @tab @code{vFile:unlink}
16715 @tab @code{remote delete}
16716
16717 @item @code{noack-packet}
16718 @tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
16719 @tab Packet acknowledgment
16720
16721 @item @code{osdata}
16722 @tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
16723 @tab @code{info os}
16724
16725 @item @code{query-attached}
16726 @tab @code{qAttached}
16727 @tab Querying remote process attach state.
16728
16729 @item @code{traceframe-info}
16730 @tab @code{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
16731 @tab Traceframe info
16732 @end multitable
16733
16734 @node Remote Stub
16735 @section Implementing a Remote Stub
16736
16737 @cindex debugging stub, example
16738 @cindex remote stub, example
16739 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
16740 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
16741 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
16742 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
16743 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
16744 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
16745 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
16746 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
16747
16748 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
16749 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
16750 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
16751 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
16752 program, you need:
16753
16754 @enumerate
16755 @item
16756 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
16757 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
16758 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
16759
16760 @item
16761 A C subroutine library to support your program's
16762 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
16763
16764 @item
16765 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
16766 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
16767 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
16768 documentation.
16769 @end enumerate
16770
16771 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
16772 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
16773 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
16774
16775 @table @emph
16776 @item On the host,
16777 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
16778 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
16779 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
16780
16781 @item On the target,
16782 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
16783 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
16784 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
16785
16786 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
16787 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
16788 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
16789 @end table
16790
16791 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
16792 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
16793 @sc{sparc} boards.
16794
16795 @cindex remote serial stub list
16796 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
16797
16798 @table @code
16799
16800 @item i386-stub.c
16801 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
16802 @cindex Intel
16803 @cindex i386
16804 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
16805
16806 @item m68k-stub.c
16807 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
16808 @cindex Motorola 680x0
16809 @cindex m680x0
16810 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
16811
16812 @item sh-stub.c
16813 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
16814 @cindex Renesas
16815 @cindex SH
16816 For Renesas SH architectures.
16817
16818 @item sparc-stub.c
16819 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
16820 @cindex Sparc
16821 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
16822
16823 @item sparcl-stub.c
16824 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
16825 @cindex Fujitsu
16826 @cindex SparcLite
16827 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
16828
16829 @end table
16830
16831 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
16832 recently added stubs.
16833
16834 @menu
16835 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
16836 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
16837 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
16838 @end menu
16839
16840 @node Stub Contents
16841 @subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
16842
16843 @cindex remote serial stub
16844 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
16845 subroutines:
16846
16847 @table @code
16848 @item set_debug_traps
16849 @findex set_debug_traps
16850 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
16851 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
16852 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly near the
16853 beginning of your program.
16854
16855 @item handle_exception
16856 @findex handle_exception
16857 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
16858 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
16859 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
16860 run when a trap is triggered.
16861
16862 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
16863 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
16864 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
16865 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
16866 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
16867 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
16868 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
16869 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
16870 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
16871 machine.
16872
16873 @item breakpoint
16874 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
16875 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
16876 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
16877 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
16878 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
16879 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
16880 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
16881 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
16882 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
16883 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
16884 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
16885
16886 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
16887 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
16888 start of your debugging session.
16889 @end table
16890
16891 @node Bootstrapping
16892 @subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
16893
16894 @cindex remote stub, support routines
16895 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
16896 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
16897 debugging target machine.
16898
16899 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
16900 serial port.
16901
16902 @table @code
16903 @item int getDebugChar()
16904 @findex getDebugChar
16905 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
16906 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
16907 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
16908
16909 @item void putDebugChar(int)
16910 @findex putDebugChar
16911 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
16912 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
16913 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
16914 @end table
16915
16916 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
16917 @cindex interrupting remote targets
16918 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
16919 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
16920 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
16921 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
16922 remote system to stop.
16923
16924 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
16925 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
16926 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
16927 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
16928
16929 Other routines you need to supply are:
16930
16931 @table @code
16932 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
16933 @findex exceptionHandler
16934 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
16935 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
16936 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
16937 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
16938 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
16939 @var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
16940 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
16941 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
16942 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
16943 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
16944 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
16945 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
16946 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
16947
16948 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
16949 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
16950 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
16951 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
16952 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
16953
16954 @item void flush_i_cache()
16955 @findex flush_i_cache
16956 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
16957 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
16958 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
16959
16960 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
16961 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
16962 @end table
16963
16964 @noindent
16965 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
16966
16967 @table @code
16968 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
16969 @findex memset
16970 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
16971 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
16972 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
16973 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
16974 @end table
16975
16976 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
16977 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
16978 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
16979 subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
16980
16981
16982 @node Debug Session
16983 @subsection Putting it All Together
16984
16985 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
16986 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
16987 steps.
16988
16989 @enumerate
16990 @item
16991 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
16992 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
16993 @display
16994 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
16995 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
16996 @end display
16997
16998 @item
16999 Insert these lines near the top of your program:
17000
17001 @smallexample
17002 set_debug_traps();
17003 breakpoint();
17004 @end smallexample
17005
17006 @item
17007 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
17008 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
17009
17010 @smallexample
17011 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
17012 @end smallexample
17013
17014 @noindent
17015 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
17016 function in your program, that function is called when
17017 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
17018 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
17019 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
17020
17021 @item
17022 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
17023 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
17024
17025 @item
17026 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
17027 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
17028
17029 @item
17030 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
17031 @c document that. FIXME.
17032 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
17033 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
17034
17035 @item
17036 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
17037 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
17038
17039 @end enumerate
17040
17041 @node Configurations
17042 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
17043
17044 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
17045 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
17046 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
17047
17048 There are three major categories of configurations: native
17049 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
17050 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
17051 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
17052 are quite different from each other.
17053
17054 @menu
17055 * Native::
17056 * Embedded OS::
17057 * Embedded Processors::
17058 * Architectures::
17059 @end menu
17060
17061 @node Native
17062 @section Native
17063
17064 This section describes details specific to particular native
17065 configurations.
17066
17067 @menu
17068 * HP-UX:: HP-UX
17069 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
17070 * SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
17071 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
17072 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
17073 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
17074 * Neutrino:: Features specific to QNX Neutrino
17075 * Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
17076 @end menu
17077
17078 @node HP-UX
17079 @subsection HP-UX
17080
17081 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
17082 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
17083 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
17084
17085
17086 @node BSD libkvm Interface
17087 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
17088
17089 @cindex libkvm
17090 @cindex kernel memory image
17091 @cindex kernel crash dump
17092
17093 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
17094 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
17095 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
17096 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
17097 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
17098 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
17099 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
17100 @code{kvm} target:
17101
17102 @smallexample
17103 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
17104 @end smallexample
17105
17106 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
17107 argument:
17108
17109 @smallexample
17110 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
17111 @end smallexample
17112
17113 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
17114 available:
17115
17116 @table @code
17117 @kindex kvm
17118 @item kvm pcb
17119 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
17120
17121 @item kvm proc
17122 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
17123 modern FreeBSD systems.
17124 @end table
17125
17126 @node SVR4 Process Information
17127 @subsection SVR4 Process Information
17128 @cindex /proc
17129 @cindex examine process image
17130 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
17131
17132 Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
17133 @samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
17134 process using file-system subroutines. If @value{GDBN} is configured
17135 for an operating system with this facility, the command @code{info
17136 proc} is available to report information about the process running
17137 your program, or about any process running on your system. @code{info
17138 proc} works only on SVR4 systems that include the @code{procfs} code.
17139 This includes, as of this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital
17140 Unix), Solaris, Irix, and Unixware, but not HP-UX, for example.
17141
17142 @table @code
17143 @kindex info proc
17144 @cindex process ID
17145 @item info proc
17146 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
17147 Summarize available information about any running process. If a
17148 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
17149 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
17150 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
17151 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
17152 executable file's absolute file name.
17153
17154 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
17155 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
17156 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
17157 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
17158 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
17159 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
17160
17161 @item info proc mappings
17162 @cindex memory address space mappings
17163 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
17164 information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
17165 rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
17166 includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
17167 memory access rights to that range.
17168
17169 @item info proc stat
17170 @itemx info proc status
17171 @cindex process detailed status information
17172 These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
17173 the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
17174 how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
17175 the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
17176 consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
17177 value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
17178 (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
17179
17180 @item info proc all
17181 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
17182 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
17183
17184 @ignore
17185 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
17186 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
17187 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
17188 @kindex info proc times
17189 @item info proc times
17190 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
17191 its children.
17192
17193 @kindex info proc id
17194 @item info proc id
17195 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
17196 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
17197 @end ignore
17198
17199 @item set procfs-trace
17200 @kindex set procfs-trace
17201 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
17202 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
17203
17204 @item show procfs-trace
17205 @kindex show procfs-trace
17206 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
17207
17208 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
17209 @kindex set procfs-file
17210 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
17211 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
17212 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
17213 standard output.
17214
17215 @item show procfs-file
17216 @kindex show procfs-file
17217 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
17218
17219 @item proc-trace-entry
17220 @itemx proc-trace-exit
17221 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
17222 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
17223 @kindex proc-trace-entry
17224 @kindex proc-trace-exit
17225 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
17226 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
17227 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
17228 from the @code{syscall} interface.
17229
17230 @item info pidlist
17231 @kindex info pidlist
17232 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
17233 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
17234 processes and all the threads within each process.
17235
17236 @item info meminfo
17237 @kindex info meminfo
17238 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
17239 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
17240 @end table
17241
17242 @node DJGPP Native
17243 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
17244 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
17245 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
17246 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
17247
17248 @cindex DPMI
17249 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
17250 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
17251 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
17252 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
17253
17254 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
17255 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
17256 subsection describes those commands.
17257
17258 @table @code
17259 @kindex info dos
17260 @item info dos
17261 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
17262 information about the target system and important OS structures.
17263
17264 @kindex sysinfo
17265 @cindex MS-DOS system info
17266 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
17267 @item info dos sysinfo
17268 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
17269 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
17270 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
17271
17272 @cindex GDT
17273 @cindex LDT
17274 @cindex IDT
17275 @cindex segment descriptor tables
17276 @cindex descriptor tables display
17277 @item info dos gdt
17278 @itemx info dos ldt
17279 @itemx info dos idt
17280 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
17281 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
17282 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
17283 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
17284 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
17285 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
17286 rights.
17287
17288 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
17289 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
17290 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
17291 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
17292 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
17293
17294 @cindex garbled pointers
17295 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
17296 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
17297 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
17298 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
17299 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
17300 debugged program's data segment:
17301
17302 @smallexample
17303 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
17304 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
17305 @end smallexample
17306
17307 @noindent
17308 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
17309 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
17310
17311 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
17312 @item info dos pde
17313 @itemx info dos pte
17314 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
17315 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
17316 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
17317 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
17318 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
17319 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
17320 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
17321 that is currently in use.
17322
17323 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
17324 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
17325 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
17326 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
17327 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
17328 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
17329 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
17330
17331 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
17332 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
17333 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
17334 controller.
17335
17336 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
17337
17338 @cindex physical address from linear address
17339 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
17340 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
17341 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
17342 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
17343 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
17344 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
17345 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
17346
17347 @smallexample
17348 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
17349 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
17350 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
17351 @end smallexample
17352
17353 @noindent
17354 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
17355 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
17356 attributes of that page.
17357
17358 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
17359 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
17360 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
17361 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
17362 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
17363 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
17364
17365 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
17366 transfer buffer:
17367
17368 @smallexample
17369 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
17370 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
17371 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
17372 @end smallexample
17373
17374 @noindent
17375 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
17376 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
17377 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
17378 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
17379 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
17380
17381 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
17382 @end table
17383
17384 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
17385 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
17386 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
17387 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
17388
17389 @table @code
17390 @kindex set com1base
17391 @kindex set com1irq
17392 @kindex set com2base
17393 @kindex set com2irq
17394 @kindex set com3base
17395 @kindex set com3irq
17396 @kindex set com4base
17397 @kindex set com4irq
17398 @item set com1base @var{addr}
17399 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
17400 port.
17401
17402 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
17403 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
17404 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
17405
17406 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
17407 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
17408 other 3 COM ports.
17409
17410 @kindex show com1base
17411 @kindex show com1irq
17412 @kindex show com2base
17413 @kindex show com2irq
17414 @kindex show com3base
17415 @kindex show com3irq
17416 @kindex show com4base
17417 @kindex show com4irq
17418 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
17419 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
17420 lines used by the COM ports.
17421
17422 @item info serial
17423 @kindex info serial
17424 @cindex DOS serial port status
17425 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
17426 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
17427 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
17428 counts of various errors encountered so far.
17429 @end table
17430
17431
17432 @node Cygwin Native
17433 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
17434 @cindex MS Windows debugging
17435 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
17436 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
17437
17438 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
17439 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
17440
17441 @cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
17442 @cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
17443 MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
17444 special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
17445 by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
17446 supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
17447 sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
17448 ignores @kbd{C-c}.
17449
17450 There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
17451 this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
17452 described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
17453
17454 @table @code
17455 @kindex info w32
17456 @item info w32
17457 This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
17458 information about the target system and important OS structures.
17459
17460 @item info w32 selector
17461 This command displays information returned by
17462 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
17463 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
17464 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
17465 Without argument, this command displays information
17466 about the six segment registers.
17467
17468 @item info w32 thread-information-block
17469 This command displays thread specific information stored in the
17470 Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
17471 selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
17472
17473 @kindex info dll
17474 @item info dll
17475 This is a Cygwin-specific alias of @code{info shared}.
17476
17477 @kindex dll-symbols
17478 @item dll-symbols
17479 This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
17480 add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
17481
17482 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
17483 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
17484 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
17485 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
17486 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
17487 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
17488 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
17489 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
17490 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
17491 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
17492 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
17493
17494 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
17495 @item show cygwin-exceptions
17496 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
17497 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
17498
17499 @kindex set new-console
17500 @item set new-console @var{mode}
17501 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
17502 be started in a new console on next start.
17503 If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
17504 be started in the same console as the debugger.
17505
17506 @kindex show new-console
17507 @item show new-console
17508 Displays whether a new console is used
17509 when the debuggee is started.
17510
17511 @kindex set new-group
17512 @item set new-group @var{mode}
17513 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
17514 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
17515 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
17516 @samp{Ctrl-C}.
17517
17518 @kindex show new-group
17519 @item show new-group
17520 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
17521
17522 @kindex set debugevents
17523 @item set debugevents
17524 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
17525 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
17526 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
17527 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
17528 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
17529
17530 @kindex set debugexec
17531 @item set debugexec
17532 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
17533 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
17534
17535 @kindex set debugexceptions
17536 @item set debugexceptions
17537 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
17538 debuggee seen by the debugger.
17539
17540 @kindex set debugmemory
17541 @item set debugmemory
17542 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
17543 and writes by the debugger.
17544
17545 @kindex set shell
17546 @item set shell
17547 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
17548 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
17549
17550 @kindex show shell
17551 @item show shell
17552 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
17553
17554 @end table
17555
17556 @menu
17557 * Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
17558 @end menu
17559
17560 @node Non-debug DLL Symbols
17561 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
17562 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
17563 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
17564
17565 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
17566 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
17567 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
17568 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
17569 information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
17570 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
17571 ``minimal symbols''.
17572
17573 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
17574 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
17575 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
17576 program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
17577 @value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
17578 see the shared library information in @ref{Files}, or the
17579 @code{dll-symbols} command in @ref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
17580 explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
17581 cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
17582 which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
17583
17584 @subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
17585
17586 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
17587 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
17588 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
17589 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
17590 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
17591 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
17592 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
17593 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
17594 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
17595
17596 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
17597 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
17598 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
17599 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
17600 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
17601 (@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
17602
17603 @smallexample
17604 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
17605 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
17606
17607 Non-debugging symbols:
17608 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
17609 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
17610 @end smallexample
17611
17612 @smallexample
17613 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
17614 All functions matching regular expression "!":
17615
17616 Non-debugging symbols:
17617 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
17618 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
17619 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
17620 [etc...]
17621 @end smallexample
17622
17623 @subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
17624
17625 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
17626 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
17627 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
17628 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
17629 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
17630 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
17631 a function within a DLL without a running program.
17632
17633 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
17634 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
17635 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
17636 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
17637 problem:
17638
17639 @smallexample
17640 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
17641 $1 = 268572168
17642 @end smallexample
17643
17644 @smallexample
17645 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
17646 0x10021610: "\230y\""
17647 @end smallexample
17648
17649 And two possible solutions:
17650
17651 @smallexample
17652 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
17653 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
17654 @end smallexample
17655
17656 @smallexample
17657 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
17658 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
17659 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
17660 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
17661 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
17662 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
17663 @end smallexample
17664
17665 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
17666 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
17667 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
17668 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
17669 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
17670
17671 @smallexample
17672 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
17673 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
17674 @end smallexample
17675
17676 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
17677 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
17678 safe.
17679
17680 @node Hurd Native
17681 @subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
17682 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
17683
17684 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
17685 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
17686
17687 @table @code
17688 @item set signals
17689 @itemx set sigs
17690 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
17691 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
17692 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
17693 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
17694 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
17695 @code{signals}.
17696
17697 @item show signals
17698 @itemx show sigs
17699 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
17700 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
17701 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
17702
17703 @item set signal-thread
17704 @itemx set sigthread
17705 @kindex set signal-thread
17706 @kindex set sigthread
17707 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
17708 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
17709 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
17710 signal-thread}.
17711
17712 @item show signal-thread
17713 @itemx show sigthread
17714 @kindex show signal-thread
17715 @kindex show sigthread
17716 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
17717 delivered a signal.
17718
17719 @item set stopped
17720 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
17721 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
17722 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
17723 continued by delivering a signal to it.
17724
17725 @item show stopped
17726 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
17727 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
17728 stopped.
17729
17730 @item set exceptions
17731 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
17732 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
17733 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
17734 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
17735 trapping on.
17736
17737 @item show exceptions
17738 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
17739 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
17740
17741 @item set task pause
17742 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
17743 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
17744 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
17745 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
17746 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
17747 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
17748 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
17749 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
17750 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
17751
17752 @item show task pause
17753 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
17754 Show the current state of task suspension.
17755
17756 @item set task detach-suspend-count
17757 @cindex task suspend count
17758 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17759 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
17760 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
17761
17762 @item show task detach-suspend-count
17763 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
17764
17765 @item set task exception-port
17766 @itemx set task excp
17767 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17768 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
17769 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
17770 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
17771
17772 @item set noninvasive
17773 @cindex noninvasive task options
17774 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
17775 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
17776 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
17777 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
17778
17779 @item info send-rights
17780 @itemx info receive-rights
17781 @itemx info port-rights
17782 @itemx info port-sets
17783 @itemx info dead-names
17784 @itemx info ports
17785 @itemx info psets
17786 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17787 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17788 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17789 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17790 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17791 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
17792 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
17793 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
17794 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
17795
17796 @item set thread pause
17797 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
17798 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17799 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
17800 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
17801 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
17802 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
17803 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
17804 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
17805 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
17806 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
17807 only the current thread.
17808
17809 @item show thread pause
17810 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
17811 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
17812
17813 @item set thread run
17814 This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
17815
17816 @item show thread run
17817 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
17818
17819 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
17820 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17821 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17822 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
17823 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
17824 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
17825 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
17826
17827 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
17828 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
17829 detaching.
17830
17831 @item set thread exception-port
17832 @itemx set thread excp
17833 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
17834 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
17835 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
17836
17837 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
17838 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
17839 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
17840 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
17841
17842 @item set thread default
17843 @itemx show thread default
17844 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17845 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
17846 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
17847 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
17848 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
17849 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
17850 the non-default commands.
17851 @end table
17852
17853
17854 @node Neutrino
17855 @subsection QNX Neutrino
17856 @cindex QNX Neutrino
17857
17858 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the QNX
17859 Neutrino target:
17860
17861 @table @code
17862 @item set debug nto-debug
17863 @kindex set debug nto-debug
17864 When set to on, enables debugging messages specific to the QNX
17865 Neutrino support.
17866
17867 @item show debug nto-debug
17868 @kindex show debug nto-debug
17869 Show the current state of QNX Neutrino messages.
17870 @end table
17871
17872 @node Darwin
17873 @subsection Darwin
17874 @cindex Darwin
17875
17876 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
17877
17878 @table @code
17879 @item set debug darwin @var{num}
17880 @kindex set debug darwin
17881 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
17882 the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
17883
17884 @item show debug darwin
17885 @kindex show debug darwin
17886 Show the current state of Darwin messages.
17887
17888 @item set debug mach-o @var{num}
17889 @kindex set debug mach-o
17890 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
17891 @value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
17892 file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
17893 values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
17894 problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
17895 usage.
17896
17897 @item show debug mach-o
17898 @kindex show debug mach-o
17899 Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
17900
17901 @item set mach-exceptions on
17902 @itemx set mach-exceptions off
17903 @kindex set mach-exceptions
17904 On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
17905 mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
17906 Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
17907 better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
17908
17909 @item show mach-exceptions
17910 @kindex show mach-exceptions
17911 Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
17912 @end table
17913
17914
17915 @node Embedded OS
17916 @section Embedded Operating Systems
17917
17918 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
17919 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
17920 architectures.
17921
17922 @menu
17923 * VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
17924 @end menu
17925
17926 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
17927 various real-time operating systems.
17928
17929 @node VxWorks
17930 @subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
17931
17932 @cindex VxWorks
17933
17934 @table @code
17935
17936 @kindex target vxworks
17937 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
17938 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
17939 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
17940
17941 @end table
17942
17943 On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
17944 current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
17945
17946 @value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
17947 VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
17948 the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
17949 both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
17950 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
17951 installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
17952 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
17953
17954 @table @code
17955 @item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
17956 @kindex vxworks-timeout
17957 All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
17958 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
17959 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
17960 your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
17961 of a thin network line.
17962 @end table
17963
17964 The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
17965 this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
17966 procedures.
17967
17968 @findex INCLUDE_RDB
17969 To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
17970 to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
17971 library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
17972 VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
17973 kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
17974 source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
17975 information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
17976 manual.
17977 @c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
17978
17979 Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
17980 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
17981 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
17982 @code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
17983
17984 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
17985
17986 @smallexample
17987 (vxgdb)
17988 @end smallexample
17989
17990 @menu
17991 * VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
17992 * VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
17993 * VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
17994 @end menu
17995
17996 @node VxWorks Connection
17997 @subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
17998
17999 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
18000 network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
18001
18002 @smallexample
18003 (vxgdb) target vxworks tt
18004 @end smallexample
18005
18006 @need 750
18007 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
18008
18009 @smallexample
18010 Attaching remote machine across net...
18011 Connected to tt.
18012 @end smallexample
18013
18014 @need 1000
18015 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
18016 loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
18017 these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
18018 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}); if it fails
18019 to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
18020
18021 @smallexample
18022 prog.o: No such file or directory.
18023 @end smallexample
18024
18025 When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
18026 the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
18027 command again.
18028
18029 @node VxWorks Download
18030 @subsubsection VxWorks Download
18031
18032 @cindex download to VxWorks
18033 If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
18034 object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
18035 @code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
18036 incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
18037 command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
18038 to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
18039 table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
18040 the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
18041 filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
18042 Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
18043 to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
18044 the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
18045 @file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
18046 and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
18047 program, type this on VxWorks:
18048
18049 @smallexample
18050 -> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
18051 @end smallexample
18052
18053 @noindent
18054 Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
18055
18056 @smallexample
18057 (vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
18058 (vxgdb) load prog.o
18059 @end smallexample
18060
18061 @value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
18062
18063 @smallexample
18064 Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
18065 @end smallexample
18066
18067 You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
18068 after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
18069 this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
18070 auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
18071 history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
18072 debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
18073 table.)
18074
18075 @node VxWorks Attach
18076 @subsubsection Running Tasks
18077
18078 @cindex running VxWorks tasks
18079 You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
18080 follows:
18081
18082 @smallexample
18083 (vxgdb) attach @var{task}
18084 @end smallexample
18085
18086 @noindent
18087 where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
18088 or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
18089 the time of attachment.
18090
18091 @node Embedded Processors
18092 @section Embedded Processors
18093
18094 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
18095 configurations.
18096
18097 @cindex send command to simulator
18098 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
18099 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
18100
18101 @table @code
18102 @item sim @var{command}
18103 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
18104 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
18105 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
18106 acceptable commands.
18107 @end table
18108
18109
18110 @menu
18111 * ARM:: ARM RDI
18112 * M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
18113 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
18114 * MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
18115 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
18116 * OpenRISC 1000:: OpenRisc 1000
18117 * PA:: HP PA Embedded
18118 * PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
18119 * Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
18120 * Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
18121 * Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
18122 * AVR:: Atmel AVR
18123 * CRIS:: CRIS
18124 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
18125 @end menu
18126
18127 @node ARM
18128 @subsection ARM
18129 @cindex ARM RDI
18130
18131 @table @code
18132 @kindex target rdi
18133 @item target rdi @var{dev}
18134 ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
18135 use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
18136 monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
18137
18138 @kindex target rdp
18139 @item target rdp @var{dev}
18140 ARM Demon monitor.
18141
18142 @end table
18143
18144 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
18145
18146 @table @code
18147 @item set arm disassembler
18148 @kindex set arm
18149 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
18150 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
18151
18152 @item show arm disassembler
18153 @kindex show arm
18154 Show the current disassembly style.
18155
18156 @item set arm apcs32
18157 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
18158 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
18159
18160 @item show arm apcs32
18161 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
18162
18163 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
18164 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
18165 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
18166
18167 @table @code
18168 @item auto
18169 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
18170 @item softfpa
18171 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
18172 processors.
18173 @item fpa
18174 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
18175 @item softvfp
18176 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
18177 @item vfp
18178 VFP co-processor.
18179 @end table
18180
18181 @item show arm fpu
18182 Show the current type of the FPU.
18183
18184 @item set arm abi
18185 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
18186
18187 @item show arm abi
18188 Show the currently used ABI.
18189
18190 @item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
18191 @value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
18192 whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
18193 @value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
18194 available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
18195 use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
18196 register).
18197
18198 @item show arm fallback-mode
18199 Show the current fallback instruction mode.
18200
18201 @item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
18202 This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
18203 instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
18204 causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
18205 of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
18206
18207 @item show arm force-mode
18208 Show the current forced instruction mode.
18209
18210 @item set debug arm
18211 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
18212 target support subsystem.
18213
18214 @item show debug arm
18215 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
18216 @end table
18217
18218 The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
18219 using the RDI interface:
18220
18221 @table @code
18222 @item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
18223 @kindex rdilogfile
18224 @cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
18225 Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
18226 With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
18227 no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
18228 @file{rdi.log}.
18229
18230 @item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
18231 @kindex rdilogenable
18232 Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
18233 enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
18234 no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
18235 ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
18236 are logged to a file.
18237
18238 @item set rdiromatzero
18239 @kindex set rdiromatzero
18240 @cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
18241 Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
18242 vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
18243 (the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
18244 effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
18245
18246 @item show rdiromatzero
18247 @kindex show rdiromatzero
18248 Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
18249
18250 @item set rdiheartbeat
18251 @kindex set rdiheartbeat
18252 @cindex RDI heartbeat
18253 Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
18254 turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
18255 well as the Angel monitor.
18256
18257 @item show rdiheartbeat
18258 @kindex show rdiheartbeat
18259 Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
18260 @end table
18261
18262 @table @code
18263 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
18264 The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
18265
18266 @table @code
18267 @item --swi-support=@var{type}
18268 Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support.
18269 @var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
18270 The default value is @code{all}.
18271
18272 @table @code
18273 @item none
18274 @item demon
18275 @item angel
18276 @item redboot
18277 @item all
18278 @end table
18279 @end table
18280 @end table
18281
18282 @node M32R/D
18283 @subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
18284
18285 @table @code
18286 @kindex target m32r
18287 @item target m32r @var{dev}
18288 Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
18289
18290 @kindex target m32rsdi
18291 @item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
18292 Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
18293 @end table
18294
18295 The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
18296
18297 @table @code
18298 @item set download-path @var{path}
18299 @kindex set download-path
18300 @cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
18301 Set the default path for finding downloadable @sc{srec} files.
18302
18303 @item show download-path
18304 @kindex show download-path
18305 Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
18306
18307 @item set board-address @var{addr}
18308 @kindex set board-address
18309 @cindex M32-EVA target board address
18310 Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
18311
18312 @item show board-address
18313 @kindex show board-address
18314 Show the current IP address of the target board.
18315
18316 @item set server-address @var{addr}
18317 @kindex set server-address
18318 @cindex download server address (M32R)
18319 Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
18320 host machine.
18321
18322 @item show server-address
18323 @kindex show server-address
18324 Display the IP address of the download server.
18325
18326 @item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
18327 @kindex upload@r{, M32R}
18328 Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
18329 upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
18330 executable file is uploaded.
18331
18332 @item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
18333 @kindex tload@r{, M32R}
18334 Test the @code{upload} command.
18335 @end table
18336
18337 The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
18338
18339 @table @code
18340 @item sdireset
18341 @kindex sdireset
18342 @cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
18343 This command resets the SDI connection.
18344
18345 @item sdistatus
18346 @kindex sdistatus
18347 This command shows the SDI connection status.
18348
18349 @item debug_chaos
18350 @kindex debug_chaos
18351 @cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
18352 Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
18353
18354 @item use_debug_dma
18355 @kindex use_debug_dma
18356 Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
18357
18358 @item use_mon_code
18359 @kindex use_mon_code
18360 Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
18361
18362 @item use_ib_break
18363 @kindex use_ib_break
18364 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
18365
18366 @item use_dbt_break
18367 @kindex use_dbt_break
18368 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
18369 @end table
18370
18371 @node M68K
18372 @subsection M68k
18373
18374 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and a
18375 target command for the following ROM monitor.
18376
18377 @table @code
18378
18379 @kindex target dbug
18380 @item target dbug @var{dev}
18381 dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
18382
18383 @end table
18384
18385 @node MicroBlaze
18386 @subsection MicroBlaze
18387 @cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
18388 @cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
18389
18390 The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
18391 FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
18392 usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
18393 Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
18394 This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
18395 the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
18396 communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
18397 presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
18398 @code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
18399 this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
18400 commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
18401
18402 Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
18403
18404 @table @code
18405 @item target remote :1234
18406 Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
18407 on the same system as @code{xmd}.
18408
18409 @item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
18410 Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
18411 running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
18412
18413 @item load
18414 Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
18415
18416 @item set debug microblaze @var{n}
18417 Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
18418
18419 @item show debug microblaze @var{n}
18420 Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
18421 @end table
18422
18423 @node MIPS Embedded
18424 @subsection MIPS Embedded
18425
18426 @cindex MIPS boards
18427 @value{GDBN} can use the MIPS remote debugging protocol to talk to a
18428 MIPS board attached to a serial line. This is available when
18429 you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-idt-ecoff}.
18430
18431 @need 1000
18432 Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
18433
18434 @table @code
18435 @item target mips @var{port}
18436 @kindex target mips @var{port}
18437 To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
18438 name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
18439 command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
18440 the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
18441 been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
18442 download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
18443
18444 For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
18445 port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
18446 debugger:
18447
18448 @smallexample
18449 host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
18450 @value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
18451 (@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
18452 (@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
18453 (@value{GDBP}) run
18454 @end smallexample
18455
18456 @item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
18457 On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
18458 connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
18459 concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
18460 @samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
18461
18462 @item target pmon @var{port}
18463 @kindex target pmon @var{port}
18464 PMON ROM monitor.
18465
18466 @item target ddb @var{port}
18467 @kindex target ddb @var{port}
18468 NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
18469
18470 @item target lsi @var{port}
18471 @kindex target lsi @var{port}
18472 LSI variant of PMON.
18473
18474 @kindex target r3900
18475 @item target r3900 @var{dev}
18476 Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
18477
18478 @kindex target array
18479 @item target array @var{dev}
18480 Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
18481
18482 @end table
18483
18484
18485 @noindent
18486 @value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for MIPS targets:
18487
18488 @table @code
18489 @item set mipsfpu double
18490 @itemx set mipsfpu single
18491 @itemx set mipsfpu none
18492 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
18493 @itemx show mipsfpu
18494 @kindex set mipsfpu
18495 @kindex show mipsfpu
18496 @cindex MIPS remote floating point
18497 @cindex floating point, MIPS remote
18498 If your target board does not support the MIPS floating point
18499 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
18500 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
18501 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
18502 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
18503 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
18504 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
18505 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
18506 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
18507 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
18508 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
18509
18510 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
18511 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
18512 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
18513
18514 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
18515 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
18516
18517 @item set timeout @var{seconds}
18518 @itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
18519 @itemx show timeout
18520 @itemx show retransmit-timeout
18521 @cindex @code{timeout}, MIPS protocol
18522 @cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, MIPS protocol
18523 @kindex set timeout
18524 @kindex show timeout
18525 @kindex set retransmit-timeout
18526 @kindex show retransmit-timeout
18527 You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the MIPS
18528 remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
18529 default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
18530 waiting for an acknowledgment of a packet with the @code{set
18531 retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
18532 You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
18533 retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
18534 @value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-idt-ecoff}.)
18535
18536 The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
18537 is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
18538 forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
18539 to run before stopping.
18540
18541 @item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
18542 @kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
18543 @cindex synchronize with remote MIPS target
18544 Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
18545 it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
18546 characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
18547
18548 @item show syn-garbage-limit
18549 @kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
18550 Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
18551 trying to synchronize with the remote system.
18552
18553 @item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
18554 @kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
18555 @cindex remote monitor prompt
18556 Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
18557 remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
18558 @table @asis
18559 @item pmon target
18560 @samp{PMON}
18561 @item ddb target
18562 @samp{NEC010}
18563 @item lsi target
18564 @samp{PMON>}
18565 @end table
18566
18567 @item show monitor-prompt
18568 @kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
18569 Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
18570 remote monitor.
18571
18572 @item set monitor-warnings
18573 @kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
18574 Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
18575 has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
18576 display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
18577 PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
18578
18579 @item show monitor-warnings
18580 @kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
18581 Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
18582
18583 @item pmon @var{command}
18584 @kindex pmon@r{, MIPS remote}
18585 @cindex send PMON command
18586 This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
18587 monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
18588 @end table
18589
18590 @node OpenRISC 1000
18591 @subsection OpenRISC 1000
18592 @cindex OpenRISC 1000
18593
18594 @cindex or1k boards
18595 See OR1k Architecture document (@uref{www.opencores.org}) for more information
18596 about platform and commands.
18597
18598 @table @code
18599
18600 @kindex target jtag
18601 @item target jtag jtag://@var{host}:@var{port}
18602
18603 Connects to remote JTAG server.
18604 JTAG remote server can be either an or1ksim or JTAG server,
18605 connected via parallel port to the board.
18606
18607 Example: @code{target jtag jtag://localhost:9999}
18608
18609 @kindex or1ksim
18610 @item or1ksim @var{command}
18611 If connected to @code{or1ksim} OpenRISC 1000 Architectural
18612 Simulator, proprietary commands can be executed.
18613
18614 @kindex info or1k spr
18615 @item info or1k spr
18616 Displays spr groups.
18617
18618 @item info or1k spr @var{group}
18619 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno}
18620 Displays register names in selected group.
18621
18622 @item info or1k spr @var{group} @var{register}
18623 @itemx info or1k spr @var{register}
18624 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno}
18625 @itemx info or1k spr @var{registerno}
18626 Shows information about specified spr register.
18627
18628 @kindex spr
18629 @item spr @var{group} @var{register} @var{value}
18630 @itemx spr @var{register @var{value}}
18631 @itemx spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno @var{value}}
18632 @itemx spr @var{registerno @var{value}}
18633 Writes @var{value} to specified spr register.
18634 @end table
18635
18636 Some implementations of OpenRISC 1000 Architecture also have hardware trace.
18637 It is very similar to @value{GDBN} trace, except it does not interfere with normal
18638 program execution and is thus much faster. Hardware breakpoints/watchpoint
18639 triggers can be set using:
18640 @table @code
18641 @item $LEA/$LDATA
18642 Load effective address/data
18643 @item $SEA/$SDATA
18644 Store effective address/data
18645 @item $AEA/$ADATA
18646 Access effective address ($SEA or $LEA) or data ($SDATA/$LDATA)
18647 @item $FETCH
18648 Fetch data
18649 @end table
18650
18651 When triggered, it can capture low level data, like: @code{PC}, @code{LSEA},
18652 @code{LDATA}, @code{SDATA}, @code{READSPR}, @code{WRITESPR}, @code{INSTR}.
18653
18654 @code{htrace} commands:
18655 @cindex OpenRISC 1000 htrace
18656 @table @code
18657 @kindex hwatch
18658 @item hwatch @var{conditional}
18659 Set hardware watchpoint on combination of Load/Store Effective Address(es)
18660 or Data. For example:
18661
18662 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
18663
18664 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
18665
18666 @kindex htrace
18667 @item htrace info
18668 Display information about current HW trace configuration.
18669
18670 @item htrace trigger @var{conditional}
18671 Set starting criteria for HW trace.
18672
18673 @item htrace qualifier @var{conditional}
18674 Set acquisition qualifier for HW trace.
18675
18676 @item htrace stop @var{conditional}
18677 Set HW trace stopping criteria.
18678
18679 @item htrace record [@var{data}]*
18680 Selects the data to be recorded, when qualifier is met and HW trace was
18681 triggered.
18682
18683 @item htrace enable
18684 @itemx htrace disable
18685 Enables/disables the HW trace.
18686
18687 @item htrace rewind [@var{filename}]
18688 Clears currently recorded trace data.
18689
18690 If filename is specified, new trace file is made and any newly collected data
18691 will be written there.
18692
18693 @item htrace print [@var{start} [@var{len}]]
18694 Prints trace buffer, using current record configuration.
18695
18696 @item htrace mode continuous
18697 Set continuous trace mode.
18698
18699 @item htrace mode suspend
18700 Set suspend trace mode.
18701
18702 @end table
18703
18704 @node PowerPC Embedded
18705 @subsection PowerPC Embedded
18706
18707 @cindex DVC register
18708 @value{GDBN} supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
18709 implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
18710
18711 @smallexample
18712 (@value{GDBP}) watch @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} \
18713 if @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} == @var{CONSTANT EXPRESSION}
18714 @end smallexample
18715
18716 The DVC register will be automatically used when @value{GDBN} detects
18717 such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
18718 debug register (either the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on and the
18719 variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte). This feature
18720 is available in native @value{GDBN} running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
18721 or newer.
18722
18723 When running on PowerPC embedded processors, @value{GDBN} automatically uses
18724 ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on,
18725 in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
18726 watching variables of scalar types.
18727
18728 You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
18729 region using one of the following commands (@pxref{Expressions}):
18730
18731 @smallexample
18732 (@value{GDBP}) watch *((char *) @var{address})@@@var{length}
18733 (@value{GDBP}) watch @{char[@var{length}]@} @var{address}
18734 @end smallexample
18735
18736 @value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
18737
18738 @table @code
18739 @kindex set powerpc
18740 @item set powerpc soft-float
18741 @itemx show powerpc soft-float
18742 Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
18743 convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
18744 on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
18745
18746 @item set powerpc vector-abi
18747 @itemx show powerpc vector-abi
18748 Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
18749 arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
18750 @samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
18751 @samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
18752 registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
18753 based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
18754
18755 @item set powerpc exact-watchpoints
18756 @itemx show powerpc exact-watchpoints
18757 Allow @value{GDBN} to use only one debug register when watching a variable
18758 of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
18759 address of its first byte.
18760
18761 @kindex target dink32
18762 @item target dink32 @var{dev}
18763 DINK32 ROM monitor.
18764
18765 @kindex target ppcbug
18766 @item target ppcbug @var{dev}
18767 @kindex target ppcbug1
18768 @item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
18769 PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
18770
18771 @kindex target sds
18772 @item target sds @var{dev}
18773 SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
18774 @end table
18775
18776 @cindex SDS protocol
18777 The following commands specific to the SDS protocol are supported
18778 by @value{GDBN}:
18779
18780 @table @code
18781 @item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
18782 @kindex set sdstimeout
18783 Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
18784 default is 2 seconds.
18785
18786 @item show sdstimeout
18787 @kindex show sdstimeout
18788 Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
18789
18790 @item sds @var{command}
18791 @kindex sds@r{, a command}
18792 Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
18793 @end table
18794
18795
18796 @node PA
18797 @subsection HP PA Embedded
18798
18799 @table @code
18800
18801 @kindex target op50n
18802 @item target op50n @var{dev}
18803 OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
18804
18805 @kindex target w89k
18806 @item target w89k @var{dev}
18807 W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
18808
18809 @end table
18810
18811 @node Sparclet
18812 @subsection Tsqware Sparclet
18813
18814 @cindex Sparclet
18815
18816 @value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
18817 Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
18818 @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
18819 both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
18820 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
18821
18822 @table @code
18823 @item remotetimeout @var{args}
18824 @kindex remotetimeout
18825 @value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
18826 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
18827 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
18828 @end table
18829
18830 @cindex compiling, on Sparclet
18831 When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
18832 information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
18833 load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
18834 @samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
18835
18836 @smallexample
18837 sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
18838 @end smallexample
18839
18840 You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
18841
18842 @smallexample
18843 sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
18844 @end smallexample
18845
18846 @cindex running, on Sparclet
18847 Once you have set
18848 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
18849 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
18850 (or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
18851
18852 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
18853
18854 @smallexample
18855 (gdbslet)
18856 @end smallexample
18857
18858 @menu
18859 * Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
18860 * Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
18861 * Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
18862 * Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
18863 @end menu
18864
18865 @node Sparclet File
18866 @subsubsection Setting File to Debug
18867
18868 The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
18869
18870 @smallexample
18871 (gdbslet) file prog
18872 @end smallexample
18873
18874 @need 1000
18875 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
18876 @value{GDBN} locates
18877 the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
18878 path.
18879 If the file was compiled with debug information (option @samp{-g}), source
18880 files will be searched as well.
18881 @value{GDBN} locates
18882 the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
18883 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}).
18884 If it fails
18885 to find a file, it displays a message such as:
18886
18887 @smallexample
18888 prog: No such file or directory.
18889 @end smallexample
18890
18891 When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
18892 the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
18893 @code{target} command again.
18894
18895 @node Sparclet Connection
18896 @subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
18897
18898 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
18899 To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
18900
18901 @smallexample
18902 (gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
18903 Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
18904 main () at ../prog.c:3
18905 @end smallexample
18906
18907 @need 750
18908 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
18909
18910 @smallexample
18911 Connected to ttya.
18912 @end smallexample
18913
18914 @node Sparclet Download
18915 @subsubsection Sparclet Download
18916
18917 @cindex download to Sparclet
18918 Once connected to the Sparclet target,
18919 you can use the @value{GDBN}
18920 @code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
18921 The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
18922 command.
18923 Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
18924 address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
18925 offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
18926 of each of the file's sections.
18927 For instance, if the program
18928 @file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
18929 and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
18930
18931 @smallexample
18932 (gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
18933 Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
18934 @end smallexample
18935
18936 If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
18937 to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
18938 to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
18939
18940 @node Sparclet Execution
18941 @subsubsection Running and Debugging
18942
18943 @cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
18944 You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
18945 commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
18946 manual for the list of commands.
18947
18948 @smallexample
18949 (gdbslet) b main
18950 Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
18951 (gdbslet) run
18952 Starting program: prog
18953 Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
18954 3 char *symarg = 0;
18955 (gdbslet) step
18956 4 char *execarg = "hello!";
18957 (gdbslet)
18958 @end smallexample
18959
18960 @node Sparclite
18961 @subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
18962
18963 @table @code
18964
18965 @kindex target sparclite
18966 @item target sparclite @var{dev}
18967 Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
18968 You must use an additional command to debug the program.
18969 For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
18970 remote protocol.
18971
18972 @end table
18973
18974 @node Z8000
18975 @subsection Zilog Z8000
18976
18977 @cindex Z8000
18978 @cindex simulator, Z8000
18979 @cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
18980
18981 When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
18982 a Z8000 simulator.
18983
18984 For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
18985 unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
18986 segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
18987 appropriate by inspecting the object code.
18988
18989 @table @code
18990 @item target sim @var{args}
18991 @kindex sim
18992 @kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
18993 Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
18994 options, specify them via @var{args}.
18995 @end table
18996
18997 @noindent
18998 After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
18999 CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
19000 @code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
19001 to run your program, and so on.
19002
19003 As well as making available all the usual machine registers
19004 (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
19005 additional items of information as specially named registers:
19006
19007 @table @code
19008
19009 @item cycles
19010 Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
19011
19012 @item insts
19013 Counts instructions run in the simulator.
19014
19015 @item time
19016 Execution time in 60ths of a second.
19017
19018 @end table
19019
19020 You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
19021 conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
19022 conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
19023 simulated clock ticks.
19024
19025 @node AVR
19026 @subsection Atmel AVR
19027 @cindex AVR
19028
19029 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
19030 following AVR-specific commands:
19031
19032 @table @code
19033 @item info io_registers
19034 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
19035 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
19036 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
19037 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
19038 @end table
19039
19040 @node CRIS
19041 @subsection CRIS
19042 @cindex CRIS
19043
19044 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
19045 following CRIS-specific commands:
19046
19047 @table @code
19048 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
19049 @cindex CRIS version
19050 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
19051 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
19052 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
19053
19054 @item show cris-version
19055 Show the current CRIS version.
19056
19057 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
19058 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
19059 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
19060 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
19061 @code{R59}.
19062
19063 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
19064 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
19065
19066 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
19067 @cindex CRIS mode
19068 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
19069 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
19070 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
19071
19072 @item show cris-mode
19073 Show the current CRIS mode.
19074 @end table
19075
19076 @node Super-H
19077 @subsection Renesas Super-H
19078 @cindex Super-H
19079
19080 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
19081 commands:
19082
19083 @table @code
19084 @item regs
19085 @kindex regs@r{, Super-H}
19086 Show the values of all Super-H registers.
19087
19088 @item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
19089 @kindex set sh calling-convention
19090 Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
19091 Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
19092 With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
19093 convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
19094 that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
19095 is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
19096 is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
19097 regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
19098 default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
19099 does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
19100
19101 @item show sh calling-convention
19102 @kindex show sh calling-convention
19103 Show the current calling convention setting.
19104
19105 @end table
19106
19107
19108 @node Architectures
19109 @section Architectures
19110
19111 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
19112 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
19113
19114 @menu
19115 * i386::
19116 * A29K::
19117 * Alpha::
19118 * MIPS::
19119 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
19120 * SPU:: Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
19121 * PowerPC::
19122 @end menu
19123
19124 @node i386
19125 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
19126
19127 @table @code
19128 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
19129 @kindex set struct-convention
19130 @cindex struct return convention
19131 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
19132 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
19133 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
19134 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
19135 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
19136 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
19137 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
19138 be returned in a register.
19139
19140 @item show struct-convention
19141 @kindex show struct-convention
19142 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
19143 from functions.
19144 @end table
19145
19146 @node A29K
19147 @subsection A29K
19148
19149 @table @code
19150
19151 @kindex set rstack_high_address
19152 @cindex AMD 29K register stack
19153 @cindex register stack, AMD29K
19154 @item set rstack_high_address @var{address}
19155 On AMD 29000 family processors, registers are saved in a separate
19156 @dfn{register stack}. There is no way for @value{GDBN} to determine the
19157 extent of this stack. Normally, @value{GDBN} just assumes that the
19158 stack is ``large enough''. This may result in @value{GDBN} referencing
19159 memory locations that do not exist. If necessary, you can get around
19160 this problem by specifying the ending address of the register stack with
19161 the @code{set rstack_high_address} command. The argument should be an
19162 address, which you probably want to precede with @samp{0x} to specify in
19163 hexadecimal.
19164
19165 @kindex show rstack_high_address
19166 @item show rstack_high_address
19167 Display the current limit of the register stack, on AMD 29000 family
19168 processors.
19169
19170 @end table
19171
19172 @node Alpha
19173 @subsection Alpha
19174
19175 See the following section.
19176
19177 @node MIPS
19178 @subsection MIPS
19179
19180 @cindex stack on Alpha
19181 @cindex stack on MIPS
19182 @cindex Alpha stack
19183 @cindex MIPS stack
19184 Alpha- and MIPS-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
19185 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
19186 find the beginning of a function.
19187
19188 @cindex response time, MIPS debugging
19189 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
19190 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
19191 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
19192 commands:
19193
19194 @table @code
19195 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, MIPS)
19196 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
19197 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
19198 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
19199 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
19200 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
19201 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
19202 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
19203
19204 @item show heuristic-fence-post
19205 Display the current limit.
19206 @end table
19207
19208 @noindent
19209 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
19210 for debugging programs on Alpha or MIPS processors.
19211
19212 Several MIPS-specific commands are available when debugging MIPS
19213 programs:
19214
19215 @table @code
19216 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
19217 @kindex set mips abi
19218 @cindex set ABI for MIPS
19219 Tell @value{GDBN} which MIPS ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
19220 values of @var{arg} are:
19221
19222 @table @samp
19223 @item auto
19224 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
19225 default).
19226 @item o32
19227 @item o64
19228 @item n32
19229 @item n64
19230 @item eabi32
19231 @item eabi64
19232 @item auto
19233 @end table
19234
19235 @item show mips abi
19236 @kindex show mips abi
19237 Show the MIPS ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
19238
19239 @item set mipsfpu
19240 @itemx show mipsfpu
19241 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
19242
19243 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
19244 @kindex set mips mask-address
19245 @cindex MIPS addresses, masking
19246 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
19247 MIPS addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
19248 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
19249 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
19250
19251 @item show mips mask-address
19252 @kindex show mips mask-address
19253 Show whether the upper 32 bits of MIPS addresses are masked off or
19254 not.
19255
19256 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
19257 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
19258 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit MIPS targets that
19259 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old MIPS 64 target
19260 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
19261 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
19262
19263 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
19264 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
19265 Show the current setting of compatibility with older MIPS 64 targets.
19266
19267 @item set debug mips
19268 @kindex set debug mips
19269 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the MIPS-specific
19270 target code in @value{GDBN}.
19271
19272 @item show debug mips
19273 @kindex show debug mips
19274 Show the current setting of MIPS debugging messages.
19275 @end table
19276
19277
19278 @node HPPA
19279 @subsection HPPA
19280 @cindex HPPA support
19281
19282 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
19283 following special commands:
19284
19285 @table @code
19286 @item set debug hppa
19287 @kindex set debug hppa
19288 This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
19289 messages are to be displayed.
