Add $_memeq, $_regex, $_streq, $_strlen convenience functions.
[deliverable/binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988-1996, 1998-2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3 @c
4 @c %**start of header
5 @c makeinfo ignores cmds prev to setfilename, so its arg cannot make use
6 @c of @set vars. However, you can override filename with makeinfo -o.
7 @setfilename gdb.info
8 @c
9 @include gdb-cfg.texi
10 @c
11 @settitle Debugging with @value{GDBN}
12 @setchapternewpage odd
13 @c %**end of header
14
15 @iftex
16 @c @smallbook
17 @c @cropmarks
18 @end iftex
19
20 @finalout
21 @c To avoid file-name clashes between index.html and Index.html, when
22 @c the manual is produced on a Posix host and then moved to a
23 @c case-insensitive filesystem (e.g., MS-Windows), we separate the
24 @c indices into two: Concept Index and all the rest.
25 @syncodeindex ky fn
26 @syncodeindex tp fn
27
28 @c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
29 @c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
30 @syncodeindex vr fn
31 @syncodeindex fn fn
32
33 @c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
34 @c This is updated by GNU Press.
35 @set EDITION Tenth
36
37 @c !!set GDB edit command default editor
38 @set EDITOR /bin/ex
39
40 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
41
42 @c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
43 @c manuals to an info tree.
44 @dircategory Software development
45 @direntry
46 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
47 @end direntry
48
49 @copying
50 Copyright @copyright{} 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
51 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
52 2011, 2012
53 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
54
55 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
56 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
57 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
58 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
59 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
60 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
61
62 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
63 this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
64 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
65 @end copying
66
67 @ifnottex
68 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
69
70 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
71 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
72 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
73 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
74 @end ifset
75 Version @value{GDBVN}.
76
77 @insertcopying
78 @end ifnottex
79
80 @titlepage
81 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
82 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
83 @sp 1
84 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
85 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
86 @sp 1
87 @subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
88 @end ifset
89 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
90 @page
91 @tex
92 {\parskip=0pt
93 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
94 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
95 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
96 }
97 @end tex
98
99 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
100 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
101 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
102 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
103 ISBN 978-0-9831592-3-0 @*
104
105 @insertcopying
106 @end titlepage
107 @page
108
109 @ifnottex
110 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
111
112 @top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
113
114 This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
115
116 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN}
117 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
118 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
119 @end ifset
120 Version @value{GDBVN}.
121
122 Copyright (C) 1988-2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
123
124 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
125 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
126 software in general. We will miss him.
127
128 @menu
129 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
130 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
131
132 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
133 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
134 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
135 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
136 * Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
137 * Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
138 * Stack:: Examining the stack
139 * Source:: Examining source files
140 * Data:: Examining data
141 * Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
142 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
143 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
144 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
145
146 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
147
148 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
149 * Altering:: Altering execution
150 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
151 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
152 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
153 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
154 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
155 * Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
156 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
157 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
158 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
159 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
160 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
161 * JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
162 * In-Process Agent:: In-Process Agent
163
164 * GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
165
166 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
167 * Command Line Editing: (rluserman). Command Line Editing
168 * Using History Interactively: (history). Using History Interactively
169 @end ifset
170 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
171 * Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
172 * Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
173 @end ifclear
174 * In Memoriam:: In Memoriam
175 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
176 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
177 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
178 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
179 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
180 * Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
181 @value{GDBN}
182 * Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
183 the operating system
184 * Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
185 * Index Section Format:: .gdb_index section format
186 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
187 how you can copy and share GDB
188 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
189 * Concept Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} concepts
190 * Command and Variable Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} commands, variables,
191 functions, and Python data types
192 @end menu
193
194 @end ifnottex
195
196 @contents
197
198 @node Summary
199 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
200
201 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
202 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
203 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
204
205 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
206 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
207
208 @itemize @bullet
209 @item
210 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
211
212 @item
213 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
214
215 @item
216 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
217
218 @item
219 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
220 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
221 @end itemize
222
223 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
224 For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
225 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
226
227 Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
228 @ref{D,,D}.
229
230 @cindex Modula-2
231 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
232 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
233
234 Support for OpenCL C is partial. For information on OpenCL C, see
235 @ref{OpenCL C,,OpenCL C}.
236
237 @cindex Pascal
238 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
239 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
240 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
241 syntax.
242
243 @cindex Fortran
244 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
245 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
246 underscore.
247
248 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
249 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
250
251 @menu
252 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
253 * Free Documentation:: Free Software Needs Free Documentation
254 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
255 @end menu
256
257 @node Free Software
258 @unnumberedsec Free Software
259
260 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
261 General Public License
262 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
263 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
264 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
265 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
266 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
267 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
268
269 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
270 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
271 from anyone else.
272
273 @node Free Documentation
274 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
275
276 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
277 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
278 include with the free software. Many of our most important
279 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
280 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
281 when an important free software package does not come with a free
282 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
283 gaps today.
284
285 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
286 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
287 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
288 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
289 them from the free software world.
290
291 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
292 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
293 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
294 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
295 contract to make it non-free.
296
297 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
298 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
299 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
300 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
301 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
302 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
303 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
304
305 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
306 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
307 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
308 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
309
310 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
311 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
312 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
313 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
314 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
315 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
316 community.
317
318 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
319 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
320 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
321 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
322 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
323 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
324 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
325 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
326 of the manual.
327
328 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
329 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
330 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
331 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
332 manual to replace it.
333
334 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
335 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
336 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
337 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
338 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
339 the free software community.
340
341 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
342 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
343 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
344 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
345 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
346 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
347 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
348 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
349 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
350
351 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
352 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
353 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
354 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
355 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
356 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
357 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
358 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
359
360 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
361 published by other publishers, at
362 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
363
364 @node Contributors
365 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
366
367 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
368 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
369 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
370 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
371 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
372 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
373 blow-by-blow account.
374
375 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
376
377 @quotation
378 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
379 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
380 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
381 @end quotation
382
383 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
384 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
385 releases:
386 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
387 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
388 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
389 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
390 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
391 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
392 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
393 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
394 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
395
396 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
397 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
398
399 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
400 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
401 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
402 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
403 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
404
405 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
406 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
407 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
408
409 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
410 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
411
412 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
413
414 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
415 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
416 support.
417 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
418 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
419 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
420 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
421 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
422 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
423 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
424 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
425 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
426 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
427 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
428 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
429 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
430 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
431 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
432 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
433
434 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
435
436 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
437 libraries.
438
439 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
440 about several machine instruction sets.
441
442 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
443 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
444 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
445 and RDI targets, respectively.
446
447 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
448 command-line editing and command history.
449
450 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
451 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
452
453 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
454 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
455 symbols.
456
457 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
458 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
459
460 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
461
462 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
463 processors.
464
465 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
466
467 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
468
469 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
470
471 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
472 watchpoints.
473
474 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
475
476 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
477
478 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
479 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
480
481 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
482 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
483 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
484 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
485 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
486 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
487 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
488
489 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
490 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
491
492 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
493 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
494 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
495 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
496 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
497 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
498 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
499 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
500 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
501 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
502 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
503 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
504 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
505 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
506 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
507
508 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
509 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
510
511 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
512 Hat.
513
514 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
515 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
516 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
517 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
518 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
519 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
520
521 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
522 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
523 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
524 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
525 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
526 trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
527 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
528 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
529 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
530 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
531 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
532 Weigand.
533
534 Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
535 Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
536 who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
537 Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
538
539 Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
540 Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
541
542 @node Sample Session
543 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
544
545 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
546 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
547 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
548
549 @iftex
550 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
551 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
552 @end iftex
553
554 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
555 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
556
557 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
558 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
559 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
560 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
561 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
562 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
563 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
564 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
565 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
566
567 @smallexample
568 $ @b{cd gnu/m4}
569 $ @b{./m4}
570 @b{define(foo,0000)}
571
572 @b{foo}
573 0000
574 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
575
576 @b{bar}
577 0000
578 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
579
580 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
581 @b{baz}
582 @b{Ctrl-d}
583 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
584 @end smallexample
585
586 @noindent
587 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
588
589 @smallexample
590 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
591 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
592 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
593 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
594 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
595 the conditions.
596 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
597 for details.
598
599 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
600 (@value{GDBP})
601 @end smallexample
602
603 @noindent
604 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
605 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
606 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
607 that examples fit in this manual.
608
609 @smallexample
610 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
611 @end smallexample
612
613 @noindent
614 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
615 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
616 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
617 @code{break} command.
618
619 @smallexample
620 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
621 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
622 @end smallexample
623
624 @noindent
625 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
626 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
627 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
628
629 @smallexample
630 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
631 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
632 @b{define(foo,0000)}
633
634 @b{foo}
635 0000
636 @end smallexample
637
638 @noindent
639 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
640 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
641 context where it stops.
642
643 @smallexample
644 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
645
646 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
647 at builtin.c:879
648 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
649 @end smallexample
650
651 @noindent
652 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
653 the next line of the current function.
654
655 @smallexample
656 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
657 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
658 : nil,
659 @end smallexample
660
661 @noindent
662 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
663 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
664 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
665 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
666
667 @smallexample
668 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
669 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
670 at input.c:530
671 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
672 @end smallexample
673
674 @noindent
675 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
676 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
677 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
678 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
679 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
680 stack frame for each active subroutine.
681
682 @smallexample
683 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
684 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
685 at input.c:530
686 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
687 at builtin.c:882
688 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
689 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
690 at macro.c:71
691 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
692 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
693 @end smallexample
694
695 @noindent
696 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
697 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
698 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
699
700 @smallexample
701 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
702 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
703 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
704 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
705 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
706 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
707 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
708 : xstrdup(rq);
709 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
710 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
711 @end smallexample
712
713 @noindent
714 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
715 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
716 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
717 (@code{print}) to see their values.
718
719 @smallexample
720 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
721 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
722 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
723 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
724 @end smallexample
725
726 @noindent
727 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
728 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
729 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
730
731 @smallexample
732 (@value{GDBP}) @b{l}
733 533 xfree(rquote);
734 534
735 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
736 : xstrdup (lq);
737 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
738 : xstrdup (rq);
739 537
740 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
741 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
742 540 @}
743 541
744 542 void
745 @end smallexample
746
747 @noindent
748 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
749 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
750
751 @smallexample
752 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
753 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
754 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
755 540 @}
756 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
757 $3 = 9
758 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
759 $4 = 7
760 @end smallexample
761
762 @noindent
763 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
764 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
765 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
766 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
767 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
768 assignments.
769
770 @smallexample
771 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
772 $5 = 7
773 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
774 $6 = 9
775 @end smallexample
776
777 @noindent
778 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
779 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
780 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
781 example that caused trouble initially:
782
783 @smallexample
784 (@value{GDBP}) @b{c}
785 Continuing.
786
787 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
788
789 baz
790 0000
791 @end smallexample
792
793 @noindent
794 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
795 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
796 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
797
798 @smallexample
799 @b{Ctrl-d}
800 Program exited normally.
801 @end smallexample
802
803 @noindent
804 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
805 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
806 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
807
808 @smallexample
809 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
810 @end smallexample
811
812 @node Invocation
813 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
814
815 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
816 The essentials are:
817 @itemize @bullet
818 @item
819 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
820 @item
821 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
822 @end itemize
823
824 @menu
825 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
826 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
827 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
828 * Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
829 @end menu
830
831 @node Invoking GDB
832 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
833
834 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
835 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
836
837 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
838 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
839
840 The command-line options described here are designed
841 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
842 options may effectively be unavailable.
843
844 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
845 specifying an executable program:
846
847 @smallexample
848 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
849 @end smallexample
850
851 @noindent
852 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
853 specified:
854
855 @smallexample
856 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
857 @end smallexample
858
859 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
860 to debug a running process:
861
862 @smallexample
863 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
864 @end smallexample
865
866 @noindent
867 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
868 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
869
870 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
871 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
872 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
873 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
874 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
875
876 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
877 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
878 option processing.
879 @smallexample
880 @value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
881 @end smallexample
882 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
883 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
884
885 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
886 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
887
888 @smallexample
889 @value{GDBP} -silent
890 @end smallexample
891
892 @noindent
893 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
894 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
895
896 @noindent
897 Type
898
899 @smallexample
900 @value{GDBP} -help
901 @end smallexample
902
903 @noindent
904 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
905 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
906
907 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
908 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
909 @samp{-x} option is used.
910
911
912 @menu
913 * File Options:: Choosing files
914 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
915 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
916 @end menu
917
918 @node File Options
919 @subsection Choosing Files
920
921 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
922 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
923 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
924 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
925 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
926 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
927 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
928 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
929 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
930 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
931 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
932 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
933 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
934
935 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
936 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
937 argument and ignore it.
938
939 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
940 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
941 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
942 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
943 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
944
945 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
946 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
947 @c it.
948
949 @table @code
950 @item -symbols @var{file}
951 @itemx -s @var{file}
952 @cindex @code{--symbols}
953 @cindex @code{-s}
954 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
955
956 @item -exec @var{file}
957 @itemx -e @var{file}
958 @cindex @code{--exec}
959 @cindex @code{-e}
960 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
961 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
962
963 @item -se @var{file}
964 @cindex @code{--se}
965 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
966 file.
967
968 @item -core @var{file}
969 @itemx -c @var{file}
970 @cindex @code{--core}
971 @cindex @code{-c}
972 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
973
974 @item -pid @var{number}
975 @itemx -p @var{number}
976 @cindex @code{--pid}
977 @cindex @code{-p}
978 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
979
980 @item -command @var{file}
981 @itemx -x @var{file}
982 @cindex @code{--command}
983 @cindex @code{-x}
984 Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
985 evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
986 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
987
988 @item -eval-command @var{command}
989 @itemx -ex @var{command}
990 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
991 @cindex @code{-ex}
992 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
993
994 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
995 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
996
997 @smallexample
998 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
999 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
1000 @end smallexample
1001
1002 @item -init-command @var{file}
1003 @itemx -ix @var{file}
1004 @cindex @code{--init-command}
1005 @cindex @code{-ix}
1006 Execute commands from file @var{file} before loading the inferior (but
1007 after loading gdbinit files).
1008 @xref{Startup}.
1009
1010 @item -init-eval-command @var{command}
1011 @itemx -iex @var{command}
1012 @cindex @code{--init-eval-command}
1013 @cindex @code{-iex}
1014 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command before loading the inferior (but
1015 after loading gdbinit files).
1016 @xref{Startup}.
1017
1018 @item -directory @var{directory}
1019 @itemx -d @var{directory}
1020 @cindex @code{--directory}
1021 @cindex @code{-d}
1022 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
1023
1024 @item -r
1025 @itemx -readnow
1026 @cindex @code{--readnow}
1027 @cindex @code{-r}
1028 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
1029 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
1030 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1031
1032 @end table
1033
1034 @node Mode Options
1035 @subsection Choosing Modes
1036
1037 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1038 batch mode or quiet mode.
1039
1040 @table @code
1041 @anchor{-nx}
1042 @item -nx
1043 @itemx -n
1044 @cindex @code{--nx}
1045 @cindex @code{-n}
1046 Do not execute commands found in any initialization files. Normally,
1047 @value{GDBN} executes the commands in these files after all the command
1048 options and arguments have been processed. @xref{Command Files,,Command
1049 Files}.
1050
1051 @item -quiet
1052 @itemx -silent
1053 @itemx -q
1054 @cindex @code{--quiet}
1055 @cindex @code{--silent}
1056 @cindex @code{-q}
1057 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1058 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1059
1060 @item -batch
1061 @cindex @code{--batch}
1062 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1063 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1064 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1065 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1066 in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination, sets unlimited
1067 terminal width and height @pxref{Screen Size}, and acts as if @kbd{set confirm
1068 off} were in effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1069
1070 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1071 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1072 make this more useful, the message
1073
1074 @smallexample
1075 Program exited normally.
1076 @end smallexample
1077
1078 @noindent
1079 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1080 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1081 mode.
1082
1083 @item -batch-silent
1084 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1085 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1086 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1087 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1088 for an interactive session.
1089
1090 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1091 messages, for example.
1092
1093 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1094 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1095
1096 @item -return-child-result
1097 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1098 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1099 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1100
1101 @itemize @bullet
1102 @item
1103 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1104 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1105 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1106 @item
1107 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1108 @item
1109 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1110 the exit code will be -1.
1111 @end itemize
1112
1113 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1114 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1115 interface.
1116
1117 @item -nowindows
1118 @itemx -nw
1119 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1120 @cindex @code{-nw}
1121 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1122 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1123 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1124
1125 @item -windows
1126 @itemx -w
1127 @cindex @code{--windows}
1128 @cindex @code{-w}
1129 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1130 used if possible.
1131
1132 @item -cd @var{directory}
1133 @cindex @code{--cd}
1134 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1135 instead of the current directory.
1136
1137 @item -data-directory @var{directory}
1138 @cindex @code{--data-directory}
1139 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its data directory.
1140 The data directory is where @value{GDBN} searches for its
1141 auxiliary files. @xref{Data Files}.
1142
1143 @item -fullname
1144 @itemx -f
1145 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1146 @cindex @code{-f}
1147 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1148 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1149 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1150 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1151 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1152 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1153 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1154 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1155 frame.
1156
1157 @item -epoch
1158 @cindex @code{--epoch}
1159 The Epoch Emacs-@value{GDBN} interface sets this option when it runs
1160 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to modify its print
1161 routines so as to allow Epoch to display values of expressions in a
1162 separate window.
1163
1164 @item -annotate @var{level}
1165 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1166 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1167 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1168 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1169 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1170 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1171 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1172 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1173 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1174
1175 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1176 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
1177
1178 @item --args
1179 @cindex @code{--args}
1180 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1181 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1182 This option stops option processing.
1183
1184 @item -baud @var{bps}
1185 @itemx -b @var{bps}
1186 @cindex @code{--baud}
1187 @cindex @code{-b}
1188 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1189 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1190
1191 @item -l @var{timeout}
1192 @cindex @code{-l}
1193 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1194 for remote debugging.
1195
1196 @item -tty @var{device}
1197 @itemx -t @var{device}
1198 @cindex @code{--tty}
1199 @cindex @code{-t}
1200 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1201 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1202
1203 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1204 @item -tui
1205 @cindex @code{--tui}
1206 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1207 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1208 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1209 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Do not use this
1210 option if you run @value{GDBN} from Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,
1211 Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1212
1213 @c @item -xdb
1214 @c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1215 @c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1216 @c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1217 @c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1218 @c systems.
1219
1220 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1221 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1222 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1223 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1224 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1225 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1226
1227 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1228 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1229 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1230 previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1231 selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1232 @sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1233
1234 @item -write
1235 @cindex @code{--write}
1236 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1237 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1238 (@pxref{Patching}).
1239
1240 @item -statistics
1241 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1242 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1243 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1244
1245 @item -version
1246 @cindex @code{--version}
1247 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1248 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1249
1250 @end table
1251
1252 @node Startup
1253 @subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1254 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1255
1256 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1257
1258 @enumerate
1259 @item
1260 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1261 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1262
1263 @item
1264 @cindex init file
1265 Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1266 used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1267 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
1268 that file.
1269
1270 @anchor{Home Directory Init File}
1271 @item
1272 Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1273 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1274 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1275 that file.
1276
1277 @anchor{Option -init-eval-command}
1278 @item
1279 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-iex} and
1280 @samp{-ix} options in their specified order. Usually you should use the
1281 @samp{-ex} and @samp{-x} options instead, but this way you can apply
1282 settings before @value{GDBN} init files get executed and before inferior
1283 gets loaded.
1284
1285 @item
1286 Processes command line options and operands.
1287
1288 @anchor{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}
1289 @item
1290 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1291 working directory as long as @samp{set auto-load local-gdbinit} is set to
1292 @samp{on} (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory}).
1293 This is only done if the current directory is
1294 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1295 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1296 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1297 @value{GDBN}.
1298
1299 @item
1300 If the command line specified a program to debug, or a process to
1301 attach to, or a core file, @value{GDBN} loads any auto-loaded
1302 scripts provided for the program or for its loaded shared libraries.
1303 @xref{Auto-loading}.
1304
1305 If you wish to disable the auto-loading during startup,
1306 you must do something like the following:
1307
1308 @smallexample
1309 $ gdb -iex "set auto-load python-scripts off" myprogram
1310 @end smallexample
1311
1312 Option @samp{-ex} does not work because the auto-loading is then turned
1313 off too late.
1314
1315 @item
1316 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-ex} and
1317 @samp{-x} options in their specified order. @xref{Command Files}, for
1318 more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1319
1320 @item
1321 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1322 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1323 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1324 @end enumerate
1325
1326 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1327 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1328 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1329 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1330 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1331 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1332
1333 To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1334 can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1335
1336 @cindex init file name
1337 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1338 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1339 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1340 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1341 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1342 ports of @value{GDBN} use the standard name, but if they find a
1343 @file{gdb.ini} file, they warn you about that and suggest to rename
1344 the file to the standard name.
1345
1346
1347 @node Quitting GDB
1348 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1349 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1350 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1351
1352 @table @code
1353 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1354 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1355 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1356 @itemx q
1357 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1358 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1359 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1360 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1361 error code.
1362 @end table
1363
1364 @cindex interrupt
1365 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1366 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1367 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1368 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1369 until a time when it is safe.
1370
1371 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1372 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1373 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1374
1375 @node Shell Commands
1376 @section Shell Commands
1377
1378 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1379 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1380 just use the @code{shell} command.
1381
1382 @table @code
1383 @kindex shell
1384 @kindex !
1385 @cindex shell escape
1386 @item shell @var{command-string}
1387 @itemx !@var{command-string}
1388 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command-string}.
1389 Note that no space is needed between @code{!} and @var{command-string}.
1390 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1391 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1392 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1393 @end table
1394
1395 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1396 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1397 @value{GDBN}:
1398
1399 @table @code
1400 @kindex make
1401 @cindex calling make
1402 @item make @var{make-args}
1403 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1404 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1405 @end table
1406
1407 @node Logging Output
1408 @section Logging Output
1409 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1410 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1411
1412 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1413 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1414
1415 @table @code
1416 @kindex set logging
1417 @item set logging on
1418 Enable logging.
1419 @item set logging off
1420 Disable logging.
1421 @cindex logging file name
1422 @item set logging file @var{file}
1423 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1424 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1425 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1426 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1427 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1428 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1429 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1430 @kindex show logging
1431 @item show logging
1432 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1433 @end table
1434
1435 @node Commands
1436 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1437
1438 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1439 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1440 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1441 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1442 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1443
1444 @menu
1445 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1446 * Completion:: Command completion
1447 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1448 @end menu
1449
1450 @node Command Syntax
1451 @section Command Syntax
1452
1453 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1454 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1455 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1456 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1457 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1458 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1459
1460 @cindex abbreviation
1461 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1462 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1463 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1464 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1465 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1466 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1467 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1468
1469 @cindex repeating commands
1470 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1471 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1472 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1473 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1474 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1475 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1476 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1477
1478 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1479 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1480 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1481
1482 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1483 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1484 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1485 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1486 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1487
1488 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1489 @cindex comment
1490 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1491 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1492 Files,,Command Files}).
1493
1494 @cindex repeating command sequences
1495 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1496 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1497 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1498 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1499 for editing.
1500
1501 @node Completion
1502 @section Command Completion
1503
1504 @cindex completion
1505 @cindex word completion
1506 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1507 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1508 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1509 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1510
1511 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1512 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1513 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1514 enter it). For example, if you type
1515
1516 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1517 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1518 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1519 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1520 @smallexample
1521 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1522 @end smallexample
1523
1524 @noindent
1525 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1526 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1527
1528 @smallexample
1529 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1530 @end smallexample
1531
1532 @noindent
1533 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1534 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1535 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1536 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1537 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1538 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1539
1540 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1541 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1542 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1543 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1544 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1545 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1546 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1547 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1548 example:
1549
1550 @smallexample
1551 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1552 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1553 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1554 make_abs_section make_function_type
1555 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1556 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1557 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1558 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1559 @end smallexample
1560
1561 @noindent
1562 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1563 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1564 command.
1565
1566 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1567 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1568 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1569 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1570 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1571
1572 @cindex quotes in commands
1573 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1574 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1575 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1576 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1577 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1578 @value{GDBN} commands.
1579
1580 The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1581 name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1582 overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1583 by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1584 may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1585 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1586 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1587 word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1588 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1589 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1590 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1591
1592 @smallexample
1593 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1594 bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1595 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1596 @end smallexample
1597
1598 In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1599 quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1600 completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1601 place:
1602
1603 @smallexample
1604 (@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1605 @exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1606 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1607 @end smallexample
1608
1609 @noindent
1610 In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1611 you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1612 completion on an overloaded symbol.
1613
1614 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1615 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1616 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1617 see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1618
1619 @cindex completion of structure field names
1620 @cindex structure field name completion
1621 @cindex completion of union field names
1622 @cindex union field name completion
1623 When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1624 structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1625 confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1626 examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1627 limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1628 left-hand-side:
1629
1630 @smallexample
1631 (@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1632 magic to_fputs to_rewind
1633 to_data to_isatty to_write
1634 to_delete to_put to_write_async_safe
1635 to_flush to_read
1636 @end smallexample
1637
1638 @noindent
1639 This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1640 @code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1641 follows:
1642
1643 @smallexample
1644 struct ui_file
1645 @{
1646 int *magic;
1647 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1648 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1649 ui_file_write_async_safe_ftype *to_write_async_safe;
1650 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1651 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1652 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1653 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1654 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1655 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1656 void *to_data;
1657 @}
1658 @end smallexample
1659
1660
1661 @node Help
1662 @section Getting Help
1663 @cindex online documentation
1664 @kindex help
1665
1666 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1667 using the command @code{help}.
1668
1669 @table @code
1670 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1671 @item help
1672 @itemx h
1673 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1674 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1675
1676 @smallexample
1677 (@value{GDBP}) help
1678 List of classes of commands:
1679
1680 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1681 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1682 data -- Examining data
1683 files -- Specifying and examining files
1684 internals -- Maintenance commands
1685 obscure -- Obscure features
1686 running -- Running the program
1687 stack -- Examining the stack
1688 status -- Status inquiries
1689 support -- Support facilities
1690 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
1691 stopping the program
1692 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1693
1694 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1695 commands in that class.
1696 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1697 documentation.
1698 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1699 (@value{GDBP})
1700 @end smallexample
1701 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1702
1703 @item help @var{class}
1704 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1705 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1706 help display for the class @code{status}:
1707
1708 @smallexample
1709 (@value{GDBP}) help status
1710 Status inquiries.
1711
1712 List of commands:
1713
1714 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1715 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
1716 info -- Generic command for showing things
1717 about the program being debugged
1718 show -- Generic command for showing things
1719 about the debugger
1720
1721 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1722 documentation.
1723 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1724 (@value{GDBP})
1725 @end smallexample
1726
1727 @item help @var{command}
1728 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1729 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1730
1731 @kindex apropos
1732 @item apropos @var{args}
1733 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1734 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1735 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1736
1737 @smallexample
1738 apropos alias
1739 @end smallexample
1740
1741 @noindent
1742 results in:
1743
1744 @smallexample
1745 @c @group
1746 alias -- Define a new command that is an alias of an existing command
1747 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1748 d -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1749 del -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1750 delete -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1751 @c @end group
1752 @end smallexample
1753
1754 @kindex complete
1755 @item complete @var{args}
1756 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1757 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1758 command you want completed. For example:
1759
1760 @smallexample
1761 complete i
1762 @end smallexample
1763
1764 @noindent results in:
1765
1766 @smallexample
1767 @group
1768 if
1769 ignore
1770 info
1771 inspect
1772 @end group
1773 @end smallexample
1774
1775 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1776 @end table
1777
1778 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1779 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1780 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1781 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1782 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Command, Variable, and
1783 Function Index point to all the sub-commands. @xref{Command and Variable
1784 Index}.
1785
1786 @c @group
1787 @table @code
1788 @kindex info
1789 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1790 @item info
1791 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1792 program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
1793 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1794 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1795 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1796 @w{@code{help info}}.
1797
1798 @kindex set
1799 @item set
1800 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1801 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1802 @code{set prompt $}.
1803
1804 @kindex show
1805 @item show
1806 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1807 @value{GDBN} itself.
1808 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1809 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1810 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1811 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1812
1813 @kindex info set
1814 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1815 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1816 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1817 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1818 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1819 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1820 @end table
1821 @c @end group
1822
1823 Here are three miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1824 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1825
1826 @table @code
1827 @kindex show version
1828 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1829 @item show version
1830 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1831 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1832 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1833 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1834 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1835 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1836 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1837 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1838 @value{GDBN}.
1839
1840 @kindex show copying
1841 @kindex info copying
1842 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1843 @item show copying
1844 @itemx info copying
1845 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1846
1847 @kindex show warranty
1848 @kindex info warranty
1849 @item show warranty
1850 @itemx info warranty
1851 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1852 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1853
1854 @end table
1855
1856 @node Running
1857 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1858
1859 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1860 debugging information when you compile it.
1861
1862 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1863 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1864 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1865 kill a child process.
1866
1867 @menu
1868 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1869 * Starting:: Starting your program
1870 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1871 * Environment:: Your program's environment
1872
1873 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1874 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1875 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1876 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1877
1878 * Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
1879 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1880 * Forks:: Debugging forks
1881 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1882 @end menu
1883
1884 @node Compilation
1885 @section Compiling for Debugging
1886
1887 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1888 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1889 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1890 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1891 and addresses in the executable code.
1892
1893 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1894 the compiler.
1895
1896 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1897 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
1898 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1899 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1900 executables containing debugging information.
1901
1902 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1903 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1904 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1905 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1906 in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
1907
1908 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1909 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1910 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1911
1912 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1913 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1914 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1915 the @option{-g} flag alone. Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC},
1916 the @sc{gnu} C compiler, provides macro information if you are using
1917 the DWARF debugging format, and specify the option @option{-g3}.
1918
1919 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
1920 gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}, for more
1921 information on @value{NGCC} options affecting debug information.
1922
1923 You will have the best debugging experience if you use the latest
1924 version of the DWARF debugging format that your compiler supports.
1925 DWARF is currently the most expressive and best supported debugging
1926 format in @value{GDBN}.
1927
1928 @need 2000
1929 @node Starting
1930 @section Starting your Program
1931 @cindex starting
1932 @cindex running
1933
1934 @table @code
1935 @kindex run
1936 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1937 @item run
1938 @itemx r
1939 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1940 You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1941 argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1942 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1943 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
1944
1945 @end table
1946
1947 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1948 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1949 that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
1950 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
1951 like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
1952 message like this one:
1953
1954 @smallexample
1955 The "remote" target does not support "run".
1956 Try "help target" or "continue".
1957 @end smallexample
1958
1959 @noindent
1960 then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
1961 first (@pxref{load}).
1962
1963 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
1964 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
1965 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
1966 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
1967 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
1968 divided into four categories:
1969
1970 @table @asis
1971 @item The @emph{arguments.}
1972 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
1973 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
1974 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
1975 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
1976 the arguments.
1977 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
1978 @code{SHELL} environment variable.
1979 @xref{Arguments, ,Your Program's Arguments}.
1980
1981 @item The @emph{environment.}
1982 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
1983 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
1984 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
1985 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
1986
1987 @item The @emph{working directory.}
1988 Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
1989 the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
1990 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
1991
1992 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
1993 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
1994 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
1995 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
1996 set a different device for your program.
1997 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
1998
1999 @cindex pipes
2000 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
2001 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
2002 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
2003 wrong program.
2004 @end table
2005
2006 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
2007 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
2008 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
2009 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
2010 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
2011
2012 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
2013 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
2014 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
2015 your current breakpoints.
2016
2017 @table @code
2018 @kindex start
2019 @item start
2020 @cindex run to main procedure
2021 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
2022 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
2023 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
2024 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
2025 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
2026 procedure, depending on the language used.
2027
2028 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
2029 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
2030 the @samp{run} command.
2031
2032 @cindex elaboration phase
2033 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
2034 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
2035 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
2036 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
2037 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
2038 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
2039 will remain to halt execution.
2040
2041 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
2042 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
2043 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
2044 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
2045 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
2046
2047 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
2048 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
2049 your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
2050 elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
2051 elaboration code before running your program.
2052
2053 @kindex set exec-wrapper
2054 @item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
2055 @itemx show exec-wrapper
2056 @itemx unset exec-wrapper
2057 When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
2058 launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
2059 with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
2060 @var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
2061 arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
2062 appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
2063 your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
2064
2065 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
2066 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
2067 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
2068 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
2069
2070 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
2071 the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
2072 environment:
2073
2074 @smallexample
2075 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
2076 (@value{GDBP}) run
2077 @end smallexample
2078
2079 This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2080 @sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2081
2082 @kindex set disable-randomization
2083 @item set disable-randomization
2084 @itemx set disable-randomization on
2085 This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2086 randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2087 is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2088 reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2089
2090 This feature is implemented only on certain targets, including @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2091 On @sc{gnu}/Linux you can get the same behavior using
2092
2093 @smallexample
2094 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2095 @end smallexample
2096
2097 @item set disable-randomization off
2098 Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2099 ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2100 disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2101 @value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2102 as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2103 disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2104
2105 On targets where it is available, virtual address space randomization
2106 protects the programs against certain kinds of security attacks. In these
2107 cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2108 code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2109 a code at its expected addresses.
2110
2111 Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2112 makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2113 having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2114 library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2115 misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2116 random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2117 startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2118 a randomly chosen address.
2119
2120 Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2121 similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2122 a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2123 already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2124 executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2125
2126 Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2127 (as long as the randomization is enabled).
2128
2129 @item show disable-randomization
2130 Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2131 the virtual address space of the started program.
2132
2133 @end table
2134
2135 @node Arguments
2136 @section Your Program's Arguments
2137
2138 @cindex arguments (to your program)
2139 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2140 @code{run} command.
2141 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2142 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2143 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2144 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2145 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2146
2147 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2148 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2149 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2150 the program, not by the shell.
2151
2152 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2153 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2154
2155 @table @code
2156 @kindex set args
2157 @item set args
2158 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2159 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2160 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2161 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2162 it again without arguments.
2163
2164 @kindex show args
2165 @item show args
2166 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2167 @end table
2168
2169 @node Environment
2170 @section Your Program's Environment
2171
2172 @cindex environment (of your program)
2173 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2174 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2175 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2176 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2177 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2178 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2179 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2180
2181 @table @code
2182 @kindex path
2183 @item path @var{directory}
2184 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2185 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2186 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2187 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2188 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2189 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2190 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2191
2192 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2193 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2194 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2195 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2196 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2197 @var{directory} to the search path.
2198 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2199 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2200
2201 @kindex show paths
2202 @item show paths
2203 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2204 environment variable).
2205
2206 @kindex show environment
2207 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2208 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2209 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2210 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2211 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2212
2213 @kindex set environment
2214 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2215 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2216 changes for your program only, not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may
2217 be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
2218 any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2219 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2220 null value.
2221 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2222 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2223
2224 For example, this command:
2225
2226 @smallexample
2227 set env USER = foo
2228 @end smallexample
2229
2230 @noindent
2231 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2232 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2233 are not actually required.)
2234
2235 @kindex unset environment
2236 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2237 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2238 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2239 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2240 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2241 @end table
2242
2243 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2244 the shell indicated
2245 by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it exists (or
2246 @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable names a shell
2247 that runs an initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, or
2248 @file{.bashrc} for BASH---any variables you set in that file affect
2249 your program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to
2250 files that are only run when you sign on, such as @file{.login} or
2251 @file{.profile}.
2252
2253 @node Working Directory
2254 @section Your Program's Working Directory
2255
2256 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2257 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2258 working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2259 The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2260 from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2261 working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2262
2263 The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2264 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2265 Specify Files}.
2266
2267 @table @code
2268 @kindex cd
2269 @cindex change working directory
2270 @item cd @r{[}@var{directory}@r{]}
2271 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}. If not
2272 given, @var{directory} uses @file{'~'}.
2273
2274 @kindex pwd
2275 @item pwd
2276 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2277 @end table
2278
2279 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2280 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2281 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2282 configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2283 proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2284 current working directory of the debuggee.
2285
2286 @node Input/Output
2287 @section Your Program's Input and Output
2288
2289 @cindex redirection
2290 @cindex i/o
2291 @cindex terminal
2292 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2293 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2294 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2295 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2296 running your program.
2297
2298 @table @code
2299 @kindex info terminal
2300 @item info terminal
2301 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2302 program is using.
2303 @end table
2304
2305 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2306 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2307
2308 @smallexample
2309 run > outfile
2310 @end smallexample
2311
2312 @noindent
2313 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2314
2315 @kindex tty
2316 @cindex controlling terminal
2317 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2318 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2319 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2320 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2321 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2322
2323 @smallexample
2324 tty /dev/ttyb
2325 @end smallexample
2326
2327 @noindent
2328 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2329 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2330 that as their controlling terminal.
2331
2332 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2333 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2334 terminal.
2335
2336 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2337 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2338 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2339 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2340
2341 @cindex inferior tty
2342 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2343 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2344 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2345 program.
2346
2347 @table @code
2348 @item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2349 @kindex set inferior-tty
2350 Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2351
2352 @item show inferior-tty
2353 @kindex show inferior-tty
2354 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2355 @end table
2356
2357 @node Attach
2358 @section Debugging an Already-running Process
2359 @kindex attach
2360 @cindex attach
2361
2362 @table @code
2363 @item attach @var{process-id}
2364 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2365 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2366 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2367 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2368 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2369
2370 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2371 executing the command.
2372 @end table
2373
2374 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2375 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2376 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2377 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2378
2379 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2380 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2381 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2382 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2383 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2384 Specify Files}.
2385
2386 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2387 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2388 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2389 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2390 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2391 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2392 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2393
2394 @table @code
2395 @kindex detach
2396 @item detach
2397 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2398 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2399 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2400 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2401 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2402 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2403 executing the command.
2404 @end table
2405
2406 If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2407 that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2408 By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2409 things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2410 @code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2411 Messages}).
2412
2413 @node Kill Process
2414 @section Killing the Child Process
2415
2416 @table @code
2417 @kindex kill
2418 @item kill
2419 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2420 @end table
2421
2422 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2423 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2424 is running.
2425
2426 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2427 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2428 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2429 outside the debugger.
2430
2431 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2432 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2433 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2434 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2435 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2436 breakpoint settings).
2437
2438 @node Inferiors and Programs
2439 @section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2440
2441 @value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2442 session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2443 several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2444 before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2445 multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2446 from multiple executables.
2447
2448 @cindex inferior
2449 @value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2450 object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2451 a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2452 have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2453 may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2454 identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2455 inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2456 embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2457 of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2458 threads running in it.
2459
2460 To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2461 inferiors}}:
2462
2463 @table @code
2464 @kindex info inferiors
2465 @item info inferiors
2466 Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2467
2468 @value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2469
2470 @enumerate
2471 @item
2472 the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2473
2474 @item
2475 the target system's inferior identifier
2476
2477 @item
2478 the name of the executable the inferior is running.
2479
2480 @end enumerate
2481
2482 @noindent
2483 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
2484 indicates the current inferior.
2485
2486 For example,
2487 @end table
2488 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2489
2490 @smallexample
2491 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2492 Num Description Executable
2493 2 process 2307 hello
2494 * 1 process 3401 goodbye
2495 @end smallexample
2496
2497 To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
2498
2499 @table @code
2500 @kindex inferior @var{infno}
2501 @item inferior @var{infno}
2502 Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
2503 @var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
2504 in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
2505 @end table
2506
2507
2508 You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
2509 @code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
2510 systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
2511 automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
2512 remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
2513 @w{@code{remove-inferiors}} command.
2514
2515 @table @code
2516 @kindex add-inferior
2517 @item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
2518 Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
2519 executable. @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
2520 the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
2521 change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
2522 @code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
2523
2524 @kindex clone-inferior
2525 @item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
2526 Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
2527 @var{infno}. @var{n} defaults to 1. @var{infno} defaults to the
2528 number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
2529 want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
2530
2531 @smallexample
2532 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2533 Num Description Executable
2534 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2535 (@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
2536 Added inferior 2.
2537 1 inferiors added.
2538 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2539 Num Description Executable
2540 2 <null> helloworld
2541 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2542 @end smallexample
2543
2544 You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
2545
2546 @kindex remove-inferiors
2547 @item remove-inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2548 Removes the inferior or inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}. It is not
2549 possible to remove an inferior that is running with this command. For
2550 those, use the @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
2551
2552 @end table
2553
2554 To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
2555 inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
2556 inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
2557 using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}} command:
2558
2559 @table @code
2560 @kindex detach inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2561 @item detach inferior @var{infno}@dots{}
2562 Detach from the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN}
2563 inferior number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry
2564 still stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors},
2565 but its Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2566
2567 @kindex kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2568 @item kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2569 Kill the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN} inferior
2570 number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry still
2571 stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its
2572 Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2573 @end table
2574
2575 After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
2576 @code{detach inferiors}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferiors}, or after
2577 a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
2578 @code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
2579
2580
2581 To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
2582 control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
2583
2584 @table @code
2585 @kindex set print inferior-events
2586 @cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
2587 @item set print inferior-events
2588 @itemx set print inferior-events on
2589 @itemx set print inferior-events off
2590 The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
2591 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
2592 inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
2593 detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
2594
2595 @kindex show print inferior-events
2596 @item show print inferior-events
2597 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
2598 inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
2599 @end table
2600
2601 Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
2602 single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
2603 value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
2604
2605
2606 Occasionaly, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
2607 get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
2608 spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
2609 info program-spaces}} command.
2610
2611 @table @code
2612 @kindex maint info program-spaces
2613 @item maint info program-spaces
2614 Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
2615 @value{GDBN}.
2616
2617 @value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
2618
2619 @enumerate
2620 @item
2621 the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2622
2623 @item
2624 the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
2625 the @code{file} command.
2626
2627 @end enumerate
2628
2629 @noindent
2630 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
2631 indicates the current program space.
2632
2633 In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
2634 information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
2635 example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
2636
2637 @smallexample
2638 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2639 Id Executable
2640 2 goodbye
2641 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
2642 * 1 hello
2643 @end smallexample
2644
2645 Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
2646 while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
2647 some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
2648 same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
2649 the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
2650
2651 @smallexample
2652 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2653 Id Executable
2654 * 1 vfork-test
2655 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
2656 @end smallexample
2657
2658 Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
2659 space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
2660 @end table
2661
2662 @node Threads
2663 @section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
2664
2665 @cindex threads of execution
2666 @cindex multiple threads
2667 @cindex switching threads
2668 In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2669 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2670 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2671 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2672 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2673 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2674 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2675
2676 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2677 programs:
2678
2679 @itemize @bullet
2680 @item automatic notification of new threads
2681 @item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2682 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2683 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2684 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2685 @item thread-specific breakpoints
2686 @item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
2687 messages on thread start and exit.
2688 @item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
2689 the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
2690 isn't compatible with the program.
2691 @end itemize
2692
2693 @quotation
2694 @emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2695 @value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2696 If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2697 effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2698 from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2699 like this:
2700
2701 @smallexample
2702 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2703 (@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2704 Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2705 see the IDs of currently known threads.
2706 @end smallexample
2707 @c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2708 @c doesn't support threads"?
2709 @end quotation
2710
2711 @cindex focus of debugging
2712 @cindex current thread
2713 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2714 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2715 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2716 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2717 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2718
2719 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2720 @cindex thread identifier (system)
2721 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2722 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2723 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2724 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2725 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2726 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2727 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2728 @sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
2729
2730 @smallexample
2731 [New Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 25582)]
2732 @end smallexample
2733
2734 @noindent
2735 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2736 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2737 further qualifier.
2738
2739 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2740 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2741 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2742 @c program?
2743 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2744 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2745 @c threads ab initio?
2746
2747 @cindex thread number
2748 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2749 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2750 number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2751
2752 @table @code
2753 @kindex info threads
2754 @item info threads @r{[}@var{id}@dots{}@r{]}
2755 Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. Optional
2756 argument @var{id}@dots{} is one or more thread ids separated by spaces, and
2757 means to print information only about the specified thread or threads.
2758 @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2759
2760 @enumerate
2761 @item
2762 the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2763
2764 @item
2765 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2766
2767 @item
2768 the thread's name, if one is known. A thread can either be named by
2769 the user (see @code{thread name}, below), or, in some cases, by the
2770 program itself.
2771
2772 @item
2773 the current stack frame summary for that thread
2774 @end enumerate
2775
2776 @noindent
2777 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2778 indicates the current thread.
2779
2780 For example,
2781 @end table
2782 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2783
2784 @smallexample
2785 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2786 Id Target Id Frame
2787 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2788 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2789 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2790 at threadtest.c:68
2791 @end smallexample
2792
2793 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2794 Solaris-specific command:
2795
2796 @table @code
2797 @item maint info sol-threads
2798 @kindex maint info sol-threads
2799 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
2800 Display info on Solaris user threads.
2801 @end table
2802
2803 @table @code
2804 @kindex thread @var{threadno}
2805 @item thread @var{threadno}
2806 Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2807 argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2808 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2809 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2810 you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2811
2812 @smallexample
2813 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2814 [Switching to thread 2 (Thread 0xb7fdab70 (LWP 12747))]
2815 #0 some_function (ignore=0x0) at example.c:8
2816 8 printf ("hello\n");
2817 @end smallexample
2818
2819 @noindent
2820 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2821 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2822 threads.
2823
2824 @vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
2825 The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_thread} contains the number
2826 of the current thread. You may find this useful in writing breakpoint
2827 conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth. See
2828 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
2829 information on convenience variables.
2830
2831 @kindex thread apply
2832 @cindex apply command to several threads
2833 @item thread apply [@var{threadno} | all] @var{command}
2834 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2835 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2836 threads that you want affected with the command argument
2837 @var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2838 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2839 could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2840 command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2841
2842 @kindex thread name
2843 @cindex name a thread
2844 @item thread name [@var{name}]
2845 This command assigns a name to the current thread. If no argument is
2846 given, any existing user-specified name is removed. The thread name
2847 appears in the @samp{info threads} display.
2848
2849 On some systems, such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, @value{GDBN} is able to
2850 determine the name of the thread as given by the OS. On these
2851 systems, a name specified with @samp{thread name} will override the
2852 system-give name, and removing the user-specified name will cause
2853 @value{GDBN} to once again display the system-specified name.
2854
2855 @kindex thread find
2856 @cindex search for a thread
2857 @item thread find [@var{regexp}]
2858 Search for and display thread ids whose name or @var{systag}
2859 matches the supplied regular expression.
2860
2861 As well as being the complement to the @samp{thread name} command,
2862 this command also allows you to identify a thread by its target
2863 @var{systag}. For instance, on @sc{gnu}/Linux, the target @var{systag}
2864 is the LWP id.
2865
2866 @smallexample
2867 (@value{GDBN}) thread find 26688
2868 Thread 4 has target id 'Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688)'
2869 (@value{GDBN}) info thread 4
2870 Id Target Id Frame
2871 4 Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688) 0x00000031ca6cd372 in select ()
2872 @end smallexample
2873
2874 @kindex set print thread-events
2875 @cindex print messages on thread start and exit
2876 @item set print thread-events
2877 @itemx set print thread-events on
2878 @itemx set print thread-events off
2879 The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
2880 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
2881 started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
2882 be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
2883 Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
2884
2885 @kindex show print thread-events
2886 @item show print thread-events
2887 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
2888 have started and exited.
2889 @end table
2890
2891 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
2892 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2893 programs with multiple threads.
2894
2895 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
2896 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2897
2898 @anchor{set libthread-db-search-path}
2899 @table @code
2900 @kindex set libthread-db-search-path
2901 @cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
2902 @item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
2903 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
2904 directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
2905 If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
2906 its default value (@code{$sdir:$pdir} on @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems).
2907 Internally, the default value comes from the @code{LIBTHREAD_DB_SEARCH_PATH}
2908 macro.
2909
2910 On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
2911 @code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
2912 inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2913 to find @code{libthread_db}. @value{GDBN} also consults first if inferior
2914 specific thread debugging library loading is enabled
2915 by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2916
2917 A special entry @samp{$sdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2918 refers to the default system directories that are
2919 normally searched for loading shared libraries. The @samp{$sdir} entry
2920 is the only kind not needing to be enabled by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db}
2921 (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2922
2923 A special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2924 refers to the directory from which @code{libpthread}
2925 was loaded in the inferior process.
2926
2927 For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
2928 @value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
2929 If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
2930 mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
2931 will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
2932 If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
2933 @value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
2934
2935 Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
2936 only on some platforms.
2937
2938 @kindex show libthread-db-search-path
2939 @item show libthread-db-search-path
2940 Display current libthread_db search path.
2941
2942 @kindex set debug libthread-db
2943 @kindex show debug libthread-db
2944 @cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
2945 @item set debug libthread-db
2946 @itemx show debug libthread-db
2947 Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
2948 Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
2949 @end table
2950
2951 @node Forks
2952 @section Debugging Forks
2953
2954 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
2955 @cindex multiple processes
2956 @cindex processes, multiple
2957 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
2958 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
2959 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
2960 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
2961 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
2962 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
2963 will cause it to terminate.
2964
2965 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
2966 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
2967 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
2968 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
2969 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
2970 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
2971 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
2972 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
2973 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
2974 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
2975
2976 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
2977 create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
2978 Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
2979 only?) and @sc{gnu}/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
2980
2981 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
2982 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
2983
2984 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
2985 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
2986
2987 @table @code
2988 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
2989 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
2990 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
2991 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
2992 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
2993
2994 @table @code
2995 @item parent
2996 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
2997 unimpeded. This is the default.
2998
2999 @item child
3000 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
3001 unimpeded.
3002
3003 @end table
3004
3005 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
3006 @item show follow-fork-mode
3007 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
3008 @end table
3009
3010 @cindex debugging multiple processes
3011 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
3012 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
3013
3014 @table @code
3015 @kindex set detach-on-fork
3016 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
3017 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
3018 retain debugger control over them both.
3019
3020 @table @code
3021 @item on
3022 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
3023 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
3024 independently. This is the default.
3025
3026 @item off
3027 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
3028 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
3029 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
3030 is held suspended.
3031
3032 @end table
3033
3034 @kindex show detach-on-fork
3035 @item show detach-on-fork
3036 Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
3037 @end table
3038
3039 If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
3040 will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
3041 You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
3042 using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
3043 to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
3044 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
3045
3046 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
3047 from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferiors}} command (allowing it
3048 to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}}
3049 command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
3050 and Programs}.
3051
3052 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
3053 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
3054 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
3055 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
3056 the child process's @code{main}.
3057
3058 On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
3059 cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
3060
3061 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
3062 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
3063 process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
3064 as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
3065 @value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
3066 You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
3067 command.
3068
3069 @table @code
3070 @kindex set follow-exec-mode
3071 @item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
3072
3073 Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3074 @code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3075
3076 @code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3077
3078 @table @code
3079 @item new
3080 @value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3081 new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3082 @code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3083 original inferior.
3084
3085 For example:
3086
3087 @smallexample
3088 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3089 (gdb) info inferior
3090 Id Description Executable
3091 * 1 <null> prog1
3092 (@value{GDBP}) run
3093 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3094 Program exited normally.
3095 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3096 Id Description Executable
3097 * 2 <null> prog2
3098 1 <null> prog1
3099 @end smallexample
3100
3101 @item same
3102 @value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3103 executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3104 inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3105 e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3106 running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3107
3108 For example:
3109
3110 @smallexample
3111 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3112 Id Description Executable
3113 * 1 <null> prog1
3114 (@value{GDBP}) run
3115 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3116 Program exited normally.
3117 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3118 Id Description Executable
3119 * 1 <null> prog2
3120 @end smallexample
3121
3122 @end table
3123 @end table
3124
3125 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3126 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3127 Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3128
3129 @node Checkpoint/Restart
3130 @section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3131
3132 @cindex checkpoint
3133 @cindex restart
3134 @cindex bookmark
3135 @cindex snapshot of a process
3136 @cindex rewind program state
3137
3138 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3139 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3140 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3141 later.
3142
3143 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3144 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3145 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3146 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3147 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3148
3149 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3150 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3151 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3152 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3153 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3154 start again from there.
3155
3156 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3157 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3158
3159 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3160
3161 @table @code
3162 @kindex checkpoint
3163 @item checkpoint
3164 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3165 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3166 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3167
3168 @kindex info checkpoints
3169 @item info checkpoints
3170 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3171 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3172 listed:
3173
3174 @table @code
3175 @item Checkpoint ID
3176 @item Process ID
3177 @item Code Address
3178 @item Source line, or label
3179 @end table
3180
3181 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3182 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3183 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3184 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3185 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3186 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3187 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3188
3189 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3190 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3191 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3192 the debugger.
3193
3194 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3195 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3196 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3197
3198 @end table
3199
3200 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3201 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3202 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3203 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3204 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3205 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3206 previously read data can be read again.
3207
3208 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3209 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3210 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3211 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3212 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3213 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3214
3215 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3216 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3217 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3218 different execution path this time.
3219
3220 @cindex checkpoints and process id
3221 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3222 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3223 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3224 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3225 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3226 potentially pose a problem.
3227
3228 @subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3229
3230 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3231 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3232 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3233 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3234 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3235 next.
3236
3237 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3238 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3239 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3240 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3241 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3242
3243 @node Stopping
3244 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
3245
3246 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3247 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3248 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3249
3250 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3251 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3252 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3253 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3254 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3255 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3256 explicitly request this information at any time.
3257
3258 @table @code
3259 @kindex info program
3260 @item info program
3261 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3262 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3263 @end table
3264
3265 @menu
3266 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3267 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3268 * Skipping Over Functions and Files::
3269 Skipping over functions and files
3270 * Signals:: Signals
3271 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3272 @end menu
3273
3274 @node Breakpoints
3275 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3276
3277 @cindex breakpoints
3278 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3279 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3280 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3281 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3282 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3283 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3284 program.
3285
3286 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3287 the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
3288 you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
3289 in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
3290 (for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
3291 call).
3292
3293 @cindex watchpoints
3294 @cindex data breakpoints
3295 @cindex memory tracing
3296 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
3297 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3298 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3299 when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3300 of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3301 combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3302 @dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3303 watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3304 from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3305 enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3306 same commands.
3307
3308 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3309 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3310 Automatic Display}.
3311
3312 @cindex catchpoints
3313 @cindex breakpoint on events
3314 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3315 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3316 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3317 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3318 Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3319 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
3320 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3321
3322 @cindex breakpoint numbers
3323 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
3324 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3325 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
3326 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
3327 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
3328 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
3329 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
3330 enable it again.
3331
3332 @cindex breakpoint ranges
3333 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
3334 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
3335 operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
3336 @samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
3337 hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
3338 all breakpoints in that range are operated on.
3339
3340 @menu
3341 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
3342 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
3343 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
3344 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
3345 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
3346 * Conditions:: Break conditions
3347 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
3348 * Dynamic Printf:: Dynamic printf
3349 * Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
3350 * Static Probe Points:: Listing static probe points
3351 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3352 * Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3353 @end menu
3354
3355 @node Set Breaks
3356 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
3357
3358 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
3359 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
3360 @c
3361 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
3362
3363 @kindex break
3364 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
3365 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
3366 @cindex latest breakpoint
3367 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
3368 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
3369 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
3370 Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
3371 convenience variables.
3372
3373 @table @code
3374 @item break @var{location}
3375 Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
3376 function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
3377 (@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
3378 specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
3379 before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
3380
3381 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
3382 C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
3383 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
3384 that situation.
3385
3386 It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
3387 only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
3388 or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
3389
3390 @item break
3391 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
3392 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
3393 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
3394 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
3395 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
3396 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
3397 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
3398 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
3399 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
3400 inside loops.
3401
3402 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
3403 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
3404 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
3405 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
3406 existed when your program stopped.
3407
3408 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
3409 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
3410 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
3411 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
3412 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
3413 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
3414 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
3415
3416 @kindex tbreak
3417 @item tbreak @var{args}
3418 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
3419 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
3420 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
3421 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3422
3423 @kindex hbreak
3424 @cindex hardware breakpoints
3425 @item hbreak @var{args}
3426 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
3427 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
3428 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
3429 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
3430 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
3431 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
3432 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
3433 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
3434 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
3435 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
3436 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
3437 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
3438 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
3439 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
3440 @xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3441 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3442 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3443 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3444
3445 @kindex thbreak
3446 @item thbreak @var{args}
3447 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
3448 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
3449 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
3450 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
3451 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
3452 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
3453 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3454 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3455
3456 @kindex rbreak
3457 @cindex regular expression
3458 @cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
3459 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
3460 @item rbreak @var{regex}
3461 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
3462 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
3463 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
3464 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
3465 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
3466 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
3467
3468 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
3469 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
3470 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
3471 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
3472 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
3473 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
3474
3475 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
3476 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
3477 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
3478 classes.
3479
3480 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
3481 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
3482 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
3483
3484 @smallexample
3485 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
3486 @end smallexample
3487
3488 @item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
3489 If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
3490 the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
3491 specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
3492 every function in a given file:
3493
3494 @smallexample
3495 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
3496 @end smallexample
3497
3498 The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
3499 optionally be surrounded by spaces.
3500
3501 @kindex info breakpoints
3502 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
3503 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3504 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3505 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
3506 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
3507 about the specified breakpoint(s) (or watchpoint(s) or catchpoint(s)).
3508 For each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
3509
3510 @table @emph
3511 @item Breakpoint Numbers
3512 @item Type
3513 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
3514 @item Disposition
3515 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
3516 @item Enabled or Disabled
3517 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3518 that are not enabled.
3519 @item Address
3520 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
3521 pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
3522 contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
3523 library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
3524 See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
3525 have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
3526 @item What
3527 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3528 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3529 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3530 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3531 @end table
3532
3533 @noindent
3534 If a breakpoint is conditional, there are two evaluation modes: ``host'' and
3535 ``target''. If mode is ``host'', breakpoint condition evaluation is done by
3536 @value{GDBN} on the host's side. If it is ``target'', then the condition
3537 is evaluated by the target. The @code{info break} command shows
3538 the condition on the line following the affected breakpoint, together with
3539 its condition evaluation mode in between parentheses.
3540
3541 Breakpoint commands, if any, are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is
3542 allowed to have a condition specified for it. The condition is not parsed for
3543 validity until a shared library is loaded that allows the pending
3544 breakpoint to resolve to a valid location.
3545
3546 @noindent
3547 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
3548 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3549 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3550 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3551 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
3552
3553 @noindent
3554 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3555 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3556 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3557 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3558 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3559 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3560
3561 @noindent
3562 For a breakpoints with an enable count (xref) greater than 1,
3563 @code{info break} also displays that count.
3564
3565 @end table
3566
3567 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3568 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3569 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3570 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
3571
3572 @cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
3573 @cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
3574 It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
3575 in your program. Examples of this situation are:
3576
3577 @itemize @bullet
3578 @item
3579 Multiple functions in the program may have the same name.
3580
3581 @item
3582 For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
3583 instances of the function body, used in different cases.
3584
3585 @item
3586 For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
3587 correspond to any number of instantiations.
3588
3589 @item
3590 For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
3591 several places where that function is inlined.
3592 @end itemize
3593
3594 In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
3595 the relevant locations.
3596
3597 A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
3598 table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
3599 each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
3600 address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
3601 addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
3602 locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
3603 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
3604
3605 For example:
3606
3607 @smallexample
3608 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
3609 1 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
3610 stop only if i==1
3611 breakpoint already hit 1 time
3612 1.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
3613 1.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
3614 @end smallexample
3615
3616 Each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
3617 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
3618 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. Note that you cannot
3619 delete the individual locations from the list, you can only delete the
3620 entire list of locations that belong to their parent breakpoint (with
3621 the @kbd{delete @var{num}} command, where @var{num} is the number of
3622 the parent breakpoint, 1 in the above example). Disabling or enabling
3623 the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects all of the locations
3624 that belong to that breakpoint.
3625
3626 @cindex pending breakpoints
3627 It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
3628 Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
3629 and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
3630 this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
3631 any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
3632 set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
3633 debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
3634 symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
3635 breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
3636 a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
3637 is not yet resolved.
3638
3639 After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
3640 @value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
3641 shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
3642 pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
3643 ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
3644 that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
3645
3646 This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
3647 example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
3648 a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
3649 a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
3650
3651 Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
3652 differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
3653 enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
3654
3655 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
3656 happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
3657 address specification to an address:
3658
3659 @kindex set breakpoint pending
3660 @kindex show breakpoint pending
3661 @table @code
3662 @item set breakpoint pending auto
3663 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3664 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3665
3666 @item set breakpoint pending on
3667 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3668 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3669
3670 @item set breakpoint pending off
3671 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3672 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3673 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3674
3675 @item show breakpoint pending
3676 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3677 @end table
3678
3679 The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
3680 variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
3681 as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
3682
3683 @cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
3684 For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
3685 software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
3686 breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
3687 breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
3688 breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
3689 breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
3690 breakpoints.
3691
3692 You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands::
3693
3694 @kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
3695 @kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
3696 @table @code
3697 @item set breakpoint auto-hw on
3698 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
3699 will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
3700 breakpoint must be used.
3701
3702 @item set breakpoint auto-hw off
3703 This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
3704 type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
3705 trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
3706 @end table
3707
3708 @value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
3709 at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
3710 executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
3711 code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
3712 the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
3713 behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
3714 target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
3715 targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
3716 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
3717
3718 @kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
3719 @kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
3720 @table @code
3721 @item set breakpoint always-inserted off
3722 All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
3723 the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
3724 removed from the target when it stops.
3725
3726 @item set breakpoint always-inserted on
3727 Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
3728 the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
3729 breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
3730 removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is removed.
3731
3732 @cindex non-stop mode, and @code{breakpoint always-inserted}
3733 @item set breakpoint always-inserted auto
3734 This is the default mode. If @value{GDBN} is controlling the inferior
3735 in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}), gdb behaves as if
3736 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is on. If @value{GDBN} is
3737 controlling the inferior in all-stop mode, @value{GDBN} behaves as if
3738 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is off.
3739 @end table
3740
3741 @value{GDBN} handles conditional breakpoints by evaluating these conditions
3742 when a breakpoint breaks. If the condition is true, then the process being
3743 debugged stops, otherwise the process is resumed.
3744
3745 If the target supports evaluating conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} may
3746 download the breakpoint, together with its conditions, to it.
3747
3748 This feature can be controlled via the following commands:
3749
3750 @kindex set breakpoint condition-evaluation
3751 @kindex show breakpoint condition-evaluation
3752 @table @code
3753 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation host
3754 This option commands @value{GDBN} to evaluate the breakpoint
3755 conditions on the host's side. Unconditional breakpoints are sent to
3756 the target which in turn receives the triggers and reports them back to GDB
3757 for condition evaluation. This is the standard evaluation mode.
3758
3759 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation target
3760 This option commands @value{GDBN} to download breakpoint conditions
3761 to the target at the moment of their insertion. The target
3762 is responsible for evaluating the conditional expression and reporting
3763 breakpoint stop events back to @value{GDBN} whenever the condition
3764 is true. Due to limitations of target-side evaluation, some conditions
3765 cannot be evaluated there, e.g., conditions that depend on local data
3766 that is only known to the host. Examples include
3767 conditional expressions involving convenience variables, complex types
3768 that cannot be handled by the agent expression parser and expressions
3769 that are too long to be sent over to the target, specially when the
3770 target is a remote system. In these cases, the conditions will be
3771 evaluated by @value{GDBN}.
3772
3773 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation auto
3774 This is the default mode. If the target supports evaluating breakpoint
3775 conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} will download breakpoint conditions to
3776 the target (limitations mentioned previously apply). If the target does
3777 not support breakpoint condition evaluation, then @value{GDBN} will fallback
3778 to evaluating all these conditions on the host's side.
3779 @end table
3780
3781
3782 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3783 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3784 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3785 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3786 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3787 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3788 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3789 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3790
3791
3792 @node Set Watchpoints
3793 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
3794
3795 @cindex setting watchpoints
3796 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3797 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3798 this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
3799 The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
3800 as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
3801
3802 @itemize @bullet
3803 @item
3804 A reference to the value of a single variable.
3805
3806 @item
3807 An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
3808 @samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
3809 address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
3810
3811 @item
3812 An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
3813 expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
3814 language (@pxref{Languages}).
3815 @end itemize
3816
3817 You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
3818 not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
3819 @samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
3820 @value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
3821 the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
3822 valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
3823 pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
3824 @code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
3825 the expression changes.
3826
3827 @cindex software watchpoints
3828 @cindex hardware watchpoints
3829 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3830 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3831 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3832 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3833 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3834 culprit.)
3835
3836 On some systems, such as HP-UX, PowerPC, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3837 x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3838 watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3839
3840 @table @code
3841 @kindex watch
3842 @item watch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3843 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
3844 expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
3845 changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
3846 to watch the value of a single variable:
3847
3848 @smallexample
3849 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo
3850 @end smallexample
3851
3852 If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}}
3853 argument, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
3854 @var{threadnum} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
3855 change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
3856 that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
3857 with Hardware Watchpoints.
3858
3859 Ordinarily a watchpoint respects the scope of variables in @var{expr}
3860 (see below). The @code{-location} argument tells @value{GDBN} to
3861 instead watch the memory referred to by @var{expr}. In this case,
3862 @value{GDBN} will evaluate @var{expr}, take the address of the result,
3863 and watch the memory at that address. The type of the result is used
3864 to determine the size of the watched memory. If the expression's
3865 result does not have an address, then @value{GDBN} will print an
3866 error.
3867
3868 The @code{@r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}} argument allows creation
3869 of masked watchpoints, if the current architecture supports this
3870 feature (e.g., PowerPC Embedded architecture, see @ref{PowerPC
3871 Embedded}.) A @dfn{masked watchpoint} specifies a mask in addition
3872 to an address to watch. The mask specifies that some bits of an address
3873 (the bits which are reset in the mask) should be ignored when matching
3874 the address accessed by the inferior against the watchpoint address.
3875 Thus, a masked watchpoint watches many addresses simultaneously---those
3876 addresses whose unmasked bits are identical to the unmasked bits in the
3877 watchpoint address. The @code{mask} argument implies @code{-location}.
3878 Examples:
3879
3880 @smallexample
3881 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo mask 0xffff00ff
3882 (@value{GDBP}) watch *0xdeadbeef mask 0xffffff00
3883 @end smallexample
3884
3885 @kindex rwatch
3886 @item rwatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3887 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3888 by the program.
3889
3890 @kindex awatch
3891 @item awatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3892 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3893 or written into by the program.
3894
3895 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3896 @item info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3897 This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
3898 @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3899 @end table
3900
3901 If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
3902 dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
3903 never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
3904 a never-changing value:
3905
3906 @smallexample
3907 (@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
3908 Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
3909 (@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
3910 Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
3911 @end smallexample
3912
3913 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3914 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3915 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3916 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3917 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3918 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3919
3920 @cindex use only software watchpoints
3921 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3922 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3923 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3924 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
3925 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
3926 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
3927 mechanism of watching expression values.)
3928
3929 @table @code
3930 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3931 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3932 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
3933
3934 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3935 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3936 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
3937 @end table
3938
3939 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3940 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3941 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3942
3943 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
3944
3945 @smallexample
3946 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
3947 @end smallexample
3948
3949 @noindent
3950 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
3951
3952 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
3953 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
3954 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
3955 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
3956 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
3957 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
3958 will print a message like this:
3959
3960 @smallexample
3961 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
3962 @end smallexample
3963
3964 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
3965 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
3966 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
3967 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
3968 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
3969 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
3970 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
3971 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
3972
3973 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
3974 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
3975 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
3976 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
3977 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
3978 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
3979
3980 @smallexample
3981 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
3982 @end smallexample
3983
3984 @noindent
3985 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
3986
3987 Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
3988 exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
3989 That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
3990 expression with separately allocated resources.
3991
3992 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
3993 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
3994 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
3995
3996 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
3997 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
3998 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
3999 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
4000 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
4001 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
4002 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
4003 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
4004 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
4005
4006 @cindex watchpoints and threads
4007 @cindex threads and watchpoints
4008 In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
4009 watched expression from every thread.
4010
4011 @quotation
4012 @emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
4013 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
4014 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
4015 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
4016 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
4017 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
4018 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
4019 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
4020 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
4021 @end quotation
4022
4023 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
4024
4025 @node Set Catchpoints
4026 @subsection Setting Catchpoints
4027 @cindex catchpoints, setting
4028 @cindex exception handlers
4029 @cindex event handling
4030
4031 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
4032 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
4033 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
4034
4035 @table @code
4036 @kindex catch
4037 @item catch @var{event}
4038 Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
4039 @table @code
4040 @item throw
4041 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
4042 The throwing of a C@t{++} exception.
4043
4044 @item catch
4045 The catching of a C@t{++} exception.
4046
4047 @item exception
4048 @cindex Ada exception catching
4049 @cindex catch Ada exceptions
4050 An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
4051 at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
4052 the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
4053 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
4054
4055 When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
4056 name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
4057 fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
4058 @value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
4059 rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
4060 called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
4061 the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
4062 Pck.Constraint_Error}.
4063
4064 @item exception unhandled
4065 An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program.
4066
4067 @item assert
4068 A failed Ada assertion.
4069
4070 @item exec
4071 @cindex break on fork/exec
4072 A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4073 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4074
4075 @item syscall
4076 @itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number}@r{]} @dots{}
4077 @cindex break on a system call.
4078 A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
4079 syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
4080 from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
4081 @value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
4082 debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
4083 argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
4084 will be caught.
4085
4086 @var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
4087 underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
4088 GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
4089 names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
4090
4091 @c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
4092 @c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
4093 @c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
4094 @c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
4095
4096 Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
4097 each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
4098 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
4099 available choices.
4100
4101 You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
4102 number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
4103 identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
4104 name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
4105 into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
4106 may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
4107 list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
4108 behind the OS upgrades).
4109
4110 The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
4111 arguments to it:
4112
4113 @smallexample
4114 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4115 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4116 (@value{GDBP}) r
4117 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4118
4119 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
4120 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4121 (@value{GDBP}) c
4122 Continuing.
4123
4124 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
4125 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4126 (@value{GDBP})
4127 @end smallexample
4128
4129 Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
4130
4131 @smallexample
4132 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
4133 Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
4134 (@value{GDBP}) r
4135 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4136
4137 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
4138 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4139 (@value{GDBP}) c
4140 Continuing.
4141
4142 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
4143 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4144 (@value{GDBP})
4145 @end smallexample
4146
4147 An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
4148 below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
4149 file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
4150
4151 @smallexample
4152 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4153 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4154 (@value{GDBP}) r
4155 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4156
4157 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4158 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4159 (@value{GDBP}) c
4160 Continuing.
4161
4162 Program exited normally.
4163 (@value{GDBP})
4164 @end smallexample
4165
4166 However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4167 in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4168 a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4169 but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4170
4171 @smallexample
4172 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4173 warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4174 Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4175 (@value{GDBP})
4176 @end smallexample
4177
4178 If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4179 it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4180 architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4181 you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4182 notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4183 name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4184
4185 @smallexample
4186 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4187 warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4188 warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4189 GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4190 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4191 (@value{GDBP})
4192 @end smallexample
4193
4194 Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4195
4196 Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4197 number. In this case, you would see something like:
4198
4199 @smallexample
4200 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4201 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
4202 @end smallexample
4203
4204 Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
4205
4206 @item fork
4207 A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4208 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4209
4210 @item vfork
4211 A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4212 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4213
4214 @item load @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4215 @itemx unload @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4216 The loading or unloading of a shared library. If @var{regexp} is
4217 given, then the catchpoint will stop only if the regular expression
4218 matches one of the affected libraries.
4219
4220 @end table
4221
4222 @item tcatch @var{event}
4223 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
4224 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
4225
4226 @end table
4227
4228 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
4229
4230 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling
4231 (@code{catch throw} and @code{catch catch}) in @value{GDBN}:
4232
4233 @itemize @bullet
4234 @item
4235 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4236 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4237 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4238 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4239 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4240 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4241 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4242 disabled within interactive calls.
4243
4244 @item
4245 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4246
4247 @item
4248 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4249 @end itemize
4250
4251 @cindex raise exceptions
4252 Sometimes @code{catch} is not the best way to debug exception handling:
4253 if you need to know exactly where an exception is raised, it is better to
4254 stop @emph{before} the exception handler is called, since that way you
4255 can see the stack before any unwinding takes place. If you set a
4256 breakpoint in an exception handler instead, it may not be easy to find
4257 out where the exception was raised.
4258
4259 To stop just before an exception handler is called, you need some
4260 knowledge of the implementation. In the case of @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, exceptions are
4261 raised by calling a library function named @code{__raise_exception}
4262 which has the following ANSI C interface:
4263
4264 @smallexample
4265 /* @var{addr} is where the exception identifier is stored.
4266 @var{id} is the exception identifier. */
4267 void __raise_exception (void **addr, void *id);
4268 @end smallexample
4269
4270 @noindent
4271 To make the debugger catch all exceptions before any stack
4272 unwinding takes place, set a breakpoint on @code{__raise_exception}
4273 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Exceptions}).
4274
4275 With a conditional breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions})
4276 that depends on the value of @var{id}, you can stop your program when
4277 a specific exception is raised. You can use multiple conditional
4278 breakpoints to stop your program when any of a number of exceptions are
4279 raised.
4280
4281
4282 @node Delete Breaks
4283 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
4284
4285 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4286 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4287 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4288 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
4289 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
4290 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
4291
4292 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
4293 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
4294 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
4295 their breakpoint numbers.
4296
4297 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
4298 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
4299 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
4300
4301 @table @code
4302 @kindex clear
4303 @item clear
4304 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
4305 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
4306 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
4307 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
4308
4309 @item clear @var{location}
4310 Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
4311 @xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
4312 most useful ones are listed below:
4313
4314 @table @code
4315 @item clear @var{function}
4316 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
4317 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
4318
4319 @item clear @var{linenum}
4320 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
4321 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
4322 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
4323 @end table
4324
4325 @cindex delete breakpoints
4326 @kindex delete
4327 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
4328 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4329 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
4330 ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
4331 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
4332 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
4333 @end table
4334
4335 @node Disabling
4336 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
4337
4338 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
4339 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
4340 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
4341 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
4342 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
4343
4344 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
4345 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
4346 one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
4347 print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
4348 do not know which numbers to use.
4349
4350 Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
4351 affects all of its locations.
4352
4353 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of several
4354 different states of enablement:
4355
4356 @itemize @bullet
4357 @item
4358 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
4359 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
4360 @item
4361 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
4362 @item
4363 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
4364 disabled.
4365 @item
4366 Enabled for a count. The breakpoint stops your program for the next
4367 N times, then becomes disabled.
4368 @item
4369 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
4370 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
4371 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
4372 @end itemize
4373
4374 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
4375 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
4376
4377 @table @code
4378 @kindex disable
4379 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
4380 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4381 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
4382 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
4383 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
4384 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
4385 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
4386
4387 @kindex enable
4388 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4389 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
4390 become effective once again in stopping your program.
4391
4392 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
4393 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
4394 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
4395
4396 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} count @var{count} @var{range}@dots{}
4397 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} records
4398 @var{count} with each of the specified breakpoints, and decrements a
4399 breakpoint's count when it is hit. When any count reaches 0,
4400 @value{GDBN} disables that breakpoint. If a breakpoint has an ignore
4401 count (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}), that will be
4402 decremented to 0 before @var{count} is affected.
4403
4404 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
4405 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
4406 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
4407 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
4408 @end table
4409
4410 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
4411 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
4412 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4413 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
4414 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
4415 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
4416 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
4417 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
4418 Stepping}.)
4419
4420 @node Conditions
4421 @subsection Break Conditions
4422 @cindex conditional breakpoints
4423 @cindex breakpoint conditions
4424
4425 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
4426 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
4427 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
4428 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
4429 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
4430 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
4431 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
4432 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
4433
4434 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
4435 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
4436 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
4437 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
4438 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
4439
4440 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
4441 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
4442 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
4443 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
4444 one.
4445
4446 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
4447 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
4448 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
4449 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
4450 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
4451 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
4452 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
4453 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
4454 conditions for the
4455 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
4456 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
4457
4458 Breakpoint conditions can also be evaluated on the target's side if
4459 the target supports it. Instead of evaluating the conditions locally,
4460 @value{GDBN} encodes the expression into an agent expression
4461 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) suitable for execution on the target,
4462 independently of @value{GDBN}. Global variables become raw memory
4463 locations, locals become stack accesses, and so forth.
4464
4465 In this case, @value{GDBN} will only be notified of a breakpoint trigger
4466 when its condition evaluates to true. This mechanism may provide faster
4467 response times depending on the performance characteristics of the target
4468 since it does not need to keep @value{GDBN} informed about
4469 every breakpoint trigger, even those with false conditions.
4470
4471 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
4472 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
4473 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
4474 with the @code{condition} command.
4475
4476 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
4477 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
4478 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
4479 catchpoint.
4480
4481 @table @code
4482 @kindex condition
4483 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
4484 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
4485 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
4486 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
4487 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
4488 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
4489 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
4490 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
4491 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
4492 prints an error message:
4493
4494 @smallexample
4495 No symbol "foo" in current context.
4496 @end smallexample
4497
4498 @noindent
4499 @value{GDBN} does
4500 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
4501 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
4502 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
4503
4504 @item condition @var{bnum}
4505 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
4506 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
4507 @end table
4508
4509 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
4510 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
4511 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
4512 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
4513 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
4514 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
4515 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
4516 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
4517 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
4518 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
4519 your program reaches it.
4520
4521 @table @code
4522 @kindex ignore
4523 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
4524 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
4525 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
4526 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
4527 takes no action.
4528
4529 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
4530 a count of zero.
4531
4532 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
4533 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
4534 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
4535 Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
4536
4537 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
4538 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
4539 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
4540
4541 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
4542 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
4543 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
4544 Variables}.
4545 @end table
4546
4547 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
4548
4549
4550 @node Break Commands
4551 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
4552
4553 @cindex breakpoint commands
4554 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
4555 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
4556 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
4557 enable other breakpoints.
4558
4559 @table @code
4560 @kindex commands
4561 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
4562 @item commands @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4563 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
4564 @itemx end
4565 Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
4566 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
4567 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
4568
4569 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
4570 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
4571
4572 With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
4573 watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
4574 encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
4575 command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
4576 set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
4577 @code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
4578 creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
4579 Expressions}).
4580 @end table
4581
4582 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
4583 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
4584
4585 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
4586 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
4587 that resumes execution.
4588
4589 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
4590 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
4591 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
4592 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
4593 ambiguities about which list to execute.
4594
4595 @kindex silent
4596 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
4597 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
4598 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
4599 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
4600 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
4601 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
4602
4603 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
4604 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
4605 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
4606
4607 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
4608 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
4609
4610 @smallexample
4611 break foo if x>0
4612 commands
4613 silent
4614 printf "x is %d\n",x
4615 cont
4616 end
4617 @end smallexample
4618
4619 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
4620 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
4621 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
4622 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
4623 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
4624 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
4625 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
4626
4627 @smallexample
4628 break 403
4629 commands
4630 silent
4631 set x = y + 4
4632 cont
4633 end
4634 @end smallexample
4635
4636 @node Dynamic Printf
4637 @subsection Dynamic Printf
4638
4639 @cindex dynamic printf
4640 @cindex dprintf
4641 The dynamic printf command @code{dprintf} combines a breakpoint with
4642 formatted printing of your program's data to give you the effect of
4643 inserting @code{printf} calls into your program on-the-fly, without
4644 having to recompile it.
4645
4646 In its most basic form, the output goes to the GDB console. However,
4647 you can set the variable @code{dprintf-style} for alternate handling.
4648 For instance, you can ask to format the output by calling your
4649 program's @code{printf} function. This has the advantage that the
4650 characters go to the program's output device, so they can recorded in
4651 redirects to files and so forth.
4652
4653 If you are doing remote debugging with a stub or agent, you can also
4654 ask to have the printf handled by the remote agent. In addition to
4655 ensuring that the output goes to the remote program's device along
4656 with any other output the program might produce, you can also ask that
4657 the dprintf remain active even after disconnecting from the remote
4658 target. Using the stub/agent is also more efficient, as it can do
4659 everything without needing to communicate with @value{GDBN}.
4660
4661 @table @code
4662 @kindex dprintf
4663 @item dprintf @var{location},@var{template},@var{expression}[,@var{expression}@dots{}]
4664 Whenever execution reaches @var{location}, print the values of one or
4665 more @var{expressions} under the control of the string @var{template}.
4666 To print several values, separate them with commas.
4667
4668 @item set dprintf-style @var{style}
4669 Set the dprintf output to be handled in one of several different
4670 styles enumerated below. A change of style affects all existing
4671 dynamic printfs immediately. (If you need individual control over the
4672 print commands, simply define normal breakpoints with
4673 explicitly-supplied command lists.)
4674
4675 @item gdb
4676 @kindex dprintf-style gdb
4677 Handle the output using the @value{GDBN} @code{printf} command.
4678
4679 @item call
4680 @kindex dprintf-style call
4681 Handle the output by calling a function in your program (normally
4682 @code{printf}).
4683
4684 @item agent
4685 @kindex dprintf-style agent
4686 Have the remote debugging agent (such as @code{gdbserver}) handle
4687 the output itself. This style is only available for agents that
4688 support running commands on the target.
4689
4690 @item set dprintf-function @var{function}
4691 Set the function to call if the dprintf style is @code{call}. By
4692 default its value is @code{printf}. You may set it to any expression.
4693 that @value{GDBN} can evaluate to a function, as per the @code{call}
4694 command.
4695
4696 @item set dprintf-channel @var{channel}
4697 Set a ``channel'' for dprintf. If set to a non-empty value,
4698 @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as an expression and pass the result as
4699 a first argument to the @code{dprintf-function}, in the manner of
4700 @code{fprintf} and similar functions. Otherwise, the dprintf format
4701 string will be the first argument, in the manner of @code{printf}.
4702
4703 As an example, if you wanted @code{dprintf} output to go to a logfile
4704 that is a standard I/O stream assigned to the variable @code{mylog},
4705 you could do the following:
4706
4707 @example
4708 (gdb) set dprintf-style call
4709 (gdb) set dprintf-function fprintf
4710 (gdb) set dprintf-channel mylog
4711 (gdb) dprintf 25,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob
4712 Dprintf 1 at 0x123456: file main.c, line 25.
4713 (gdb) info break
4714 1 dprintf keep y 0x00123456 in main at main.c:25
4715 call (void) fprintf (mylog,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob)
4716 continue
4717 (gdb)
4718 @end example
4719
4720 Note that the @code{info break} displays the dynamic printf commands
4721 as normal breakpoint commands; you can thus easily see the effect of
4722 the variable settings.