19290
19291 @item show debug hppa
19292 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
19293
19294 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
19295 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
19296 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
19297 given @var{address}.
19298
19299 @end table
19300
19301
19302 @node SPU
19303 @subsection Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
19304 @cindex Cell Broadband Engine
19305 @cindex SPU
19306
19307 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture,
19308 it provides the following special commands:
19309
19310 @table @code
19311 @item info spu event
19312 @kindex info spu
19313 Display SPU event facility status. Shows current event mask
19314 and pending event status.
19315
19316 @item info spu signal
19317 Display SPU signal notification facility status. Shows pending
19318 signal-control word and signal notification mode of both signal
19319 notification channels.
19320
19321 @item info spu mailbox
19322 Display SPU mailbox facility status. Shows all pending entries,
19323 in order of processing, in each of the SPU Write Outbound,
19324 SPU Write Outbound Interrupt, and SPU Read Inbound mailboxes.
19325
19326 @item info spu dma
19327 Display MFC DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
19328 DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
19329 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
19330
19331 @item info spu proxydma
19332 Display MFC Proxy-DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
19333 Proxy-DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
19334 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
19335
19336 @end table
19337
19338 When @value{GDBN} is debugging a combined PowerPC/SPU application
19339 on the Cell Broadband Engine, it provides in addition the following
19340 special commands:
19341
19342 @table @code
19343 @item set spu stop-on-load @var{arg}
19344 @kindex set spu
19345 Set whether to stop for new SPE threads. When set to @code{on}, @value{GDBN}
19346 will give control to the user when a new SPE thread enters its @code{main}
19347 function. The default is @code{off}.
19348
19349 @item show spu stop-on-load
19350 @kindex show spu
19351 Show whether to stop for new SPE threads.
19352
19353 @item set spu auto-flush-cache @var{arg}
19354 Set whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache. When set to
19355 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will automatically cause the SPE software-managed
19356 cache to be flushed whenever SPE execution stops. This provides a consistent
19357 view of PowerPC memory that is accessed via the cache. If an application
19358 does not use the software-managed cache, this option has no effect.
19359
19360 @item show spu auto-flush-cache
19361 Show whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache.
19362
19363 @end table
19364
19365 @node PowerPC
19366 @subsection PowerPC
19367 @cindex PowerPC architecture
19368
19369 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
19370 pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
19371 numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
19372 in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
19373 @code{f0} or @code{f2}.
19374
19375 The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
19376 by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
19377 @code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
19378
19379 For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
19380 wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
19381
19382
19383 @node Controlling GDB
19384 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
19385
19386 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
19387 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
19388 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
19389 described here.
19390
19391 @menu
19392 * Prompt:: Prompt
19393 * Editing:: Command editing
19394 * Command History:: Command history
19395 * Screen Size:: Screen size
19396 * Numbers:: Numbers
19397 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
19398 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
19399 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
19400 * Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
19401 @end menu
19402
19403 @node Prompt
19404 @section Prompt
19405
19406 @cindex prompt
19407
19408 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
19409 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
19410 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
19411 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
19412 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
19413 which one you are talking to.
19414
19415 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
19416 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
19417 or a prompt that does not.
19418
19419 @table @code
19420 @kindex set prompt
19421 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
19422 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
19423
19424 @kindex show prompt
19425 @item show prompt
19426 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
19427 @end table
19428
19429 @node Editing
19430 @section Command Editing
19431 @cindex readline
19432 @cindex command line editing
19433
19434 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
19435 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
19436 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
19437 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
19438 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
19439 debugging sessions.
19440
19441 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
19442 command @code{set}.
19443
19444 @table @code
19445 @kindex set editing
19446 @cindex editing
19447 @item set editing
19448 @itemx set editing on
19449 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
19450
19451 @item set editing off
19452 Disable command line editing.
19453
19454 @kindex show editing
19455 @item show editing
19456 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
19457 @end table
19458
19459 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
19460 @xref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library},
19461 @end ifset
19462 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
19463 @xref{Command Line Editing},
19464 @end ifclear
19465 for more details about the Readline
19466 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
19467 encouraged to read that chapter.
19468
19469 @node Command History
19470 @section Command History
19471 @cindex command history
19472
19473 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
19474 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
19475 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
19476 history facility.
19477
19478 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
19479 package, to provide the history facility.
19480 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
19481 @xref{Using History Interactively, , , history, GNU History Library},
19482 @end ifset
19483 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
19484 @xref{Using History Interactively},
19485 @end ifclear
19486 for the detailed description of the History library.
19487
19488 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
19489 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
19490 (@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
19491 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
19492 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
19493 pressed on a line by itself.
19494
19495 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
19496 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
19497 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
19498 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
19499
19500 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
19501 history.
19502
19503 @table @code
19504 @cindex history substitution
19505 @cindex history file
19506 @kindex set history filename
19507 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
19508 @item set history filename @var{fname}
19509 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
19510 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
19511 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
19512 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
19513 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
19514 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
19515 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
19516 is not set.
19517
19518 @cindex save command history
19519 @kindex set history save
19520 @item set history save
19521 @itemx set history save on
19522 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
19523 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
19524
19525 @item set history save off
19526 Stop recording command history in a file.
19527
19528 @cindex history size
19529 @kindex set history size
19530 @cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
19531 @item set history size @var{size}
19532 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
19533 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
19534 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set.
19535 @end table
19536
19537 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
19538 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
19539 @xref{Event Designators, , , history, GNU History Library},
19540 @end ifset
19541 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
19542 @xref{Event Designators},
19543 @end ifclear
19544 for more details.
19545
19546 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
19547 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
19548 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
19549 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
19550 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
19551 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
19552 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
19553 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
19554
19555 The commands to control history expansion are:
19556
19557 @table @code
19558 @item set history expansion on
19559 @itemx set history expansion
19560 @kindex set history expansion
19561 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
19562
19563 @item set history expansion off
19564 Disable history expansion.
19565
19566 @c @group
19567 @kindex show history
19568 @item show history
19569 @itemx show history filename
19570 @itemx show history save
19571 @itemx show history size
19572 @itemx show history expansion
19573 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
19574 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
19575 @c @end group
19576 @end table
19577
19578 @table @code
19579 @kindex show commands
19580 @cindex show last commands
19581 @cindex display command history
19582 @item show commands
19583 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
19584
19585 @item show commands @var{n}
19586 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
19587
19588 @item show commands +
19589 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
19590 @end table
19591
19592 @node Screen Size
19593 @section Screen Size
19594 @cindex size of screen
19595 @cindex pauses in output
19596
19597 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
19598 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
19599 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
19600 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
19601 to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
19602 determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
19603 printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
19604 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
19605
19606 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
19607 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
19608 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
19609 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
19610 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
19611 width} commands:
19612
19613 @table @code
19614 @kindex set height
19615 @kindex set width
19616 @kindex show width
19617 @kindex show height
19618 @item set height @var{lpp}
19619 @itemx show height
19620 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
19621 @itemx show width
19622 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
19623 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
19624 commands display the current settings.
19625
19626 If you specify a height of zero lines, @value{GDBN} does not pause during
19627 output no matter how long the output is. This is useful if output is to a
19628 file or to an editor buffer.
19629
19630 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN}
19631 from wrapping its output.
19632
19633 @item set pagination on
19634 @itemx set pagination off
19635 @kindex set pagination
19636 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
19637 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height 0}. Note that
19638 running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
19639 Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
19640
19641 @item show pagination
19642 @kindex show pagination
19643 Show the current pagination mode.
19644 @end table
19645
19646 @node Numbers
19647 @section Numbers
19648 @cindex number representation
19649 @cindex entering numbers
19650
19651 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
19652 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
19653 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
19654 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
19655 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
19656 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
19657 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
19658 both input and output with the commands described below.
19659
19660 @table @code
19661 @kindex set input-radix
19662 @item set input-radix @var{base}
19663 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
19664 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
19665 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
19666 example, any of
19667
19668 @smallexample
19669 set input-radix 012
19670 set input-radix 10.
19671 set input-radix 0xa
19672 @end smallexample
19673
19674 @noindent
19675 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
19676 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
19677 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
19678 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
19679 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
19680 change the radix.
19681
19682 @kindex set output-radix
19683 @item set output-radix @var{base}
19684 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
19685 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
19686 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
19687
19688 @kindex show input-radix
19689 @item show input-radix
19690 Display the current default base for numeric input.
19691
19692 @kindex show output-radix
19693 @item show output-radix
19694 Display the current default base for numeric display.
19695
19696 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
19697 @itemx show radix
19698 @kindex set radix
19699 @kindex show radix
19700 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
19701 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
19702 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
19703 default value of 10.
19704
19705 @end table
19706
19707 @node ABI
19708 @section Configuring the Current ABI
19709
19710 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
19711 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
19712 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
19713 current ABI.
19714
19715 @cindex OS ABI
19716 @kindex set osabi
19717 @kindex show osabi
19718
19719 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
19720 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
19721 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
19722 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
19723 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
19724 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
19725 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
19726 platform provides.
19727
19728 @table @code
19729 @item show osabi
19730 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
19731
19732 @item set osabi
19733 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
19734
19735 @item set osabi @var{abi}
19736 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
19737 @end table
19738
19739 @cindex float promotion
19740
19741 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
19742 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
19743 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
19744 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
19745 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
19746 @code{double} and then passed.
19747
19748 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
19749 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
19750 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
19751
19752 @table @code
19753 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
19754 @item set coerce-float-to-double
19755 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
19756 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
19757 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
19758
19759 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
19760 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
19761 functions.
19762
19763 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
19764 @item show coerce-float-to-double
19765 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
19766 @end table
19767
19768 @kindex set cp-abi
19769 @kindex show cp-abi
19770 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
19771 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
19772 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
19773 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
19774 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
19775 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
19776 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
19777 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
19778 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
19779 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
19780 ``auto''.
19781
19782 @table @code
19783 @item show cp-abi
19784 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
19785
19786 @item set cp-abi
19787 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
19788
19789 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
19790 @itemx set cp-abi auto
19791 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
19792 @end table
19793
19794 @node Messages/Warnings
19795 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
19796
19797 @cindex verbose operation
19798 @cindex optional warnings
19799 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
19800 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
19801 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
19802 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
19803
19804 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
19805 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
19806 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
19807
19808 @table @code
19809 @kindex set verbose
19810 @item set verbose on
19811 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
19812
19813 @item set verbose off
19814 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
19815
19816 @kindex show verbose
19817 @item show verbose
19818 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
19819 @end table
19820
19821 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
19822 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
19823 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
19824 Symbol Files}).
19825
19826 @table @code
19827
19828 @kindex set complaints
19829 @item set complaints @var{limit}
19830 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
19831 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
19832 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
19833 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
19834
19835 @kindex show complaints
19836 @item show complaints
19837 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
19838
19839 @end table
19840
19841 @anchor{confirmation requests}
19842 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
19843 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
19844 you try to run a program which is already running:
19845
19846 @smallexample
19847 (@value{GDBP}) run
19848 The program being debugged has been started already.
19849 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
19850 @end smallexample
19851
19852 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
19853 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
19854
19855 @table @code
19856
19857 @kindex set confirm
19858 @cindex flinching
19859 @cindex confirmation
19860 @cindex stupid questions
19861 @item set confirm off
19862 Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
19863 the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
19864 automatically disables confirmation requests.
19865
19866 @item set confirm on
19867 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
19868
19869 @kindex show confirm
19870 @item show confirm
19871 Displays state of confirmation requests.
19872
19873 @end table
19874
19875 @cindex command tracing
19876 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
19877 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
19878 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
19879 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
19880
19881 @table @code
19882 @kindex set trace-commands
19883 @cindex command scripts, debugging
19884 @item set trace-commands on
19885 Enable command tracing.
19886 @item set trace-commands off
19887 Disable command tracing.
19888 @item show trace-commands
19889 Display the current state of command tracing.
19890 @end table
19891
19892 @node Debugging Output
19893 @section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
19894 @cindex optional debugging messages
19895
19896 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
19897 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
19898 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
19899 section documents those commands.
19900
19901 @table @code
19902 @kindex set exec-done-display
19903 @item set exec-done-display
19904 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
19905 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
19906 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
19907 @kindex show exec-done-display
19908 @item show exec-done-display
19909 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
19910 notification.
19911 @kindex set debug
19912 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
19913 @cindex architecture debugging info
19914 @item set debug arch
19915 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
19916 @kindex show debug
19917 @item show debug arch
19918 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
19919 @item set debug aix-thread
19920 @cindex AIX threads
19921 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
19922 module.
19923 @item show debug aix-thread
19924 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
19925 @item set debug dwarf2-die
19926 @cindex DWARF2 DIEs
19927 Dump DWARF2 DIEs after they are read in.
19928 The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
19929 A value of zero turns off the display.
19930 @item show debug dwarf2-die
19931 Show the current state of DWARF2 DIE debugging.
19932 @item set debug displaced
19933 @cindex displaced stepping debugging info
19934 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
19935 displaced stepping support. The default is off.
19936 @item show debug displaced
19937 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
19938 related to displaced stepping.
19939 @item set debug event
19940 @cindex event debugging info
19941 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
19942 default is off.
19943 @item show debug event
19944 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
19945 info.
19946 @item set debug expression
19947 @cindex expression debugging info
19948 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
19949 expression parsing. The default is off.
19950 @item show debug expression
19951 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
19952 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
19953 @item set debug frame
19954 @cindex frame debugging info
19955 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
19956 default is off.
19957 @item show debug frame
19958 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
19959 info.
19960 @item set debug gnu-nat
19961 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
19962 Turns on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
19963 @item show debug gnu-nat
19964 Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
19965 @item set debug infrun
19966 @cindex inferior debugging info
19967 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
19968 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
19969 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
19970 @item show debug infrun
19971 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
19972 @item set debug jit
19973 @cindex just-in-time compilation, debugging messages
19974 Turns on or off debugging messages from JIT debug support.
19975 @item show debug jit
19976 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} JIT debugging.
19977 @item set debug lin-lwp
19978 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
19979 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
19980 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
19981 @item show debug lin-lwp
19982 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
19983 @item set debug lin-lwp-async
19984 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP async debug messages
19985 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
19986 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP async debug support.
19987 @item show debug lin-lwp-async
19988 Show the current state of Linux LWP async debugging messages.
19989 @item set debug observer
19990 @cindex observer debugging info
19991 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
19992 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
19993 @item show debug observer
19994 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
19995 @item set debug overload
19996 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
19997 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
19998 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
19999 is off.
20000 @item show debug overload
20001 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
20002 debugging info.
20003 @cindex expression parser, debugging info
20004 @cindex debug expression parser
20005 @item set debug parser
20006 Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
20007 Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
20008 parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
20009 details. The default is off.
20010 @item show debug parser
20011 Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
20012 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
20013 @cindex serial connections, debugging
20014 @cindex debug remote protocol
20015 @cindex remote protocol debugging
20016 @cindex display remote packets
20017 @item set debug remote
20018 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
20019 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
20020 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
20021 @item show debug remote
20022 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
20023 @item set debug serial
20024 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
20025 default is off.
20026 @item show debug serial
20027 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
20028 info.
20029 @item set debug solib-frv
20030 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
20031 Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
20032 @item show debug solib-frv
20033 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
20034 messages.
20035 @item set debug target
20036 @cindex target debugging info
20037 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
20038 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
20039 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
20040 value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
20041 until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
20042 @item show debug target
20043 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
20044 info.
20045 @item set debug timestamp
20046 @cindex timestampping debugging info
20047 Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
20048 When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
20049 message.
20050 @item show debug timestamp
20051 Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
20052 debugging info.
20053 @item set debugvarobj
20054 @cindex variable object debugging info
20055 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
20056 info. The default is off.
20057 @item show debugvarobj
20058 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
20059 debugging info.
20060 @item set debug xml
20061 @cindex XML parser debugging
20062 Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
20063 @item show debug xml
20064 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
20065 @end table
20066
20067 @node Other Misc Settings
20068 @section Other Miscellaneous Settings
20069 @cindex miscellaneous settings
20070
20071 @table @code
20072 @kindex set interactive-mode
20073 @item set interactive-mode
20074 If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to assume that GDB was started
20075 in a terminal. In practice, this means that @value{GDBN} should wait
20076 for the user to answer queries generated by commands entered at
20077 the command prompt. If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate
20078 in the opposite mode, and it uses the default answers to all queries.
20079 If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} tries to determine whether
20080 its standard input is a terminal, and works in interactive-mode if it
20081 is, non-interactively otherwise.
20082
20083 In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
20084 correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
20085 in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
20086 inside a cygwin window.
20087
20088 @kindex show interactive-mode
20089 @item show interactive-mode
20090 Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
20091 @end table
20092
20093 @node Extending GDB
20094 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
20095 @cindex extending GDB
20096
20097 @value{GDBN} provides two mechanisms for extension. The first is based
20098 on composition of @value{GDBN} commands, and the second is based on the
20099 Python scripting language.
20100
20101 To facilitate the use of these extensions, @value{GDBN} is capable
20102 of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
20103 can recognize which scripting language is being used by looking at
20104 the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
20105 are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
20106 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
20107
20108 You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
20109 setting:
20110
20111 @table @code
20112 @kindex set script-extension
20113 @kindex show script-extension
20114 @item set script-extension off
20115 All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
20116
20117 @item set script-extension soft
20118 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
20119 extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
20120 evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
20121 the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
20122
20123 @item set script-extension strict
20124 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
20125 extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
20126 language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
20127
20128 @item show script-extension
20129 Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
20130
20131 @end table
20132
20133 @menu
20134 * Sequences:: Canned Sequences of Commands
20135 * Python:: Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
20136 @end menu
20137
20138 @node Sequences
20139 @section Canned Sequences of Commands
20140
20141 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
20142 Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
20143 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
20144 files.
20145
20146 @menu
20147 * Define:: How to define your own commands
20148 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
20149 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
20150 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
20151 @end menu
20152
20153 @node Define
20154 @subsection User-defined Commands
20155
20156 @cindex user-defined command
20157 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
20158 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
20159 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
20160 @code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
20161 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
20162 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
20163
20164 @smallexample
20165 define adder
20166 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
20167 end
20168 @end smallexample
20169
20170 @noindent
20171 To execute the command use:
20172
20173 @smallexample
20174 adder 1 2 3
20175 @end smallexample
20176
20177 @noindent
20178 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
20179 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
20180 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
20181 functions calls.
20182
20183 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
20184 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
20185 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
20186 been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
20187
20188 @smallexample
20189 define adder
20190 if $argc == 2
20191 print $arg0 + $arg1
20192 end
20193 if $argc == 3
20194 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
20195 end
20196 end
20197 @end smallexample
20198
20199 @table @code
20200
20201 @kindex define
20202 @item define @var{commandname}
20203 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
20204 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
20205 @var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
20206 numbers, dashes, and underscores. It may also start with any predefined
20207 prefix command. For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
20208 a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
20209
20210 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
20211 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
20212 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
20213
20214 @kindex document
20215 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
20216 @item document @var{commandname}
20217 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
20218 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
20219 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
20220 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
20221 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
20222 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
20223
20224 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
20225 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
20226 does not change the documentation.
20227
20228 @kindex dont-repeat
20229 @cindex don't repeat command
20230 @item dont-repeat
20231 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
20232 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
20233 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
20234
20235 @kindex help user-defined
20236 @item help user-defined
20237 List all user-defined commands, with the first line of the documentation
20238 (if any) for each.
20239
20240 @kindex show user
20241 @item show user
20242 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
20243 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
20244 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
20245 definitions for all user-defined commands.
20246
20247 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
20248 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
20249 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
20250 @item show max-user-call-depth
20251 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
20252 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
20253 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
20254 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
20255 @end table
20256
20257 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
20258 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
20259
20260 When user-defined commands are executed, the
20261 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
20262 stops execution of the user-defined command.
20263
20264 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
20265 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
20266 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
20267 messages when used in a user-defined command.
20268
20269 @node Hooks
20270 @subsection User-defined Command Hooks
20271 @cindex command hooks
20272 @cindex hooks, for commands
20273 @cindex hooks, pre-command
20274
20275 @kindex hook
20276 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
20277 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
20278 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
20279 before that command.
20280
20281 @cindex hooks, post-command
20282 @kindex hookpost
20283 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
20284 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
20285 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
20286 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
20287 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
20288
20289 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
20290 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
20291
20292 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
20293 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
20294
20295 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
20296 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
20297 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
20298 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
20299 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
20300
20301 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
20302 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
20303 you could define:
20304
20305 @smallexample
20306 define hook-stop
20307 handle SIGALRM nopass
20308 end
20309
20310 define hook-run
20311 handle SIGALRM pass
20312 end
20313
20314 define hook-continue
20315 handle SIGALRM pass
20316 end
20317 @end smallexample
20318
20319 As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
20320 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
20321 you could define:
20322
20323 @smallexample
20324 define hook-echo
20325 echo <<<---
20326 end
20327
20328 define hookpost-echo
20329 echo --->>>\n
20330 end
20331
20332 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
20333 <<<---Hello World--->>>
20334 (@value{GDBP})
20335
20336 @end smallexample
20337
20338 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
20339 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
20340 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
20341 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
20342 @c or not?
20343 You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
20344 @code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
20345 @samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
20346
20347 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
20348 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
20349 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
20350
20351 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
20352 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
20353
20354 @node Command Files
20355 @subsection Command Files
20356
20357 @cindex command files
20358 @cindex scripting commands
20359 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
20360 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
20361 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
20362 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
20363 terminal.
20364
20365 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
20366 command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
20367 scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
20368 using the @code{script-extension} setting.
20369 @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
20370
20371 @table @code
20372 @kindex source
20373 @cindex execute commands from a file
20374 @item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
20375 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
20376 @end table
20377
20378 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
20379 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
20380 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
20381 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
20382 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
20383
20384 @value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
20385 If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
20386 directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
20387 (specified with the @samp{directory} command);
20388 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
20389 is not relevant to scripts.
20390
20391 If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
20392 on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
20393 The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
20394 search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
20395 and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
20396 look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
20397 The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
20398 For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
20399 the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
20400 look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
20401 For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
20402 it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
20403 @file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
20404 will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
20405
20406 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
20407 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
20408 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
20409
20410 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
20411 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
20412 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
20413 when called from command files.
20414
20415 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
20416 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
20417 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
20418 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
20419 the next command.
20420
20421 @smallexample
20422 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
20423 @end smallexample
20424
20425 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
20426 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
20427 would be directed to @file{log}.
20428
20429 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
20430 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
20431 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
20432 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
20433 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
20434 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
20435 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
20436 conditionally, etc.
20437
20438 @table @code
20439 @kindex if
20440 @kindex else
20441 @item if
20442 @itemx else
20443 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
20444 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
20445 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
20446 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
20447 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
20448 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
20449 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
20450
20451 @kindex while
20452 @item while
20453 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
20454 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
20455 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
20456 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
20457 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
20458 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
20459
20460 @kindex loop_break
20461 @item loop_break
20462 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
20463 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
20464 line.
20465
20466 @kindex loop_continue
20467 @item loop_continue
20468 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
20469 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
20470 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
20471 the controlling expression.
20472
20473 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
20474 @item end
20475 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
20476 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
20477 @end table
20478
20479
20480 @node Output
20481 @subsection Commands for Controlled Output
20482
20483 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
20484 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
20485 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
20486 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
20487 want.
20488
20489 @table @code
20490 @kindex echo
20491 @item echo @var{text}
20492 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
20493 @c because it is not in ANSI.
20494 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
20495 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
20496 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
20497 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
20498 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
20499 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
20500 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
20501 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
20502 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
20503
20504 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
20505 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
20506
20507 @smallexample
20508 echo This is some text\n\
20509 which is continued\n\
20510 onto several lines.\n
20511 @end smallexample
20512
20513 produces the same output as
20514
20515 @smallexample
20516 echo This is some text\n
20517 echo which is continued\n
20518 echo onto several lines.\n
20519 @end smallexample
20520
20521 @kindex output
20522 @item output @var{expression}
20523 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
20524 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
20525 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
20526 on expressions.
20527
20528 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
20529 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
20530 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
20531 Formats}, for more information.
20532
20533 @kindex printf
20534 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
20535 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
20536 the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
20537 @var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
20538 which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
20539 specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
20540 executing the code below:
20541
20542 @smallexample
20543 printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
20544 @end smallexample
20545
20546 As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
20547 are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
20548 by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
20549 evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
20550 style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
20551 printed.
20552
20553 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
20554
20555 @smallexample
20556 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
20557 @end smallexample
20558
20559 @code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
20560 specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
20561 character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
20562
20563 @itemize @bullet
20564 @item
20565 The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
20566
20567 @item
20568 The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
20569 width.
20570
20571 @item
20572 The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
20573 @code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
20574
20575 @item
20576 The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
20577 supported.
20578
20579 @item
20580 The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
20581
20582 @item
20583 The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
20584 @end itemize
20585
20586 @noindent
20587 Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
20588 underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
20589 the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
20590 supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
20591
20592 As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
20593 sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
20594 @samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
20595 single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
20596 supported.
20597
20598 Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
20599 (@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
20600 together with a floating point specifier.
20601 letters:
20602
20603 @itemize @bullet
20604 @item
20605 @samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
20606
20607 @item
20608 @samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
20609
20610 @item
20611 @samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
20612 @end itemize
20613
20614 If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
20615 support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
20616 such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
20617
20618 In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
20619 available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
20620
20621 Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
20622 @smallexample
20623 printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
20624 @end smallexample
20625
20626 @kindex eval
20627 @item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
20628 Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
20629 the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
20630
20631 @end table
20632
20633 @node Python
20634 @section Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
20635 @cindex python scripting
20636 @cindex scripting with python
20637
20638 You can script @value{GDBN} using the @uref{http://www.python.org/,
20639 Python programming language}. This feature is available only if
20640 @value{GDBN} was configured using @option{--with-python}.
20641
20642 @cindex python directory
20643 Python scripts used by @value{GDBN} should be installed in
20644 @file{@var{data-directory}/python}, where @var{data-directory} is
20645 the data directory as determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}).
20646 This directory, known as the @dfn{python directory},
20647 is automatically added to the Python Search Path in order to allow
20648 the Python interpreter to locate all scripts installed at this location.
20649
20650 @menu
20651 * Python Commands:: Accessing Python from @value{GDBN}.
20652 * Python API:: Accessing @value{GDBN} from Python.
20653 * Auto-loading:: Automatically loading Python code.
20654 * Python modules:: Python modules provided by @value{GDBN}.
20655 @end menu
20656
20657 @node Python Commands
20658 @subsection Python Commands
20659 @cindex python commands
20660 @cindex commands to access python
20661
20662 @value{GDBN} provides one command for accessing the Python interpreter,
20663 and one related setting:
20664
20665 @table @code
20666 @kindex python
20667 @item python @r{[}@var{code}@r{]}
20668 The @code{python} command can be used to evaluate Python code.
20669
20670 If given an argument, the @code{python} command will evaluate the
20671 argument as a Python command. For example:
20672
20673 @smallexample
20674 (@value{GDBP}) python print 23
20675 23
20676 @end smallexample
20677
20678 If you do not provide an argument to @code{python}, it will act as a
20679 multi-line command, like @code{define}. In this case, the Python
20680 script is made up of subsequent command lines, given after the
20681 @code{python} command. This command list is terminated using a line
20682 containing @code{end}. For example:
20683
20684 @smallexample
20685 (@value{GDBP}) python
20686 Type python script
20687 End with a line saying just "end".
20688 >print 23
20689 >end
20690 23
20691 @end smallexample
20692
20693 @kindex maint set python print-stack
20694 @item maint set python print-stack
20695 By default, @value{GDBN} will print a stack trace when an error occurs
20696 in a Python script. This can be controlled using @code{maint set
20697 python print-stack}: if @code{on}, the default, then Python stack
20698 printing is enabled; if @code{off}, then Python stack printing is
20699 disabled.
20700 @end table
20701
20702 It is also possible to execute a Python script from the @value{GDBN}
20703 interpreter:
20704
20705 @table @code
20706 @item source @file{script-name}
20707 The script name must end with @samp{.py} and @value{GDBN} must be configured
20708 to recognize the script language based on filename extension using
20709 the @code{script-extension} setting. @xref{Extending GDB, ,Extending GDB}.
20710
20711 @item python execfile ("script-name")
20712 This method is based on the @code{execfile} Python built-in function,
20713 and thus is always available.
20714 @end table
20715
20716 @node Python API
20717 @subsection Python API
20718 @cindex python api
20719 @cindex programming in python
20720
20721 @cindex python stdout
20722 @cindex python pagination
20723 At startup, @value{GDBN} overrides Python's @code{sys.stdout} and
20724 @code{sys.stderr} to print using @value{GDBN}'s output-paging streams.
20725 A Python program which outputs to one of these streams may have its
20726 output interrupted by the user (@pxref{Screen Size}). In this
20727 situation, a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception is thrown.
20728
20729 @menu
20730 * Basic Python:: Basic Python Functions.
20731 * Exception Handling:: How Python exceptions are translated.
20732 * Values From Inferior:: Python representation of values.
20733 * Types In Python:: Python representation of types.
20734 * Pretty Printing API:: Pretty-printing values.
20735 * Selecting Pretty-Printers:: How GDB chooses a pretty-printer.
20736 * Writing a Pretty-Printer:: Writing a Pretty-Printer.
20737 * Inferiors In Python:: Python representation of inferiors (processes)
20738 * Events In Python:: Listening for events from @value{GDBN}.
20739 * Threads In Python:: Accessing inferior threads from Python.
20740 * Commands In Python:: Implementing new commands in Python.
20741 * Parameters In Python:: Adding new @value{GDBN} parameters.
20742 * Functions In Python:: Writing new convenience functions.
20743 * Progspaces In Python:: Program spaces.
20744 * Objfiles In Python:: Object files.
20745 * Frames In Python:: Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
20746 * Blocks In Python:: Accessing frame blocks from Python.
20747 * Symbols In Python:: Python representation of symbols.
20748 * Symbol Tables In Python:: Python representation of symbol tables.
20749 * Lazy Strings In Python:: Python representation of lazy strings.
20750 * Breakpoints In Python:: Manipulating breakpoints using Python.
20751 @end menu
20752
20753 @node Basic Python
20754 @subsubsection Basic Python
20755
20756 @cindex python functions
20757 @cindex python module
20758 @cindex gdb module
20759 @value{GDBN} introduces a new Python module, named @code{gdb}. All
20760 methods and classes added by @value{GDBN} are placed in this module.
20761 @value{GDBN} automatically @code{import}s the @code{gdb} module for
20762 use in all scripts evaluated by the @code{python} command.
20763
20764 @findex gdb.PYTHONDIR
20765 @defvar PYTHONDIR
20766 A string containing the python directory (@pxref{Python}).
20767 @end defvar
20768
20769 @findex gdb.execute
20770 @defun execute command [from_tty] [to_string]
20771 Evaluate @var{command}, a string, as a @value{GDBN} CLI command.
20772 If a GDB exception happens while @var{command} runs, it is
20773 translated as described in @ref{Exception Handling,,Exception Handling}.
20774
20775 @var{from_tty} specifies whether @value{GDBN} ought to consider this
20776 command as having originated from the user invoking it interactively.
20777 It must be a boolean value. If omitted, it defaults to @code{False}.
20778
20779 By default, any output produced by @var{command} is sent to
20780 @value{GDBN}'s standard output. If the @var{to_string} parameter is
20781 @code{True}, then output will be collected by @code{gdb.execute} and
20782 returned as a string. The default is @code{False}, in which case the
20783 return value is @code{None}. If @var{to_string} is @code{True}, the
20784 @value{GDBN} virtual terminal will be temporarily set to unlimited width
20785 and height, and its pagination will be disabled; @pxref{Screen Size}.
20786 @end defun
20787
20788 @findex gdb.breakpoints
20789 @defun breakpoints
20790 Return a sequence holding all of @value{GDBN}'s breakpoints.
20791 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for more information.
20792 @end defun
20793
20794 @findex gdb.parameter
20795 @defun parameter parameter
20796 Return the value of a @value{GDBN} parameter. @var{parameter} is a
20797 string naming the parameter to look up; @var{parameter} may contain
20798 spaces if the parameter has a multi-part name. For example,
20799 @samp{print object} is a valid parameter name.
20800
20801 If the named parameter does not exist, this function throws a
20802 @code{gdb.error} (@pxref{Exception Handling}). Otherwise, the
20803 parameter's value is converted to a Python value of the appropriate
20804 type, and returned.
20805 @end defun
20806
20807 @findex gdb.history
20808 @defun history number
20809 Return a value from @value{GDBN}'s value history (@pxref{Value
20810 History}). @var{number} indicates which history element to return.
20811 If @var{number} is negative, then @value{GDBN} will take its absolute value
20812 and count backward from the last element (i.e., the most recent element) to
20813 find the value to return. If @var{number} is zero, then @value{GDBN} will
20814 return the most recent element. If the element specified by @var{number}
20815 doesn't exist in the value history, a @code{gdb.error} exception will be
20816 raised.
20817
20818 If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
20819 @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
20820 @end defun
20821
20822 @findex gdb.parse_and_eval
20823 @defun parse_and_eval expression
20824 Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
20825 evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
20826 @var{expression} must be a string.
20827
20828 This function can be useful when implementing a new command
20829 (@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
20830 command's argument as an expression. It is also useful simply to
20831 compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
20832 convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
20833 @end defun
20834
20835 @findex gdb.post_event
20836 @defun post_event event
20837 Put @var{event}, a callable object taking no arguments, into
20838 @value{GDBN}'s internal event queue. This callable will be invoked at
20839 some later point, during @value{GDBN}'s event processing. Events
20840 posted using @code{post_event} will be run in the order in which they
20841 were posted; however, there is no way to know when they will be
20842 processed relative to other events inside @value{GDBN}.
20843
20844 @value{GDBN} is not thread-safe. If your Python program uses multiple
20845 threads, you must be careful to only call @value{GDBN}-specific
20846 functions in the main @value{GDBN} thread. @code{post_event} ensures
20847 this. For example:
20848
20849 @smallexample
20850 (@value{GDBP}) python
20851 >import threading
20852 >
20853 >class Writer():
20854 > def __init__(self, message):
20855 > self.message = message;
20856 > def __call__(self):
20857 > gdb.write(self.message)
20858 >
20859 >class MyThread1 (threading.Thread):
20860 > def run (self):
20861 > gdb.post_event(Writer("Hello "))
20862 >
20863 >class MyThread2 (threading.Thread):
20864 > def run (self):
20865 > gdb.post_event(Writer("World\n"))
20866 >
20867 >MyThread1().start()
20868 >MyThread2().start()
20869 >end
20870 (@value{GDBP}) Hello World
20871 @end smallexample
20872 @end defun
20873
20874 @findex gdb.write
20875 @defun write string
20876 Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated standard output stream.
20877 Writing to @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
20878 call this function.
20879 @end defun
20880
20881 @findex gdb.flush
20882 @defun flush
20883 Flush @value{GDBN}'s paginated standard output stream. Flushing
20884 @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically call this
20885 function.
20886 @end defun
20887
20888 @findex gdb.target_charset
20889 @defun target_charset
20890 Return the name of the current target character set (@pxref{Character
20891 Sets}). This differs from @code{gdb.parameter('target-charset')} in
20892 that @samp{auto} is never returned.
20893 @end defun
20894
20895 @findex gdb.target_wide_charset
20896 @defun target_wide_charset
20897 Return the name of the current target wide character set
20898 (@pxref{Character Sets}). This differs from
20899 @code{gdb.parameter('target-wide-charset')} in that @samp{auto} is
20900 never returned.
20901 @end defun
20902
20903 @findex gdb.solib_name
20904 @defun solib_name address
20905 Return the name of the shared library holding the given @var{address}
20906 as a string, or @code{None}.
20907 @end defun
20908
20909 @findex gdb.decode_line
20910 @defun decode_line @r{[}expression@r{]}
20911 Return locations of the line specified by @var{expression}, or of the
20912 current line if no argument was given. This function returns a Python
20913 tuple containing two elements. The first element contains a string
20914 holding any unparsed section of @var{expression} (or @code{None} if
20915 the expression has been fully parsed). The second element contains
20916 either @code{None} or another tuple that contains all the locations
20917 that match the expression represented as @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line}
20918 objects (@pxref{Symbol Tables In Python}). If @var{expression} is
20919 provided, it is decoded the way that @value{GDBN}'s inbuilt
20920 @code{break} or @code{edit} commands do (@pxref{Specify Location}).
20921 @end defun
20922
20923 @node Exception Handling
20924 @subsubsection Exception Handling
20925 @cindex python exceptions
20926 @cindex exceptions, python
20927
20928 When executing the @code{python} command, Python exceptions
20929 uncaught within the Python code are translated to calls to
20930 @value{GDBN} error-reporting mechanism. If the command that called
20931 @code{python} does not handle the error, @value{GDBN} will
20932 terminate it and print an error message containing the Python
20933 exception name, the associated value, and the Python call stack
20934 backtrace at the point where the exception was raised. Example:
20935
20936 @smallexample
20937 (@value{GDBP}) python print foo
20938 Traceback (most recent call last):
20939 File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
20940 NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
20941 @end smallexample
20942
20943 @value{GDBN} errors that happen in @value{GDBN} commands invoked by
20944 Python code are converted to Python exceptions. The type of the
20945 Python exception depends on the error.
20946
20947 @ftable @code
20948 @item gdb.error
20949 This is the base class for most exceptions generated by @value{GDBN}.
20950 It is derived from @code{RuntimeError}, for compatibility with earlier
20951 versions of @value{GDBN}.
20952
20953 If an error occurring in @value{GDBN} does not fit into some more
20954 specific category, then the generated exception will have this type.
20955
20956 @item gdb.MemoryError
20957 This is a subclass of @code{gdb.error} which is thrown when an
20958 operation tried to access invalid memory in the inferior.
20959
20960 @item KeyboardInterrupt
20961 User interrupt (via @kbd{C-c} or by typing @kbd{q} at a pagination
20962 prompt) is translated to a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception.
20963 @end ftable
20964
20965 In all cases, your exception handler will see the @value{GDBN} error
20966 message as its value and the Python call stack backtrace at the Python
20967 statement closest to where the @value{GDBN} error occured as the
20968 traceback.
20969
20970 @findex gdb.GdbError
20971 When implementing @value{GDBN} commands in Python via @code{gdb.Command},
20972 it is useful to be able to throw an exception that doesn't cause a
20973 traceback to be printed. For example, the user may have invoked the
20974 command incorrectly. Use the @code{gdb.GdbError} exception
20975 to handle this case. Example:
20976
20977 @smallexample
20978 (gdb) python
20979 >class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
20980 > """Greet the whole world."""
20981 > def __init__ (self):
20982 > super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE)
20983 > def invoke (self, args, from_tty):
20984 > argv = gdb.string_to_argv (args)
20985 > if len (argv) != 0:
20986 > raise gdb.GdbError ("hello-world takes no arguments")
20987 > print "Hello, World!"
20988 >HelloWorld ()
20989 >end
20990 (gdb) hello-world 42
20991 hello-world takes no arguments
20992 @end smallexample
20993
20994 @node Values From Inferior
20995 @subsubsection Values From Inferior
20996 @cindex values from inferior, with Python
20997 @cindex python, working with values from inferior
20998
20999 @cindex @code{gdb.Value}
21000 @value{GDBN} provides values it obtains from the inferior program in
21001 an object of type @code{gdb.Value}. @value{GDBN} uses this object
21002 for its internal bookkeeping of the inferior's values, and for
21003 fetching values when necessary.
21004
21005 Inferior values that are simple scalars can be used directly in
21006 Python expressions that are valid for the value's data type. Here's
21007 an example for an integer or floating-point value @code{some_val}:
21008
21009 @smallexample
21010 bar = some_val + 2
21011 @end smallexample
21012
21013 @noindent
21014 As result of this, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object
21015 whose values are of the same type as those of @code{some_val}.
21016
21017 Inferior values that are structures or instances of some class can
21018 be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}. For example, if
21019 @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance holding a structure, you
21020 can access its @code{foo} element with:
21021
21022 @smallexample
21023 bar = some_val['foo']
21024 @end smallexample
21025
21026 Again, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object.
21027
21028 A @code{gdb.Value} that represents a function can be executed via
21029 inferior function call. Any arguments provided to the call must match
21030 the function's prototype, and must be provided in the order specified
21031 by that prototype.
21032
21033 For example, @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance
21034 representing a function that takes two integers as arguments. To
21035 execute this function, call it like so:
21036
21037 @smallexample
21038 result = some_val (10,20)
21039 @end smallexample
21040
21041 Any values returned from a function call will be stored as a
21042 @code{gdb.Value}.
21043
21044 The following attributes are provided:
21045
21046 @table @code
21047 @defivar Value address
21048 If this object is addressable, this read-only attribute holds a
21049 @code{gdb.Value} object representing the address. Otherwise,
21050 this attribute holds @code{None}.
21051 @end defivar
21052
21053 @cindex optimized out value in Python
21054 @defivar Value is_optimized_out
21055 This read-only boolean attribute is true if the compiler optimized out
21056 this value, thus it is not available for fetching from the inferior.
21057 @end defivar
21058
21059 @defivar Value type
21060 The type of this @code{gdb.Value}. The value of this attribute is a
21061 @code{gdb.Type} object (@pxref{Types In Python}).
21062 @end defivar
21063
21064 @defivar Value dynamic_type
21065 The dynamic type of this @code{gdb.Value}. This uses C@t{++} run-time
21066 type information (@acronym{RTTI}) to determine the dynamic type of the
21067 value. If this value is of class type, it will return the class in
21068 which the value is embedded, if any. If this value is of pointer or
21069 reference to a class type, it will compute the dynamic type of the
21070 referenced object, and return a pointer or reference to that type,
21071 respectively. In all other cases, it will return the value's static
21072 type.
21073
21074 Note that this feature will only work when debugging a C@t{++} program
21075 that includes @acronym{RTTI} for the object in question. Otherwise,
21076 it will just return the static type of the value as in @kbd{ptype foo}
21077 (@pxref{Symbols, ptype}).
21078 @end defivar
21079 @end table
21080
21081 The following methods are provided:
21082
21083 @table @code
21084 @defmethod Value __init__ @var{val}
21085 Many Python values can be converted directly to a @code{gdb.Value} via
21086 this object initializer. Specifically:
21087
21088 @table @asis
21089 @item Python boolean
21090 A Python boolean is converted to the boolean type from the current
21091 language.
21092
21093 @item Python integer
21094 A Python integer is converted to the C @code{long} type for the
21095 current architecture.
21096
21097 @item Python long
21098 A Python long is converted to the C @code{long long} type for the
21099 current architecture.
21100
21101 @item Python float
21102 A Python float is converted to the C @code{double} type for the
21103 current architecture.
21104
21105 @item Python string
21106 A Python string is converted to a target string, using the current
21107 target encoding.
21108
21109 @item @code{gdb.Value}
21110 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.Value}, then a copy of the value is made.
21111
21112 @item @code{gdb.LazyString}
21113 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings In
21114 Python}), then the lazy string's @code{value} method is called, and
21115 its result is used.
21116 @end table
21117 @end defmethod
21118
21119 @defmethod Value cast type
21120 Return a new instance of @code{gdb.Value} that is the result of
21121 casting this instance to the type described by @var{type}, which must
21122 be a @code{gdb.Type} object. If the cast cannot be performed for some
21123 reason, this method throws an exception.
21124 @end defmethod
21125
21126 @defmethod Value dereference
21127 For pointer data types, this method returns a new @code{gdb.Value} object
21128 whose contents is the object pointed to by the pointer. For example, if
21129 @code{foo} is a C pointer to an @code{int}, declared in your C program as
21130
21131 @smallexample
21132 int *foo;
21133 @end smallexample
21134
21135 @noindent
21136 then you can use the corresponding @code{gdb.Value} to access what
21137 @code{foo} points to like this:
21138
21139 @smallexample
21140 bar = foo.dereference ()
21141 @end smallexample
21142
21143 The result @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Value} object holding the
21144 value pointed to by @code{foo}.
21145 @end defmethod
21146
21147 @defmethod Value dynamic_cast type
21148 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{dynamic_cast}
21149 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
21150 @end defmethod
21151
21152 @defmethod Value reinterpret_cast type
21153 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{reinterpret_cast}
21154 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
21155 @end defmethod
21156
21157 @defmethod Value string @r{[}encoding@r{]} @r{[}errors@r{]} @r{[}length@r{]}
21158 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
21159 converts the contents to a Python string. Otherwise, this method will
21160 throw an exception.
21161
21162 Strings are recognized in a language-specific way; whether a given
21163 @code{gdb.Value} represents a string is determined by the current
21164 language.
21165
21166 For C-like languages, a value is a string if it is a pointer to or an
21167 array of characters or ints. The string is assumed to be terminated
21168 by a zero of the appropriate width. However if the optional length
21169 argument is given, the string will be converted to that given length,
21170 ignoring any embedded zeros that the string may contain.
21171
21172 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
21173 naming the encoding of the string in the @code{gdb.Value}, such as
21174 @code{"ascii"}, @code{"iso-8859-6"} or @code{"utf-8"}. It accepts
21175 the same encodings as the corresponding argument to Python's
21176 @code{string.decode} method, and the Python codec machinery will be used
21177 to convert the string. If @var{encoding} is not given, or if
21178 @var{encoding} is the empty string, then either the @code{target-charset}
21179 (@pxref{Character Sets}) will be used, or a language-specific encoding
21180 will be used, if the current language is able to supply one.
21181
21182 The optional @var{errors} argument is the same as the corresponding
21183 argument to Python's @code{string.decode} method.
21184
21185 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
21186 fetched and converted to the given length.
21187 @end defmethod
21188
21189 @defmethod Value lazy_string @r{[}encoding@r{]} @r{[}length@r{]}
21190 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
21191 converts the contents to a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings
21192 In Python}). Otherwise, this method will throw an exception.
21193
21194 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
21195 naming the encoding of the @code{gdb.LazyString}. Some examples are:
21196 @samp{ascii}, @samp{iso-8859-6} or @samp{utf-8}. If the
21197 @var{encoding} argument is an encoding that @value{GDBN} does
21198 recognize, @value{GDBN} will raise an error.
21199
21200 When a lazy string is printed, the @value{GDBN} encoding machinery is
21201 used to convert the string during printing. If the optional
21202 @var{encoding} argument is not provided, or is an empty string,
21203 @value{GDBN} will automatically select the encoding most suitable for
21204 the string type. For further information on encoding in @value{GDBN}
21205 please see @ref{Character Sets}.
21206
21207 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
21208 fetched and encoded to the length of characters specified. If
21209 the @var{length} argument is not provided, the string will be fetched
21210 and encoded until a null of appropriate width is found.
21211 @end defmethod
21212 @end table
21213
21214 @node Types In Python
21215 @subsubsection Types In Python
21216 @cindex types in Python
21217 @cindex Python, working with types
21218
21219 @tindex gdb.Type
21220 @value{GDBN} represents types from the inferior using the class
21221 @code{gdb.Type}.
21222
21223 The following type-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
21224 module:
21225
21226 @findex gdb.lookup_type
21227 @defun lookup_type name [block]
21228 This function looks up a type by name. @var{name} is the name of the
21229 type to look up. It must be a string.
21230
21231 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
21232 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
21233
21234 Ordinarily, this function will return an instance of @code{gdb.Type}.
21235 If the named type cannot be found, it will throw an exception.
21236 @end defun
21237
21238 An instance of @code{Type} has the following attributes:
21239
21240 @table @code
21241 @defivar Type code
21242 The type code for this type. The type code will be one of the
21243 @code{TYPE_CODE_} constants defined below.
21244 @end defivar
21245
21246 @defivar Type sizeof
21247 The size of this type, in target @code{char} units. Usually, a
21248 target's @code{char} type will be an 8-bit byte. However, on some
21249 unusual platforms, this type may have a different size.
21250 @end defivar
21251
21252 @defivar Type tag
21253 The tag name for this type. The tag name is the name after
21254 @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} in C and C@t{++}; not all
21255 languages have this concept. If this type has no tag name, then
21256 @code{None} is returned.
21257 @end defivar
21258 @end table
21259
21260 The following methods are provided:
21261
21262 @table @code
21263 @defmethod Type fields
21264 For structure and union types, this method returns the fields. Range
21265 types have two fields, the minimum and maximum values. Enum types
21266 have one field per enum constant. Function and method types have one
21267 field per parameter. The base types of C@t{++} classes are also
21268 represented as fields. If the type has no fields, or does not fit
21269 into one of these categories, an empty sequence will be returned.
21270
21271 Each field is an object, with some pre-defined attributes:
21272 @table @code
21273 @item bitpos
21274 This attribute is not available for @code{static} fields (as in
21275 C@t{++} or Java). For non-@code{static} fields, the value is the bit
21276 position of the field.
21277
21278 @item name
21279 The name of the field, or @code{None} for anonymous fields.
21280
21281 @item artificial
21282 This is @code{True} if the field is artificial, usually meaning that
21283 it was provided by the compiler and not the user. This attribute is
21284 always provided, and is @code{False} if the field is not artificial.
21285
21286 @item is_base_class
21287 This is @code{True} if the field represents a base class of a C@t{++}
21288 structure. This attribute is always provided, and is @code{False}
21289 if the field is not a base class of the type that is the argument of
21290 @code{fields}, or if that type was not a C@t{++} class.
21291
21292 @item bitsize
21293 If the field is packed, or is a bitfield, then this will have a
21294 non-zero value, which is the size of the field in bits. Otherwise,
21295 this will be zero; in this case the field's size is given by its type.
21296
21297 @item type
21298 The type of the field. This is usually an instance of @code{Type},
21299 but it can be @code{None} in some situations.
21300 @end table
21301 @end defmethod
21302
21303 @defmethod Type array @var{n1} @r{[}@var{n2}@r{]}
21304 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an array of this
21305 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
21306 the array; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
21307 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the array, and the
21308 second argument is the upper bound of the array. An array's length
21309 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
21310 @end defmethod
21311
21312 @defmethod Type const
21313 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
21314 @code{const}-qualified variant of this type.
21315 @end defmethod
21316
21317 @defmethod Type volatile
21318 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
21319 @code{volatile}-qualified variant of this type.