4723
4724 @item set disconnected-dprintf on
4725 @itemx set disconnected-dprintf off
4726 @kindex set disconnected-dprintf
4727 Choose whether @code{dprintf} commands should continue to run if
4728 @value{GDBN} has disconnected from the target. This only applies
4729 if the @code{dprintf-style} is @code{agent}.
4730
4731 @item show disconnected-dprintf off
4732 @kindex show disconnected-dprintf
4733 Show the current choice for disconnected @code{dprintf}.
4734
4735 @end table
4736
4737 @value{GDBN} does not check the validity of function and channel,
4738 relying on you to supply values that are meaningful for the contexts
4739 in which they are being used. For instance, the function and channel
4740 may be the values of local variables, but if that is the case, then
4741 all enabled dynamic prints must be at locations within the scope of
4742 those locals. If evaluation fails, @value{GDBN} will report an error.
4743
4744 @node Save Breakpoints
4745 @subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
4746
4747 To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
4748 breakpoints}} command.
4749
4750 @table @code
4751 @kindex save breakpoints
4752 @cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
4753 @item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
4754 This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
4755 their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
4756 suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
4757 types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
4758 tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
4759 @code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
4760 with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
4761 because it may not be possible to access the context where the
4762 watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
4763 are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
4764 breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
4765 and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
4766 that can no longer be recreated.
4767 @end table
4768
4769 @node Static Probe Points
4770 @subsection Static Probe Points
4771
4772 @cindex static probe point, SystemTap
4773 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{SDT} probes in the code. @acronym{SDT} stands
4774 for Statically Defined Tracing, and the probes are designed to have a tiny
4775 runtime code and data footprint, and no dynamic relocations. They are
4776 usable from assembly, C and C@t{++} languages. See
4777 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/UserSpaceProbeImplementation}
4778 for a good reference on how the @acronym{SDT} probes are implemented.
4779
4780 Currently, @code{SystemTap} (@uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/})
4781 @acronym{SDT} probes are supported on ELF-compatible systems. See
4782 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/AddingUserSpaceProbingToApps}
4783 for more information on how to add @code{SystemTap} @acronym{SDT} probes
4784 in your applications.
4785
4786 @cindex semaphores on static probe points
4787 Some probes have an associated semaphore variable; for instance, this
4788 happens automatically if you defined your probe using a DTrace-style
4789 @file{.d} file. If your probe has a semaphore, @value{GDBN} will
4790 automatically enable it when you specify a breakpoint using the
4791 @samp{-probe-stap} notation. But, if you put a breakpoint at a probe's
4792 location by some other method (e.g., @code{break file:line}), then
4793 @value{GDBN} will not automatically set the semaphore.
4794
4795 You can examine the available static static probes using @code{info
4796 probes}, with optional arguments:
4797
4798 @table @code
4799 @kindex info probes
4800 @item info probes stap @r{[}@var{provider} @r{[}@var{name} @r{[}@var{objfile}@r{]}@r{]}@r{]}
4801 If given, @var{provider} is a regular expression used to match against provider
4802 names when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probes by all
4803 probes from all providers are listed.
4804
4805 If given, @var{name} is a regular expression to match against probe names
4806 when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probe names are not
4807 considered when deciding whether to display them.
4808
4809 If given, @var{objfile} is a regular expression used to select which
4810 object files (executable or shared libraries) to examine. If not
4811 given, all object files are considered.
4812
4813 @item info probes all
4814 List the available static probes, from all types.
4815 @end table
4816
4817 @vindex $_probe_arg@r{, convenience variable}
4818 A probe may specify up to twelve arguments. These are available at the
4819 point at which the probe is defined---that is, when the current PC is
4820 at the probe's location. The arguments are available using the
4821 convenience variables (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
4822 @code{$_probe_arg0}@dots{}@code{$_probe_arg11}. Each probe argument is
4823 an integer of the appropriate size; types are not preserved. The
4824 convenience variable @code{$_probe_argc} holds the number of arguments
4825 at the current probe point.
4826
4827 These variables are always available, but attempts to access them at
4828 any location other than a probe point will cause @value{GDBN} to give
4829 an error message.
4830
4831
4832 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
4833 @node Error in Breakpoints
4834 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4835
4836 If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
4837 watchpoints, you will see this error message:
4838
4839 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
4840 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
4841 @smallexample
4842 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
4843 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
4844 @end smallexample
4845
4846 @noindent
4847 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
4848 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
4849 watchpoints it needs to insert.
4850
4851 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
4852 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
4853
4854 @node Breakpoint-related Warnings
4855 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4856 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
4857
4858 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
4859 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
4860 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
4861 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
4862
4863 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
4864 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
4865 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
4866 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
4867 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
4868 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
4869 first in the bundle.
4870
4871 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
4872 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
4873 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
4874 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
4875 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
4876 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
4877 is hit.
4878
4879 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
4880 that's been subject to address adjustment:
4881
4882 @smallexample
4883 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
4884 @end smallexample
4885
4886 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
4887 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
4888 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
4889 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
4890 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
4891 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
4892 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
4893 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
4894
4895 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
4896 adjusted breakpoints:
4897
4898 @smallexample
4899 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
4900 to 0x00010410.
4901 @end smallexample
4902
4903 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
4904 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
4905 frequently than expected.
4906
4907 @node Continuing and Stepping
4908 @section Continuing and Stepping
4909
4910 @cindex stepping
4911 @cindex continuing
4912 @cindex resuming execution
4913 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
4914 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
4915 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
4916 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
4917 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
4918 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
4919 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
4920 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
4921
4922 @table @code
4923 @kindex continue
4924 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
4925 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
4926 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4927 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4928 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4929 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
4930 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
4931 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
4932 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
4933 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
4934
4935 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
4936 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
4937 @code{continue} is ignored.
4938
4939 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
4940 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
4941 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
4942 @code{continue}.
4943 @end table
4944
4945 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
4946 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
4947 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
4948 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
4949
4950 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
4951 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
4952 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
4953 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
4954 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
4955 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
4956
4957 @table @code
4958 @kindex step
4959 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
4960 @item step
4961 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
4962 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
4963 abbreviated @code{s}.
4964
4965 @quotation
4966 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
4967 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
4968 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
4969 @c distinction here.
4970 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
4971 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
4972 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
4973 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
4974 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
4975 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
4976 below.
4977 @end quotation
4978
4979 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
4980 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
4981 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
4982 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
4983 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
4984 called within the line.
4985
4986 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
4987 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
4988 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
4989 on @acronym{MIPS} machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
4990 was any debugging information about the routine.
4991
4992 @item step @var{count}
4993 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
4994 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
4995 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
4996
4997 @kindex next
4998 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
4999 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5000 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
5001 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
5002 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
5003 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
5004 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
5005 is abbreviated @code{n}.
5006
5007 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
5008
5009
5010 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
5011 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
5012 @c
5013 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
5014 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
5015 @c function are executed without stopping.
5016
5017 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
5018 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5019 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
5020
5021 @kindex set step-mode
5022 @item set step-mode
5023 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
5024 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
5025 @itemx set step-mode on
5026 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
5027 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
5028 information rather than stepping over it.
5029
5030 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
5031 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
5032 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
5033
5034 @item set step-mode off
5035 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
5036 debug information. This is the default.
5037
5038 @item show step-mode
5039 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
5040 source line debug information.
5041
5042 @kindex finish
5043 @kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
5044 @item finish
5045 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
5046 returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
5047 abbreviated as @code{fin}.
5048
5049 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
5050 ,Returning from a Function}).
5051
5052 @kindex until
5053 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
5054 @cindex run until specified location
5055 @item until
5056 @itemx u
5057 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
5058 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
5059 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
5060 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
5061 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
5062 than the address of the jump.
5063
5064 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
5065 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
5066 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
5067 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
5068 through the next iteration.
5069
5070 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
5071 stack frame.
5072
5073 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
5074 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
5075 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
5076 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
5077 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
5078
5079 @smallexample
5080 (@value{GDBP}) f
5081 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
5082 206 expand_input();
5083 (@value{GDBP}) until
5084 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
5085 @end smallexample
5086
5087 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
5088 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
5089 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
5090 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
5091 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
5092 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
5093 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
5094
5095 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
5096 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
5097 argument.
5098
5099 @item until @var{location}
5100 @itemx u @var{location}
5101 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
5102 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
5103 the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
5104 This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
5105 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
5106 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
5107 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
5108 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
5109 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
5110 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
5111 invocations have returned.
5112
5113 @smallexample
5114 94 int factorial (int value)
5115 95 @{
5116 96 if (value > 1) @{
5117 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
5118 98 @}
5119 99 return (value);
5120 100 @}
5121 @end smallexample
5122
5123
5124 @kindex advance @var{location}
5125 @item advance @var{location}
5126 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
5127 required, which should be of one of the forms described in
5128 @ref{Specify Location}.
5129 Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
5130 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
5131 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
5132 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
5133
5134
5135 @kindex stepi
5136 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
5137 @item stepi
5138 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
5139 @itemx si
5140 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
5141
5142 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
5143 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
5144 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
5145 Display,, Automatic Display}.
5146
5147 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
5148
5149 @need 750
5150 @kindex nexti
5151 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
5152 @item nexti
5153 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
5154 @itemx ni
5155 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
5156 proceed until the function returns.
5157
5158 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
5159 @end table
5160
5161 @node Skipping Over Functions and Files
5162 @section Skipping Over Functions and Files
5163 @cindex skipping over functions and files
5164
5165 The program you are debugging may contain some functions which are
5166 uninteresting to debug. The @code{skip} comand lets you tell @value{GDBN} to
5167 skip a function or all functions in a file when stepping.
5168
5169 For example, consider the following C function:
5170
5171 @smallexample
5172 101 int func()
5173 102 @{
5174 103 foo(boring());
5175 104 bar(boring());
5176 105 @}
5177 @end smallexample
5178
5179 @noindent
5180 Suppose you wish to step into the functions @code{foo} and @code{bar}, but you
5181 are not interested in stepping through @code{boring}. If you run @code{step}
5182 at line 103, you'll enter @code{boring()}, but if you run @code{next}, you'll
5183 step over both @code{foo} and @code{boring}!
5184
5185 One solution is to @code{step} into @code{boring} and use the @code{finish}
5186 command to immediately exit it. But this can become tedious if @code{boring}
5187 is called from many places.
5188
5189 A more flexible solution is to execute @kbd{skip boring}. This instructs
5190 @value{GDBN} never to step into @code{boring}. Now when you execute
5191 @code{step} at line 103, you'll step over @code{boring} and directly into
5192 @code{foo}.
5193
5194 You can also instruct @value{GDBN} to skip all functions in a file, with, for
5195 example, @code{skip file boring.c}.
5196
5197 @table @code
5198 @kindex skip function
5199 @item skip @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5200 @itemx skip function @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5201 After running this command, the function named by @var{linespec} or the
5202 function containing the line named by @var{linespec} will be skipped over when
5203 stepping. @xref{Specify Location}.
5204
5205 If you do not specify @var{linespec}, the function you're currently debugging
5206 will be skipped.
5207
5208 (If you have a function called @code{file} that you want to skip, use
5209 @kbd{skip function file}.)
5210
5211 @kindex skip file
5212 @item skip file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
5213 After running this command, any function whose source lives in @var{filename}
5214 will be skipped over when stepping.
5215
5216 If you do not specify @var{filename}, functions whose source lives in the file
5217 you're currently debugging will be skipped.
5218 @end table
5219
5220 Skips can be listed, deleted, disabled, and enabled, much like breakpoints.
5221 These are the commands for managing your list of skips:
5222
5223 @table @code
5224 @kindex info skip
5225 @item info skip @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5226 Print details about the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified,
5227 print a table with details about all functions and files marked for skipping.
5228 @code{info skip} prints the following information about each skip:
5229
5230 @table @emph
5231 @item Identifier
5232 A number identifying this skip.
5233 @item Type
5234 The type of this skip, either @samp{function} or @samp{file}.
5235 @item Enabled or Disabled
5236 Enabled skips are marked with @samp{y}. Disabled skips are marked with @samp{n}.
5237 @item Address
5238 For function skips, this column indicates the address in memory of the function
5239 being skipped. If you've set a function skip on a function which has not yet
5240 been loaded, this field will contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Once a shared library
5241 which has the function is loaded, @code{info skip} will show the function's
5242 address here.
5243 @item What
5244 For file skips, this field contains the filename being skipped. For functions
5245 skips, this field contains the function name and its line number in the file
5246 where it is defined.
5247 @end table
5248
5249 @kindex skip delete
5250 @item skip delete @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5251 Delete the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, delete all
5252 skips.
5253
5254 @kindex skip enable
5255 @item skip enable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5256 Enable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, enable all
5257 skips.
5258
5259 @kindex skip disable
5260 @item skip disable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5261 Disable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, disable all
5262 skips.
5263
5264 @end table
5265
5266 @node Signals
5267 @section Signals
5268 @cindex signals
5269
5270 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
5271 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
5272 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
5273 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
5274 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
5275 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
5276 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
5277 requested an alarm).
5278
5279 @cindex fatal signals
5280 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
5281 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
5282 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
5283 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
5284 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
5285 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
5286
5287 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
5288 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
5289 signal.
5290
5291 @cindex handling signals
5292 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
5293 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
5294 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
5295 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
5296 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
5297
5298 @table @code
5299 @kindex info signals
5300 @kindex info handle
5301 @item info signals
5302 @itemx info handle
5303 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
5304 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
5305 the defined types of signals.
5306
5307 @item info signals @var{sig}
5308 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
5309
5310 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
5311
5312 @kindex handle
5313 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
5314 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
5315 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
5316 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
5317 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
5318 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
5319 say what change to make.
5320 @end table
5321
5322 @c @group
5323 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
5324 Their full names are:
5325
5326 @table @code
5327 @item nostop
5328 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
5329 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
5330
5331 @item stop
5332 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
5333 the @code{print} keyword as well.
5334
5335 @item print
5336 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
5337
5338 @item noprint
5339 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
5340 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
5341
5342 @item pass
5343 @itemx noignore
5344 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
5345 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
5346 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
5347
5348 @item nopass
5349 @itemx ignore
5350 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
5351 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
5352 @end table
5353 @c @end group
5354
5355 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
5356 program until you
5357 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
5358 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
5359 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
5360 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
5361 program sees that signal when you continue.
5362
5363 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
5364 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
5365 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
5366 erroneous signals.
5367
5368 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
5369 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
5370 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
5371 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
5372 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
5373 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
5374 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
5375 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
5376 Program a Signal}.
5377
5378 @cindex extra signal information
5379 @anchor{extra signal information}
5380
5381 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
5382 associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
5383 delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
5384 by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
5385 that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
5386 receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
5387 target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
5388 $_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
5389 standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
5390 system header.
5391
5392 Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
5393 referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
5394
5395 @smallexample
5396 @group
5397 (@value{GDBP}) continue
5398 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
5399 0x0000000000400766 in main ()
5400 69 *(int *)p = 0;
5401 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
5402 type = struct @{
5403 int si_signo;
5404 int si_errno;
5405 int si_code;
5406 union @{
5407 int _pad[28];
5408 struct @{...@} _kill;
5409 struct @{...@} _timer;
5410 struct @{...@} _rt;
5411 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
5412 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
5413 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
5414 @} _sifields;
5415 @}
5416 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
5417 type = struct @{
5418 void *si_addr;
5419 @}
5420 (@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
5421 $1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
5422 @end group
5423 @end smallexample
5424
5425 Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
5426
5427 @node Thread Stops
5428 @section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
5429
5430 @cindex stopped threads
5431 @cindex threads, stopped
5432
5433 @cindex continuing threads
5434 @cindex threads, continuing
5435
5436 @value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
5437 (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
5438 are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
5439 debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
5440 when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
5441 or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
5442 @value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
5443 @dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
5444 you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
5445
5446 @menu
5447 * All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
5448 * Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
5449 * Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
5450 * Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
5451 * Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
5452 * Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
5453 @end menu
5454
5455 @node All-Stop Mode
5456 @subsection All-Stop Mode
5457
5458 @cindex all-stop mode
5459
5460 In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
5461 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
5462 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
5463 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
5464 underfoot.
5465
5466 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
5467 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
5468 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
5469
5470 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
5471 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
5472 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
5473 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
5474 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
5475 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
5476 stops.
5477
5478 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
5479 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
5480 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
5481 first thread completes whatever you requested.
5482
5483 @cindex automatic thread selection
5484 @cindex switching threads automatically
5485 @cindex threads, automatic switching
5486 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
5487 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
5488 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
5489 message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
5490 thread.
5491
5492 On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
5493 locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
5494
5495 @table @code
5496 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
5497 @cindex scheduler locking mode
5498 @cindex lock scheduler
5499 Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
5500 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
5501 current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
5502 mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other threads
5503 from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so that
5504 the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly.
5505 Other threads only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
5506 when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
5507 function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
5508 like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
5509 thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change
5510 the current thread away from the thread that you are debugging.
5511
5512 @item show scheduler-locking
5513 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
5514 @end table
5515
5516 @cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
5517 By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
5518 @code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
5519 threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
5520 is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
5521 @code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
5522 inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
5523 forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
5524 it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
5525 situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
5526 of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
5527 to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
5528 you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
5529 inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
5530
5531 @table @code
5532 @kindex set schedule-multiple
5533 @item set schedule-multiple
5534 Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
5535 when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
5536 all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
5537 of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
5538 @code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
5539 or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
5540
5541 @item show schedule-multiple
5542 Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
5543 multiple processes.
5544 @end table
5545
5546 @node Non-Stop Mode
5547 @subsection Non-Stop Mode
5548
5549 @cindex non-stop mode
5550
5551 @c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
5552 @c with more details.
5553
5554 For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
5555 mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
5556 the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
5557 minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
5558 where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
5559 respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
5560
5561 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
5562 @emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
5563 threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
5564 execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
5565 only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
5566 in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
5567 ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
5568 one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
5569 one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
5570 independently and simultaneously.
5571
5572 To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
5573 or attach to your program:
5574
5575 @smallexample
5576 # Enable the async interface.
5577 set target-async 1
5578
5579 # If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
5580 set pagination off
5581
5582 # Finally, turn it on!
5583 set non-stop on
5584 @end smallexample
5585
5586 You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
5587
5588 @table @code
5589 @kindex set non-stop
5590 @item set non-stop on
5591 Enable selection of non-stop mode.
5592 @item set non-stop off
5593 Disable selection of non-stop mode.
5594 @kindex show non-stop
5595 @item show non-stop
5596 Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
5597 @end table
5598
5599 Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
5600 not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
5601 In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
5602 @value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
5603 not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
5604 since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
5605 non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
5606 default.
5607
5608 In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
5609 by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
5610 To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
5611
5612 You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
5613 (@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
5614 while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
5615 The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
5616 always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
5617
5618 Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
5619 running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
5620 In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
5621 but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
5622 To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
5623
5624 Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
5625
5626 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
5627 that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
5628 thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
5629 command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
5630 changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
5631 previously current thread.
5632
5633 @node Background Execution
5634 @subsection Background Execution
5635
5636 @cindex foreground execution
5637 @cindex background execution
5638 @cindex asynchronous execution
5639 @cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
5640
5641 @value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
5642 foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
5643 (asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
5644 the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
5645 another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
5646 a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
5647
5648 You need to explicitly enable asynchronous mode before you can use
5649 background execution commands. You can use these commands to
5650 manipulate the asynchronous mode setting:
5651
5652 @table @code
5653 @kindex set target-async
5654 @item set target-async on
5655 Enable asynchronous mode.
5656 @item set target-async off
5657 Disable asynchronous mode.
5658 @kindex show target-async
5659 @item show target-async
5660 Show the current target-async setting.
5661 @end table
5662
5663 If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
5664 message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
5665
5666 To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
5667 the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
5668 just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
5669 are:
5670
5671 @table @code
5672 @kindex run&
5673 @item run
5674 @xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
5675
5676 @item attach
5677 @kindex attach&
5678 @xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
5679
5680 @item step
5681 @kindex step&
5682 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
5683
5684 @item stepi
5685 @kindex stepi&
5686 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
5687
5688 @item next
5689 @kindex next&
5690 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
5691
5692 @item nexti
5693 @kindex nexti&
5694 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
5695
5696 @item continue
5697 @kindex continue&
5698 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
5699
5700 @item finish
5701 @kindex finish&
5702 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
5703
5704 @item until
5705 @kindex until&
5706 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
5707
5708 @end table
5709
5710 Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
5711 mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
5712 However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
5713 the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
5714 previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
5715 mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
5716
5717 You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
5718 using the @code{interrupt} command.
5719
5720 @table @code
5721 @kindex interrupt
5722 @item interrupt
5723 @itemx interrupt -a
5724
5725 Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
5726 @code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
5727 only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
5728 use @code{interrupt -a}.
5729 @end table
5730
5731 @node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5732 @subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5733
5734 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
5735 Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
5736 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
5737
5738 @table @code
5739 @cindex breakpoints and threads
5740 @cindex thread breakpoints
5741 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
5742 @item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
5743 @itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
5744 @var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
5745 writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
5746 specify some source line.
5747
5748 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
5749 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
5750 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
5751 numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
5752 column of the @samp{info threads} display.
5753
5754 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
5755 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
5756 program.
5757
5758 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
5759 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before or
5760 after the breakpoint condition, like this:
5761
5762 @smallexample
5763 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
5764 @end smallexample
5765
5766 @end table
5767
5768 @node Interrupted System Calls
5769 @subsection Interrupted System Calls
5770
5771 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
5772 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
5773 @cindex premature return from system calls
5774 There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
5775 multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
5776 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
5777 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
5778 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
5779 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
5780 stop execution.
5781
5782 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
5783 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
5784 style anyways.
5785
5786 For example, do not write code like this:
5787
5788 @smallexample
5789 sleep (10);
5790 @end smallexample
5791
5792 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
5793 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
5794
5795 Instead, write this:
5796
5797 @smallexample
5798 int unslept = 10;
5799 while (unslept > 0)
5800 unslept = sleep (unslept);
5801 @end smallexample
5802
5803 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
5804 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
5805 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
5806 @value{GDBN}.
5807
5808 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
5809 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
5810 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
5811 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
5812
5813 @node Observer Mode
5814 @subsection Observer Mode
5815
5816 If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
5817 without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
5818 variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
5819 whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
5820 at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
5821
5822 When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
5823 be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
5824 @code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
5825 mode.
5826
5827 Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
5828 combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
5829 @code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
5830 then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
5831 stream will still not be able to be placed.
5832
5833 @table @code
5834
5835 @kindex observer
5836 @item set observer on
5837 @itemx set observer off
5838 When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
5839 below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
5840 non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
5841 normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
5842
5843 @item show observer
5844 Show whether observer mode is on or off.
5845
5846 @kindex may-write-registers
5847 @item set may-write-registers on
5848 @itemx set may-write-registers off
5849 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
5850 registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
5851 @code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
5852
5853 @item show may-write-registers
5854 Show the current permission to write registers.
5855
5856 @kindex may-write-memory
5857 @item set may-write-memory on
5858 @itemx set may-write-memory off
5859 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
5860 of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
5861 defaults to @code{on}.
5862
5863 @item show may-write-memory
5864 Show the current permission to write memory.
5865
5866 @kindex may-insert-breakpoints
5867 @item set may-insert-breakpoints on
5868 @itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
5869 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
5870 This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
5871 by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5872
5873 @item show may-insert-breakpoints
5874 Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
5875
5876 @kindex may-insert-tracepoints
5877 @item set may-insert-tracepoints on
5878 @itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
5879 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
5880 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5881 non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
5882 @code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5883
5884 @item show may-insert-tracepoints
5885 Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
5886
5887 @kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5888 @item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
5889 @itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
5890 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
5891 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5892 fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
5893 control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5894
5895 @item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5896 Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
5897
5898 @kindex may-interrupt
5899 @item set may-interrupt on
5900 @itemx set may-interrupt off
5901 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
5902 program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
5903 @code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
5904 @kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5905
5906 @item show may-interrupt
5907 Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
5908
5909 @end table
5910
5911 @node Reverse Execution
5912 @chapter Running programs backward
5913 @cindex reverse execution
5914 @cindex running programs backward
5915
5916 When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
5917 you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
5918 If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
5919 ``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
5920
5921 A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
5922 to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
5923 program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
5924 revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
5925 deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
5926 all target environments can support reverse execution.
5927
5928 When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
5929 have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
5930 order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
5931 thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
5932 the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
5933 instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
5934 a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
5935 should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
5936 prior values@footnote{
5937 Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
5938 memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
5939 targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
5940
5941 The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
5942 requires only that the target do something reasonable when
5943 @value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
5944 results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
5945 @value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
5946 assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
5947 consistant state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
5948 }.
5949
5950 If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
5951 reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
5952
5953 @table @code
5954 @kindex reverse-continue
5955 @kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
5956 @item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5957 @itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5958 Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
5959 in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
5960 exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
5961 asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
5962
5963 @kindex reverse-step
5964 @kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
5965 @item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5966 Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
5967 different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
5968
5969 Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
5970 at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
5971 executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
5972 debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
5973 the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
5974 statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
5975
5976 Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
5977 called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
5978
5979 @kindex reverse-stepi
5980 @kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
5981 @item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5982 Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
5983 to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
5984 counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
5985 if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
5986 back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
5987
5988 @kindex reverse-next
5989 @kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
5990 @item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5991 Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
5992 the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
5993 calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
5994 the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
5995 to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
5996 just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
5997 line of a function back to its return to its caller
5998 @footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
5999
6000 @kindex reverse-nexti
6001 @kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
6002 @item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6003 Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
6004 in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
6005 That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
6006 another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
6007 in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
6008 frame) is reached.
6009
6010 @kindex reverse-finish
6011 @item reverse-finish
6012 Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
6013 current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
6014 where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
6015 function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
6016
6017 @kindex set exec-direction
6018 @item set exec-direction
6019 Set the direction of target execution.
6020 @item set exec-direction reverse
6021 @cindex execute forward or backward in time
6022 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
6023 exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
6024 @code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
6025 command cannot be used in reverse mode.
6026 @item set exec-direction forward
6027 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
6028 This is the default.
6029 @end table
6030
6031
6032 @node Process Record and Replay
6033 @chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
6034 @cindex process record and replay
6035 @cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
6036
6037 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
6038 and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
6039 replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
6040
6041 @cindex replay mode
6042 When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
6043 for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
6044 mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
6045 instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
6046 code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
6047 really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
6048 program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
6049 changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
6050 execution log.
6051
6052 @cindex record mode
6053 If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
6054 @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
6055 inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
6056 for future replay.
6057
6058 The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
6059 (@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
6060 inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
6061 this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
6062 log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
6063 support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
6064
6065 When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
6066 replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
6067 previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
6068 platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
6069
6070 For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
6071 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
6072
6073 @table @code
6074 @kindex target record
6075 @kindex record
6076 @kindex rec
6077 @item target record
6078 This command starts the process record and replay target. The process
6079 record and replay target can only debug a process that is already
6080 running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with the
6081 @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording with
6082 the @kbd{target record} command.
6083
6084 Both @code{record} and @code{rec} are aliases of @code{target record}.
6085
6086 @cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
6087 Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
6088 will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
6089 is started. That's because the process record and replay target
6090 doesn't support displaced stepping.
6091
6092 @cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
6093 @cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
6094 If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
6095 the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), the
6096 process record and replay target cannot be started because it doesn't
6097 support these two modes.
6098
6099 @kindex record stop
6100 @kindex rec s
6101 @item record stop
6102 Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
6103 replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
6104 inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
6105
6106 When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
6107 the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
6108 next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
6109 you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
6110 will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
6111
6112 On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
6113 while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
6114 but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
6115 at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
6116 usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
6117
6118 When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
6119 process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
6120
6121 @kindex record save
6122 @item record save @var{filename}
6123 Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6124 Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
6125 @var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
6126
6127 @kindex record restore
6128 @item record restore @var{filename}
6129 Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6130 File must have been created with @code{record save}.
6131
6132 @kindex set record insn-number-max
6133 @item set record insn-number-max @var{limit}
6134 Set the limit of instructions to be recorded. Default value is 200000.
6135
6136 If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
6137 deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
6138 instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
6139 instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
6140 instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
6141 (Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
6142 lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
6143 the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
6144
6145 If @var{limit} is zero, @value{GDBN} will never delete recorded
6146 instructions from the execution log. The number of recorded
6147 instructions is unlimited in this case.
6148
6149 @kindex show record insn-number-max
6150 @item show record insn-number-max
6151 Show the limit of instructions to be recorded.
6152
6153 @kindex set record stop-at-limit
6154 @item set record stop-at-limit
6155 Control the behavior when the number of recorded instructions reaches
6156 the limit. If ON (the default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit
6157 is reached for the first time and ask you whether you want to stop the
6158 inferior or continue running it and recording the execution log. If
6159 you decide to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will
6160 cause the oldest one to be deleted.
6161
6162 If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
6163 oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
6164
6165 @kindex show record stop-at-limit
6166 @item show record stop-at-limit
6167 Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
6168
6169 @kindex set record memory-query
6170 @item set record memory-query
6171 Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
6172 changes caused by an instruction. If ON, @value{GDBN} will query
6173 whether to stop the inferior in that case.
6174
6175 If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
6176 ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
6177 @value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
6178 instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
6179 results.
6180
6181 @kindex show record memory-query
6182 @item show record memory-query
6183 Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
6184
6185 @kindex info record
6186 @item info record
6187 Show various statistics about the state of process record and its
6188 in-memory execution log buffer, including:
6189
6190 @itemize @bullet
6191 @item
6192 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
6193 @item
6194 Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
6195 @item
6196 Highest recorded instruction number.
6197 @item
6198 Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
6199 @item
6200 Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
6201 @item
6202 Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
6203 @end itemize
6204
6205 @kindex record delete
6206 @kindex rec del
6207 @item record delete
6208 When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
6209 subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
6210 from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
6211 recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
6212 @end table
6213
6214
6215 @node Stack
6216 @chapter Examining the Stack
6217
6218 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
6219 stopped and how it got there.
6220
6221 @cindex call stack
6222 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
6223 is generated.
6224 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
6225 the arguments of the call,
6226 and the local variables of the function being called.
6227 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
6228 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
6229 stack}.
6230
6231 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
6232 stack allow you to see all of this information.
6233
6234 @cindex selected frame
6235 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
6236 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
6237 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
6238 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
6239 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
6240 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6241
6242 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
6243 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
6244 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
6245
6246 @menu
6247 * Frames:: Stack frames
6248 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
6249 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
6250 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
6251
6252 @end menu
6253
6254 @node Frames
6255 @section Stack Frames
6256
6257 @cindex frame, definition
6258 @cindex stack frame
6259 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
6260 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
6261 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
6262 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
6263 which the function is executing.
6264
6265 @cindex initial frame
6266 @cindex outermost frame
6267 @cindex innermost frame
6268 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
6269 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
6270 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
6271 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
6272 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
6273 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
6274 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
6275 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
6276
6277 @cindex frame pointer
6278 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
6279 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
6280 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
6281 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
6282 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
6283 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
6284
6285 @cindex frame number
6286 @value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
6287 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
6288 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
6289 they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
6290 frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
6291
6292 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
6293 @c underflow problems.
6294 @cindex frameless execution
6295 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
6296 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
6297 @smallexample
6298 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
6299 @end smallexample
6300 generates functions without a frame.)
6301 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
6302 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
6303 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
6304 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
6305 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
6306 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
6307 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
6308
6309 @table @code
6310 @kindex frame@r{, command}
6311 @cindex current stack frame
6312 @item frame @var{args}
6313 The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
6314 and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
6315 address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
6316 @code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
6317
6318 @kindex select-frame
6319 @cindex selecting frame silently
6320 @item select-frame
6321 The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
6322 to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
6323 @code{frame}.
6324 @end table
6325
6326 @node Backtrace
6327 @section Backtraces
6328
6329 @cindex traceback
6330 @cindex call stack traces
6331 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
6332 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
6333 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
6334 stack.
6335
6336 @table @code
6337 @kindex backtrace
6338 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
6339 @item backtrace
6340 @itemx bt
6341 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
6342 frames in the stack.
6343
6344 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
6345 character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
6346
6347 @item backtrace @var{n}
6348 @itemx bt @var{n}
6349 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
6350
6351 @item backtrace -@var{n}
6352 @itemx bt -@var{n}
6353 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
6354
6355 @item backtrace full
6356 @itemx bt full
6357 @itemx bt full @var{n}
6358 @itemx bt full -@var{n}
6359 Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
6360 number of frames to print, as described above.
6361 @end table
6362
6363 @kindex where
6364 @kindex info stack
6365 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
6366 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
6367
6368 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
6369 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
6370 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
6371 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
6372 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
6373 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
6374 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
6375 multi-threaded program.
6376
6377 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
6378 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
6379 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
6380 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
6381 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
6382 line number.
6383
6384 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
6385 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
6386
6387 @smallexample
6388 @group
6389 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6390 at builtin.c:993
6391 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
6392 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
6393 at macro.c:71
6394 (More stack frames follow...)
6395 @end group
6396 @end smallexample
6397
6398 @noindent
6399 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
6400 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
6401 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
6402
6403 @noindent
6404 The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
6405 @code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
6406 only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
6407 @kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
6408 on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
6409
6410 @cindex optimized out, in backtrace
6411 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
6412 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
6413 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
6414 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
6415 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
6416 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
6417 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
6418 such a backtrace might look like:
6419
6420 @smallexample
6421 @group
6422 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6423 at builtin.c:993
6424 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<optimized out>) at macro.c:242
6425 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
6426 at macro.c:71
6427 (More stack frames follow...)
6428 @end group
6429 @end smallexample
6430
6431 @noindent
6432 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
6433 shown as @samp{<optimized out>}.
6434
6435 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
6436 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
6437 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
6438
6439 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
6440 @cindex program entry point
6441 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
6442 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
6443 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
6444 @code{main}@footnote{
6445 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
6446 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
6447 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
6448 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
6449 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
6450 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
6451
6452 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
6453 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
6454
6455 @table @code
6456 @item set backtrace past-main
6457 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
6458 @kindex set backtrace
6459 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
6460
6461 @item set backtrace past-main off
6462 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
6463 default.
6464
6465 @item show backtrace past-main
6466 @kindex show backtrace
6467 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
6468
6469 @item set backtrace past-entry
6470 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
6471 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
6472 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
6473 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
6474
6475 @item set backtrace past-entry off
6476 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
6477 application. This is the default.
6478
6479 @item show backtrace past-entry
6480 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
6481
6482 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
6483 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
6484 @cindex backtrace limit
6485 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of zero means
6486 unlimited.
6487
6488 @item show backtrace limit
6489 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
6490 @end table
6491
6492 @node Selection
6493 @section Selecting a Frame
6494
6495 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
6496 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
6497 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
6498 of the stack frame just selected.
6499
6500 @table @code
6501 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
6502 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
6503 @item frame @var{n}
6504 @itemx f @var{n}
6505 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
6506 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
6507 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
6508 @code{main}.
6509
6510 @item frame @var{addr}
6511 @itemx f @var{addr}
6512 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
6513 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
6514 impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
6515 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
6516 switches between them.
6517
6518 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
6519 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
6520
6521 On the @acronym{MIPS} and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
6522 pointer and a program counter.
6523
6524 On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
6525 pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
6526
6527 @kindex up
6528 @item up @var{n}
6529 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6530 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
6531 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
6532
6533 @kindex down
6534 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
6535 @item down @var{n}
6536 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6537 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
6538 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
6539 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
6540 @end table
6541
6542 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
6543 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
6544 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
6545 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
6546
6547 @need 1000
6548 For example:
6549
6550 @smallexample
6551 @group
6552 (@value{GDBP}) up
6553 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
6554 at env.c:10
6555 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
6556 @end group
6557 @end smallexample
6558
6559 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
6560 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
6561 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
6562 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
6563 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
6564 for details.
6565
6566 @table @code
6567 @kindex down-silently
6568 @kindex up-silently
6569 @item up-silently @var{n}
6570 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
6571 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
6572 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
6573 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
6574 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
6575 distracting.
6576 @end table
6577
6578 @node Frame Info
6579 @section Information About a Frame
6580
6581 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
6582 stack frame.
6583
6584 @table @code
6585 @item frame
6586 @itemx f
6587 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
6588 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
6589 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
6590 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
6591 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6592
6593 @kindex info frame
6594 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
6595 @item info frame
6596 @itemx info f
6597 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
6598 including:
6599
6600 @itemize @bullet
6601 @item
6602 the address of the frame
6603 @item
6604 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
6605 @item
6606 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
6607 @item
6608 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
6609 @item
6610 the address of the frame's arguments
6611 @item
6612 the address of the frame's local variables
6613 @item
6614 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
6615 @item
6616 which registers were saved in the frame
6617 @end itemize
6618
6619 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
6620 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
6621 the usual conventions.
6622
6623 @item info frame @var{addr}
6624 @itemx info f @var{addr}
6625 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
6626 selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
6627 command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
6628 architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
6629 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6630
6631 @kindex info args
6632 @item info args
6633 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
6634
6635 @item info locals
6636 @kindex info locals
6637 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
6638 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
6639 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
6640
6641 @end table
6642
6643
6644 @node Source
6645 @chapter Examining Source Files
6646
6647 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
6648 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
6649 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
6650 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
6651 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
6652 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
6653 source files by explicit command.
6654
6655 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
6656 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
6657 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
6658
6659 @menu
6660 * List:: Printing source lines
6661 * Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
6662 * Edit:: Editing source files
6663 * Search:: Searching source files
6664 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
6665 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
6666 @end menu
6667
6668 @node List
6669 @section Printing Source Lines
6670
6671 @kindex list
6672 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
6673 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
6674 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
6675 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
6676 print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
6677
6678 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
6679
6680 @table @code
6681 @item list @var{linenum}
6682 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
6683 current source file.
6684
6685 @item list @var{function}
6686 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
6687 @var{function}.
6688
6689 @item list
6690 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
6691 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
6692 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
6693 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
6694 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
6695
6696 @item list -
6697 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6698 @end table
6699
6700 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
6701 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
6702 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
6703
6704 @table @code
6705 @kindex set listsize
6706 @item set listsize @var{count}
6707 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
6708 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
6709
6710 @kindex show listsize
6711 @item show listsize
6712 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
6713 @end table
6714
6715 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
6716 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
6717 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
6718 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
6719 each repetition moves up in the source file.
6720
6721 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
6722 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
6723 of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
6724 to specify some source line.
6725
6726 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
6727
6728 @table @code
6729 @item list @var{linespec}
6730 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
6731
6732 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
6733 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
6734 linespecs. When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, and the
6735 source file of the second linespec is omitted, this refers to
6736 the same source file as the first linespec.
6737
6738 @item list ,@var{last}
6739 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
6740
6741 @item list @var{first},
6742 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
6743
6744 @item list +
6745 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
6746
6747 @item list -
6748 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6749
6750 @item list
6751 As described in the preceding table.
6752 @end table
6753
6754 @node Specify Location
6755 @section Specifying a Location
6756 @cindex specifying location
6757 @cindex linespec
6758
6759 Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
6760 of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
6761 debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code;
6762 for that reason, locations are also known as @dfn{linespecs}.
6763
6764 Here are all the different ways of specifying a code location that
6765 @value{GDBN} understands:
6766
6767 @table @code
6768 @item @var{linenum}
6769 Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
6770
6771 @item -@var{offset}
6772 @itemx +@var{offset}
6773 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
6774 line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
6775 printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
6776 execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
6777 (@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
6778 used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
6779 this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
6780 linespec.
6781
6782 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
6783 Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
6784 If @var{filename} is a relative file name, then it will match any
6785 source file name with the same trailing components. For example, if
6786 @var{filename} is @samp{gcc/expr.c}, then it will match source file
6787 name of @file{/build/trunk/gcc/expr.c}, but not
6788 @file{/build/trunk/libcpp/expr.c} or @file{/build/trunk/gcc/x-expr.c}.
6789
6790 @item @var{function}
6791 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
6792 For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
6793
6794 @item @var{function}:@var{label}
6795 Specifies the line where @var{label} appears in @var{function}.
6796
6797 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
6798 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
6799 in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
6800 function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
6801 functions in different source files.
6802
6803 @item @var{label}
6804 Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears.
6805 @value{GDBN} searches for the label in the function corresponding to
6806 the currently selected stack frame. If there is no current selected
6807 stack frame (for instance, if the inferior is not running), then
6808 @value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
6809
6810 @item *@var{address}
6811 Specifies the program address @var{address}. For line-oriented
6812 commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this specifies a source
6813 line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and other
6814 breakpoint oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
6815 parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
6816 source files.
6817
6818 Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
6819 language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
6820 address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
6821 semantics of expressions used in locations to cover the situations
6822 that frequently happen during debugging. Here are the various forms
6823 of @var{address}:
6824
6825 @table @code
6826 @item @var{expression}
6827 Any expression valid in the current working language.
6828
6829 @item @var{funcaddr}
6830 An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
6831 C@t{++}, Java, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
6832 simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
6833 of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
6834 @code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
6835 (although the Pascal form also works).
6836
6837 This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
6838 before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
6839
6840 @item '@var{filename}'::@var{funcaddr}
6841 Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
6842 file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
6843 specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
6844 functions with identical names in different source files.
6845 @end table
6846
6847 @cindex breakpoint at static probe point
6848 @item -pstap|-probe-stap @r{[}@var{objfile}:@r{[}@var{provider}:@r{]}@r{]}@var{name}
6849 The @sc{gnu}/Linux tool @code{SystemTap} provides a way for
6850 applications to embed static probes. @xref{Static Probe Points}, for more
6851 information on finding and using static probes. This form of linespec
6852 specifies the location of such a static probe.
6853
6854 If @var{objfile} is given, only probes coming from that shared library
6855 or executable matching @var{objfile} as a regular expression are considered.
6856 If @var{provider} is given, then only probes from that provider are considered.
6857 If several probes match the spec, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at
6858 each one of those probes.
6859
6860 @end table
6861
6862
6863 @node Edit
6864 @section Editing Source Files
6865 @cindex editing source files
6866
6867 @kindex edit
6868 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
6869 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
6870 The editing program of your choice
6871 is invoked with the current line set to
6872 the active line in the program.
6873 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
6874 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
6875
6876 @table @code
6877 @item edit @var{location}
6878 Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
6879 that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
6880 specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
6881 of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
6882 command most commonly used:
6883
6884 @table @code
6885 @item edit @var{number}
6886 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
6887
6888 @item edit @var{function}
6889 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
6890 @end table
6891
6892 @end table
6893
6894 @subsection Choosing your Editor
6895 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
6896 @footnote{
6897 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
6898 following command-line syntax:
6899 @smallexample
6900 ex +@var{number} file
6901 @end smallexample
6902 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
6903 the file where to start editing.}.
6904 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
6905 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
6906 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
6907 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
6908 @smallexample
6909 EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
6910 export EDITOR
6911 gdb @dots{}
6912 @end smallexample
6913 or in the @code{csh} shell,
6914 @smallexample
6915 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
6916 gdb @dots{}
6917 @end smallexample
6918
6919 @node Search
6920 @section Searching Source Files
6921 @cindex searching source files
6922
6923 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
6924 regular expression.
6925
6926 @table @code
6927 @kindex search
6928 @kindex forward-search
6929 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
6930 @itemx search @var{regexp}
6931 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
6932 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
6933 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
6934 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
6935 @code{fo}.
6936
6937 @kindex reverse-search
6938 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
6939 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
6940 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
6941 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
6942 this command as @code{rev}.
6943 @end table
6944
6945 @node Source Path
6946 @section Specifying Source Directories
6947
6948 @cindex source path
6949 @cindex directories for source files
6950 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
6951 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
6952 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
6953 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
6954 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
6955 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
6956 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
6957
6958 For example, suppose an executable references the file
6959 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
6960 @file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
6961 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
6962 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
6963 message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
6964 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
6965 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
6966 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
6967 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
6968 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
6969
6970 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
6971 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
6972 instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
6973 is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
6974 @file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
6975 that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
6976
6977 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
6978 source files.
6979
6980 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
6981 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
6982 each line is in the file.
6983
6984 @kindex directory
6985 @kindex dir
6986 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
6987 and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
6988 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
6989
6990 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
6991 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
6992
6993 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
6994 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
6995 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
6996 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
6997 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
6998 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
6999 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
7000 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
7001 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
7002 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
7003 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
7004 name to look up the sources.
7005
7006 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
7007 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
7008 @value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
7009 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
7010 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
7011 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
7012 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
7013 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
7014
7015 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
7016 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
7017 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
7018 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
7019 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
7020 is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
7021 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
7022
7023 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
7024 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
7025 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
7026 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
7027 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
7028 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
7029 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
7030 command.
7031
7032 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
7033 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
7034 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
7035 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
7036 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
7037 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
7038 method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
7039
7040 @cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
7041 @cindex default source path substitution
7042 You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
7043 configuring @value{GDBN} with the
7044 @samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
7045 should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
7046 prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
7047 directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
7048 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
7049 location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
7050 with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
7051 together.
7052
7053 @table @code
7054 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
7055 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
7056 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
7057 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
7058 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
7059 part of absolute file names) or
7060 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
7061 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
7062
7063 @kindex cdir
7064 @kindex cwd
7065 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
7066 @vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
7067 @cindex compilation directory
7068 @cindex current directory
7069 @cindex working directory
7070 @cindex directory, current
7071 @cindex directory, compilation
7072 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
7073 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
7074 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
7075 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
7076 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
7077 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
7078
7079 @item directory
7080 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
7081
7082 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
7083 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
7084
7085 @item set directories @var{path-list}
7086 @kindex set directories
7087 Set the source path to @var{path-list}.
7088 @samp{$cdir:$cwd} are added if missing.
7089
7090 @item show directories
7091 @kindex show directories
7092 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
7093
7094 @anchor{set substitute-path}
7095 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
7096 @kindex set substitute-path
7097 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
7098 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
7099 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
7100
7101 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
7102 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
7103
7104 @smallexample
7105 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
7106 @end smallexample
7107
7108 @noindent
7109 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
7110 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
7111 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
7112
7113 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
7114 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
7115 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
7116 the substitution.
7117
7118 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
7119
7120 @smallexample
7121 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
7122 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
7123 @end smallexample
7124
7125 @noindent
7126 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
7127 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
7128 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
7129 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
7130
7131
7132 @item unset substitute-path [path]
7133 @kindex unset substitute-path
7134 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
7135 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
7136 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
7137
7138 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
7139
7140 @item show substitute-path [path]
7141 @kindex show substitute-path
7142 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
7143 which would rewrite that path, if any.
7144
7145 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
7146 rules.
7147
7148 @end table
7149
7150 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
7151 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
7152 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
7153
7154 @enumerate
7155 @item
7156 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
7157
7158 @item
7159 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
7160 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
7161 directories in one command.
7162 @end enumerate
7163
7164 @node Machine Code
7165 @section Source and Machine Code
7166 @cindex source line and its code address
7167
7168 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
7169 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
7170 a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
7171 @code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
7172 source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
7173 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
7174 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
7175 well as hex.
7176
7177 @table @code
7178 @kindex info line
7179 @item info line @var{linespec}
7180 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
7181 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
7182 the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}.
7183 @end table
7184
7185 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
7186 the object code for the first line of function
7187 @code{m4_changequote}:
7188
7189 @c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
7190 @c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
7191 @smallexample
7192 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
7193 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
7194 @end smallexample
7195
7196 @noindent
7197 @cindex code address and its source line
7198 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
7199 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
7200 @smallexample
7201 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
7202 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
7203 @end smallexample
7204
7205 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
7206 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
7207 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
7208 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
7209 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
7210 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
7211 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
7212 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7213 Variables}).
7214
7215 @table @code
7216 @kindex disassemble
7217 @cindex assembly instructions
7218 @cindex instructions, assembly
7219 @cindex machine instructions
7220 @cindex listing machine instructions
7221 @item disassemble
7222 @itemx disassemble /m
7223 @itemx disassemble /r
7224 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
7225 instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
7226 the @code{/m} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex as well as
7227 in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r}.
7228 The default memory range is the function surrounding the
7229 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
7230 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
7231 surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
7232 be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
7233 arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
7234
7235 @table @code
7236 @item @var{start},@var{end}
7237 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
7238 @item @var{start},+@var{length}
7239 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
7240 @code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
7241 @end table
7242
7243 @noindent
7244 When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
7245 printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
7246
7247 The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
7248 @samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
7249
7250 If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
7251 the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
7252 @end table
7253
7254 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
7255 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
7256
7257 @smallexample
7258 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
7259 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
7260 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
7261 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
7262 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7263 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
7264 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
7265 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
7266 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
7267 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7268 End of assembler dump.
7269 @end smallexample
7270
7271 Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86, when the
7272 program is stopped just after function prologue:
7273
7274 @smallexample
7275 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
7276 Dump of assembler code for function main:
7277 5 @{
7278 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
7279 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
7280 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
7281 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
7282 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
7283
7284 6 printf ("Hello.\n");
7285 => 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
7286 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
7287
7288 7 return 0;
7289 8 @}
7290 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
7291 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
7292 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
7293
7294 End of assembler dump.
7295 @end smallexample
7296
7297 Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
7298
7299 @smallexample
7300 (gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
7301 Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
7302 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
7303 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
7304 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
7305 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
7306 End of assembler dump.
7307 @end smallexample
7308
7309 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
7310 mnemonics or other syntax.
7311
7312 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
7313 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
7314 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
7315 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
7316 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
7317
7318 @table @code
7319 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
7320 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
7321 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
7322 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
7323 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
7324 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
7325
7326 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
7327 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
7328 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
7329 assemblers for x86-based targets.
7330
7331 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
7332 @item show disassembly-flavor
7333 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
7334 @end table
7335
7336 @table @code
7337 @kindex set disassemble-next-line
7338 @kindex show disassemble-next-line
7339 @item set disassemble-next-line
7340 @itemx show disassemble-next-line
7341 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
7342 line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
7343 display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
7344 program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
7345 displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
7346 possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
7347 (e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
7348 info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
7349 next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
7350 AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
7351 if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
7352 @value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
7353 with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
7354 OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
7355 instruction.
7356 @end table
7357
7358
7359 @node Data
7360 @chapter Examining Data
7361
7362 @cindex printing data
7363 @cindex examining data
7364 @kindex print
7365 @kindex inspect
7366 @c "inspect" is not quite a synonym if you are using Epoch, which we do not
7367 @c document because it is nonstandard... Under Epoch it displays in a
7368 @c different window or something like that.
7369 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
7370 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
7371 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
7372 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
7373 Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
7374 Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
7375
7376 @table @code
7377 @item print @var{expr}
7378 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
7379 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
7380 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
7381 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
7382 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
7383 Formats}.
7384
7385 @item print
7386 @itemx print /@var{f}
7387 @cindex reprint the last value
7388 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
7389 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
7390 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
7391 @end table
7392
7393 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
7394 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
7395 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7396
7397 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
7398 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
7399 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
7400 Table}.
7401
7402 @cindex exploring hierarchical data structures
7403 @kindex explore
7404 Another way of examining values of expressions and type information is
7405 through the Python extension command @code{explore} (available only if
7406 the @value{GDBN} build is configured with @code{--with-python}). It
7407 offers an interactive way to start at the highest level (or, the most
7408 abstract level) of the data type of an expression (or, the data type
7409 itself) and explore all the way down to leaf scalar values/fields
7410 embedded in the higher level data types.
7411
7412 @table @code
7413 @item explore @var{arg}
7414 @var{arg} is either an expression (in the source language), or a type
7415 visible in the current context of the program being debugged.
7416 @end table
7417
7418 The working of the @code{explore} command can be illustrated with an
7419 example. If a data type @code{struct ComplexStruct} is defined in your
7420 C program as
7421
7422 @smallexample
7423 struct SimpleStruct
7424 @{
7425 int i;
7426 double d;
7427 @};
7428
7429 struct ComplexStruct
7430 @{
7431 struct SimpleStruct *ss_p;
7432 int arr[10];
7433 @};
7434 @end smallexample
7435
7436 @noindent
7437 followed by variable declarations as
7438
7439 @smallexample
7440 struct SimpleStruct ss = @{ 10, 1.11 @};
7441 struct ComplexStruct cs = @{ &ss, @{ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 @} @};
7442 @end smallexample
7443
7444 @noindent
7445 then, the value of the variable @code{cs} can be explored using the
7446 @code{explore} command as follows.
7447
7448 @smallexample
7449 (gdb) explore cs
7450 The value of `cs' is a struct/class of type `struct ComplexStruct' with
7451 the following fields:
7452
7453 ss_p = <Enter 0 to explore this field of type `struct SimpleStruct *'>
7454 arr = <Enter 1 to explore this field of type `int [10]'>
7455
7456 Enter the field number of choice:
7457 @end smallexample
7458
7459 @noindent
7460 Since the fields of @code{cs} are not scalar values, you are being
7461 prompted to chose the field you want to explore. Let's say you choose
7462 the field @code{ss_p} by entering @code{0}. Then, since this field is a
7463 pointer, you will be asked if it is pointing to a single value. From
7464 the declaration of @code{cs} above, it is indeed pointing to a single
7465 value, hence you enter @code{y}. If you enter @code{n}, then you will
7466 be asked if it were pointing to an array of values, in which case this
7467 field will be explored as if it were an array.
7468
7469 @smallexample
7470 `cs.ss_p' is a pointer to a value of type `struct SimpleStruct'
7471 Continue exploring it as a pointer to a single value [y/n]: y
7472 The value of `*(cs.ss_p)' is a struct/class of type `struct
7473 SimpleStruct' with the following fields:
7474
7475 i = 10 .. (Value of type `int')
7476 d = 1.1100000000000001 .. (Value of type `double')
7477
7478 Press enter to return to parent value:
7479 @end smallexample
7480
7481 @noindent
7482 If the field @code{arr} of @code{cs} was chosen for exploration by
7483 entering @code{1} earlier, then since it is as array, you will be
7484 prompted to enter the index of the element in the array that you want
7485 to explore.
7486
7487 @smallexample
7488 `cs.arr' is an array of `int'.
7489 Enter the index of the element you want to explore in `cs.arr': 5
7490
7491 `(cs.arr)[5]' is a scalar value of type `int'.
7492
7493 (cs.arr)[5] = 4
7494
7495 Press enter to return to parent value:
7496 @end smallexample
7497
7498 In general, at any stage of exploration, you can go deeper towards the
7499 leaf values by responding to the prompts appropriately, or hit the
7500 return key to return to the enclosing data structure (the @i{higher}
7501 level data structure).
7502
7503 Similar to exploring values, you can use the @code{explore} command to
7504 explore types. Instead of specifying a value (which is typically a
7505 variable name or an expression valid in the current context of the
7506 program being debugged), you specify a type name. If you consider the
7507 same example as above, your can explore the type
7508 @code{struct ComplexStruct} by passing the argument
7509 @code{struct ComplexStruct} to the @code{explore} command.
7510
7511 @smallexample
7512 (gdb) explore struct ComplexStruct
7513 @end smallexample
7514
7515 @noindent
7516 By responding to the prompts appropriately in the subsequent interactive
7517 session, you can explore the type @code{struct ComplexStruct} in a
7518 manner similar to how the value @code{cs} was explored in the above
7519 example.
7520
7521 The @code{explore} command also has two sub-commands,
7522 @code{explore value} and @code{explore type}. The former sub-command is
7523 a way to explicitly specify that value exploration of the argument is
7524 being invoked, while the latter is a way to explicitly specify that type
7525 exploration of the argument is being invoked.
7526
7527 @table @code
7528 @item explore value @var{expr}
7529 @cindex explore value
7530 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the value of the
7531 expression @var{expr} (if @var{expr} is an expression valid in the
7532 current context of the program being debugged). The behavior of this
7533 command is identical to that of the behavior of the @code{explore}
7534 command being passed the argument @var{expr}.
7535
7536 @item explore type @var{arg}
7537 @cindex explore type
7538 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the type of @var{arg} (if
7539 @var{arg} is a type visible in the current context of program being
7540 debugged), or the type of the value/expression @var{arg} (if @var{arg}
7541 is an expression valid in the current context of the program being
7542 debugged). If @var{arg} is a type, then the behavior of this command is
7543 identical to that of the @code{explore} command being passed the
7544 argument @var{arg}. If @var{arg} is an expression, then the behavior of
7545 this command will be identical to that of the @code{explore} command
7546 being passed the type of @var{arg} as the argument.
7547 @end table
7548
7549 @menu
7550 * Expressions:: Expressions
7551 * Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
7552 * Variables:: Program variables
7553 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
7554 * Output Formats:: Output formats
7555 * Memory:: Examining memory
7556 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
7557 * Print Settings:: Print settings
7558 * Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
7559 * Value History:: Value history
7560 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
7561 * Convenience Funs:: Convenience functions
7562 * Registers:: Registers
7563 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
7564 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
7565 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
7566 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
7567 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
7568 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
7569 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
7570 character set than GDB does
7571 * Caching Remote Data:: Data caching for remote targets
7572 * Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
7573 @end menu
7574
7575 @node Expressions
7576 @section Expressions
7577
7578 @cindex expressions
7579 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
7580 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
7581 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
7582 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
7583 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
7584 you compiled your program to include this information; see
7585 @ref{Compilation}.
7586
7587 @cindex arrays in expressions
7588 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
7589 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
7590 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
7591 of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
7592 to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
7593 is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
7594
7595 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
7596 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
7597 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
7598 languages.
7599
7600 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
7601 expressions regardless of your programming language.
7602
7603 @cindex casts, in expressions
7604 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
7605 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
7606 at that address in memory.
7607 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
7608
7609 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
7610 to programming languages:
7611
7612 @table @code
7613 @item @@
7614 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
7615 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
7616
7617 @item ::
7618 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
7619 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
7620
7621 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
7622 @cindex type casting memory
7623 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
7624 @cindex casts, to view memory
7625 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
7626 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
7627 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
7628 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
7629 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
7630 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
7631 @end table
7632
7633 @node Ambiguous Expressions
7634 @section Ambiguous Expressions
7635 @cindex ambiguous expressions
7636
7637 Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
7638 some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
7639 a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
7640 different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
7641 involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
7642 templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
7643 the same function name being defined in different contexts.
7644
7645 In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
7646 the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
7647 can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
7648 @kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
7649 qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
7650 as well.
7651
7652 When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
7653 has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
7654 possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
7655 The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
7656 aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
7657 used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
7658 menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
7659 choices.
7660
7661 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
7662 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
7663 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
7664
7665 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
7666 @smallexample
7667 @group
7668 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
7669 [0] cancel
7670 [1] all
7671 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
7672 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
7673 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
7674 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
7675 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
7676 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
7677 > 2 4 6
7678 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
7679 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
7680 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
7681 Multiple breakpoints were set.
7682 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
7683 breakpoints.
7684 (@value{GDBP})
7685 @end group
7686 @end smallexample
7687
7688 @table @code
7689 @kindex set multiple-symbols
7690 @item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
7691 @cindex multiple-symbols menu
7692
7693 This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
7694 is ambiguous.
7695
7696 By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
7697 the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
7698 automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
7699 a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
7700 inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
7701 then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
7702 For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
7703 in the use of the menu.
7704
7705 When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
7706 when an ambiguity is detected.
7707
7708 Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
7709 an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
7710
7711 @kindex show multiple-symbols
7712 @item show multiple-symbols
7713 Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
7714 @end table
7715
7716 @node Variables
7717 @section Program Variables
7718
7719 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
7720 in your program.
7721
7722 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
7723 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
7724
7725 @itemize @bullet
7726 @item
7727 global (or file-static)
7728 @end itemize
7729
7730 @noindent or
7731
7732 @itemize @bullet
7733 @item
7734 visible according to the scope rules of the
7735 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
7736 @end itemize
7737
7738 @noindent This means that in the function
7739
7740 @smallexample
7741 foo (a)
7742 int a;
7743 @{
7744 bar (a);
7745 @{
7746 int b = test ();
7747 bar (b);
7748 @}
7749 @}
7750 @end smallexample
7751
7752 @noindent
7753 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
7754 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
7755 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
7756 the block where @code{b} is declared.
7757
7758 @cindex variable name conflict
7759 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
7760 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
7761 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
7762 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
7763 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
7764 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file by
7765 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
7766
7767 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
7768 @ifnotinfo
7769 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
7770 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
7771 @end ifnotinfo
7772 @smallexample
7773 @var{file}::@var{variable}
7774 @var{function}::@var{variable}
7775 @end smallexample
7776
7777 @noindent
7778 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
7779 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
7780 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
7781 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
7782
7783 @smallexample
7784 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
7785 @end smallexample
7786
7787 The @code{::} notation is normally used for referring to
7788 static variables, since you typically disambiguate uses of local variables
7789 in functions by selecting the appropriate frame and using the
7790 simple name of the variable. However, you may also use this notation
7791 to refer to local variables in frames enclosing the selected frame:
7792
7793 @smallexample
7794 void
7795 foo (int a)
7796 @{
7797 if (a < 10)
7798 bar (a);
7799 else
7800 process (a); /* Stop here */
7801 @}
7802
7803 int
7804 bar (int a)
7805 @{
7806 foo (a + 5);
7807 @}
7808 @end smallexample
7809
7810 @noindent
7811 For example, if there is a breakpoint at the commented line,
7812 here is what you might see
7813 when the program stops after executing the call @code{bar(0)}:
7814
7815 @smallexample
7816 (@value{GDBP}) p a
7817 $1 = 10
7818 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
7819 $2 = 5
7820 (@value{GDBP}) up 2
7821 #2 0x080483d0 in foo (a=5) at foobar.c:12
7822 (@value{GDBP}) p a
7823 $3 = 5
7824 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
7825 $4 = 0
7826 @end smallexample
7827
7828 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
7829 These uses of @samp{::} are very rarely in conflict with the very similar
7830 use of the same notation in C@t{++}. @value{GDBN} also supports use of the C@t{++}
7831 scope resolution operator in @value{GDBN} expressions.
7832 @c FIXME: Um, so what happens in one of those rare cases where it's in
7833 @c conflict?? --mew
7834
7835 @cindex wrong values
7836 @cindex variable values, wrong
7837 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
7838 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
7839 @quotation
7840 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
7841 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
7842 scope, and just before exit.
7843 @end quotation
7844 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
7845 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
7846 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
7847 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
7848 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
7849 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
7850 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
7851 variable definitions may be gone.
7852
7853 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
7854 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
7855 when compiling.
7856
7857 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
7858 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
7859 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
7860 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
7861 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
7862 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
7863 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
7864
7865 @smallexample
7866 No symbol "foo" in current context.
7867 @end smallexample
7868
7869 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
7870 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
7871 formats. @xref{Compilation}, for more information on choosing compiler
7872 options. @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug
7873 info formats that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
7874
7875 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
7876 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
7877 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
7878 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
7879
7880 If you append @kbd{@@entry} string to a function parameter name you get its
7881 value at the time the function got called. If the value is not available an
7882 error message is printed. Entry values are available only with some compilers.
7883 Entry values are normally also printed at the function parameter list according
7884 to @ref{set print entry-values}.
7885
7886 @smallexample
7887 Breakpoint 1, d (i=30) at gdb.base/entry-value.c:29
7888 29 i++;
7889 (gdb) next
7890 30 e (i);
7891 (gdb) print i
7892 $1 = 31
7893 (gdb) print i@@entry
7894 $2 = 30
7895 @end smallexample
7896
7897 Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
7898 signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
7899 printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
7900 @code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
7901 defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
7902 For program code
7903
7904 @smallexample
7905 char var0[] = "A";
7906 signed char var1[] = "A";
7907 @end smallexample
7908
7909 You get during debugging
7910 @smallexample
7911 (gdb) print var0
7912 $1 = "A"
7913 (gdb) print var1
7914 $2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
7915 @end smallexample
7916
7917 @node Arrays
7918 @section Artificial Arrays
7919
7920 @cindex artificial array
7921 @cindex arrays
7922 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
7923 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
7924 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
7925 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
7926 program.
7927
7928 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
7929 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
7930 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
7931 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
7932 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
7933 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
7934 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
7935 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
7936 example. If a program says
7937
7938 @smallexample
7939 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
7940 @end smallexample
7941
7942 @noindent
7943 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
7944
7945 @smallexample
7946 p *array@@len
7947 @end smallexample
7948
7949 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
7950 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
7951 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
7952 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
7953 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
7954
7955 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
7956 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
7957 The value need not be in memory:
7958 @smallexample
7959 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
7960 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7961 @end smallexample
7962
7963 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
7964 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
7965 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
7966 @smallexample
7967 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
7968 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7969 @end smallexample
7970
7971 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
7972 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
7973 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
7974 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
7975 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7976 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
7977 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
7978 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
7979 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
7980 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
7981
7982 @smallexample
7983 set $i = 0
7984 p dtab[$i++]->fv
7985 @key{RET}
7986 @key{RET}
7987 @dots{}
7988 @end smallexample
7989
7990 @node Output Formats
7991 @section Output Formats
7992
7993 @cindex formatted output
7994 @cindex output formats
7995 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
7996 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
7997 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
7998 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
7999 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
8000
8001 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
8002 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
8003 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
8004 letters supported are:
8005
8006 @table @code
8007 @item x
8008 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
8009 hexadecimal.
8010
8011 @item d
8012 Print as integer in signed decimal.
8013
8014 @item u
8015 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
8016
8017 @item o
8018 Print as integer in octal.
8019
8020 @item t
8021 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
8022 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
8023 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
8024 see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
8025
8026 @item a
8027 @cindex unknown address, locating
8028 @cindex locate address
8029 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
8030 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
8031 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
8032
8033 @smallexample
8034 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
8035 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
8036 @end smallexample
8037
8038 @noindent
8039 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
8040 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
8041
8042 @item c
8043 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
8044 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
8045 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
8046 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
8047
8048 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
8049 @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
8050 constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
8051 data.
8052
8053 @item f
8054 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
8055 using typical floating point syntax.
8056
8057 @item s
8058 @cindex printing strings
8059 @cindex printing byte arrays
8060 Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
8061 data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
8062 are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
8063 natural types.
8064
8065 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
8066 @code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
8067 strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
8068 array.
8069
8070 @item r
8071 @cindex raw printing
8072 Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
8073 use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
8074 Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
8075 value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
8076 pretty-printer which might exist.
8077 @end table
8078
8079 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
8080
8081 @smallexample
8082 p/x $pc
8083 @end smallexample
8084
8085 @noindent
8086 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
8087 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
8088
8089 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
8090 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
8091 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
8092
8093 @node Memory
8094 @section Examining Memory
8095
8096 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
8097 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
8098
8099 @cindex examining memory
8100 @table @code
8101 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
8102 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
8103 @itemx x @var{addr}
8104 @itemx x
8105 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
8106 @end table
8107
8108 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
8109 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
8110 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
8111 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
8112 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
8113
8114 @table @r
8115 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
8116 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
8117 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
8118 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
8119 @c 4.1.2.
8120
8121 @item @var{f}, the display format
8122 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
8123 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
8124 @samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
8125 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
8126 each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
8127
8128 @item @var{u}, the unit size
8129 The unit size is any of
8130
8131 @table @code
8132 @item b
8133 Bytes.
8134 @item h
8135 Halfwords (two bytes).
8136 @item w
8137 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
8138 @item g
8139 Giant words (eight bytes).
8140 @end table
8141
8142 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
8143 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
8144 the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
8145 the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
8146 Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
8147 32-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
8148 Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
8149 current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
8150 modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
8151 UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
8152 be altered.
8153
8154 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
8155 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
8156 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
8157 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
8158 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
8159 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
8160 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
8161 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
8162 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
8163 a value from memory).
8164 @end table
8165
8166 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
8167 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
8168 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
8169 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
8170 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
8171
8172 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
8173 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
8174 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
8175 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
8176 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
8177
8178 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
8179 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
8180 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
8181 including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
8182 the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
8183 slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
8184 follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
8185 @code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
8186 instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
8187
8188 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
8189 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
8190 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
8191 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
8192 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
8193 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
8194 for successive uses of @code{x}.
8195
8196 When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
8197 counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
8198
8199 @smallexample
8200 (@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
8201 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
8202 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
8203 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
8204 => 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
8205 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
8206 @end smallexample
8207
8208 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
8209 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
8210 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
8211 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
8212 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
8213 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
8214 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
8215 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
8216 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
8217
8218 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
8219 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
8220 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
8221
8222 @cindex remote memory comparison
8223 @cindex verify remote memory image
8224 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
8225 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
8226 remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
8227 the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
8228 situations.
8229
8230 @table @code
8231 @kindex compare-sections
8232 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
8233 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
8234 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
8235 the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
8236 arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
8237 availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
8238 remote request.
8239 @end table
8240
8241 @node Auto Display
8242 @section Automatic Display
8243 @cindex automatic display
8244 @cindex display of expressions
8245
8246 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
8247 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
8248 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
8249 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
8250 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
8251 The automatic display looks like this:
8252
8253 @smallexample
8254 2: foo = 38
8255 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
8256 @end smallexample
8257
8258 @noindent
8259 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
8260 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
8261 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
8262 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
8263 specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
8264 or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
8265
8266 @table @code
8267 @kindex display
8268 @item display @var{expr}
8269 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
8270 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
8271
8272 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
8273
8274 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
8275 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
8276 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
8277 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
8278 @xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
8279
8280 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
8281 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
8282 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
8283 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
8284 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
8285 @end table
8286
8287 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
8288 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
8289 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
8290
8291 @table @code
8292 @kindex delete display
8293 @kindex undisplay
8294 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
8295 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8296 Remove items from the list of expressions to display. Specify the
8297 numbers of the displays that you want affected with the command
8298 argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one of the
8299 numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display} display;
8300 or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8301
8302 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
8303 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
8304
8305 @kindex disable display
8306 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8307 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
8308 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
8309 enabled again later. Specify the numbers of the displays that you
8310 want affected with the command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a
8311 single display number, one of the numbers shown in the first field of
8312 the @samp{info display} display; or it could be a range of display
8313 numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8314
8315 @kindex enable display
8316 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8317 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
8318 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
8319 Specify the numbers of the displays that you want affected with the
8320 command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one
8321 of the numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display}
8322 display; or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8323
8324 @item display
8325 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
8326 done when your program stops.
8327
8328 @kindex info display
8329 @item info display
8330 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
8331 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
8332 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
8333 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
8334 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
8335 @end table
8336
8337 @cindex display disabled out of scope
8338 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
8339 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
8340 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
8341 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
8342 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
8343 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
8344 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
8345 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
8346 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
8347 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
8348
8349 @node Print Settings
8350 @section Print Settings
8351
8352 @cindex format options
8353 @cindex print settings
8354 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
8355 and symbols are printed.
8356
8357 @noindent
8358 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
8359
8360 @table @code
8361 @kindex set print
8362 @item set print address
8363 @itemx set print address on
8364 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
8365 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
8366 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
8367 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
8368 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
8369 @code{set print address on}:
8370
8371 @smallexample
8372 @group
8373 (@value{GDBP}) f
8374 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
8375 at input.c:530
8376 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8377 @end group
8378 @end smallexample
8379
8380 @item set print address off
8381 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
8382 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
8383
8384 @smallexample
8385 @group
8386 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
8387 (@value{GDBP}) f
8388 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
8389 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8390 @end group
8391 @end smallexample
8392
8393 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
8394 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
8395 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
8396 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
8397
8398 @kindex show print
8399 @item show print address
8400 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
8401 @end table
8402
8403 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
8404 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
8405 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
8406 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
8407 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
8408 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
8409 it prints a symbolic address:
8410
8411 @table @code
8412 @item set print symbol-filename on
8413 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
8414 @cindex symbol, source file and line
8415 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
8416 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8417
8418 @item set print symbol-filename off
8419 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
8420 default.
8421
8422 @item show print symbol-filename
8423 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
8424 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8425 @end table
8426
8427 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
8428 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
8429 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
8430
8431 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
8432 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
8433
8434 @table @code
8435 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
8436 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
8437 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
8438 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
8439 @var{max-offset}. The default is 0, which tells @value{GDBN}
8440 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes it.
8441
8442 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
8443 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
8444 symbolic address.
8445 @end table
8446
8447 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
8448 @cindex pointer, finding referent
8449 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
8450 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
8451 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
8452 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
8453 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
8454 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
8455
8456 @smallexample
8457 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
8458 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
8459 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
8460 @end smallexample
8461
8462 @quotation
8463 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
8464 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
8465 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
8466 @end quotation
8467
8468 You can also enable @samp{/a}-like formatting all the time using
8469 @samp{set print symbol on}:
8470
8471 @table @code
8472 @item set print symbol on
8473 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the symbol corresponding to an address, if
8474 one exists.
8475
8476 @item set print symbol off
8477 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print the symbol corresponding to an
8478 address. In this mode, @value{GDBN} will still print the symbol
8479 corresponding to pointers to functions. This is the default.
8480
8481 @item show print symbol
8482 Show whether @value{GDBN} will display the symbol corresponding to an
8483 address.
8484 @end table
8485
8486 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
8487
8488 @table @code
8489 @item set print array
8490 @itemx set print array on
8491 @cindex pretty print arrays
8492 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
8493 but uses more space. The default is off.
8494
8495 @item set print array off
8496 Return to compressed format for arrays.
8497
8498 @item show print array
8499 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
8500 arrays.
8501
8502 @cindex print array indexes
8503 @item set print array-indexes
8504 @itemx set print array-indexes on
8505 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
8506 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
8507 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
8508
8509 @item set print array-indexes off
8510 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
8511
8512 @item show print array-indexes
8513 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
8514 arrays.
8515
8516 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
8517 @cindex number of array elements to print
8518 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
8519 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
8520 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
8521 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
8522 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
8523 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
8524 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to zero means that the printing is unlimited.
8525
8526 @item show print elements
8527 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
8528 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
8529
8530 @item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
8531 @kindex set print frame-arguments
8532 @cindex printing frame argument values
8533 @cindex print all frame argument values
8534 @cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
8535 @cindex do not print frame argument values
8536 This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
8537 when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
8538 values are:
8539
8540 @table @code
8541 @item all
8542 The values of all arguments are printed.
8543
8544 @item scalars
8545 Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
8546 complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
8547 by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
8548 only scalar arguments are shown:
8549
8550 @smallexample
8551 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
8552 at frame-args.c:23
8553 @end smallexample
8554
8555 @item none
8556 None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
8557 is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
8558
8559 @smallexample
8560 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
8561 at frame-args.c:23
8562 @end smallexample
8563 @end table
8564
8565 By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
8566 to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
8567 of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
8568 of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
8569 information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
8570 Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
8571 the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
8572 especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
8573 to @code{scalars} (the default) or @code{none} avoids this computation,
8574 thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
8575
8576 @item show print frame-arguments
8577 Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
8578
8579 @anchor{set print entry-values}
8580 @item set print entry-values @var{value}
8581 @kindex set print entry-values
8582 Set printing of frame argument values at function entry. In some cases
8583 @value{GDBN} can determine the value of function argument which was passed by
8584 the function caller, even if the value was modified inside the called function
8585 and therefore is different. With optimized code, the current value could be
8586 unavailable, but the entry value may still be known.
8587
8588 The default value is @code{default} (see below for its description). Older
8589 @value{GDBN} behaved as with the setting @code{no}. Compilers not supporting
8590 this feature will behave in the @code{default} setting the same way as with the
8591 @code{no} setting.
8592
8593 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
8594 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
8595 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
8596 this information.
8597
8598 The @var{value} parameter can be one of the following:
8599
8600 @table @code
8601 @item no
8602 Print only actual parameter values, never print values from function entry
8603 point.
8604 @smallexample
8605 #0 equal (val=5)
8606 #0 different (val=6)
8607 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>)
8608 #0 born (val=10)
8609 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8610 @end smallexample
8611
8612 @item only
8613 Print only parameter values from function entry point. The actual parameter
8614 values are never printed.
8615 @smallexample
8616 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
8617 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
8618 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8619 #0 born (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8620 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8621 @end smallexample
8622
8623 @item preferred
8624 Print only parameter values from function entry point. If value from function
8625 entry point is not known while the actual value is known, print the actual
8626 value for such parameter.
8627 @smallexample
8628 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
8629 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
8630 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8631 #0 born (val=10)
8632 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8633 @end smallexample
8634
8635 @item if-needed
8636 Print actual parameter values. If actual parameter value is not known while
8637 value from function entry point is known, print the entry point value for such
8638 parameter.
8639 @smallexample
8640 #0 equal (val=5)
8641 #0 different (val=6)
8642 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8643 #0 born (val=10)
8644 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8645 @end smallexample
8646
8647 @item both
8648 Always print both the actual parameter value and its value from function entry
8649 point, even if values of one or both are not available due to compiler
8650 optimizations.
8651 @smallexample
8652 #0 equal (val=5, val@@entry=5)
8653 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
8654 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
8655 #0 born (val=10, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8656 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8657 @end smallexample
8658
8659 @item compact
8660 Print the actual parameter value if it is known and also its value from
8661 function entry point if it is known. If neither is known, print for the actual
8662 value @code{<optimized out>}. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and if both
8663 values are known and identical, print the shortened
8664 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
8665 @smallexample
8666 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
8667 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
8668 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8669 #0 born (val=10)
8670 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8671 @end smallexample
8672
8673 @item default
8674 Always print the actual parameter value. Print also its value from function
8675 entry point, but only if it is known. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and
8676 if both values are known and identical, print the shortened
8677 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
8678 @smallexample
8679 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
8680 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
8681 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
8682 #0 born (val=10)
8683 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8684 @end smallexample
8685 @end table
8686
8687 For analysis messages on possible failures of frame argument values at function
8688 entry resolution see @ref{set debug entry-values}.
8689
8690 @item show print entry-values
8691 Show the method being used for printing of frame argument values at function
8692 entry.
8693
8694 @item set print repeats
8695 @cindex repeated array elements
8696 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
8697 elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
8698 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
8699 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
8700 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
8701 themselves. Setting the threshold to zero will cause all elements to
8702 be individually printed. The default threshold is 10.
8703
8704 @item show print repeats
8705 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
8706 elements.
8707
8708 @item set print null-stop
8709 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
8710 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
8711 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
8712 contain only short strings.
8713 The default is off.
8714
8715 @item show print null-stop
8716 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
8717 @sc{null} character.
8718
8719 @item set print pretty on
8720 @cindex print structures in indented form
8721 @cindex indentation in structure display
8722 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
8723 per line, like this:
8724
8725 @smallexample
8726 @group
8727 $1 = @{
8728 next = 0x0,
8729 flags = @{
8730 sweet = 1,
8731 sour = 1
8732 @},
8733 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
8734 @}
8735 @end group
8736 @end smallexample
8737
8738 @item set print pretty off
8739 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
8740
8741 @smallexample
8742 @group
8743 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
8744 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
8745 @end group
8746 @end smallexample
8747
8748 @noindent
8749 This is the default format.
8750
8751 @item show print pretty
8752 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
8753
8754 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
8755 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
8756 @cindex octal escapes in strings
8757 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
8758 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
8759 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
8760 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
8761 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
8762
8763 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
8764 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
8765 international character sets, and is the default.
8766
8767 @item show print sevenbit-strings
8768 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
8769
8770 @item set print union on
8771 @cindex unions in structures, printing
8772 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
8773 and other unions. This is the default setting.
8774
8775 @item set print union off
8776 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
8777 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
8778 instead.
8779
8780 @item show print union
8781 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
8782 structures and other unions.
8783
8784 For example, given the declarations
8785
8786 @smallexample
8787 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
8788 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
8789 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
8790 Bug_forms;
8791
8792 struct thing @{
8793 Species it;
8794 union @{
8795 Tree_forms tree;
8796 Bug_forms bug;
8797 @} form;
8798 @};
8799
8800 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
8801 @end smallexample
8802
8803 @noindent
8804 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
8805
8806 @smallexample
8807 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
8808 @end smallexample
8809
8810 @noindent
8811 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
8812
8813 @smallexample
8814 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
8815 @end smallexample
8816
8817 @noindent
8818 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
8819 and in Pascal.
8820 @end table
8821
8822 @need 1000
8823 @noindent
8824 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
8825
8826 @table @code
8827 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
8828 @item set print demangle
8829 @itemx set print demangle on
8830 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
8831 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
8832 linkage. The default is on.
8833
8834 @item show print demangle
8835 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
8836
8837 @item set print asm-demangle
8838 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
8839 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
8840 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
8841 The default is off.
8842
8843 @item show print asm-demangle
8844 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
8845 or demangled form.
8846
8847 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
8848 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
8849 @kindex set demangle-style
8850 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
8851 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
8852 represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
8853
8854 @table @code
8855 @item auto
8856 Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
8857
8858 @item gnu
8859 Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
8860 This is the default.
8861
8862 @item hp
8863 Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
8864
8865 @item lucid
8866 Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
8867
8868 @item arm
8869 Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
8870 @strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
8871 debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
8872 require further enhancement to permit that.
8873
8874 @end table
8875 If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
8876
8877 @item show demangle-style
8878 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
8879
8880 @item set print object
8881 @itemx set print object on
8882 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
8883 @cindex display derived types
8884 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
8885 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
8886 the virtual function table. Note that the virtual function table is
8887 required---this feature can only work for objects that have run-time
8888 type identification; a single virtual method in the object's declared
8889 type is sufficient. Note that this setting is also taken into account when
8890 working with variable objects via MI (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
8891
8892 @item set print object off
8893 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
8894 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
8895
8896 @item show print object
8897 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
8898
8899 @item set print static-members
8900 @itemx set print static-members on
8901 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
8902 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
8903
8904 @item set print static-members off
8905 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
8906
8907 @item show print static-members
8908 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
8909
8910 @item set print pascal_static-members
8911 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
8912 @cindex static members of Pascal objects
8913 @cindex Pascal objects, static members display
8914 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
8915
8916 @item set print pascal_static-members off
8917 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
8918
8919 @item show print pascal_static-members
8920 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
8921
8922 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
8923 @item set print vtbl
8924 @itemx set print vtbl on
8925 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
8926 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
8927 @cindex VTBL display
8928 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
8929 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
8930 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
8931
8932 @item set print vtbl off
8933 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
8934
8935 @item show print vtbl
8936 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
8937 @end table
8938
8939 @node Pretty Printing
8940 @section Pretty Printing
8941
8942 @value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
8943 Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
8944 mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
8945
8946 @menu
8947 * Pretty-Printer Introduction:: Introduction to pretty-printers
8948 * Pretty-Printer Example:: An example pretty-printer
8949 * Pretty-Printer Commands:: Pretty-printer commands
8950 @end menu
8951
8952 @node Pretty-Printer Introduction
8953 @subsection Pretty-Printer Introduction
8954
8955 When @value{GDBN} prints a value, it first sees if there is a pretty-printer
8956 registered for the value. If there is then @value{GDBN} invokes the
8957 pretty-printer to print the value. Otherwise the value is printed normally.