21320 @end defmethod
21321
21322 @defmethod Type unqualified
21323 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an unqualified
21324 variant of this type. That is, the result is neither @code{const} nor
21325 @code{volatile}.
21326 @end defmethod
21327
21328 @defmethod Type range
21329 Return a Python @code{Tuple} object that contains two elements: the
21330 low bound of the argument type and the high bound of that type. If
21331 the type does not have a range, @value{GDBN} will raise a
21332 @code{gdb.error} exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
21333 @end defmethod
21334
21335 @defmethod Type reference
21336 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a reference to this
21337 type.
21338 @end defmethod
21339
21340 @defmethod Type pointer
21341 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a pointer to this
21342 type.
21343 @end defmethod
21344
21345 @defmethod Type strip_typedefs
21346 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} that represents the real type,
21347 after removing all layers of typedefs.
21348 @end defmethod
21349
21350 @defmethod Type target
21351 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents the target type
21352 of this type.
21353
21354 For a pointer type, the target type is the type of the pointed-to
21355 object. For an array type (meaning C-like arrays), the target type is
21356 the type of the elements of the array. For a function or method type,
21357 the target type is the type of the return value. For a complex type,
21358 the target type is the type of the elements. For a typedef, the
21359 target type is the aliased type.
21360
21361 If the type does not have a target, this method will throw an
21362 exception.
21363 @end defmethod
21364
21365 @defmethod Type template_argument n [block]
21366 If this @code{gdb.Type} is an instantiation of a template, this will
21367 return a new @code{gdb.Type} which represents the type of the
21368 @var{n}th template argument.
21369
21370 If this @code{gdb.Type} is not a template type, this will throw an
21371 exception. Ordinarily, only C@t{++} code will have template types.
21372
21373 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
21374 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
21375 @end defmethod
21376 @end table
21377
21378
21379 Each type has a code, which indicates what category this type falls
21380 into. The available type categories are represented by constants
21381 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
21382
21383 @table @code
21384 @findex TYPE_CODE_PTR
21385 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
21386 @item TYPE_CODE_PTR
21387 The type is a pointer.
21388
21389 @findex TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
21390 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
21391 @item TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
21392 The type is an array.
21393
21394 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
21395 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
21396 @item TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
21397 The type is a structure.
21398
21399 @findex TYPE_CODE_UNION
21400 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
21401 @item TYPE_CODE_UNION
21402 The type is a union.
21403
21404 @findex TYPE_CODE_ENUM
21405 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
21406 @item TYPE_CODE_ENUM
21407 The type is an enum.
21408
21409 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
21410 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
21411 @item TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
21412 A bit flags type, used for things such as status registers.
21413
21414 @findex TYPE_CODE_FUNC
21415 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
21416 @item TYPE_CODE_FUNC
21417 The type is a function.
21418
21419 @findex TYPE_CODE_INT
21420 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
21421 @item TYPE_CODE_INT
21422 The type is an integer type.
21423
21424 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLT
21425 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
21426 @item TYPE_CODE_FLT
21427 A floating point type.
21428
21429 @findex TYPE_CODE_VOID
21430 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
21431 @item TYPE_CODE_VOID
21432 The special type @code{void}.
21433
21434 @findex TYPE_CODE_SET
21435 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
21436 @item TYPE_CODE_SET
21437 A Pascal set type.
21438
21439 @findex TYPE_CODE_RANGE
21440 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
21441 @item TYPE_CODE_RANGE
21442 A range type, that is, an integer type with bounds.
21443
21444 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRING
21445 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
21446 @item TYPE_CODE_STRING
21447 A string type. Note that this is only used for certain languages with
21448 language-defined string types; C strings are not represented this way.
21449
21450 @findex TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
21451 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
21452 @item TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
21453 A string of bits.
21454
21455 @findex TYPE_CODE_ERROR
21456 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
21457 @item TYPE_CODE_ERROR
21458 An unknown or erroneous type.
21459
21460 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHOD
21461 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
21462 @item TYPE_CODE_METHOD
21463 A method type, as found in C@t{++} or Java.
21464
21465 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
21466 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
21467 @item TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
21468 A pointer-to-member-function.
21469
21470 @findex TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
21471 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
21472 @item TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
21473 A pointer-to-member.
21474
21475 @findex TYPE_CODE_REF
21476 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
21477 @item TYPE_CODE_REF
21478 A reference type.
21479
21480 @findex TYPE_CODE_CHAR
21481 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
21482 @item TYPE_CODE_CHAR
21483 A character type.
21484
21485 @findex TYPE_CODE_BOOL
21486 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
21487 @item TYPE_CODE_BOOL
21488 A boolean type.
21489
21490 @findex TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
21491 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
21492 @item TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
21493 A complex float type.
21494
21495 @findex TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
21496 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
21497 @item TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
21498 A typedef to some other type.
21499
21500 @findex TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
21501 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
21502 @item TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
21503 A C@t{++} namespace.
21504
21505 @findex TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
21506 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
21507 @item TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
21508 A decimal floating point type.
21509
21510 @findex TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
21511 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
21512 @item TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
21513 A function internal to @value{GDBN}. This is the type used to represent
21514 convenience functions.
21515 @end table
21516
21517 Further support for types is provided in the @code{gdb.types}
21518 Python module (@pxref{gdb.types}).
21519
21520 @node Pretty Printing API
21521 @subsubsection Pretty Printing API
21522
21523 An example output is provided (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
21524
21525 A pretty-printer is just an object that holds a value and implements a
21526 specific interface, defined here.
21527
21528 @defop Operation {pretty printer} children (self)
21529 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a pretty-printer to compute the
21530 children of the pretty-printer's value.
21531
21532 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
21533 protocol. Each item returned by the iterator must be a tuple holding
21534 two elements. The first element is the ``name'' of the child; the
21535 second element is the child's value. The value can be any Python
21536 object which is convertible to a @value{GDBN} value.
21537
21538 This method is optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will act
21539 as though the value has no children.
21540 @end defop
21541
21542 @defop Operation {pretty printer} display_hint (self)
21543 The CLI may call this method and use its result to change the
21544 formatting of a value. The result will also be supplied to an MI
21545 consumer as a @samp{displayhint} attribute of the variable being
21546 printed.
21547
21548 This method is optional. If it does exist, this method must return a
21549 string.
21550
21551 Some display hints are predefined by @value{GDBN}:
21552
21553 @table @samp
21554 @item array
21555 Indicate that the object being printed is ``array-like''. The CLI
21556 uses this to respect parameters such as @code{set print elements} and
21557 @code{set print array}.
21558
21559 @item map
21560 Indicate that the object being printed is ``map-like'', and that the
21561 children of this value can be assumed to alternate between keys and
21562 values.
21563
21564 @item string
21565 Indicate that the object being printed is ``string-like''. If the
21566 printer's @code{to_string} method returns a Python string of some
21567 kind, then @value{GDBN} will call its internal language-specific
21568 string-printing function to format the string. For the CLI this means
21569 adding quotation marks, possibly escaping some characters, respecting
21570 @code{set print elements}, and the like.
21571 @end table
21572 @end defop
21573
21574 @defop Operation {pretty printer} to_string (self)
21575 @value{GDBN} will call this method to display the string
21576 representation of the value passed to the object's constructor.
21577
21578 When printing from the CLI, if the @code{to_string} method exists,
21579 then @value{GDBN} will prepend its result to the values returned by
21580 @code{children}. Exactly how this formatting is done is dependent on
21581 the display hint, and may change as more hints are added. Also,
21582 depending on the print settings (@pxref{Print Settings}), the CLI may
21583 print just the result of @code{to_string} in a stack trace, omitting
21584 the result of @code{children}.
21585
21586 If this method returns a string, it is printed verbatim.
21587
21588 Otherwise, if this method returns an instance of @code{gdb.Value},
21589 then @value{GDBN} prints this value. This may result in a call to
21590 another pretty-printer.
21591
21592 If instead the method returns a Python value which is convertible to a
21593 @code{gdb.Value}, then @value{GDBN} performs the conversion and prints
21594 the resulting value. Again, this may result in a call to another
21595 pretty-printer. Python scalars (integers, floats, and booleans) and
21596 strings are convertible to @code{gdb.Value}; other types are not.
21597
21598 Finally, if this method returns @code{None} then no further operations
21599 are peformed in this method and nothing is printed.
21600
21601 If the result is not one of these types, an exception is raised.
21602 @end defop
21603
21604 @value{GDBN} provides a function which can be used to look up the
21605 default pretty-printer for a @code{gdb.Value}:
21606
21607 @findex gdb.default_visualizer
21608 @defun default_visualizer value
21609 This function takes a @code{gdb.Value} object as an argument. If a
21610 pretty-printer for this value exists, then it is returned. If no such
21611 printer exists, then this returns @code{None}.
21612 @end defun
21613
21614 @node Selecting Pretty-Printers
21615 @subsubsection Selecting Pretty-Printers
21616
21617 The Python list @code{gdb.pretty_printers} contains an array of
21618 functions or callable objects that have been registered via addition
21619 as a pretty-printer. Printers in this list are called @code{global}
21620 printers, they're available when debugging all inferiors.
21621 Each @code{gdb.Progspace} contains a @code{pretty_printers} attribute.
21622 Each @code{gdb.Objfile} also contains a @code{pretty_printers}
21623 attribute.
21624
21625 Each function on these lists is passed a single @code{gdb.Value}
21626 argument and should return a pretty-printer object conforming to the
21627 interface definition above (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}). If a function
21628 cannot create a pretty-printer for the value, it should return
21629 @code{None}.
21630
21631 @value{GDBN} first checks the @code{pretty_printers} attribute of each
21632 @code{gdb.Objfile} in the current program space and iteratively calls
21633 each enabled lookup routine in the list for that @code{gdb.Objfile}
21634 until it receives a pretty-printer object.
21635 If no pretty-printer is found in the objfile lists, @value{GDBN} then
21636 searches the pretty-printer list of the current program space,
21637 calling each enabled function until an object is returned.
21638 After these lists have been exhausted, it tries the global
21639 @code{gdb.pretty_printers} list, again calling each enabled function until an
21640 object is returned.
21641
21642 The order in which the objfiles are searched is not specified. For a
21643 given list, functions are always invoked from the head of the list,
21644 and iterated over sequentially until the end of the list, or a printer
21645 object is returned.
21646
21647 For various reasons a pretty-printer may not work.
21648 For example, the underlying data structure may have changed and
21649 the pretty-printer is out of date.
21650
21651 The consequences of a broken pretty-printer are severe enough that
21652 @value{GDBN} provides support for enabling and disabling individual
21653 printers. For example, if @code{print frame-arguments} is on,
21654 a backtrace can become highly illegible if any argument is printed
21655 with a broken printer.
21656
21657 Pretty-printers are enabled and disabled by attaching an @code{enabled}
21658 attribute to the registered function or callable object. If this attribute
21659 is present and its value is @code{False}, the printer is disabled, otherwise
21660 the printer is enabled.
21661
21662 @node Writing a Pretty-Printer
21663 @subsubsection Writing a Pretty-Printer
21664 @cindex writing a pretty-printer
21665
21666 A pretty-printer consists of two parts: a lookup function to detect
21667 if the type is supported, and the printer itself.
21668
21669 Here is an example showing how a @code{std::string} printer might be
21670 written. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for details on the API this class
21671 must provide.
21672
21673 @smallexample
21674 class StdStringPrinter(object):
21675 "Print a std::string"
21676
21677 def __init__(self, val):
21678 self.val = val
21679
21680 def to_string(self):
21681 return self.val['_M_dataplus']['_M_p']
21682
21683 def display_hint(self):
21684 return 'string'
21685 @end smallexample
21686
21687 And here is an example showing how a lookup function for the printer
21688 example above might be written.
21689
21690 @smallexample
21691 def str_lookup_function(val):
21692 lookup_tag = val.type.tag
21693 if lookup_tag == None:
21694 return None
21695 regex = re.compile("^std::basic_string<char,.*>$")
21696 if regex.match(lookup_tag):
21697 return StdStringPrinter(val)
21698 return None
21699 @end smallexample
21700
21701 The example lookup function extracts the value's type, and attempts to
21702 match it to a type that it can pretty-print. If it is a type the
21703 printer can pretty-print, it will return a printer object. If not, it
21704 returns @code{None}.
21705
21706 We recommend that you put your core pretty-printers into a Python
21707 package. If your pretty-printers are for use with a library, we
21708 further recommend embedding a version number into the package name.
21709 This practice will enable @value{GDBN} to load multiple versions of
21710 your pretty-printers at the same time, because they will have
21711 different names.
21712
21713 You should write auto-loaded code (@pxref{Auto-loading}) such that it
21714 can be evaluated multiple times without changing its meaning. An
21715 ideal auto-load file will consist solely of @code{import}s of your
21716 printer modules, followed by a call to a register pretty-printers with
21717 the current objfile.
21718
21719 Taken as a whole, this approach will scale nicely to multiple
21720 inferiors, each potentially using a different library version.
21721 Embedding a version number in the Python package name will ensure that
21722 @value{GDBN} is able to load both sets of printers simultaneously.
21723 Then, because the search for pretty-printers is done by objfile, and
21724 because your auto-loaded code took care to register your library's
21725 printers with a specific objfile, @value{GDBN} will find the correct
21726 printers for the specific version of the library used by each
21727 inferior.
21728
21729 To continue the @code{std::string} example (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}),
21730 this code might appear in @code{gdb.libstdcxx.v6}:
21731
21732 @smallexample
21733 def register_printers(objfile):
21734 objfile.pretty_printers.add(str_lookup_function)
21735 @end smallexample
21736
21737 @noindent
21738 And then the corresponding contents of the auto-load file would be:
21739
21740 @smallexample
21741 import gdb.libstdcxx.v6
21742 gdb.libstdcxx.v6.register_printers(gdb.current_objfile())
21743 @end smallexample
21744
21745 The previous example illustrates a basic pretty-printer.
21746 There are a few things that can be improved on.
21747 The printer doesn't have a name, making it hard to identify in a
21748 list of installed printers. The lookup function has a name, but
21749 lookup functions can have arbitrary, even identical, names.
21750
21751 Second, the printer only handles one type, whereas a library typically has
21752 several types. One could install a lookup function for each desired type
21753 in the library, but one could also have a single lookup function recognize
21754 several types. The latter is the conventional way this is handled.
21755 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
21756 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
21757
21758 The @code{gdb.printing} module provides a formal way of solving these
21759 problems (@pxref{gdb.printing}).
21760 Here is another example that handles multiple types.
21761
21762 These are the types we are going to pretty-print:
21763
21764 @smallexample
21765 struct foo @{ int a, b; @};
21766 struct bar @{ struct foo x, y; @};
21767 @end smallexample
21768
21769 Here are the printers:
21770
21771 @smallexample
21772 class fooPrinter:
21773 """Print a foo object."""
21774
21775 def __init__(self, val):
21776 self.val = val
21777
21778 def to_string(self):
21779 return ("a=<" + str(self.val["a"]) +
21780 "> b=<" + str(self.val["b"]) + ">")
21781
21782 class barPrinter:
21783 """Print a bar object."""
21784
21785 def __init__(self, val):
21786 self.val = val
21787
21788 def to_string(self):
21789 return ("x=<" + str(self.val["x"]) +
21790 "> y=<" + str(self.val["y"]) + ">")
21791 @end smallexample
21792
21793 This example doesn't need a lookup function, that is handled by the
21794 @code{gdb.printing} module. Instead a function is provided to build up
21795 the object that handles the lookup.
21796
21797 @smallexample
21798 import gdb.printing
21799
21800 def build_pretty_printer():
21801 pp = gdb.printing.RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter(
21802 "my_library")
21803 pp.add_printer('foo', '^foo$', fooPrinter)
21804 pp.add_printer('bar', '^bar$', barPrinter)
21805 return pp
21806 @end smallexample
21807
21808 And here is the autoload support:
21809
21810 @smallexample
21811 import gdb.printing
21812 import my_library
21813 gdb.printing.register_pretty_printer(
21814 gdb.current_objfile(),
21815 my_library.build_pretty_printer())
21816 @end smallexample
21817
21818 Finally, when this printer is loaded into @value{GDBN}, here is the
21819 corresponding output of @samp{info pretty-printer}:
21820
21821 @smallexample
21822 (gdb) info pretty-printer
21823 my_library.so:
21824 my_library
21825 foo
21826 bar
21827 @end smallexample
21828
21829 @node Inferiors In Python
21830 @subsubsection Inferiors In Python
21831 @cindex inferiors in Python
21832
21833 @findex gdb.Inferior
21834 Programs which are being run under @value{GDBN} are called inferiors
21835 (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). Python scripts can access
21836 information about and manipulate inferiors controlled by @value{GDBN}
21837 via objects of the @code{gdb.Inferior} class.
21838
21839 The following inferior-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
21840 module:
21841
21842 @defun inferiors
21843 Return a tuple containing all inferior objects.
21844 @end defun
21845
21846 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following attributes:
21847
21848 @table @code
21849 @defivar Inferior num
21850 ID of inferior, as assigned by GDB.
21851 @end defivar
21852
21853 @defivar Inferior pid
21854 Process ID of the inferior, as assigned by the underlying operating
21855 system.
21856 @end defivar
21857
21858 @defivar Inferior was_attached
21859 Boolean signaling whether the inferior was created using `attach', or
21860 started by @value{GDBN} itself.
21861 @end defivar
21862 @end table
21863
21864 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following methods:
21865
21866 @table @code
21867 @defmethod Inferior threads
21868 This method returns a tuple holding all the threads which are valid
21869 when it is called. If there are no valid threads, the method will
21870 return an empty tuple.
21871 @end defmethod
21872
21873 @findex gdb.read_memory
21874 @defmethod Inferior read_memory address length
21875 Read @var{length} bytes of memory from the inferior, starting at
21876 @var{address}. Returns a buffer object, which behaves much like an array
21877 or a string. It can be modified and given to the @code{gdb.write_memory}
21878 function.
21879 @end defmethod
21880
21881 @findex gdb.write_memory
21882 @defmethod Inferior write_memory address buffer @r{[}length@r{]}
21883 Write the contents of @var{buffer} to the inferior, starting at
21884 @var{address}. The @var{buffer} parameter must be a Python object
21885 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
21886 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. If given, @var{length}
21887 determines the number of bytes from @var{buffer} to be written.
21888 @end defmethod
21889
21890 @findex gdb.search_memory
21891 @defmethod Inferior search_memory address length pattern
21892 Search a region of the inferior memory starting at @var{address} with
21893 the given @var{length} using the search pattern supplied in
21894 @var{pattern}. The @var{pattern} parameter must be a Python object
21895 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
21896 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. Returns a Python @code{Long}
21897 containing the address where the pattern was found, or @code{None} if
21898 the pattern could not be found.
21899 @end defmethod
21900 @end table
21901
21902 @node Events In Python
21903 @subsubsection Events In Python
21904 @cindex inferior events in Python
21905
21906 @value{GDBN} provides a general event facility so that Python code can be
21907 notified of various state changes, particularly changes that occur in
21908 the inferior.
21909
21910 An @dfn{event} is just an object that describes some state change. The
21911 type of the object and its attributes will vary depending on the details
21912 of the change. All the existing events are described below.
21913
21914 In order to be notified of an event, you must register an event handler
21915 with an @dfn{event registry}. An event registry is an object in the
21916 @code{gdb.events} module which dispatches particular events. A registry
21917 provides methods to register and unregister event handlers:
21918
21919 @table @code
21920 @defmethod EventRegistry connect object
21921 Add the given callable @var{object} to the registry. This object will be
21922 called when an event corresponding to this registry occurs.
21923 @end defmethod
21924
21925 @defmethod EventRegistry disconnect object
21926 Remove the given @var{object} from the registry. Once removed, the object
21927 will no longer receive notifications of events.
21928 @end defmethod
21929 @end table
21930
21931 Here is an example:
21932
21933 @smallexample
21934 def exit_handler (event):
21935 print "event type: exit"
21936 print "exit code: %d" % (event.exit_code)
21937
21938 gdb.events.exited.connect (exit_handler)
21939 @end smallexample
21940
21941 In the above example we connect our handler @code{exit_handler} to the
21942 registry @code{events.exited}. Once connected, @code{exit_handler} gets
21943 called when the inferior exits. The argument @dfn{event} in this example is
21944 of type @code{gdb.ExitedEvent}. As you can see in the example the
21945 @code{ExitedEvent} object has an attribute which indicates the exit code of
21946 the inferior.
21947
21948 The following is a listing of the event registries that are available and
21949 details of the events they emit:
21950
21951 @table @code
21952
21953 @item events.cont
21954 Emits @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
21955
21956 Some events can be thread specific when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
21957 mode. When represented in Python, these events all extend
21958 @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}. Note, this event is not emitted directly; instead,
21959 events which are emitted by this or other modules might extend this event.
21960 Examples of these events are @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} and
21961 @code{gdb.ContinueEvent}.
21962
21963 @table @code
21964 @defivar ThreadEvent inferior_thread
21965 In non-stop mode this attribute will be set to the specific thread which was
21966 involved in the emitted event. Otherwise, it will be set to @code{None}.
21967 @end defivar
21968 @end table
21969
21970 Emits @code{gdb.ContinueEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
21971
21972 This event indicates that the inferior has been continued after a stop. For
21973 inherited attribute refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above.
21974
21975 @item events.exited
21976 Emits @code{events.ExitedEvent} which indicates that the inferior has exited.
21977 @code{events.ExitedEvent} has one attribute:
21978 @table @code
21979 @defivar ExitedEvent exit_code
21980 An integer representing the exit code which the inferior has returned.
21981 @end defivar
21982 @end table
21983
21984 @item events.stop
21985 Emits @code{gdb.StopEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
21986
21987 Indicates that the inferior has stopped. All events emitted by this registry
21988 extend StopEvent. As a child of @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}, @code{gdb.StopEvent}
21989 will indicate the stopped thread when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
21990 mode. Refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above for more details.
21991
21992 Emits @code{gdb.SignalEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
21993
21994 This event indicates that the inferior or one of its threads has received as
21995 signal. @code{gdb.SignalEvent} has the following attributes:
21996
21997 @table @code
21998 @defivar SignalEvent stop_signal
21999 A string representing the signal received by the inferior. A list of possible
22000 signal values can be obtained by running the command @code{info signals} in
22001 the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
22002 @end defivar
22003 @end table
22004
22005 Also emits @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
22006
22007 @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} event indicates that a breakpoint has been hit, and
22008 has the following attributes:
22009
22010 @table @code
22011 @defivar BreakpointEvent breakpoint
22012 A reference to the breakpoint that was hit of type @code{gdb.Breakpoint}.
22013 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Breakpoint} object.
22014 @end defivar
22015 @end table
22016
22017 @end table
22018
22019 @node Threads In Python
22020 @subsubsection Threads In Python
22021 @cindex threads in python
22022
22023 @findex gdb.InferiorThread
22024 Python scripts can access information about, and manipulate inferior threads
22025 controlled by @value{GDBN}, via objects of the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} class.
22026
22027 The following thread-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
22028 module:
22029
22030 @findex gdb.selected_thread
22031 @defun selected_thread
22032 This function returns the thread object for the selected thread. If there
22033 is no selected thread, this will return @code{None}.
22034 @end defun
22035
22036 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following attributes:
22037
22038 @table @code
22039 @defivar InferiorThread name
22040 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using
22041 @code{thread name}, then this returns that name. Otherwise, if an
22042 OS-supplied name is available, then it is returned. Otherwise, this
22043 returns @code{None}.
22044
22045 This attribute can be assigned to. The new value must be a string
22046 object, which sets the new name, or @code{None}, which removes any
22047 user-specified thread name.
22048 @end defivar
22049
22050 @defivar InferiorThread num
22051 ID of the thread, as assigned by GDB.
22052 @end defivar
22053
22054 @defivar InferiorThread ptid
22055 ID of the thread, as assigned by the operating system. This attribute is a
22056 tuple containing three integers. The first is the Process ID (PID); the second
22057 is the Lightweight Process ID (LWPID), and the third is the Thread ID (TID).
22058 Either the LWPID or TID may be 0, which indicates that the operating system
22059 does not use that identifier.
22060 @end defivar
22061 @end table
22062
22063 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following methods:
22064
22065 @table @code
22066 @defmethod InferiorThread switch
22067 This changes @value{GDBN}'s currently selected thread to the one represented
22068 by this object.
22069 @end defmethod
22070
22071 @defmethod InferiorThread is_stopped
22072 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is stopped.
22073 @end defmethod
22074
22075 @defmethod InferiorThread is_running
22076 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is running.
22077 @end defmethod
22078
22079 @defmethod InferiorThread is_exited
22080 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is exited.
22081 @end defmethod
22082 @end table
22083
22084 @node Commands In Python
22085 @subsubsection Commands In Python
22086
22087 @cindex commands in python
22088 @cindex python commands
22089 You can implement new @value{GDBN} CLI commands in Python. A CLI
22090 command is implemented using an instance of the @code{gdb.Command}
22091 class, most commonly using a subclass.
22092
22093 @defmethod Command __init__ name @var{command_class} @r{[}@var{completer_class}@r{]} @r{[}@var{prefix}@r{]}
22094 The object initializer for @code{Command} registers the new command
22095 with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked from the
22096 subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
22097
22098 @var{name} is the name of the command. If @var{name} consists of
22099 multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
22100 commands. In this case, if one of the prefix commands does not exist,
22101 an exception is raised.
22102
22103 There is no support for multi-line commands.
22104
22105 @var{command_class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
22106 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to categorize the
22107 new command in the help system.
22108
22109 @var{completer_class} is an optional argument. If given, it should be
22110 one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined below. This argument
22111 tells @value{GDBN} how to perform completion for this command. If not
22112 given, @value{GDBN} will attempt to complete using the object's
22113 @code{complete} method (see below); if no such method is found, an
22114 error will occur when completion is attempted.
22115
22116 @var{prefix} is an optional argument. If @code{True}, then the new
22117 command is a prefix command; sub-commands of this command may be
22118 registered.
22119
22120 The help text for the new command is taken from the Python
22121 documentation string for the command's class, if there is one. If no
22122 documentation string is provided, the default value ``This command is
22123 not documented.'' is used.
22124 @end defmethod
22125
22126 @cindex don't repeat Python command
22127 @defmethod Command dont_repeat
22128 By default, a @value{GDBN} command is repeated when the user enters a
22129 blank line at the command prompt. A command can suppress this
22130 behavior by invoking the @code{dont_repeat} method. This is similar
22131 to the user command @code{dont-repeat}, see @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
22132 @end defmethod
22133
22134 @defmethod Command invoke argument from_tty
22135 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when this command is invoked.
22136
22137 @var{argument} is a string. It is the argument to the command, after
22138 leading and trailing whitespace has been stripped.
22139
22140 @var{from_tty} is a boolean argument. When true, this means that the
22141 command was entered by the user at the terminal; when false it means
22142 that the command came from elsewhere.
22143
22144 If this method throws an exception, it is turned into a @value{GDBN}
22145 @code{error} call. Otherwise, the return value is ignored.
22146
22147 @findex gdb.string_to_argv
22148 To break @var{argument} up into an argv-like string use
22149 @code{gdb.string_to_argv}. This function behaves identically to
22150 @value{GDBN}'s internal argument lexer @code{buildargv}.
22151 It is recommended to use this for consistency.
22152 Arguments are separated by spaces and may be quoted.
22153 Example:
22154
22155 @smallexample
22156 print gdb.string_to_argv ("1 2\ \\\"3 '4 \"5' \"6 '7\"")
22157 ['1', '2 "3', '4 "5', "6 '7"]
22158 @end smallexample
22159
22160 @end defmethod
22161
22162 @cindex completion of Python commands
22163 @defmethod Command complete text word
22164 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when the user attempts
22165 completion on this command. All forms of completion are handled by
22166 this method, that is, the @key{TAB} and @key{M-?} key bindings
22167 (@pxref{Completion}), and the @code{complete} command (@pxref{Help,
22168 complete}).
22169
22170 The arguments @var{text} and @var{word} are both strings. @var{text}
22171 holds the complete command line up to the cursor's location.
22172 @var{word} holds the last word of the command line; this is computed
22173 using a word-breaking heuristic.
22174
22175 The @code{complete} method can return several values:
22176 @itemize @bullet
22177 @item
22178 If the return value is a sequence, the contents of the sequence are
22179 used as the completions. It is up to @code{complete} to ensure that the
22180 contents actually do complete the word. A zero-length sequence is
22181 allowed, it means that there were no completions available. Only
22182 string elements of the sequence are used; other elements in the
22183 sequence are ignored.
22184
22185 @item
22186 If the return value is one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined
22187 below, then the corresponding @value{GDBN}-internal completion
22188 function is invoked, and its result is used.
22189
22190 @item
22191 All other results are treated as though there were no available
22192 completions.
22193 @end itemize
22194 @end defmethod
22195
22196 When a new command is registered, it must be declared as a member of
22197 some general class of commands. This is used to classify top-level
22198 commands in the on-line help system; note that prefix commands are not
22199 listed under their own category but rather that of their top-level
22200 command. The available classifications are represented by constants
22201 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
22202
22203 @table @code
22204 @findex COMMAND_NONE
22205 @findex gdb.COMMAND_NONE
22206 @item COMMAND_NONE
22207 The command does not belong to any particular class. A command in
22208 this category will not be displayed in any of the help categories.
22209
22210 @findex COMMAND_RUNNING
22211 @findex gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
22212 @item COMMAND_RUNNING
22213 The command is related to running the inferior. For example,
22214 @code{start}, @code{step}, and @code{continue} are in this category.
22215 Type @kbd{help running} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22216 commands in this category.
22217
22218 @findex COMMAND_DATA
22219 @findex gdb.COMMAND_DATA
22220 @item COMMAND_DATA
22221 The command is related to data or variables. For example,
22222 @code{call}, @code{find}, and @code{print} are in this category. Type
22223 @kbd{help data} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands
22224 in this category.
22225
22226 @findex COMMAND_STACK
22227 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STACK
22228 @item COMMAND_STACK
22229 The command has to do with manipulation of the stack. For example,
22230 @code{backtrace}, @code{frame}, and @code{return} are in this
22231 category. Type @kbd{help stack} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a
22232 list of commands in this category.
22233
22234 @findex COMMAND_FILES
22235 @findex gdb.COMMAND_FILES
22236 @item COMMAND_FILES
22237 This class is used for file-related commands. For example,
22238 @code{file}, @code{list} and @code{section} are in this category.
22239 Type @kbd{help files} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22240 commands in this category.
22241
22242 @findex COMMAND_SUPPORT
22243 @findex gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
22244 @item COMMAND_SUPPORT
22245 This should be used for ``support facilities'', generally meaning
22246 things that are useful to the user when interacting with @value{GDBN},
22247 but not related to the state of the inferior. For example,
22248 @code{help}, @code{make}, and @code{shell} are in this category. Type
22249 @kbd{help support} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22250 commands in this category.
22251
22252 @findex COMMAND_STATUS
22253 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
22254 @item COMMAND_STATUS
22255 The command is an @samp{info}-related command, that is, related to the
22256 state of @value{GDBN} itself. For example, @code{info}, @code{macro},
22257 and @code{show} are in this category. Type @kbd{help status} at the
22258 @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this category.
22259
22260 @findex COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
22261 @findex gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
22262 @item COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
22263 The command has to do with breakpoints. For example, @code{break},
22264 @code{clear}, and @code{delete} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
22265 breakpoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in
22266 this category.
22267
22268 @findex COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
22269 @findex gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
22270 @item COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
22271 The command has to do with tracepoints. For example, @code{trace},
22272 @code{actions}, and @code{tfind} are in this category. Type
22273 @kbd{help tracepoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22274 commands in this category.
22275
22276 @findex COMMAND_OBSCURE
22277 @findex gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
22278 @item COMMAND_OBSCURE
22279 The command is only used in unusual circumstances, or is not of
22280 general interest to users. For example, @code{checkpoint},
22281 @code{fork}, and @code{stop} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
22282 obscure} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this
22283 category.
22284
22285 @findex COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
22286 @findex gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
22287 @item COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
22288 The command is only useful to @value{GDBN} maintainers. The
22289 @code{maintenance} and @code{flushregs} commands are in this category.
22290 Type @kbd{help internals} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22291 commands in this category.
22292 @end table
22293
22294 A new command can use a predefined completion function, either by
22295 specifying it via an argument at initialization, or by returning it
22296 from the @code{complete} method. These predefined completion
22297 constants are all defined in the @code{gdb} module:
22298
22299 @table @code
22300 @findex COMPLETE_NONE
22301 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
22302 @item COMPLETE_NONE
22303 This constant means that no completion should be done.
22304
22305 @findex COMPLETE_FILENAME
22306 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
22307 @item COMPLETE_FILENAME
22308 This constant means that filename completion should be performed.
22309
22310 @findex COMPLETE_LOCATION
22311 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
22312 @item COMPLETE_LOCATION
22313 This constant means that location completion should be done.
22314 @xref{Specify Location}.
22315
22316 @findex COMPLETE_COMMAND
22317 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
22318 @item COMPLETE_COMMAND
22319 This constant means that completion should examine @value{GDBN}
22320 command names.
22321
22322 @findex COMPLETE_SYMBOL
22323 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
22324 @item COMPLETE_SYMBOL
22325 This constant means that completion should be done using symbol names
22326 as the source.
22327 @end table
22328
22329 The following code snippet shows how a trivial CLI command can be
22330 implemented in Python:
22331
22332 @smallexample
22333 class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
22334 """Greet the whole world."""
22335
22336 def __init__ (self):
22337 super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE)
22338
22339 def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):
22340 print "Hello, World!"
22341
22342 HelloWorld ()
22343 @end smallexample
22344
22345 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
22346 registration of the command with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
22347 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
22348 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
22349
22350 @node Parameters In Python
22351 @subsubsection Parameters In Python
22352
22353 @cindex parameters in python
22354 @cindex python parameters
22355 @tindex gdb.Parameter
22356 @tindex Parameter
22357 You can implement new @value{GDBN} parameters using Python. A new
22358 parameter is implemented as an instance of the @code{gdb.Parameter}
22359 class.
22360
22361 Parameters are exposed to the user via the @code{set} and
22362 @code{show} commands. @xref{Help}.
22363
22364 There are many parameters that already exist and can be set in
22365 @value{GDBN}. Two examples are: @code{set follow fork} and
22366 @code{set charset}. Setting these parameters influences certain
22367 behavior in @value{GDBN}. Similarly, you can define parameters that
22368 can be used to influence behavior in custom Python scripts and commands.
22369
22370 @defmethod Parameter __init__ name @var{command-class} @var{parameter-class} @r{[}@var{enum-sequence}@r{]}
22371 The object initializer for @code{Parameter} registers the new
22372 parameter with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked
22373 from the subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
22374
22375 @var{name} is the name of the new parameter. If @var{name} consists
22376 of multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
22377 parameters. An example of this can be illustrated with the
22378 @code{set print} set of parameters. If @var{name} is
22379 @code{print foo}, then @code{print} will be searched as the prefix
22380 parameter. In this case the parameter can subsequently be accessed in
22381 @value{GDBN} as @code{set print foo}.
22382
22383 If @var{name} consists of multiple words, and no prefix parameter group
22384 can be found, an exception is raised.
22385
22386 @var{command-class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
22387 (@pxref{Commands In Python}). This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to
22388 categorize the new parameter in the help system.
22389
22390 @var{parameter-class} should be one of the @samp{PARAM_} constants
22391 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} the type of the new
22392 parameter; this information is used for input validation and
22393 completion.
22394
22395 If @var{parameter-class} is @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then
22396 @var{enum-sequence} must be a sequence of strings. These strings
22397 represent the possible values for the parameter.
22398
22399 If @var{parameter-class} is not @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then the presence
22400 of a fourth argument will cause an exception to be thrown.
22401
22402 The help text for the new parameter is taken from the Python
22403 documentation string for the parameter's class, if there is one. If
22404 there is no documentation string, a default value is used.
22405 @end defmethod
22406
22407 @defivar Parameter set_doc
22408 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
22409 the help text for this parameter's @code{set} command. The value is
22410 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
22411 have no effect.
22412 @end defivar
22413
22414 @defivar Parameter show_doc
22415 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
22416 the help text for this parameter's @code{show} command. The value is
22417 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
22418 have no effect.
22419 @end defivar
22420
22421 @defivar Parameter value
22422 The @code{value} attribute holds the underlying value of the
22423 parameter. It can be read and assigned to just as any other
22424 attribute. @value{GDBN} does validation when assignments are made.
22425 @end defivar
22426
22427
22428 When a new parameter is defined, its type must be specified. The
22429 available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
22430 module:
22431
22432 @table @code
22433 @findex PARAM_BOOLEAN
22434 @findex gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
22435 @item PARAM_BOOLEAN
22436 The value is a plain boolean. The Python boolean values, @code{True}
22437 and @code{False} are the only valid values.
22438
22439 @findex PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
22440 @findex gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
22441 @item PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
22442 The value has three possible states: true, false, and @samp{auto}. In
22443 Python, true and false are represented using boolean constants, and
22444 @samp{auto} is represented using @code{None}.
22445
22446 @findex PARAM_UINTEGER
22447 @findex gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
22448 @item PARAM_UINTEGER
22449 The value is an unsigned integer. The value of 0 should be
22450 interpreted to mean ``unlimited''.
22451
22452 @findex PARAM_INTEGER
22453 @findex gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
22454 @item PARAM_INTEGER
22455 The value is a signed integer. The value of 0 should be interpreted
22456 to mean ``unlimited''.
22457
22458 @findex PARAM_STRING
22459 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING
22460 @item PARAM_STRING
22461 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, any escape
22462 sequences, such as @samp{\t}, @samp{\f}, and octal escapes, are
22463 translated into corresponding characters and encoded into the current
22464 host charset.
22465
22466 @findex PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
22467 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
22468 @item PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
22469 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, escapes are
22470 passed through untranslated.
22471
22472 @findex PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
22473 @findex gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
22474 @item PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
22475 The value is a either a filename (a string), or @code{None}.
22476
22477 @findex PARAM_FILENAME
22478 @findex gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
22479 @item PARAM_FILENAME
22480 The value is a filename. This is just like
22481 @code{PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE}, but uses file names for completion.
22482
22483 @findex PARAM_ZINTEGER
22484 @findex gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
22485 @item PARAM_ZINTEGER
22486 The value is an integer. This is like @code{PARAM_INTEGER}, except 0
22487 is interpreted as itself.
22488
22489 @findex PARAM_ENUM
22490 @findex gdb.PARAM_ENUM
22491 @item PARAM_ENUM
22492 The value is a string, which must be one of a collection string
22493 constants provided when the parameter is created.
22494 @end table
22495
22496 @node Functions In Python
22497 @subsubsection Writing new convenience functions
22498
22499 @cindex writing convenience functions
22500 @cindex convenience functions in python
22501 @cindex python convenience functions
22502 @tindex gdb.Function
22503 @tindex Function
22504 You can implement new convenience functions (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
22505 in Python. A convenience function is an instance of a subclass of the
22506 class @code{gdb.Function}.
22507
22508 @defmethod Function __init__ name
22509 The initializer for @code{Function} registers the new function with
22510 @value{GDBN}. The argument @var{name} is the name of the function,
22511 a string. The function will be visible to the user as a convenience
22512 variable of type @code{internal function}, whose name is the same as
22513 the given @var{name}.
22514
22515 The documentation for the new function is taken from the documentation
22516 string for the new class.
22517 @end defmethod
22518
22519 @defmethod Function invoke @var{*args}
22520 When a convenience function is evaluated, its arguments are converted
22521 to instances of @code{gdb.Value}, and then the function's
22522 @code{invoke} method is called. Note that @value{GDBN} does not
22523 predetermine the arity of convenience functions. Instead, all
22524 available arguments are passed to @code{invoke}, following the
22525 standard Python calling convention. In particular, a convenience
22526 function can have default values for parameters without ill effect.
22527
22528 The return value of this method is used as its value in the enclosing
22529 expression. If an ordinary Python value is returned, it is converted
22530 to a @code{gdb.Value} following the usual rules.
22531 @end defmethod
22532
22533 The following code snippet shows how a trivial convenience function can
22534 be implemented in Python:
22535
22536 @smallexample
22537 class Greet (gdb.Function):
22538 """Return string to greet someone.
22539 Takes a name as argument."""
22540
22541 def __init__ (self):
22542 super (Greet, self).__init__ ("greet")
22543
22544 def invoke (self, name):
22545 return "Hello, %s!" % name.string ()
22546
22547 Greet ()
22548 @end smallexample
22549
22550 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
22551 registration of the function with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
22552 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
22553 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
22554
22555 @node Progspaces In Python
22556 @subsubsection Program Spaces In Python
22557
22558 @cindex progspaces in python
22559 @tindex gdb.Progspace
22560 @tindex Progspace
22561 A program space, or @dfn{progspace}, represents a symbolic view
22562 of an address space.
22563 It consists of all of the objfiles of the program.
22564 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
22565 @xref{Inferiors and Programs, program spaces}, for more details
22566 about program spaces.
22567
22568 The following progspace-related functions are available in the
22569 @code{gdb} module:
22570
22571 @findex gdb.current_progspace
22572 @defun current_progspace
22573 This function returns the program space of the currently selected inferior.
22574 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}.
22575 @end defun
22576
22577 @findex gdb.progspaces
22578 @defun progspaces
22579 Return a sequence of all the progspaces currently known to @value{GDBN}.
22580 @end defun
22581
22582 Each progspace is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Progspace}
22583 class.
22584
22585 @defivar Progspace filename
22586 The file name of the progspace as a string.
22587 @end defivar
22588
22589 @defivar Progspace pretty_printers
22590 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
22591 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
22592 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
22593 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
22594 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
22595 information.
22596 @end defivar
22597
22598 @node Objfiles In Python
22599 @subsubsection Objfiles In Python
22600
22601 @cindex objfiles in python
22602 @tindex gdb.Objfile
22603 @tindex Objfile
22604 @value{GDBN} loads symbols for an inferior from various
22605 symbol-containing files (@pxref{Files}). These include the primary
22606 executable file, any shared libraries used by the inferior, and any
22607 separate debug info files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}).
22608 @value{GDBN} calls these symbol-containing files @dfn{objfiles}.
22609
22610 The following objfile-related functions are available in the
22611 @code{gdb} module:
22612
22613 @findex gdb.current_objfile
22614 @defun current_objfile
22615 When auto-loading a Python script (@pxref{Auto-loading}), @value{GDBN}
22616 sets the ``current objfile'' to the corresponding objfile. This
22617 function returns the current objfile. If there is no current objfile,
22618 this function returns @code{None}.
22619 @end defun
22620
22621 @findex gdb.objfiles
22622 @defun objfiles
22623 Return a sequence of all the objfiles current known to @value{GDBN}.
22624 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
22625 @end defun
22626
22627 Each objfile is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Objfile}
22628 class.
22629
22630 @defivar Objfile filename
22631 The file name of the objfile as a string.
22632 @end defivar
22633
22634 @defivar Objfile pretty_printers
22635 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
22636 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
22637 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
22638 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
22639 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
22640 information.
22641 @end defivar
22642
22643 @node Frames In Python
22644 @subsubsection Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
22645
22646 @cindex frames in python
22647 When the debugged program stops, @value{GDBN} is able to analyze its call
22648 stack (@pxref{Frames,,Stack frames}). The @code{gdb.Frame} class
22649 represents a frame in the stack. A @code{gdb.Frame} object is only valid
22650 while its corresponding frame exists in the inferior's stack. If you try
22651 to use an invalid frame object, @value{GDBN} will throw a @code{gdb.error}
22652 exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
22653
22654 Two @code{gdb.Frame} objects can be compared for equality with the @code{==}
22655 operator, like:
22656
22657 @smallexample
22658 (@value{GDBP}) python print gdb.newest_frame() == gdb.selected_frame ()
22659 True
22660 @end smallexample
22661
22662 The following frame-related functions are available in the @code{gdb} module:
22663
22664 @findex gdb.selected_frame
22665 @defun selected_frame
22666 Return the selected frame object. (@pxref{Selection,,Selecting a Frame}).
22667 @end defun
22668
22669 @findex gdb.newest_frame
22670 @defun newest_frame
22671 Return the newest frame object for the selected thread.
22672 @end defun
22673
22674 @defun frame_stop_reason_string reason
22675 Return a string explaining the reason why @value{GDBN} stopped unwinding
22676 frames, as expressed by the given @var{reason} code (an integer, see the
22677 @code{unwind_stop_reason} method further down in this section).
22678 @end defun
22679
22680 A @code{gdb.Frame} object has the following methods:
22681
22682 @table @code
22683 @defmethod Frame is_valid
22684 Returns true if the @code{gdb.Frame} object is valid, false if not.
22685 A frame object can become invalid if the frame it refers to doesn't
22686 exist anymore in the inferior. All @code{gdb.Frame} methods will throw
22687 an exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
22688 @end defmethod
22689
22690 @defmethod Frame name
22691 Returns the function name of the frame, or @code{None} if it can't be
22692 obtained.
22693 @end defmethod
22694
22695 @defmethod Frame type
22696 Returns the type of the frame. The value can be one of:
22697 @table @code
22698 @item gdb.NORMAL_FRAME
22699 An ordinary stack frame.
22700
22701 @item gdb.DUMMY_FRAME
22702 A fake stack frame that was created by @value{GDBN} when performing an
22703 inferior function call.
22704
22705 @item gdb.INLINE_FRAME
22706 A frame representing an inlined function. The function was inlined
22707 into a @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME} that is older than this one.
22708
22709 @item gdb.SIGTRAMP_FRAME
22710 A signal trampoline frame. This is the frame created by the OS when
22711 it calls into a signal handler.
22712
22713 @item gdb.ARCH_FRAME
22714 A fake stack frame representing a cross-architecture call.
22715
22716 @item gdb.SENTINEL_FRAME
22717 This is like @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME}, but it is only used for the
22718 newest frame.
22719 @end table
22720 @end defmethod
22721
22722 @defmethod Frame unwind_stop_reason
22723 Return an integer representing the reason why it's not possible to find
22724 more frames toward the outermost frame. Use
22725 @code{gdb.frame_stop_reason_string} to convert the value returned by this
22726 function to a string.
22727 @end defmethod
22728
22729 @defmethod Frame pc
22730 Returns the frame's resume address.
22731 @end defmethod
22732
22733 @defmethod Frame block
22734 Return the frame's code block. @xref{Blocks In Python}.
22735 @end defmethod
22736
22737 @defmethod Frame function
22738 Return the symbol for the function corresponding to this frame.
22739 @xref{Symbols In Python}.
22740 @end defmethod
22741
22742 @defmethod Frame older
22743 Return the frame that called this frame.
22744 @end defmethod
22745
22746 @defmethod Frame newer
22747 Return the frame called by this frame.
22748 @end defmethod
22749
22750 @defmethod Frame find_sal
22751 Return the frame's symtab and line object.
22752 @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}.
22753 @end defmethod
22754
22755 @defmethod Frame read_var variable @r{[}block@r{]}
22756 Return the value of @var{variable} in this frame. If the optional
22757 argument @var{block} is provided, search for the variable from that
22758 block; otherwise start at the frame's current block (which is
22759 determined by the frame's current program counter). @var{variable}
22760 must be a string or a @code{gdb.Symbol} object. @var{block} must be a
22761 @code{gdb.Block} object.
22762 @end defmethod
22763
22764 @defmethod Frame select
22765 Set this frame to be the selected frame. @xref{Stack, ,Examining the
22766 Stack}.
22767 @end defmethod
22768 @end table
22769
22770 @node Blocks In Python
22771 @subsubsection Accessing frame blocks from Python.
22772
22773 @cindex blocks in python
22774 @tindex gdb.Block
22775
22776 Within each frame, @value{GDBN} maintains information on each block
22777 stored in that frame. These blocks are organized hierarchically, and
22778 are represented individually in Python as a @code{gdb.Block}.
22779 Please see @ref{Frames In Python}, for a more in-depth discussion on
22780 frames. Furthermore, see @ref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}, for more
22781 detailed technical information on @value{GDBN}'s book-keeping of the
22782 stack.
22783
22784 The following block-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
22785 module:
22786
22787 @findex gdb.block_for_pc
22788 @defun block_for_pc pc
22789 Return the @code{gdb.Block} containing the given @var{pc} value. If the
22790 block cannot be found for the @var{pc} value specified, the function
22791 will return @code{None}.
22792 @end defun
22793
22794 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following attributes:
22795
22796 @table @code
22797 @defivar Block start
22798 The start address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
22799 @end defivar
22800
22801 @defivar Block end
22802 The end address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
22803 @end defivar
22804
22805 @defivar Block function
22806 The name of the block represented as a @code{gdb.Symbol}. If the
22807 block is not named, then this attribute holds @code{None}. This
22808 attribute is not writable.
22809 @end defivar
22810
22811 @defivar Block superblock
22812 The block containing this block. If this parent block does not exist,
22813 this attribute holds @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
22814 @end defivar
22815 @end table
22816
22817 @node Symbols In Python
22818 @subsubsection Python representation of Symbols.
22819
22820 @cindex symbols in python
22821 @tindex gdb.Symbol
22822
22823 @value{GDBN} represents every variable, function and type as an
22824 entry in a symbol table. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
22825 Similarly, Python represents these symbols in @value{GDBN} with the
22826 @code{gdb.Symbol} object.
22827
22828 The following symbol-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
22829 module:
22830
22831 @findex gdb.lookup_symbol
22832 @defun lookup_symbol name @r{[}block@r{]} @r{[}domain@r{]}
22833 This function searches for a symbol by name. The search scope can be
22834 restricted to the parameters defined in the optional domain and block
22835 arguments.
22836
22837 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string. The
22838 optional @var{block} argument restricts the search to symbols visible
22839 in that @var{block}. The @var{block} argument must be a
22840 @code{gdb.Block} object. If omitted, the block for the current frame
22841 is used. The optional @var{domain} argument restricts
22842 the search to the domain type. The @var{domain} argument must be a
22843 domain constant defined in the @code{gdb} module and described later
22844 in this chapter.
22845
22846 The result is a tuple of two elements.
22847 The first element is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
22848 is not found.