8958
8959 Pretty-printers are normally named. This makes them easy to manage.
8960 The @samp{info pretty-printer} command will list all the installed
8961 pretty-printers with their names.
8962 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
8963 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
8964 Each such subprinter has its own name.
8965 The format of the name is @var{printer-name};@var{subprinter-name}.
8966
8967 Pretty-printers are installed by @dfn{registering} them with @value{GDBN}.
8968 Typically they are automatically loaded and registered when the corresponding
8969 debug information is loaded, thus making them available without having to
8970 do anything special.
8971
8972 There are three places where a pretty-printer can be registered.
8973
8974 @itemize @bullet
8975 @item
8976 Pretty-printers registered globally are available when debugging
8977 all inferiors.
8978
8979 @item
8980 Pretty-printers registered with a program space are available only
8981 when debugging that program.
8982 @xref{Progspaces In Python}, for more details on program spaces in Python.
8983
8984 @item
8985 Pretty-printers registered with an objfile are loaded and unloaded
8986 with the corresponding objfile (e.g., shared library).
8987 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for more details on objfiles in Python.
8988 @end itemize
8989
8990 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for further information on how
8991 pretty-printers are selected,
8992
8993 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for implementing pretty printers
8994 for new types.
8995
8996 @node Pretty-Printer Example
8997 @subsection Pretty-Printer Example
8998
8999 Here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a pretty-printer:
9000
9001 @smallexample
9002 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9003 $1 = @{
9004 static npos = 4294967295,
9005 _M_dataplus = @{
9006 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
9007 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
9008 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
9009 @},
9010 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
9011 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
9012 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
9013 @}
9014 @}
9015 @end smallexample
9016
9017 With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
9018
9019 @smallexample
9020 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9021 $2 = "abcd"
9022 @end smallexample
9023
9024 @node Pretty-Printer Commands
9025 @subsection Pretty-Printer Commands
9026 @cindex pretty-printer commands
9027
9028 @table @code
9029 @kindex info pretty-printer
9030 @item info pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9031 Print the list of installed pretty-printers.
9032 This includes disabled pretty-printers, which are marked as such.
9033
9034 @var{object-regexp} is a regular expression matching the objects
9035 whose pretty-printers to list.
9036 Objects can be @code{global}, the program space's file
9037 (@pxref{Progspaces In Python}),
9038 and the object files within that program space (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}).
9039 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for details on how @value{GDBN}
9040 looks up a printer from these three objects.
9041
9042 @var{name-regexp} is a regular expression matching the name of the printers
9043 to list.
9044
9045 @kindex disable pretty-printer
9046 @item disable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9047 Disable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9048 A disabled pretty-printer is not forgotten, it may be enabled again later.
9049
9050 @kindex enable pretty-printer
9051 @item enable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9052 Enable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9053 @end table
9054
9055 Example:
9056
9057 Suppose we have three pretty-printers installed: one from library1.so
9058 named @code{foo} that prints objects of type @code{foo}, and
9059 another from library2.so named @code{bar} that prints two types of objects,
9060 @code{bar1} and @code{bar2}.
9061
9062 @smallexample
9063 (gdb) info pretty-printer
9064 library1.so:
9065 foo
9066 library2.so:
9067 bar
9068 bar1
9069 bar2
9070 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9071 library2.so:
9072 bar
9073 bar1
9074 bar2
9075 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library1
9076 1 printer disabled
9077 2 of 3 printers enabled
9078 (gdb) info pretty-printer
9079 library1.so:
9080 foo [disabled]
9081 library2.so:
9082 bar
9083 bar1
9084 bar2
9085 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar:bar1
9086 1 printer disabled
9087 1 of 3 printers enabled
9088 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9089 library1.so:
9090 foo [disabled]
9091 library2.so:
9092 bar
9093 bar1 [disabled]
9094 bar2
9095 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar
9096 1 printer disabled
9097 0 of 3 printers enabled
9098 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9099 library1.so:
9100 foo [disabled]
9101 library2.so:
9102 bar [disabled]
9103 bar1 [disabled]
9104 bar2
9105 @end smallexample
9106
9107 Note that for @code{bar} the entire printer can be disabled,
9108 as can each individual subprinter.
9109
9110 @node Value History
9111 @section Value History
9112
9113 @cindex value history
9114 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
9115 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
9116 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
9117 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
9118 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
9119 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
9120 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
9121 symbol table.
9122
9123 @cindex @code{$}
9124 @cindex @code{$$}
9125 @cindex history number
9126 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
9127 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
9128 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
9129 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
9130 history number.
9131
9132 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
9133 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
9134 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
9135 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
9136 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
9137 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
9138 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
9139
9140 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
9141 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
9142
9143 @smallexample
9144 p *$
9145 @end smallexample
9146
9147 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
9148 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
9149
9150 @smallexample
9151 p *$.next
9152 @end smallexample
9153
9154 @noindent
9155 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
9156 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
9157
9158 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
9159 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
9160
9161 @smallexample
9162 print x
9163 set x=5
9164 @end smallexample
9165
9166 @noindent
9167 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
9168 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
9169
9170 @table @code
9171 @kindex show values
9172 @item show values
9173 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
9174 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
9175 values} does not change the history.
9176
9177 @item show values @var{n}
9178 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
9179
9180 @item show values +
9181 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
9182 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
9183 @end table
9184
9185 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
9186 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
9187
9188 @node Convenience Vars
9189 @section Convenience Variables
9190
9191 @cindex convenience variables
9192 @cindex user-defined variables
9193 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
9194 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
9195 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
9196 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
9197 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
9198
9199 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
9200 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
9201 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
9202 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
9203 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
9204
9205 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
9206 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
9207 For example:
9208
9209 @smallexample
9210 set $foo = *object_ptr
9211 @end smallexample
9212
9213 @noindent
9214 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
9215 @code{object_ptr}.
9216
9217 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
9218 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
9219 value with another assignment at any time.
9220
9221 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
9222 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
9223 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
9224 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
9225
9226 @table @code
9227 @kindex show convenience
9228 @cindex show all user variables
9229 @item show convenience
9230 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values.
9231 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
9232
9233 @kindex init-if-undefined
9234 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
9235 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
9236 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
9237 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
9238 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
9239 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
9240 override default values used in a command script.
9241
9242 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
9243 any side-effects do not occur.
9244 @end table
9245
9246 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
9247 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
9248 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
9249
9250 @smallexample
9251 set $i = 0
9252 print bar[$i++]->contents
9253 @end smallexample
9254
9255 @noindent
9256 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
9257
9258 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
9259 values likely to be useful.
9260
9261 @table @code
9262 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
9263 @item $_
9264 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
9265 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
9266 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
9267 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
9268 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
9269 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
9270 to the type of @code{$__}.
9271
9272 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
9273 @item $__
9274 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
9275 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
9276 to match the format in which the data was printed.
9277
9278 @item $_exitcode
9279 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
9280 The variable @code{$_exitcode} is automatically set to the exit code when
9281 the program being debugged terminates.
9282
9283 @item $_probe_argc
9284 @itemx $_probe_arg0@dots{}$_probe_arg11
9285 Arguments to a static probe. @xref{Static Probe Points}.
9286
9287 @item $_sdata
9288 @vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
9289 The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
9290 data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
9291 @code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
9292 if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
9293
9294 @item $_siginfo
9295 @vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
9296 The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
9297 (@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
9298 could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
9299 For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
9300
9301 @item $_tlb
9302 @vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
9303 The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
9304 applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
9305 gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
9306 @xref{General Query Packets}.
9307 This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
9308
9309 @end table
9310
9311 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
9312 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
9313 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
9314
9315 @node Convenience Funs
9316 @section Convenience Functions
9317
9318 @cindex convenience functions
9319 @value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
9320 have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
9321 function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
9322 however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
9323 @value{GDBN}.
9324
9325 These functions require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
9326 @code{Python} support.
9327
9328 @table @code
9329
9330 @item $_memeq(@var{buf1}, @var{buf2}, @var{length})
9331 @findex $_memeq@r{, convenience function}
9332 Returns one if the @var{length} bytes at the addresses given by
9333 @var{buf1} and @var{buf2} are equal.
9334 Otherwise it returns zero.
9335
9336 @item $_regex(@var{str}, @var{regex})
9337 @findex $_regex@r{, convenience function}
9338 Returns one if the string @var{str} matches the regular expression
9339 @var{regex}. Otherwise it returns zero.
9340 The syntax of the regular expression is that specified by @code{Python}'s
9341 regular expression support.
9342
9343 @item $_streq(@var{str1}, @var{str2})
9344 @findex $_streq@r{, convenience function}
9345 Returns one if the strings @var{str1} and @var{str2} are equal.
9346 Otherwise it returns zero.
9347
9348 @item $_strlen(@var{str})
9349 @findex $_strlen@r{, convenience function}
9350 Returns the length of string @var{str}.
9351
9352 @end table
9353
9354 @value{GDBN} provides the ability to list and get help on
9355 convenience functions.
9356
9357 @table @code
9358 @item help function
9359 @kindex help function
9360 @cindex show all convenience functions
9361 Print a list of all convenience functions.
9362 @end table
9363
9364 @node Registers
9365 @section Registers
9366
9367 @cindex registers
9368 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
9369 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
9370 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
9371 your machine.
9372
9373 @table @code
9374 @kindex info registers
9375 @item info registers
9376 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
9377 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
9378
9379 @kindex info all-registers
9380 @cindex floating point registers
9381 @item info all-registers
9382 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
9383 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
9384
9385 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
9386 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
9387 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
9388 the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
9389 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
9390 @end table
9391
9392 @cindex stack pointer register
9393 @cindex program counter register
9394 @cindex process status register
9395 @cindex frame pointer register
9396 @cindex standard registers
9397 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
9398 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
9399 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
9400 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
9401 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
9402 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
9403 register that contains the processor status. For example,
9404 you could print the program counter in hex with
9405
9406 @smallexample
9407 p/x $pc
9408 @end smallexample
9409
9410 @noindent
9411 or print the instruction to be executed next with
9412
9413 @smallexample
9414 x/i $pc
9415 @end smallexample
9416
9417 @noindent
9418 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
9419 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
9420 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
9421 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
9422 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
9423 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
9424 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
9425
9426 @smallexample
9427 set $sp += 4
9428 @end smallexample
9429
9430 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
9431 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
9432 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
9433 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
9434 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
9435 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
9436 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
9437
9438 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
9439 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
9440 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
9441 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
9442 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
9443 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
9444 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
9445
9446 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
9447 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
9448 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
9449 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
9450 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
9451 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
9452 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
9453 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
9454 prints the data in both formats.
9455
9456 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
9457 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
9458 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
9459 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
9460 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
9461 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
9462 registers in @code{struct} notation:
9463
9464 @smallexample
9465 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
9466 $1 = @{
9467 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
9468 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
9469 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
9470 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
9471 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
9472 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
9473 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
9474 @}
9475 @end smallexample
9476
9477 @noindent
9478 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
9479 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
9480 value to a @code{struct} member:
9481
9482 @smallexample
9483 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
9484 @end smallexample
9485
9486 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
9487 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
9488 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
9489 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
9490 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
9491 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
9492
9493 However, @value{GDBN} must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
9494 code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
9495 @value{GDBN} is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack
9496 frame makes no difference.
9497
9498 @node Floating Point Hardware
9499 @section Floating Point Hardware
9500 @cindex floating point
9501
9502 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
9503 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
9504
9505 @table @code
9506 @kindex info float
9507 @item info float
9508 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
9509 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
9510 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
9511 the ARM and x86 machines.
9512 @end table
9513
9514 @node Vector Unit
9515 @section Vector Unit
9516 @cindex vector unit
9517
9518 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
9519 more information about the status of the vector unit.
9520
9521 @table @code
9522 @kindex info vector
9523 @item info vector
9524 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
9525 layout vary depending on the hardware.
9526 @end table
9527
9528 @node OS Information
9529 @section Operating System Auxiliary Information
9530 @cindex OS information
9531
9532 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
9533 you debug your program.
9534
9535 @cindex @code{ptrace} system call
9536 @cindex @code{struct user} contents
9537 When @value{GDBN} runs on a @dfn{Posix system} (such as GNU or Unix
9538 machines), it interfaces with the inferior via the @code{ptrace}
9539 system call. The operating system creates a special sata structure,
9540 called @code{struct user}, for this interface. You can use the
9541 command @code{info udot} to display the contents of this data
9542 structure.
9543
9544 @table @code
9545 @item info udot
9546 @kindex info udot
9547 Display the contents of the @code{struct user} maintained by the OS
9548 kernel for the program being debugged. @value{GDBN} displays the
9549 contents of @code{struct user} as a list of hex numbers, similar to
9550 the @code{examine} command.
9551 @end table
9552
9553 @cindex auxiliary vector
9554 @cindex vector, auxiliary
9555 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
9556 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
9557 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
9558 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
9559 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
9560 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
9561 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
9562 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
9563 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
9564 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
9565 @ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
9566
9567 @table @code
9568 @kindex info auxv
9569 @item info auxv
9570 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
9571 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
9572 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
9573 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
9574 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
9575 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
9576 an unrecognized tag.
9577 @end table
9578
9579 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating system-specific
9580 information and show it to you. The types of information available
9581 will differ depending on the type of operating system running on the
9582 target. The mechanism used to fetch the data is described in
9583 @ref{Operating System Information}. For remote targets, this
9584 functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
9585 @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
9586
9587 @table @code
9588 @kindex info os
9589 @item info os @var{infotype}
9590
9591 Display OS information of the requested type.
9592
9593 On @sc{gnu}/Linux, the following values of @var{infotype} are valid:
9594
9595 @anchor{linux info os infotypes}
9596 @table @code
9597 @kindex info os processes
9598 @item processes
9599 Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
9600 @value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, the
9601 command corresponding to the process, and the list of processor cores
9602 that the process is currently running on. (To understand what these
9603 properties mean, for this and the following info types, please consult
9604 the general @sc{gnu}/Linux documentation.)
9605
9606 @kindex info os procgroups
9607 @item procgroups
9608 Display the list of process groups on the target. For each process,
9609 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process group that it belongs
9610 to, the command corresponding to the process group leader, the process
9611 identifier, and the command line of the process. The list is sorted
9612 first by the process group identifier, then by the process identifier,
9613 so that processes belonging to the same process group are grouped together
9614 and the process group leader is listed first.
9615
9616 @kindex info os threads
9617 @item threads
9618 Display the list of threads running on the target. For each thread,
9619 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process that the thread
9620 belongs to, the command of the process, the thread identifier, and the
9621 processor core that it is currently running on. The main thread of a
9622 process is not listed.
9623
9624 @kindex info os files
9625 @item files
9626 Display the list of open file descriptors on the target. For each
9627 file descriptor, @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process
9628 owning the descriptor, the command of the owning process, the value
9629 of the descriptor, and the target of the descriptor.
9630
9631 @kindex info os sockets
9632 @item sockets
9633 Display the list of Internet-domain sockets on the target. For each
9634 socket, @value{GDBN} prints the address and port of the local and
9635 remote endpoints, the current state of the connection, the creator of
9636 the socket, the IP address family of the socket, and the type of the
9637 connection.
9638
9639 @kindex info os shm
9640 @item shm
9641 Display the list of all System V shared-memory regions on the target.
9642 For each shared-memory region, @value{GDBN} prints the region key,
9643 the shared-memory identifier, the access permissions, the size of the
9644 region, the process that created the region, the process that last
9645 attached to or detached from the region, the current number of live
9646 attaches to the region, and the times at which the region was last
9647 attached to, detach from, and changed.
9648
9649 @kindex info os semaphores
9650 @item semaphores
9651 Display the list of all System V semaphore sets on the target. For each
9652 semaphore set, @value{GDBN} prints the semaphore set key, the semaphore
9653 set identifier, the access permissions, the number of semaphores in the
9654 set, the user and group of the owner and creator of the semaphore set,
9655 and the times at which the semaphore set was operated upon and changed.
9656
9657 @kindex info os msg
9658 @item msg
9659 Display the list of all System V message queues on the target. For each
9660 message queue, @value{GDBN} prints the message queue key, the message
9661 queue identifier, the access permissions, the current number of bytes
9662 on the queue, the current number of messages on the queue, the processes
9663 that last sent and received a message on the queue, the user and group
9664 of the owner and creator of the message queue, the times at which a
9665 message was last sent and received on the queue, and the time at which
9666 the message queue was last changed.
9667
9668 @kindex info os modules
9669 @item modules
9670 Display the list of all loaded kernel modules on the target. For each
9671 module, @value{GDBN} prints the module name, the size of the module in
9672 bytes, the number of times the module is used, the dependencies of the
9673 module, the status of the module, and the address of the loaded module
9674 in memory.
9675 @end table
9676
9677 @item info os
9678 If @var{infotype} is omitted, then list the possible values for
9679 @var{infotype} and the kind of OS information available for each
9680 @var{infotype}. If the target does not return a list of possible
9681 types, this command will report an error.
9682 @end table
9683
9684 @node Memory Region Attributes
9685 @section Memory Region Attributes
9686 @cindex memory region attributes
9687
9688 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
9689 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
9690 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
9691 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
9692 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
9693 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
9694 user can override the fetched regions.
9695
9696 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
9697 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
9698 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
9699 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
9700 all memory.
9701
9702 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
9703 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
9704
9705 @table @code
9706 @kindex mem
9707 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
9708 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
9709 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
9710 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
9711 case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
9712 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
9713
9714 @item mem auto
9715 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
9716 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
9717
9718 @kindex delete mem
9719 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
9720 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
9721 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
9722
9723 @kindex disable mem
9724 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
9725 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
9726 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
9727 It may be enabled again later.
9728
9729 @kindex enable mem
9730 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
9731 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
9732
9733 @kindex info mem
9734 @item info mem
9735 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
9736 for each region:
9737
9738 @table @emph
9739 @item Memory Region Number
9740 @item Enabled or Disabled.
9741 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
9742 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
9743
9744 @item Lo Address
9745 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
9746
9747 @item Hi Address
9748 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
9749
9750 @item Attributes
9751 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
9752 @end table
9753 @end table
9754
9755
9756 @subsection Attributes
9757
9758 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
9759 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
9760 write accesses to a memory region.
9761
9762 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
9763 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
9764 etc.@: from accessing memory.
9765
9766 @table @code
9767 @item ro
9768 Memory is read only.
9769 @item wo
9770 Memory is write only.
9771 @item rw
9772 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
9773 @end table
9774
9775 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
9776 The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
9777 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
9778 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
9779 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
9780
9781 @table @code
9782 @item 8
9783 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
9784 @item 16
9785 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
9786 @item 32
9787 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
9788 @item 64
9789 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
9790 @end table
9791
9792 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
9793 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
9794 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
9795 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
9796 @c
9797 @c @table @code
9798 @c @item hwbreak
9799 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
9800 @c @item swbreak (default)
9801 @c @end table
9802
9803 @subsubsection Data Cache
9804 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
9805 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
9806 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
9807 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
9808 registers.
9809
9810 @table @code
9811 @item cache
9812 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
9813 @item nocache
9814 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
9815 @end table
9816
9817 @subsection Memory Access Checking
9818 @value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
9819 not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
9820 regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
9821 better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
9822
9823 @table @code
9824 @kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
9825 @item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
9826 If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
9827 explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
9828 to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
9829 memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
9830 treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
9831 The default value is @code{on}.
9832 @kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
9833 @item show mem inaccessible-by-default
9834 Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
9835 @end table
9836
9837
9838 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
9839 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
9840 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
9841 @c
9842 @c @table @code
9843 @c @item verify
9844 @c @item noverify (default)
9845 @c @end table
9846
9847 @node Dump/Restore Files
9848 @section Copy Between Memory and a File
9849 @cindex dump/restore files
9850 @cindex append data to a file
9851 @cindex dump data to a file
9852 @cindex restore data from a file
9853
9854 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
9855 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
9856 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
9857 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
9858 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
9859 Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
9860 files.
9861
9862 @table @code
9863
9864 @kindex dump
9865 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
9866 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
9867 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
9868 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
9869
9870 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
9871 @table @code
9872 @item binary
9873 Raw binary form.
9874 @item ihex
9875 Intel hex format.
9876 @item srec
9877 Motorola S-record format.
9878 @item tekhex
9879 Tektronix Hex format.
9880 @end table
9881
9882 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
9883 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
9884 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
9885 form.
9886
9887 @kindex append
9888 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
9889 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
9890 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
9891 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
9892 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
9893
9894 @kindex restore
9895 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
9896 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
9897 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
9898 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
9899 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
9900
9901 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
9902 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
9903 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
9904 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
9905 from that location.
9906
9907 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
9908 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
9909 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
9910 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
9911
9912 @end table
9913
9914 @node Core File Generation
9915 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
9916 @cindex dump core from inferior
9917
9918 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
9919 image of a running process and its process status (register values
9920 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
9921 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
9922 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
9923 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
9924 the post-mortem debugging mode.
9925
9926 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
9927 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
9928 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
9929
9930 @table @code
9931 @kindex gcore
9932 @kindex generate-core-file
9933 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
9934 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
9935 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
9936 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
9937 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
9938 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
9939
9940 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
9941 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Unixware, and S390).
9942 @end table
9943
9944 @node Character Sets
9945 @section Character Sets
9946 @cindex character sets
9947 @cindex charset
9948 @cindex translating between character sets
9949 @cindex host character set
9950 @cindex target character set
9951
9952 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
9953 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
9954 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
9955 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
9956 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
9957 @dfn{target character set}.
9958
9959 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
9960 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
9961 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
9962 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
9963 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
9964 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
9965 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
9966 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
9967 character and string literals in expressions.
9968
9969 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
9970 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
9971 target-charset} command, described below.
9972
9973 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
9974 support:
9975
9976 @table @code
9977 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
9978 @kindex set target-charset
9979 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
9980 list of supported target character sets, type
9981 @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
9982
9983 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
9984 @kindex set host-charset
9985 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
9986
9987 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
9988 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
9989 @code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
9990 automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
9991 case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
9992
9993 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
9994 set. If you type @kbd{@w{set host-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
9995 @value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
9996
9997 @item set charset @var{charset}
9998 @kindex set charset
9999 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
10000 above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
10001 @value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
10002 for both host and target.
10003
10004 @item show charset
10005 @kindex show charset
10006 Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
10007
10008 @item show host-charset
10009 @kindex show host-charset
10010 Show the name of the current host character set.
10011
10012 @item show target-charset
10013 @kindex show target-charset
10014 Show the name of the current target character set.
10015
10016 @item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
10017 @kindex set target-wide-charset
10018 Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
10019 the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
10020 display the list of supported wide character sets, type
10021 @kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
10022
10023 @item show target-wide-charset
10024 @kindex show target-wide-charset
10025 Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
10026 @end table
10027
10028 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
10029 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
10030 @file{charset-test.c}:
10031
10032 @smallexample
10033 #include <stdio.h>
10034
10035 char ascii_hello[]
10036 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
10037 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
10038 char ibm1047_hello[]
10039 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
10040 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
10041
10042 main ()
10043 @{
10044 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10045 @}
10046 @end smallexample
10047
10048 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
10049 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
10050 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
10051
10052 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
10053
10054 @smallexample
10055 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
10056 $ gdb -nw charset-test
10057 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
10058 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
10059 @dots{}
10060 (@value{GDBP})
10061 @end smallexample
10062
10063 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
10064 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
10065 strings:
10066
10067 @smallexample
10068 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10069 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
10070 (@value{GDBP})
10071 @end smallexample
10072
10073 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
10074 initial character set:
10075 @smallexample
10076 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
10077 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10078 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
10079 (@value{GDBP})
10080 @end smallexample
10081
10082 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
10083 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
10084 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
10085 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
10086 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
10087
10088 @smallexample
10089 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10090 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
10091 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10092 $2 = 72 'H'
10093 (@value{GDBP})
10094 @end smallexample
10095
10096 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
10097 literals you use in expressions:
10098
10099 @smallexample
10100 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10101 $3 = 43 '+'
10102 (@value{GDBP})
10103 @end smallexample
10104
10105 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
10106 character.
10107
10108 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
10109 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
10110 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
10111
10112 @smallexample
10113 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10114 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
10115 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10116 $5 = 200 '\310'
10117 (@value{GDBP})
10118 @end smallexample
10119
10120 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
10121 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
10122
10123 @smallexample
10124 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10125 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
10126 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10127 @end smallexample
10128
10129 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
10130 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
10131 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
10132 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
10133 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
10134
10135 @smallexample
10136 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
10137 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10138 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
10139 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
10140 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10141 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
10142 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10143 $7 = 72 '\110'
10144 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10145 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
10146 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10147 $9 = 200 'H'
10148 (@value{GDBP})
10149 @end smallexample
10150
10151 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
10152 string literals you use in expressions:
10153
10154 @smallexample
10155 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10156 $10 = 78 '+'
10157 (@value{GDBP})
10158 @end smallexample
10159
10160 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
10161 character.
10162
10163 @node Caching Remote Data
10164 @section Caching Data of Remote Targets
10165 @cindex caching data of remote targets
10166
10167 @value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a
10168 remote target (@pxref{Remote Debugging}). Such caching generally improves
10169 performance, because it reduces the overhead of the remote protocol by
10170 bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks. Unfortunately, simply
10171 caching everything would lead to incorrect results, since @value{GDBN}
10172 does not necessarily know anything about volatile values, memory-mapped I/O
10173 addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode})
10174 memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command is executing.
10175 Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
10176 known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
10177 rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
10178 in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
10179 stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.}.
10180 Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
10181 cacheable; see @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
10182
10183 @table @code
10184 @kindex set remotecache
10185 @item set remotecache on
10186 @itemx set remotecache off
10187 This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
10188 with old scripts.
10189
10190 @kindex show remotecache
10191 @item show remotecache
10192 Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
10193
10194 @kindex set stack-cache
10195 @item set stack-cache on
10196 @itemx set stack-cache off
10197 Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{ON}, use
10198 caching. By default, this option is @code{ON}.
10199
10200 @kindex show stack-cache
10201 @item show stack-cache
10202 Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
10203
10204 @kindex info dcache
10205 @item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
10206 Print the information about the data cache performance. The
10207 information displayed includes the dcache width and depth, and for
10208 each cache line, its number, address, and how many times it was
10209 referenced. This command is useful for debugging the data cache
10210 operation.
10211
10212 If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
10213 printed in hex.
10214
10215 @item set dcache size @var{size}
10216 @cindex dcache size
10217 @kindex set dcache size
10218 Set maximum number of entries in dcache (dcache depth above).
10219
10220 @item set dcache line-size @var{line-size}
10221 @cindex dcache line-size
10222 @kindex set dcache line-size
10223 Set number of bytes each dcache entry caches (dcache width above).
10224 Must be a power of 2.
10225
10226 @item show dcache size
10227 @kindex show dcache size
10228 Show maximum number of dcache entries. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
10229
10230 @item show dcache line-size
10231 @kindex show dcache line-size
10232 Show default size of dcache lines. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
10233
10234 @end table
10235
10236 @node Searching Memory
10237 @section Search Memory
10238 @cindex searching memory
10239
10240 Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
10241 @code{find} command.
10242
10243 @table @code
10244 @kindex find
10245 @item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10246 @itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10247 Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
10248 etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
10249 @var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
10250 @end table
10251
10252 @var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
10253 They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
10254
10255 @table @r
10256 @item @var{s}, search query size
10257 The size of each search query value.
10258
10259 @table @code
10260 @item b
10261 bytes
10262 @item h
10263 halfwords (two bytes)
10264 @item w
10265 words (four bytes)
10266 @item g
10267 giant words (eight bytes)
10268 @end table
10269
10270 All values are interpreted in the current language.
10271 This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
10272 then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
10273
10274 If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
10275 value's type in the current language.
10276 This is useful when one wants to specify the search
10277 pattern as a mixture of types.
10278 Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
10279 a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
10280 which is typically four bytes.
10281
10282 @item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
10283 The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
10284 @end table
10285
10286 You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
10287 (@code{"}).
10288 The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
10289 regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
10290
10291 The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
10292 number of matches found.
10293
10294 The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
10295 @samp{$_}.
10296 A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
10297
10298 For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
10299
10300 @smallexample
10301 void
10302 hello ()
10303 @{
10304 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
10305 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
10306 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
10307 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
10308 printf ("%s\n", hello);
10309 @}
10310 @end smallexample
10311
10312 @noindent
10313 you get during debugging:
10314
10315 @smallexample
10316 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
10317 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
10318 1 pattern found
10319 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
10320 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
10321 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
10322 2 patterns found
10323 (gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
10324 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
10325 1 pattern found
10326 (gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
10327 0x8049560 <mixed.1625>
10328 1 pattern found
10329 (gdb) print $numfound
10330 $1 = 1
10331 (gdb) print $_
10332 $2 = (void *) 0x8049560
10333 @end smallexample
10334
10335 @node Optimized Code
10336 @chapter Debugging Optimized Code
10337 @cindex optimized code, debugging
10338 @cindex debugging optimized code
10339
10340 Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
10341 disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
10342 directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
10343 applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
10344 diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
10345 information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
10346 the running program back to constructs from your original source.
10347
10348 @value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
10349 can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
10350 progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
10351 where you may need to debug an optimized version.
10352
10353 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
10354 optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
10355 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
10356 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
10357 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
10358 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
10359
10360 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
10361 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
10362 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
10363 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
10364 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
10365
10366 @menu
10367 * Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
10368 * Tail Call Frames:: @value{GDBN} analysis of jumps to functions
10369 @end menu
10370
10371 @node Inline Functions
10372 @section Inline Functions
10373 @cindex inline functions, debugging
10374
10375 @dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
10376 body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
10377 routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
10378 non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
10379 arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
10380 them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
10381 You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
10382 @code{info frame} command.
10383
10384 For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
10385 record information about inlining in the debug information ---
10386 @value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
10387 other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
10388 when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
10389 do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
10390 @samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
10391 function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
10392 displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
10393 local variables in the caller.
10394
10395 The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
10396 unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
10397 the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
10398 start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
10399 the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
10400 the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
10401 instructions are executed.
10402
10403 This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
10404 context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
10405 a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
10406 this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
10407
10408 There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
10409 function calls are the same as normal calls:
10410
10411 @itemize @bullet
10412 @item
10413 Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
10414 work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
10415 may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
10416 function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
10417 version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
10418 or inside the inlined function instead.
10419
10420 @item
10421 @value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
10422 using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
10423 debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
10424 and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
10425
10426 @end itemize
10427
10428 @node Tail Call Frames
10429 @section Tail Call Frames
10430 @cindex tail call frames, debugging
10431
10432 Function @code{B} can call function @code{C} in its very last statement. In
10433 unoptimized compilation the call of @code{C} is immediately followed by return
10434 instruction at the end of @code{B} code. Optimizing compiler may replace the
10435 call and return in function @code{B} into one jump to function @code{C}
10436 instead. Such use of a jump instruction is called @dfn{tail call}.
10437
10438 During execution of function @code{C}, there will be no indication in the
10439 function call stack frames that it was tail-called from @code{B}. If function
10440 @code{A} regularly calls function @code{B} which tail-calls function @code{C},
10441 then @value{GDBN} will see @code{A} as the caller of @code{C}. However, in
10442 some cases @value{GDBN} can determine that @code{C} was tail-called from
10443 @code{B}, and it will then create fictitious call frame for that, with the
10444 return address set up as if @code{B} called @code{C} normally.
10445
10446 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
10447 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
10448 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
10449 this information.
10450
10451 @kbd{info frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info}) will indicate the tail call frame
10452 kind by text @code{tail call frame} such as in this sample @value{GDBN} output:
10453
10454 @smallexample
10455 (gdb) x/i $pc - 2
10456 0x40066b <b(int, double)+11>: jmp 0x400640 <c(int, double)>
10457 (gdb) info frame
10458 Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
10459 rip = 0x40066d in b (amd64-entry-value.cc:59); saved rip 0x4004c5
10460 tail call frame, caller of frame at 0x7fffffffda30
10461 source language c++.
10462 Arglist at unknown address.
10463 Locals at unknown address, Previous frame's sp is 0x7fffffffda30
10464 @end smallexample
10465
10466 The detection of all the possible code path executions can find them ambiguous.
10467 There is no execution history stored (possible @ref{Reverse Execution} is never
10468 used for this purpose) and the last known caller could have reached the known
10469 callee by multiple different jump sequences. In such case @value{GDBN} still
10470 tries to show at least all the unambiguous top tail callers and all the
10471 unambiguous bottom tail calees, if any.
10472
10473 @table @code
10474 @anchor{set debug entry-values}
10475 @item set debug entry-values
10476 @kindex set debug entry-values
10477 When set to on, enables printing of analysis messages for both frame argument
10478 values at function entry and tail calls. It will show all the possible valid
10479 tail calls code paths it has considered. It will also print the intersection
10480 of them with the final unambiguous (possibly partial or even empty) code path
10481 result.
10482
10483 @item show debug entry-values
10484 @kindex show debug entry-values
10485 Show the current state of analysis messages printing for both frame argument
10486 values at function entry and tail calls.
10487 @end table
10488
10489 The analysis messages for tail calls can for example show why the virtual tail
10490 call frame for function @code{c} has not been recognized (due to the indirect
10491 reference by variable @code{x}):
10492
10493 @smallexample
10494 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void);
10495 void (*x) (void) = c;
10496 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
10497 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ a (); @}
10498 int main (void) @{ x (); return 0; @}
10499
10500 Breakpoint 1, DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving cannot find
10501 DW_TAG_GNU_call_site 0x40039a in main
10502 a () at t.c:3
10503 3 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
10504 (gdb) bt
10505 #0 a () at t.c:3
10506 #1 0x000000000040039a in main () at t.c:5
10507 @end smallexample
10508
10509 Another possibility is an ambiguous virtual tail call frames resolution:
10510
10511 @smallexample
10512 int i;
10513 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) f (void) @{ i++; @}
10514 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) e (void) @{ f (); @}
10515 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) d (void) @{ f (); @}
10516 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ d (); @}
10517 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (void)
10518 @{ if (i) c (); else e (); @}
10519 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ b (); @}
10520 int main (void) @{ a (); return 0; @}
10521
10522 tailcall: initial: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004ce(b) 0x4004b2(c) 0x4004a2(d)
10523 tailcall: compare: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004cc(b) 0x400492(e)
10524 tailcall: reduced: 0x4004d2(a) |
10525 (gdb) bt
10526 #0 f () at t.c:2
10527 #1 0x00000000004004d2 in a () at t.c:8
10528 #2 0x0000000000400395 in main () at t.c:9
10529 @end smallexample
10530
10531 @set CALLSEQ1A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}c@value{ARROW}d@value{ARROW}f}
10532 @set CALLSEQ2A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}e@value{ARROW}f}
10533
10534 @c Convert CALLSEQ#A to CALLSEQ#B depending on HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK.
10535 @ifset HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
10536 @set ARROW @click{}
10537 @set CALLSEQ1B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ1A}}
10538 @set CALLSEQ2B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ2A}}
10539 @end ifset
10540 @ifclear HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
10541 @set ARROW ->
10542 @set CALLSEQ1B @value{CALLSEQ1A}
10543 @set CALLSEQ2B @value{CALLSEQ2A}
10544 @end ifclear
10545
10546 Frames #0 and #2 are real, #1 is a virtual tail call frame.
10547 The code can have possible execution paths @value{CALLSEQ1B} or
10548 @value{CALLSEQ2B}, @value{GDBN} cannot find which one from the inferior state.
10549
10550 @code{initial:} state shows some random possible calling sequence @value{GDBN}
10551 has found. It then finds another possible calling sequcen - that one is
10552 prefixed by @code{compare:}. The non-ambiguous intersection of these two is
10553 printed as the @code{reduced:} calling sequence. That one could have many
10554 futher @code{compare:} and @code{reduced:} statements as long as there remain
10555 any non-ambiguous sequence entries.
10556
10557 For the frame of function @code{b} in both cases there are different possible
10558 @code{$pc} values (@code{0x4004cc} or @code{0x4004ce}), therefore this frame is
10559 also ambigous. The only non-ambiguous frame is the one for function @code{a},
10560 therefore this one is displayed to the user while the ambiguous frames are
10561 omitted.
10562
10563 There can be also reasons why printing of frame argument values at function
10564 entry may fail:
10565
10566 @smallexample
10567 int v;
10568 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (int i) @{ v++; @}
10569 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i);
10570 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (int i) @{ a (i); @}
10571 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i)
10572 @{ if (i) b (i - 1); else c (0); @}
10573 int main (void) @{ a (5); return 0; @}
10574
10575 (gdb) bt
10576 #0 c (i=i@@entry=0) at t.c:2
10577 #1 0x0000000000400428 in a (DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving has found
10578 function "a" at 0x400420 can call itself via tail calls
10579 i=<optimized out>) at t.c:6
10580 #2 0x000000000040036e in main () at t.c:7
10581 @end smallexample
10582
10583 @value{GDBN} cannot find out from the inferior state if and how many times did
10584 function @code{a} call itself (via function @code{b}) as these calls would be
10585 tail calls. Such tail calls would modify thue @code{i} variable, therefore
10586 @value{GDBN} cannot be sure the value it knows would be right - @value{GDBN}
10587 prints @code{<optimized out>} instead.
10588
10589 @node Macros
10590 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
10591
10592 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
10593 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
10594 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
10595 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
10596 where it was defined.
10597
10598 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
10599 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
10600 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
10601 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
10602
10603 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
10604 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
10605 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
10606 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
10607 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
10608 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
10609 see @ref{List}.
10610
10611 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
10612 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
10613 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
10614
10615 @table @code
10616
10617 @kindex macro expand
10618 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
10619 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
10620 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
10621 @item macro expand @var{expression}
10622 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
10623 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
10624 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
10625 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
10626 it can be any string of tokens.
10627
10628 @kindex macro exp1
10629 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
10630 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
10631 @cindex expand macro once
10632 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
10633 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
10634 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
10635 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
10636 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
10637 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
10638 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
10639 can be any string of tokens.
10640
10641 @kindex info macro
10642 @cindex macro definition, showing
10643 @cindex definition of a macro, showing
10644 @cindex macros, from debug info
10645 @item info macro [-a|-all] [--] @var{macro}
10646 Show the current definition or all definitions of the named @var{macro},
10647 and describe the source location or compiler command-line where that
10648 definition was established. The optional double dash is to signify the end of
10649 argument processing and the beginning of @var{macro} for non C-like macros where
10650 the macro may begin with a hyphen.
10651
10652 @kindex info macros
10653 @item info macros @var{linespec}
10654 Show all macro definitions that are in effect at the location specified
10655 by @var{linespec}, and describe the source location or compiler
10656 command-line where those definitions were established.
10657
10658 @kindex macro define
10659 @cindex user-defined macros
10660 @cindex defining macros interactively
10661 @cindex macros, user-defined
10662 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
10663 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
10664 Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
10665 invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
10666 @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
10667 ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
10668 defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
10669 @var{arglist}.
10670
10671 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
10672 expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
10673 @code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
10674 all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
10675 as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
10676
10677 @kindex macro undef
10678 @item macro undef @var{macro}
10679 Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
10680 This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
10681 define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
10682 in the program being debugged.
10683
10684 @kindex macro list
10685 @item macro list
10686 List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
10687 @end table
10688
10689 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
10690 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
10691 show our source files:
10692
10693 @smallexample
10694 $ cat sample.c
10695 #include <stdio.h>
10696 #include "sample.h"
10697
10698 #define M 42
10699 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
10700
10701 main ()
10702 @{
10703 #define N 28
10704 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10705 #undef N
10706 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
10707 #define N 1729
10708 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
10709 @}
10710 $ cat sample.h
10711 #define Q <
10712 $
10713 @end smallexample
10714
10715 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
10716 @value{NGCC}. We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2}@footnote{This is the
10717 minimum. Recent versions of @value{NGCC} support @option{-gdwarf-3}
10718 and @option{-gdwarf-4}; we recommend always choosing the most recent
10719 version of DWARF.} @emph{and} @option{-g3} flags to ensure the compiler
10720 includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
10721 information.
10722
10723 @smallexample
10724 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
10725 $
10726 @end smallexample
10727
10728 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
10729
10730 @smallexample
10731 $ gdb -nw sample
10732 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
10733 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
10734 GDB is free software, @dots{}
10735 (@value{GDBP})
10736 @end smallexample
10737
10738 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
10739 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
10740 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
10741
10742 @smallexample
10743 (@value{GDBP}) list main
10744 3
10745 4 #define M 42
10746 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
10747 6
10748 7 main ()
10749 8 @{
10750 9 #define N 28
10751 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10752 11 #undef N
10753 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
10754 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
10755 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
10756 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
10757 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
10758 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
10759 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
10760 #define Q <
10761 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
10762 expands to: (42 + 1)
10763 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
10764 expands to: once (M + 1)
10765 (@value{GDBP})
10766 @end smallexample
10767
10768 In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
10769 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
10770 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
10771 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
10772
10773 Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
10774 force at the source line of the current stack frame:
10775
10776 @smallexample
10777 (@value{GDBP}) break main
10778 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
10779 (@value{GDBP}) run
10780 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
10781
10782 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
10783 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10784 (@value{GDBP})
10785 @end smallexample
10786
10787 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
10788
10789 @smallexample
10790 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
10791 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
10792 #define N 28
10793 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
10794 expands to: 28 < 42
10795 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
10796 $1 = 1
10797 (@value{GDBP})
10798 @end smallexample
10799
10800 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
10801 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
10802 thereof) in force at each point:
10803
10804 @smallexample
10805 (@value{GDBP}) next
10806 Hello, world!
10807 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
10808 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
10809 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
10810 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
10811 (@value{GDBP}) next
10812 We're so creative.
10813 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
10814 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
10815 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
10816 #define N 1729
10817 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
10818 expands to: 1729 < 42
10819 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
10820 $2 = 0
10821 (@value{GDBP})
10822 @end smallexample
10823
10824 In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
10825 line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
10826 such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
10827 of the source file submitted to the compiler.