22849 If the symbol is found, the second element is @code{True} if the symbol
22850 is a field of a method's object (e.g., @code{this} in @code{C++}),
22851 otherwise it is @code{False}.
22852 If the symbol is not found, the second element is @code{False}.
22853 @end defun
22854
22855 @findex gdb.lookup_global_symbol
22856 @defun lookup_global_symbol name @r{[}domain@r{]}
22857 This function searches for a global symbol by name.
22858 The search scope can be restricted to by the domain argument.
22859
22860 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string.
22861 The optional @var{domain} argument restricts the search to the domain type.
22862 The @var{domain} argument must be a domain constant defined in the @code{gdb}
22863 module and described later in this chapter.
22864
22865 The result is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
22866 is not found.
22867 @end defun
22868
22869 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following attributes:
22870
22871 @table @code
22872 @defivar Symbol symtab
22873 The symbol table in which the symbol appears. This attribute is
22874 represented as a @code{gdb.Symtab} object. @xref{Symbol Tables In
22875 Python}. This attribute is not writable.
22876 @end defivar
22877
22878 @defivar Symbol name
22879 The name of the symbol as a string. This attribute is not writable.
22880 @end defivar
22881
22882 @defivar Symbol linkage_name
22883 The name of the symbol, as used by the linker (i.e., may be mangled).
22884 This attribute is not writable.
22885 @end defivar
22886
22887 @defivar Symbol print_name
22888 The name of the symbol in a form suitable for output. This is either
22889 @code{name} or @code{linkage_name}, depending on whether the user
22890 asked @value{GDBN} to display demangled or mangled names.
22891 @end defivar
22892
22893 @defivar Symbol addr_class
22894 The address class of the symbol. This classifies how to find the value
22895 of a symbol. Each address class is a constant defined in the
22896 @code{gdb} module and described later in this chapter.
22897 @end defivar
22898
22899 @defivar Symbol is_argument
22900 @code{True} if the symbol is an argument of a function.
22901 @end defivar
22902
22903 @defivar Symbol is_constant
22904 @code{True} if the symbol is a constant.
22905 @end defivar
22906
22907 @defivar Symbol is_function
22908 @code{True} if the symbol is a function or a method.
22909 @end defivar
22910
22911 @defivar Symbol is_variable
22912 @code{True} if the symbol is a variable.
22913 @end defivar
22914 @end table
22915
22916 The available domain categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
22917 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
22918
22919 @table @code
22920 @findex SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
22921 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
22922 @item SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
22923 This is used when a domain has not been discovered or none of the
22924 following domains apply. This usually indicates an error either
22925 in the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
22926 @findex SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
22927 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
22928 @item SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
22929 This domain contains variables, function names, typedef names and enum
22930 type values.
22931 @findex SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
22932 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
22933 @item SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
22934 This domain holds struct, union and enum type names.
22935 @findex SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
22936 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
22937 @item SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
22938 This domain contains names of labels (for gotos).
22939 @findex SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
22940 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
22941 @item SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
22942 This domain holds a subset of the @code{SYMBOLS_VAR_DOMAIN}; it
22943 contains everything minus functions and types.
22944 @findex SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
22945 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
22946 @item SYMBOL_FUNCTION_DOMAIN
22947 This domain contains all functions.
22948 @findex SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
22949 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
22950 @item SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
22951 This domain contains all types.
22952 @end table
22953
22954 The available address class categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
22955 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
22956
22957 @table @code
22958 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
22959 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
22960 @item SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
22961 If this is returned by address class, it indicates an error either in
22962 the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
22963 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
22964 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
22965 @item SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
22966 Value is constant int.
22967 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
22968 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
22969 @item SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
22970 Value is at a fixed address.
22971 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
22972 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
22973 @item SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
22974 Value is in a register.
22975 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
22976 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
22977 @item SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
22978 Value is an argument. This value is at the offset stored within the
22979 symbol inside the frame's argument list.
22980 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
22981 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
22982 @item SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
22983 Value address is stored in the frame's argument list. Just like
22984 @code{LOC_ARG} except that the value's address is stored at the
22985 offset, not the value itself.
22986 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
22987 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
22988 @item SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
22989 Value is a specified register. Just like @code{LOC_REGISTER} except
22990 the register holds the address of the argument instead of the argument
22991 itself.
22992 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
22993 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
22994 @item SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
22995 Value is a local variable.
22996 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
22997 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
22998 @item SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
22999 Value not used. Symbols in the domain @code{SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN} all
23000 have this class.
23001 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
23002 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
23003 @item SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
23004 Value is a block.
23005 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
23006 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
23007 @item SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
23008 Value is a byte-sequence.
23009 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
23010 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
23011 @item SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
23012 Value is at a fixed address, but the address of the variable has to be
23013 determined from the minimal symbol table whenever the variable is
23014 referenced.
23015 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
23016 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
23017 @item SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
23018 The value does not actually exist in the program.
23019 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
23020 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
23021 @item SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
23022 The value's address is a computed location.
23023 @end table
23024
23025 @node Symbol Tables In Python
23026 @subsubsection Symbol table representation in Python.
23027
23028 @cindex symbol tables in python
23029 @tindex gdb.Symtab
23030 @tindex gdb.Symtab_and_line
23031
23032 Access to symbol table data maintained by @value{GDBN} on the inferior
23033 is exposed to Python via two objects: @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} and
23034 @code{gdb.Symtab}. Symbol table and line data for a frame is returned
23035 from the @code{find_sal} method in @code{gdb.Frame} object.
23036 @xref{Frames In Python}.
23037
23038 For more information on @value{GDBN}'s symbol table management, see
23039 @ref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, for more information.
23040
23041 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following attributes:
23042
23043 @table @code
23044 @defivar Symtab_and_line symtab
23045 The symbol table object (@code{gdb.Symtab}) for this frame.
23046 This attribute is not writable.
23047 @end defivar
23048
23049 @defivar Symtab_and_line pc
23050 Indicates the current program counter address. This attribute is not
23051 writable.
23052 @end defivar
23053
23054 @defivar Symtab_and_line line
23055 Indicates the current line number for this object. This
23056 attribute is not writable.
23057 @end defivar
23058 @end table
23059
23060 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following attributes:
23061
23062 @table @code
23063 @defivar Symtab filename
23064 The symbol table's source filename. This attribute is not writable.
23065 @end defivar
23066
23067 @defivar Symtab objfile
23068 The symbol table's backing object file. @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
23069 This attribute is not writable.
23070 @end defivar
23071 @end table
23072
23073 The following methods are provided:
23074
23075 @table @code
23076 @defmethod Symtab fullname
23077 Return the symbol table's source absolute file name.
23078 @end defmethod
23079 @end table
23080
23081 @node Breakpoints In Python
23082 @subsubsection Manipulating breakpoints using Python
23083
23084 @cindex breakpoints in python
23085 @tindex gdb.Breakpoint
23086
23087 Python code can manipulate breakpoints via the @code{gdb.Breakpoint}
23088 class.
23089
23090 @defmethod Breakpoint __init__ spec @r{[}type@r{]} @r{[}wp_class@r{]} @r{[}internal@r{]}
23091 Create a new breakpoint. @var{spec} is a string naming the
23092 location of the breakpoint, or an expression that defines a
23093 watchpoint. The contents can be any location recognized by the
23094 @code{break} command, or in the case of a watchpoint, by the @code{watch}
23095 command. The optional @var{type} denotes the breakpoint to create
23096 from the types defined later in this chapter. This argument can be
23097 either: @code{BP_BREAKPOINT} or @code{BP_WATCHPOINT}. @var{type}
23098 defaults to @code{BP_BREAKPOINT}. The optional @var{internal} argument
23099 allows the breakpoint to become invisible to the user. The breakpoint
23100 will neither be reported when created, nor will it be listed in the
23101 output from @code{info breakpoints} (but will be listed with the
23102 @code{maint info breakpoints} command). The optional @var{wp_class}
23103 argument defines the class of watchpoint to create, if @var{type} is
23104 @code{BP_WATCHPOINT}. If a watchpoint class is not provided, it is
23105 assumed to be a @var{WP_WRITE} class.
23106 @end defmethod
23107
23108 The available watchpoint types represented by constants are defined in the
23109 @code{gdb} module:
23110
23111 @table @code
23112 @findex WP_READ
23113 @findex gdb.WP_READ
23114 @item WP_READ
23115 Read only watchpoint.
23116
23117 @findex WP_WRITE
23118 @findex gdb.WP_WRITE
23119 @item WP_WRITE
23120 Write only watchpoint.
23121
23122 @findex WP_ACCESS
23123 @findex gdb.WP_ACCESS
23124 @item WP_ACCESS
23125 Read/Write watchpoint.
23126 @end table
23127
23128 @defmethod Breakpoint is_valid
23129 Return @code{True} if this @code{Breakpoint} object is valid,
23130 @code{False} otherwise. A @code{Breakpoint} object can become invalid
23131 if the user deletes the breakpoint. In this case, the object still
23132 exists, but the underlying breakpoint does not. In the cases of
23133 watchpoint scope, the watchpoint remains valid even if execution of the
23134 inferior leaves the scope of that watchpoint.
23135 @end defmethod
23136
23137 @defmethod Breakpoint delete
23138 Permanently deletes the @value{GDBN} breakpoint. This also
23139 invalidates the Python @code{Breakpoint} object. Any further access
23140 to this object's attributes or methods will raise an error.
23141 @end defmethod
23142
23143 @defivar Breakpoint enabled
23144 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is enabled, and
23145 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
23146 @end defivar
23147
23148 @defivar Breakpoint silent
23149 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is silent, and
23150 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
23151
23152 Note that a breakpoint can also be silent if it has commands and the
23153 first command is @code{silent}. This is not reported by the
23154 @code{silent} attribute.
23155 @end defivar
23156
23157 @defivar Breakpoint thread
23158 If the breakpoint is thread-specific, this attribute holds the thread
23159 id. If the breakpoint is not thread-specific, this attribute is
23160 @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
23161 @end defivar
23162
23163 @defivar Breakpoint task
23164 If the breakpoint is Ada task-specific, this attribute holds the Ada task
23165 id. If the breakpoint is not task-specific (or the underlying
23166 language is not Ada), this attribute is @code{None}. This attribute
23167 is writable.
23168 @end defivar
23169
23170 @defivar Breakpoint ignore_count
23171 This attribute holds the ignore count for the breakpoint, an integer.
23172 This attribute is writable.
23173 @end defivar
23174
23175 @defivar Breakpoint number
23176 This attribute holds the breakpoint's number --- the identifier used by
23177 the user to manipulate the breakpoint. This attribute is not writable.
23178 @end defivar
23179
23180 @defivar Breakpoint type
23181 This attribute holds the breakpoint's type --- the identifier used to
23182 determine the actual breakpoint type or use-case. This attribute is not
23183 writable.
23184 @end defivar
23185
23186 @defivar Breakpoint visible
23187 This attribute tells whether the breakpoint is visible to the user
23188 when set, or when the @samp{info breakpoints} command is run. This
23189 attribute is not writable.
23190 @end defivar
23191
23192 The available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
23193 module:
23194
23195 @table @code
23196 @findex BP_BREAKPOINT
23197 @findex gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
23198 @item BP_BREAKPOINT
23199 Normal code breakpoint.
23200
23201 @findex BP_WATCHPOINT
23202 @findex gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
23203 @item BP_WATCHPOINT
23204 Watchpoint breakpoint.
23205
23206 @findex BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
23207 @findex gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
23208 @item BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
23209 Hardware assisted watchpoint.
23210
23211 @findex BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
23212 @findex gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
23213 @item BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
23214 Hardware assisted read watchpoint.
23215
23216 @findex BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
23217 @findex gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
23218 @item BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
23219 Hardware assisted access watchpoint.
23220 @end table
23221
23222 @defivar Breakpoint hit_count
23223 This attribute holds the hit count for the breakpoint, an integer.
23224 This attribute is writable, but currently it can only be set to zero.
23225 @end defivar
23226
23227 @defivar Breakpoint location
23228 This attribute holds the location of the breakpoint, as specified by
23229 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have a location
23230 (that is, it is a watchpoint) the attribute's value is @code{None}. This
23231 attribute is not writable.
23232 @end defivar
23233
23234 @defivar Breakpoint expression
23235 This attribute holds a breakpoint expression, as specified by
23236 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have an
23237 expression (the breakpoint is not a watchpoint) the attribute's value
23238 is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
23239 @end defivar
23240
23241 @defivar Breakpoint condition
23242 This attribute holds the condition of the breakpoint, as specified by
23243 the user. It is a string. If there is no condition, this attribute's
23244 value is @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
23245 @end defivar
23246
23247 @defivar Breakpoint commands
23248 This attribute holds the commands attached to the breakpoint. If
23249 there are commands, this attribute's value is a string holding all the
23250 commands, separated by newlines. If there are no commands, this
23251 attribute is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
23252 @end defivar
23253
23254 @node Lazy Strings In Python
23255 @subsubsection Python representation of lazy strings.
23256
23257 @cindex lazy strings in python
23258 @tindex gdb.LazyString
23259
23260 A @dfn{lazy string} is a string whose contents is not retrieved or
23261 encoded until it is needed.
23262
23263 A @code{gdb.LazyString} is represented in @value{GDBN} as an
23264 @code{address} that points to a region of memory, an @code{encoding}
23265 that will be used to encode that region of memory, and a @code{length}
23266 to delimit the region of memory that represents the string. The
23267 difference between a @code{gdb.LazyString} and a string wrapped within
23268 a @code{gdb.Value} is that a @code{gdb.LazyString} will be treated
23269 differently by @value{GDBN} when printing. A @code{gdb.LazyString} is
23270 retrieved and encoded during printing, while a @code{gdb.Value}
23271 wrapping a string is immediately retrieved and encoded on creation.
23272
23273 A @code{gdb.LazyString} object has the following functions:
23274
23275 @defmethod LazyString value
23276 Convert the @code{gdb.LazyString} to a @code{gdb.Value}. This value
23277 will point to the string in memory, but will lose all the delayed
23278 retrieval, encoding and handling that @value{GDBN} applies to a
23279 @code{gdb.LazyString}.
23280 @end defmethod
23281
23282 @defivar LazyString address
23283 This attribute holds the address of the string. This attribute is not
23284 writable.
23285 @end defivar
23286
23287 @defivar LazyString length
23288 This attribute holds the length of the string in characters. If the
23289 length is -1, then the string will be fetched and encoded up to the
23290 first null of appropriate width. This attribute is not writable.
23291 @end defivar
23292
23293 @defivar LazyString encoding
23294 This attribute holds the encoding that will be applied to the string
23295 when the string is printed by @value{GDBN}. If the encoding is not
23296 set, or contains an empty string, then @value{GDBN} will select the
23297 most appropriate encoding when the string is printed. This attribute
23298 is not writable.
23299 @end defivar
23300
23301 @defivar LazyString type
23302 This attribute holds the type that is represented by the lazy string's
23303 type. For a lazy string this will always be a pointer type. To
23304 resolve this to the lazy string's character type, use the type's
23305 @code{target} method. @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not
23306 writable.
23307 @end defivar
23308
23309 @node Auto-loading
23310 @subsection Auto-loading
23311 @cindex auto-loading, Python
23312
23313 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
23314 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
23315 @value{GDBN} will look for Python support scripts in several ways:
23316 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} and @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section.
23317
23318 @menu
23319 * objfile-gdb.py file:: The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
23320 * .debug_gdb_scripts section:: The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
23321 * Which flavor to choose?::
23322 @end menu
23323
23324 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
23325 debugging commands and scripts.
23326
23327 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled.
23328
23329 @table @code
23330 @kindex set auto-load-scripts
23331 @item set auto-load-scripts [yes|no]
23332 Enable or disable the auto-loading of Python scripts.
23333
23334 @kindex show auto-load-scripts
23335 @item show auto-load-scripts
23336 Show whether auto-loading of Python scripts is enabled or disabled.
23337 @end table
23338
23339 When reading an auto-loaded file, @value{GDBN} sets the
23340 @dfn{current objfile}. This is available via the @code{gdb.current_objfile}
23341 function (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}). This can be useful for
23342 registering objfile-specific pretty-printers.
23343
23344 @node objfile-gdb.py file
23345 @subsubsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
23346 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
23347
23348 When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for
23349 a file named @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py},
23350 where @var{objfile} is the object file's real name, formed by ensuring
23351 that the file name is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving
23352 @code{.} and @code{..} components. If this file exists and is
23353 readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a Python script.
23354
23355 If this file does not exist, and if the parameter
23356 @code{debug-file-directory} is set (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}),
23357 then @value{GDBN} will look for @var{real-name} in all of the
23358 directories mentioned in the value of @code{debug-file-directory}.
23359
23360 Finally, if this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
23361 a file named @file{@var{data-directory}/python/auto-load/@var{real-name}}, where
23362 @var{data-directory} is @value{GDBN}'s data directory (available via
23363 @code{show data-directory}, @pxref{Data Files}), and @var{real-name}
23364 is the object file's real name, as described above.
23365
23366 @value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
23367 @value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
23368 @var{objfile} is opened.
23369 So your @file{-gdb.py} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
23370 is evaluated more than once.
23371
23372 @node .debug_gdb_scripts section
23373 @subsubsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
23374 @cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
23375
23376 For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
23377 when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
23378 it will look for a special section named @samp{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
23379 If this section exists, its contents is a list of names of scripts to load.
23380
23381 @value{GDBN} will look for each specified script file first in the
23382 current directory and then along the source search path
23383 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
23384 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
23385 directory is not relevant to scripts.
23386
23387 Entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
23388 for example, this GCC macro:
23389
23390 @example
23391 /* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remove duplicates. */
23392 #define DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT(script_name) \
23393 asm("\
23394 .pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
23395 .byte 1\n\
23396 .asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
23397 .popsection \n\
23398 ");
23399 @end example
23400
23401 @noindent
23402 Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
23403
23404 @example
23405 DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
23406 @end example
23407
23408 The script name may include directories if desired.
23409
23410 If the macro is put in a header, any application or library
23411 using this header will get a reference to the specified script.
23412
23413 @node Which flavor to choose?
23414 @subsubsection Which flavor to choose?
23415
23416 Given the multiple ways of auto-loading Python scripts, it might not always
23417 be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
23418
23419 Benefits of the @file{-gdb.py} way:
23420
23421 @itemize @bullet
23422 @item
23423 Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
23424
23425 @item
23426 Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
23427
23428 Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
23429 in the source search path.
23430 For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
23431 isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
23432
23433 @item
23434 Doesn't require source code additions.
23435 @end itemize
23436
23437 Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
23438
23439 @itemize @bullet
23440 @item
23441 Works with static linking.
23442
23443 Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.py} way require an objfile to
23444 trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
23445 objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
23446 scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's @file{-gdb.py} script.
23447
23448 @item
23449 Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
23450
23451 Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
23452 shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.py} script to.
23453
23454 @item
23455 Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
23456
23457 In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
23458 libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
23459 @file{-gdb.py} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
23460 cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
23461 @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
23462 top of the source tree to the source search path.
23463 @end itemize
23464
23465 @node Python modules
23466 @subsection Python modules
23467 @cindex python modules
23468
23469 @value{GDBN} comes with a module to assist writing Python code.
23470
23471 @menu
23472 * gdb.printing:: Building and registering pretty-printers.
23473 * gdb.types:: Utilities for working with types.
23474 @end menu
23475
23476 @node gdb.printing
23477 @subsubsection gdb.printing
23478 @cindex gdb.printing
23479
23480 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
23481 pretty-printers.
23482
23483 @table @code
23484 @item PrettyPrinter (@var{name}, @var{subprinters}=None)
23485 This class specifies the API that makes @samp{info pretty-printer},
23486 @samp{enable pretty-printer} and @samp{disable pretty-printer} work.
23487 Pretty-printers should generally inherit from this class.
23488
23489 @item SubPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
23490 For printers that handle multiple types, this class specifies the
23491 corresponding API for the subprinters.
23492
23493 @item RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
23494 Utility class for handling multiple printers, all recognized via
23495 regular expressions.
23496 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for an example.
23497
23498 @item register_pretty_printer (@var{obj}, @var{printer})
23499 Register @var{printer} with the pretty-printer list of @var{obj}.
23500 @end table
23501
23502 @node gdb.types
23503 @subsubsection gdb.types
23504 @cindex gdb.types
23505
23506 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
23507 @code{gdb.Types} objects.
23508
23509 @table @code
23510 @item get_basic_type (@var{type})
23511 Return @var{type} with const and volatile qualifiers stripped,
23512 and with typedefs and C@t{++} references converted to the underlying type.
23513
23514 C@t{++} example:
23515
23516 @smallexample
23517 typedef const int const_int;
23518 const_int foo (3);
23519 const_int& foo_ref (foo);
23520 int main () @{ return 0; @}
23521 @end smallexample
23522
23523 Then in gdb:
23524
23525 @smallexample
23526 (gdb) start
23527 (gdb) python import gdb.types
23528 (gdb) python foo_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo_ref")
23529 (gdb) python print gdb.types.get_basic_type(foo_ref.type)
23530 int
23531 @end smallexample
23532
23533 @item has_field (@var{type}, @var{field})
23534 Return @code{True} if @var{type}, assumed to be a type with fields
23535 (e.g., a structure or union), has field @var{field}.
23536
23537 @item make_enum_dict (@var{enum_type})
23538 Return a Python @code{dictionary} type produced from @var{enum_type}.
23539 @end table
23540
23541 @node Interpreters
23542 @chapter Command Interpreters
23543 @cindex command interpreters
23544
23545 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
23546 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
23547 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
23548
23549 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
23550 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
23551 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
23552 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
23553
23554 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
23555 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
23556 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
23557 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
23558
23559 @table @code
23560 @item console
23561 @cindex console interpreter
23562 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
23563 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
23564 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
23565
23566 @item mi
23567 @cindex mi interpreter
23568 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
23569 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
23570 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
23571 Interface}.
23572
23573 @item mi2
23574 @cindex mi2 interpreter
23575 The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
23576
23577 @item mi1
23578 @cindex mi1 interpreter
23579 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
23580
23581 @end table
23582
23583 @cindex invoke another interpreter
23584 The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
23585 switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
23586 precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
23587 enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
23588 @value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
23589 the IDE inoperable!
23590
23591 @kindex interpreter-exec
23592 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
23593 commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
23594 command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
23595 @code{interpreter-exec} command:
23596
23597 @smallexample
23598 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
23599 @end smallexample
23600
23601 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
23602 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
23603
23604 @node TUI
23605 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
23606 @cindex TUI
23607 @cindex Text User Interface
23608
23609 @menu
23610 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
23611 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
23612 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
23613 * TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
23614 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
23615 @end menu
23616
23617 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
23618 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
23619 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
23620 commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
23621 on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
23622 is available.
23623
23624 @pindex @value{GDBTUI}
23625 The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
23626 either @samp{@value{GDBTUI}} or @samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
23627 You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
23628 using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @kbd{C-x C-a}.
23629 @xref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
23630
23631 @node TUI Overview
23632 @section TUI Overview
23633
23634 In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
23635
23636 @table @emph
23637 @item command
23638 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
23639 prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
23640 managed using readline.
23641
23642 @item source
23643 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
23644 line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
23645
23646 @item assembly
23647 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
23648
23649 @item register
23650 This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
23651 when their values change.
23652 @end table
23653
23654 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
23655 by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
23656 Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
23657 indicates the breakpoint type:
23658
23659 @table @code
23660 @item B
23661 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
23662
23663 @item b
23664 Breakpoint which was never hit.
23665
23666 @item H
23667 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
23668
23669 @item h
23670 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
23671 @end table
23672
23673 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
23674
23675 @table @code
23676 @item +
23677 Breakpoint is enabled.
23678
23679 @item -
23680 Breakpoint is disabled.
23681 @end table
23682
23683 The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
23684 thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
23685 changes.
23686
23687 These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
23688 window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
23689 layouts:
23690
23691 @itemize @bullet
23692 @item
23693 source only,
23694
23695 @item
23696 assembly only,
23697
23698 @item
23699 source and assembly,
23700
23701 @item
23702 source and registers, or
23703
23704 @item
23705 assembly and registers.
23706 @end itemize
23707
23708 A status line above the command window shows the following information:
23709
23710 @table @emph
23711 @item target
23712 Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
23713 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
23714
23715 @item process
23716 Gives the current process or thread number.
23717 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
23718
23719 @item function
23720 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
23721 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
23722 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
23723 the string @code{??} is displayed.
23724
23725 @item line
23726 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
23727 When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
23728
23729 @item pc
23730 Indicates the current program counter address.
23731 @end table
23732
23733 @node TUI Keys
23734 @section TUI Key Bindings
23735 @cindex TUI key bindings
23736
23737 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
23738 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
23739 (@pxref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library}).
23740 @end ifset
23741 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
23742 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
23743 @end ifclear
23744 The following key bindings are installed for both TUI mode and the
23745 @value{GDBN} standard mode.
23746
23747 @table @kbd
23748 @kindex C-x C-a
23749 @item C-x C-a
23750 @kindex C-x a
23751 @itemx C-x a
23752 @kindex C-x A
23753 @itemx C-x A
23754 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
23755 the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
23756 its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
23757 the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
23758 The screen is then refreshed.
23759
23760 @kindex C-x 1
23761 @item C-x 1
23762 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
23763 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
23764 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
23765
23766 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
23767
23768 @kindex C-x 2
23769 @item C-x 2
23770 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
23771 layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
23772 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
23773 previous layout and the new one.
23774
23775 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
23776
23777 @kindex C-x o
23778 @item C-x o
23779 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
23780 (like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
23781 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
23782
23783 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
23784
23785 @kindex C-x s
23786 @item C-x s
23787 Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
23788 keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
23789 @end table
23790
23791 The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
23792
23793 @table @asis
23794 @kindex PgUp
23795 @item @key{PgUp}
23796 Scroll the active window one page up.
23797
23798 @kindex PgDn
23799 @item @key{PgDn}
23800 Scroll the active window one page down.
23801
23802 @kindex Up
23803 @item @key{Up}
23804 Scroll the active window one line up.
23805
23806 @kindex Down
23807 @item @key{Down}
23808 Scroll the active window one line down.
23809
23810 @kindex Left
23811 @item @key{Left}
23812 Scroll the active window one column left.
23813
23814 @kindex Right
23815 @item @key{Right}
23816 Scroll the active window one column right.
23817
23818 @kindex C-L
23819 @item @kbd{C-L}
23820 Refresh the screen.
23821 @end table
23822
23823 Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
23824 are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
23825 window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
23826 other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
23827 and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
23828
23829 @node TUI Single Key Mode
23830 @section TUI Single Key Mode
23831 @cindex TUI single key mode
23832
23833 The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
23834 frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
23835 switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
23836
23837 @table @kbd
23838 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23839 @item c
23840 continue
23841
23842 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23843 @item d
23844 down
23845
23846 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23847 @item f
23848 finish
23849
23850 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23851 @item n
23852 next
23853
23854 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23855 @item q
23856 exit the SingleKey mode.
23857
23858 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23859 @item r
23860 run
23861
23862 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23863 @item s
23864 step
23865
23866 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23867 @item u
23868 up
23869
23870 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23871 @item v
23872 info locals
23873
23874 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23875 @item w
23876 where
23877 @end table
23878
23879 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
23880 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
23881 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
23882 with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
23883 SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
23884 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
23885
23886
23887 @node TUI Commands
23888 @section TUI-specific Commands
23889 @cindex TUI commands
23890
23891 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
23892 These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
23893 the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
23894 of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
23895
23896 Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
23897 terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
23898 interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
23899 these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
23900 possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
23901
23902 @table @code
23903 @item info win
23904 @kindex info win
23905 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
23906
23907 @item layout next
23908 @kindex layout
23909 Display the next layout.
23910
23911 @item layout prev
23912 Display the previous layout.
23913
23914 @item layout src
23915 Display the source window only.
23916
23917 @item layout asm
23918 Display the assembly window only.
23919
23920 @item layout split
23921 Display the source and assembly window.
23922
23923 @item layout regs
23924 Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
23925
23926 @item focus next
23927 @kindex focus
23928 Make the next window active for scrolling.
23929
23930 @item focus prev
23931 Make the previous window active for scrolling.
23932
23933 @item focus src
23934 Make the source window active for scrolling.
23935
23936 @item focus asm
23937 Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
23938
23939 @item focus regs
23940 Make the register window active for scrolling.
23941
23942 @item focus cmd
23943 Make the command window active for scrolling.
23944
23945 @item refresh
23946 @kindex refresh
23947 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
23948
23949 @item tui reg float
23950 @kindex tui reg
23951 Show the floating point registers in the register window.
23952
23953 @item tui reg general
23954 Show the general registers in the register window.
23955
23956 @item tui reg next
23957 Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
23958 their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
23959 following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
23960 @code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
23961
23962 @item tui reg system
23963 Show the system registers in the register window.
23964
23965 @item update
23966 @kindex update
23967 Update the source window and the current execution point.
23968
23969 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
23970 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
23971 @kindex winheight
23972 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
23973 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
23974 decrease it.
23975
23976 @item tabset @var{nchars}
23977 @kindex tabset
23978 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
23979 @end table
23980
23981 @node TUI Configuration
23982 @section TUI Configuration Variables
23983 @cindex TUI configuration variables
23984
23985 Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
23986
23987 @table @code
23988 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
23989 @kindex set tui border-kind
23990 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
23991 The possible values are the following:
23992 @table @code
23993 @item space
23994 Use a space character to draw the border.
23995
23996 @item ascii
23997 Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
23998
23999 @item acs
24000 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
24001 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
24002 @end table
24003
24004 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
24005 @kindex set tui border-mode
24006 @itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
24007 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
24008 Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
24009 or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
24010 @table @code
24011 @item normal
24012 Use normal attributes to display the border.
24013
24014 @item standout
24015 Use standout mode.
24016
24017 @item reverse
24018 Use reverse video mode.
24019
24020 @item half
24021 Use half bright mode.
24022
24023 @item half-standout
24024 Use half bright and standout mode.
24025
24026 @item bold
24027 Use extra bright or bold mode.
24028
24029 @item bold-standout
24030 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
24031 @end table
24032 @end table
24033
24034 @node Emacs
24035 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
24036
24037 @cindex Emacs
24038 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
24039 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
24040 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
24041 @value{GDBN}.
24042
24043 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
24044 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
24045 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
24046 created Emacs buffer.
24047 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
24048
24049 Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
24050 things:
24051
24052 @itemize @bullet
24053 @item
24054 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
24055 the GUD buffer.
24056
24057 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
24058 and output done by the program you are debugging.
24059
24060 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
24061 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
24062 in this way.
24063
24064 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
24065 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
24066 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
24067 stop.
24068
24069 @item
24070 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
24071
24072 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
24073 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
24074 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
24075 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
24076 and the source.
24077
24078 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
24079 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
24080 @end itemize
24081
24082 We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
24083 a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
24084 that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
24085 @xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
24086
24087 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
24088 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
24089 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
24090 sets your current working directory to to the directory associated
24091 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
24092 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
24093 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
24094 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
24095 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
24096
24097 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
24098 line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
24099 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
24100 ,Commands to Specify Files}.
24101
24102 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
24103 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
24104 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
24105 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
24106 one you want.
24107
24108 In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
24109 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
24110
24111 @table @kbd
24112 @item C-h m
24113 Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
24114
24115 @item C-c C-s
24116 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
24117 update the display window to show the current file and location.
24118
24119 @item C-c C-n
24120 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
24121 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
24122 to show the current file and location.
24123
24124 @item C-c C-i
24125 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
24126 display window accordingly.
24127
24128 @item C-c C-f
24129 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
24130 @code{finish} command.
24131
24132 @item C-c C-r
24133 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
24134 command.
24135
24136 @item C-c <
24137 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
24138 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
24139 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
24140
24141 @item C-c >
24142 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
24143 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
24144 @end table
24145
24146 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
24147 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
24148
24149 In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
24150 separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
24151 Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
24152 become the current frame and display the associated source in the
24153 source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
24154 selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
24155 speedbar displays watch expressions.
24156
24157 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
24158 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
24159 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
24160 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
24161 frame.
24162
24163 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
24164 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
24165 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
24166 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
24167 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
24168 to correspond properly with the code.
24169
24170 A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
24171 given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
24172 Emacs Manual}).
24173
24174 @c The following dropped because Epoch is nonstandard. Reactivate
24175 @c if/when v19 does something similar. ---doc@cygnus.com 19dec1990
24176 @ignore
24177 @kindex Emacs Epoch environment
24178 @kindex Epoch
24179 @kindex inspect
24180
24181 Version 18 of @sc{gnu} Emacs has a built-in window system
24182 called the @code{epoch}
24183 environment. Users of this environment can use a new command,
24184 @code{inspect} which performs identically to @code{print} except that
24185 each value is printed in its own window.
24186 @end ignore
24187
24188
24189 @node GDB/MI
24190 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
24191
24192 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
24193
24194 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
24195 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
24196 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
24197 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
24198 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
24199 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
24200
24201 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
24202 in the form of a reference manual.
24203
24204 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
24205 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
24206 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
24207
24208 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
24209
24210 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
24211 This chapter uses the following notation:
24212
24213 @itemize @bullet
24214 @item
24215 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
24216
24217 @item
24218 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
24219 it may or may not be given.
24220
24221 @item
24222 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
24223 may repeat zero or more times.
24224
24225 @item
24226 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
24227 may repeat one or more times.
24228
24229 @item
24230 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
24231 @end itemize
24232
24233 @ignore
24234 @heading Dependencies
24235 @end ignore
24236
24237 @menu
24238 * GDB/MI General Design::
24239 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
24240 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
24241 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
24242 * GDB/MI Output Records::
24243 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
24244 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
24245 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
24246 * GDB/MI Program Context::
24247 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
24248 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
24249 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
24250 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
24251 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
24252 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
24253 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
24254 * GDB/MI File Commands::
24255 @ignore
24256 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
24257 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
24258 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
24259 @end ignore
24260 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
24261 * GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
24262 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
24263 @end menu
24264
24265 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
24266 @node GDB/MI General Design
24267 @section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
24268 @cindex GDB/MI General Design
24269
24270 Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
24271 parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
24272 and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
24273 indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
24274 For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
24275 requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
24276 response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
24277 Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
24278 target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
24279 a command and reported as part of that command response.
24280
24281 The important examples of notifications are:
24282 @itemize @bullet
24283
24284 @item
24285 Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
24286 target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
24287 be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
24288 commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
24289 different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
24290 happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
24291 command itself was successfully executed.
24292
24293 @item
24294 Console output, and status notifications. Console output
24295 notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
24296 diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
24297 report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
24298 this information in command response would mean no output is produced
24299 until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
24300
24301 @item
24302 General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
24303 the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
24304 a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
24305 be included in command response, using notification allows for more
24306 orthogonal frontend design.
24307
24308 @end itemize
24309
24310 There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
24311 @value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
24312 the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
24313 processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
24314 we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
24315 the user interface.
24316
24317
24318 @menu
24319 * Context management::
24320 * Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
24321 * Thread groups::
24322 @end menu
24323
24324 @node Context management
24325 @subsection Context management
24326
24327 In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
24328 done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
24329 Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
24330 be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
24331 and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
24332 because a command line user would not want to specify that information
24333 explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
24334 @value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
24335 to what thread and frame are the current ones.
24336
24337 In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
24338 useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
24339 itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
24340 each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
24341 want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
24342 increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
24343 frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
24344 should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
24345 make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
24346 @samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} identifier
24347 for thread and frame to operate on.
24348
24349 Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
24350 a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
24351 operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
24352 current thread be changed. For example, when stopping on a breakpoint
24353 it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is hit. For
24354 another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} command via
24355 the frontend, it is desirable to change the frontend's selected thread to the
24356 one specified by user. @value{GDBN} communicates the suggestion to
24357 change current thread using the @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
24358 No such notification is available for the selected frame at the moment.
24359
24360 Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
24361 frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
24362 right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
24363 simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
24364 before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
24365 to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
24366 if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
24367 thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
24368 optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
24369 sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
24370 selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
24371 change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
24372 problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
24373 all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
24374 right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
24375 @samp{--frame} options.
24376
24377 @node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
24378 @subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
24379
24380 On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
24381 even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
24382 command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
24383 specify a preferrence for asynchronous execution using the
24384 @code{-gdb-set target-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
24385 either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
24386 frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
24387 find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
24388 @code{-list-target-features} command.
24389
24390 Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
24391 many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
24392 running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
24393 when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
24394 it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
24395 are running.
24396
24397 When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
24398 target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
24399 some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
24400 stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
24401 modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
24402 that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
24403 @code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
24404 context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
24405 stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
24406 @samp{--thread} option).
24407
24408 Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
24409 highly target dependent. However, the two commands
24410 @code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
24411 to find the state of a thread, will always work.
24412
24413 @node Thread groups
24414 @subsection Thread groups
24415 @value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
24416 On some platfroms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
24417 hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
24418 processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
24419 mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
24420
24421 The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
24422 target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
24423 accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
24424 thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
24425 neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
24426 current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
24427 that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
24428 into processes.
24429
24430 To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
24431 hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
24432 @dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
24433 thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
24434 and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
24435 command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
24436 thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
24437 debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
24438 to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
24439 the members of specific thread group.
24440
24441 To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
24442 wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
24443 introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
24444 @value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
24445 @code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
24446 groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
24447 In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
24448 after attaching to that thread group.
24449
24450 Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
24451 Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
24452 type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
24453 such thread groups.
24454
24455 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
24456 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
24457 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
24458
24459 @menu
24460 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
24461 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
24462 @end menu
24463
24464 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
24465 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
24466
24467 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
24468 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
24469 @table @code
24470 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
24471 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
24472
24473 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
24474 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
24475 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
24476
24477 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
24478 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
24479 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
24480
24481 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
24482 "any sequence of digits"
24483
24484 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
24485 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
24486
24487 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
24488 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
24489
24490 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
24491 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
24492
24493 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
24494 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
24495 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
24496
24497 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
24498 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
24499
24500 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
24501 @code{CR | CR-LF}
24502 @end table
24503
24504 @noindent
24505 Notes:
24506
24507 @itemize @bullet
24508 @item
24509 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
24510 output is described below.
24511
24512 @item
24513 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
24514 finishes.
24515
24516 @item
24517 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
24518 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
24519 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
24520 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
24521 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
24522 @end itemize
24523
24524 Pragmatics:
24525
24526 @itemize @bullet
24527 @item
24528 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
24529
24530 @item
24531 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
24532 @end itemize
24533
24534 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
24535 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
24536
24537 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
24538 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
24539 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
24540 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
24541 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
24542 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
24543
24544 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
24545 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
24546 @var{token}.
24547
24548 @table @code
24549 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
24550 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
24551
24552 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
24553 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
24554
24555 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
24556 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
24557
24558 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
24559 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
24560
24561 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
24562 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output}}
24563
24564 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
24565 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output}}
24566
24567 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
24568 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output}}
24569
24570 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
24571 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
24572
24573 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
24574 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
24575
24576 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
24577 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
24578 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
24579
24580 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
24581 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
24582
24583 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
24584 @code{ @var{string} }
24585
24586 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
24587 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
24588
24589 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
24590 @code{@var{c-string}}
24591
24592 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
24593 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
24594
24595 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
24596 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
24597 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
24598
24599 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
24600 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
24601
24602 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
24603 @code{"~" @var{c-string}}
24604
24605 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
24606 @code{"@@" @var{c-string}}
24607
24608 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
24609 @code{"&" @var{c-string}}
24610
24611 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
24612 @code{CR | CR-LF}
24613
24614 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
24615 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
24616 @end table
24617
24618 @noindent
24619 Notes:
24620
24621 @itemize @bullet
24622 @item
24623 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
24624
24625 @item
24626 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
24627 for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
24628 may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
24629 output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
24630 all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
24631 target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
24632 prior command.
24633
24634 @item
24635 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
24636 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
24637 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
24638 prefixed by @samp{+}.
24639
24640 @item
24641 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
24642 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
24643 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
24644 @samp{*}.
24645
24646 @item
24647 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
24648 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
24649 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
24650 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
24651
24652 @item
24653 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
24654 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
24655 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
24656 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
24657
24658 @item
24659 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
24660 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
24661 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
24662
24663 @item
24664 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
24665 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
24666 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
24667 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
24668
24669 @item
24670 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
24671 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
24672 @var{values}.
24673
24674
24675 @end itemize
24676
24677 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
24678 details about the various output records.
24679
24680 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
24681 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
24682 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
24683
24684 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
24685 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
24686
24687 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
24688 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
24689 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
24690 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
24691 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
24692 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
24693
24694 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
24695 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
24696 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
24697
24698 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
24699 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
24700 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
24701 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
24702
24703 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
24704 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
24705
24706 Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
24707 by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
24708 to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
24709 section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
24710 might change.
24711
24712 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
24713 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
24714 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
24715 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
24716
24717 @itemize @bullet
24718 @item
24719 New MI commands may be added.
24720
24721 @item
24722 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
24723
24724 @item
24725 The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
24726 @code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
24727
24728 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
24729 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
24730
24731 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
24732 @c resolve inconsistencies.
24733 @end itemize
24734
24735 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
24736 will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
24737 output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
24738 @value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
24739 responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
24740
24741 @c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
24742 @c version?
24743
24744 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
24745 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
24746 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
24747 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
24748 @cindex mailing lists
24749
24750 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
24751 @node GDB/MI Output Records
24752 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
24753
24754 @menu
24755 * GDB/MI Result Records::
24756 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
24757 * GDB/MI Async Records::
24758 * GDB/MI Frame Information::
24759 * GDB/MI Thread Information::
24760 @end menu
24761
24762 @node GDB/MI Result Records
24763 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
24764
24765 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
24766 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
24767 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
24768 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
24769
24770 @table @code
24771 @findex ^done
24772 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
24773 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
24774 values.
24775
24776 @item "^running"
24777 @findex ^running
24778 This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
24779 was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
24780 target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
24781 all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
24782 identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
24783 which threads are resumed.
24784
24785 @item "^connected"
24786 @findex ^connected
24787 @value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
24788
24789 @item "^error" "," @var{c-string}
24790 @findex ^error
24791 The operation failed. The @code{@var{c-string}} contains the corresponding
24792 error message.
24793
24794 @item "^exit"
24795 @findex ^exit
24796 @value{GDBN} has terminated.
24797
24798 @end table
24799
24800 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
24801 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
24802
24803 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
24804 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
24805 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
24806 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
24807 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
24808
24809 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
24810 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
24811 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
24812 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
24813 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
24814
24815 @table @code
24816 @item "~" @var{string-output}
24817 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
24818 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
24819
24820 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
24821 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
24822 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
24823 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
24824
24825 @item "&" @var{string-output}
24826 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
24827 internals.
24828 @end table
24829
24830 @node GDB/MI Async Records
24831 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
24832
24833 @cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
24834 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
24835 @dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
24836 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
24837 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
24838 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
24839
24840 The following is the list of possible async records:
24841
24842 @table @code
24843
24844 @item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
24845 The target is now running. The @var{thread} field tells which
24846 specific thread is now running, and can be @samp{all} if all threads
24847 are running. The frontend should assume that no interaction with a
24848 running thread is possible after this notification is produced.
24849 The frontend should not assume that this notification is output
24850 only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may emit this notification
24851 several times, either for different threads, because it cannot resume
24852 all threads together, or even for a single thread, if the thread must
24853 be stepped though some code before letting it run freely.
24854
24855 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
24856 The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
24857 following values:
24858
24859 @table @code
24860 @item breakpoint-hit
24861 A breakpoint was reached.
24862 @item watchpoint-trigger
24863 A watchpoint was triggered.
24864 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
24865 A read watchpoint was triggered.
24866 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
24867 An access watchpoint was triggered.
24868 @item function-finished
24869 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
24870 @item location-reached
24871 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
24872 @item watchpoint-scope
24873 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
24874 @item end-stepping-range
24875 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
24876 similar CLI command was accomplished.
24877 @item exited-signalled
24878 The inferior exited because of a signal.
24879 @item exited
24880 The inferior exited.
24881 @item exited-normally
24882 The inferior exited normally.
24883 @item signal-received
24884 A signal was received by the inferior.
24885 @end table
24886
24887 The @var{id} field identifies the thread that directly caused the stop
24888 -- for example by hitting a breakpoint. Depending on whether all-stop
24889 mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
24890 stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
24891 If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
24892 value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
24893 field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
24894 always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
24895 several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
24896 processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
24897 if such information is not available.
24898
24899 @item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
24900 @itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
24901 A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
24902 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
24903 group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
24904 process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
24905 cannot be used in any way.
24906
24907 @item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
24908 A thread group became associated with a running program,
24909 either because the program was just started or the thread group
24910 was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
24911 @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
24912 contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
24913
24914 @itemx =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"
24915 A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
24916 either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
24917 from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
24918 thread group.
24919
24920 @item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
24921 @itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
24922 A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
24923 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
24924 field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
24925
24926 @item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"
24927 Informs that the selected thread was changed as result of the last
24928 command. This notification is not emitted as result of @code{-thread-select}
24929 command but is emitted whenever an MI command that is not documented
24930 to change the selected thread actually changes it. In particular,
24931 invoking, directly or indirectly (via user-defined command), the CLI
24932 @code{thread} command, will generate this notification.
24933
24934 We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
24935 highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
24936 that thread.
24937
24938 @item =library-loaded,...
24939 Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
24940 notification has 4 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
24941 @var{host-name}, and @var{symbols-loaded}. The @var{id} field is an
24942 opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
24943 @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
24944 library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
24945 debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
24946 @var{symbols-loaded} field is emitted only for backward compatibility
24947 and should not be relied on to convey any useful information. The
24948 @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the thread
24949 group in whose context the library was loaded. If the field is
24950 absent, it means the library was loaded in the context of all present
24951 thread groups.
24952
24953 @item =library-unloaded,...
24954 Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
24955 has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
24956 the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
24957 The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
24958 thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
24959 absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
24960 thread groups.
24961
24962 @end table
24963
24964 @node GDB/MI Frame Information
24965 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
24966
24967 Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
24968 frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
24969 fields:
24970
24971 @table @code
24972 @item level
24973 The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
24974 zero. This field is always present.
24975
24976 @item func
24977 The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
24978 be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
24979
24980 @item addr
24981 The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
24982
24983 @item file
24984 The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
24985 address. This field may be absent.
24986
24987 @item line
24988 The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
24989 may be absent.
24990
24991 @item from
24992 The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
24993 corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
24994
24995 @end table
24996
24997 @node GDB/MI Thread Information
24998 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
24999
25000 Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
25001 uses a tuple with the following fields:
25002
25003 @table @code
25004 @item id
25005 The numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}. This field is
25006 always present.
25007
25008 @item target-id
25009 Target-specific string identifying the thread. This field is always present.
25010
25011 @item details
25012 Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
25013 It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
25014 frontend. This field is optional.
25015
25016 @item state
25017 Either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running}, depending on whether the
25018 thread is presently running. This field is always present.
25019
25020 @item core
25021 The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
25022 thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
25023 @end table
25024
25025
25026 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25027 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
25028 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
25029 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
25030
25031 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
25032 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
25033 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
25034 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
25035
25036 Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
25037 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
25038
25039 @subheading Setting a Breakpoint
25040
25041 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
25042 information of the breakpoint.
25043
25044 @smallexample
25045 -> -break-insert main
25046 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
25047 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
25048 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",times="0"@}
25049 <- (gdb)
25050 @end smallexample
25051
25052 @subheading Program Execution
25053
25054 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
25055 reason that execution stopped.
25056
25057 @smallexample
25058 -> -exec-run
25059 <- ^running
25060 <- (gdb)
25061 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
25062 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
25063 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
25064 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
25065 <- (gdb)
25066 -> -exec-continue
25067 <- ^running
25068 <- (gdb)
25069 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
25070 <- (gdb)
25071 @end smallexample
25072
25073 @subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
25074
25075 Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
25076
25077 @smallexample
25078 -> (gdb)
25079 <- -gdb-exit
25080 <- ^exit
25081 @end smallexample
25082
25083 Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
25084 take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
25085 performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
25086 or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
25087 @value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
25088 fails to exit in reasonable time.
25089
25090 @subheading A Bad Command
25091
25092 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
25093
25094 @smallexample
25095 -> -rubbish
25096 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
25097 <- (gdb)
25098 @end smallexample
25099
25100
25101 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25102 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
25103 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
25104
25105 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
25106 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
25107
25108 @subheading Motivation
25109
25110 The motivation for this collection of commands.
25111
25112 @subheading Introduction
25113
25114 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
25115
25116 @subheading Commands
25117
25118 For each command in the block, the following is described:
25119
25120 @subsubheading Synopsis
25121
25122 @smallexample
25123 -command @var{args}@dots{}
25124 @end smallexample
25125
25126 @subsubheading Result
25127
25128 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25129
25130 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
25131
25132 @subsubheading Example
25133
25134 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
25135 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
25136
25137
25138 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25139 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
25140 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
25141
25142 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
25143 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
25144 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
25145 breakpoints.
25146
25147 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
25148 @findex -break-after
25149
25150 @subsubheading Synopsis
25151
25152 @smallexample
25153 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
25154 @end smallexample
25155
25156 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
25157 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
25158 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
25159 @samp{-break-list} command below.
25160
25161 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25162
25163 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
25164
25165 @subsubheading Example
25166
25167 @smallexample
25168 (gdb)
25169 -break-insert main
25170 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
25171 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
25172 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
25173 (gdb)
25174 -break-after 1 3
25175 ~
25176 ^done
25177 (gdb)
25178 -break-list
25179 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
25180 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25181 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25182 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25183 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25184 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25185 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25186 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
25187 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
25188 line="5",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
25189 (gdb)
25190 @end smallexample
25191
25192 @ignore
25193 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
25194 @findex -break-catch
25195 @end ignore
25196
25197 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
25198 @findex -break-commands
25199
25200 @subsubheading Synopsis
25201
25202 @smallexample
25203 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
25204 @end smallexample
25205
25206 Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
25207 @var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
25208 are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
25209 commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
25210 functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
25211 some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
25212
25213 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25214
25215 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
25216
25217 @subsubheading Example
25218
25219 @smallexample
25220 (gdb)
25221 -break-insert main
25222 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
25223 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
25224 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
25225 (gdb)
25226 -break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
25227 ^done
25228 (gdb)
25229 @end smallexample
25230
25231 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
25232 @findex -break-condition
25233
25234 @subsubheading Synopsis
25235
25236 @smallexample
25237 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
25238 @end smallexample
25239
25240 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
25241 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
25242 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
25243 command below).