10828
10829 @smallexample
10830 (@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
10831 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
10832 -D__STDC__=1
10833 (@value{GDBP})
10834 @end smallexample
10835
10836
10837 @node Tracepoints
10838 @chapter Tracepoints
10839 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
10840 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
10841
10842 @cindex tracepoints
10843 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
10844 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
10845 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
10846 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
10847 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
10848 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
10849 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
10850
10851 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
10852 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
10853 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
10854 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
10855 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
10856 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
10857 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
10858 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
10859 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
10860 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
10861 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
10862
10863 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
10864 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
10865 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
10866 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
10867 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
10868 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
10869 Packets}.
10870
10871 It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
10872 of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
10873 through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
10874
10875 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
10876
10877 @menu
10878 * Set Tracepoints::
10879 * Analyze Collected Data::
10880 * Tracepoint Variables::
10881 * Trace Files::
10882 @end menu
10883
10884 @node Set Tracepoints
10885 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
10886
10887 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
10888 tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
10889 breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
10890 standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
10891 tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
10892 of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
10893 as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
10894
10895 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
10896 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
10897 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
10898 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
10899 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
10900 tracepoint was hit.
10901
10902 Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
10903 tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
10904 commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
10905 either.
10906
10907 @cindex fast tracepoints
10908 Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
10909 a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
10910 faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
10911
10912 @cindex static tracepoints
10913 @cindex markers, static tracepoints
10914 @cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
10915 Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
10916 that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
10917 in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
10918 tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
10919 instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
10920 the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
10921 address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
10922 investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
10923 support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
10924 points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
10925 tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
10926 @value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namely, support for collecting
10927 registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
10928 point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
10929 The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
10930 instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
10931 static tracepoint marker.
10932
10933 @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
10934 @xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
10935
10936 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
10937 conditions and actions.
10938
10939 @menu
10940 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
10941 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
10942 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
10943 * Tracepoint Conditions::
10944 * Trace State Variables::
10945 * Tracepoint Actions::
10946 * Listing Tracepoints::
10947 * Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
10948 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
10949 * Tracepoint Restrictions::
10950 @end menu
10951
10952 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
10953 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
10954
10955 @table @code
10956 @cindex set tracepoint
10957 @kindex trace
10958 @item trace @var{location}
10959 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
10960 Its argument @var{location} can be a source line, a function name, or
10961 an address in the target program. @xref{Specify Location}. The
10962 @code{trace} command defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the
10963 target program where the debugger will briefly stop, collect some
10964 data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or
10965 changing its actions takes effect immediately if the remote stub
10966 supports the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature (@pxref{install tracepoint
10967 in tracing}).
10968 If remote stub doesn't support the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature, all
10969 these changes don't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
10970 command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
10971 not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts. In addition,
10972 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{pending tracepoints}---tracepoints whose
10973 address is not yet resolved. (This is similar to pending breakpoints.)
10974 Pending tracepoints are not downloaded to the target and not installed
10975 until they are resolved. The resolution of pending tracepoints requires
10976 @value{GDBN} support---when debugging with the remote target, and
10977 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the remote stub (@pxref{disconnected
10978 tracing}), pending tracepoints can not be resolved (and downloaded to
10979 the remote stub) while @value{GDBN} is disconnected.
10980
10981 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
10982
10983 @smallexample
10984 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
10985
10986 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
10987
10988 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
10989
10990 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
10991
10992 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
10993 @end smallexample
10994
10995 @noindent
10996 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
10997
10998 @item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
10999 Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
11000 @var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
11001 if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
11002 @xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
11003 information on tracepoint conditions.
11004
11005 @item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11006 @cindex set fast tracepoint
11007 @cindex fast tracepoints, setting
11008 @kindex ftrace
11009 The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
11010 support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
11011 less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
11012 instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
11013 may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
11014 location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
11015 message.
11016
11017 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
11018 @code{trace}.
11019
11020 On 32-bit x86-architecture systems, fast tracepoints normally need to
11021 be placed at an instruction that is 5 bytes or longer, but can be
11022 placed at 4-byte instructions if the low 64K of memory of the target
11023 program is available to install trampolines. Some Unix-type systems,
11024 such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, exclude low addresses from the program's
11025 address space; but for instance with the Linux kernel it is possible
11026 to let @value{GDBN} use this area by doing a @command{sysctl} command
11027 to set the @code{mmap_min_addr} kernel parameter, as in
11028
11029 @example
11030 sudo sysctl -w vm.mmap_min_addr=32768
11031 @end example
11032
11033 @noindent
11034 which sets the low address to 32K, which leaves plenty of room for
11035 trampolines. The minimum address should be set to a page boundary.
11036
11037 @item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11038 @cindex set static tracepoint
11039 @cindex static tracepoints, setting
11040 @cindex probe static tracepoint marker
11041 @kindex strace
11042 The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
11043 support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
11044 instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
11045 be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
11046 which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
11047
11048 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
11049 @code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
11050 @code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
11051 identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
11052 depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
11053 using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
11054 of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
11055 @xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
11056 Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
11057 tracing engine:
11058
11059 @smallexample
11060 main ()
11061 @{
11062 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
11063 @}
11064 @end smallexample
11065
11066 @noindent
11067 the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
11068 @code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
11069
11070 @smallexample
11071 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
11072 Cnt Enb ID Address What
11073 1 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
11074 Data: "str %s"
11075 [etc...]
11076 @end smallexample
11077
11078 @noindent
11079 so you may probe the marker above with:
11080
11081 @smallexample
11082 (@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
11083 @end smallexample
11084
11085 Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
11086 $_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
11087 call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
11088 that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
11089 string. The user data is then the result of running that formating
11090 string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
11091 static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
11092 the @samp{Data:} field.
11093
11094 You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
11095 the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
11096 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
11097
11098 @vindex $tpnum
11099 @cindex last tracepoint number
11100 @cindex recent tracepoint number
11101 @cindex tracepoint number
11102 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
11103 of the most recently set tracepoint.
11104
11105 @kindex delete tracepoint
11106 @cindex tracepoint deletion
11107 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11108 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
11109 default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
11110 @code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
11111
11112 Examples:
11113
11114 @smallexample
11115 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
11116
11117 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
11118 @end smallexample
11119
11120 @noindent
11121 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
11122 @end table
11123
11124 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11125 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11126
11127 These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
11128
11129 @table @code
11130 @kindex disable tracepoint
11131 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11132 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
11133 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
11134 a trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
11135 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
11136 If the command is issued during a trace experiment and the debug target
11137 has support for disabling tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the
11138 change will be effective immediately. Otherwise, it will be applied to the
11139 next trace experiment.
11140
11141 @kindex enable tracepoint
11142 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11143 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. If this command is
11144 issued during a trace experiment and the debug target supports enabling
11145 tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the enabled tracepoints will
11146 become effective immediately. Otherwise, they will become effective the
11147 next time a trace experiment is run.
11148 @end table
11149
11150 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
11151 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
11152
11153 @table @code
11154 @kindex passcount
11155 @cindex tracepoint pass count
11156 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
11157 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
11158 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
11159 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
11160 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
11161 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
11162 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
11163 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
11164 user.
11165
11166 Examples:
11167
11168 @smallexample
11169 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
11170 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
11171
11172 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
11173 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
11174 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
11175 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
11176 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
11177 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
11178 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
11179 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
11180 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
11181 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
11182 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
11183 @end smallexample
11184 @end table
11185
11186 @node Tracepoint Conditions
11187 @subsection Tracepoint Conditions
11188 @cindex conditional tracepoints
11189 @cindex tracepoint conditions
11190
11191 The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
11192 reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
11193 a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
11194 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
11195 tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
11196 program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
11197 is true.
11198
11199 Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
11200 using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
11201 @xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
11202 also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
11203 just as with breakpoints.
11204
11205 Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
11206 the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
11207 expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions})
11208 suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
11209 Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
11210 accesses, and so forth.
11211
11212 For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
11213 frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
11214 could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
11215 of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
11216 through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
11217 collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
11218 search through.
11219
11220 @smallexample
11221 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
11222 @end smallexample
11223
11224 @node Trace State Variables
11225 @subsection Trace State Variables
11226 @cindex trace state variables
11227
11228 A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
11229 created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
11230 that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
11231 but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
11232 using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
11233 integers.
11234
11235 Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
11236 to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
11237 experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
11238 trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
11239
11240 @cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
11241 Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
11242 them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
11243 variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
11244 while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
11245 the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
11246 cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
11247 @code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
11248 variable with the same name.
11249
11250 @table @code
11251
11252 @item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
11253 @kindex tvariable
11254 The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
11255 @code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
11256 @var{expression}. @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
11257 entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
11258 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
11259 @code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
11260 variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
11261 existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
11262 value. The default initial value is 0.
11263
11264 @item info tvariables
11265 @kindex info tvariables
11266 List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
11267 Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
11268 currently running.
11269
11270 @item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
11271 @kindex delete tvariable
11272 Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
11273 are specified.
11274
11275 @end table
11276
11277 @node Tracepoint Actions
11278 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
11279
11280 @table @code
11281 @kindex actions
11282 @cindex tracepoint actions
11283 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11284 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
11285 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
11286 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
11287 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
11288 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
11289 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
11290 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
11291 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
11292 @code{while-stepping}.
11293
11294 @code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
11295 Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
11296 actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
11297
11298 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
11299 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
11300 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
11301
11302 @smallexample
11303 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
11304
11305 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
11306
11307 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
11308 @end smallexample
11309
11310 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
11311 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
11312 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
11313 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
11314 followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
11315 sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
11316 terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
11317 list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
11318
11319 @smallexample
11320 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
11321 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11322 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
11323 > collect bar,baz
11324 > collect $regs
11325 > while-stepping 12
11326 > collect $pc, arr[i]
11327 > end
11328 end
11329 @end smallexample
11330
11331 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
11332 @item collect@r{[}/@var{mods}@r{]} @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11333 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
11334 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
11335 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
11336 special arguments are supported:
11337
11338 @table @code
11339 @item $regs
11340 Collect all registers.
11341
11342 @item $args
11343 Collect all function arguments.
11344
11345 @item $locals
11346 Collect all local variables.
11347
11348 @item $_ret
11349 Collect the return address. This is helpful if you want to see more
11350 of a backtrace.
11351
11352 @item $_probe_argc
11353 Collects the number of arguments from the static probe at which the
11354 tracepoint is located.
11355 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
11356
11357 @item $_probe_arg@var{n}
11358 @var{n} is an integer between 0 and 11. Collects the @var{n}th argument
11359 from the static probe at which the tracepoint is located.
11360 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
11361
11362 @item $_sdata
11363 @vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
11364 Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
11365 static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
11366 Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
11367 instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
11368 tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
11369 character string using the format provided by the programmer that
11370 instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
11371 Here's an example of a UST marker call:
11372
11373 @smallexample
11374 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
11375 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
11376 @end smallexample
11377
11378 In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
11379 @samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
11380 inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
11381 @value{GDBN}.
11382 @end table
11383
11384 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
11385 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
11386 arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
11387
11388 The optional @var{mods} changes the usual handling of the arguments.
11389 @code{s} requests that pointers to chars be handled as strings, in
11390 particular collecting the contents of the memory being pointed at, up
11391 to the first zero. The upper bound is by default the value of the
11392 @code{print elements} variable; if @code{s} is followed by a decimal
11393 number, that is the upper bound instead. So for instance
11394 @samp{collect/s25 mystr} collects as many as 25 characters at
11395 @samp{mystr}.
11396
11397 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
11398 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
11399
11400 @kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
11401 @item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11402 Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
11403 command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
11404 are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
11405 state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
11406 values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
11407 action were used.
11408
11409 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
11410 @item while-stepping @var{n}
11411 Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
11412 collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
11413 command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
11414 (followed by its own @code{end} command):
11415
11416 @smallexample
11417 > while-stepping 12
11418 > collect $regs, myglobal
11419 > end
11420 >
11421 @end smallexample
11422
11423 @noindent
11424 Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
11425 @code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
11426 you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
11427 @code{stepping}.
11428
11429 @item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11430 @kindex set default-collect
11431 @cindex default collection action
11432 This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
11433 hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
11434 to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
11435 individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
11436 @code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
11437 local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
11438
11439 @item show default-collect
11440 @kindex show default-collect
11441 Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
11442 tracepoint hit.
11443
11444 @end table
11445
11446 @node Listing Tracepoints
11447 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
11448
11449 @table @code
11450 @kindex info tracepoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
11451 @kindex info tp @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
11452 @cindex information about tracepoints
11453 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@dots{}@r{]}
11454 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
11455 specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
11456 tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
11457 @code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
11458 command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
11459
11460 A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
11461 tracing:
11462
11463 @itemize @bullet
11464 @item
11465 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
11466 @end itemize
11467
11468 @smallexample
11469 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
11470 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
11471 1 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
11472 while-stepping 20
11473 collect globfoo, $regs
11474 end
11475 collect globfoo2
11476 end
11477 pass count 1200
11478 (@value{GDBP})
11479 @end smallexample
11480
11481 @noindent
11482 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
11483 @end table
11484
11485 @node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
11486 @subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
11487
11488 @table @code
11489 @kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
11490 @cindex information about static tracepoint markers
11491 @item info static-tracepoint-markers
11492 Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
11493 program.
11494
11495 For each marker, the following columns are printed:
11496
11497 @table @emph
11498 @item Count
11499 An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
11500 stable identifier.
11501 @item ID
11502 The marker ID, as reported by the target.
11503 @item Enabled or Disabled
11504 Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
11505 that are not enabled.
11506 @item Address
11507 Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
11508 @item What
11509 Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
11510 number. If the debug information included in the program does not
11511 allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
11512 will be left blank.
11513 @end table
11514
11515 @noindent
11516 In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
11517
11518 @table @emph
11519 @item Data
11520 User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
11521 UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
11522 marker call.
11523 @item Static tracepoints probing the marker
11524 The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
11525 @end table
11526
11527 @smallexample
11528 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
11529 Cnt ID Enb Address What
11530 1 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
11531 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
11532 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
11533 2 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
11534 Data: str %s
11535 (@value{GDBP})
11536 @end smallexample
11537 @end table
11538
11539 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
11540 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
11541
11542 @table @code
11543 @kindex tstart [ @var{notes} ]
11544 @cindex start a new trace experiment
11545 @cindex collected data discarded
11546 @item tstart
11547 This command starts the trace experiment, and begins collecting data.
11548 It has the side effect of discarding all the data collected in the
11549 trace buffer during the previous trace experiment. If any arguments
11550 are supplied, they are taken as a note and stored with the trace
11551 experiment's state. The notes may be arbitrary text, and are
11552 especially useful with disconnected tracing in a multi-user context;
11553 the notes can explain what the trace is doing, supply user contact
11554 information, and so forth.
11555
11556 @kindex tstop [ @var{notes} ]
11557 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
11558 @item tstop
11559 This command stops the trace experiment. If any arguments are
11560 supplied, they are recorded with the experiment as a note. This is
11561 useful if you are stopping a trace started by someone else, for
11562 instance if the trace is interfering with the system's behavior and
11563 needs to be stopped quickly.
11564
11565 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
11566 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
11567 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
11568
11569 @kindex tstatus
11570 @cindex status of trace data collection
11571 @cindex trace experiment, status of
11572 @item tstatus
11573 This command displays the status of the current trace data
11574 collection.
11575 @end table
11576
11577 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
11578
11579 @smallexample
11580 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
11581 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11582 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
11583 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
11584 > while-stepping 11
11585 > collect $regs
11586 > end
11587 > end
11588 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
11589 [time passes @dots{}]
11590 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
11591 @end smallexample
11592
11593 @anchor{disconnected tracing}
11594 @cindex disconnected tracing
11595 You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
11596 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
11597 involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
11598 ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
11599 terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
11600 unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
11601 @code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
11602 continue running without @value{GDBN}.
11603
11604 @table @code
11605 @item set disconnected-tracing on
11606 @itemx set disconnected-tracing off
11607 @kindex set disconnected-tracing
11608 Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
11609 has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
11610 @code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
11611 matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
11612 for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
11613
11614 @item show disconnected-tracing
11615 @kindex show disconnected-tracing
11616 Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
11617
11618 @end table
11619
11620 When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
11621 still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
11622 meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
11623 it will continue after reconnection.
11624
11625 Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
11626 tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
11627 information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
11628 to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
11629 have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
11630 the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
11631 debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
11632 which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
11633 necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
11634 created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
11635
11636 @cindex circular trace buffer
11637 If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
11638 can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
11639 buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
11640 frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
11641 collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
11642 hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
11643 buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
11644 @samp{circular-trace-buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
11645 including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
11646 buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
11647 the next run.
11648
11649 @table @code
11650 @item set circular-trace-buffer on
11651 @itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
11652 @kindex set circular-trace-buffer
11653 Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
11654 for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
11655 fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
11656 data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
11657
11658 @item show circular-trace-buffer
11659 @kindex show circular-trace-buffer
11660 Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
11661 match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
11662 match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
11663 for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
11664
11665 @end table
11666
11667 @table @code
11668 @item set trace-user @var{text}
11669 @kindex set trace-user
11670
11671 @item show trace-user
11672 @kindex show trace-user
11673
11674 @item set trace-notes @var{text}
11675 @kindex set trace-notes
11676 Set the trace run's notes.
11677
11678 @item show trace-notes
11679 @kindex show trace-notes
11680 Show the trace run's notes.
11681
11682 @item set trace-stop-notes @var{text}
11683 @kindex set trace-stop-notes
11684 Set the trace run's stop notes. The handling of the note is as for
11685 @code{tstop} arguments; the set command is convenient way to fix a
11686 stop note that is mistaken or incomplete.
11687
11688 @item show trace-stop-notes
11689 @kindex show trace-stop-notes
11690 Show the trace run's stop notes.
11691
11692 @end table
11693
11694 @node Tracepoint Restrictions
11695 @subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
11696
11697 @cindex tracepoint restrictions
11698 There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
11699 described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
11700 without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
11701 the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
11702 examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
11703 collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
11704 is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
11705 mentioned here.
11706
11707 @itemize @bullet
11708
11709 @item
11710 Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
11711 the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
11712 You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
11713 convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
11714 state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
11715 functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
11716 cannot be collected either.
11717
11718 @item
11719 Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
11720 @code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
11721 behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
11722 instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
11723 may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
11724 tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
11725 variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
11726 tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
11727 where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
11728 program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
11729
11730 @item
11731 Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
11732 may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
11733 in a misleading way.
11734
11735 @item
11736 When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
11737 dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
11738 being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
11739 not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
11740 dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
11741 collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
11742 @code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
11743 by @code{ptr}.
11744
11745 @item
11746 It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
11747 tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
11748 bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*(unsigned char *)$esp@@300}
11749 (adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
11750 target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
11751 Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
11752 using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
11753 depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
11754 if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
11755 stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
11756 invalid address.
11757
11758 @item
11759 If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
11760 infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
11761 the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
11762 for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
11763 multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
11764 inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
11765 @value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
11766 it to zero.
11767
11768 @end itemize
11769
11770 @node Analyze Collected Data
11771 @section Using the Collected Data
11772
11773 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
11774 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
11775 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
11776 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
11777 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
11778 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
11779 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
11780 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
11781 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
11782 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
11783 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
11784 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
11785 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
11786 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
11787 the buffer will fail.
11788
11789 @menu
11790 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
11791 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
11792 * save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
11793 @end menu
11794
11795 @node tfind
11796 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
11797
11798 @kindex tfind
11799 @cindex select trace snapshot
11800 @cindex find trace snapshot
11801 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
11802 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
11803 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
11804 snapshot is selected.
11805
11806 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
11807
11808 @table @code
11809 @item tfind start
11810 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
11811 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
11812
11813 @item tfind none
11814 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
11815
11816 @item tfind end
11817 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
11818
11819 @item tfind
11820 No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
11821
11822 @item tfind -
11823 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
11824 retracing earlier steps.
11825
11826 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
11827 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
11828 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
11829 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
11830 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
11831
11832 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
11833 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
11834 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
11835 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
11836 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
11837
11838 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
11839 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
11840 addresses (exclusive).
11841
11842 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
11843 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
11844 @var{addr2} (inclusive).
11845
11846 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
11847 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
11848 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
11849 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
11850 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
11851 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
11852 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
11853 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
11854 @end table
11855
11856 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
11857 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
11858 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
11859 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
11860 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
11861 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
11862 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
11863 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
11864 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
11865 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
11866 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
11867 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
11868 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
11869 tracepoint as the current one.
11870
11871 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
11872 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
11873 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
11874 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
11875 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
11876
11877 @smallexample
11878 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
11879 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
11880 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
11881 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
11882 > tfind
11883 > end
11884
11885 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
11886 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
11887 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
11888 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
11889 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
11890 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
11891 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
11892 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
11893 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
11894 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
11895 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
11896 @end smallexample
11897
11898 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
11899 the buffer:
11900
11901 @smallexample
11902 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
11903 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
11904 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
11905 > tfind line
11906 > end
11907
11908 Frame 0, X = 1
11909 Frame 7, X = 2
11910 Frame 13, X = 255
11911 @end smallexample
11912
11913 @node tdump
11914 @subsection @code{tdump}
11915 @kindex tdump
11916 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
11917 @cindex tracepoint data, display
11918
11919 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
11920 the current trace snapshot.
11921
11922 @smallexample
11923 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
11924 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11925 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
11926 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
11927 > end
11928
11929 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
11930
11931 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
11932 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
11933 at gdb_test.c:444
11934 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
11935
11936 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
11937 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
11938 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
11939 d1 0x18 24
11940 d2 0x80 128
11941 d3 0x33 51
11942 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
11943 d5 0x22 34
11944 d6 0xe0 224
11945 d7 0x380035 3670069
11946 a0 0x19e24a 1696330
11947 a1 0x3000668 50333288
11948 a2 0x100 256
11949 a3 0x322000 3284992
11950 a4 0x3000698 50333336
11951 a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
11952 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
11953 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
11954 ps 0x0 0
11955 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
11956 fpcontrol 0x0 0
11957 fpstatus 0x0 0
11958 fpiaddr 0x0 0
11959 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
11960 p1 = (void *) 0x11
11961 p2 = (void *) 0x22
11962 p3 = (void *) 0x33
11963 p4 = (void *) 0x44
11964 p5 = (void *) 0x55
11965 p6 = (void *) 0x66
11966 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
11967
11968 (@value{GDBP})
11969 @end smallexample
11970
11971 @code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
11972 actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
11973 @code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
11974 actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
11975
11976 Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
11977 uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
11978 frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
11979 collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
11980 to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
11981 body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
11982 then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
11983 list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
11984 same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
11985 @c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
11986
11987 @node save tracepoints
11988 @subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
11989 @kindex save tracepoints
11990 @kindex save-tracepoints
11991 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
11992
11993 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
11994 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
11995 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
11996 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
11997 Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
11998 alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
11999
12000 @node Tracepoint Variables
12001 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
12002 @cindex tracepoint variables
12003 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
12004
12005 @table @code
12006 @vindex $trace_frame
12007 @item (int) $trace_frame
12008 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
12009 snapshot is selected.
12010
12011 @vindex $tracepoint
12012 @item (int) $tracepoint
12013 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
12014
12015 @vindex $trace_line
12016 @item (int) $trace_line
12017 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
12018
12019 @vindex $trace_file
12020 @item (char []) $trace_file
12021 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
12022
12023 @vindex $trace_func
12024 @item (char []) $trace_func
12025 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
12026 @end table
12027
12028 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
12029 use @code{output} instead.
12030
12031 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
12032 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
12033 data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
12034 which are managed by the target.
12035
12036 @smallexample
12037 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12038
12039 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
12040 > output $trace_file
12041 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
12042 > tfind
12043 > end
12044 @end smallexample
12045
12046 @node Trace Files
12047 @section Using Trace Files
12048 @cindex trace files
12049
12050 In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
12051 longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
12052 for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
12053 dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
12054 of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
12055
12056 @table @code
12057
12058 @kindex tsave
12059 @item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
12060 Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
12061 assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
12062 necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
12063 then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
12064 optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
12065 the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
12066 more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
12067 @code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
12068
12069 @kindex target tfile
12070 @kindex tfile
12071 @item target tfile @var{filename}
12072 Use the file named @var{filename} as a source of trace data. Commands
12073 that examine data work as they do with a live target, but it is not
12074 possible to run any new trace experiments. @code{tstatus} will report
12075 the state of the trace run at the moment the data was saved, as well
12076 as the current trace frame you are examining. @var{filename} must be
12077 on a filesystem accessible to the host.
12078
12079 @end table
12080
12081 @node Overlays
12082 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
12083 @cindex overlays
12084
12085 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
12086 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
12087 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
12088 use overlays.
12089
12090 @menu
12091 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
12092 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
12093 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
12094 mapped by asking the inferior.
12095 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
12096 @end menu
12097
12098 @node How Overlays Work
12099 @section How Overlays Work
12100 @cindex mapped overlays
12101 @cindex unmapped overlays
12102 @cindex load address, overlay's
12103 @cindex mapped address
12104 @cindex overlay area
12105
12106 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
12107 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
12108 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
12109 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
12110 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
12111
12112 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
12113 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
12114 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
12115 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
12116 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
12117 largest overlay as well.
12118
12119 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
12120 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
12121 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
12122 there.
12123
12124 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
12125 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
12126 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
12127
12128 @smallexample
12129 @group
12130 Data Instruction Larger
12131 Address Space Address Space Address Space
12132 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
12133 | | | | | |
12134 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
12135 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
12136 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
12137 | and heap | | | | | |
12138 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
12139 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
12140 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
12141 | | | | | |
12142 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
12143 address | | | | | |
12144 | overlay | <-' | | |
12145 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
12146 | | <---. | | load address
12147 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
12148 | | | |
12149 +-----------+ | |
12150 +-----------+
12151 | |
12152 +-----------+
12153
12154 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
12155 @end group
12156 @end smallexample
12157
12158 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
12159 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
12160 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
12161 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
12162 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
12163 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
12164 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
12165 program and the overlay area.
12166
12167 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
12168 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
12169 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
12170 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
12171 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
12172 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
12173 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
12174
12175 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
12176 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
12177 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
12178
12179 @itemize @bullet
12180
12181 @item
12182 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
12183 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
12184 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
12185 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
12186
12187 @item
12188 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
12189 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
12190 your program's performance.
12191
12192 @item
12193 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
12194 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
12195 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
12196 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
12197 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
12198 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
12199 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
12200
12201 @item
12202 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
12203 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
12204 instruction and data spaces.
12205
12206 @end itemize
12207
12208 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
12209 improved in many ways:
12210
12211 @itemize @bullet
12212
12213 @item
12214 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
12215 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
12216 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
12217 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
12218 area in the usual way.
12219
12220 @item
12221 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
12222 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
12223
12224 @item
12225 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
12226 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
12227 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
12228 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
12229 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
12230 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
12231 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
12232
12233 @end itemize
12234
12235
12236 @node Overlay Commands
12237 @section Overlay Commands
12238
12239 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
12240 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
12241 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
12242 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
12243 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
12244 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
12245
12246 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
12247 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
12248
12249 @table @code
12250 @item overlay off
12251 @kindex overlay
12252 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
12253 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
12254 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
12255 overlay support is disabled.
12256
12257 @item overlay manual
12258 @cindex manual overlay debugging
12259 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
12260 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
12261 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
12262 commands described below.
12263
12264 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
12265 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
12266 @cindex map an overlay
12267 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
12268 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
12269 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
12270 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
12271 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
12272 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
12273
12274 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
12275 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
12276 @cindex unmap an overlay
12277 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
12278 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
12279 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
12280 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
12281
12282 @item overlay auto
12283 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
12284 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
12285 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
12286 Overlay Debugging}.
12287
12288 @item overlay load-target
12289 @itemx overlay load
12290 @cindex reloading the overlay table
12291 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
12292 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
12293 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
12294 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
12295 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
12296
12297 @item overlay list-overlays
12298 @itemx overlay list
12299 @cindex listing mapped overlays
12300 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
12301 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
12302
12303 @end table
12304
12305 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
12306 of the function the address falls in:
12307
12308 @smallexample
12309 (@value{GDBP}) print main
12310 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
12311 @end smallexample
12312 @noindent
12313 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
12314 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
12315 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
12316 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
12317
12318 @smallexample
12319 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
12320 No sections are mapped.
12321 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
12322 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
12323 @end smallexample
12324 @noindent
12325 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
12326 name normally:
12327
12328 @smallexample
12329 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
12330 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
12331 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
12332 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
12333 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
12334 @end smallexample
12335
12336 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
12337 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
12338 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
12339 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
12340 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
12341
12342 @itemize @bullet
12343 @item
12344 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
12345 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
12346 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
12347 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
12348 @item
12349 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
12350 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
12351 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
12352 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
12353 breakpoints properly.
12354 @end itemize
12355
12356
12357 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
12358 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
12359 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
12360
12361 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
12362 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
12363 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
12364 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
12365 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
12366 current state of the overlays.
12367
12368 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
12369 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
12370
12371 @table @asis
12372
12373 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
12374 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
12375
12376 @smallexample
12377 struct
12378 @{
12379 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
12380 unsigned long vma;
12381
12382 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
12383 unsigned long size;
12384
12385 /* The overlay's load address. */
12386 unsigned long lma;
12387
12388 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
12389 zero otherwise. */
12390 unsigned long mapped;
12391 @}
12392 @end smallexample
12393
12394 @item @code{_novlys}:
12395 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
12396 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
12397
12398 @end table
12399
12400 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
12401 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
12402 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
12403 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
12404 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
12405 currently mapped.
12406
12407 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
12408 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
12409 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
12410 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
12411 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
12412 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
12413 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
12414 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
12415 are not being executed.
12416
12417 @node Overlay Sample Program
12418 @section Overlay Sample Program
12419 @cindex overlay example program
12420
12421 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
12422 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
12423 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
12424 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
12425 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
12426 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
12427 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
12428
12429 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
12430 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
12431 suite. The program consists of the following files from
12432 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
12433
12434 @table @file
12435 @item overlays.c
12436 The main program file.
12437 @item ovlymgr.c
12438 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
12439 @item foo.c
12440 @itemx bar.c
12441 @itemx baz.c
12442 @itemx grbx.c
12443 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
12444 @item d10v.ld
12445 @itemx m32r.ld
12446 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
12447 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
12448 @end table
12449
12450 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
12451 cross-compiler like this:
12452
12453 @smallexample
12454 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
12455 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
12456 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
12457 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
12458 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
12459 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
12460 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
12461 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
12462 @end smallexample
12463
12464 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
12465 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
12466 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
12467
12468
12469 @node Languages
12470 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
12471 @cindex languages
12472
12473 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
12474 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
12475 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
12476 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
12477 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
12478 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
12479
12480 @cindex working language
12481 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
12482 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
12483 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
12484 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
12485 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
12486 language}.
12487
12488 @menu
12489 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
12490 * Show:: Displaying the language
12491 * Checks:: Type and range checks
12492 * Supported Languages:: Supported languages
12493 * Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
12494 @end menu
12495
12496 @node Setting
12497 @section Switching Between Source Languages
12498
12499 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
12500 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
12501 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
12502 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
12503 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
12504 are printed, etc.
12505
12506 In addition to the working language, every source file that
12507 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
12508 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
12509 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
12510 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
12511 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
12512 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
12513 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
12514 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
12515 Displaying the Language}.
12516
12517 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
12518 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
12519 another language. In that case, make the
12520 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
12521 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
12522 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
12523
12524 @menu
12525 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
12526 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
12527 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
12528 @end menu
12529
12530 @node Filenames
12531 @subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
12532
12533 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
12534 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
12535
12536 @table @file
12537 @item .ada
12538 @itemx .ads
12539 @itemx .adb
12540 @itemx .a
12541 Ada source file.
12542
12543 @item .c
12544 C source file
12545
12546 @item .C
12547 @itemx .cc
12548 @itemx .cp
12549 @itemx .cpp
12550 @itemx .cxx
12551 @itemx .c++
12552 C@t{++} source file
12553
12554 @item .d
12555 D source file
12556
12557 @item .m
12558 Objective-C source file
12559
12560 @item .f
12561 @itemx .F
12562 Fortran source file
12563
12564 @item .mod
12565 Modula-2 source file
12566
12567 @item .s
12568 @itemx .S
12569 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
12570 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
12571 @end table
12572
12573 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
12574 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
12575
12576 @node Manually
12577 @subsection Setting the Working Language
12578
12579 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
12580 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
12581 your program.
12582
12583 @kindex set language
12584 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
12585 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
12586 a language, such as
12587 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
12588 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
12589
12590 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
12591 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
12592 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
12593 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
12594 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
12595 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
12596 command such as:
12597
12598 @smallexample
12599 print a = b + c
12600 @end smallexample
12601
12602 @noindent
12603 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
12604 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
12605 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
12606 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
12607
12608 @node Automatically
12609 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
12610
12611 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
12612 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
12613 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
12614 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
12615 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
12616 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
12617 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
12618 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
12619 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
12620
12621 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
12622 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
12623 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
12624 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
12625 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
12626
12627 @node Show
12628 @section Displaying the Language
12629
12630 The following commands help you find out which language is the
12631 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
12632
12633 @table @code
12634 @item show language
12635 @kindex show language
12636 Display the current working language. This is the
12637 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
12638 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
12639
12640 @item info frame
12641 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
12642 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
12643 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
12644 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
12645 information listed here.
12646
12647 @item info source
12648 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
12649 Display the source language of this source file.
12650 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
12651 information listed here.
12652 @end table
12653
12654 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
12655 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
12656 with a language explicitly:
12657
12658 @table @code
12659 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
12660 @kindex set extension-language
12661 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
12662 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
12663
12664 @item info extensions
12665 @kindex info extensions
12666 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
12667 @end table
12668
12669 @node Checks
12670 @section Type and Range Checking
12671
12672 @quotation
12673 @emph{Warning:} In this release, the @value{GDBN} commands for type and range
12674 checking are included, but they do not yet have any effect. This
12675 section documents the intended facilities.
12676 @end quotation
12677 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range code added
12678
12679 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
12680 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
12681 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators, and making
12682 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
12683 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
12684 by eliminating type mismatches, and providing active checks for range
12685 errors when your program is running.
12686
12687 @value{GDBN} can check for conditions like the above if you wish.
12688 Although @value{GDBN} does not check the statements in your program,
12689 it can check expressions entered directly into @value{GDBN} for
12690 evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example. As with the
12691 working language, @value{GDBN} can also decide whether or not to check
12692 automatically based on your program's source language.
12693 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default
12694 settings of supported languages.
12695
12696 @menu
12697 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
12698 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
12699 @end menu
12700
12701 @cindex type checking
12702 @cindex checks, type
12703 @node Type Checking
12704 @subsection An Overview of Type Checking
12705
12706 Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that the
12707 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
12708 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
12709 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
12710
12711 @smallexample
12712 1 + 2 @result{} 3
12713 @exdent but
12714 @error{} 1 + 2.3
12715 @end smallexample
12716
12717 The second example fails because the @code{CARDINAL} 1 is not
12718 type-compatible with the @code{REAL} 2.3.
12719
12720 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell the
12721 @value{GDBN} type checker to skip checking;
12722 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
12723 or to only issue warnings when type mismatches occur,
12724 but evaluate the expression anyway. When you choose the last of
12725 these, @value{GDBN} evaluates expressions like the second example above, but
12726 also issues a warning.
12727
12728 Even if you turn type checking off, there may be other reasons
12729 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
12730 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
12731 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
12732 with the language in use, and usually arise from expressions, such as
12733 the one described above, which make little sense to evaluate anyway.
12734
12735 Each language defines to what degree it is strict about type. For
12736 instance, both Modula-2 and C require the arguments to arithmetical
12737 operators to be numbers. In C, enumerated types and pointers can be
12738 represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
12739 operators. @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for further
12740 details on specific languages.
12741
12742 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the type checker:
12743
12744 @kindex set check type
12745 @kindex show check type
12746 @table @code
12747 @item set check type auto
12748 Set type checking on or off based on the current working language.
12749 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
12750 each language.
12751
12752 @item set check type on
12753 @itemx set check type off
12754 Set type checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
12755 current working language. Issue a warning if the setting does not
12756 match the language default. If any type mismatches occur in
12757 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
12758 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
12759
12760 @item set check type warn
12761 Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to
12762 evaluate the expression. Evaluating the expression may still
12763 be impossible for other reasons. For example, @value{GDBN} cannot add
12764 numbers and structures.
12765
12766 @item show type
12767 Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not @value{GDBN}
12768 is setting it automatically.
12769 @end table
12770
12771 @cindex range checking
12772 @cindex checks, range
12773 @node Range Checking
12774 @subsection An Overview of Range Checking
12775
12776 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
12777 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
12778 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
12779 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
12780 not exceed the bounds of the array.
12781
12782 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
12783 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
12784 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
12785 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
12786
12787 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
12788 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
12789 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
12790 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
12791 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
12792 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
12793
12794 @smallexample
12795 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
12796 @end smallexample
12797
12798 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
12799 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
12800 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
12801
12802 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
12803
12804 @kindex set check range
12805 @kindex show check range
12806 @table @code
12807 @item set check range auto
12808 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
12809 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
12810 each language.
12811
12812 @item set check range on
12813 @itemx set check range off
12814 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
12815 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
12816 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
12817 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
12818
12819 @item set check range warn
12820 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
12821 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
12822 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
12823 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
12824 systems).
12825
12826 @item show range
12827 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
12828 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
12829 @end table
12830
12831 @node Supported Languages
12832 @section Supported Languages
12833
12834 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Go, Objective-C, Fortran, Java,
12835 OpenCL C, Pascal, assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
12836 @c This is false ...
12837 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
12838 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
12839 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
12840 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
12841 language.
12842
12843 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
12844 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
12845 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
12846 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
12847 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
12848 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
12849 language reference or tutorial.
12850
12851 @menu
12852 * C:: C and C@t{++}
12853 * D:: D
12854 * Go:: Go
12855 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
12856 * OpenCL C:: OpenCL C
12857 * Fortran:: Fortran
12858 * Pascal:: Pascal
12859 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
12860 * Ada:: Ada
12861 @end menu
12862
12863 @node C
12864 @subsection C and C@t{++}
12865
12866 @cindex C and C@t{++}
12867 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
12868
12869 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
12870 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
12871 together.
12872
12873 @cindex C@t{++}
12874 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
12875 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
12876 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
12877 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
12878 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
12879 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
12880 compiler (@code{aCC}).
12881
12882 @menu
12883 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
12884 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
12885 * C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
12886 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
12887 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
12888 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
12889 * Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
12890 * Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
12891 @end menu
12892
12893 @node C Operators
12894 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
12895
12896 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
12897
12898 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
12899 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
12900 often defined on groups of types.
12901
12902 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
12903
12904 @itemize @bullet
12905
12906 @item
12907 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
12908 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
12909
12910 @item
12911 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
12912 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
12913
12914 @item
12915 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
12916
12917 @item
12918 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
12919
12920 @end itemize
12921
12922 @noindent
12923 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
12924 in order of increasing precedence:
12925
12926 @table @code
12927 @item ,
12928 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
12929 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
12930 expression being the last expression evaluated.
12931
12932 @item =
12933 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
12934 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
12935
12936 @item @var{op}=
12937 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
12938 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
12939 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
12940 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
12941 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
12942
12943 @item ?:
12944 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
12945 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
12946 integral type.
12947
12948 @item ||
12949 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
12950
12951 @item &&
12952 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
12953
12954 @item |
12955 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
12956
12957 @item ^
12958 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
12959
12960 @item &
12961 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
12962
12963 @item ==@r{, }!=
12964 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
12965 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
12966
12967 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
12968 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
12969 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
12970 and non-zero for true.
12971
12972 @item <<@r{, }>>
12973 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
12974
12975 @item @@
12976 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
12977
12978 @item +@r{, }-
12979 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
12980 pointer types.
12981
12982 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
12983 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
12984 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
12985 integral types.
12986
12987 @item ++@r{, }--
12988 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
12989 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
12990 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
12991 operation takes place.
12992
12993 @item *
12994 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
12995 @code{++}.
12996
12997 @item &
12998 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
12999
13000 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
13001 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
13002 to examine the address
13003 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
13004 stored.
13005
13006 @item -
13007 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
13008 precedence as @code{++}.
13009
13010 @item !
13011 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13012 @code{++}.
13013
13014 @item ~
13015 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13016 @code{++}.
13017
13018
13019 @item .@r{, }->
13020 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
13021 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
13022 pointer based on the stored type information.
13023 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
13024
13025 @item .*@r{, }->*
13026 Dereferences of pointers to members.
13027
13028 @item []
13029 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
13030 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13031
13032 @item ()
13033 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13034
13035 @item ::
13036 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
13037 and @code{class} types.
13038
13039 @item ::
13040 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
13041 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
13042 above.