25244
25245 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25246
25247 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
25248
25249 @subsubheading Example
25250
25251 @smallexample
25252 (gdb)
25253 -break-condition 1 1
25254 ^done
25255 (gdb)
25256 -break-list
25257 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
25258 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25259 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25260 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25261 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25262 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25263 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25264 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
25265 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
25266 line="5",cond="1",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
25267 (gdb)
25268 @end smallexample
25269
25270 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
25271 @findex -break-delete
25272
25273 @subsubheading Synopsis
25274
25275 @smallexample
25276 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
25277 @end smallexample
25278
25279 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
25280 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
25281
25282 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25283
25284 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
25285
25286 @subsubheading Example
25287
25288 @smallexample
25289 (gdb)
25290 -break-delete 1
25291 ^done
25292 (gdb)
25293 -break-list
25294 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
25295 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25296 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25297 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25298 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25299 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25300 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25301 body=[]@}
25302 (gdb)
25303 @end smallexample
25304
25305 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
25306 @findex -break-disable
25307
25308 @subsubheading Synopsis
25309
25310 @smallexample
25311 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
25312 @end smallexample
25313
25314 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
25315 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
25316
25317 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25318
25319 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
25320
25321 @subsubheading Example
25322
25323 @smallexample
25324 (gdb)
25325 -break-disable 2
25326 ^done
25327 (gdb)
25328 -break-list
25329 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
25330 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25331 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25332 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25333 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25334 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25335 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25336 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
25337 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
25338 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
25339 (gdb)
25340 @end smallexample
25341
25342 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
25343 @findex -break-enable
25344
25345 @subsubheading Synopsis
25346
25347 @smallexample
25348 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
25349 @end smallexample
25350
25351 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
25352
25353 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25354
25355 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
25356
25357 @subsubheading Example
25358
25359 @smallexample
25360 (gdb)
25361 -break-enable 2
25362 ^done
25363 (gdb)
25364 -break-list
25365 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
25366 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25367 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25368 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25369 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25370 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25371 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25372 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
25373 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
25374 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
25375 (gdb)
25376 @end smallexample
25377
25378 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
25379 @findex -break-info
25380
25381 @subsubheading Synopsis
25382
25383 @smallexample
25384 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
25385 @end smallexample
25386
25387 @c REDUNDANT???
25388 Get information about a single breakpoint.
25389
25390 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25391
25392 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
25393
25394 @subsubheading Example
25395 N.A.
25396
25397 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
25398 @findex -break-insert
25399
25400 @subsubheading Synopsis
25401
25402 @smallexample
25403 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
25404 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
25405 [ -p @var{thread} ] [ @var{location} ]
25406 @end smallexample
25407
25408 @noindent
25409 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
25410
25411 @itemize @bullet
25412 @item function
25413 @c @item +offset
25414 @c @item -offset
25415 @c @item linenum
25416 @item filename:linenum
25417 @item filename:function
25418 @item *address
25419 @end itemize
25420
25421 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
25422
25423 @table @samp
25424 @item -t
25425 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
25426 @item -h
25427 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
25428 @item -c @var{condition}
25429 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
25430 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
25431 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
25432 @item -f
25433 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
25434 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
25435 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
25436 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
25437 cannot be parsed.
25438 @item -d
25439 Create a disabled breakpoint.
25440 @item -a
25441 Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
25442 is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
25443 @end table
25444
25445 @subsubheading Result
25446
25447 The result is in the form:
25448
25449 @smallexample
25450 ^done,bkpt=@{number="@var{number}",type="@var{type}",disp="del"|"keep",
25451 enabled="y"|"n",addr="@var{hex}",func="@var{funcname}",file="@var{filename}",
25452 fullname="@var{full_filename}",line="@var{lineno}",[thread="@var{threadno},]
25453 times="@var{times}"@}
25454 @end smallexample
25455
25456 @noindent
25457 where @var{number} is the @value{GDBN} number for this breakpoint,
25458 @var{funcname} is the name of the function where the breakpoint was
25459 inserted, @var{filename} is the name of the source file which contains
25460 this function, @var{lineno} is the source line number within that file
25461 and @var{times} the number of times that the breakpoint has been hit
25462 (always 0 for -break-insert but may be greater for -break-info or -break-list
25463 which use the same output).
25464
25465 Note: this format is open to change.
25466 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
25467
25468 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25469
25470 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
25471 @samp{hbreak}, @samp{thbreak}, and @samp{rbreak}.
25472
25473 @subsubheading Example
25474
25475 @smallexample
25476 (gdb)
25477 -break-insert main
25478 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
25479 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",times="0"@}
25480 (gdb)
25481 -break-insert -t foo
25482 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
25483 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",times="0"@}
25484 (gdb)
25485 -break-list
25486 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
25487 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25488 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25489 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25490 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25491 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25492 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25493 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
25494 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
25495 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",times="0"@},
25496 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
25497 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
25498 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}]@}
25499 (gdb)
25500 -break-insert -r foo.*
25501 ~int foo(int, int);
25502 ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
25503 "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}
25504 (gdb)
25505 @end smallexample
25506
25507 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
25508 @findex -break-list
25509
25510 @subsubheading Synopsis
25511
25512 @smallexample
25513 -break-list
25514 @end smallexample
25515
25516 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
25517
25518 @table @samp
25519 @item Number
25520 number of the breakpoint
25521 @item Type
25522 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
25523 @item Disposition
25524 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
25525 or @samp{nokeep}
25526 @item Enabled
25527 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
25528 @item Address
25529 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
25530 @item What
25531 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
25532 name, line number
25533 @item Times
25534 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
25535 @end table
25536
25537 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
25538 @code{body} field is an empty list.
25539
25540 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25541
25542 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
25543
25544 @subsubheading Example
25545
25546 @smallexample
25547 (gdb)
25548 -break-list
25549 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
25550 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25551 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25552 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25553 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25554 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25555 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25556 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
25557 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",times="0"@},
25558 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
25559 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
25560 line="13",times="0"@}]@}
25561 (gdb)
25562 @end smallexample
25563
25564 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
25565
25566 @smallexample
25567 (gdb)
25568 -break-list
25569 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
25570 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25571 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25572 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25573 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25574 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25575 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25576 body=[]@}
25577 (gdb)
25578 @end smallexample
25579
25580 @subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
25581 @findex -break-passcount
25582
25583 @subsubheading Synopsis
25584
25585 @smallexample
25586 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
25587 @end smallexample
25588
25589 Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
25590 @var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
25591 is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
25592 command @samp{passcount}.
25593
25594 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
25595 @findex -break-watch
25596
25597 @subsubheading Synopsis
25598
25599 @smallexample
25600 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
25601 @end smallexample
25602
25603 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
25604 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
25605 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
25606 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
25607 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
25608 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
25609 i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
25610 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
25611
25612 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
25613 breakpoints inserted.
25614
25615 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25616
25617 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
25618 @samp{rwatch}.
25619
25620 @subsubheading Example
25621
25622 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
25623
25624 @smallexample
25625 (gdb)
25626 -break-watch x
25627 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
25628 (gdb)
25629 -exec-continue
25630 ^running
25631 (gdb)
25632 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
25633 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
25634 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
25635 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
25636 (gdb)
25637 @end smallexample
25638
25639 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
25640 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
25641 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
25642
25643 @smallexample
25644 (gdb)
25645 -break-watch C
25646 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
25647 (gdb)
25648 -exec-continue
25649 ^running
25650 (gdb)
25651 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
25652 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
25653 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
25654 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25655 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
25656 (gdb)
25657 -exec-continue
25658 ^running
25659 (gdb)
25660 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
25661 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
25662 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
25663 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25664 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
25665 (gdb)
25666 @end smallexample
25667
25668 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
25669 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
25670 deleted.
25671
25672 @smallexample
25673 (gdb)
25674 -break-watch C
25675 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
25676 (gdb)
25677 -break-list
25678 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
25679 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25680 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25681 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25682 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25683 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25684 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25685 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
25686 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
25687 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25688 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",times="1"@},
25689 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
25690 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="0"@}]@}
25691 (gdb)
25692 -exec-continue
25693 ^running
25694 (gdb)
25695 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
25696 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
25697 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
25698 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25699 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
25700 (gdb)
25701 -break-list
25702 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
25703 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25704 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25705 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25706 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25707 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25708 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25709 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
25710 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
25711 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25712 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",times="1"@},
25713 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
25714 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="-5"@}]@}
25715 (gdb)
25716 -exec-continue
25717 ^running
25718 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
25719 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
25720 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
25721 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25722 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
25723 (gdb)
25724 -break-list
25725 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
25726 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
25727 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
25728 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
25729 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
25730 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
25731 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
25732 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
25733 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
25734 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25735 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
25736 times="1"@}]@}
25737 (gdb)
25738 @end smallexample
25739
25740 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25741 @node GDB/MI Program Context
25742 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
25743
25744 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
25745 @findex -exec-arguments
25746
25747
25748 @subsubheading Synopsis
25749
25750 @smallexample
25751 -exec-arguments @var{args}
25752 @end smallexample
25753
25754 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
25755 @samp{-exec-run}.
25756
25757 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25758
25759 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
25760
25761 @subsubheading Example
25762
25763 @smallexample
25764 (gdb)
25765 -exec-arguments -v word
25766 ^done
25767 (gdb)
25768 @end smallexample
25769
25770
25771 @ignore
25772 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
25773 @findex -exec-show-arguments
25774
25775 @subsubheading Synopsis
25776
25777 @smallexample
25778 -exec-show-arguments
25779 @end smallexample
25780
25781 Print the arguments of the program.
25782
25783 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25784
25785 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
25786
25787 @subsubheading Example
25788 N.A.
25789 @end ignore
25790
25791
25792 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
25793 @findex -environment-cd
25794
25795 @subsubheading Synopsis
25796
25797 @smallexample
25798 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
25799 @end smallexample
25800
25801 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
25802
25803 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25804
25805 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
25806
25807 @subsubheading Example
25808
25809 @smallexample
25810 (gdb)
25811 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
25812 ^done
25813 (gdb)
25814 @end smallexample
25815
25816
25817 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
25818 @findex -environment-directory
25819
25820 @subsubheading Synopsis
25821
25822 @smallexample
25823 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
25824 @end smallexample
25825
25826 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
25827 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
25828 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
25829 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
25830 occurs as normal.
25831 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
25832 multiple directories in a single command
25833 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
25834 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
25835 If blanks are needed as
25836 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
25837 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
25838 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
25839 character must not be used
25840 in any directory name.
25841 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
25842
25843 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25844
25845 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
25846
25847 @subsubheading Example
25848
25849 @smallexample
25850 (gdb)
25851 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
25852 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
25853 (gdb)
25854 -environment-directory ""
25855 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
25856 (gdb)
25857 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
25858 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
25859 (gdb)
25860 -environment-directory -r
25861 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
25862 (gdb)
25863 @end smallexample
25864
25865
25866 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
25867 @findex -environment-path
25868
25869 @subsubheading Synopsis
25870
25871 @smallexample
25872 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
25873 @end smallexample
25874
25875 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
25876 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
25877 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
25878 supplied in addition to the
25879 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
25880 occurs as normal.
25881 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
25882 multiple directories in a single command
25883 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
25884 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
25885 If blanks are needed as
25886 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
25887 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
25888 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
25889 character must not be used
25890 in any directory name.
25891 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
25892
25893
25894 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25895
25896 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
25897
25898 @subsubheading Example
25899
25900 @smallexample
25901 (gdb)
25902 -environment-path
25903 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
25904 (gdb)
25905 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
25906 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
25907 (gdb)
25908 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
25909 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
25910 (gdb)
25911 @end smallexample
25912
25913
25914 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
25915 @findex -environment-pwd
25916
25917 @subsubheading Synopsis
25918
25919 @smallexample
25920 -environment-pwd
25921 @end smallexample
25922
25923 Show the current working directory.
25924
25925 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25926
25927 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
25928
25929 @subsubheading Example
25930
25931 @smallexample
25932 (gdb)
25933 -environment-pwd
25934 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
25935 (gdb)
25936 @end smallexample
25937
25938 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25939 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
25940 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
25941
25942
25943 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
25944 @findex -thread-info
25945
25946 @subsubheading Synopsis
25947
25948 @smallexample
25949 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
25950 @end smallexample
25951
25952 Reports information about either a specific thread, if
25953 the @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all
25954 threads. When printing information about all threads,
25955 also reports the current thread.
25956
25957 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25958
25959 The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
25960 about all threads.
25961
25962 @subsubheading Result
25963
25964 The result is a list of threads. The following attributes are
25965 defined for a given thread:
25966
25967 @table @samp
25968 @item current
25969 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
25970
25971 @item id
25972 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the thread.
25973
25974 @item target-id
25975 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the thread.
25976
25977 @item details
25978 Extra information about the thread, in a target-specific format. This
25979 field is optional.
25980
25981 @item name
25982 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using the
25983 @code{thread name} command, then this name is given. Otherwise, if
25984 @value{GDBN} can extract the thread name from the target, then that
25985 name is given. If @value{GDBN} cannot find the thread name, then this
25986 field is omitted.
25987
25988 @item frame
25989 The stack frame currently executing in the thread.
25990
25991 @item state
25992 The thread's state. The @samp{state} field may have the following
25993 values:
25994
25995 @table @code
25996 @item stopped
25997 The thread is stopped. Frame information is available for stopped
25998 threads.
25999
26000 @item running
26001 The thread is running. There's no frame information for running
26002 threads.
26003
26004 @end table
26005
26006 @item core
26007 If @value{GDBN} can find the CPU core on which this thread is running,
26008 then this field is the core identifier. This field is optional.
26009
26010 @end table
26011
26012 @subsubheading Example
26013
26014 @smallexample
26015 -thread-info
26016 ^done,threads=[
26017 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
26018 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",
26019 args=[]@},state="running"@},
26020 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
26021 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",
26022 args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
26023 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},
26024 state="running"@}],
26025 current-thread-id="1"
26026 (gdb)
26027 @end smallexample
26028
26029 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
26030 @findex -thread-list-ids
26031
26032 @subsubheading Synopsis
26033
26034 @smallexample
26035 -thread-list-ids
26036 @end smallexample
26037
26038 Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
26039 end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
26040
26041 This command is retained for historical reasons, the
26042 @code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
26043
26044 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26045
26046 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
26047
26048 @subsubheading Example
26049
26050 @smallexample
26051 (gdb)
26052 -thread-list-ids
26053 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
26054 current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
26055 (gdb)
26056 @end smallexample
26057
26058
26059 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
26060 @findex -thread-select
26061
26062 @subsubheading Synopsis
26063
26064 @smallexample
26065 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
26066 @end smallexample
26067
26068 Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
26069 current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
26070
26071 This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
26072 @samp{--thread} option to each command.
26073
26074 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26075
26076 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
26077
26078 @subsubheading Example
26079
26080 @smallexample
26081 (gdb)
26082 -exec-next
26083 ^running
26084 (gdb)
26085 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
26086 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
26087 (gdb)
26088 -thread-list-ids
26089 ^done,
26090 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
26091 number-of-threads="3"
26092 (gdb)
26093 -thread-select 3
26094 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
26095 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
26096 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
26097 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
26098 (gdb)
26099 @end smallexample
26100
26101 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26102 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
26103 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
26104
26105 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
26106 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
26107 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
26108 other cases.
26109
26110 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
26111 @findex -exec-continue
26112
26113 @subsubheading Synopsis
26114
26115 @smallexample
26116 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
26117 @end smallexample
26118
26119 Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
26120 to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
26121 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
26122 it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
26123 @itemize @bullet
26124 @item
26125 breakpoints or watchpoints
26126 @item
26127 signals or exceptions
26128 @item
26129 the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
26130 @item
26131 the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
26132 @end itemize
26133 In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
26134 Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
26135 value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
26136 specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
26137 ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
26138 specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
26139
26140 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26141
26142 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
26143
26144 @subsubheading Example
26145
26146 @smallexample
26147 -exec-continue
26148 ^running
26149 (gdb)
26150 @@Hello world
26151 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
26152 func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
26153 line="13"@}
26154 (gdb)
26155 @end smallexample
26156
26157
26158 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
26159 @findex -exec-finish
26160
26161 @subsubheading Synopsis
26162
26163 @smallexample
26164 -exec-finish [--reverse]
26165 @end smallexample
26166
26167 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
26168 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
26169 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
26170 execution of the inferior program until the point where current
26171 function was called.
26172
26173 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26174
26175 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
26176
26177 @subsubheading Example
26178
26179 Function returning @code{void}.
26180
26181 @smallexample
26182 -exec-finish
26183 ^running
26184 (gdb)
26185 @@hello from foo
26186 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
26187 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
26188 (gdb)
26189 @end smallexample
26190
26191 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
26192 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
26193 value itself.
26194
26195 @smallexample
26196 -exec-finish
26197 ^running
26198 (gdb)
26199 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
26200 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
26201 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26202 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
26203 (gdb)
26204 @end smallexample
26205
26206
26207 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
26208 @findex -exec-interrupt
26209
26210 @subsubheading Synopsis
26211
26212 @smallexample
26213 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
26214 @end smallexample
26215
26216 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
26217 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
26218 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
26219 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
26220 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
26221
26222 Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
26223 asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
26224 @samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
26225 reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
26226
26227 In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
26228 All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
26229 @samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
26230 option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
26231
26232 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26233
26234 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
26235
26236 @subsubheading Example
26237
26238 @smallexample
26239 (gdb)
26240 111-exec-continue
26241 111^running
26242
26243 (gdb)
26244 222-exec-interrupt
26245 222^done
26246 (gdb)
26247 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
26248 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
26249 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
26250 (gdb)
26251
26252 (gdb)
26253 -exec-interrupt
26254 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
26255 (gdb)
26256 @end smallexample
26257
26258 @subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
26259 @findex -exec-jump
26260
26261 @subsubheading Synopsis
26262
26263 @smallexample
26264 -exec-jump @var{location}
26265 @end smallexample
26266
26267 Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
26268 parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
26269 different forms of @var{location}.
26270
26271 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26272
26273 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
26274
26275 @subsubheading Example
26276
26277 @smallexample
26278 -exec-jump foo.c:10
26279 *running,thread-id="all"
26280 ^running
26281 @end smallexample
26282
26283
26284 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
26285 @findex -exec-next
26286
26287 @subsubheading Synopsis
26288
26289 @smallexample
26290 -exec-next [--reverse]
26291 @end smallexample
26292
26293 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
26294 of the next source line is reached.
26295
26296 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
26297 of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
26298 source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
26299 function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
26300 source line where the function was called.
26301
26302
26303 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26304
26305 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
26306
26307 @subsubheading Example
26308
26309 @smallexample
26310 -exec-next
26311 ^running
26312 (gdb)
26313 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
26314 (gdb)
26315 @end smallexample
26316
26317
26318 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
26319 @findex -exec-next-instruction
26320
26321 @subsubheading Synopsis
26322
26323 @smallexample
26324 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
26325 @end smallexample
26326
26327 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
26328 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
26329 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
26330 printed as well.
26331
26332 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
26333 of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
26334 previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
26335 it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
26336 (from the current stack frame) is reached.
26337
26338 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26339
26340 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
26341
26342 @subsubheading Example
26343
26344 @smallexample
26345 (gdb)
26346 -exec-next-instruction
26347 ^running
26348
26349 (gdb)
26350 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
26351 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
26352 (gdb)
26353 @end smallexample
26354
26355
26356 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
26357 @findex -exec-return
26358
26359 @subsubheading Synopsis
26360
26361 @smallexample
26362 -exec-return
26363 @end smallexample
26364
26365 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
26366 Displays the new current frame.
26367
26368 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26369
26370 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
26371
26372 @subsubheading Example
26373
26374 @smallexample
26375 (gdb)
26376 200-break-insert callee4
26377 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
26378 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
26379 (gdb)
26380 000-exec-run
26381 000^running
26382 (gdb)
26383 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
26384 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
26385 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26386 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
26387 (gdb)
26388 205-break-delete
26389 205^done
26390 (gdb)
26391 111-exec-return
26392 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
26393 args=[@{name="strarg",
26394 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
26395 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26396 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
26397 (gdb)
26398 @end smallexample
26399
26400
26401 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
26402 @findex -exec-run
26403
26404 @subsubheading Synopsis
26405
26406 @smallexample
26407 -exec-run [--all | --thread-group N]
26408 @end smallexample
26409
26410 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
26411 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
26412 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
26413 the program has exited exceptionally.
26414
26415 When no option is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
26416 @samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
26417 group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
26418 If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
26419
26420 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26421
26422 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
26423
26424 @subsubheading Examples
26425
26426 @smallexample
26427 (gdb)
26428 -break-insert main
26429 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
26430 (gdb)
26431 -exec-run
26432 ^running
26433 (gdb)
26434 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
26435 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
26436 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
26437 (gdb)
26438 @end smallexample
26439
26440 @noindent
26441 Program exited normally:
26442
26443 @smallexample
26444 (gdb)
26445 -exec-run
26446 ^running
26447 (gdb)
26448 x = 55
26449 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
26450 (gdb)
26451 @end smallexample
26452
26453 @noindent
26454 Program exited exceptionally:
26455
26456 @smallexample
26457 (gdb)
26458 -exec-run
26459 ^running
26460 (gdb)
26461 x = 55
26462 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
26463 (gdb)
26464 @end smallexample
26465
26466 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
26467 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
26468
26469 @smallexample
26470 (gdb)
26471 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
26472 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
26473 @end smallexample
26474
26475
26476 @c @subheading -exec-signal
26477
26478
26479 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
26480 @findex -exec-step
26481
26482 @subsubheading Synopsis
26483
26484 @smallexample
26485 -exec-step [--reverse]
26486 @end smallexample
26487
26488 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
26489 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
26490 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
26491 function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
26492 execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
26493 previously executed source line.
26494
26495 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26496
26497 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
26498
26499 @subsubheading Example
26500
26501 Stepping into a function:
26502
26503 @smallexample
26504 -exec-step
26505 ^running
26506 (gdb)
26507 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
26508 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
26509 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
26510 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
26511 (gdb)
26512 @end smallexample
26513
26514 Regular stepping:
26515
26516 @smallexample
26517 -exec-step
26518 ^running
26519 (gdb)
26520 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
26521 (gdb)
26522 @end smallexample
26523
26524
26525 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
26526 @findex -exec-step-instruction
26527
26528 @subsubheading Synopsis
26529
26530 @smallexample
26531 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
26532 @end smallexample
26533
26534 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
26535 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
26536 inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
26537 The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
26538 whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
26539 former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
26540 as well.
26541
26542 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26543
26544 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
26545
26546 @subsubheading Example
26547
26548 @smallexample
26549 (gdb)
26550 -exec-step-instruction
26551 ^running
26552
26553 (gdb)
26554 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
26555 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
26556 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
26557 (gdb)
26558 -exec-step-instruction
26559 ^running
26560
26561 (gdb)
26562 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
26563 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
26564 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
26565 (gdb)
26566 @end smallexample
26567
26568
26569 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
26570 @findex -exec-until
26571
26572 @subsubheading Synopsis
26573
26574 @smallexample
26575 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
26576 @end smallexample
26577
26578 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
26579 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
26580 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
26581 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
26582
26583 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26584
26585 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
26586
26587 @subsubheading Example
26588
26589 @smallexample
26590 (gdb)
26591 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
26592 ^running
26593 (gdb)
26594 x = 55
26595 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
26596 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
26597 (gdb)
26598 @end smallexample
26599
26600 @ignore
26601 @subheading -file-clear
26602 Is this going away????
26603 @end ignore
26604
26605 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26606 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
26607 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
26608
26609
26610 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
26611 @findex -stack-info-frame
26612
26613 @subsubheading Synopsis
26614
26615 @smallexample
26616 -stack-info-frame
26617 @end smallexample
26618
26619 Get info on the selected frame.
26620
26621 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26622
26623 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
26624 (without arguments).
26625
26626 @subsubheading Example
26627
26628 @smallexample
26629 (gdb)
26630 -stack-info-frame
26631 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
26632 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26633 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
26634 (gdb)
26635 @end smallexample
26636
26637 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
26638 @findex -stack-info-depth
26639
26640 @subsubheading Synopsis
26641
26642 @smallexample
26643 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
26644 @end smallexample
26645
26646 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
26647 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
26648
26649 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26650
26651 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
26652
26653 @subsubheading Example
26654
26655 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
26656
26657 @smallexample
26658 (gdb)
26659 -stack-info-depth
26660 ^done,depth="12"
26661 (gdb)
26662 -stack-info-depth 4
26663 ^done,depth="4"
26664 (gdb)
26665 -stack-info-depth 12
26666 ^done,depth="12"
26667 (gdb)
26668 -stack-info-depth 11
26669 ^done,depth="11"
26670 (gdb)
26671 -stack-info-depth 13
26672 ^done,depth="12"
26673 (gdb)
26674 @end smallexample
26675
26676 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
26677 @findex -stack-list-arguments
26678
26679 @subsubheading Synopsis
26680
26681 @smallexample
26682 -stack-list-arguments @var{print-values}
26683 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
26684 @end smallexample
26685
26686 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
26687 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
26688 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
26689 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
26690 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
26691 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
26692 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
26693 which case only existing frames will be returned.
26694
26695 If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
26696 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
26697 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
26698 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
26699 structures and unions.
26700
26701 Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
26702 deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
26703
26704 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26705
26706 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
26707 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
26708 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
26709
26710 @subsubheading Example
26711
26712 @smallexample
26713 (gdb)
26714 -stack-list-frames
26715 ^done,
26716 stack=[
26717 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
26718 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26719 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
26720 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
26721 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26722 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
26723 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
26724 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26725 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
26726 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
26727 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26728 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
26729 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
26730 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26731 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
26732 (gdb)
26733 -stack-list-arguments 0
26734 ^done,
26735 stack-args=[
26736 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
26737 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
26738 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
26739 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
26740 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
26741 (gdb)
26742 -stack-list-arguments 1
26743 ^done,
26744 stack-args=[
26745 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
26746 frame=@{level="1",
26747 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
26748 frame=@{level="2",args=[
26749 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
26750 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
26751 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
26752 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
26753 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
26754 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
26755 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
26756 (gdb)
26757 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
26758 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
26759 (gdb)
26760 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
26761 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
26762 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
26763 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
26764 (gdb)
26765 @end smallexample
26766
26767 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
26768
26769
26770 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
26771 @findex -stack-list-frames
26772
26773 @subsubheading Synopsis
26774
26775 @smallexample
26776 -stack-list-frames [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
26777 @end smallexample
26778
26779 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
26780 following info:
26781
26782 @table @samp
26783 @item @var{level}
26784 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
26785 @item @var{addr}
26786 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
26787 @item @var{func}
26788 Function name.
26789 @item @var{file}
26790 File name of the source file where the function lives.
26791 @item @var{fullname}
26792 The full file name of the source file where the function lives.
26793 @item @var{line}
26794 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
26795 @item @var{from}
26796 The shared library where this function is defined. This is only given
26797 if the frame's function is not known.
26798 @end table
26799
26800 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
26801 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
26802 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
26803 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
26804 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
26805 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
26806 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be returned.
26807
26808 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26809
26810 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
26811
26812 @subsubheading Example
26813
26814 Full stack backtrace:
26815
26816 @smallexample
26817 (gdb)
26818 -stack-list-frames
26819 ^done,stack=
26820 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
26821 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
26822 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26823 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26824 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26825 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26826 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26827 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26828 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26829 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26830 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26831 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26832 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26833 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26834 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26835 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26836 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26837 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26838 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26839 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26840 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26841 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26842 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
26843 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
26844 (gdb)
26845 @end smallexample
26846
26847 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
26848
26849 @smallexample
26850 (gdb)
26851 -stack-list-frames 3 5
26852 ^done,stack=
26853 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26854 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26855 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26856 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
26857 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26858 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
26859 (gdb)
26860 @end smallexample
26861
26862 Show a single frame:
26863
26864 @smallexample
26865 (gdb)
26866 -stack-list-frames 3 3
26867 ^done,stack=
26868 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26869 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
26870 (gdb)
26871 @end smallexample
26872
26873
26874 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
26875 @findex -stack-list-locals
26876
26877 @subsubheading Synopsis
26878
26879 @smallexample
26880 -stack-list-locals @var{print-values}
26881 @end smallexample
26882
26883 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
26884 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
26885 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
26886 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
26887 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
26888 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
26889 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
26890 other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
26891 more detail.
26892
26893 This command is deprecated in favor of the
26894 @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
26895
26896 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26897
26898 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
26899
26900 @subsubheading Example
26901
26902 @smallexample
26903 (gdb)
26904 -stack-list-locals 0
26905 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
26906 (gdb)
26907 -stack-list-locals --all-values
26908 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
26909 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
26910 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
26911 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
26912 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
26913 (gdb)
26914 @end smallexample
26915
26916 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
26917 @findex -stack-list-variables
26918
26919 @subsubheading Synopsis
26920
26921 @smallexample
26922 -stack-list-variables @var{print-values}
26923 @end smallexample
26924
26925 Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
26926 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
26927 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
26928 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
26929 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
26930 structures and unions.
26931
26932 @subsubheading Example
26933
26934 @smallexample
26935 (gdb)
26936 -stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
26937 ^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
26938 (gdb)
26939 @end smallexample
26940
26941
26942 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
26943 @findex -stack-select-frame
26944
26945 @subsubheading Synopsis
26946
26947 @smallexample
26948 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
26949 @end smallexample
26950
26951 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
26952 the stack.
26953
26954 This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
26955 option to every command.
26956
26957 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26958
26959 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
26960 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
26961
26962 @subsubheading Example
26963
26964 @smallexample
26965 (gdb)
26966 -stack-select-frame 2
26967 ^done
26968 (gdb)
26969 @end smallexample
26970
26971 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26972 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
26973 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
26974
26975 @ignore
26976
26977 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
26978
26979 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
26980 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
26981 used by @code{Insight}.
26982
26983 The two main reasons for that are:
26984
26985 @enumerate 1
26986 @item
26987 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
26988
26989 @item
26990 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
26991 now).
26992 @end enumerate
26993
26994 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
26995 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
26996 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
26997 hints about their use.
26998
26999 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
27000 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
27001 least, the following operations:
27002
27003 @itemize @bullet
27004 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
27005 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
27006 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
27007 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
27008 @end itemize
27009
27010 @end ignore
27011
27012 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
27013
27014 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
27015
27016 Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
27017 changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
27018 work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
27019 simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
27020 is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
27021 frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
27022 expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
27023 expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
27024 variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
27025 operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
27026 object, or to change display format.
27027
27028 Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
27029 that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
27030 a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
27031 element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
27032 children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
27033 leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
27034 objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
27035 is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
27036 child will be created.
27037
27038 For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
27039 string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
27040 obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
27041 that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
27042 contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
27043
27044 A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
27045 the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
27046 variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
27047 operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
27048 be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
27049 objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
27050 real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
27051 variables that frontend has created.
27052
27053 The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
27054 might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
27055 and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
27056 relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
27057 to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
27058 visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
27059 called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
27060 implicitly updated.
27061
27062 Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
27063 fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
27064 object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
27065 variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
27066 variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
27067 expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
27068 frame. Consider this example:
27069
27070 @smallexample
27071 void do_work(...)
27072 @{
27073 struct work_state state;
27074
27075 if (...)
27076 do_work(...);
27077 @}
27078 @end smallexample
27079
27080 If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
27081 this function, and we enter the recursive call, the the variable
27082 object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
27083 @code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
27084 object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
27085
27086 If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
27087 refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
27088 thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
27089 variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
27090 thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
27091 and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
27092
27093 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
27094 access this functionality:
27095
27096 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
27097 @item @strong{Operation}
27098 @tab @strong{Description}
27099
27100 @item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
27101 @tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
27102 @item @code{-var-create}
27103 @tab create a variable object
27104 @item @code{-var-delete}
27105 @tab delete the variable object and/or its children
27106 @item @code{-var-set-format}
27107 @tab set the display format of this variable
27108 @item @code{-var-show-format}
27109 @tab show the display format of this variable
27110 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
27111 @tab tells how many children this object has
27112 @item @code{-var-list-children}
27113 @tab return a list of the object's children
27114 @item @code{-var-info-type}
27115 @tab show the type of this variable object
27116 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
27117 @tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
27118 @item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
27119 @tab print full expression that this variable object represents
27120 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
27121 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
27122 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
27123 @tab get the value of this variable
27124 @item @code{-var-assign}
27125 @tab set the value of this variable
27126 @item @code{-var-update}
27127 @tab update the variable and its children
27128 @item @code{-var-set-frozen}
27129 @tab set frozeness attribute
27130 @item @code{-var-set-update-range}
27131 @tab set range of children to display on update
27132 @end multitable
27133
27134 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
27135 how it can be used.
27136
27137 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
27138
27139 @subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
27140 @findex -enable-pretty-printing
27141
27142 @smallexample
27143 -enable-pretty-printing
27144 @end smallexample
27145
27146 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
27147 MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
27148 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
27149 request that this functionality be enabled.
27150
27151 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
27152
27153 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
27154 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
27155
27156 This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
27157 may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
27158
27159 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
27160 @findex -var-create
27161
27162 @subsubheading Synopsis
27163
27164 @smallexample
27165 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
27166 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
27167 @end smallexample
27168
27169 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
27170 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
27171 register.
27172
27173 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
27174 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
27175 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
27176 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
27177 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
27178
27179 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
27180 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
27181 frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
27182 object must be created.
27183
27184 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
27185 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
27186
27187 @itemize @bullet
27188 @item
27189 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
27190
27191 @item
27192 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
27193
27194 @item
27195 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
27196 @end itemize
27197
27198 @cindex dynamic varobj
27199 A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
27200 case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
27201 have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
27202 @code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
27203 will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
27204 compatibility for existing clients.
27205
27206 @subsubheading Result
27207
27208 This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
27209 are:
27210
27211 @table @samp
27212 @item name
27213 The name of the varobj.
27214
27215 @item numchild
27216 The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
27217 reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
27218 @samp{has_more} attribute.
27219
27220 @item value
27221 The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
27222 aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
27223 will not be interesting.
27224
27225 @item type
27226 The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
27227 would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI.
27228
27229 @item thread-id
27230 If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
27231 thread's identifier.
27232
27233 @item has_more
27234 For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
27235 children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
27236
27237 @item dynamic
27238 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
27239 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
27240 then this attribute will not be present.
27241
27242 @item displayhint
27243 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
27244 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
27245 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
27246 @end table
27247
27248 Typical output will look like this:
27249
27250 @smallexample
27251 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
27252 has_more="@var{has_more}"
27253 @end smallexample
27254
27255
27256 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
27257 @findex -var-delete
27258
27259 @subsubheading Synopsis
27260
27261 @smallexample
27262 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
27263 @end smallexample
27264
27265 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
27266 With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
27267
27268 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
27269
27270
27271 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
27272 @findex -var-set-format
27273
27274 @subsubheading Synopsis
27275
27276 @smallexample
27277 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
27278 @end smallexample
27279
27280 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
27281 @var{format-spec}.
27282
27283 @anchor{-var-set-format}
27284 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
27285
27286 @smallexample
27287 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
27288 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
27289 @end smallexample
27290
27291 The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
27292 based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
27293 for pointers, etc.).
27294
27295 For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
27296 variable itself, and the children are not affected.
27297
27298 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
27299 @findex -var-show-format
27300
27301 @subsubheading Synopsis
27302
27303 @smallexample
27304 -var-show-format @var{name}
27305 @end smallexample
27306
27307 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
27308
27309 @smallexample
27310 @var{format} @expansion{}
27311 @var{format-spec}
27312 @end smallexample
27313
27314
27315 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
27316 @findex -var-info-num-children
27317
27318 @subsubheading Synopsis
27319
27320 @smallexample
27321 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
27322 @end smallexample
27323
27324 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
27325
27326 @smallexample
27327 numchild=@var{n}
27328 @end smallexample
27329
27330 Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
27331 It will return the current number of children, but more children may
27332 be available.
27333
27334
27335 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
27336 @findex -var-list-children
27337
27338 @subsubheading Synopsis
27339
27340 @smallexample
27341 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
27342 @end smallexample
27343 @anchor{-var-list-children}
27344
27345 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
27346 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
27347 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
27348 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
27349 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
27350 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
27351 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
27352 and unions.
27353
27354 @var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
27355 to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
27356 reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
27357 at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
27358 reported.
27359
27360 If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
27361 @code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
27362 For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
27363 intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
27364 update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
27365 front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
27366 then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
27367 different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
27368 the visible items.
27369
27370 For each child the following results are returned:
27371
27372 @table @var
27373
27374 @item name
27375 Name of the variable object created for this child.
27376
27377 @item exp
27378 The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
27379 For example this may be the name of a structure member.
27380
27381 For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
27382 expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
27383
27384 For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
27385 designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
27386 @samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
27387 type and value are not present.
27388
27389 A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
27390 pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
27391 available at all with a dynamic varobj.
27392
27393 @item numchild
27394 Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
27395 0.
27396
27397 @item type
27398 The type of the child.
27399
27400 @item value
27401 If values were requested, this is the value.
27402
27403 @item thread-id
27404 If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the thread id.
27405 Otherwise this result is not present.
27406
27407 @item frozen
27408 If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
27409 @end table
27410
27411 The result may have its own attributes:
27412
27413 @table @samp
27414 @item displayhint
27415 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
27416 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
27417 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
27418
27419 @item has_more
27420 This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
27421 remaining after the end of the selected range.
27422 @end table
27423
27424 @subsubheading Example
27425
27426 @smallexample
27427 (gdb)
27428 -var-list-children n
27429 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
27430 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
27431 (gdb)
27432 -var-list-children --all-values n
27433 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
27434 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
27435 @end smallexample
27436
27437
27438 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
27439 @findex -var-info-type
27440
27441 @subsubheading Synopsis
27442
27443 @smallexample
27444 -var-info-type @var{name}
27445 @end smallexample
27446
27447 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
27448 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
27449 @value{GDBN} CLI:
27450
27451 @smallexample
27452 type=@var{typename}
27453 @end smallexample
27454
27455
27456 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
27457 @findex -var-info-expression
27458
27459 @subsubheading Synopsis
27460
27461 @smallexample
27462 -var-info-expression @var{name}
27463 @end smallexample
27464
27465 Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
27466 variable object in user interface. The string is generally
27467 not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
27468
27469 For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
27470 @code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
27471
27472 @smallexample
27473 (gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
27474 ^done,lang="C",exp="1"
27475 @end smallexample
27476
27477 @noindent
27478 Here, the values of @code{lang} can be @code{@{"C" | "C++" | "Java"@}}.
27479
27480 Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
27481 includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
27482 is of limited use.
27483
27484 @subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
27485 @findex -var-info-path-expression
27486
27487 @subsubheading Synopsis
27488
27489 @smallexample
27490 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
27491 @end smallexample
27492
27493 Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
27494 context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
27495 Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
27496 result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
27497 the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
27498 watchpoint from a variable object.
27499
27500 This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
27501 and will give an error when invoked on one.
27502
27503 For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
27504 @code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
27505 @code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
27506 @code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
27507 @code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
27508 @smallexample
27509 (gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
27510 ^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
27511 @end smallexample
27512
27513 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
27514 @findex -var-show-attributes
27515
27516 @subsubheading Synopsis
27517
27518 @smallexample
27519 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
27520 @end smallexample
27521
27522 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
27523
27524 @smallexample
27525 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
27526 @end smallexample
27527
27528 @noindent
27529 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
27530
27531 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
27532 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
27533
27534 @subsubheading Synopsis
27535
27536 @smallexample
27537 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
27538 @end smallexample
27539
27540 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
27541 object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
27542 can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
27543 this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
27544 (@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
27545 the current display format will be used. The current display format
27546 can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
27547
27548 @smallexample
27549 value=@var{value}
27550 @end smallexample
27551
27552 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
27553 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
27554
27555 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
27556 @findex -var-assign
27557
27558 @subsubheading Synopsis
27559
27560 @smallexample
27561 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
27562 @end smallexample
27563
27564 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
27565 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
27566 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
27567 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
27568
27569 @subsubheading Example
27570
27571 @smallexample
27572 (gdb)
27573 -var-assign var1 3
27574 ^done,value="3"
27575 (gdb)
27576 -var-update *
27577 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
27578 (gdb)
27579 @end smallexample
27580
27581 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
27582 @findex -var-update
27583
27584 @subsubheading Synopsis
27585
27586 @smallexample
27587 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
27588 @end smallexample
27589
27590 Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
27591 @var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
27592 list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
27593 be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
27594 @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
27595 @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
27596 object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
27597 for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
27598 @var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
27599 names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
27600 as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
27601 recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
27602 number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
27603
27604 With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
27605 currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
27606 diagnostic.
27607
27608 If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
27609 only the selected range of children will be reported.
27610
27611 @code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
27612 @samp{changelist}.
27613
27614 Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
27615
27616 @table @samp
27617 @item name
27618 The name of the varobj.
27619
27620 @item value
27621 If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
27622 present and will hold the value of the varobj.
27623
27624 @item in_scope
27625 @anchor{-var-update}
27626 This field is a string which may take one of three values:
27627
27628 @table @code
27629 @item "true"
27630 The variable object's current value is valid.
27631
27632 @item "false"
27633 The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
27634 hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
27635 scope.
27636
27637 @item "invalid"
27638 The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
27639 This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
27640 either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
27641 command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
27642 objects.
27643 @end table
27644
27645 In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
27646 be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
27647
27648 @item type_changed
27649 This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
27650 changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
27651 be @samp{false}.
27652
27653 @item new_type
27654 If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
27655 hold the new type.
27656
27657 @item new_num_children
27658 For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
27659 type changed, this will be the new number of children.
27660
27661 The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
27662 valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
27663 @value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
27664 instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
27665 children which may be available.
27666
27667 The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
27668 number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
27669 detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
27670 only happen at the end of the update range).
27671
27672 @item displayhint
27673 The display hint, if any.
27674
27675 @item has_more
27676 This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
27677 available outside the varobj's update range.
27678
27679 @item dynamic
27680 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
27681 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
27682 then this attribute will not be present.
27683
27684 @item new_children
27685 If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
27686 update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
27687 be listed in this attribute.
27688 @end table
27689
27690 @subsubheading Example
27691
27692 @smallexample
27693 (gdb)
27694 -var-assign var1 3
27695 ^done,value="3"
27696 (gdb)
27697 -var-update --all-values var1
27698 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
27699 type_changed="false"@}]
27700 (gdb)
27701 @end smallexample
27702
27703 @subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
27704 @findex -var-set-frozen
27705 @anchor{-var-set-frozen}
27706
27707 @subsubheading Synopsis
27708
27709 @smallexample
27710 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
27711 @end smallexample
27712
27713 Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
27714 @var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
27715 frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
27716 frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
27717 implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
27718 a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
27719 @code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
27720 values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
27721 implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
27722 Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
27723 @code{-var-update} does.
27724
27725 @subsubheading Example
27726
27727 @smallexample
27728 (gdb)
27729 -var-set-frozen V 1
27730 ^done
27731 (gdb)
27732 @end smallexample
27733
27734 @subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
27735 @findex -var-set-update-range
27736 @anchor{-var-set-update-range}
27737
27738 @subsubheading Synopsis
27739
27740 @smallexample
27741 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
27742 @end smallexample
27743
27744 Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
27745 @code{-var-update}.
27746
27747 @var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
27748 @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
27749 children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
27750 (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
27751
27752 @subsubheading Example
27753
27754 @smallexample
27755 (gdb)
27756 -var-set-update-range V 1 2
27757 ^done
27758 @end smallexample
27759
27760 @subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
27761 @findex -var-set-visualizer
27762 @anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
27763
27764 @subsubheading Synopsis
27765
27766 @smallexample
27767 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
27768 @end smallexample
27769
27770 Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
27771
27772 @var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
27773 @samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
27774
27775 If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
27776 This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
27777 single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
27778 the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
27779 Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
27780 When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
27781 pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
27782
27783 The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
27784 select a visualizer by following the built-in process
27785 (@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
27786 a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
27787
27788 This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
27789 command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands})
27790 can be used to check this.
27791
27792 @subsubheading Example
27793
27794 Resetting the visualizer:
27795
27796 @smallexample
27797 (gdb)
27798 -var-set-visualizer V None
27799 ^done
27800 @end smallexample
27801
27802 Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
27803
27804 @smallexample
27805 (gdb)
27806 -var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
27807 ^done
27808 @end smallexample
27809
27810 Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
27811 can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
27812
27813 @smallexample
27814 (gdb)
27815 -var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
27816 ^done
27817 @end smallexample
27818
27819 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27820 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
27821 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
27822
27823 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
27824 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
27825 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
27826 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
27827
27828 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
27829 @c @subheading -data-assign
27830 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
27831 @c @subsubheading GDB Command
27832 @c set variable
27833 @c @subsubheading Example
27834 @c N.A.
27835
27836 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
27837 @findex -data-disassemble
27838
27839 @subsubheading Synopsis
27840
27841 @smallexample
27842 -data-disassemble
27843 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
27844 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
27845 -- @var{mode}
27846 @end smallexample
27847
27848 @noindent
27849 Where:
27850
27851 @table @samp
27852 @item @var{start-addr}
27853 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
27854 @item @var{end-addr}
27855 is the end address
27856 @item @var{filename}
27857 is the name of the file to disassemble
27858 @item @var{linenum}
27859 is the line number to disassemble around
27860 @item @var{lines}
27861 is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
27862 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
27863 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
27864 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
27865 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
27866 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
27867 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
27868 are displayed.
27869 @item @var{mode}
27870 is either 0 (meaning only disassembly), 1 (meaning mixed source and
27871 disassembly), 2 (meaning disassembly with raw opcodes), or 3 (meaning
27872 mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes).
27873 @end table
27874
27875 @subsubheading Result
27876
27877 The output for each instruction is composed of four fields:
27878
27879 @itemize @bullet
27880 @item Address
27881 @item Func-name
27882 @item Offset
27883 @item Instruction
27884 @end itemize
27885
27886 Note that whatever included in the instruction field, is not manipulated
27887 directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to adjust its format.
27888
27889 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27890
27891 There's no direct mapping from this command to the CLI.
27892
27893 @subsubheading Example
27894
27895 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
27896
27897 @smallexample
27898 (gdb)
27899 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
27900 ^done,
27901 asm_insns=[
27902 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
27903 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
27904 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
27905 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
27906 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
27907 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
27908 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
27909 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
27910 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
27911 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
27912 (gdb)
27913 @end smallexample
27914
27915 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
27916 @code{main}.
27917
27918 @smallexample
27919 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
27920 ^done,asm_insns=[
27921 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
27922 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
27923 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
27924 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
27925 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
27926 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
27927 [@dots{}]
27928 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
27929 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
27930 (gdb)
27931 @end smallexample
27932
27933 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
27934
27935 @smallexample
27936 (gdb)
27937 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
27938 ^done,asm_insns=[
27939 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
27940 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
27941 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
27942 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
27943 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
27944 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
27945 (gdb)
27946 @end smallexample
27947
27948 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
27949
27950 @smallexample
27951 (gdb)
27952 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
27953 ^done,asm_insns=[
27954 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
27955 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
27956 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
27957 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
27958 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
27959 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
27960 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
27961 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
27962 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
27963 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
27964 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
27965 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
27966 (gdb)
27967 @end smallexample
27968
27969
27970 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
27971 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
27972
27973 @subsubheading Synopsis
27974
27975 @smallexample
27976 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
27977 @end smallexample
27978
27979 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
27980 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
27981 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
27982
27983 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27984
27985 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
27986 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
27987 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
27988
27989 @subsubheading Example
27990
27991 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
27992 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
27993 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
27994 output.
27995
27996 @smallexample
27997 211-data-evaluate-expression A
27998 211^done,value="1"
27999 (gdb)
28000 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
28001 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
28002 (gdb)
28003 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
28004 411^done,value="4"
28005 (gdb)
28006 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
28007 511^done,value="4"
28008 (gdb)
28009 @end smallexample
28010
28011
28012 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
28013 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
28014
28015 @subsubheading Synopsis
28016
28017 @smallexample
28018 -data-list-changed-registers
28019 @end smallexample
28020
28021 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
28022
28023 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28024
28025 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
28026 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
28027
28028 @subsubheading Example
28029
28030 On a PPC MBX board:
28031
28032 @smallexample
28033 (gdb)
28034 -exec-continue
28035 ^running
28036
28037 (gdb)
28038 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
28039 func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
28040 line="5"@}
28041 (gdb)
28042 -data-list-changed-registers
28043 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
28044 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
28045 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
28046 (gdb)
28047 @end smallexample
28048
28049
28050 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
28051 @findex -data-list-register-names
28052
28053 @subsubheading Synopsis
28054
28055 @smallexample
28056 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
28057 @end smallexample
28058
28059 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
28060 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
28061 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
28062 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
28063 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
28064 include empty register names.
28065
28066 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28067
28068 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
28069 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
28070 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
28071
28072 @subsubheading Example
28073
28074 For the PPC MBX board:
28075 @smallexample
28076 (gdb)
28077 -data-list-register-names
28078 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
28079 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
28080 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
28081 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
28082 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
28083 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
28084 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
28085 (gdb)
28086 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
28087 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
28088 (gdb)
28089 @end smallexample
28090
28091 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
28092 @findex -data-list-register-values
28093
28094 @subsubheading Synopsis
28095
28096 @smallexample
28097 -data-list-register-values @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
28098 @end smallexample
28099
28100 Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
28101 which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
28102 list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
28103 numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be returned.