13043 @end table
13044
13045 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
13046 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
13047 predefined meaning.
13048
13049 @node C Constants
13050 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
13051
13052 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
13053
13054 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
13055 following ways:
13056
13057 @itemize @bullet
13058 @item
13059 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
13060 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
13061 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
13062 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
13063 @code{long} value.
13064
13065 @item
13066 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
13067 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
13068 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
13069 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
13070 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
13071 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
13072 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
13073 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
13074 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
13075 constant.
13076
13077 @item
13078 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
13079 integral equivalents.
13080
13081 @item
13082 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
13083 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
13084 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
13085 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
13086 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
13087 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
13088 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
13089 @samp{\n} for newline.
13090
13091 Wide character constants can be written by prefixing a character
13092 constant with @samp{L}, as in C. For example, @samp{L'x'} is the wide
13093 form of @samp{x}. The target wide character set is used when
13094 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13095
13096 @item
13097 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
13098 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
13099 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
13100 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
13101 characters.
13102
13103 Wide string constants can be written by prefixing a string constant
13104 with @samp{L}, as in C. The target wide character set is used when
13105 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13106
13107 @item
13108 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
13109 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
13110
13111 @item
13112 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
13113 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
13114 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
13115 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
13116 @end itemize
13117
13118 @node C Plus Plus Expressions
13119 @subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
13120
13121 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
13122 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
13123
13124 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
13125 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
13126 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
13127 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
13128 @quotation
13129 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use
13130 the proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently,
13131 @value{GDBN} works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled
13132 with the most recent version of @value{NGCC} possible. The DWARF
13133 debugging format is preferred; @value{NGCC} defaults to this on most
13134 popular platforms. Other compilers and/or debug formats are likely to
13135 work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug C@t{++}
13136 code. @xref{Compilation}.
13137 @end quotation
13138
13139 @enumerate
13140
13141 @cindex member functions
13142 @item
13143 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
13144
13145 @smallexample
13146 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
13147 @end smallexample
13148
13149 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
13150 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
13151 @item
13152 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
13153 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
13154 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
13155 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}. @code{using}
13156 declarations in the current scope are also respected by @value{GDBN}.
13157
13158 @cindex call overloaded functions
13159 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
13160 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
13161 @item
13162 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
13163 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
13164 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
13165 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
13166 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
13167 default arguments.
13168
13169 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
13170 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
13171 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
13172 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
13173 number of function arguments.
13174
13175 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
13176 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
13177 ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
13178
13179 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
13180 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
13181 @smallexample
13182 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
13183 @end smallexample
13184
13185 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
13186 see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
13187
13188 @cindex reference declarations
13189 @item
13190 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
13191 them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
13192 dereferenced.
13193
13194 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
13195 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
13196 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
13197 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
13198 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
13199
13200 @item
13201 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
13202 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
13203 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
13204 necessary, for example in an expression like
13205 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
13206 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
13207 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
13208
13209 @item
13210 @value{GDBN} performs argument-dependent lookup, following the C@t{++}
13211 specification.
13212 @end enumerate
13213
13214 @node C Defaults
13215 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
13216
13217 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
13218
13219 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set type and range checking automatically, they
13220 both default to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
13221 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
13222 selects the working language.
13223
13224 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
13225 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
13226 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
13227 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
13228 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
13229 for further details.
13230
13231 @c Type checking is (a) primarily motivated by Modula-2, and (b)
13232 @c unimplemented. If (b) changes, it might make sense to let this node
13233 @c appear even if Mod-2 does not, but meanwhile ignore it. roland 16jul93.
13234
13235 @node C Checks
13236 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
13237
13238 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
13239
13240 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, type checking
13241 is not used. However, if you turn type checking on, @value{GDBN}
13242 considers two variables type equivalent if:
13243
13244 @itemize @bullet
13245 @item
13246 The two variables are structured and have the same structure, union, or
13247 enumerated tag.
13248
13249 @item
13250 The two variables have the same type name, or types that have been
13251 declared equivalent through @code{typedef}.
13252
13253 @ignore
13254 @c leaving this out because neither J Gilmore nor R Pesch understand it.
13255 @c FIXME--beers?
13256 @item
13257 The two @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} variables are
13258 declared in the same declaration. (Note: this may not be true for all C
13259 compilers.)
13260 @end ignore
13261 @end itemize
13262
13263 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
13264 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
13265 that is not itself an array.
13266
13267 @node Debugging C
13268 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
13269
13270 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
13271 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
13272 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
13273 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
13274
13275 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
13276 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
13277 ,Expressions}.
13278
13279 @node Debugging C Plus Plus
13280 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
13281
13282 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
13283
13284 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
13285 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
13286
13287 @table @code
13288 @cindex break in overloaded functions
13289 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
13290 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
13291 @value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
13292 locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
13293 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
13294
13295 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
13296 @item rbreak @var{regex}
13297 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
13298 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
13299 classes.
13300 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
13301
13302 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
13303 @item catch throw
13304 @itemx catch catch
13305 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
13306 Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
13307
13308 @cindex inheritance
13309 @item ptype @var{typename}
13310 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
13311 @var{typename}.
13312 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
13313
13314 @item info vtbl @var{expression}.
13315 The @code{info vtbl} command can be used to display the virtual
13316 method tables of the object computed by @var{expression}. This shows
13317 one entry per virtual table; there may be multiple virtual tables when
13318 multiple inheritance is in use.
13319
13320 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
13321 @item set print demangle
13322 @itemx show print demangle
13323 @itemx set print asm-demangle
13324 @itemx show print asm-demangle
13325 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
13326 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
13327 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13328
13329 @item set print object
13330 @itemx show print object
13331 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
13332 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13333
13334 @item set print vtbl
13335 @itemx show print vtbl
13336 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
13337 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13338 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
13339 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
13340
13341 @kindex set overload-resolution
13342 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
13343 @item set overload-resolution on
13344 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
13345 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
13346 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
13347 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
13348 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
13349 If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
13350
13351 @item set overload-resolution off
13352 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
13353 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
13354 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
13355 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
13356 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
13357 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
13358 argument types.
13359
13360 @kindex show overload-resolution
13361 @item show overload-resolution
13362 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
13363
13364 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
13365 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
13366 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
13367 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
13368 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
13369 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
13370 @xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
13371 @end table
13372
13373 @node Decimal Floating Point
13374 @subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
13375 @cindex decimal floating point format
13376
13377 @value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
13378 decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
13379 @code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
13380 specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
13381
13382 There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
13383 Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
13384 PowerPC. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the configured
13385 target.
13386
13387 Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
13388 to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
13389 (using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
13390
13391 In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
13392 point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
13393 underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
13394
13395 In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
13396 to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
13397 See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
13398
13399 @node D
13400 @subsection D
13401
13402 @cindex D
13403 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
13404 GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
13405 specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
13406
13407 @node Go
13408 @subsection Go
13409
13410 @cindex Go (programming language)
13411 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Go and compiled with
13412 @file{gccgo} or @file{6g} compilers.
13413
13414 Here is a summary of the Go-specific features and restrictions:
13415
13416 @table @code
13417 @cindex current Go package
13418 @item The current Go package
13419 The name of the current package does not need to be specified when
13420 specifying global variables and functions.
13421
13422 For example, given the program:
13423
13424 @example
13425 package main
13426 var myglob = "Shall we?"
13427 func main () @{
13428 // ...
13429 @}
13430 @end example
13431
13432 When stopped inside @code{main} either of these work:
13433
13434 @example
13435 (gdb) p myglob
13436 (gdb) p main.myglob
13437 @end example
13438
13439 @cindex builtin Go types
13440 @item Builtin Go types
13441 The @code{string} type is recognized by @value{GDBN} and is printed
13442 as a string.
13443
13444 @cindex builtin Go functions
13445 @item Builtin Go functions
13446 The @value{GDBN} expression parser recognizes the @code{unsafe.Sizeof}
13447 function and handles it internally.
13448
13449 @cindex restrictions on Go expressions
13450 @item Restrictions on Go expressions
13451 All Go operators are supported except @code{&^}.
13452 The Go @code{_} ``blank identifier'' is not supported.
13453 Automatic dereferencing of pointers is not supported.
13454 @end table
13455
13456 @node Objective-C
13457 @subsection Objective-C
13458
13459 @cindex Objective-C
13460 This section provides information about some commands and command
13461 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
13462 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
13463 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
13464
13465 @menu
13466 * Method Names in Commands::
13467 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
13468 @end menu
13469
13470 @node Method Names in Commands
13471 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
13472
13473 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
13474 names as line specifications:
13475
13476 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
13477 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
13478 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
13479 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
13480 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
13481 @itemize
13482 @item @code{clear}
13483 @item @code{break}
13484 @item @code{info line}
13485 @item @code{jump}
13486 @item @code{list}
13487 @end itemize
13488
13489 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
13490
13491 @smallexample
13492 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
13493 @end smallexample
13494
13495 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
13496 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
13497 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
13498 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
13499 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
13500 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
13501 debugged, enter:
13502
13503 @smallexample
13504 break -[Fruit create]
13505 @end smallexample
13506
13507 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
13508 enter:
13509
13510 @smallexample
13511 list +[NSText initialize]
13512 @end smallexample
13513
13514 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
13515 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
13516 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
13517 is also possible to specify just a method name:
13518
13519 @smallexample
13520 break create
13521 @end smallexample
13522
13523 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
13524 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
13525 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
13526 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
13527 none apply.
13528
13529 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
13530 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
13531
13532 @smallexample
13533 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
13534 @end smallexample
13535
13536 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
13537 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
13538 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
13539 @kindex print-object
13540 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
13541
13542 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
13543
13544 @smallexample
13545 print -[@var{object} hash]
13546 @end smallexample
13547
13548 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
13549 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
13550 @noindent
13551 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
13552 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
13553 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
13554 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
13555 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
13556 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
13557
13558 @node OpenCL C
13559 @subsection OpenCL C
13560
13561 @cindex OpenCL C
13562 This section provides information about @value{GDBN}s OpenCL C support.
13563
13564 @menu
13565 * OpenCL C Datatypes::
13566 * OpenCL C Expressions::
13567 * OpenCL C Operators::
13568 @end menu
13569
13570 @node OpenCL C Datatypes
13571 @subsubsection OpenCL C Datatypes
13572
13573 @cindex OpenCL C Datatypes
13574 @value{GDBN} supports the builtin scalar and vector datatypes specified
13575 by OpenCL 1.1. In addition the half- and double-precision floating point
13576 data types of the @code{cl_khr_fp16} and @code{cl_khr_fp64} OpenCL
13577 extensions are also known to @value{GDBN}.
13578
13579 @node OpenCL C Expressions
13580 @subsubsection OpenCL C Expressions
13581
13582 @cindex OpenCL C Expressions
13583 @value{GDBN} supports accesses to vector components including the access as
13584 lvalue where possible. Since OpenCL C is based on C99 most C expressions
13585 supported by @value{GDBN} can be used as well.
13586
13587 @node OpenCL C Operators
13588 @subsubsection OpenCL C Operators
13589
13590 @cindex OpenCL C Operators
13591 @value{GDBN} supports the operators specified by OpenCL 1.1 for scalar and
13592 vector data types.
13593
13594 @node Fortran
13595 @subsection Fortran
13596 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
13597
13598 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
13599 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
13600
13601 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
13602 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
13603 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
13604 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
13605 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
13606 underscore.
13607
13608 @menu
13609 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
13610 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
13611 * Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
13612 @end menu
13613
13614 @node Fortran Operators
13615 @subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
13616
13617 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
13618
13619 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
13620 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
13621 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
13622
13623 @table @code
13624 @item **
13625 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
13626 of the second one.
13627
13628 @item :
13629 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
13630 represent a section of array.
13631
13632 @item %
13633 The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
13634 types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
13635 this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
13636 union type.
13637 @end table
13638
13639 @node Fortran Defaults
13640 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
13641
13642 @cindex Fortran Defaults
13643
13644 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
13645 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
13646 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
13647 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
13648
13649 @node Special Fortran Commands
13650 @subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
13651
13652 @cindex Special Fortran commands
13653
13654 @value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
13655 such as displaying common blocks.
13656
13657 @table @code
13658 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
13659 @kindex info common
13660 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
13661 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
13662 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
13663 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
13664 printed.
13665 @end table
13666
13667 @node Pascal
13668 @subsection Pascal
13669
13670 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
13671 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
13672 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
13673 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
13674 syntax.
13675
13676 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
13677 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
13678 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
13679
13680 @node Modula-2
13681 @subsection Modula-2
13682
13683 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
13684
13685 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
13686 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
13687 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
13688 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
13689 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
13690 table.
13691
13692 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
13693 @menu
13694 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
13695 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
13696 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
13697 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
13698 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
13699 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
13700 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
13701 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
13702 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
13703 @end menu
13704
13705 @node M2 Operators
13706 @subsubsection Operators
13707 @cindex Modula-2 operators
13708
13709 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
13710 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
13711 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
13712 following definitions hold:
13713
13714 @itemize @bullet
13715
13716 @item
13717 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
13718 their subranges.
13719
13720 @item
13721 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
13722
13723 @item
13724 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
13725
13726 @item
13727 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
13728 @var{type}}.
13729
13730 @item
13731 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
13732
13733 @item
13734 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
13735
13736 @item
13737 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
13738 @end itemize
13739
13740 @noindent
13741 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
13742 increasing precedence:
13743
13744 @table @code
13745 @item ,
13746 Function argument or array index separator.
13747
13748 @item :=
13749 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
13750 @var{value}.
13751
13752 @item <@r{, }>
13753 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
13754 types.
13755
13756 @item <=@r{, }>=
13757 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
13758 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
13759 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
13760
13761 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
13762 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
13763 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
13764 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
13765 comment character.
13766
13767 @item IN
13768 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
13769 Same precedence as @code{<}.
13770
13771 @item OR
13772 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
13773
13774 @item AND@r{, }&
13775 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
13776
13777 @item @@
13778 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
13779
13780 @item +@r{, }-
13781 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
13782 and difference on set types.
13783
13784 @item *
13785 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
13786 on set types.
13787
13788 @item /
13789 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
13790 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
13791
13792 @item DIV@r{, }MOD
13793 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
13794 precedence as @code{*}.
13795
13796 @item -
13797 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
13798
13799 @item ^
13800 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
13801
13802 @item NOT
13803 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
13804 @code{^}.
13805
13806 @item .
13807 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
13808 precedence as @code{^}.
13809
13810 @item []
13811 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
13812
13813 @item ()
13814 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
13815 as @code{^}.
13816
13817 @item ::@r{, }.
13818 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
13819 @end table
13820
13821 @quotation
13822 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
13823 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
13824 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
13825 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
13826 @end quotation
13827
13828
13829 @node Built-In Func/Proc
13830 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
13831 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
13832
13833 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
13834 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
13835
13836 @table @var
13837
13838 @item a
13839 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
13840
13841 @item c
13842 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
13843
13844 @item i
13845 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
13846
13847 @item m
13848 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
13849 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
13850 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
13851
13852 @item n
13853 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
13854
13855 @item r
13856 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
13857
13858 @item t
13859 represents a type.
13860
13861 @item v
13862 represents a variable.
13863
13864 @item x
13865 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
13866 explanation of the function for details.
13867 @end table
13868
13869 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
13870
13871 @table @code
13872 @item ABS(@var{n})
13873 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
13874
13875 @item CAP(@var{c})
13876 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
13877 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
13878
13879 @item CHR(@var{i})
13880 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
13881
13882 @item DEC(@var{v})
13883 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
13884
13885 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
13886 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
13887 new value.
13888
13889 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
13890 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
13891 set.
13892
13893 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
13894 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
13895
13896 @item HIGH(@var{a})
13897 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
13898
13899 @item INC(@var{v})
13900 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
13901
13902 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
13903 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
13904 new value.
13905
13906 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
13907 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
13908 there. Returns the new set.
13909
13910 @item MAX(@var{t})
13911 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
13912
13913 @item MIN(@var{t})
13914 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
13915
13916 @item ODD(@var{i})
13917 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
13918
13919 @item ORD(@var{x})
13920 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
13921 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
13922 @sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
13923 integral, character and enumerated types.
13924
13925 @item SIZE(@var{x})
13926 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
13927
13928 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
13929 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
13930
13931 @item TSIZE(@var{x})
13932 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
13933
13934 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
13935 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
13936 @end table
13937
13938 @quotation
13939 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
13940 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
13941 an error.
13942 @end quotation
13943
13944 @cindex Modula-2 constants
13945 @node M2 Constants
13946 @subsubsection Constants
13947
13948 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
13949 ways:
13950
13951 @itemize @bullet
13952
13953 @item
13954 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
13955 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
13956 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
13957 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
13958
13959 @item
13960 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
13961 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
13962 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
13963 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
13964 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
13965 digits.
13966
13967 @item
13968 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
13969 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
13970 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
13971 followed by a @samp{C}.
13972
13973 @item
13974 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
13975 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
13976 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
13977 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
13978 sequences.
13979
13980 @item
13981 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
13982
13983 @item
13984 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
13985 @code{FALSE}.
13986
13987 @item
13988 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
13989
13990 @item
13991 Set constants are not yet supported.
13992 @end itemize
13993
13994 @node M2 Types
13995 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
13996 @cindex Modula-2 types
13997
13998 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
13999 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
14000 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
14001 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
14002 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
14003 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
14004
14005 The first example contains the following section of code:
14006
14007 @smallexample
14008 VAR
14009 s: SET OF CHAR ;
14010 r: [20..40] ;
14011 @end smallexample
14012
14013 @noindent
14014 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
14015 @code{r} and @code{s}.
14016
14017 @smallexample
14018 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14019 @{'A'..'C', 'Z'@}
14020 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14021 SET OF CHAR
14022 (@value{GDBP}) print r
14023 21
14024 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
14025 [20..40]
14026 @end smallexample
14027
14028 @noindent
14029 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
14030
14031 @smallexample
14032 VAR
14033 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
14034 @end smallexample
14035
14036 @noindent
14037 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
14038
14039 @smallexample
14040 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14041 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
14042 @end smallexample
14043
14044 @noindent
14045 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
14046 expressions using the debugger.
14047
14048 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
14049 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
14050
14051 @smallexample
14052 VAR
14053 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
14054 @end smallexample
14055
14056 @smallexample
14057 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14058 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
14059 @end smallexample
14060
14061 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
14062 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
14063 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
14064 above.
14065
14066 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
14067
14068 @smallexample
14069 TYPE
14070 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
14071 t = [blue..yellow] ;
14072 VAR
14073 s: t ;
14074 BEGIN
14075 s := blue ;
14076 @end smallexample
14077
14078 @noindent
14079 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
14080 and value of a variable.
14081
14082 @smallexample
14083 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14084 $1 = blue
14085 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
14086 type = [blue..yellow]
14087 @end smallexample
14088
14089 @noindent
14090 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
14091 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
14092 their @code{C} counterparts.
14093
14094 @smallexample
14095 VAR
14096 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14097 BEGIN
14098 s[1] := 1 ;
14099 @end smallexample
14100
14101 @smallexample
14102 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14103 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
14104 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14105 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14106 @end smallexample
14107
14108 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
14109 pointer types as shown in this example:
14110
14111 @smallexample
14112 VAR
14113 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14114 BEGIN
14115 NEW(s) ;
14116 s^[1] := 1 ;
14117 @end smallexample
14118
14119 @noindent
14120 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
14121
14122 @smallexample
14123 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14124 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14125 @end smallexample
14126
14127 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
14128 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
14129 types:
14130
14131 @smallexample
14132 TYPE
14133 foo = RECORD
14134 f1: CARDINAL ;
14135 f2: CHAR ;
14136 f3: myarray ;
14137 END ;
14138
14139 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
14140 myrange = [-2..2] ;
14141 VAR
14142 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
14143 @end smallexample
14144
14145 @noindent
14146 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
14147 below.
14148
14149 @smallexample
14150 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14151 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
14152 f1 : CARDINAL;
14153 f2 : CHAR;
14154 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
14155 END
14156 @end smallexample
14157
14158 @node M2 Defaults
14159 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
14160 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
14161
14162 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
14163 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
14164 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
14165 selected the working language.
14166
14167 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
14168 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
14169 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
14170 Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
14171
14172 @node Deviations
14173 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
14174 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
14175
14176 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
14177 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
14178
14179 @itemize @bullet
14180 @item
14181 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
14182 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
14183 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
14184 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
14185 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
14186 returned a pointer.)
14187
14188 @item
14189 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
14190 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
14191 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
14192 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
14193
14194 @item
14195 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
14196 argument.
14197
14198 @item
14199 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
14200 @end itemize
14201
14202 @node M2 Checks
14203 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
14204 @cindex Modula-2 checks
14205
14206 @quotation
14207 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
14208 range checking.
14209 @end quotation
14210 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
14211
14212 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
14213
14214 @itemize @bullet
14215 @item
14216 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
14217 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
14218
14219 @item
14220 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
14221 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
14222 @end itemize
14223
14224 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
14225 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
14226
14227 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
14228 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
14229
14230 @node M2 Scope
14231 @subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
14232 @cindex scope
14233 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
14234 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
14235 @ifinfo
14236 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
14237 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
14238 @end ifinfo
14239 @ifnotinfo
14240 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
14241 @end ifnotinfo
14242
14243 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
14244 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
14245 similar syntax:
14246
14247 @smallexample
14248
14249 @var{module} . @var{id}
14250 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
14251 @end smallexample
14252
14253 @noindent
14254 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
14255 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
14256 identifier within your program, except another module.
14257
14258 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
14259 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
14260 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
14261 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
14262
14263 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
14264 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
14265 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
14266 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
14267 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
14268 @var{module}.
14269
14270 @node GDB/M2
14271 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
14272
14273 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
14274 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
14275 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
14276 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
14277 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
14278 analogue in Modula-2.
14279
14280 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
14281 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
14282 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
14283 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
14284 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
14285 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
14286
14287 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
14288 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
14289 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
14290
14291 @node Ada
14292 @subsection Ada
14293 @cindex Ada
14294
14295 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
14296 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
14297 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
14298 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
14299 to be difficult.
14300
14301
14302 @cindex expressions in Ada
14303 @menu
14304 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
14305 and semantics supported by Ada mode
14306 in @value{GDBN}.
14307 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
14308 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
14309 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
14310 * Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
14311 * Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
14312 * Ravenscar Profile:: Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar
14313 Profile
14314 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
14315 @end menu
14316
14317 @node Ada Mode Intro
14318 @subsubsection Introduction
14319 @cindex Ada mode, general
14320
14321 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
14322 syntax, with some extensions.
14323 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
14324
14325 @itemize @bullet
14326 @item
14327 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
14328 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
14329 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
14330 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
14331
14332 @item
14333 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
14334 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
14335
14336 @item
14337 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
14338 @end itemize
14339
14340 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
14341 user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
14342 according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
14343 names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
14344 ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
14345
14346 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
14347 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
14348 was translated from an Ada source file.
14349
14350 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
14351 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
14352 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
14353 middle (to allow based literals).
14354
14355 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
14356 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
14357 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
14358 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
14359 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
14360 functions to procedures elsewhere.
14361
14362 @node Omissions from Ada
14363 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
14364 @cindex Ada, omissions from
14365
14366 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
14367
14368 @itemize @bullet
14369 @item
14370 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
14371
14372 @itemize @minus
14373 @item
14374 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
14375 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
14376
14377 @item
14378 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
14379
14380 @item
14381 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
14382
14383 @item
14384 @t{'Tag}.
14385
14386 @item
14387 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
14388 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
14389
14390 @item
14391 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
14392 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
14393
14394 @item
14395 @t{'Address}.
14396 @end itemize
14397
14398 @item
14399 The names in
14400 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
14401 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
14402 not currently available.
14403
14404 @item
14405 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
14406 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
14407 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
14408 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
14409 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
14410 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
14411 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
14412 indeterminate values.
14413
14414 @item
14415 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
14416 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
14417 are not implemented.
14418
14419 @item
14420 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
14421 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
14422 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
14423 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
14424 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
14425
14426 @smallexample
14427 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
14428 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
14429 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
14430 (@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
14431 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
14432 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
14433 @end smallexample
14434
14435 Changing a
14436 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
14437 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
14438 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
14439 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
14440 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
14441 declared to have a type such as:
14442
14443 @smallexample
14444 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
14445 Id : Integer;
14446 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
14447 end record;
14448 @end smallexample
14449
14450 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
14451 assignments:
14452
14453 @smallexample
14454 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
14455 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
14456 @end smallexample
14457
14458 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
14459 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
14460 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
14461 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
14462 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
14463 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
14464 redundant component associations, although which component values are
14465 assigned in such cases is not defined.
14466
14467 @item
14468 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
14469
14470 @item
14471 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
14472 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
14473 which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
14474 looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
14475 function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
14476 the proper resolution.
14477
14478 @item
14479 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
14480
14481 @item
14482 Entry calls are not implemented.
14483
14484 @item
14485 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
14486 formats are not supported.
14487
14488 @item
14489 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
14490
14491 @item
14492 The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
14493 are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
14494 context.
14495 Should your program
14496 redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
14497 you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
14498 @end itemize
14499
14500 @node Additions to Ada
14501 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
14502 @cindex Ada, deviations from
14503
14504 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
14505 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
14506
14507 @itemize @bullet
14508 @item
14509 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
14510 a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
14511 then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
14512 @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
14513 Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
14514 in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
14515 Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
14516 which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
14517
14518 @item
14519 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
14520 appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
14521 you must typically surround it in single quotes.
14522
14523 @item
14524 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
14525 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
14526
14527 @item
14528 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
14529 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
14530 @end itemize
14531
14532 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
14533 additions specific to Ada:
14534
14535 @itemize @bullet
14536 @item
14537 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
14538 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
14539
14540 @smallexample
14541 (@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
14542 (@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
14543 @end smallexample
14544
14545 @item
14546 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
14547 the value of its right-hand operand.
14548 This allows, for example,
14549 complex conditional breaks:
14550
14551 @smallexample
14552 (@value{GDBP}) break f
14553 (@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
14554 @end smallexample
14555
14556 @item
14557 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
14558 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
14559 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
14560 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
14561 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
14562 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
14563 in strings. For example,
14564 @smallexample
14565 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
14566 @end smallexample
14567 @noindent
14568 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
14569 after each period.
14570
14571 @item
14572 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
14573 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
14574 to write
14575
14576 @smallexample
14577 (@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
14578 @end smallexample
14579
14580 @item
14581 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
14582 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
14583 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
14584 of 3 might print as
14585
14586 @smallexample
14587 (3 => 10, 17, 1)
14588 @end smallexample
14589
14590 @noindent
14591 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
14592 clause.
14593
14594 @item
14595 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
14596 multi-character subsequence of
14597 their names (an exact match gets preference).
14598 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
14599 in place of @t{a'length}.
14600
14601 @item
14602 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
14603 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
14604 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
14605 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
14606 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
14607 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
14608 For example,
14609 @smallexample
14610 (@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
14611 @end smallexample
14612
14613 @item
14614 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
14615 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
14616 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
14617 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
14618 object.
14619
14620 @end itemize
14621
14622 @node Stopping Before Main Program
14623 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
14624
14625 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
14626 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
14627 before reaching the main procedure.
14628 As defined in the Ada Reference
14629 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
14630 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
14631 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
14632 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
14633
14634 @node Ada Tasks
14635 @subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
14636 @cindex Ada, tasking
14637
14638 Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
14639 @value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
14640
14641 @table @code
14642 @kindex info tasks
14643 @item info tasks
14644 This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
14645
14646
14647 @smallexample
14648 @iftex
14649 @leftskip=0.5cm
14650 @end iftex
14651 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14652 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14653 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14654 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
14655 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
14656 * 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
14657
14658 @end smallexample
14659
14660 @noindent
14661 In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
14662 task currently being inspected.
14663
14664 @table @asis
14665 @item ID
14666 Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
14667
14668 @item TID
14669 The Ada task ID.
14670
14671 @item P-ID
14672 The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
14673
14674 @item Pri
14675 The base priority of the task.
14676
14677 @item State
14678 Current state of the task.
14679
14680 @table @code
14681 @item Unactivated
14682 The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
14683 executing.
14684
14685 @item Runnable
14686 The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
14687 for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
14688
14689 @item Terminated
14690 The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
14691 that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
14692 terminated themselves.
14693
14694 @item Child Activation Wait
14695 The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
14696
14697 @item Accept Statement
14698 The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
14699
14700 @item Waiting on entry call
14701 The task is waiting on an entry call.
14702
14703 @item Async Select Wait
14704 The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
14705 select statement.
14706
14707 @item Delay Sleep
14708 The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
14709 alternative open.
14710
14711 @item Child Termination Wait
14712 The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
14713 waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
14714 waiting on a terminate Phase.
14715
14716 @item Wait Child in Term Alt
14717 The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
14718 finish terminating.
14719
14720 @item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
14721 The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
14722 @end table
14723
14724 @item Name
14725 Name of the task in the program.
14726
14727 @end table
14728
14729 @kindex info task @var{taskno}
14730 @item info task @var{taskno}
14731 This command shows detailled informations on the specified task, as in
14732 the following example:
14733 @smallexample
14734 @iftex
14735 @leftskip=0.5cm
14736 @end iftex
14737 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14738 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14739 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14740 * 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
14741 (@value{GDBP}) info task 2
14742 Ada Task: 0x807c468
14743 Name: task_1
14744 Thread: 0x807f378
14745 Parent: 1 (main_task)
14746 Base Priority: 15
14747 State: Runnable
14748 @end smallexample
14749
14750 @item task
14751 @kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
14752 @cindex current Ada task ID
14753 This command prints the ID of the current task.
14754
14755 @smallexample
14756 @iftex
14757 @leftskip=0.5cm
14758 @end iftex
14759 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14760 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14761 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14762 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
14763 (@value{GDBP}) task
14764 [Current task is 2]
14765 @end smallexample
14766
14767 @item task @var{taskno}
14768 @cindex Ada task switching
14769 This command is like the @code{thread @var{threadno}}
14770 command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
14771 from the current task to the given task.
14772
14773 @smallexample
14774 @iftex
14775 @leftskip=0.5cm
14776 @end iftex
14777 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14778 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14779 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14780 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
14781 (@value{GDBP}) task 1
14782 [Switching to task 1]
14783 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
14784 (@value{GDBP}) bt
14785 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
14786 #1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
14787 #2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
14788 #3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
14789 #4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
14790 @end smallexample
14791
14792 @item break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno}
14793 @itemx break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
14794 @cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
14795 @cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
14796 @kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
14797 These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
14798 command (@pxref{Thread Stops}).
14799 @var{linespec} specifies source lines, as described
14800 in @ref{Specify Location}.
14801
14802 Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
14803 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
14804 particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. @var{taskno} is one of the
14805 numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
14806 column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
14807
14808 If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
14809 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
14810 program.
14811
14812 You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
14813 well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
14814 breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
14815
14816 For example,
14817
14818 @smallexample
14819 @iftex
14820 @leftskip=0.5cm
14821 @end iftex
14822 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14823 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14824 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14825 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
14826 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
14827 * 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
14828 (@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
14829 Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
14830 (@value{GDBP}) cont
14831 Continuing.
14832 task # 1 running
14833 task # 2 running
14834
14835 Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
14836 15 flush;
14837 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14838 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14839 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14840 * 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
14841 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
14842 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
14843 @end smallexample
14844 @end table
14845
14846 @node Ada Tasks and Core Files
14847 @subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
14848 @cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
14849
14850 When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
14851 tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
14852 the platform being used.
14853 For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
14854 switching is not supported. On Tru64, however, task switching will work
14855 as usual.
14856
14857 On certain platforms, including Tru64, the debugger needs to perform some
14858 memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
14859 a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
14860 privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
14861 Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
14862 file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
14863
14864 @node Ravenscar Profile
14865 @subsubsection Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar Profile
14866 @cindex Ravenscar Profile
14867
14868 The @dfn{Ravenscar Profile} is a subset of the Ada tasking features,
14869 specifically designed for systems with safety-critical real-time
14870 requirements.
14871
14872 @table @code
14873 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching on
14874 @cindex task switching with program using Ravenscar Profile
14875 @item set ravenscar task-switching on
14876 Allows task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
14877 Profile. This is the default.
14878
14879 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching off
14880 @item set ravenscar task-switching off
14881 Turn off task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
14882 Profile. This is mostly intended to disable the code that adds support
14883 for the Ravenscar Profile, in case a bug in either @value{GDBN} or in
14884 the Ravenscar runtime is preventing @value{GDBN} from working properly.
14885 To be effective, this command should be run before the program is started.
14886
14887 @kindex show ravenscar task-switching
14888 @item show ravenscar task-switching
14889 Show whether it is possible to switch from task to task in a program
14890 using the Ravenscar Profile.
14891
14892 @end table
14893
14894 @node Ada Glitches
14895 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
14896 @cindex Ada, problems
14897
14898 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
14899 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
14900 @value{GDBN},
14901 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
14902 and the GNU Ada compiler.
14903
14904 @itemize @bullet
14905 @item
14906 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
14907 storage are invisible to the debugger.
14908
14909 @item
14910 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
14911 argument lists are treated as positional).
14912
14913 @item
14914 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
14915
14916 @item
14917 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
14918 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
14919 the host machine.
14920
14921 @item
14922 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
14923 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
14924 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
14925 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
14926 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
14927 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
14928 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
14929 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
14930 you can usually resolve the confusion
14931 by qualifying the problematic names with package
14932 @code{Standard} explicitly.
14933 @end itemize
14934
14935 Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
14936 information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
14937 of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
14938 around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
14939 to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
14940 enabled.
14941
14942 @kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
14943 @kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
14944 @table @code
14945
14946 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
14947 Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
14948 value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
14949 types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
14950 a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
14951 This is the default.
14952
14953 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
14954 This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
14955 sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
14956 trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
14957 the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
14958 @code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
14959 recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
14960
14961 @end table
14962
14963 @node Unsupported Languages
14964 @section Unsupported Languages
14965
14966 @cindex unsupported languages
14967 @cindex minimal language
14968 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
14969 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
14970 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
14971 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
14972 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
14973 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
14974
14975 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
14976 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
14977 language.
14978
14979 @node Symbols
14980 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
14981
14982 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
14983 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
14984 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
14985 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
14986 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
14987 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
14988 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
14989
14990 @cindex symbol names
14991 @cindex names of symbols
14992 @cindex quoting names
14993 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
14994 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
14995 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
14996 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
14997 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
14998 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
14999 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
15000 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
15001
15002 @smallexample
15003 p 'foo.c'::x
15004 @end smallexample
15005
15006 @noindent
15007 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
15008
15009 @table @code
15010 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
15011 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
15012 @kindex set case-sensitive
15013 @item set case-sensitive on
15014 @itemx set case-sensitive off
15015 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
15016 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
15017 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
15018 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
15019 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
15020 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
15021 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
15022 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
15023 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
15024 case-insensitive matches.
15025
15026 @kindex show case-sensitive
15027 @item show case-sensitive
15028 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
15029 lookups.
15030
15031 @kindex info address
15032 @cindex address of a symbol
15033 @item info address @var{symbol}
15034 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
15035 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
15036 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
15037 is always stored.
15038
15039 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
15040 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
15041 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
15042
15043 @kindex info symbol
15044 @cindex symbol from address
15045 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
15046 @item info symbol @var{addr}
15047 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
15048 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
15049 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
15050
15051 @smallexample
15052 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
15053 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
15054 @end smallexample
15055
15056 @noindent
15057 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
15058 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
15059
15060 For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
15061 library containing the symbol is also printed:
15062
15063 @smallexample
15064 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
15065 _start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
15066 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
15067 __read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
15068 @end smallexample
15069
15070 @kindex whatis
15071 @item whatis [@var{arg}]
15072 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression
15073 or a name of a data type. With no argument, print the data type of
15074 @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
15075
15076 If @var{arg} is an expression (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), it
15077 is not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
15078 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
15079
15080 If @var{arg} is a variable or an expression, @code{whatis} prints its
15081 literal type as it is used in the source code. If the type was
15082 defined using a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will @emph{not} print
15083 the data type underlying the @code{typedef}. If the type of the
15084 variable or the expression is a compound data type, such as
15085 @code{struct} or @code{class}, @code{whatis} never prints their
15086 fields or methods. It just prints the @code{struct}/@code{class}
15087 name (a.k.a.@: its @dfn{tag}). If you want to see the members of
15088 such a compound data type, use @code{ptype}.
15089
15090 If @var{arg} is a type name that was defined using @code{typedef},
15091 @code{whatis} @dfn{unrolls} only one level of that @code{typedef}.
15092 Unrolling means that @code{whatis} will show the underlying type used
15093 in the @code{typedef} declaration of @var{arg}. However, if that
15094 underlying type is also a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will not
15095 unroll it.
15096
15097 For C code, the type names may also have the form @samp{class
15098 @var{class-name}}, @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union
15099 @var{union-tag}} or @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
15100
15101 @kindex ptype
15102 @item ptype [@var{arg}]
15103 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
15104 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
15105 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
15106
15107 Contrary to @code{whatis}, @code{ptype} always unrolls any
15108 @code{typedef}s in its argument declaration, whether the argument is
15109 a variable, expression, or a data type. This means that @code{ptype}
15110 of a variable or an expression will not print literally its type as
15111 present in the source code---use @code{whatis} for that. @code{typedef}s at
15112 the pointer or reference targets are also unrolled. Only @code{typedef}s of
15113 fields, methods and inner @code{class typedef}s of @code{struct}s,
15114 @code{class}es and @code{union}s are not unrolled even with @code{ptype}.
15115
15116 For example, for this variable declaration:
15117
15118 @smallexample
15119 typedef double real_t;
15120 struct complex @{ real_t real; double imag; @};
15121 typedef struct complex complex_t;
15122 complex_t var;
15123 real_t *real_pointer_var;
15124 @end smallexample
15125
15126 @noindent
15127 the two commands give this output:
15128
15129 @smallexample
15130 @group
15131 (@value{GDBP}) whatis var
15132 type = complex_t
15133 (@value{GDBP}) ptype var
15134 type = struct complex @{
15135 real_t real;
15136 double imag;
15137 @}
15138 (@value{GDBP}) whatis complex_t
15139 type = struct complex
15140 (@value{GDBP}) whatis struct complex
15141 type = struct complex
15142 (@value{GDBP}) ptype struct complex
15143 type = struct complex @{
15144 real_t real;
15145 double imag;
15146 @}
15147 (@value{GDBP}) whatis real_pointer_var
15148 type = real_t *
15149 (@value{GDBP}) ptype real_pointer_var
15150 type = double *
15151 @end group
15152 @end smallexample
15153
15154 @noindent
15155 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
15156 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
15157
15158 @cindex incomplete type
15159 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
15160 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
15161 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
15162 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
15163 given these declarations:
15164
15165 @smallexample
15166 struct foo;
15167 struct foo *fooptr;
15168 @end smallexample
15169
15170 @noindent
15171 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
15172
15173 @smallexample
15174 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
15175 $1 = <incomplete type>
15176 @end smallexample
15177
15178 @noindent
15179 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
15180 completely specified.
15181
15182 @kindex info types
15183 @item info types @var{regexp}
15184 @itemx info types
15185 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
15186 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
15187 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
15188 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
15189 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
15190 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
15191 name is @code{value}.
15192
15193 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
15194 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
15195 lists all source files where a type is defined.
15196
15197 @kindex info scope
15198 @cindex local variables
15199 @item info scope @var{location}
15200 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
15201 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
15202 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
15203 to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
15204 details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
15205
15206 @smallexample
15207 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
15208 Scope for command_line_handler:
15209 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
15210 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
15211 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
15212 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
15213 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
15214 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
15215 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
15216 @end smallexample
15217
15218 @noindent
15219 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
15220 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
15221 collect}.
15222
15223 @kindex info source
15224 @item info source
15225 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
15226 the function containing the current point of execution:
15227 @itemize @bullet
15228 @item
15229 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
15230 @item
15231 the directory it was compiled in,
15232 @item
15233 its length, in lines,
15234 @item
15235 which programming language it is written in,
15236 @item
15237 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
15238 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
15239 @item
15240 whether the debugging information includes information about
15241 preprocessor macros.
15242 @end itemize
15243
15244
15245 @kindex info sources
15246 @item info sources
15247 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
15248 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
15249 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
15250
15251 @kindex info functions
15252 @item info functions
15253 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
15254
15255 @item info functions @var{regexp}
15256 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
15257 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
15258 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
15259 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
15260 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
15261 that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
15262 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
15263
15264 @kindex info variables
15265 @item info variables
15266 Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
15267 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
15268
15269 @item info variables @var{regexp}
15270 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
15271 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
15272 @var{regexp}.
15273
15274 @kindex info classes
15275 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
15276 @item info classes
15277 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
15278 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
15279 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
15280 expression.
15281
15282 @kindex info selectors
15283 @item info selectors
15284 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
15285 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
15286 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
15287 expression.
15288
15289 @ignore
15290 This was never implemented.
15291 @kindex info methods
15292 @item info methods
15293 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
15294 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
15295 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
15296 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
15297 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
15298 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
15299 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
15300 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
15301 @end ignore
15302
15303 @cindex opaque data types
15304 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
15305 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
15306 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
15307 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
15308 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
15309 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
15310 another source file. The default is on.