28104
28105 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
28106
28107 @table @code
28108 @item x
28109 Hexadecimal
28110 @item o
28111 Octal
28112 @item t
28113 Binary
28114 @item d
28115 Decimal
28116 @item r
28117 Raw
28118 @item N
28119 Natural
28120 @end table
28121
28122 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28123
28124 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
28125 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
28126
28127 @subsubheading Example
28128
28129 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
28130 don't appear in the actual output):
28131
28132 @smallexample
28133 (gdb)
28134 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
28135 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
28136 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
28137 (gdb)
28138 -data-list-register-values x
28139 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
28140 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
28141 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
28142 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
28143 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
28144 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
28145 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
28146 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
28147 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
28148 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
28149 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
28150 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
28151 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
28152 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
28153 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
28154 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
28155 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
28156 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
28157 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
28158 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
28159 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
28160 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
28161 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
28162 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
28163 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
28164 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
28165 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
28166 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
28167 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
28168 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
28169 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
28170 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
28171 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
28172 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
28173 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
28174 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
28175 (gdb)
28176 @end smallexample
28177
28178
28179 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
28180 @findex -data-read-memory
28181
28182 This command is deprecated, use @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} instead.
28183
28184 @subsubheading Synopsis
28185
28186 @smallexample
28187 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
28188 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
28189 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
28190 @end smallexample
28191
28192 @noindent
28193 where:
28194
28195 @table @samp
28196 @item @var{address}
28197 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
28198 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
28199 quoted using the C convention.
28200
28201 @item @var{word-format}
28202 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
28203 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
28204 ,Output Formats}).
28205
28206 @item @var{word-size}
28207 The size of each memory word in bytes.
28208
28209 @item @var{nr-rows}
28210 The number of rows in the output table.
28211
28212 @item @var{nr-cols}
28213 The number of columns in the output table.
28214
28215 @item @var{aschar}
28216 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
28217 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
28218 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
28219 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
28220
28221 @item @var{byte-offset}
28222 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
28223 @end table
28224
28225 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
28226 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
28227 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
28228 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
28229 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
28230 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
28231 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
28232 @samp{addr}.
28233
28234 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
28235 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
28236 @samp{prev-page}.
28237
28238 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28239
28240 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
28241 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
28242
28243 @subsubheading Example
28244
28245 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
28246 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
28247 word. Display each word in hex.
28248
28249 @smallexample
28250 (gdb)
28251 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
28252 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
28253 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
28254 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
28255 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
28256 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
28257 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
28258 (gdb)
28259 @end smallexample
28260
28261 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
28262 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
28263
28264 @smallexample
28265 (gdb)
28266 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
28267 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
28268 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
28269 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
28270 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
28271 (gdb)
28272 @end smallexample
28273
28274 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
28275 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
28276 used as the non-printable character.
28277
28278 @smallexample
28279 (gdb)
28280 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
28281 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
28282 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
28283 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
28284 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
28285 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
28286 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
28287 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
28288 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
28289 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
28290 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
28291 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
28292 (gdb)
28293 @end smallexample
28294
28295 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} Command
28296 @findex -data-read-memory-bytes
28297
28298 @subsubheading Synopsis
28299
28300 @smallexample
28301 -data-read-memory-bytes [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
28302 @var{address} @var{count}
28303 @end smallexample
28304
28305 @noindent
28306 where:
28307
28308 @table @samp
28309 @item @var{address}
28310 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
28311 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
28312 quoted using the C convention.
28313
28314 @item @var{count}
28315 The number of bytes to read. This should be an integer literal.
28316
28317 @item @var{byte-offset}
28318 The offsets in bytes relative to @var{address} at which to start
28319 reading. This should be an integer literal. This option is provided
28320 so that a frontend is not required to first evaluate address and then
28321 perform address arithmetics itself.
28322
28323 @end table
28324
28325 This command attempts to read all accessible memory regions in the
28326 specified range. First, all regions marked as unreadable in the memory
28327 map (if one is defined) will be skipped. @xref{Memory Region
28328 Attributes}. Second, @value{GDBN} will attempt to read the remaining
28329 regions. For each one, if reading full region results in an errors,
28330 @value{GDBN} will try to read a subset of the region.
28331
28332 In general, every single byte in the region may be readable or not,
28333 and the only way to read every readable byte is to try a read at
28334 every address, which is not practical. Therefore, @value{GDBN} will
28335 attempt to read all accessible bytes at either beginning or the end
28336 of the region, using a binary division scheme. This heuristic works
28337 well for reading accross a memory map boundary. Note that if a region
28338 has a readable range that is neither at the beginning or the end,
28339 @value{GDBN} will not read it.
28340
28341 The result record (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}) that is output of
28342 the command includes a field named @samp{memory} whose content is a
28343 list of tuples. Each tuple represent a successfully read memory block
28344 and has the following fields:
28345
28346 @table @code
28347 @item begin
28348 The start address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
28349
28350 @item end
28351 The end address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
28352
28353 @item offset
28354 The offset of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal, relative to
28355 the start address passed to @code{-data-read-memory-bytes}.
28356
28357 @item contents
28358 The contents of the memory block, in hex.
28359
28360 @end table
28361
28362
28363
28364 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28365
28366 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}.
28367
28368 @subsubheading Example
28369
28370 @smallexample
28371 (gdb)
28372 -data-read-memory-bytes &a 10
28373 ^done,memory=[@{begin="0xbffff154",offset="0x00000000",
28374 end="0xbffff15e",
28375 contents="01000000020000000300"@}]
28376 (gdb)
28377 @end smallexample
28378
28379
28380 @subheading The @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} Command
28381 @findex -data-write-memory-bytes
28382
28383 @subsubheading Synopsis
28384
28385 @smallexample
28386 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents}
28387 @end smallexample
28388
28389 @noindent
28390 where:
28391
28392 @table @samp
28393 @item @var{address}
28394 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
28395 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
28396 quoted using the C convention.
28397
28398 @item @var{contents}
28399 The hex-encoded bytes to write.
28400
28401 @end table
28402
28403 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28404
28405 There's no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
28406
28407 @subsubheading Example
28408
28409 @smallexample
28410 (gdb)
28411 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd"
28412 ^done
28413 (gdb)
28414 @end smallexample
28415
28416
28417 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28418 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
28419 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
28420
28421 The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
28422 tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
28423
28424 @subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
28425 @findex -trace-find
28426
28427 @subsubheading Synopsis
28428
28429 @smallexample
28430 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
28431 @end smallexample
28432
28433 Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
28434 @var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
28435 modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
28436
28437 @table @samp
28438
28439 @item none
28440 No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
28441
28442 @item frame-number
28443 An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
28444 that index.
28445
28446 @item tracepoint-number
28447 An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
28448 trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
28449
28450 @item pc
28451 An address is required as parameter. Finds
28452 next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
28453 address.
28454
28455 @item pc-inside-range
28456 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
28457 frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
28458 specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
28459
28460 @item pc-outside-range
28461 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
28462 next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
28463 the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
28464
28465 @item line
28466 Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
28467 Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
28468 the specified location.
28469
28470 @end table
28471
28472 If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
28473 have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
28474
28475 @table @samp
28476 @item found
28477 This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
28478 on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
28479
28480 @item traceframe
28481 The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
28482 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
28483
28484 @item tracepoint
28485 The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
28486 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
28487
28488 @item frame
28489 The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
28490 frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
28491 @xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
28492
28493 @end table
28494
28495 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28496
28497 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
28498
28499 @subheading -trace-define-variable
28500 @findex -trace-define-variable
28501
28502 @subsubheading Synopsis
28503
28504 @smallexample
28505 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
28506 @end smallexample
28507
28508 Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
28509 @var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
28510 trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
28511 with the @samp{$} character.
28512
28513 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28514
28515 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
28516
28517 @subheading -trace-list-variables
28518 @findex -trace-list-variables
28519
28520 @subsubheading Synopsis
28521
28522 @smallexample
28523 -trace-list-variables
28524 @end smallexample
28525
28526 Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
28527 table has the following fields:
28528
28529 @table @samp
28530 @item name
28531 The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
28532
28533 @item initial
28534 The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
28535 field is always present.
28536
28537 @item current
28538 The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
28539 signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
28540 not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
28541 presently running.
28542
28543 @end table
28544
28545 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28546
28547 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
28548
28549 @subsubheading Example
28550
28551 @smallexample
28552 (gdb)
28553 -trace-list-variables
28554 ^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
28555 hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
28556 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
28557 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
28558 body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
28559 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
28560 (gdb)
28561 @end smallexample
28562
28563 @subheading -trace-save
28564 @findex -trace-save
28565
28566 @subsubheading Synopsis
28567
28568 @smallexample
28569 -trace-save [-r ] @var{filename}
28570 @end smallexample
28571
28572 Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
28573 @samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
28574 in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
28575 to perform the save.
28576
28577 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28578
28579 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
28580
28581
28582 @subheading -trace-start
28583 @findex -trace-start
28584
28585 @subsubheading Synopsis
28586
28587 @smallexample
28588 -trace-start
28589 @end smallexample
28590
28591 Starts a tracing experiments. The result of this command does not
28592 have any fields.
28593
28594 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28595
28596 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
28597
28598 @subheading -trace-status
28599 @findex -trace-status
28600
28601 @subsubheading Synopsis
28602
28603 @smallexample
28604 -trace-status
28605 @end smallexample
28606
28607 Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
28608 the following fields:
28609
28610 @table @samp
28611
28612 @item supported
28613 May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
28614 supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
28615 @samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
28616 of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
28617 started. This field is always present.
28618
28619 @item running
28620 May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
28621 tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
28622 if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
28623
28624 @item stop-reason
28625 Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
28626 may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
28627 value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
28628 the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
28629 the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
28630 tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
28631 The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
28632 tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
28633 This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
28634
28635 @item stopping-tracepoint
28636 The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
28637 present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
28638 @samp{passcount}.
28639
28640 @item frames
28641 @itemx frames-created
28642 The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
28643 in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
28644 during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
28645 circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
28646
28647 @item buffer-size
28648 @itemx buffer-free
28649 These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
28650 remaining space. These fields are optional.
28651
28652 @item circular
28653 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
28654 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
28655 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
28656 and may fill up.
28657
28658 @item disconnected
28659 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
28660 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
28661 that the trace run will stop.
28662
28663 @end table
28664
28665 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28666
28667 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
28668
28669 @subheading -trace-stop
28670 @findex -trace-stop
28671
28672 @subsubheading Synopsis
28673
28674 @smallexample
28675 -trace-stop
28676 @end smallexample
28677
28678 Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
28679 fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
28680 @samp{running} fields are not output.
28681
28682 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28683
28684 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
28685
28686
28687 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28688 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
28689 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
28690
28691
28692 @ignore
28693 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
28694 @findex -symbol-info-address
28695
28696 @subsubheading Synopsis
28697
28698 @smallexample
28699 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
28700 @end smallexample
28701
28702 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
28703
28704 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28705
28706 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
28707
28708 @subsubheading Example
28709 N.A.
28710
28711
28712 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
28713 @findex -symbol-info-file
28714
28715 @subsubheading Synopsis
28716
28717 @smallexample
28718 -symbol-info-file
28719 @end smallexample
28720
28721 Show the file for the symbol.
28722
28723 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28724
28725 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
28726 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
28727
28728 @subsubheading Example
28729 N.A.
28730
28731
28732 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
28733 @findex -symbol-info-function
28734
28735 @subsubheading Synopsis
28736
28737 @smallexample
28738 -symbol-info-function
28739 @end smallexample
28740
28741 Show which function the symbol lives in.
28742
28743 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28744
28745 @samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
28746
28747 @subsubheading Example
28748 N.A.
28749
28750
28751 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
28752 @findex -symbol-info-line
28753
28754 @subsubheading Synopsis
28755
28756 @smallexample
28757 -symbol-info-line
28758 @end smallexample
28759
28760 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
28761
28762 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28763
28764 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
28765 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
28766
28767 @subsubheading Example
28768 N.A.
28769
28770
28771 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
28772 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
28773
28774 @subsubheading Synopsis
28775
28776 @smallexample
28777 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
28778 @end smallexample
28779
28780 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
28781
28782 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28783
28784 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
28785
28786 @subsubheading Example
28787 N.A.
28788
28789
28790 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
28791 @findex -symbol-list-functions
28792
28793 @subsubheading Synopsis
28794
28795 @smallexample
28796 -symbol-list-functions
28797 @end smallexample
28798
28799 List the functions in the executable.
28800
28801 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28802
28803 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
28804 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
28805
28806 @subsubheading Example
28807 N.A.
28808 @end ignore
28809
28810
28811 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
28812 @findex -symbol-list-lines
28813
28814 @subsubheading Synopsis
28815
28816 @smallexample
28817 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
28818 @end smallexample
28819
28820 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
28821 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
28822 ascending PC order.
28823
28824 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28825
28826 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
28827
28828 @subsubheading Example
28829 @smallexample
28830 (gdb)
28831 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
28832 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
28833 (gdb)
28834 @end smallexample
28835
28836
28837 @ignore
28838 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
28839 @findex -symbol-list-types
28840
28841 @subsubheading Synopsis
28842
28843 @smallexample
28844 -symbol-list-types
28845 @end smallexample
28846
28847 List all the type names.
28848
28849 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28850
28851 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
28852 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
28853
28854 @subsubheading Example
28855 N.A.
28856
28857
28858 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
28859 @findex -symbol-list-variables
28860
28861 @subsubheading Synopsis
28862
28863 @smallexample
28864 -symbol-list-variables
28865 @end smallexample
28866
28867 List all the global and static variable names.
28868
28869 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28870
28871 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
28872
28873 @subsubheading Example
28874 N.A.
28875
28876
28877 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
28878 @findex -symbol-locate
28879
28880 @subsubheading Synopsis
28881
28882 @smallexample
28883 -symbol-locate
28884 @end smallexample
28885
28886 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28887
28888 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
28889
28890 @subsubheading Example
28891 N.A.
28892
28893
28894 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
28895 @findex -symbol-type
28896
28897 @subsubheading Synopsis
28898
28899 @smallexample
28900 -symbol-type @var{variable}
28901 @end smallexample
28902
28903 Show type of @var{variable}.
28904
28905 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28906
28907 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
28908 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
28909
28910 @subsubheading Example
28911 N.A.
28912 @end ignore
28913
28914
28915 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28916 @node GDB/MI File Commands
28917 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
28918
28919 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
28920 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
28921
28922 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
28923 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
28924
28925 @subsubheading Synopsis
28926
28927 @smallexample
28928 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
28929 @end smallexample
28930
28931 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
28932 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
28933 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
28934 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
28935 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
28936 notification.
28937
28938 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28939
28940 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
28941
28942 @subsubheading Example
28943
28944 @smallexample
28945 (gdb)
28946 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
28947 ^done
28948 (gdb)
28949 @end smallexample
28950
28951
28952 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
28953 @findex -file-exec-file
28954
28955 @subsubheading Synopsis
28956
28957 @smallexample
28958 -file-exec-file @var{file}
28959 @end smallexample
28960
28961 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
28962 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
28963 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
28964 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
28965 notification.
28966
28967 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28968
28969 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
28970
28971 @subsubheading Example
28972
28973 @smallexample
28974 (gdb)
28975 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
28976 ^done
28977 (gdb)
28978 @end smallexample
28979
28980
28981 @ignore
28982 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
28983 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
28984
28985 @subsubheading Synopsis
28986
28987 @smallexample
28988 -file-list-exec-sections
28989 @end smallexample
28990
28991 List the sections of the current executable file.
28992
28993 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28994
28995 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
28996 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
28997 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
28998
28999 @subsubheading Example
29000 N.A.
29001 @end ignore
29002
29003
29004 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
29005 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
29006
29007 @subsubheading Synopsis
29008
29009 @smallexample
29010 -file-list-exec-source-file
29011 @end smallexample
29012
29013 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
29014 to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
29015 information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
29016 whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
29017
29018 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29019
29020 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
29021
29022 @subsubheading Example
29023
29024 @smallexample
29025 (gdb)
29026 123-file-list-exec-source-file
29027 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
29028 (gdb)
29029 @end smallexample
29030
29031
29032 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
29033 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
29034
29035 @subsubheading Synopsis
29036
29037 @smallexample
29038 -file-list-exec-source-files
29039 @end smallexample
29040
29041 List the source files for the current executable.
29042
29043 It will always output the filename, but only when @value{GDBN} can find
29044 the absolute file name of a source file, will it output the fullname.
29045
29046 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29047
29048 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
29049 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
29050
29051 @subsubheading Example
29052 @smallexample
29053 (gdb)
29054 -file-list-exec-source-files
29055 ^done,files=[
29056 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
29057 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
29058 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
29059 (gdb)
29060 @end smallexample
29061
29062 @ignore
29063 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
29064 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
29065
29066 @subsubheading Synopsis
29067
29068 @smallexample
29069 -file-list-shared-libraries
29070 @end smallexample
29071
29072 List the shared libraries in the program.
29073
29074 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29075
29076 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
29077
29078 @subsubheading Example
29079 N.A.
29080
29081
29082 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
29083 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
29084
29085 @subsubheading Synopsis
29086
29087 @smallexample
29088 -file-list-symbol-files
29089 @end smallexample
29090
29091 List symbol files.
29092
29093 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29094
29095 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
29096
29097 @subsubheading Example
29098 N.A.
29099 @end ignore
29100
29101
29102 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
29103 @findex -file-symbol-file
29104
29105 @subsubheading Synopsis
29106
29107 @smallexample
29108 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
29109 @end smallexample
29110
29111 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
29112 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
29113 produced, except for a completion notification.
29114
29115 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29116
29117 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
29118
29119 @subsubheading Example
29120
29121 @smallexample
29122 (gdb)
29123 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
29124 ^done
29125 (gdb)
29126 @end smallexample
29127
29128 @ignore
29129 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29130 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
29131 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
29132
29133 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
29134
29135 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
29136
29137 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
29138
29139 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
29140
29141 @c @subheading -overlay-map
29142
29143 @c @subheading -overlay-off
29144
29145 @c @subheading -overlay-on
29146
29147 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
29148
29149 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29150 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
29151 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
29152
29153 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
29154
29155 @c @subheading -signal-handle
29156
29157 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
29158
29159 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
29160 @end ignore
29161
29162
29163 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29164 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
29165 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
29166
29167
29168 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
29169 @findex -target-attach
29170
29171 @subsubheading Synopsis
29172
29173 @smallexample
29174 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
29175 @end smallexample
29176
29177 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
29178 @value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
29179 group, the id previously returned by
29180 @samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
29181
29182 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29183
29184 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
29185
29186 @subsubheading Example
29187 @smallexample
29188 (gdb)
29189 -target-attach 34
29190 =thread-created,id="1"
29191 *stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
29192 ^done
29193 (gdb)
29194 @end smallexample
29195
29196 @ignore
29197 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
29198 @findex -target-compare-sections
29199
29200 @subsubheading Synopsis
29201
29202 @smallexample
29203 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
29204 @end smallexample
29205
29206 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
29207 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
29208
29209 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29210
29211 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
29212
29213 @subsubheading Example
29214 N.A.
29215 @end ignore
29216
29217
29218 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
29219 @findex -target-detach
29220
29221 @subsubheading Synopsis
29222
29223 @smallexample
29224 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
29225 @end smallexample
29226
29227 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
29228 If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
29229 the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
29230
29231 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29232
29233 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
29234
29235 @subsubheading Example
29236
29237 @smallexample
29238 (gdb)
29239 -target-detach
29240 ^done
29241 (gdb)
29242 @end smallexample
29243
29244
29245 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
29246 @findex -target-disconnect
29247
29248 @subsubheading Synopsis
29249
29250 @smallexample
29251 -target-disconnect
29252 @end smallexample
29253
29254 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
29255 generally not resumed.
29256
29257 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29258
29259 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
29260
29261 @subsubheading Example
29262
29263 @smallexample
29264 (gdb)
29265 -target-disconnect
29266 ^done
29267 (gdb)
29268 @end smallexample
29269
29270
29271 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
29272 @findex -target-download
29273
29274 @subsubheading Synopsis
29275
29276 @smallexample
29277 -target-download
29278 @end smallexample
29279
29280 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
29281 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
29282
29283 @table @samp
29284 @item section
29285 The name of the section.
29286 @item section-sent
29287 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
29288 @item section-size
29289 The size of the section.
29290 @item total-sent
29291 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
29292 @item total-size
29293 The size of the overall executable to download.
29294 @end table
29295
29296 @noindent
29297 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
29298 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
29299
29300 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
29301 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
29302
29303 @table @samp
29304 @item section
29305 The name of the section.
29306 @item section-size
29307 The size of the section.
29308 @item total-size
29309 The size of the overall executable to download.
29310 @end table
29311
29312 @noindent
29313 At the end, a summary is printed.
29314
29315 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29316
29317 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
29318
29319 @subsubheading Example
29320
29321 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
29322 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
29323
29324 @smallexample
29325 (gdb)
29326 -target-download
29327 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
29328 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
29329 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
29330 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
29331 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
29332 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
29333 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
29334 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
29335 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
29336 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
29337 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
29338 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
29339 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
29340 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
29341 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
29342 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
29343 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
29344 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
29345 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
29346 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
29347 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
29348 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
29349 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
29350 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
29351 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
29352 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
29353 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
29354 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
29355 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
29356 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
29357 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
29358 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
29359 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
29360 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
29361 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
29362 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
29363 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
29364 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
29365 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
29366 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
29367 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
29368 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
29369 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
29370 write-rate="429"
29371 (gdb)
29372 @end smallexample
29373
29374
29375 @ignore
29376 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
29377 @findex -target-exec-status
29378
29379 @subsubheading Synopsis
29380
29381 @smallexample
29382 -target-exec-status
29383 @end smallexample
29384
29385 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
29386 not, for instance).
29387
29388 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29389
29390 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
29391
29392 @subsubheading Example
29393 N.A.
29394
29395
29396 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
29397 @findex -target-list-available-targets
29398
29399 @subsubheading Synopsis
29400
29401 @smallexample
29402 -target-list-available-targets
29403 @end smallexample
29404
29405 List the possible targets to connect to.
29406
29407 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29408
29409 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
29410
29411 @subsubheading Example
29412 N.A.
29413
29414
29415 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
29416 @findex -target-list-current-targets
29417
29418 @subsubheading Synopsis
29419
29420 @smallexample
29421 -target-list-current-targets
29422 @end smallexample
29423
29424 Describe the current target.
29425
29426 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29427
29428 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
29429 other things).
29430
29431 @subsubheading Example
29432 N.A.
29433
29434
29435 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
29436 @findex -target-list-parameters
29437
29438 @subsubheading Synopsis
29439
29440 @smallexample
29441 -target-list-parameters
29442 @end smallexample
29443
29444 @c ????
29445 @end ignore
29446
29447 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29448
29449 No equivalent.
29450
29451 @subsubheading Example
29452 N.A.
29453
29454
29455 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
29456 @findex -target-select
29457
29458 @subsubheading Synopsis
29459
29460 @smallexample
29461 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
29462 @end smallexample
29463
29464 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
29465
29466 @table @samp
29467 @item @var{type}
29468 The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
29469 @item @var{parameters}
29470 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
29471 Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
29472 @end table
29473
29474 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
29475 which the target program is, in the following form:
29476
29477 @smallexample
29478 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
29479 args=[@var{arg list}]
29480 @end smallexample
29481
29482 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29483
29484 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
29485
29486 @subsubheading Example
29487
29488 @smallexample
29489 (gdb)
29490 -target-select remote /dev/ttya
29491 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
29492 (gdb)
29493 @end smallexample
29494
29495 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29496 @node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
29497 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
29498
29499
29500 @subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
29501 @findex -target-file-put
29502
29503 @subsubheading Synopsis
29504
29505 @smallexample
29506 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
29507 @end smallexample
29508
29509 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
29510 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
29511
29512 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29513
29514 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
29515
29516 @subsubheading Example
29517
29518 @smallexample
29519 (gdb)
29520 -target-file-put localfile remotefile
29521 ^done
29522 (gdb)
29523 @end smallexample
29524
29525
29526 @subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
29527 @findex -target-file-get
29528
29529 @subsubheading Synopsis
29530
29531 @smallexample
29532 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
29533 @end smallexample
29534
29535 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
29536 on the host system.
29537
29538 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29539
29540 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
29541
29542 @subsubheading Example
29543
29544 @smallexample
29545 (gdb)
29546 -target-file-get remotefile localfile
29547 ^done
29548 (gdb)
29549 @end smallexample
29550
29551
29552 @subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
29553 @findex -target-file-delete
29554
29555 @subsubheading Synopsis
29556
29557 @smallexample
29558 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
29559 @end smallexample
29560
29561 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
29562
29563 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29564
29565 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
29566
29567 @subsubheading Example
29568
29569 @smallexample
29570 (gdb)
29571 -target-file-delete remotefile
29572 ^done
29573 (gdb)
29574 @end smallexample
29575
29576
29577 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29578 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
29579 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
29580
29581 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
29582
29583 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
29584 @findex -gdb-exit
29585
29586 @subsubheading Synopsis
29587
29588 @smallexample
29589 -gdb-exit
29590 @end smallexample
29591
29592 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
29593
29594 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29595
29596 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
29597
29598 @subsubheading Example
29599
29600 @smallexample
29601 (gdb)
29602 -gdb-exit
29603 ^exit
29604 @end smallexample
29605
29606
29607 @ignore
29608 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
29609 @findex -exec-abort
29610
29611 @subsubheading Synopsis
29612
29613 @smallexample
29614 -exec-abort
29615 @end smallexample
29616
29617 Kill the inferior running program.
29618
29619 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29620
29621 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
29622
29623 @subsubheading Example
29624 N.A.
29625 @end ignore
29626
29627
29628 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
29629 @findex -gdb-set
29630
29631 @subsubheading Synopsis
29632
29633 @smallexample
29634 -gdb-set
29635 @end smallexample
29636
29637 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
29638 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
29639
29640 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29641
29642 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
29643
29644 @subsubheading Example
29645
29646 @smallexample
29647 (gdb)
29648 -gdb-set $foo=3
29649 ^done
29650 (gdb)
29651 @end smallexample
29652
29653
29654 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
29655 @findex -gdb-show
29656
29657 @subsubheading Synopsis
29658
29659 @smallexample
29660 -gdb-show
29661 @end smallexample
29662
29663 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
29664
29665 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29666
29667 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
29668
29669 @subsubheading Example
29670
29671 @smallexample
29672 (gdb)
29673 -gdb-show annotate
29674 ^done,value="0"
29675 (gdb)
29676 @end smallexample
29677
29678 @c @subheading -gdb-source
29679
29680
29681 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
29682 @findex -gdb-version
29683
29684 @subsubheading Synopsis
29685
29686 @smallexample
29687 -gdb-version
29688 @end smallexample
29689
29690 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
29691
29692 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29693
29694 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
29695 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
29696
29697 @subsubheading Example
29698
29699 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
29700 @c box in TeX.
29701 @smallexample
29702 (gdb)
29703 -gdb-version
29704 ~GNU gdb 5.2.1
29705 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
29706 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
29707 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
29708 ~ certain conditions.
29709 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
29710 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
29711 ~ details.
29712 ~This GDB was configured as
29713 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
29714 ^done
29715 (gdb)
29716 @end smallexample
29717
29718 @subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
29719 @findex -list-features
29720
29721 Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
29722 this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
29723 or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
29724 important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
29725 of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
29726 startup.
29727
29728 The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
29729 available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
29730 have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
29731 is given below.
29732
29733 Example output:
29734
29735 @smallexample
29736 (gdb) -list-features
29737 ^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
29738 @end smallexample
29739
29740 The current list of features is:
29741
29742 @table @samp
29743 @item frozen-varobjs
29744 Indicates presence of the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
29745 as possible presense of the @code{frozen} field in the output
29746 of @code{-varobj-create}.
29747 @item pending-breakpoints
29748 Indicates presence of the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert} command.
29749 @item python
29750 Indicates presence of Python scripting support, Python-based
29751 pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
29752 @samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
29753 @item thread-info
29754 Indicates presence of the @code{-thread-info} command.
29755 @item data-read-memory-bytes
29756 Indicates presense of the @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} and the
29757 @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} commands.
29758
29759 @end table
29760
29761 @subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
29762 @findex -list-target-features
29763
29764 Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
29765 target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
29766 unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
29767 features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
29768 a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
29769 @code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
29770 may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
29771 Example output:
29772
29773 @smallexample
29774 (gdb) -list-features
29775 ^done,result=["async"]
29776 @end smallexample
29777
29778 The current list of features is:
29779
29780 @table @samp
29781 @item async
29782 Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
29783 execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
29784 while the target is running.
29785
29786 @item reverse
29787 Indicates that the target is capable of reverse execution.
29788 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
29789
29790 @end table
29791
29792 @subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
29793 @findex -list-thread-groups
29794
29795 @subheading Synopsis
29796
29797 @smallexample
29798 -list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
29799 @end smallexample
29800
29801 Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
29802 group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
29803 When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
29804 thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
29805 top-level thread groups.
29806
29807 Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
29808 With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
29809 available on the target.
29810
29811 The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
29812 a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
29813 as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
29814 Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
29815 each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
29816 requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
29817 are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
29818 of the @samp{group} result is described below.
29819
29820 To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
29821 together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
29822 and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
29823 permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
29824 will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
29825 @samp{threads} field.
29826
29827 In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
29828 the following caveats:
29829
29830 @itemize @bullet
29831 @item
29832 When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
29833 be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
29834 anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
29835
29836 @item
29837 When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
29838 be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
29839 be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
29840 not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
29841 The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
29842 is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
29843
29844 @end itemize
29845
29846 The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
29847 have the following fields:
29848
29849 @table @code
29850 @item id
29851 Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
29852 The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
29853 convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
29854
29855 @item type
29856 The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
29857 valid type.
29858
29859 @item pid
29860 The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
29861 for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
29862
29863 @item num_children
29864 The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
29865 absent for an available thread group.
29866
29867 @item threads
29868 This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
29869 thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
29870 specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
29871
29872 @item cores
29873 This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
29874 thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
29875 such information is not available.
29876
29877 @item executable
29878 The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
29879 The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
29880 and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
29881
29882 @end table
29883
29884 @subheading Example
29885
29886 @smallexample
29887 @value{GDBP}
29888 -list-thread-groups
29889 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
29890 -list-thread-groups 17
29891 ^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
29892 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
29893 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
29894 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
29895 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}]]
29896 -list-thread-groups --available
29897 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
29898 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
29899 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
29900 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
29901 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
29902 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
29903 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
29904 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
29905 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
29906 @end smallexample
29907
29908
29909 @subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
29910 @findex -add-inferior
29911
29912 @subheading Synopsis
29913
29914 @smallexample
29915 -add-inferior
29916 @end smallexample
29917
29918 Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
29919 inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
29920 be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
29921 (@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
29922 field, @samp{thread-group}, whose value is the identifier of the
29923 thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
29924
29925 @subheading Example
29926
29927 @smallexample
29928 @value{GDBP}
29929 -add-inferior
29930 ^done,thread-group="i3"
29931 @end smallexample
29932
29933 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
29934 @findex -interpreter-exec
29935
29936 @subheading Synopsis
29937
29938 @smallexample
29939 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
29940 @end smallexample
29941 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
29942
29943 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
29944
29945 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
29946
29947 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
29948
29949 @subheading Example
29950
29951 @smallexample
29952 (gdb)
29953 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
29954 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
29955 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
29956 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
29957 ^done
29958 (gdb)
29959 @end smallexample
29960
29961 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
29962 @findex -inferior-tty-set
29963
29964 @subheading Synopsis
29965
29966 @smallexample
29967 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
29968 @end smallexample
29969
29970 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
29971
29972 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
29973
29974 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
29975
29976 @subheading Example
29977
29978 @smallexample
29979 (gdb)
29980 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
29981 ^done
29982 (gdb)
29983 @end smallexample
29984
29985 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
29986 @findex -inferior-tty-show
29987
29988 @subheading Synopsis
29989
29990 @smallexample
29991 -inferior-tty-show
29992 @end smallexample
29993
29994 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
29995
29996 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
29997
29998 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
29999
30000 @subheading Example
30001
30002 @smallexample
30003 (gdb)
30004 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
30005 ^done
30006 (gdb)
30007 -inferior-tty-show
30008 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
30009 (gdb)
30010 @end smallexample
30011
30012 @subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
30013 @findex -enable-timings
30014
30015 @subheading Synopsis
30016
30017 @smallexample
30018 -enable-timings [yes | no]
30019 @end smallexample
30020
30021 Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
30022 command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
30023 developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
30024 equivalent to @samp{yes}.
30025
30026 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
30027
30028 No equivalent.
30029
30030 @subheading Example
30031
30032 @smallexample
30033 (gdb)
30034 -enable-timings
30035 ^done
30036 (gdb)
30037 -break-insert main
30038 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30039 addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
30040 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",times="0"@},
30041 time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
30042 (gdb)
30043 -enable-timings no
30044 ^done
30045 (gdb)
30046 -exec-run
30047 ^running
30048 (gdb)
30049 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
30050 frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
30051 @{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
30052 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73"@}
30053 (gdb)
30054 @end smallexample
30055
30056 @node Annotations
30057 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
30058
30059 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
30060 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
30061 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
30062 relatively high level.
30063
30064 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
30065 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
30066
30067 @ignore
30068 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
30069 @end ignore
30070
30071 @menu
30072 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
30073 * Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
30074 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
30075 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
30076 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
30077 * Annotations for Running::
30078 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
30079 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
30080 @end menu
30081
30082 @node Annotations Overview
30083 @section What is an Annotation?
30084 @cindex annotations
30085
30086 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
30087 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
30088 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
30089 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
30090 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
30091 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
30092 cannot contain newline characters.
30093
30094 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
30095 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
30096 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
30097 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
30098 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
30099 means those three characters as output.
30100
30101 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
30102 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
30103 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
30104 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
30105 is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
30106 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
30107 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
30108 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
30109 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
30110
30111 @table @code
30112 @kindex set annotate
30113 @item set annotate @var{level}
30114 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
30115 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
30116
30117 @item show annotate
30118 @kindex show annotate
30119 Show the current annotation level.
30120 @end table
30121
30122 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
30123
30124 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
30125
30126 @smallexample
30127 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
30128 GNU gdb 6.0
30129 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
30130 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
30131 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
30132 under certain conditions.
30133 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
30134 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
30135 for details.
30136 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
30137
30138 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
30139 (@value{GDBP})
30140 ^Z^Zprompt
30141 @kbd{quit}
30142
30143 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
30144 $
30145 @end smallexample
30146
30147 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
30148 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
30149 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
30150 output from @value{GDBN}.
30151
30152 @node Server Prefix
30153 @section The Server Prefix
30154 @cindex server prefix
30155
30156 If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
30157 the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
30158 command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
30159 means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
30160 a transparent manner.
30161
30162 The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
30163 the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
30164 value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
30165 @code{print} command.
30166
30167 Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
30168 (@pxref{confirmation requests}).
30169
30170 @node Prompting
30171 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
30172
30173 @cindex annotations for prompts
30174 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
30175 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
30176 over, etc.
30177
30178 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
30179 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
30180 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
30181 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
30182 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
30183 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
30184 features the following annotations:
30185
30186 @smallexample
30187 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
30188 ^Z^Zprompt
30189 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
30190 @end smallexample
30191
30192 The input types are
30193
30194 @table @code
30195 @findex pre-prompt annotation
30196 @findex prompt annotation
30197 @findex post-prompt annotation
30198 @item prompt
30199 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
30200
30201 @findex pre-commands annotation
30202 @findex commands annotation
30203 @findex post-commands annotation
30204 @item commands
30205 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
30206 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
30207
30208 @findex pre-overload-choice annotation
30209 @findex overload-choice annotation
30210 @findex post-overload-choice annotation
30211 @item overload-choice
30212 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
30213
30214 @findex pre-query annotation
30215 @findex query annotation
30216 @findex post-query annotation
30217 @item query
30218 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
30219
30220 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
30221 @findex prompt-for-continue annotation
30222 @findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
30223 @item prompt-for-continue
30224 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
30225 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
30226 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
30227 presence of annotations.
30228 @end table
30229
30230 @node Errors
30231 @section Errors
30232 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
30233
30234 @findex quit annotation
30235 @smallexample
30236 ^Z^Zquit
30237 @end smallexample
30238
30239 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
30240
30241 @findex error annotation
30242 @smallexample
30243 ^Z^Zerror
30244 @end smallexample
30245
30246 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
30247
30248 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
30249 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
30250 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
30251 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
30252 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
30253 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
30254 to the top level.
30255
30256 @findex error-begin annotation
30257 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
30258
30259 @smallexample
30260 ^Z^Zerror-begin
30261 @end smallexample
30262
30263 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
30264 message.
30265
30266 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
30267 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
30268 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
30269
30270 @node Invalidation
30271 @section Invalidation Notices
30272
30273 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
30274 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
30275 changed.
30276
30277 @table @code
30278 @findex frames-invalid annotation
30279 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
30280
30281 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
30282 have changed.
30283
30284 @findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
30285 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
30286
30287 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
30288 deleted a breakpoint.
30289 @end table
30290
30291 @node Annotations for Running
30292 @section Running the Program
30293 @cindex annotations for running programs
30294
30295 @findex starting annotation
30296 @findex stopping annotation
30297 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
30298 @code{step} or @code{continue},
30299
30300 @smallexample
30301 ^Z^Zstarting
30302 @end smallexample
30303
30304 is output. When the program stops,
30305
30306 @smallexample
30307 ^Z^Zstopped
30308 @end smallexample
30309
30310 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
30311 annotations describe how the program stopped.
30312
30313 @table @code
30314 @findex exited annotation
30315 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
30316 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
30317 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
30318
30319 @findex signalled annotation
30320 @findex signal-name annotation
30321 @findex signal-name-end annotation
30322 @findex signal-string annotation
30323 @findex signal-string-end annotation
30324 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
30325 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
30326 annotation continues:
30327
30328 @smallexample
30329 @var{intro-text}
30330 ^Z^Zsignal-name
30331 @var{name}
30332 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
30333 @var{middle-text}
30334 ^Z^Zsignal-string
30335 @var{string}
30336 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
30337 @var{end-text}
30338 @end smallexample
30339
30340 @noindent
30341 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
30342 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
30343 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
30344 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
30345 user's benefit and have no particular format.
30346
30347 @findex signal annotation
30348 @item ^Z^Zsignal
30349 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
30350 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
30351 terminated with it.
30352
30353 @findex breakpoint annotation
30354 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
30355 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
30356
30357 @findex watchpoint annotation
30358 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
30359 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
30360 @end table
30361
30362 @node Source Annotations
30363 @section Displaying Source
30364 @cindex annotations for source display
30365
30366 @findex source annotation
30367 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
30368
30369 @smallexample
30370 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
30371 @end smallexample
30372
30373 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
30374 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
30375 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
30376 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
30377 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
30378 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
30379 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
30380 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
30381 source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
30382 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
30383 depend on the language).
30384
30385 @node JIT Interface
30386 @chapter JIT Compilation Interface
30387 @cindex just-in-time compilation
30388 @cindex JIT compilation interface
30389
30390 This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
30391 interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
30392 executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
30393 performance while maintaining platform independence.
30394
30395 Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
30396 portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
30397 object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
30398 and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
30399 @value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
30400 symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
30401
30402 If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
30403 it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
30404 you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
30405 of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
30406 LLVM JIT.
30407
30408 Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
30409 JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
30410 variable and calling a fuction at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
30411 attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
30412 find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
30413 out about additional code.
30414
30415 @menu
30416 * Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
30417 * Registering Code:: Steps to register code
30418 * Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
30419 @end menu
30420
30421 @node Declarations
30422 @section JIT Declarations
30423
30424 These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
30425 implement the interface:
30426
30427 @smallexample
30428 typedef enum
30429 @{
30430 JIT_NOACTION = 0,
30431 JIT_REGISTER_FN,
30432 JIT_UNREGISTER_FN
30433 @} jit_actions_t;
30434
30435 struct jit_code_entry
30436 @{
30437 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
30438 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
30439 const char *symfile_addr;
30440 uint64_t symfile_size;
30441 @};
30442
30443 struct jit_descriptor
30444 @{
30445 uint32_t version;
30446 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
30447 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
30448 uint32_t action_flag;
30449 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
30450 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
30451 @};
30452
30453 /* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
30454 void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
30455
30456 /* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
30457 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
30458 struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
30459 @end smallexample
30460
30461 If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
30462 modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
30463 a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
30464
30465 @node Registering Code
30466 @section Registering Code
30467
30468 To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
30469
30470 @itemize @bullet
30471 @item
30472 Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
30473 information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
30474
30475 @item
30476 Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
30477 file.
30478
30479 @item
30480 Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
30481
30482 @item
30483 Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
30484
30485 @item
30486 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
30487 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
30488 @end itemize
30489
30490 When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
30491 @code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
30492 new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
30493 @value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
30494
30495 @node Unregistering Code
30496 @section Unregistering Code
30497
30498 If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
30499
30500 @itemize @bullet
30501 @item
30502 Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
30503
30504 @item
30505 Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
30506
30507 @item
30508 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
30509 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
30510 @end itemize
30511
30512 If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
30513 and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
30514
30515 @node GDB Bugs
30516 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
30517 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
30518 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
30519
30520 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
30521
30522 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
30523 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
30524 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
30525 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
30526
30527 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
30528 information that enables us to fix the bug.
30529
30530 @menu
30531 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
30532 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
30533 @end menu
30534
30535 @node Bug Criteria
30536 @section Have You Found a Bug?
30537 @cindex bug criteria
30538
30539 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
30540
30541 @itemize @bullet
30542 @cindex fatal signal
30543 @cindex debugger crash
30544 @cindex crash of debugger
30545 @item
30546 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
30547 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
30548
30549 @cindex error on valid input
30550 @item
30551 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
30552 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
30553 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
30554
30555 @cindex invalid input
30556 @item
30557 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
30558 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
30559 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
30560 for traditional practice''.
30561
30562 @item
30563 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
30564 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
30565 @end itemize
30566
30567 @node Bug Reporting
30568 @section How to Report Bugs
30569 @cindex bug reports
30570 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
30571
30572 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
30573 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
30574 contact that organization first.
30575
30576 You can find contact information for many support companies and
30577 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
30578 distribution.
30579 @c should add a web page ref...
30580
30581 @ifset BUGURL
30582 @ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
30583 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
30584 @value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
30585 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
30586 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
30587 be used.
30588
30589 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
30590 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
30591 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
30592 @samp{bug-gdb}.
30593
30594 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
30595 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
30596 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
30597 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
30598 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
30599 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
30600 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
30601 bug reports to the mailing list.
30602 @end ifset
30603 @ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
30604 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
30605 @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
30606 @end ifclear
30607 @end ifset
30608
30609 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
30610 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
30611 fact or leave it out, state it!
30612
30613 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
30614 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
30615 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
30616 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
30617 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
30618 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
30619 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
30620 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
30621 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
30622
30623 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
30624 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
30625 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
30626 self-contained.
30627
30628 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
30629 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
30630 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
30631 bugs properly.
30632
30633 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
30634
30635 @itemize @bullet
30636 @item
30637 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
30638 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
30639 version}.
30640
30641 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
30642 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
30643
30644 @item
30645 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
30646 version number.
30647
30648 @item
30649 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
30650 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
30651
30652 @item
30653 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
30654 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
30655 C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
30656 to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
30657 those compilers.
30658
30659 @item
30660 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
30661 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
30662 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
30663 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
30664
30665 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
30666 and then we might not encounter the bug.
30667
30668 @item
30669 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
30670 reproduce the bug.
30671
30672 @item
30673 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
30674 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
30675
30676 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
30677 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
30678 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
30679 a chance to make a mistake.
30680
30681 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
30682 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
30683 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
30684 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
30685 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
30686 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
30687 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
30688 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
30689
30690 @pindex script
30691 @cindex recording a session script
30692 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
30693 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
30694 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
30695 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
30696
30697 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
30698 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
30699
30700 @item
30701 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
30702 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
30703 it by context, not by line number.
30704
30705 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
30706 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
30707
30708 @end itemize
30709
30710 Here are some things that are not necessary:
30711
30712 @itemize @bullet
30713 @item
30714 A description of the envelope of the bug.
30715
30716 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
30717 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
30718 changes will not affect it.
30719
30720 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
30721 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
30722 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
30723 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
30724
30725 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
30726 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
30727 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
30728 less time, and so on.
30729
30730 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
30731 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
30732
30733 @item
30734 A patch for the bug.
30735
30736 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
30737 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
30738 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
30739 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
30740
30741 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
30742 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
30743 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
30744 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
30745
30746 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
30747 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
30748 help us to understand.
30749
30750 @item
30751 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
30752
30753 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
30754 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
30755 @end itemize
30756
30757 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
30758 @c and consists of the two following files:
30759 @c rluser.texinfo
30760 @c inc-hist.texinfo
30761 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
30762 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
30763 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
30764 @include rluser.texi
30765 @include inc-hist.texinfo
30766 @end ifclear
30767
30768
30769 @node Formatting Documentation
30770 @appendix Formatting Documentation
30771
30772 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
30773 @cindex reference card
30774 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
30775 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
30776 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
30777 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
30778 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
30779 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
30780
30781 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
30782 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
30783
30784 @smallexample
30785 make refcard.dvi
30786 @end smallexample
30787
30788 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
30789 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
30790 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
30791 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
30792 your @sc{dvi} output program.
30793
30794 @cindex documentation
30795
30796 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
30797 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
30798 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
30799 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
30800 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
30801 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
30802
30803 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
30804 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
30805 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
30806 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
30807 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
30808 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
30809 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
30810 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
30811
30812 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
30813 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
30814 @code{makeinfo}.
30815
30816 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
30817 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
30818 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
30819
30820 @smallexample
30821 cd gdb
30822 make gdb.info
30823 @end smallexample
30824
30825 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
30826 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
30827 Texinfo definitions file.
30828
30829 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
30830 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
30831 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
30832 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
30833 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
30834 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
30835 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
30836
30837 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
30838 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
30839 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
30840 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
30841 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
30842 directory.
30843
30844 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
30845 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
30846 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
30847 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
30848
30849 @smallexample
30850 make gdb.dvi
30851 @end smallexample
30852
30853 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
30854
30855 @node Installing GDB
30856 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
30857 @cindex installation
30858
30859 @menu
30860 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
30861 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
30862 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
30863 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
30864 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
30865 * System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
30866 @end menu
30867
30868 @node Requirements
30869 @section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
30870 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
30871
30872 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
30873 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
30874
30875 @heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
30876 @table @asis
30877 @item ISO C90 compiler
30878 @value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
30879 working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
30880
30881 @end table
30882
30883 @heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
30884 @table @asis
30885 @item Expat
30886 @anchor{Expat}
30887 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
30888 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
30889 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
30890 The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
30891 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
30892 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
30893
30894 Expat is used for:
30895
30896 @itemize @bullet
30897 @item
30898 Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
30899 @item
30900 Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
30901 @item
30902 Remote shared library lists (@pxref{Library List Format})
30903 @item
30904 MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
30905 @item
30906 Traceframe info (@pxref{Traceframe Info Format})
30907 @end itemize
30908
30909 @item zlib
30910 @cindex compressed debug sections
30911 @value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
30912 compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
30913 of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
30914 is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
30915 information in such binaries.
30916
30917 The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
30918 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
30919 @url{http://zlib.net}.
30920
30921 @item iconv
30922 @value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
30923 Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
30924 on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
30925 other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
30926
30927 On systems with @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If you
30928 have previously installed Libiconv, you can use the
30929 @option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to configure.
30930
30931 @value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
30932 arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
30933 in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
30934 if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
30935 implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
30936 by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
30937 Libiconv, unpack it, and then rename the directory holding the
30938 Libiconv source code to @samp{libiconv}.
30939 @end table
30940
30941 @node Running Configure
30942 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
30943 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
30944 @value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
30945 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
30946 build the @code{gdb} program.
30947 @iftex
30948 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
30949 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
30950 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
30951 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
30952 @end iftex
30953
30954 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
30955 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
30956 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
30957
30958 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
30959 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
30960
30961 @table @code
30962 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
30963 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
30964
30965 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
30966 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
30967
30968 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
30969 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
30970
30971 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
30972 @sc{gnu} include files
30973
30974 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
30975 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
30976
30977 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
30978 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
30979
30980 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
30981 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
30982
30983 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
30984 source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
30985
30986 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
30987 source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
30988 @end table
30989
30990 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
30991 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
30992 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
30993
30994 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
30995 if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
30996 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
30997 argument.
30998
30999 For example:
31000
31001 @smallexample
31002 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
31003 ./configure @var{host}
31004 make
31005 @end smallexample
31006
31007 @noindent
31008 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
31009 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
31010 (You can often leave off @var{host}; @file{configure} tries to guess the
31011 correct value by examining your system.)
31012
31013 Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
31014 @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
31015 libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
31016 binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
31017
31018 @need 750
31019 @file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
31020 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
31021 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
31022
31023 @smallexample
31024 sh configure @var{host}
31025 @end smallexample
31026
31027 If you run @file{configure} from a directory that contains source
31028 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
31029 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN},
31030 @file{configure}
31031 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
31032 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
31033
31034 You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
31035 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
31036 @file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
31037 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
31038 if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
31039 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
31040 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
31041 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
31042 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
31043
31044 You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
31045 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
31046 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
31047 that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
31048 let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
31049
31050 @node Separate Objdir
31051 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
31052
31053 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
31054 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
31055 host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
31056 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
31057 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
31058 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
31059 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
31060 program specified there.
31061
31062 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
31063 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
31064 (You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
31065 itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
31066 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
31067 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
31068
31069 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
31070 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
31071
31072 @smallexample
31073 @group
31074 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
31075 mkdir ../gdb-sun4
31076 cd ../gdb-sun4
31077 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
31078 make
31079 @end group
31080 @end smallexample
31081
31082 When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
31083 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
31084 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
31085 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
31086 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
31087 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
31088
31089 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
31090 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
31091 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
31092 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
31093 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
31094
31095 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
31096 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
31097 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
31098 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
31099 You specify a cross-debugging target by
31100 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
31101
31102 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
31103 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
31104 called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
31105
31106 The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
31107 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
31108 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
31109 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
31110 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
31111
31112 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
31113 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
31114 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
31115 with each other.
31116
31117 @node Config Names
31118 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
31119
31120 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
31121 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
31122 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
31123 of information in the following pattern:
31124
31125 @smallexample
31126 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
31127 @end smallexample
31128
31129 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
31130 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
31131 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
31132
31133 The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
31134 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
31135 aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
31136 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
31137 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
31138 abbreviations---for example:
31139
31140 @smallexample
31141 % sh config.sub i386-linux
31142 i386-pc-linux-gnu
31143 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
31144 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
31145 % sh config.sub hp9k700
31146 hppa1.1-hp-hpux
31147 % sh config.sub sun4
31148 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
31149 % sh config.sub sun3
31150 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
31151 % sh config.sub i986v
31152 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
31153 @end smallexample
31154
31155 @noindent
31156 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
31157 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
31158
31159 @node Configure Options
31160 @section @file{configure} Options
31161
31162 Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
31163 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure} also has
31164 several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
31165 Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @file{configure}.
31166
31167 @smallexample
31168 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
31169 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
31170 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
31171 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
31172 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
31173 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
31174 @var{host}
31175 @end smallexample
31176
31177 @noindent
31178 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
31179 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
31180 @samp{--}.
31181
31182 @table @code
31183 @item --help
31184 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
31185
31186 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
31187 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
31188 @file{@var{dir}}.
31189
31190 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
31191 Configure the source to install programs under directory
31192 @file{@var{dir}}.
31193
31194 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
31195 @need 2000
31196 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
31197 @strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
31198 @code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
31199 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
31200 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
31201 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
31202 directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
31203 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
31204 directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
31205 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
31206 @var{dirname}.
31207
31208 @item --norecursion
31209 Configure only the directory level where @file{configure} is executed; do not
31210 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
31211
31212 @item --target=@var{target}
31213 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
31214 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
31215 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
31216
31217 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
31218
31219 @item @var{host} @dots{}
31220 Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
31221
31222 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
31223 @end table
31224
31225 There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
31226 needed for special purposes only.
31227
31228 @node System-wide configuration
31229 @section System-wide configuration and settings
31230 @cindex system-wide init file
31231
31232 @value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
31233 this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
31234 @value{GDBN} does during startup}).
31235
31236 Here is the corresponding configure option:
31237
31238 @table @code
31239 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
31240 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
31241 @var{file}.
31242 @end table
31243
31244 If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
31245 it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
31246
31247 @itemize @bullet
31248 @item
31249 If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
31250 it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
31251 are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
31252 if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
31253 init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
31254 @file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
31255
31256 @item
31257 By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
31258 it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
31259 @option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
31260 then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
31261 wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
31262 @end itemize
31263
31264 @node Maintenance Commands
31265 @appendix Maintenance Commands
31266 @cindex maintenance commands
31267 @cindex internal commands
31268
31269 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
31270 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
31271 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
31272 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
31273 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
31274
31275 @table @code
31276 @kindex maint agent
31277 @kindex maint agent-eval
31278 @item maint agent @var{expression}
31279 @itemx maint agent-eval @var{expression}
31280 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
31281 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
31282 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
31283 expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
31284 @samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
31285 to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
31286 globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
31287 of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
31288 the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
31289 addition and return the sum.
31290
31291 @kindex maint info breakpoints
31292 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
31293 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
31294 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
31295 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
31296 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
31297 is shown:
31298
31299 @table @code
31300 @item breakpoint
31301 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
31302
31303 @item watchpoint
31304 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
31305
31306 @item longjmp
31307 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
31308 @code{longjmp} calls.
31309
31310 @item longjmp resume
31311 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
31312
31313 @item until
31314 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
31315
31316 @item finish
31317 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
31318
31319 @item shlib events
31320 Shared library events.
31321
31322 @end table
31323
31324 @kindex set displaced-stepping
31325 @kindex show displaced-stepping
31326 @cindex displaced stepping support
31327 @cindex out-of-line single-stepping
31328 @item set displaced-stepping
31329 @itemx show displaced-stepping
31330 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
31331 if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
31332 over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
31333 an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
31334 breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
31335
31336 @table @code
31337 @item set displaced-stepping on
31338 If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
31339 displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
31340
31341 @item set displaced-stepping off
31342 @value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
31343 even if such is supported by the target architecture.
31344
31345 @cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
31346 @item set displaced-stepping auto
31347 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
31348 only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
31349 architecture supports displaced stepping.
31350 @end table
31351
31352 @kindex maint check-symtabs
31353 @item maint check-symtabs
31354 Check the consistency of psymtabs and symtabs.
31355
31356 @kindex maint cplus first_component
31357 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
31358 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
31359
31360 @kindex maint cplus namespace
31361 @item maint cplus namespace
31362 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
31363
31364 @kindex maint demangle
31365 @item maint demangle @var{name}
31366 Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C mangled @var{name}.
31367
31368 @kindex maint deprecate
31369 @kindex maint undeprecate
31370 @cindex deprecated commands
31371 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
31372 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
31373 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
31374 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
31375 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
31376 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
31377 the replacement as part of the warning.
31378
31379 @kindex maint dump-me
31380 @item maint dump-me
31381 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
31382 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
31383 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
31384 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
31385
31386 @kindex maint internal-error
31387 @kindex maint internal-warning
31388 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
31389 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
31390 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
31391 or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
31392 or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
31393 internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
31394 either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
31395 @value{GDBN} session.
31396
31397 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
31398 used as the text of the error or warning message.
31399
31400 Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
31401
31402 @smallexample
31403 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
31404 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
31405 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
31406 debugging may prove unreliable.
31407 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
31408 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
31409 (@value{GDBP})
31410 @end smallexample
31411
31412 @cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
31413 @cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
31414
31415 @kindex maint set internal-error
31416 @kindex maint show internal-error
31417 @kindex maint set internal-warning
31418 @kindex maint show internal-warning
31419 @item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
31420 @itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
31421 @itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
31422 @itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
31423 When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
31424 gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
31425 core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
31426 override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
31427 described in the table below.
31428
31429 @table @samp
31430 @item quit
31431 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
31432 quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
31433
31434 @item corefile
31435 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
31436 create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do.
31437 @end table
31438
31439 @kindex maint packet
31440 @item maint packet @var{text}
31441 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
31442 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
31443 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
31444 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
31445 checksum.
31446
31447 @kindex maint print architecture
31448 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
31449 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
31450 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
31451
31452 @kindex maint print c-tdesc
31453 @item maint print c-tdesc
31454 Print the current target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
31455 a C source file. The created source file can be used in @value{GDBN}
31456 when an XML parser is not available to parse the description.
31457
31458 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
31459 @item maint print dummy-frames
31460 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
31461
31462 @smallexample
31463 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
31464 @dots{}
31465 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
31466 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
31467 58 return (a + b);
31468 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
31469 @dots{}
31470 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
31471 0x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
31472 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
31473 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
31474 (@value{GDBP})
31475 @end smallexample
31476
31477 Takes an optional file parameter.
31478
31479 @kindex maint print registers
31480 @kindex maint print raw-registers
31481 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
31482 @kindex maint print register-groups
31483 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
31484 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
31485 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
31486 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
31487 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
31488
31489 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
31490 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print cooked-registers}
31491 includes the (cooked) value of all registers, including registers which
31492 aren't available on the target nor visible to user; and the
31493 command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the groups that each
31494 register is a member of. @xref{Registers,, Registers, gdbint,
31495 @value{GDBN} Internals}.
31496
31497 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
31498 write the information.
31499
31500 @kindex maint print reggroups
31501 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
31502 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
31503 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
31504 information.
31505
31506 The register groups info looks like this:
31507
31508 @smallexample
31509 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
31510 Group Type
31511 general user
31512 float user
31513 all user
31514 vector user
31515 system user
31516 save internal
31517 restore internal
31518 @end smallexample
31519
31520 @kindex flushregs
31521 @item flushregs
31522 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
31523
31524 @kindex maint print objfiles
31525 @cindex info for known object files
31526 @item maint print objfiles
31527 Print a dump of all known object files. For each object file, this
31528 command prints its name, address in memory, and all of its psymtabs
31529 and symtabs.
31530
31531 @kindex maint print section-scripts
31532 @cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
31533 @item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
31534 Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
31535 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
31536 matching @var{regexp}.
31537 For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
31538 and the full path if known.
31539 @xref{.debug_gdb_scripts section}.
31540
31541 @kindex maint print statistics
31542 @cindex bcache statistics
31543 @item maint print statistics
31544 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
31545 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
31546 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
31547 of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
31548 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
31549 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
31550 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
31551 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
31552 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
31553 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
31554 lengths.
31555
31556 @kindex maint print target-stack
31557 @cindex target stack description
31558 @item maint print target-stack
31559 A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
31560 kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
31561 so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
31562 In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
31563 until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
31564 address.
31565
31566 This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
31567 the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
31568
31569 @kindex maint print type
31570 @cindex type chain of a data type
31571 @item maint print type @var{expr}
31572 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
31573 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
31574 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
31575 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
31576 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
31577
31578 @kindex maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
31579 @kindex maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
31580 @item maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
31581 @item maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
31582 Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
31583 information.
31584
31585 The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
31586 describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
31587 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
31588 expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
31589 too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
31590 always see the disassembly form.
31591
31592 Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
31593
31594 @smallexample
31595 (gdb) info addr argc
31596 Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
31597 1: DW_OP_fbreg 0
31598 @end smallexample
31599
31600 For more information on these expressions, see
31601 @uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
31602
31603 @kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
31604 @kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
31605 @item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
31606 @itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
31607 Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
31608
31609 @cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
31610 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
31611 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
31612 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
31613 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
31614 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
31615 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
31616 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
31617 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
31618
31619 @kindex maint set profile
31620 @kindex maint show profile
31621 @cindex profiling GDB
31622 @item maint set profile
31623 @itemx maint show profile
31624 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
31625
31626 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
31627 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
31628 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
31629 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
31630 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
31631 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
31632 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
31633
31634 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
31635 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
31636
31637 @kindex maint set show-debug-regs
31638 @kindex maint show show-debug-regs
31639 @cindex hardware debug registers
31640 @item maint set show-debug-regs
31641 @itemx maint show show-debug-regs
31642 Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
31643 registers. Use @code{ON} to enable, @code{OFF} to disable. If
31644 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
31645 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
31646 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
31647
31648 @kindex maint set show-all-tib
31649 @kindex maint show show-all-tib
31650 @item maint set show-all-tib
31651 @itemx maint show show-all-tib
31652 Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
31653 at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
31654 command.
31655
31656 @kindex maint space
31657 @cindex memory used by commands
31658 @item maint space
31659 Control whether to display memory usage for each command. If set to a
31660 nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
31661 took, following the command's own output. This can also be requested
31662 by invoking @value{GDBN} with the @option{--statistics} command-line
31663 switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
31664
31665 @kindex maint time
31666 @cindex time of command execution
31667 @item maint time
31668 Control whether to display the execution time for each command. If
31669 set to a nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
31670 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
31671 The time is not printed for the commands that run the target, since
31672 there's no mechanism currently to compute how much time was spend
31673 by @value{GDBN} and how much time was spend by the program been debugged.
31674 it's not possibly currently
31675 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
31676 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
31677
31678 @kindex maint translate-address
31679 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
31680 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
31681 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
31682 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
31683 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
31684 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
31685 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
31686
31687 If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
31688 is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
31689 executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
31690
31691 @end table
31692
31693 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
31694 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
31695
31696 @table @code
31697 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
31698 @kindex set watchdog
31699 @cindex watchdog timer
31700 @cindex timeout for commands
31701 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
31702 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
31703 reports and error and the command is aborted.
31704
31705 @item show watchdog
31706 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
31707 @end table
31708
31709 @node Remote Protocol
31710 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
31711
31712 @menu
31713 * Overview::
31714 * Packets::
31715 * Stop Reply Packets::
31716 * General Query Packets::
31717 * Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
31718 * Tracepoint Packets::
31719 * Host I/O Packets::
31720 * Interrupts::
31721 * Notification Packets::
31722 * Remote Non-Stop::
31723 * Packet Acknowledgment::
31724 * Examples::
31725 * File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
31726 * Library List Format::
31727 * Memory Map Format::
31728 * Thread List Format::
31729 * Traceframe Info Format::
31730 @end menu
31731
31732 @node Overview
31733 @section Overview
31734
31735 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
31736 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
31737 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
31738 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
31739
31740 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
31741 transmitted and received data, respectively.
31742
31743 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
31744 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
31745 @cindex remote serial protocol
31746 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
31747 and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
31748 @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
31749 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
31750 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
31751
31752 @smallexample
31753 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
31754 @end smallexample
31755 @noindent
31756
31757 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
31758 @noindent
31759 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
31760 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
31761 eight bit unsigned checksum).
31762
31763 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
31764 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
31765
31766 @smallexample
31767 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
31768 @end smallexample
31769
31770 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
31771 @noindent
31772 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
31773 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
31774 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
31775
31776 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
31777 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
31778 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
31779 retransmission):
31780
31781 @smallexample
31782 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
31783 <- @code{+}
31784 @end smallexample
31785 @noindent
31786
31787 The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
31788 once a connection is established.
31789 @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
31790
31791 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
31792 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
31793 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
31794 when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
31795 threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
31796 behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
31797 execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
31798
31799 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
31800 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
31801 exceptions).
31802
31803 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
31804 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
31805 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
31806 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
31807
31808 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
31809 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
31810 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
31811
31812 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
31813 @anchor{Binary Data}
31814 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
31815 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
31816 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
31817 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
31818 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
31819 binary data.
31820
31821 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
31822 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
31823 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
31824 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
31825 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
31826 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
31827 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
31828 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
31829 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
31830 (described next).
31831
31832 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
31833 Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
31834 instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
31835 repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
31836 binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
31837 @code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
31838 produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
31839 code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
31840 encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
31841 @samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
31842 after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
31843 3}} more times.
31844
31845 The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
31846 greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
31847 seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
31848 five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
31849 @samp{0*"00}.
31850
31851 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
31852 error number. That number is not well defined.
31853
31854 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
31855 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
31856 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
31857 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
31858 on that response.
31859
31860 A stub is required to support the @samp{g}, @samp{G}, @samp{m}, @samp{M},
31861 @samp{c}, and @samp{s} @var{command}s. All other @var{command}s are
31862 optional.
31863
31864 @node Packets
31865 @section Packets
31866
31867 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
31868 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
31869 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
31870 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
31871
31872 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
31873 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
31874 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
31875 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
31876 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
31877 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
31878 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
31879 @var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
31880 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
31881 @var{baz}.
31882
31883 @cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
31884 @anchor{thread-id syntax}
31885 Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
31886 a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
31887 interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
31888 can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
31889 pick any thread.
31890
31891 In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
31892 which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
31893 process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
31894 The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
31895 format described above: a positive number with target-specific
31896 interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
31897 to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
31898 indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
31899 @samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
31900 error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
31901 @samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
31902 for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
31903 ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
31904
31905 The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
31906 @value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
31907 feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
31908 more information.
31909
31910 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
31911 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
31912
31913 Here are the packet descriptions.
31914
31915 @table @samp
31916
31917 @item !
31918 @cindex @samp{!} packet
31919 @anchor{extended mode}
31920 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
31921 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
31922 debugged.
31923
31924 Reply:
31925 @table @samp
31926 @item OK
31927 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
31928 @end table
31929
31930 @item ?
31931 @cindex @samp{?} packet
31932 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
31933 step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
31934 target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
31935
31936 Reply:
31937 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
31938
31939 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
31940 @cindex @samp{A} packet
31941 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
31942 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
31943 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
31944
31945 Reply:
31946 @table @samp
31947 @item OK
31948 The arguments were set.
31949 @item E @var{NN}
31950 An error occurred.
31951 @end table
31952
31953 @item b @var{baud}
31954 @cindex @samp{b} packet
31955 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
31956 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
31957
31958 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
31959 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
31960 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
31961
31962 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
31963 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
31964 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
31965 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
31966 of view, nothing actually happened.}
31967
31968 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
31969 @cindex @samp{B} packet
31970 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
31971 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
31972
31973 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
31974 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
31975
31976 @cindex @samp{bc} packet
31977 @anchor{bc}
31978 @item bc
31979 Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
31980 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
31981
31982 Reply:
31983 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
31984
31985 @cindex @samp{bs} packet
31986 @anchor{bs}
31987 @item bs
31988 Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
31989 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
31990
31991 Reply:
31992 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
31993
31994 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
31995 @cindex @samp{c} packet
31996 Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
31997 resume at current address.
31998
31999 Reply:
32000 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32001
32002 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
32003 @cindex @samp{C} packet
32004 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
32005 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
32006
32007 Reply:
32008 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32009
32010 @item d
32011 @cindex @samp{d} packet
32012 Toggle debug flag.
32013
32014 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
32015 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
32016
32017 @item D
32018 @itemx D;@var{pid}
32019 @cindex @samp{D} packet
32020 The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
32021 remote system. It is sent to the remote target
32022 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
32023
32024 The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
32025 protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
32026 detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
32027 big-endian hex string.
32028
32029 Reply:
32030 @table @samp
32031 @item OK
32032 for success
32033 @item E @var{NN}
32034 for an error
32035 @end table
32036
32037 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
32038 @cindex @samp{F} packet
32039 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
32040 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
32041 Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
32042
32043 @item g
32044 @anchor{read registers packet}
32045 @cindex @samp{g} packet
32046 Read general registers.
32047
32048 Reply:
32049 @table @samp
32050 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
32051 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
32052 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
32053 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
32054 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
32055 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}. The
32056 specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
32057
32058 When reading registers from a trace frame (@pxref{Analyze Collected
32059 Data,,Using the Collected Data}), the stub may also return a string of
32060 literal @samp{x}'s in place of the register data digits, to indicate
32061 that the corresponding register has not been collected, thus its value
32062 is unavailable. For example, for an architecture with 4 registers of
32063 4 bytes each, the following reply indicates to @value{GDBN} that
32064 registers 0 and 2 have not been collected, while registers 1 and 3
32065 have been collected, and both have zero value:
32066
32067 @smallexample
32068 -> @code{g}
32069 <- @code{xxxxxxxx00000000xxxxxxxx00000000}
32070 @end smallexample
32071
32072 @item E @var{NN}
32073 for an error.
32074 @end table
32075
32076 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
32077 @cindex @samp{G} packet
32078 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
32079 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
32080
32081 Reply:
32082 @table @samp
32083 @item OK
32084 for success
32085 @item E @var{NN}
32086 for an error
32087 @end table
32088
32089 @item H @var{c} @var{thread-id}
32090 @cindex @samp{H} packet
32091 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
32092 @samp{G}, et.al.). @var{c} depends on the operation to be performed: it
32093 should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations, @samp{g} for other
32094 operations. The thread designator @var{thread-id} has the format and
32095 interpretation described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
32096
32097 Reply:
32098 @table @samp
32099 @item OK
32100 for success
32101 @item E @var{NN}
32102 for an error
32103 @end table
32104
32105 @c FIXME: JTC:
32106 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
32107 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
32108 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
32109 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
32110 @c described. For example:
32111 @c
32112 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
32113 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
32114 @c otherwise returns current registers.
32115 @c
32116 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
32117 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
32118 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
32119
32120 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
32121 @anchor{cycle step packet}
32122 @cindex @samp{i} packet
32123 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
32124 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
32125 step starting at that address.
32126
32127 @item I
32128 @cindex @samp{I} packet
32129 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
32130 step packet}.
32131
32132 @item k
32133 @cindex @samp{k} packet
32134 Kill request.
32135
32136 FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
32137 thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
32138 thread?)}.
32139
32140 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
32141 @cindex @samp{m} packet
32142 Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
32143 Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
32144
32145 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
32146 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
32147 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
32148 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
32149 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
32150 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
32151 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
32152 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
32153
32154 Reply:
32155 @table @samp
32156 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
32157 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
32158 number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
32159 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
32160 @item E @var{NN}
32161 @var{NN} is errno
32162 @end table
32163
32164 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
32165 @cindex @samp{M} packet
32166 Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
32167 @var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
32168 hexadecimal number.
32169
32170 Reply:
32171 @table @samp
32172 @item OK
32173 for success
32174 @item E @var{NN}
32175 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
32176 written).
32177 @end table
32178
32179 @item p @var{n}
32180 @cindex @samp{p} packet
32181 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
32182 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
32183 register value is encoded.
32184
32185 Reply:
32186 @table @samp
32187 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
32188 the register's value
32189 @item E @var{NN}
32190 for an error
32191 @item
32192 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
32193 @end table
32194
32195 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
32196 @anchor{write register packet}
32197 @cindex @samp{P} packet
32198 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
32199 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
32200 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
32201
32202 Reply:
32203 @table @samp
32204 @item OK
32205 for success
32206 @item E @var{NN}
32207 for an error
32208 @end table
32209
32210 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
32211 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
32212 @cindex @samp{q} packet
32213 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
32214 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
32215 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
32216
32217 @item r
32218 @cindex @samp{r} packet
32219 Reset the entire system.
32220
32221 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
32222
32223 @item R @var{XX}
32224 @cindex @samp{R} packet
32225 Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
32226 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
32227
32228 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
32229
32230 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
32231 @cindex @samp{s} packet
32232 Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
32233 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
32234
32235 Reply:
32236 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32237
32238 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
32239 @anchor{step with signal packet}
32240 @cindex @samp{S} packet
32241 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
32242 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
32243
32244 Reply:
32245 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32246
32247 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
32248 @cindex @samp{t} packet
32249 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
32250 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
32251 @var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
32252
32253 @item T @var{thread-id}
32254 @cindex @samp{T} packet
32255 Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
32256
32257 Reply:
32258 @table @samp
32259 @item OK
32260 thread is still alive
32261 @item E @var{NN}
32262 thread is dead
32263 @end table
32264
32265 @item v
32266 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
32267 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
32268
32269 @item vAttach;@var{pid}
32270 @cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
32271 Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
32272 The process ID is a
32273 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
32274 threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
32275 attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
32276
32277 @c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
32278 @c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
32279 @c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
32280 @c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
32281 @c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
32282 @c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
32283 @c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
32284 @c stopping or restarting threads.
32285
32286 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
32287
32288 Reply:
32289 @table @samp
32290 @item E @var{nn}
32291 for an error
32292 @item @r{Any stop packet}
32293 for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
32294 @item OK
32295 for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
32296 @end table
32297
32298 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
32299 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
32300 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
32301 If an action is specified with no @var{thread-id}, then it is applied to any
32302 threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
32303 specified then other threads should remain stopped in all-stop mode and
32304 in their current state in non-stop mode.
32305 Specifying multiple
32306 default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
32307 Thread IDs are specified using the syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
32308
32309 Currently supported actions are:
32310
32311 @table @samp
32312 @item c
32313 Continue.
32314 @item C @var{sig}
32315 Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
32316 @item s
32317 Step.
32318 @item S @var{sig}
32319 Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
32320 @item t
32321 Stop.
32322 @end table
32323
32324 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
32325 @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
32326 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
32327
32328 The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
32329 (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
32330 A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
32331 When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
32332 the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
32333 signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
32334 as an implementation detail.
32335
32336 Reply:
32337 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32338
32339 @item vCont?
32340 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
32341 Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
32342
32343 Reply:
32344 @table @samp
32345 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
32346 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
32347 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
32348 @item
32349 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
32350 @end table
32351
32352 @item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
32353 @cindex @samp{vFile} packet
32354 Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
32355 see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
32356
32357 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
32358 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
32359 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
32360 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
32361 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
32362 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
32363 Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
32364 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
32365 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
32366 packet is received.
32367
32368 The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
32369 multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}). Note that in
32370 this case @samp{vCont} actions can be specified to apply to all threads
32371 in a process by using the @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the
32372 @var{thread-id}.
32373
32374 Reply:
32375 @table @samp
32376 @item OK
32377 for success
32378 @item E @var{NN}
32379 for an error
32380 @end table
32381
32382 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
32383 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
32384 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
32385 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
32386 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
32387 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
32388 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
32389 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
32390 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
32391 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
32392 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
32393 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
32394
32395
32396 Reply:
32397 @table @samp
32398 @item OK
32399 for success
32400 @item E.memtype
32401 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
32402 @item E @var{NN}
32403 for an error
32404 @end table
32405
32406 @item vFlashDone
32407 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
32408 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
32409 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
32410 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
32411 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
32412 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
32413 request is completed.
32414
32415 @item vKill;@var{pid}
32416 @cindex @samp{vKill} packet
32417 Kill the process with the specified process ID. @var{pid} is a
32418 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
32419 preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
32420 supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
32421
32422 Reply:
32423 @table @samp
32424 @item E @var{nn}
32425 for an error
32426 @item OK
32427 for success
32428 @end table
32429
32430 @item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
32431 @cindex @samp{vRun} packet
32432 Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
32433 command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
32434 @var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
32435 (e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
32436 state.
32437
32438 @c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
32439
32440 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
32441
32442 Reply:
32443 @table @samp
32444 @item E @var{nn}
32445 for an error
32446 @item @r{Any stop packet}
32447 for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
32448 @end table
32449
32450 @item vStopped
32451 @anchor{vStopped packet}
32452 @cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
32453
32454 In non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}), acknowledge a previous stop
32455 reply and prompt for the stub to report another one.
32456
32457 Reply:
32458 @table @samp
32459 @item @r{Any stop packet}
32460 if there is another unreported stop event (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
32461 @item OK
32462 if there are no unreported stop events
32463 @end table
32464
32465 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
32466 @anchor{X packet}
32467 @cindex @samp{X} packet
32468 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
32469 @var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
32470 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
32471
32472 Reply:
32473 @table @samp
32474 @item OK
32475 for success
32476 @item E @var{NN}
32477 for an error
32478 @end table
32479
32480 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
32481 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
32482 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
32483 @cindex @samp{z} packet
32484 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
32485 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
32486 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
32487
32488 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
32489 separately.
32490
32491 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
32492 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
32493 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
32494 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
32495 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
32496 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
32497
32498 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32499 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32500 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
32501 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
32502 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
32503 @var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
32504
32505 A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
32506 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
32507 @var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of
32508 the breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm}
32509 and @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
32510 architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind};
32511 see @ref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}.
32512
32513 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
32514 code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
32515 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
32516 target, is not defined.}
32517
32518 Reply:
32519 @table @samp
32520 @item OK
32521 success
32522 @item
32523 not supported
32524 @item E @var{NN}
32525 for an error
32526 @end table
32527
32528 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32529 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32530 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
32531 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
32532 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
32533 address @var{addr}.
32534
32535 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
32536 dependant on being able to modify the target's memory. @var{kind}
32537 has the same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
32538
32539 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
32540 movement.}
32541
32542 Reply:
32543 @table @samp
32544 @item OK
32545 success
32546 @item
32547 not supported
32548 @item E @var{NN}
32549 for an error
32550 @end table
32551
32552 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32553 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32554 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
32555 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
32556 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
32557 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
32558
32559 Reply:
32560 @table @samp
32561 @item OK
32562 success
32563 @item
32564 not supported
32565 @item E @var{NN}
32566 for an error
32567 @end table
32568
32569 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32570 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32571 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
32572 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
32573 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
32574 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
32575
32576 Reply:
32577 @table @samp
32578 @item OK
32579 success
32580 @item
32581 not supported
32582 @item E @var{NN}
32583 for an error
32584 @end table
32585
32586 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32587 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
32588 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
32589 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
32590 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
32591 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
32592
32593 Reply:
32594 @table @samp
32595 @item OK
32596 success
32597 @item
32598 not supported
32599 @item E @var{NN}
32600 for an error
32601 @end table
32602
32603 @end table
32604
32605 @node Stop Reply Packets
32606 @section Stop Reply Packets
32607 @cindex stop reply packets
32608
32609 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
32610 @samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
32611 receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
32612 and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
32613 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
32614 number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
32615 @value{GDBN} source code.
32616
32617 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
32618 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
32619 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
32620 components.
32621
32622 @table @samp
32623
32624 @item S @var{AA}
32625 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
32626 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
32627 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
32628
32629 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
32630 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
32631 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
32632 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
32633 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
32634 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
32635 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
32636 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
32637
32638 @itemize @bullet
32639 @item
32640 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
32641 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
32642 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
32643 two-digit hex number.
32644
32645 @item
32646 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
32647 the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
32648
32649 @item
32650 If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
32651 the core on which the stop event was detected.
32652
32653 @item
32654 If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
32655 specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
32656 reasons are listed below. @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
32657 signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
32658
32659 @item
32660 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
32661 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
32662 future.
32663 @end itemize
32664
32665 The currently defined stop reasons are:
32666
32667 @table @samp
32668 @item watch
32669 @itemx rwatch
32670 @itemx awatch
32671 The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
32672 hex.
32673
32674 @cindex shared library events, remote reply
32675 @item library
32676 The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
32677 @value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
32678 list of loaded libraries. @var{r} is ignored.
32679
32680 @cindex replay log events, remote reply
32681 @item replaylog
32682 The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
32683 logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
32684 beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
32685 will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
32686 for more information.
32687 @end table
32688
32689 @item W @var{AA}
32690 @itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
32691 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
32692 applicable to certain targets.
32693
32694 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the exited
32695 process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported support for
32696 multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
32697 The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
32698
32699 @item X @var{AA}
32700 @itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
32701 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
32702
32703 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
32704 terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
32705 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
32706 extensions}. The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
32707
32708 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
32709 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
32710 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
32711 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
32712 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
32713
32714 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
32715 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
32716 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
32717 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
32718 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
32719 system calls.
32720
32721 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
32722 this very system call.
32723
32724 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
32725 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
32726 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
32727 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
32728 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
32729 Protocol Extension}, for more details.
32730
32731 @end table
32732
32733 @node General Query Packets
32734 @section General Query Packets
32735 @cindex remote query requests
32736
32737 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
32738 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
32739 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
32740 sending information to and from the stub.
32741
32742 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
32743 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
32744 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
32745 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
32746 conventions:
32747
32748 @itemize @bullet
32749 @item
32750 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
32751 @item
32752 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
32753 letter.
32754 @item
32755 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
32756 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
32757 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
32758 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
32759 @end itemize
32760
32761 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
32762 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
32763 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
32764 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
32765 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
32766 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
32767 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
32768 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
32769 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
32770 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
32771 packet.}.
32772
32773 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
32774 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
32775 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
32776 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
32777 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
32778
32779 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
32780
32781 @table @samp
32782
32783 @item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
32784 @cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
32785 Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
32786 target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
32787 pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
32788 @samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
32789 @samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
32790 indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
32791 indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
32792 own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
32793 insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
32794
32795 @item qC
32796 @cindex current thread, remote request
32797 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
32798 Return the current thread ID.
32799
32800 Reply:
32801 @table @samp
32802 @item QC @var{thread-id}
32803 Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
32804 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
32805 @item @r{(anything else)}
32806 Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
32807 @end table
32808
32809 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
32810 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
32811 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
32812 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
32813 IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
32814 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
32815 @code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
32816
32817 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
32818 files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
32819 Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
32820 separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
32821 significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
32822 detect trailing zeros.
32823
32824 Reply:
32825 @table @samp
32826 @item E @var{NN}
32827 An error (such as memory fault)
32828 @item C @var{crc32}
32829 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
32830 @end table
32831
32832 @item qfThreadInfo
32833 @itemx qsThreadInfo
32834 @cindex list active threads, remote request
32835 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
32836 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
32837 Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
32838 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
32839 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
32840 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
32841 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
32842 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
32843
32844 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
32845
32846 Reply:
32847 @table @samp
32848 @item m @var{thread-id}
32849 A single thread ID
32850 @item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
32851 a comma-separated list of thread IDs
32852 @item l
32853 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
32854 @end table
32855
32856 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
32857 more thread IDs, separated by commas.
32858 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
32859 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
32860 with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
32861 Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
32862 fields.
32863
32864 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
32865 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
32866 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
32867 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
32868 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
32869
32870 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
32871 thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
32872
32873 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
32874 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
32875 information associated with the variable.)
32876
32877 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
32878 the load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
32879 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
32880 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
32881 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
32882 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
32883
32884 Reply:
32885 @table @samp
32886 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
32887 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
32888 local storage requested.
32889
32890 @item E @var{nn}
32891 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
32892
32893 @item
32894 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
32895 @end table
32896
32897 @item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
32898 @cindex get thread information block address
32899 @cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
32900 Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
32901
32902 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
32903
32904 Reply:
32905 @table @samp
32906 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
32907 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
32908 thread information block.
32909
32910 @item E @var{nn}
32911 An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
32912 address could not be retrieved.
32913
32914 @item
32915 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
32916 @end table
32917
32918 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
32919 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
32920 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
32921 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
32922 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
32923 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
32924 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
32925
32926 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
32927
32928 Reply:
32929 @table @samp
32930 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
32931 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
32932 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
32933 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
32934 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
32935 is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
32936 digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
32937 @end table
32938
32939 @item qOffsets
32940 @cindex section offsets, remote request
32941 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
32942 Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
32943 image.
32944
32945 Reply:
32946 @table @samp
32947 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
32948 Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
32949 Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
32950 If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
32951 @samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
32952 segments by the supplied offsets.
32953
32954 @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
32955 @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
32956 to the @code{Bss} section.}
32957
32958 @item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
32959 Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
32960 contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
32961 @samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
32962 conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
32963 @var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
32964 does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
32965 as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
32966 kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
32967 @end table
32968
32969 @item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
32970 @cindex thread information, remote request
32971 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
32972 Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
32973 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
32974 (@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
32975
32976 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
32977 (see below).
32978
32979 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
32980
32981 @item QNonStop:1
32982 @item QNonStop:0
32983 @cindex non-stop mode, remote request
32984 @cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
32985 @anchor{QNonStop}
32986 Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
32987 @xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
32988
32989 Reply:
32990 @table @samp
32991 @item OK
32992 The request succeeded.
32993
32994 @item E @var{nn}
32995 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
32996
32997 @item
32998 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
32999 the stub.
33000 @end table
33001
33002 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33003 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33004 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
33005 @pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
33006
33007 @item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
33008 @cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
33009 @cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
33010 @anchor{QPassSignals}
33011 Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
33012 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
33013 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
33014 strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
33015 the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
33016 reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
33017 combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
33018 new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
33019 @var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
33020
33021 Reply:
33022 @table @samp
33023 @item OK
33024 The request succeeded.
33025
33026 @item E @var{nn}
33027 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
33028
33029 @item
33030 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
33031 the stub.
33032 @end table
33033
33034 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
33035 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
33036 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33037 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33038
33039 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
33040 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
33041 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
33042 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
33043 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
33044 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
33045 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
33046 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
33047 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
33048
33049 Reply:
33050 @table @samp
33051 @item OK
33052 A command response with no output.
33053 @item @var{OUTPUT}
33054 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
33055 @item E @var{NN}
33056 Indicate a badly formed request.
33057 @item
33058 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
33059 @end table
33060
33061 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
33062 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
33063 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
33064 packets.)
33065
33066 @item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
33067 @cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
33068 @cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
33069 @anchor{qSearch memory}
33070 Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
33071 @var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex.
33072 @var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, hex encoded.
33073
33074 Reply:
33075 @table @samp
33076 @item 0
33077 The pattern was not found.
33078 @item 1,address
33079 The pattern was found at @var{address}.
33080 @item E @var{NN}
33081 A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
33082 @item
33083 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
33084 @end table
33085
33086 @item QStartNoAckMode
33087 @cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
33088 @anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
33089 Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
33090 protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
33091
33092 Reply:
33093 @table @samp
33094 @item OK
33095 The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
33096 @value{GDBN} acknowledges this reponse,
33097 but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
33098 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
33099 @item
33100 An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
33101 @end table
33102
33103 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
33104 @cindex supported packets, remote query
33105 @cindex features of the remote protocol
33106 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
33107 @anchor{qSupported}
33108 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
33109 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
33110 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
33111 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
33112 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
33113 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
33114 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
33115 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
33116 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
33117 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
33118 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
33119 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
33120 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
33121 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
33122
33123 Reply:
33124 @table @samp
33125 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
33126 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
33127 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
33128 possible forms).
33129 @item
33130 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
33131 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
33132 @end table
33133
33134 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
33135 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
33136 are:
33137
33138 @table @samp
33139 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
33140 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
33141 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
33142 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
33143 @item @var{name}+
33144 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
33145 need an associated value.
33146 @item @var{name}-
33147 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
33148 @item @var{name}?
33149 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
33150 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
33151 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
33152 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
33153 @end table
33154
33155 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
33156 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
33157 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
33158 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
33159 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
33160
33161 The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
33162 are defined:
33163
33164 @table @samp
33165 @item multiprocess
33166 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
33167 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
33168 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
33169 including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
33170 @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
33171
33172 @item xmlRegisters
33173 This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
33174 description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
33175 specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
33176 description.
33177
33178 @item qRelocInsn
33179 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
33180 @samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
33181 instruction reply packet}).
33182 @end table
33183
33184 Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
33185 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
33186 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
33187 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
33188 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
33189 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
33190 improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
33191 an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
33192 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
33193 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
33194 all the features it supports.
33195
33196 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
33197 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
33198
33199 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
33200 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
33201 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
33202 form response.
33203
33204 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
33205 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
33206 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
33207 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
33208
33209 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
33210 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
33211 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
33212 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
33213 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
33214
33215 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
33216
33217 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
33218 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
33219 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
33220 @item Feature Name
33221 @tab Value Required
33222 @tab Default
33223 @tab Probe Allowed
33224
33225 @item @samp{PacketSize}
33226 @tab Yes
33227 @tab @samp{-}
33228 @tab No
33229
33230 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
33231 @tab No
33232 @tab @samp{-}
33233 @tab Yes
33234
33235 @item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
33236 @tab No
33237 @tab @samp{-}
33238 @tab Yes
33239
33240 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
33241 @tab No
33242 @tab @samp{-}
33243 @tab Yes
33244
33245 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
33246 @tab No
33247 @tab @samp{-}
33248 @tab Yes
33249
33250 @item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
33251 @tab No
33252 @tab @samp{-}
33253 @tab Yes
33254
33255 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:read}
33256 @tab No
33257 @tab @samp{-}
33258 @tab Yes
33259
33260 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:write}
33261 @tab No
33262 @tab @samp{-}
33263 @tab Yes
33264
33265 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
33266 @tab No
33267 @tab @samp{-}
33268 @tab Yes
33269
33270 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
33271 @tab No
33272 @tab @samp{-}
33273 @tab Yes
33274
33275 @item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
33276 @tab No
33277 @tab @samp{-}
33278 @tab Yes
33279
33280 @item @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
33281 @tab No
33282 @tab @samp{-}
33283 @tab Yes
33284
33285
33286 @item @samp{QNonStop}
33287 @tab No
33288 @tab @samp{-}
33289 @tab Yes
33290
33291 @item @samp{QPassSignals}
33292 @tab No
33293 @tab @samp{-}
33294 @tab Yes
33295
33296 @item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
33297 @tab No
33298 @tab @samp{-}
33299 @tab Yes
33300
33301 @item @samp{multiprocess}
33302 @tab No
33303 @tab @samp{-}
33304 @tab No
33305
33306 @item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
33307 @tab No
33308 @tab @samp{-}
33309 @tab No
33310
33311 @item @samp{ReverseContinue}
33312 @tab No
33313 @tab @samp{-}
33314 @tab No
33315
33316 @item @samp{ReverseStep}
33317 @tab No
33318 @tab @samp{-}
33319 @tab No
33320
33321 @item @samp{TracepointSource}
33322 @tab No
33323 @tab @samp{-}
33324 @tab No
33325
33326 @item @samp{QAllow}
33327 @tab No
33328 @tab @samp{-}
33329 @tab No
33330
33331 @end multitable
33332
33333 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
33334
33335 @table @samp
33336 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
33337 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
33338 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
33339 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
33340 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
33341 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
33342 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
33343 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
33344 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
33345 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
33346
33347 @item qXfer:auxv:read
33348 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
33349 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
33350
33351 @item qXfer:features:read
33352 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
33353 (@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
33354
33355 @item qXfer:libraries:read
33356 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
33357 (@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
33358
33359 @item qXfer:memory-map:read
33360 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
33361 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
33362
33363 @item qXfer:sdata:read
33364 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
33365 (@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
33366
33367 @item qXfer:spu:read
33368 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:read} packet
33369 (@pxref{qXfer spu read}).
33370
33371 @item qXfer:spu:write
33372 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:write} packet
33373 (@pxref{qXfer spu write}).
33374
33375 @item qXfer:siginfo:read
33376 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
33377 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
33378
33379 @item qXfer:siginfo:write
33380 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
33381 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
33382
33383 @item qXfer:threads:read
33384 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
33385 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
33386
33387 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read
33388 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
33389 packet (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}).
33390
33391 @item QNonStop
33392 The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
33393 (@pxref{QNonStop}).
33394
33395 @item QPassSignals
33396 The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
33397 (@pxref{QPassSignals}).
33398
33399 @item QStartNoAckMode
33400 The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
33401 prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
33402
33403 @item multiprocess
33404 @anchor{multiprocess extensions}
33405 @cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
33406 The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
33407 protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
33408 thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
33409 add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
33410 replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
33411 syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
33412 debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
33413 multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
33414 indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
33415
33416 @item qXfer:osdata:read
33417 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
33418 ((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
33419
33420 @item ConditionalTracepoints
33421 The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
33422 for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
33423
33424 @item ReverseContinue
33425 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
33426 (@pxref{bc}).
33427
33428 @item ReverseStep
33429 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
33430 (@pxref{bs}).
33431
33432 @item TracepointSource
33433 The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
33434 the source form of tracepoint definitions.
33435
33436 @item QAllow
33437 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
33438
33439 @item StaticTracepoint
33440 @cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
33441 The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
33442
33443 @end table
33444
33445 @item qSymbol::
33446 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
33447 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
33448 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
33449 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
33450
33451 Reply:
33452 @table @samp
33453 @item OK
33454 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
33455 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
33456 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
33457 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
33458 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
33459 below.
33460 @end table
33461
33462 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
33463 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
33464
33465 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
33466 target has previously requested.
33467
33468 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
33469 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
33470 will be empty.
33471
33472 Reply:
33473 @table @samp
33474 @item OK
33475 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
33476 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
33477 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
33478 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
33479 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
33480 @end table
33481
33482 @item qTBuffer
33483 @item QTBuffer
33484 @item QTDisconnected
33485 @itemx QTDP
33486 @itemx QTDPsrc
33487 @itemx QTDV
33488 @itemx qTfP
33489 @itemx qTfV
33490 @itemx QTFrame
33491 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
33492
33493 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
33494 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
33495 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
33496 Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
33497 the target OS. @var{thread-id} is a thread ID;
33498 see @ref{thread-id syntax}. This
33499 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
33500 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
33501 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
33502 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
33503 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
33504
33505 Reply:
33506 @table @samp
33507 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
33508 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
33509 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
33510 the thread's attributes.
33511 @end table
33512
33513 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
33514 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
33515 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
33516 packets.)
33517
33518 @item QTSave
33519 @item qTsP
33520 @item qTsV
33521 @itemx QTStart
33522 @itemx QTStop
33523 @itemx QTinit
33524 @itemx QTro
33525 @itemx qTStatus
33526 @itemx qTV
33527 @itemx qTfSTM
33528 @itemx qTsSTM
33529 @itemx qTSTMat
33530 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
33531
33532 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
33533 @cindex read special object, remote request
33534 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
33535 @anchor{qXfer read}
33536 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
33537 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
33538 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
33539 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
33540 additional details about what data to access.
33541
33542 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
33543 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
33544 formats, listed below.
33545
33546 @table @samp
33547 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
33548 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
33549 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
33550 auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
33551
33552 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33553 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33554
33555 @item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
33556 @anchor{qXfer target description read}
33557 Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
33558 annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
33559 always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
33560
33561 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33562 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33563
33564 @item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
33565 @anchor{qXfer library list read}
33566 Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
33567 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
33568 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
33569
33570 Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
33571 not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
33572 the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
33573
33574 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33575 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33576
33577 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
33578 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
33579 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
33580 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
33581 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
33582
33583 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33584 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33585
33586 @item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
33587 @anchor{qXfer sdata read}
33588
33589 Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
33590 information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
33591 be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
33592 Action Lists}.
33593
33594 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33595 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
33596 (@pxref{qSupported}).
33597
33598 @item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
33599 @anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
33600 Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
33601 system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
33602 empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
33603
33604 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33605 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
33606 (@pxref{qSupported}).
33607
33608 @item qXfer:spu:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
33609 @anchor{qXfer spu read}
33610 Read contents of an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
33611 annex specifies which file to read; it must be of the form
33612 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
33613 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
33614 in that context to be accessed.
33615
33616 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33617 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
33618 (@pxref{qSupported}).
33619
33620 @item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
33621 @anchor{qXfer threads read}
33622 Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
33623 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
33624 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
33625
33626 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33627 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33628
33629 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
33630 @anchor{qXfer traceframe info read}
33631
33632 Return a description of the current traceframe's contents.
33633 @xref{Traceframe Info Format}. The annex part of the generic
33634 @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
33635
33636 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33637 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33638
33639 @item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
33640 @anchor{qXfer osdata read}
33641 Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
33642 @xref{Operating System Information}.
33643
33644 @end table
33645
33646 Reply:
33647 @table @samp
33648 @item m @var{data}
33649 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
33650 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
33651 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
33652 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
33653 @var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
33654 request.
33655
33656 @item l @var{data}
33657 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
33658 There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
33659 than the @var{length} in the request.
33660
33661 @item l
33662 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
33663 There is no more data to be read.
33664
33665 @item E00
33666 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
33667
33668 @item E @var{nn}
33669 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
33670 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
33671
33672 @item
33673 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
33674 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
33675 @end table
33676
33677 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
33678 @cindex write data into object, remote request
33679 @anchor{qXfer write}
33680 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
33681 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
33682 into the data. @var{data}@dots{} is the binary-encoded data
33683 (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
33684 is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
33685 to access.
33686
33687 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
33688 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
33689 formats, listed below.
33690
33691 @table @samp
33692 @item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
33693 @anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
33694 Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
33695 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
33696 empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
33697
33698 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33699 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
33700 (@pxref{qSupported}).
33701
33702 @item qXfer:spu:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
33703 @anchor{qXfer spu write}
33704 Write @var{data} to an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
33705 annex specifies which file to write; it must be of the form
33706 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
33707 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
33708 in that context to be accessed.
33709
33710 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33711 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33712 @end table
33713
33714 Reply:
33715 @table @samp
33716 @item @var{nn}
33717 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
33718 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
33719
33720 @item E00
33721 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
33722
33723 @item E @var{nn}
33724 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
33725 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
33726
33727 @item
33728 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
33729 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
33730 @end table
33731
33732 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
33733 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
33734 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
33735 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
33736 must respond with an empty packet.
33737
33738 @item qAttached:@var{pid}
33739 @cindex query attached, remote request
33740 @cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
33741 Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
33742 existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
33743 protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
33744 @var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
33745 process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
33746 the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
33747
33748 This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
33749 should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
33750 the @code{quit} command.
33751
33752 Reply:
33753 @table @samp
33754 @item 1
33755 The remote server attached to an existing process.
33756 @item 0
33757 The remote server created a new process.
33758 @item E @var{NN}
33759 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
33760 @end table
33761
33762 @end table
33763
33764 @node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
33765 @section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
33766
33767 This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
33768 target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
33769 details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
33770
33771 @subsection ARM
33772
33773 @subsubsection Breakpoint Kinds
33774
33775 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
33776
33777 @table @r
33778
33779 @item 2
33780 16-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
33781
33782 @item 3
33783 32-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
33784
33785 @item 4
33786 32-bit ARM mode breakpoint.
33787
33788 @end table
33789
33790 @subsection MIPS
33791
33792 @subsubsection Register Packet Format
33793
33794 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
33795 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
33796 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
33797 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
33798 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
33799 most-significant - least-significant.
33800
33801 @table @r
33802
33803 @item MIPS32
33804
33805 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
33806 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
33807 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
33808
33809 @item MIPS64
33810
33811 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
33812 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
33813 as @code{MIPS32}.
33814
33815 @end table
33816
33817 @node Tracepoint Packets
33818 @section Tracepoint Packets
33819 @cindex tracepoint packets
33820 @cindex packets, tracepoint
33821
33822 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
33823 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
33824
33825 @table @samp
33826
33827 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
33828 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
33829 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
33830 the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
33831 count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
33832 then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
33833 the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
33834 for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
33835 tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
33836 by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
33837 encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
33838 further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
33839 actions.
33840
33841 Replies:
33842 @table @samp
33843 @item OK
33844 The packet was understood and carried out.
33845 @item qRelocInsn
33846 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
33847 @item
33848 The packet was not recognized.
33849 @end table
33850
33851 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
33852 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
33853 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
33854 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
33855 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
33856 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
33857 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
33858
33859 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
33860 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
33861 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
33862 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
33863 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
33864 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
33865 tracepoint actions.
33866
33867 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
33868 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
33869 following forms:
33870
33871 @table @samp
33872
33873 @item R @var{mask}
33874 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
33875 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
33876 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
33877 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
33878 not fit in a 32-bit word.
33879
33880 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
33881 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
33882 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
33883 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
33884 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
33885 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
33886 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
33887
33888 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
33889 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
33890 it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
33891 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
33892 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
33893 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
33894 packet).
33895
33896 @end table
33897
33898 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
33899 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
33900 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
33901 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
33902 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
33903 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
33904 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
33905 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
33906
33907 Replies:
33908 @table @samp
33909 @item OK
33910 The packet was understood and carried out.
33911 @item qRelocInsn
33912 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
33913 @item
33914 The packet was not recognized.
33915 @end table
33916
33917 @item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
33918 @cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
33919 Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
33920 This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
33921 originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. @var{type}
33922 is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
33923 tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
33924 @var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
33925
33926 @var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
33927 string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
33928 This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
33929 fit in a single packet.
33930 @c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
33931 @c tracepoint descriptions section.
33932
33933 The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
33934 @samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
33935 @value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
33936 list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
33937
33938 The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
33939 report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
33940 query packets.
33941
33942 Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
33943 if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
33944 Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
33945 much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
33946 tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
33947 the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
33948 could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
33949 be found.
33950
33951 @item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}
33952 @cindex define trace state variable, remote request
33953 @cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
33954 Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
33955 value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
33956 and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
33957 the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
33958 target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
33959 mentioned in expressions.
33960
33961 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
33962 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
33963 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
33964 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
33965
33966 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
33967 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
33968 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
33969 one of the following forms:
33970
33971 @table @samp
33972 @item F @var{f}
33973 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
33974 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
33975 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
33976
33977 @item T @var{t}
33978 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
33979 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
33980
33981 @end table
33982
33983 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
33984 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
33985 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
33986 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
33987
33988 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
33989 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
33990 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
33991 is a hexadecimal number.
33992
33993 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
33994 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
33995 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
33996 and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
33997 numbers.
33998
33999 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
34000 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
34001 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
34002
34003 @item QTStart
34004 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
34005 tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
34006 @samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
34007 instruction reply packet}).
34008
34009 @item QTStop
34010 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
34011
34012 @item QTinit
34013 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
34014
34015 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
34016 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
34017 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
34018 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
34019
34020 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
34021 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
34022 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
34023 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
34024
34025 @item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
34026 Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
34027 disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
34028 continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
34029 @value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
34030
34031 @item qTStatus
34032 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
34033
34034 The reply has the form:
34035
34036 @table @samp
34037
34038 @item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
34039 @var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
34040 running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
34041 optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
34042
34043 @end table
34044
34045 If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
34046 explanations as one of the optional fields:
34047
34048 @table @samp
34049
34050 @item tnotrun:0
34051 No trace has been run yet.
34052
34053 @item tstop:0
34054 The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command.
34055
34056 @item tfull:0
34057 The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
34058
34059 @item tdisconnected:0
34060 The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
34061
34062 @item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
34063 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
34064
34065 @item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
34066 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
34067 string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
34068 (for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression).
34069 @var{text} is hex encoded.
34070
34071 @item tunknown:0
34072 The trace stopped for some other reason.
34073
34074 @end table
34075
34076 Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
34077 Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
34078 the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
34079 numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
34080 trace.
34081
34082 @table @samp
34083
34084 @item tframes:@var{n}
34085 The number of trace frames in the buffer.
34086
34087 @item tcreated:@var{n}
34088 The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
34089 be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
34090
34091 @item tsize:@var{n}
34092 The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
34093
34094 @item tfree:@var{n}
34095 The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
34096
34097 @item circular:@var{n}
34098 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
34099 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
34100 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
34101 and may fill up.
34102
34103 @item disconn:@var{n}
34104 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
34105 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
34106 that the trace run will stop.
34107
34108 @end table
34109
34110 @item qTV:@var{var}
34111 @cindex trace state variable value, remote request
34112 @cindex @samp{qTV} packet
34113 Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
34114
34115 Replies:
34116 @table @samp
34117 @item V@var{value}
34118 The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
34119 value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
34120 saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
34121 user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
34122 different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
34123 program is running.
34124
34125 @item U
34126 The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
34127 if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
34128 was not collected.
34129 @end table
34130
34131 @item qTfP
34132 @itemx qTsP
34133 These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
34134 the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
34135 of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
34136 to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
34137 that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
34138
34139 @item qTfV
34140 @itemx qTsV
34141 These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
34142 target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
34143 and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
34144 these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
34145 trace state variables.
34146
34147 @item qTfSTM
34148 @itemx qTsSTM
34149 These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
34150 in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
34151 first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
34152 pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
34153
34154 Reply:
34155 @table @samp
34156 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
34157 A single marker
34158 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
34159 a comma-separated list of markers
34160 @item l
34161 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
34162 @item E @var{nn}
34163 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
34164 @item
34165 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
34166 stub.
34167 @end table
34168
34169 @var{address} is encoded in hex.
34170 @var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
34171
34172 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
34173 more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
34174 reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
34175 query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
34176 @dfn{last}).
34177
34178 @item qTSTMat:@var{address}
34179 This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
34180 target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
34181 syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
34182 tracepoint markers.
34183
34184 @item QTSave:@var{filename}
34185 This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
34186 @var{filename} in the target's filesystem. @var{filename} is encoded
34187 as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
34188 absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
34189
34190 @item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
34191 Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
34192 starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
34193 a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
34194 The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
34195 in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
34196 A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
34197 available.
34198
34199 @item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
34200 This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
34201 @var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
34202
34203 @end table
34204
34205 @subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
34206 When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
34207 relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
34208 different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
34209 enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
34210 return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
34211 PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
34212 of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
34213 it had executed in the original location.
34214
34215 In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
34216 respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
34217 packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
34218 this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
34219 documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
34220 descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
34221 format of the request is:
34222
34223 @table @samp
34224 @item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
34225
34226 This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
34227 to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
34228 instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
34229 @var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
34230 memory starting at @var{to}.
34231 @end table
34232
34233 Replies:
34234 @table @samp
34235 @item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
34236 Informs the stub the relocation is complete. @var{adjusted_size} is
34237 the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
34238 @item E @var{NN}
34239 A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
34240 relocating the instruction.
34241 @end table
34242
34243 @node Host I/O Packets
34244 @section Host I/O Packets
34245 @cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
34246 @cindex file transfer, remote protocol
34247
34248 The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
34249 operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
34250 used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
34251 filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
34252 layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
34253 Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
34254 protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
34255 Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
34256 target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
34257 Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
34258
34259 The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
34260 its arguments. They have this format:
34261
34262 @table @samp
34263
34264 @item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
34265 @var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
34266 should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
34267 for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
34268 the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
34269 numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
34270 used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
34271 hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
34272 buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
34273
34274 @end table
34275
34276 The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
34277
34278 @table @samp
34279
34280 @item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
34281 @var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
34282 non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
34283 @var{errno} will be included in the result. @var{errno} will have a
34284 value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
34285 operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
34286 binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
34287 normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
34288 documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
34289 @var{attachment}.
34290
34291 @item
34292 An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
34293
34294 @end table
34295
34296 These are the supported Host I/O operations:
34297
34298 @table @samp
34299 @item vFile:open: @var{pathname}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
34300 Open a file at @var{pathname} and return a file descriptor for it, or
34301 return -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string,
34302 @var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
34303 (@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
34304 of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
34305 @xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
34306
34307 @item vFile:close: @var{fd}
34308 Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
34309 -1 if an error occurs.
34310
34311 @item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
34312 Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
34313 @var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
34314 relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
34315 common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
34316 condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
34317 returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
34318 @var{count} was zero.
34319
34320 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
34321 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
34322 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
34323 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
34324 some characters were escaped.
34325
34326 @item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
34327 Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
34328 to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
34329 file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
34330 separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
34331 packet is used. @samp{vFile:write} returns the number of bytes written,
34332 which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
34333 error occurred.
34334
34335 @item vFile:unlink: @var{pathname}
34336 Delete the file at @var{pathname} on the target. Return 0,
34337 or -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string.
34338
34339 @end table
34340
34341 @node Interrupts
34342 @section Interrupts
34343 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
34344
34345 When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
34346 attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or
34347 a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g},
34348 control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
34349
34350 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
34351 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
34352 currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
34353 interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
34354 @code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
34355
34356 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
34357 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
34358 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
34359 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
34360 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
34361 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
34362 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
34363 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
34364
34365 @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
34366 When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
34367 it stops execution and connects to gdb.
34368
34369 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
34370 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
34371 implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
34372 threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
34373 currently-executing threads and processes.
34374 If the stub is successful at interrupting the
34375 running program, it should send one of the stop
34376 reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
34377 of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
34378 for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
34379 Interrupts received while the
34380 program is stopped are discarded.
34381
34382 @node Notification Packets
34383 @section Notification Packets
34384 @cindex notification packets
34385 @cindex packets, notification
34386
34387 The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
34388 packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
34389 may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
34390 present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
34391 without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
34392 are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
34393 is not a problem.
34394
34395 A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
34396 @var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
34397 and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
34398 as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
34399 never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
34400 receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
34401 to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
34402
34403 Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
34404 colon characters, followed by a colon character.
34405
34406 Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
34407 notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
34408 timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
34409 not they understand it.
34410
34411 Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
34412 protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
34413 future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
34414 new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
34415 recipients.
34416
34417 (Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
34418 the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
34419 transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
34420 are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
34421 assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
34422
34423 The following notification packets from the stub to @value{GDBN} are
34424 defined:
34425
34426 @table @samp
34427 @item Stop: @var{reply}
34428 Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
34429 The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
34430 described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
34431 for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
34432 @value{GDBN}.
34433 @end table
34434
34435 @node Remote Non-Stop
34436 @section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
34437
34438 @value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
34439 multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
34440 supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
34441 @samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34442
34443 @value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
34444 establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
34445 does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
34446 must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
34447 all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
34448 probe the target state after a mode change.
34449
34450 In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
34451 would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
34452 asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
34453 inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
34454 in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
34455 mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
34456 when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
34457 of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
34458 affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
34459 to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
34460 threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
34461
34462 Only one stop reply notification at a time may be pending; if
34463 additional stop events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
34464 previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
34465 synchronous transmission in response to @samp{vStopped} packets from
34466 @value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
34467 the stub is permitted to resend a stop reply notification
34468 if it believes @value{GDBN} may not have received it. @value{GDBN}
34469 ignores additional stop reply notifications received before it has
34470 finished processing a previous notification and the stub has completed
34471 sending any queued stop events.
34472
34473 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} must be prepared to receive a stop reply
34474 notification at any time. Specifically, they may appear when
34475 @value{GDBN} is not otherwise reading input from the stub, or when
34476 @value{GDBN} is expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
34477 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
34478 Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
34479 the stub so there is no ambiguity.
34480
34481 After receiving a stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall
34482 acknowledge it by sending a @samp{vStopped} packet (@pxref{vStopped packet})
34483 as a regular, synchronous request to the stub. Such acknowledgment
34484 is not required to happen immediately, as @value{GDBN} is permitted to
34485 send other, unrelated packets to the stub first, which the stub should
34486 process normally.
34487
34488 Upon receiving a @samp{vStopped} packet, if the stub has other queued
34489 stop events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
34490 normal stop reply response. @value{GDBN} shall then send another
34491 @samp{vStopped} packet to solicit further responses; again, it is
34492 permitted to send other, unrelated packets as well which the stub
34493 should process normally.
34494
34495 If the stub receives a @samp{vStopped} packet and there are no
34496 additional stop events to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK}
34497 response. At this point, if further stop events occur, the stub shall
34498 send a new stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the
34499 notification, and the process shall be repeated.
34500
34501 In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
34502 follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
34503 sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
34504 sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
34505 it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
34506 stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
34507 subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
34508 using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
34509 asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
34510 If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
34511 or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
34512 @samp{OK}.
34513
34514 @node Packet Acknowledgment
34515 @section Packet Acknowledgment
34516
34517 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
34518 @cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
34519 By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
34520 the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
34521 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
34522 This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
34523 unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
34524
34525 In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
34526 TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
34527 It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
34528 overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
34529 @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
34530
34531 When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
34532 expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
34533 and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
34534 @ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
34535
34536 If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
34537 no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
34538 by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
34539 @pxref{qSupported}.
34540 If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
34541 disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
34542 (@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
34543 @value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
34544 Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
34545 @value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
34546 response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
34547
34548 Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
34549 between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
34550 it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
34551 connection.
34552 Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
34553 new connection is established,
34554 there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
34555 for the current connection, once disabled.
34556
34557 @node Examples
34558 @section Examples
34559
34560 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
34561 does not get any direct output:
34562
34563 @smallexample
34564 -> @code{R00}
34565 <- @code{+}
34566 @emph{target restarts}
34567 -> @code{?}
34568 <- @code{+}
34569 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
34570 -> @code{+}
34571 @end smallexample
34572
34573 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
34574
34575 @smallexample
34576 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
34577 <- @code{+}
34578 -> @code{s}
34579 <- @code{+}
34580 @emph{time passes}
34581 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
34582 -> @code{+}
34583 -> @code{g}
34584 <- @code{+}
34585 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
34586 -> @code{+}
34587 @end smallexample
34588
34589 @node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
34590 @section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
34591 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
34592
34593 @menu
34594 * File-I/O Overview::
34595 * Protocol Basics::
34596 * The F Request Packet::
34597 * The F Reply Packet::
34598 * The Ctrl-C Message::
34599 * Console I/O::
34600 * List of Supported Calls::
34601 * Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
34602 * Constants::
34603 * File-I/O Examples::
34604 @end menu
34605
34606 @node File-I/O Overview
34607 @subsection File-I/O Overview
34608 @cindex file-i/o overview
34609
34610 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
34611 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
34612 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
34613 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
34614 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
34615 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
34616
34617 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
34618 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
34619 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
34620 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
34621 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
34622
34623 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
34624 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
34625 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
34626 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
34627 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
34628 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
34629 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
34630
34631 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
34632 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
34633 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
34634 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
34635 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
34636
34637 @smallexample
34638 (@value{GDBP}) continue
34639 <- target requests 'system call X'
34640 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
34641 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
34642 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
34643 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
34644 @end smallexample
34645
34646 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
34647 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
34648 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
34649 system are not supported by this protocol.
34650
34651 File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
34652
34653 @node Protocol Basics
34654 @subsection Protocol Basics
34655 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
34656
34657 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
34658 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
34659 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
34660 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
34661 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
34662 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
34663 to call the appropriate host system call:
34664
34665 @itemize @bullet
34666 @item
34667 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
34668
34669 @item
34670 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
34671 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
34672 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
34673 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
34674
34675 @end itemize
34676
34677 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
34678
34679 @itemize @bullet
34680 @item
34681 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
34682 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
34683 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
34684 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
34685 packet.
34686
34687 @item
34688 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
34689 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
34690
34691 @item
34692 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
34693
34694 @item
34695 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
34696
34697 @item
34698 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
34699 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
34700 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
34701 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
34702 packet.
34703
34704 @end itemize
34705
34706 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
34707 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
34708
34709 @itemize @bullet
34710 @item
34711 Return value.
34712
34713 @item
34714 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
34715
34716 @item
34717 ``Ctrl-C'' flag.
34718
34719 @end itemize
34720
34721 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
34722 the latest continue or step action.
34723
34724 @node The F Request Packet
34725 @subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
34726 @cindex file-i/o request packet
34727 @cindex @code{F} request packet
34728
34729 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
34730
34731 @table @samp
34732 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
34733
34734 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
34735 This is just the name of the function.
34736
34737 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
34738 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
34739 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
34740 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
34741 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
34742 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
34743 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
34744
34745 @end table
34746
34747
34748
34749 @node The F Reply Packet
34750 @subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
34751 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
34752 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
34753
34754 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
34755
34756 @table @samp
34757
34758 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
34759
34760 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
34761
34762 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
34763 representation.
34764 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
34765
34766 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
34767 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
34768 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
34769
34770 @smallexample
34771 F0,0,C
34772 @end smallexample
34773
34774 @noindent
34775 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
34776
34777 @smallexample
34778 F-1,4,C
34779 @end smallexample
34780
34781 @noindent
34782 assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
34783
34784 @end table
34785
34786
34787 @node The Ctrl-C Message
34788 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
34789 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
34790
34791 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
34792 reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
34793 the target should behave as if it had
34794 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
34795 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
34796 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
34797 packet.
34798
34799 It's important for the target to know in which
34800 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
34801
34802 @itemize @bullet
34803 @item
34804 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
34805
34806 @item
34807 The system call on the host has been finished.
34808
34809 @end itemize
34810
34811 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
34812 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
34813 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
34814 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
34815 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
34816 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
34817
34818 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
34819 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
34820 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
34821 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
34822 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
34823 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
34824 or the full action has been completed.
34825
34826 @node Console I/O
34827 @subsection Console I/O
34828 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
34829
34830 By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
34831 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
34832 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
34833 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
34834 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
34835 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
34836 conditions is met:
34837
34838 @itemize @bullet
34839 @item
34840 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
34841 @code{read}
34842 system call is treated as finished.
34843
34844 @item
34845 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
34846 newline.
34847
34848 @item
34849 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
34850 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
34851
34852 @end itemize
34853
34854 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
34855 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
34856 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
34857 is stopped at the user's request.
34858
34859
34860 @node List of Supported Calls
34861 @subsection List of Supported Calls
34862 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
34863
34864 @menu
34865 * open::
34866 * close::
34867 * read::
34868 * write::
34869 * lseek::
34870 * rename::
34871 * unlink::
34872 * stat/fstat::
34873 * gettimeofday::
34874 * isatty::
34875 * system::
34876 @end menu
34877
34878 @node open
34879 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
34880 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
34881
34882 @table @asis
34883 @item Synopsis:
34884 @smallexample
34885 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
34886 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
34887 @end smallexample
34888
34889 @item Request:
34890 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
34891
34892 @noindent
34893 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
34894
34895 @table @code
34896 @item O_CREAT
34897 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
34898 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
34899 are concerned.
34900
34901 @item O_EXCL
34902 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
34903 an error and open() fails.
34904
34905 @item O_TRUNC
34906 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
34907 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
34908 truncated to zero length.
34909
34910 @item O_APPEND
34911 The file is opened in append mode.
34912
34913 @item O_RDONLY
34914 The file is opened for reading only.
34915
34916 @item O_WRONLY
34917 The file is opened for writing only.
34918
34919 @item O_RDWR
34920 The file is opened for reading and writing.
34921 @end table
34922
34923 @noindent
34924 Other bits are silently ignored.
34925
34926
34927 @noindent
34928 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
34929
34930 @table @code
34931 @item S_IRUSR
34932 User has read permission.
34933
34934 @item S_IWUSR
34935 User has write permission.
34936
34937 @item S_IRGRP
34938 Group has read permission.
34939
34940 @item S_IWGRP
34941 Group has write permission.
34942
34943 @item S_IROTH
34944 Others have read permission.
34945
34946 @item S_IWOTH
34947 Others have write permission.
34948 @end table
34949
34950 @noindent
34951 Other bits are silently ignored.
34952
34953
34954 @item Return value:
34955 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
34956 occurred.
34957
34958 @item Errors:
34959
34960 @table @code
34961 @item EEXIST
34962 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
34963
34964 @item EISDIR
34965 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
34966
34967 @item EACCES
34968 The requested access is not allowed.
34969
34970 @item ENAMETOOLONG
34971 @var{pathname} was too long.
34972
34973 @item ENOENT
34974 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
34975
34976 @item ENODEV
34977 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
34978
34979 @item EROFS
34980 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
34981 write access was requested.
34982
34983 @item EFAULT
34984 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
34985
34986 @item ENOSPC
34987 No space on device to create the file.
34988
34989 @item EMFILE
34990 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
34991
34992 @item ENFILE
34993 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
34994 has been reached.
34995
34996 @item EINTR
34997 The call was interrupted by the user.
34998 @end table
34999
35000 @end table
35001
35002 @node close
35003 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
35004 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
35005
35006 @table @asis
35007 @item Synopsis:
35008 @smallexample
35009 int close(int fd);
35010 @end smallexample
35011
35012 @item Request:
35013 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
35014
35015 @item Return value:
35016 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
35017
35018 @item Errors:
35019
35020 @table @code
35021 @item EBADF
35022 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
35023
35024 @item EINTR
35025 The call was interrupted by the user.
35026 @end table
35027
35028 @end table
35029
35030 @node read
35031 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
35032 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
35033
35034 @table @asis
35035 @item Synopsis:
35036 @smallexample
35037 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
35038 @end smallexample
35039
35040 @item Request:
35041 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
35042
35043 @item Return value:
35044 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
35045 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
35046 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
35047
35048 @item Errors:
35049
35050 @table @code
35051 @item EBADF
35052 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
35053 reading.
35054
35055 @item EFAULT
35056 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
35057
35058 @item EINTR
35059 The call was interrupted by the user.
35060 @end table
35061
35062 @end table
35063
35064 @node write
35065 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
35066 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
35067
35068 @table @asis
35069 @item Synopsis:
35070 @smallexample
35071 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
35072 @end smallexample
35073
35074 @item Request:
35075 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
35076
35077 @item Return value:
35078 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
35079 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
35080 is returned.
35081
35082 @item Errors:
35083
35084 @table @code
35085 @item EBADF
35086 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
35087 writing.
35088
35089 @item EFAULT
35090 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
35091
35092 @item EFBIG
35093 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
35094 host-specific maximum file size allowed.
35095
35096 @item ENOSPC
35097 No space on device to write the data.
35098
35099 @item EINTR
35100 The call was interrupted by the user.
35101 @end table
35102
35103 @end table
35104
35105 @node lseek
35106 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
35107 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
35108
35109 @table @asis
35110 @item Synopsis:
35111 @smallexample
35112 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
35113 @end smallexample
35114
35115 @item Request:
35116 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
35117
35118 @var{flag} is one of:
35119
35120 @table @code
35121 @item SEEK_SET
35122 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
35123
35124 @item SEEK_CUR
35125 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
35126 bytes.
35127
35128 @item SEEK_END
35129 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
35130 bytes.
35131 @end table
35132
35133 @item Return value:
35134 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
35135 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
35136 value of -1 is returned.
35137
35138 @item Errors:
35139
35140 @table @code
35141 @item EBADF
35142 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
35143
35144 @item ESPIPE
35145 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
35146
35147 @item EINVAL
35148 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
35149
35150 @item EINTR
35151 The call was interrupted by the user.
35152 @end table
35153
35154 @end table
35155
35156 @node rename
35157 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
35158 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
35159
35160 @table @asis
35161 @item Synopsis:
35162 @smallexample
35163 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
35164 @end smallexample
35165
35166 @item Request:
35167 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
35168
35169 @item Return value:
35170 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
35171
35172 @item Errors:
35173
35174 @table @code
35175 @item EISDIR
35176 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
35177 directory.
35178
35179 @item EEXIST
35180 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
35181
35182 @item EBUSY
35183 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
35184 process.
35185
35186 @item EINVAL
35187 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
35188 of itself.
35189
35190 @item ENOTDIR
35191 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
35192 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
35193 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
35194
35195 @item EFAULT
35196 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
35197
35198 @item EACCES
35199 No access to the file or the path of the file.
35200
35201 @item ENAMETOOLONG
35202
35203 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
35204
35205 @item ENOENT
35206 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
35207
35208 @item EROFS
35209 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
35210
35211 @item ENOSPC
35212 The device containing the file has no room for the new
35213 directory entry.
35214
35215 @item EINTR
35216 The call was interrupted by the user.
35217 @end table
35218
35219 @end table
35220
35221 @node unlink
35222 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
35223 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
35224
35225 @table @asis
35226 @item Synopsis:
35227 @smallexample
35228 int unlink(const char *pathname);
35229 @end smallexample
35230
35231 @item Request:
35232 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
35233
35234 @item Return value:
35235 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
35236
35237 @item Errors:
35238
35239 @table @code
35240 @item EACCES
35241 No access to the file or the path of the file.
35242
35243 @item EPERM
35244 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
35245
35246 @item EBUSY
35247 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
35248 being used by another process.
35249
35250 @item EFAULT
35251 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
35252
35253 @item ENAMETOOLONG
35254 @var{pathname} was too long.
35255
35256 @item ENOENT
35257 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
35258
35259 @item ENOTDIR
35260 A component of the path is not a directory.
35261
35262 @item EROFS
35263 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
35264
35265 @item EINTR
35266 The call was interrupted by the user.
35267 @end table
35268
35269 @end table
35270
35271 @node stat/fstat
35272 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
35273 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
35274 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
35275
35276 @table @asis
35277 @item Synopsis:
35278 @smallexample
35279 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
35280 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
35281 @end smallexample
35282
35283 @item Request:
35284 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
35285 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
35286
35287 @item Return value:
35288 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
35289
35290 @item Errors:
35291
35292 @table @code
35293 @item EBADF
35294 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
35295
35296 @item ENOENT
35297 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
35298 path is an empty string.
35299
35300 @item ENOTDIR
35301 A component of the path is not a directory.
35302
35303 @item EFAULT
35304 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
35305
35306 @item EACCES
35307 No access to the file or the path of the file.
35308
35309 @item ENAMETOOLONG
35310 @var{pathname} was too long.
35311
35312 @item EINTR
35313 The call was interrupted by the user.
35314 @end table
35315
35316 @end table
35317
35318 @node gettimeofday
35319 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
35320 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
35321
35322 @table @asis
35323 @item Synopsis:
35324 @smallexample
35325 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
35326 @end smallexample
35327
35328 @item Request:
35329 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
35330
35331 @item Return value:
35332 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
35333
35334 @item Errors:
35335
35336 @table @code
35337 @item EINVAL
35338 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
35339
35340 @item EFAULT
35341 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
35342 @end table
35343
35344 @end table
35345
35346 @node isatty
35347 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
35348 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
35349
35350 @table @asis
35351 @item Synopsis:
35352 @smallexample
35353 int isatty(int fd);
35354 @end smallexample
35355
35356 @item Request:
35357 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
35358
35359 @item Return value:
35360 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
35361
35362 @item Errors:
35363
35364 @table @code
35365 @item EINTR
35366 The call was interrupted by the user.
35367 @end table
35368
35369 @end table
35370
35371 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
35372 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
35373 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
35374 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
35375 needed.
35376
35377
35378 @node system
35379 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
35380 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
35381
35382 @table @asis
35383 @item Synopsis:
35384 @smallexample
35385 int system(const char *command);
35386 @end smallexample
35387
35388 @item Request:
35389 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
35390
35391 @item Return value:
35392 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
35393 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
35394 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
35395 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
35396 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
35397 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
35398 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
35399
35400 @item Errors:
35401
35402 @table @code
35403 @item EINTR
35404 The call was interrupted by the user.
35405 @end table
35406
35407 @end table
35408
35409 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
35410 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
35411 the host is simplified before it's returned
35412 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
35413 is discarded, and the return value consists
35414 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
35415
35416 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
35417 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
35418 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
35419
35420 @table @code
35421 @item set remote system-call-allowed
35422 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
35423 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
35424 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
35425
35426 @item show remote system-call-allowed
35427 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
35428 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
35429 protocol.
35430 @end table
35431
35432 @node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
35433 @subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
35434 @cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
35435
35436 @menu
35437 * Integral Datatypes::
35438 * Pointer Values::
35439 * Memory Transfer::
35440 * struct stat::
35441 * struct timeval::
35442 @end menu
35443
35444 @node Integral Datatypes
35445 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
35446 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
35447
35448 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
35449 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
35450 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
35451
35452 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
35453 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
35454
35455 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
35456
35457 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
35458 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
35459
35460 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
35461
35462 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
35463 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
35464 byte order.
35465
35466 @node Pointer Values
35467 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
35468 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
35469
35470 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
35471 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
35472 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
35473 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
35474
35475 @smallexample
35476 @code{1aaf/12}
35477 @end smallexample
35478
35479 @noindent
35480 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
35481 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
35482 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
35483 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
35484
35485 @smallexample
35486 @code{123456/d}
35487 @end smallexample
35488
35489 @node Memory Transfer
35490 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
35491 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
35492
35493 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
35494 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
35495 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
35496 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
35497 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
35498 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
35499 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
35500
35501
35502 @node struct stat
35503 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
35504 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
35505
35506 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
35507 is defined as follows:
35508
35509 @smallexample
35510 struct stat @{
35511 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
35512 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
35513 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
35514 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
35515 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
35516 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
35517 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
35518 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
35519 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
35520 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
35521 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
35522 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
35523 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
35524 @};
35525 @end smallexample
35526
35527 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
35528 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
35529 structure is of size 64 bytes.
35530
35531 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
35532 range of values.
35533
35534 @table @code
35535
35536 @item st_dev
35537 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
35538
35539 @item st_ino
35540 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
35541
35542 @item st_mode
35543 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
35544 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
35545
35546 @item st_uid
35547 @itemx st_gid
35548 @itemx st_rdev
35549 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
35550
35551 @item st_atime
35552 @itemx st_mtime
35553 @itemx st_ctime
35554 These values have a host and file system dependent
35555 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
35556 support exact timing values.
35557 @end table
35558
35559 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
35560 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
35561 continuing.
35562
35563 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
35564 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
35565 get truncated on the target.
35566
35567 @node struct timeval
35568 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
35569 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
35570
35571 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
35572 is defined as follows:
35573
35574 @smallexample
35575 struct timeval @{
35576 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
35577 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
35578 @};
35579 @end smallexample
35580
35581 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
35582 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
35583 structure is of size 8 bytes.
35584
35585 @node Constants
35586 @subsection Constants
35587 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
35588
35589 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
35590 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
35591 values before and after the call as needed.
35592
35593 @menu
35594 * Open Flags::
35595 * mode_t Values::
35596 * Errno Values::
35597 * Lseek Flags::
35598 * Limits::
35599 @end menu
35600
35601 @node Open Flags
35602 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
35603 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
35604
35605 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
35606
35607 @smallexample
35608 O_RDONLY 0x0
35609 O_WRONLY 0x1
35610 O_RDWR 0x2
35611 O_APPEND 0x8
35612 O_CREAT 0x200
35613 O_TRUNC 0x400
35614 O_EXCL 0x800
35615 @end smallexample
35616
35617 @node mode_t Values
35618 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
35619 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
35620
35621 All values are given in octal representation.
35622
35623 @smallexample
35624 S_IFREG 0100000
35625 S_IFDIR 040000
35626 S_IRUSR 0400
35627 S_IWUSR 0200
35628 S_IXUSR 0100
35629 S_IRGRP 040
35630 S_IWGRP 020
35631 S_IXGRP 010
35632 S_IROTH 04
35633 S_IWOTH 02
35634 S_IXOTH 01
35635 @end smallexample
35636
35637 @node Errno Values
35638 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
35639 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
35640
35641 All values are given in decimal representation.
35642
35643 @smallexample
35644 EPERM 1
35645 ENOENT 2
35646 EINTR 4
35647 EBADF 9
35648 EACCES 13
35649 EFAULT 14
35650 EBUSY 16
35651 EEXIST 17
35652 ENODEV 19
35653 ENOTDIR 20
35654 EISDIR 21
35655 EINVAL 22
35656 ENFILE 23
35657 EMFILE 24
35658 EFBIG 27
35659 ENOSPC 28
35660 ESPIPE 29
35661 EROFS 30
35662 ENAMETOOLONG 91
35663 EUNKNOWN 9999
35664 @end smallexample
35665
35666 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
35667 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
35668
35669 @node Lseek Flags
35670 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
35671 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
35672
35673 @smallexample
35674 SEEK_SET 0
35675 SEEK_CUR 1
35676 SEEK_END 2
35677 @end smallexample
35678
35679 @node Limits
35680 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
35681 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
35682
35683 All values are given in decimal representation.
35684
35685 @smallexample
35686 INT_MIN -2147483648
35687 INT_MAX 2147483647
35688 UINT_MAX 4294967295
35689 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
35690 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
35691 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
35692 @end smallexample
35693
35694 @node File-I/O Examples
35695 @subsection File-I/O Examples
35696 @cindex file-i/o examples
35697
35698 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
35699 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
35700
35701 @smallexample
35702 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
35703 @emph{request memory read from target}
35704 -> @code{m1234,6}
35705 <- XXXXXX
35706 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
35707 -> @code{F6}
35708 @end smallexample
35709
35710 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
35711 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
35712
35713 @smallexample
35714 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
35715 @emph{request memory write to target}
35716 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
35717 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
35718 -> @code{F6}
35719 @end smallexample
35720
35721 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
35722 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
35723
35724 @smallexample
35725 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
35726 -> @code{F-1,9}
35727 @end smallexample
35728
35729 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
35730 host is called:
35731
35732 @smallexample
35733 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
35734 -> @code{F-1,4,C}
35735 <- @code{T02}
35736 @end smallexample
35737
35738 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
35739 host is called:
35740
35741 @smallexample
35742 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
35743 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
35744 <- @code{T02}
35745 @end smallexample
35746
35747 @node Library List Format
35748 @section Library List Format
35749 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
35750
35751 On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
35752 same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
35753 @value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
35754 operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
35755 platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
35756 @value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
35757 through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
35758 packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
35759 queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
35760 are loaded.
35761
35762 The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
35763 lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
35764 associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
35765 which report where the library was loaded in memory.
35766
35767 For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
35768 library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
35769 dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
35770 should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
35771 section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
35772 depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
35773
35774 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
35775 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
35776
35777 A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
35778 offset, looks like this:
35779
35780 @smallexample
35781 <library-list>
35782 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
35783 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
35784 </library>
35785 </library-list>
35786 @end smallexample
35787
35788 Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
35789 allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
35790
35791 @smallexample
35792 <library-list>
35793 <library name="sharedlib.o">
35794 <section address="0x10000000"/>
35795 <section address="0x20000000"/>
35796 <section address="0x30000000"/>
35797 </library>
35798 </library-list>
35799 @end smallexample
35800
35801 The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
35802
35803 @smallexample
35804 <!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
35805 <!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
35806 <!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
35807 <!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
35808 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
35809 <!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
35810 <!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
35811 <!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
35812 <!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
35813 @end smallexample
35814
35815 In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
35816 single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
35817 section for each library.
35818
35819 @node Memory Map Format
35820 @section Memory Map Format
35821 @cindex memory map format
35822
35823 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
35824 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
35825 memory map.
35826
35827 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
35828 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
35829 lists memory regions.
35830
35831 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
35832 memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
35833
35834 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
35835
35836 @smallexample
35837 <?xml version="1.0"?>
35838 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
35839 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
35840 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
35841 <memory-map>
35842 region...
35843 </memory-map>
35844 @end smallexample
35845
35846 Each region can be either:
35847
35848 @itemize
35849
35850 @item
35851 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
35852 bytes from there:
35853
35854 @smallexample
35855 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
35856 @end smallexample
35857
35858
35859 @item
35860 A region of read-only memory:
35861
35862 @smallexample
35863 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
35864 @end smallexample
35865
35866
35867 @item
35868 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
35869 bytes in length:
35870
35871 @smallexample
35872 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
35873 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
35874 </memory>
35875 @end smallexample
35876
35877 @end itemize
35878
35879 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
35880 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
35881 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
35882
35883 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
35884
35885 @smallexample
35886 <!-- ................................................... -->
35887 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
35888 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
35889 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
35890 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
35891 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
35892 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
35893 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
35894 <!ELEMENT memory (property)>
35895 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
35896 and its type, or device. -->
35897 <!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
35898 start CDATA #REQUIRED
35899 length CDATA #REQUIRED
35900 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
35901 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
35902 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
35903 <!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
35904 @end smallexample
35905
35906 @node Thread List Format
35907 @section Thread List Format
35908 @cindex thread list format
35909
35910 To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
35911 @value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
35912 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
35913 the following structure:
35914
35915 @smallexample
35916 <?xml version="1.0"?>
35917 <threads>
35918 <thread id="id" core="0">
35919 ... description ...
35920 </thread>
35921 </threads>
35922 @end smallexample
35923
35924 Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
35925 identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
35926 @samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
35927 the thread was last executing on. The content of the of @samp{thread}
35928 element is interpreted as human-readable auxilliary information.
35929
35930 @node Traceframe Info Format
35931 @section Traceframe Info Format
35932 @cindex traceframe info format
35933
35934 To be able to know which objects in the inferior can be examined when
35935 inspecting a tracepoint hit, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of
35936 memory ranges, registers and trace state variables that have been
35937 collected in a traceframe.
35938
35939 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
35940 (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}) packet and is an XML document.
35941
35942 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
35943 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
35944
35945 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
35946
35947 @smallexample
35948 <?xml version="1.0"?>
35949 <!DOCTYPE traceframe-info
35950 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
35951 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-traceframe-info.dtd">
35952 <traceframe-info>
35953 block...
35954 </traceframe-info>
35955 @end smallexample
35956
35957 Each traceframe block can be either:
35958
35959 @itemize
35960
35961 @item
35962 A region of collected memory starting at @var{addr} and extending for
35963 @var{length} bytes from there:
35964
35965 @smallexample
35966 <memory start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
35967 @end smallexample
35968
35969 @end itemize
35970
35971 The formal DTD for the traceframe info format is given below:
35972
35973 @smallexample
35974 <!ELEMENT traceframe-info (memory)* >
35975 <!ATTLIST traceframe-info version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
35976
35977 <!ELEMENT memory EMPTY>
35978 <!ATTLIST memory start CDATA #REQUIRED
35979 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
35980 @end smallexample
35981
35982 @include agentexpr.texi
35983
35984 @node Trace File Format
35985 @appendix Trace File Format
35986 @cindex trace file format
35987
35988 The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
35989 section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
35990
35991 The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
35992 @code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
35993 while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
35994 in the future.
35995
35996 The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
35997 separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
35998 variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
35999 as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
36000 ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
36001 of this section.
36002
36003 @c FIXME add some specific types of data
36004
36005 The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
36006 Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
36007 four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
36008 the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
36009 character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
36010 state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
36011 hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
36012 endianness.
36013
36014 @c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
36015
36016 @table @code
36017 @item R @var{bytes}
36018 Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
36019 @code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
36020 actual bytes, in target order and @value{GDBN} register order, not a
36021 hexadecimal encoding.
36022
36023 @item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
36024 Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
36025 address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
36026 @var{length} bytes.
36027
36028 @item V @var{number} @var{value}
36029 Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
36030 @var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
36031
36032 @end table
36033
36034 Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
36035 of blocks.
36036
36037 @node Target Descriptions
36038 @appendix Target Descriptions
36039 @cindex target descriptions
36040
36041 @strong{Warning:} target descriptions are still under active development,
36042 and the contents and format may change between @value{GDBN} releases.
36043 The format is expected to stabilize in the future.
36044
36045 One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
36046 is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
36047 architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
36048 a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or MIPS, for example ---
36049 and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
36050 architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
36051 vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
36052
36053 @itemize @bullet
36054 @item
36055 With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
36056 the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
36057 @item
36058 Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
36059 audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
36060 variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
36061 @item
36062 When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
36063 at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
36064 @command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
36065 @end itemize
36066
36067 To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
36068 target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
36069 actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
36070 processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
36071 descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
36072
36073 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
36074 target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
36075
36076 @menu
36077 * Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
36078 * Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
36079 * Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
36080 descriptions.
36081 * Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
36082 @end menu
36083
36084 @node Retrieving Descriptions
36085 @section Retrieving Descriptions
36086
36087 Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
36088 specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
36089 description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
36090 protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
36091 qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
36092 @samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
36093 XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
36094 Format}.
36095
36096 Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
36097 If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
36098 specify a file are:
36099
36100 @table @code
36101 @cindex set tdesc filename
36102 @item set tdesc filename @var{path}
36103 Read the target description from @var{path}.
36104
36105 @cindex unset tdesc filename
36106 @item unset tdesc filename
36107 Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
36108 will use the description supplied by the current target.
36109
36110 @cindex show tdesc filename
36111 @item show tdesc filename
36112 Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
36113 @end table
36114
36115
36116 @node Target Description Format
36117 @section Target Description Format
36118 @cindex target descriptions, XML format
36119
36120 A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
36121 document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
36122 the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
36123 means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
36124 check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
36125 However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
36126 their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
36127
36128 Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
36129 and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
36130 sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
36131 @value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
36132 target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
36133
36134 Here is a simple target description:
36135
36136 @smallexample
36137 <target version="1.0">
36138 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
36139 </target>
36140 @end smallexample
36141
36142 @noindent
36143 This minimal description only says that the target uses
36144 the x86-64 architecture.
36145
36146 A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
36147 optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
36148 are explained further below.
36149
36150 @smallexample
36151 <?xml version="1.0"?>
36152 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
36153 <target version="1.0">
36154 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
36155 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
36156 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
36157 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
36158 </target>
36159 @end smallexample
36160
36161 @noindent
36162 The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
36163 breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
36164 declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
36165 (@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
36166 useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
36167 @samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
36168 including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
36169 revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
36170 the version mismatch.
36171
36172 @subsection Inclusion
36173 @cindex target descriptions, inclusion
36174 @cindex XInclude
36175 @ifnotinfo
36176 @cindex <xi:include>
36177 @end ifnotinfo
36178
36179 It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
36180 several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
36181 share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
36182 divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
36183 the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
36184
36185 @smallexample
36186 <xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
36187 @end smallexample
36188
36189 @noindent
36190 When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
36191 the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
36192 the contents of that document. If the current description was read
36193 using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
36194 @var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
36195 current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
36196 @var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
36197 original description.
36198
36199 @subsection Architecture
36200 @cindex <architecture>
36201
36202 An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
36203
36204 @smallexample
36205 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
36206 @end smallexample
36207
36208 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
36209 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
36210
36211 @subsection OS ABI
36212 @cindex @code{<osabi>}
36213
36214 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
36215 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
36216
36217 An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
36218
36219 @smallexample
36220 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
36221 @end smallexample
36222
36223 @var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
36224 @w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
36225
36226 @subsection Compatible Architecture
36227 @cindex @code{<compatible>}
36228
36229 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
36230 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
36231
36232 A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
36233
36234 @smallexample
36235 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
36236 @end smallexample
36237
36238 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
36239 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
36240
36241 A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
36242 is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
36243 given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
36244 Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
36245 or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
36246 in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
36247 capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
36248
36249 @smallexample
36250 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
36251 <compatible>spu</compatible>
36252 @end smallexample
36253
36254 @subsection Features
36255 @cindex <feature>
36256
36257 Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
36258 system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
36259 registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
36260 has this form:
36261
36262 @smallexample
36263 <feature name="@var{name}">
36264 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
36265 @var{reg}@dots{}
36266 </feature>
36267 @end smallexample
36268
36269 @noindent
36270 Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
36271 of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
36272 knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
36273 should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
36274
36275 @subsection Types
36276
36277 Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
36278 interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
36279 but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
36280 Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
36281 Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite types.
36282
36283 Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
36284 a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
36285 Types must be defined before they are used.
36286
36287 @cindex <vector>
36288 Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
36289 of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
36290 specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
36291 @var{count}:
36292
36293 @smallexample
36294 <vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
36295 @end smallexample
36296
36297 @cindex <union>
36298 If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
36299 with a union type containing the useful representations. The
36300 @samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
36301 each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
36302
36303 @smallexample
36304 <union id="@var{id}">
36305 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
36306 @dots{}
36307 </union>
36308 @end smallexample
36309
36310 @cindex <struct>
36311 If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
36312 it with a structure type. There are two forms of the @samp{<struct>}
36313 element; a @samp{<struct>} element must either contain only bitfields
36314 or contain no bitfields. If the structure contains only bitfields,
36315 its total size in bytes must be specified, each bitfield must have an
36316 explicit start and end, and bitfields are automatically assigned an
36317 integer type. The field's @var{start} should be less than or
36318 equal to its @var{end}, and zero represents the least significant bit.
36319
36320 @smallexample
36321 <struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
36322 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
36323 @dots{}
36324 </struct>
36325 @end smallexample
36326
36327 If the structure contains no bitfields, then each field has an
36328 explicit type, and no implicit padding is added.
36329
36330 @smallexample
36331 <struct id="@var{id}">
36332 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
36333 @dots{}
36334 </struct>
36335 @end smallexample
36336
36337 @cindex <flags>
36338 If a register's value is a series of single-bit flags, define it with
36339 a flags type. The @samp{<flags>} element has an explicit @var{size}
36340 and contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements. Each field has a
36341 @var{name}, a @var{start}, and an @var{end}. Only single-bit flags
36342 are supported.
36343
36344 @smallexample
36345 <flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
36346 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
36347 @dots{}
36348 </flags>
36349 @end smallexample
36350
36351 @subsection Registers
36352 @cindex <reg>
36353
36354 Each register is represented as an element with this form:
36355
36356 @smallexample
36357 <reg name="@var{name}"
36358 bitsize="@var{size}"
36359 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
36360 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
36361 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
36362 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
36363 @end smallexample
36364
36365 @noindent
36366 The components are as follows:
36367
36368 @table @var
36369
36370 @item name
36371 The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
36372
36373 @item bitsize
36374 The register's size, in bits.
36375
36376 @item regnum
36377 The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
36378 than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
36379 a preceeding feature); the first register in the target description
36380 defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
36381 the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
36382 packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
36383 in order of increasing register number.
36384
36385 @item save-restore
36386 Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
36387 calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
36388 @code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
36389 some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
36390 ABI.
36391
36392 @item type
36393 The type of the register. @var{type} may be a predefined type, a type
36394 defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
36395 and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
36396 for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
36397 architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
36398 @var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
36399
36400 @item group
36401 The register group to which this register belongs. @var{group} must
36402 be either @code{general}, @code{float}, or @code{vector}. If no
36403 @var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register
36404 in @code{info registers}.
36405
36406 @end table
36407
36408 @node Predefined Target Types
36409 @section Predefined Target Types
36410 @cindex target descriptions, predefined types
36411
36412 Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
36413 from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
36414 standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
36415 types. The currently supported types are:
36416
36417 @table @code
36418
36419 @item int8
36420 @itemx int16
36421 @itemx int32
36422 @itemx int64
36423 @itemx int128
36424 Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
36425
36426 @item uint8
36427 @itemx uint16
36428 @itemx uint32
36429 @itemx uint64
36430 @itemx uint128
36431 Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
36432
36433 @item code_ptr
36434 @itemx data_ptr
36435 Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
36436 any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
36437 pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
36438 address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
36439 may be marked as data pointers.
36440
36441 @item ieee_single
36442 Single precision IEEE floating point.
36443
36444 @item ieee_double
36445 Double precision IEEE floating point.
36446
36447 @item arm_fpa_ext
36448 The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
36449
36450 @item i387_ext
36451 The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
36452
36453 @item i386_eflags
36454 32bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
36455
36456 @item i386_mxcsr
36457 32bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
36458
36459 @end table
36460
36461 @node Standard Target Features
36462 @section Standard Target Features
36463 @cindex target descriptions, standard features
36464
36465 A target description must contain either no registers or all the
36466 target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
36467 @value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
36468 the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
36469 default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
36470 described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
36471 can recognize them.
36472
36473 This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
36474 which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
36475 with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
36476 if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
36477 feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
36478 description. You can add additional registers to any of the
36479 standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
36480 they were added to an unrecognized feature.
36481
36482 This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
36483 Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
36484 @value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
36485
36486 Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
36487 company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
36488 architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
36489 containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
36490
36491 The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
36492 of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
36493 registers using the capitalization used in the description.
36494
36495 @menu
36496 * ARM Features::
36497 * i386 Features::
36498 * MIPS Features::
36499 * M68K Features::
36500 * PowerPC Features::
36501 @end menu
36502
36503
36504 @node ARM Features
36505 @subsection ARM Features
36506 @cindex target descriptions, ARM features
36507
36508 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for non-M-profile
36509 ARM targets.
36510 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
36511 @samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
36512
36513 For M-profile targets (e.g. Cortex-M3), the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}
36514 feature is replaced by @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.m-profile}. It should contain
36515 registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp}, @samp{lr}, @samp{pc},
36516 and @samp{xpsr}.
36517
36518 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
36519 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
36520
36521 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
36522 it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
36523 @samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
36524 @samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
36525
36526 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
36527 should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
36528 they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
36529 @value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
36530 halves of the double-precision registers.
36531
36532 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
36533 need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
36534 VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
36535 quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
36536 If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
36537 be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
36538
36539 @node i386 Features
36540 @subsection i386 Features
36541 @cindex target descriptions, i386 features
36542
36543 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
36544 targets. It should describe the following registers:
36545
36546 @itemize @minus
36547 @item
36548 @samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
36549 @item
36550 @samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
36551 @item
36552 @samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
36553 @samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
36554 @item
36555 @samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
36556 @item
36557 @samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
36558 @samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
36559 @end itemize
36560
36561 The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
36562
36563 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
36564 describe registers:
36565
36566 @itemize @minus
36567 @item
36568 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
36569 @item
36570 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
36571 @item
36572 @samp{mxcsr}
36573 @end itemize
36574
36575 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
36576 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
36577 describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
36578
36579 @itemize @minus
36580 @item
36581 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
36582 @item
36583 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
36584 @end itemize
36585
36586 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
36587 describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
36588
36589 @node MIPS Features
36590 @subsection MIPS Features
36591 @cindex target descriptions, MIPS features
36592
36593 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for MIPS targets.
36594 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
36595 @samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
36596 on the target.
36597
36598 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
36599 contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
36600 registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
36601
36602 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
36603 it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
36604 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
36605 @samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
36606
36607 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
36608 contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
36609 Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
36610
36611 @node M68K Features
36612 @subsection M68K Features
36613 @cindex target descriptions, M68K features
36614
36615 @table @code
36616 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
36617 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
36618 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
36619 One of those features must be always present.
36620 The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
36621 used. The feature that is present should contain registers
36622 @samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
36623 @samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
36624
36625 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
36626 This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
36627 @samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
36628 @samp{fpiaddr}.
36629 @end table
36630
36631 @node PowerPC Features
36632 @subsection PowerPC Features
36633 @cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
36634
36635 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
36636 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
36637 @samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
36638 @samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
36639
36640 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
36641 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
36642
36643 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
36644 contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr},
36645 and @samp{vrsave}.
36646
36647 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
36648 contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN}
36649 will combine these registers with the floating point registers
36650 (@samp{f0} through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0}
36651 through @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0}
36652 through @samp{vs63}, the set of vector registers for POWER7.
36653
36654 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
36655 contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
36656 @samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
36657 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
36658 @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
36659 these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
36660 user.
36661
36662 @node Operating System Information
36663 @appendix Operating System Information
36664 @cindex operating system information
36665
36666 @menu
36667 * Process list::
36668 @end menu
36669
36670 Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
36671 the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
36672 processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
36673 mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
36674 target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
36675 on a different aspect of target.
36676
36677 Operating system information is retrived from the target via the
36678 remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
36679 read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
36680 the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
36681
36682 @node Process list
36683 @appendixsection Process list
36684 @cindex operating system information, process list
36685
36686 When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
36687 @samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
36688 an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
36689 @file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
36690
36691 An example document is:
36692
36693 @smallexample
36694 <?xml version="1.0"?>
36695 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
36696 <osdata type="processes">
36697 <item>
36698 <column name="pid">1</column>
36699 <column name="user">root</column>
36700 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
36701 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
36702 </item>
36703 </osdata>
36704 @end smallexample
36705
36706 Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
36707 of that column should identify the process on the target. The
36708 @samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
36709 displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
36710 should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
36711 is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
36712 which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
36713
36714 @include gpl.texi
36715
36716 @node GNU Free Documentation License
36717 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
36718 @include fdl.texi
36719
36720 @node Index
36721 @unnumbered Index
36722
36723 @printindex cp
36724
36725 @tex
36726 % I think something like @colophon should be in texinfo. In the
36727 % meantime:
36728 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
36729 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
36730 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
36731 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
36732 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
36733 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
36734 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
36735 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
36736 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
36737 \page\colophon
36738 % Blame: doc@cygnus.com, 1991.
36739 @end tex
36740
36741 @bye
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