15311
15312 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
15313 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
15314
15315 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
15316 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
15317 is printed as follows:
15318 @smallexample
15319 @{<no data fields>@}
15320 @end smallexample
15321
15322 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
15323 @item show opaque-type-resolution
15324 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
15325
15326 @kindex maint print symbols
15327 @cindex symbol dump
15328 @kindex maint print psymbols
15329 @cindex partial symbol dump
15330 @item maint print symbols @var{filename}
15331 @itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
15332 @itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
15333 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
15334 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
15335 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
15336 symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
15337 collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
15338 only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
15339 command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
15340 use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
15341 symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
15342 files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
15343 @samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
15344 required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
15345 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
15346 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
15347
15348 @kindex maint info symtabs
15349 @kindex maint info psymtabs
15350 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
15351 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
15352 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
15353 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
15354 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
15355 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
15356
15357 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
15358 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
15359 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
15360 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
15361 structure in more detail. For example:
15362
15363 @smallexample
15364 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
15365 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
15366 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
15367 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
15368 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
15369 readin no
15370 fullname (null)
15371 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
15372 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
15373 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
15374 dependencies (none)
15375 @}
15376 @}
15377 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
15378 (@value{GDBP})
15379 @end smallexample
15380 @noindent
15381 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
15382 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
15383 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
15384 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
15385 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
15386
15387 @smallexample
15388 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
15389 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
15390 line 1574.
15391 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
15392 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
15393 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
15394 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
15395 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
15396 dirname (null)
15397 fullname (null)
15398 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
15399 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
15400 debugformat DWARF 2
15401 @}
15402 @}
15403 (@value{GDBP})
15404 @end smallexample
15405 @end table
15406
15407
15408 @node Altering
15409 @chapter Altering Execution
15410
15411 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
15412 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
15413 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
15414 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
15415 program.
15416
15417 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
15418 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
15419 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
15420
15421 @menu
15422 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
15423 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
15424 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
15425 * Returning:: Returning from a function
15426 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
15427 * Patching:: Patching your program
15428 @end menu
15429
15430 @node Assignment
15431 @section Assignment to Variables
15432
15433 @cindex assignment
15434 @cindex setting variables
15435 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
15436 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
15437
15438 @smallexample
15439 print x=4
15440 @end smallexample
15441
15442 @noindent
15443 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
15444 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
15445 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
15446 information on operators in supported languages.
15447
15448 @kindex set variable
15449 @cindex variables, setting
15450 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
15451 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
15452 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
15453 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
15454 ,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
15455
15456 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
15457 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
15458 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
15459 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
15460 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
15461 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
15462 command @code{set width}:
15463
15464 @smallexample
15465 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
15466 type = double
15467 (@value{GDBP}) p width
15468 $4 = 13
15469 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
15470 Invalid syntax in expression.
15471 @end smallexample
15472
15473 @noindent
15474 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
15475 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
15476
15477 @smallexample
15478 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
15479 @end smallexample
15480
15481 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
15482 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
15483 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
15484 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
15485 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
15486 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
15487
15488 @smallexample
15489 @group
15490 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
15491 type = double
15492 (@value{GDBP}) p g
15493 $1 = 1
15494 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
15495 (@value{GDBP}) p g
15496 $2 = 1
15497 (@value{GDBP}) r
15498 The program being debugged has been started already.
15499 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
15500 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
15501 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
15502 Invalid bfd target.
15503 (@value{GDBP}) show g
15504 The current BFD target is "=4".
15505 @end group
15506 @end smallexample
15507
15508 @noindent
15509 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
15510 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
15511 @code{g}, use
15512
15513 @smallexample
15514 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
15515 @end smallexample
15516
15517 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
15518 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
15519 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
15520 same length or shorter.
15521 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
15522 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
15523
15524 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
15525 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
15526 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
15527 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
15528 and representation in memory), and
15529
15530 @smallexample
15531 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
15532 @end smallexample
15533
15534 @noindent
15535 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
15536
15537 @node Jumping
15538 @section Continuing at a Different Address
15539
15540 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
15541 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
15542 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
15543
15544 @table @code
15545 @kindex jump
15546 @item jump @var{linespec}
15547 @itemx jump @var{location}
15548 Resume execution at line @var{linespec} or at address given by
15549 @var{location}. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
15550 breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
15551 different forms of @var{linespec} and @var{location}. It is common
15552 practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
15553 @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
15554
15555 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
15556 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
15557 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
15558 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
15559 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
15560 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
15561 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
15562 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
15563 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
15564 @end table
15565
15566 @c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
15567 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
15568 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
15569 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
15570 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
15571 example,
15572
15573 @smallexample
15574 set $pc = 0x485
15575 @end smallexample
15576
15577 @noindent
15578 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
15579 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
15580 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
15581
15582 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
15583 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
15584 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
15585 detail.
15586
15587 @c @group
15588 @node Signaling
15589 @section Giving your Program a Signal
15590 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
15591
15592 @table @code
15593 @kindex signal
15594 @item signal @var{signal}
15595 Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
15596 signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
15597 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
15598 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
15599
15600 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
15601 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
15602 a signal and would ordinary see the signal when resumed with the
15603 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
15604 signal.
15605
15606 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
15607 after executing the command.
15608 @end table
15609 @c @end group
15610
15611 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
15612 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
15613 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
15614 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
15615 passes the signal directly to your program.
15616
15617
15618 @node Returning
15619 @section Returning from a Function
15620
15621 @table @code
15622 @cindex returning from a function
15623 @kindex return
15624 @item return
15625 @itemx return @var{expression}
15626 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
15627 command. If you give an
15628 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
15629 value.
15630 @end table
15631
15632 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
15633 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
15634 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
15635 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
15636
15637 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
15638 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
15639 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
15640 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
15641 of functions.
15642
15643 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
15644 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
15645 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
15646 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
15647 selected stack frame returns naturally.
15648
15649 @value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
15650 the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
15651 type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
15652 OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
15653 CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
15654 registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
15655 specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
15656 current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
15657 assignment into the right register(s).
15658
15659 Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
15660 use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
15661 debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
15662 function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
15663 int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
15664 into a @code{long long int}:
15665
15666 @smallexample
15667 Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
15668 29 return 31;
15669 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
15670 Make func return now? (y or n) y
15671 #0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
15672 43 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
15673 (@value{GDBP})
15674 @end smallexample
15675
15676 However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
15677 function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
15678 to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
15679 in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
15680 typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
15681 of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
15682 architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
15683 an appropriate cast explicitly:
15684
15685 @smallexample
15686 Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
15687 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
15688 Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
15689 Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
15690 (@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
15691 Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
15692 #0 0x00400526 in main ()
15693 (@value{GDBP})
15694 @end smallexample
15695
15696 @node Calling
15697 @section Calling Program Functions
15698
15699 @table @code
15700 @cindex calling functions
15701 @cindex inferior functions, calling
15702 @item print @var{expr}
15703 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
15704 @var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
15705 debugged.
15706
15707 @kindex call
15708 @item call @var{expr}
15709 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
15710 returned values.
15711
15712 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
15713 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
15714 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
15715 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
15716 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
15717 value history.
15718 @end table
15719
15720 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
15721 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
15722 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
15723 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
15724
15725 Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
15726 call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
15727 exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
15728 frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
15729 an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
15730 dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
15731 seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
15732 in that case is controlled by the
15733 @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
15734
15735 @table @code
15736 @item set unwindonsignal
15737 @kindex set unwindonsignal
15738 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
15739 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
15740 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
15741 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
15742 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
15743 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
15744 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
15745 received.
15746
15747 @item show unwindonsignal
15748 @kindex show unwindonsignal
15749 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
15750 @value{GDBN}.
15751
15752 @item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
15753 @kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
15754 @cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
15755 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
15756 Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
15757 unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
15758 debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
15759 it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
15760 the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
15761 the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
15762
15763 @item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
15764 @kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
15765 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
15766 @value{GDBN}.
15767
15768 @end table
15769
15770 @cindex weak alias functions
15771 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
15772 for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
15773 the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
15774 which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
15775 As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
15776 even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
15777 function instead.
15778
15779 @node Patching
15780 @section Patching Programs
15781
15782 @cindex patching binaries
15783 @cindex writing into executables
15784 @cindex writing into corefiles
15785
15786 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
15787 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
15788 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
15789 patching your program's binary.
15790
15791 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
15792 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
15793 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
15794 repairs.
15795
15796 @table @code
15797 @kindex set write
15798 @item set write on
15799 @itemx set write off
15800 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
15801 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
15802 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
15803
15804 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
15805 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
15806 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
15807
15808 @item show write
15809 @kindex show write
15810 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
15811 as well as reading.
15812 @end table
15813
15814 @node GDB Files
15815 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
15816
15817 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
15818 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
15819 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
15820 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
15821
15822 @menu
15823 * Files:: Commands to specify files
15824 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
15825 * Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
15826 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
15827 * Data Files:: GDB data files
15828 @end menu
15829
15830 @node Files
15831 @section Commands to Specify Files
15832
15833 @cindex symbol table
15834 @cindex core dump file
15835
15836 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
15837 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
15838 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
15839 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
15840
15841 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
15842 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
15843 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
15844 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
15845 Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
15846 new files are useful.
15847
15848 @table @code
15849 @cindex executable file
15850 @kindex file
15851 @item file @var{filename}
15852 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
15853 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
15854 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
15855 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
15856 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
15857 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
15858 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
15859 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
15860
15861 @cindex unlinked object files
15862 @cindex patching object files
15863 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
15864 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
15865 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
15866 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
15867 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
15868 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
15869 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
15870 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
15871
15872 @item file
15873 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
15874 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
15875
15876 @kindex exec-file
15877 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
15878 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
15879 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
15880 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
15881 discard information on the executable file.
15882
15883 @kindex symbol-file
15884 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
15885 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
15886 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
15887 table and program to run from the same file.
15888
15889 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
15890 program's symbol table.
15891
15892 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
15893 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
15894 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
15895 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
15896 @value{GDBN}.
15897
15898 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
15899 executing it once.
15900
15901 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
15902 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
15903 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
15904 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
15905 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
15906 using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
15907 optimized code.
15908
15909 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
15910 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
15911 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
15912 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
15913 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
15914
15915 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
15916 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
15917 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
15918 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
15919 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
15920 Warnings and Messages}.)
15921
15922 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
15923 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
15924 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
15925 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
15926 in stabs format.
15927
15928 @kindex readnow
15929 @cindex reading symbols immediately
15930 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
15931 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
15932 @itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
15933 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
15934 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
15935 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
15936 entire symbol table available.
15937
15938 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
15939 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
15940 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
15941 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
15942 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
15943 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
15944 @c files.
15945
15946 @kindex core-file
15947 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
15948 @itemx core
15949 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
15950 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
15951 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
15952 executable file itself for other parts.
15953
15954 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
15955 to be used.
15956
15957 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
15958 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
15959 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
15960 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
15961 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
15962
15963 @kindex add-symbol-file
15964 @cindex dynamic linking
15965 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
15966 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
15967 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} -s @var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
15968 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
15969 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
15970 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
15971 into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
15972 address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
15973 this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
15974 of @samp{-s @var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
15975 section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
15976 @var{address} as an expression.
15977
15978 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
15979 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
15980 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
15981 thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data
15982 instead, use the @code{symbol-file} command without any arguments.
15983
15984 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
15985 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
15986 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
15987 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
15988 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
15989 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
15990 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
15991 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
15992 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
15993
15994 @itemize @bullet
15995 @item
15996 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
15997 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
15998 @item
15999 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
16000 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
16001 @item
16002 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
16003 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
16004 @end itemize
16005
16006 @noindent
16007 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
16008 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
16009 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
16010 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
16011 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
16012 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
16013 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
16014 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
16015 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
16016 way.
16017
16018 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
16019
16020 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
16021 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
16022 @cindex load symbols from memory
16023 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
16024 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
16025 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
16026 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
16027 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
16028 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
16029 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
16030 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
16031 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
16032
16033 @kindex add-shared-symbol-files
16034 @kindex assf
16035 @item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
16036 @itemx assf @var{library-file}
16037 The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
16038 in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
16039 alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
16040 @value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
16041 @value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
16042 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
16043 library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
16044 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
16045
16046 @kindex section
16047 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
16048 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
16049 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
16050 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
16051 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
16052 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
16053 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
16054 their addresses.
16055
16056 @kindex info files
16057 @kindex info target
16058 @item info files
16059 @itemx info target
16060 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
16061 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
16062 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
16063 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
16064 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
16065 current ones.
16066
16067 @kindex maint info sections
16068 @item maint info sections
16069 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
16070 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
16071 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
16072 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
16073 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
16074 may be arbitrarily combined):
16075
16076 @table @code
16077 @item ALLOBJ
16078 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
16079 @item @var{sections}
16080 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
16081 @item @var{section-flags}
16082 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
16083 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
16084 @table @code
16085 @item ALLOC
16086 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
16087 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
16088 @item LOAD
16089 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
16090 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
16091 @item RELOC
16092 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
16093 @item READONLY
16094 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
16095 @item CODE
16096 Section contains executable code only.
16097 @item DATA
16098 Section contains data only (no executable code).
16099 @item ROM
16100 Section will reside in ROM.
16101 @item CONSTRUCTOR
16102 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
16103 @item HAS_CONTENTS
16104 Section is not empty.
16105 @item NEVER_LOAD
16106 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
16107 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
16108 A notification to the linker that the section contains
16109 COFF shared library information.
16110 @item IS_COMMON
16111 Section contains common symbols.
16112 @end table
16113 @end table
16114 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
16115 @cindex read-only sections
16116 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
16117 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
16118 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
16119 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
16120 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
16121 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
16122 enhancement to debugging performance.
16123
16124 The default is off.
16125
16126 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
16127 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
16128 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
16129 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
16130
16131 @item show trust-readonly-sections
16132 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
16133 @end table
16134
16135 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
16136 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
16137 name and remembers it that way.
16138
16139 @cindex shared libraries
16140 @anchor{Shared Libraries}
16141 @value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
16142 and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
16143
16144 On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
16145 shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
16146
16147 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
16148 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
16149 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
16150 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
16151 debugging a core file).
16152
16153 On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
16154 automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
16155
16156 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
16157 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
16158 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
16159
16160 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
16161 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
16162 particularly large or there are many of them.
16163
16164 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
16165 commands:
16166
16167 @table @code
16168 @kindex set auto-solib-add
16169 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
16170 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
16171 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
16172 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
16173 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
16174 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
16175 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
16176
16177 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
16178 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
16179 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
16180 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
16181 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
16182 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
16183 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
16184 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
16185 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
16186
16187 @kindex show auto-solib-add
16188 @item show auto-solib-add
16189 Display the current autoloading mode.
16190 @end table
16191
16192 @cindex load shared library
16193 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
16194 command:
16195
16196 @table @code
16197 @kindex info sharedlibrary
16198 @kindex info share
16199 @item info share @var{regex}
16200 @itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
16201 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
16202 that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
16203 all shared libraries that are loaded.
16204
16205 @kindex sharedlibrary
16206 @kindex share
16207 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
16208 @itemx share @var{regex}
16209 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
16210 Unix regular expression.
16211 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
16212 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
16213 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
16214 loaded.
16215
16216 @item nosharedlibrary
16217 @kindex nosharedlibrary
16218 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
16219 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
16220 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
16221 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
16222 discarded.
16223 @end table
16224
16225 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
16226 when any of shared library events happen. The best way to do this is
16227 to use @code{catch load} and @code{catch unload} (@pxref{Set
16228 Catchpoints}).
16229
16230 @value{GDBN} also supports the the @code{set stop-on-solib-events}
16231 command for this. This command exists for historical reasons. It is
16232 less useful than setting a catchpoint, because it does not allow for
16233 conditions or commands as a catchpoint does.
16234
16235 @table @code
16236 @item set stop-on-solib-events
16237 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
16238 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
16239 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
16240 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
16241 shared library.
16242
16243 @item show stop-on-solib-events
16244 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
16245 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
16246 library events happen.
16247 @end table
16248
16249 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
16250 configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
16251 this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
16252 on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
16253 libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
16254 provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
16255 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
16256 not.
16257
16258 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
16259 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
16260 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
16261 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
16262 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
16263
16264 @table @code
16265 @cindex prefix for shared library file names
16266 @cindex system root, alternate
16267 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
16268 @kindex set sysroot
16269 @item set sysroot @var{path}
16270 Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
16271 absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
16272 runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
16273 target program's memory. If you use @code{set sysroot} to find shared
16274 libraries, they need to be laid out in the same way that they are on
16275 the target, with e.g.@: a @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy
16276 under @var{path}.
16277
16278 If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{remote:}, @value{GDBN} will
16279 retrieve the target libraries from the remote system. This is only
16280 supported when using a remote target that supports the @code{remote get}
16281 command (@pxref{File Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}).
16282 The part of @var{path} following the initial @file{remote:}
16283 (if present) is used as system root prefix on the remote file system.
16284 @footnote{If you want to specify a local system root using a directory
16285 that happens to be named @file{remote:}, you need to use some equivalent
16286 variant of the name like @file{./remote:}.}
16287
16288 For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
16289 SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
16290 absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
16291 @value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
16292 slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
16293
16294 @smallexample
16295 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
16296 @end smallexample
16297
16298 Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
16299 @var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
16300 system:
16301
16302 @smallexample
16303 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
16304 @end smallexample
16305
16306 If that does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries removing
16307 the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
16308 for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
16309 colons:
16310
16311 @smallexample
16312 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
16313 @end smallexample
16314
16315 This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
16316 with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
16317 copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
16318 @samp{z}):
16319
16320 @smallexample
16321 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
16322 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
16323 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
16324 @end smallexample
16325
16326 @noindent
16327 and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
16328 @value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
16329 @file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
16330
16331 If that still does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries
16332 removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
16333
16334 @smallexample
16335 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
16336 @end smallexample
16337
16338 This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
16339 if you don't want or need to.
16340
16341 The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
16342 sysroot}.
16343
16344 @cindex default system root
16345 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
16346 You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
16347 @samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
16348 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
16349 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
16350 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
16351 location.
16352
16353 @kindex show sysroot
16354 @item show sysroot
16355 Display the current shared library prefix.
16356
16357 @kindex set solib-search-path
16358 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
16359 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
16360 directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
16361 is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
16362 path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
16363 use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
16364 @samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
16365 finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
16366 it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
16367 of shared library symbols.
16368
16369 @kindex show solib-search-path
16370 @item show solib-search-path
16371 Display the current shared library search path.
16372
16373 @cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
16374 @kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
16375 @kindex show target-file-system-kind
16376 @item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
16377 Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
16378
16379 Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
16380 make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
16381 example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
16382 system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
16383 @value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
16384 @file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
16385 drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
16386 indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
16387 normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
16388 the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
16389 as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
16390 it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
16391 shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
16392 with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
16393 @code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
16394 to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
16395 map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
16396 semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
16397 to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
16398 tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
16399 current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
16400 Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
16401
16402 @table @code
16403 @item unix
16404 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
16405 kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
16406 are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
16407 the forward slash.
16408
16409 @item dos-based
16410 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
16411 File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
16412 followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
16413 both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
16414 considered directory separators.
16415
16416 @item auto
16417 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
16418 target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
16419 This is the default.
16420 @end table
16421 @end table
16422
16423 @cindex file name canonicalization
16424 @cindex base name differences
16425 When processing file names provided by the user, @value{GDBN}
16426 frequently needs to compare them to the file names recorded in the
16427 program's debug info. Normally, @value{GDBN} compares just the
16428 @dfn{base names} of the files as strings, which is reasonably fast
16429 even for very large programs. (The base name of a file is the last
16430 portion of its name, after stripping all the leading directories.)
16431 This shortcut in comparison is based upon the assumption that files
16432 cannot have more than one base name. This is usually true, but
16433 references to files that use symlinks or similar filesystem
16434 facilities violate that assumption. If your program records files
16435 using such facilities, or if you provide file names to @value{GDBN}
16436 using symlinks etc., you can set @code{basenames-may-differ} to
16437 @code{true} to instruct @value{GDBN} to completely canonicalize each
16438 pair of file names it needs to compare. This will make file-name
16439 comparisons accurate, but at a price of a significant slowdown.
16440
16441 @table @code
16442 @item set basenames-may-differ
16443 @kindex set basenames-may-differ
16444 Set whether a source file may have multiple base names.
16445
16446 @item show basenames-may-differ
16447 @kindex show basenames-may-differ
16448 Show whether a source file may have multiple base names.
16449 @end table
16450
16451 @node Separate Debug Files
16452 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
16453 @cindex separate debugging information files
16454 @cindex debugging information in separate files
16455 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
16456 @cindex debugging information directory, global
16457 @cindex global debugging information directories
16458 @cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
16459 @cindex @file{.build-id} directory
16460
16461 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
16462 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
16463 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
16464 Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
16465 than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
16466 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
16467 install only when they need to debug a problem.
16468
16469 @value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
16470 file:
16471
16472 @itemize @bullet
16473 @item
16474 The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
16475 the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
16476 usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
16477 name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
16478 (e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
16479 debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
16480 checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
16481 the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
16482
16483 @item
16484 The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
16485 also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
16486 only on some operating systems, notably those which use the ELF format
16487 for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
16488 this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
16489 command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld.info,
16490 The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
16491 explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
16492 below.
16493 @end itemize
16494
16495 Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
16496 uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
16497
16498 @itemize @bullet
16499 @item
16500 For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
16501 the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
16502 directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under each one of the global debug
16503 directories, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to the leading
16504 directories of the executable's absolute file name.
16505
16506 @item
16507 For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
16508 @file{.build-id} subdirectory of each one of the global debug directories for
16509 a file named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
16510 first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
16511 are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
16512 hex characters, not 10.)
16513 @end itemize
16514
16515 So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
16516 @file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
16517 file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
16518 @code{abcdef1234}. If the list of the global debug directories includes
16519 @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
16520 debug information files, in the indicated order:
16521
16522 @itemize @minus
16523 @item
16524 @file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
16525 @item
16526 @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
16527 @item
16528 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
16529 @item
16530 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
16531 @end itemize
16532
16533 @anchor{debug-file-directory}
16534 Global debugging info directories default to what is set by @value{GDBN}
16535 configure option @option{--with-separate-debug-dir}. During @value{GDBN} run
16536 you can also set the global debugging info directories, and view the list
16537 @value{GDBN} is currently using.
16538
16539 @table @code
16540
16541 @kindex set debug-file-directory
16542 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
16543 Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
16544 information files to @var{directory}. Multiple path components can be set
16545 concatenating them by a path separator.
16546
16547 @kindex show debug-file-directory
16548 @item show debug-file-directory
16549 Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
16550 information files.
16551
16552 @end table
16553
16554 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
16555 @cindex debug link sections
16556 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
16557 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
16558
16559 @itemize
16560 @item
16561 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
16562 a zero byte,
16563 @item
16564 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
16565 boundary within the section, and
16566 @item
16567 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
16568 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
16569 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
16570 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
16571 @end itemize
16572
16573 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
16574 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
16575 described above.
16576
16577 @cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
16578 @cindex build ID sections
16579 The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
16580 ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
16581 often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
16582 It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
16583 the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
16584 algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
16585 content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
16586 value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
16587 stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
16588
16589 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
16590 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
16591 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
16592 should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
16593 but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
16594 in an ordinary executable.
16595
16596 The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
16597 @samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
16598 the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
16599 following commands:
16600
16601 @smallexample
16602 @kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
16603 @kbd{strip -g foo}
16604 @end smallexample
16605
16606 @noindent
16607 These commands remove the debugging
16608 information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
16609 @file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
16610 two files:
16611
16612 @itemize @bullet
16613 @item
16614 The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
16615 behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
16616
16617 @smallexample
16618 @kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
16619 @end smallexample
16620
16621 Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
16622 a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
16623 foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
16624 the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
16625
16626 @item
16627 Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
16628 the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
16629 compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
16630 utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
16631 @end itemize
16632
16633 @noindent
16634
16635 @cindex CRC algorithm definition
16636 The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
16637 IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
16638
16639 @c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
16640 @c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
16641 @c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
16642 @c different ways!
16643 @ifhtml
16644 @display
16645 @html
16646 <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>
16647 + <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
16648 @end html
16649 @end display
16650 @end ifhtml
16651 @ifnothtml
16652 @display
16653 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
16654 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
16655 @end display
16656 @end ifnothtml
16657
16658 The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
16659 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
16660 @code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
16661 the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
16662 CRC.
16663
16664 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
16665 @dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{Remote Protocol,
16666 , @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol}). However in the
16667 case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed @emph{most}
16668 significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so trailing
16669 zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
16670
16671 To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
16672 which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
16673 initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
16674 this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
16675 @code{0xffffffff}.
16676
16677 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
16678 @smallexample
16679 unsigned long
16680 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
16681 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
16682 @{
16683 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
16684 @{
16685 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
16686 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
16687 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
16688 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
16689 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
16690 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
16691 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
16692 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
16693 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
16694 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
16695 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
16696 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
16697 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
16698 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
16699 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
16700 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
16701 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
16702 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
16703 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
16704 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
16705 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
16706 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
16707 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
16708 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
16709 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
16710 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
16711 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
16712 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
16713 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
16714 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
16715 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
16716 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
16717 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
16718 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
16719 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
16720 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
16721 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
16722 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
16723 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
16724 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
16725 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
16726 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
16727 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
16728 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
16729 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
16730 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
16731 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
16732 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
16733 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
16734 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
16735 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
16736 0x2d02ef8d
16737 @};
16738 unsigned char *end;
16739
16740 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
16741 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
16742 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
16743 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
16744 @}
16745 @end smallexample
16746
16747 @noindent
16748 This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
16749
16750
16751 @node Index Files
16752 @section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
16753 @cindex index files
16754 @cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
16755
16756 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
16757 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
16758 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
16759 on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
16760 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
16761 startup.
16762
16763 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
16764 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
16765 using @command{objcopy}.
16766
16767 To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
16768
16769 @table @code
16770 @item save gdb-index @var{directory}
16771 @kindex save gdb-index
16772 Create an index file for each symbol file currently known by
16773 @value{GDBN}. Each file is named after its corresponding symbol file,
16774 with @samp{.gdb-index} appended, and is written into the given
16775 @var{directory}.
16776 @end table
16777
16778 Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
16779 file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
16780
16781 @smallexample
16782 $ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
16783 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
16784 @end smallexample
16785
16786 @value{GDBN} will normally ignore older versions of @file{.gdb_index}
16787 sections that have been deprecated. Usually they are deprecated because
16788 they are missing a new feature or have performance issues.
16789 To tell @value{GDBN} to use a deprecated index section anyway
16790 specify @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
16791 The default is @code{off}.
16792 This can speed up startup, but may result in some functionality being lost.
16793 @xref{Index Section Format}.
16794
16795 @emph{Warning:} Setting @code{use-deprecated-index-sections} to @code{on}
16796 must be done before gdb reads the file. The following will not work:
16797
16798 @smallexample
16799 $ gdb -ex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
16800 @end smallexample
16801
16802 Instead you must do, for example,
16803
16804 @smallexample
16805 $ gdb -iex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
16806 @end smallexample
16807
16808 There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
16809 for DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, they do not
16810 currently work for programs using Ada.
16811
16812 @node Symbol Errors
16813 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
16814
16815 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
16816 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
16817 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
16818 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
16819 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
16820 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
16821 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
16822 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
16823 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
16824 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
16825 Messages}).
16826
16827 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
16828
16829 @table @code
16830 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
16831
16832 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
16833 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
16834 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
16835 in its outer scope blocks.
16836
16837 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
16838 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
16839 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
16840 function.
16841
16842 @item block at @var{address} out of order
16843
16844 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
16845 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
16846 do so.
16847
16848 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
16849 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
16850 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
16851 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
16852 Messages}.)
16853
16854 @item bad block start address patched
16855
16856 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
16857 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
16858 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
16859
16860 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
16861 starting on the previous source line.
16862
16863 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
16864
16865 @cindex foo
16866 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
16867 larger than the size of the string table.
16868
16869 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
16870 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
16871 with this name.
16872
16873 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
16874
16875 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
16876 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
16877 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
16878
16879 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
16880 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
16881 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
16882 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
16883 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
16884 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
16885
16886 @item stub type has NULL name
16887
16888 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
16889
16890 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
16891 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
16892 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
16893 it.
16894
16895 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
16896
16897 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
16898
16899 @end table
16900
16901 @node Data Files
16902 @section GDB Data Files
16903
16904 @cindex prefix for data files
16905 @value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
16906 are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
16907
16908 You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
16909 is currently using.
16910
16911 @table @code
16912 @kindex set data-directory
16913 @item set data-directory @var{directory}
16914 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
16915 to @var{directory}.
16916
16917 @kindex show data-directory
16918 @item show data-directory
16919 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
16920 @end table
16921
16922 @cindex default data directory
16923 @cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
16924 You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
16925 @samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
16926 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
16927 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
16928 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
16929 location.
16930
16931 The data directory may also be specified with the
16932 @code{--data-directory} command line option.
16933 @xref{Mode Options}.
16934
16935 @node Targets
16936 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
16937
16938 @cindex debugging target
16939 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
16940
16941 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
16942 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
16943 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
16944 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
16945 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
16946 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
16947 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
16948 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
16949
16950 @cindex target architecture
16951 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
16952 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
16953 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
16954 command.
16955
16956 @table @code
16957 @kindex set architecture
16958 @kindex show architecture
16959 @item set architecture @var{arch}
16960 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
16961 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
16962 supported architectures.
16963
16964 @item show architecture
16965 Show the current target architecture.
16966
16967 @item set processor
16968 @itemx processor
16969 @kindex set processor
16970 @kindex show processor
16971 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
16972 and @code{show architecture}.
16973 @end table
16974
16975 @menu
16976 * Active Targets:: Active targets
16977 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
16978 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
16979 @end menu
16980
16981 @node Active Targets
16982 @section Active Targets
16983
16984 @cindex stacking targets
16985 @cindex active targets
16986 @cindex multiple targets
16987
16988 There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
16989 recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
16990 and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
16991 on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
16992 example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
16993 the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
16994 recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
16995 presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
16996 remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
16997
16998 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
16999 file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
17000 specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
17001 command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
17002
17003 @node Target Commands
17004 @section Commands for Managing Targets
17005
17006 @table @code
17007 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
17008 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
17009 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
17010 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
17011 protocol of the target machine.
17012
17013 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
17014 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
17015 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
17016
17017 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
17018 after executing the command.
17019
17020 @kindex help target
17021 @item help target
17022 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
17023 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
17024 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
17025
17026 @item help target @var{name}
17027 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
17028 select it.
17029
17030 @kindex set gnutarget
17031 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
17032 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
17033 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
17034 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
17035 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
17036 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
17037
17038 @quotation
17039 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
17040 you must know the actual BFD name.
17041 @end quotation
17042
17043 @noindent
17044 @xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
17045
17046 @kindex show gnutarget
17047 @item show gnutarget
17048 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
17049 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
17050 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
17051 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BDF target is "auto"}.
17052 @end table
17053
17054 @cindex common targets
17055 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
17056 configuration):
17057
17058 @table @code
17059 @kindex target
17060 @item target exec @var{program}
17061 @cindex executable file target
17062 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
17063 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
17064
17065 @item target core @var{filename}
17066 @cindex core dump file target
17067 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
17068 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
17069
17070 @item target remote @var{medium}
17071 @cindex remote target
17072 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
17073 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
17074 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
17075
17076 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
17077 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
17078
17079 @smallexample
17080 target remote /dev/ttya
17081 @end smallexample
17082
17083 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
17084 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
17085 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
17086 clobbered by the download.
17087
17088 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
17089 @cindex built-in simulator target
17090 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
17091 In general,
17092 @smallexample
17093 target sim
17094 load
17095 run
17096 @end smallexample
17097 @noindent
17098 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
17099 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
17100 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
17101 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
17102 Processors}.
17103
17104 @end table
17105
17106 Some configurations may include these targets as well:
17107
17108 @table @code
17109
17110 @item target nrom @var{dev}
17111 @cindex NetROM ROM emulator target
17112 NetROM ROM emulator. This target only supports downloading.
17113
17114 @end table
17115
17116 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
17117 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
17118
17119 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
17120 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
17121 various aspects of this process.
17122
17123 @table @code
17124
17125 @item set hash
17126 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
17127 @cindex hash mark while downloading
17128 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
17129 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
17130 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
17131 monitor.
17132
17133 @item show hash
17134 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
17135 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
17136
17137 @item set debug monitor
17138 @kindex set debug monitor
17139 @cindex display remote monitor communications
17140 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
17141 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
17142
17143 @item show debug monitor
17144 @kindex show debug monitor
17145 Show the current status of displaying communications between
17146 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
17147 @end table
17148
17149 @table @code
17150
17151 @kindex load @var{filename}
17152 @item load @var{filename}
17153 @anchor{load}
17154 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
17155 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
17156 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
17157 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
17158 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
17159 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
17160
17161 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
17162 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
17163 target is @dots{}}''
17164
17165 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
17166 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
17167 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
17168 specifies a fixed address.
17169 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
17170
17171 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
17172 load programs into flash memory.
17173
17174 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
17175 @end table
17176
17177 @node Byte Order
17178 @section Choosing Target Byte Order
17179
17180 @cindex choosing target byte order
17181 @cindex target byte order
17182
17183 Some types of processors, such as the @acronym{MIPS}, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
17184 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
17185 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
17186 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
17187 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
17188 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
17189
17190 @table @code
17191 @kindex set endian
17192 @item set endian big
17193 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
17194
17195 @item set endian little
17196 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
17197
17198 @item set endian auto
17199 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
17200 executable.
17201
17202 @item show endian
17203 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
17204
17205 @end table
17206
17207 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
17208 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
17209 target system.
17210
17211
17212 @node Remote Debugging
17213 @chapter Debugging Remote Programs
17214 @cindex remote debugging
17215
17216 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
17217 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
17218 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
17219 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
17220 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
17221
17222 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
17223 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
17224 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
17225 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
17226 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
17227 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
17228
17229 Other remote targets may be available in your
17230 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
17231
17232 @menu
17233 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
17234 * File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
17235 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
17236 * Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
17237 * Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
17238 @end menu
17239
17240 @node Connecting
17241 @section Connecting to a Remote Target
17242
17243 On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
17244 your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symbol and debugging information.
17245 Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
17246 program as the first argument.
17247
17248 @cindex @code{target remote}
17249 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
17250 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
17251 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
17252 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
17253 @code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
17254 Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
17255
17256 @table @code
17257
17258 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
17259 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
17260 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
17261 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
17262
17263 @smallexample
17264 target remote /dev/ttyb
17265 @end smallexample
17266
17267 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
17268 @w{@samp{--baud}} option, or use the @code{set remotebaud} command
17269 (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remotebaud}) before the
17270 @code{target} command.
17271
17272 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
17273 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
17274 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
17275 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
17276 The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
17277 address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
17278 the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
17279 it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
17280 target.
17281
17282 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
17283 @code{manyfarms}:
17284
17285 @smallexample
17286 target remote manyfarms:2828
17287 @end smallexample
17288
17289 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
17290 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
17291 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
17292 port 1234 on your local machine:
17293
17294 @smallexample
17295 target remote :1234
17296 @end smallexample
17297 @noindent
17298
17299 Note that the colon is still required here.
17300
17301 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
17302 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
17303 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
17304 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
17305
17306 @smallexample
17307 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
17308 @end smallexample
17309
17310 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
17311 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
17312 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
17313 cause havoc with your debugging session.
17314
17315 @item target remote | @var{command}
17316 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
17317 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
17318 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
17319 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
17320 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
17321 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
17322 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
17323 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
17324
17325 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
17326 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
17327 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
17328
17329 @end table
17330
17331 Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
17332 commands to examine and change data. The remote program is already
17333 running; you can use @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}, and you do not
17334 need to use @kbd{run}.
17335
17336 @cindex interrupting remote programs
17337 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
17338 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
17339 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
17340 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
17341 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
17342 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
17343
17344 @smallexample
17345 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
17346 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
17347 @end smallexample
17348
17349 If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
17350 (If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
17351 remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
17352 goes back to waiting.
17353
17354 @table @code
17355 @kindex detach (remote)
17356 @item detach
17357 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
17358 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
17359 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
17360 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
17361 command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
17362
17363 @kindex disconnect
17364 @item disconnect
17365 The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
17366 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
17367 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
17368 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
17369 another target.
17370
17371 @cindex send command to remote monitor
17372 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
17373 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
17374 @kindex monitor
17375 @item monitor @var{cmd}
17376 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
17377 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
17378 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
17379 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
17380 and implement.
17381 @end table
17382
17383 @node File Transfer
17384 @section Sending files to a remote system
17385 @cindex remote target, file transfer
17386 @cindex file transfer
17387 @cindex sending files to remote systems
17388
17389 Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
17390 connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
17391 for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
17392 running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
17393 e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
17394 the only way to upload or download files.
17395
17396 Not all remote targets support these commands.
17397
17398 @table @code
17399 @kindex remote put
17400 @item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
17401 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
17402 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
17403
17404 @kindex remote get
17405 @item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
17406 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
17407 on the host system.
17408
17409 @kindex remote delete
17410 @item remote delete @var{targetfile}
17411 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
17412
17413 @end table
17414
17415 @node Server
17416 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
17417
17418 @kindex gdbserver
17419 @cindex remote connection without stubs
17420 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
17421 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
17422 @code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
17423
17424 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
17425 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
17426 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
17427 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
17428 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
17429 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
17430 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
17431 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
17432 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
17433 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
17434 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
17435 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
17436 choice for debugging.
17437
17438 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
17439 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
17440 protocol.
17441
17442 @quotation
17443 @emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
17444 Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
17445 @value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
17446 target system with the same privileges as the user running
17447 @code{gdbserver}.
17448 @end quotation
17449
17450 @subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
17451 @cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
17452 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, command-line arguments
17453
17454 Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
17455 program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
17456 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
17457 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
17458 system does all the symbol handling.
17459
17460 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
17461 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
17462 syntax is:
17463
17464 @smallexample
17465 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
17466 @end smallexample
17467
17468 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line), or a TCP
17469 hostname and portnumber, or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
17470 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}.
17471 For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
17472 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
17473 @file{/dev/com1}:
17474
17475 @smallexample
17476 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
17477 @end smallexample
17478
17479 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
17480 with it.
17481
17482 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
17483
17484 @smallexample
17485 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
17486 @end smallexample
17487
17488 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
17489 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
17490 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
17491 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
17492 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
17493 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
17494 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
17495 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
17496 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
17497 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
17498 @code{target remote} command.
17499
17500 The @code{stdio} connection is useful when starting @code{gdbserver}
17501 with ssh:
17502
17503 @smallexample
17504 (gdb) target remote | ssh -T hostname gdbserver - hello
17505 @end smallexample
17506
17507 The @samp{-T} option to ssh is provided because we don't need a remote pty,
17508 and we don't want escape-character handling. Ssh does this by default when
17509 a command is provided, the flag is provided to make it explicit.
17510 You could elide it if you want to.
17511
17512 Programs started with stdio-connected gdbserver have @file{/dev/null} for
17513 @code{stdin}, and @code{stdout},@code{stderr} are sent back to gdb for
17514 display through a pipe connected to gdbserver.
17515 Both @code{stdout} and @code{stderr} use the same pipe.
17516
17517 @subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
17518 @cindex attach to a program, @code{gdbserver}
17519 @cindex @option{--attach}, @code{gdbserver} option
17520
17521 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
17522 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
17523
17524 @smallexample
17525 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
17526 @end smallexample
17527
17528 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
17529 to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
17530
17531 @pindex pidof
17532 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
17533 @code{pidof} utility:
17534
17535 @smallexample
17536 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
17537 @end smallexample
17538
17539 In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
17540 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
17541 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
17542
17543 @subsubsection Multi-Process Mode for @code{gdbserver}
17544 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, multiple processes
17545 @cindex multiple processes with @code{gdbserver}
17546
17547 When you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target remote},
17548 @code{gdbserver} debugs the specified program only once. When the
17549 program exits, or you detach from it, @value{GDBN} closes the connection
17550 and @code{gdbserver} exits.
17551
17552 If you connect using @kbd{target extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver}
17553 enters multi-process mode. When the debugged program exits, or you
17554 detach from it, @value{GDBN} stays connected to @code{gdbserver} even
17555 though no program is running. The @code{run} and @code{attach}
17556 commands instruct @code{gdbserver} to run or attach to a new program.
17557 The @code{run} command uses @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set
17558 remote exec-file}) to select the program to run. Command line
17559 arguments are supported, except for wildcard expansion and I/O
17560 redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
17561
17562 @cindex @option{--multi}, @code{gdbserver} option
17563 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
17564 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
17565 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
17566 the program you want to debug.
17567
17568 In multi-process mode @code{gdbserver} does not automatically exit unless you
17569 use the option @option{--once}. You can terminate it by using
17570 @code{monitor exit} (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}). Note that the
17571 conditions under which @code{gdbserver} terminates depend on how @value{GDBN}
17572 connects to it (@kbd{target remote} or @kbd{target extended-remote}). The
17573 @option{--multi} option to @code{gdbserver} has no influence on that.
17574
17575 @subsubsection TCP port allocation lifecycle of @code{gdbserver}
17576
17577 This section applies only when @code{gdbserver} is run to listen on a TCP port.
17578
17579 @code{gdbserver} normally terminates after all of its debugged processes have
17580 terminated in @kbd{target remote} mode. On the other hand, for @kbd{target
17581 extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver} stays running even with no processes left.
17582 @value{GDBN} normally terminates the spawned debugged process on its exit,
17583 which normally also terminates @code{gdbserver} in the @kbd{target remote}
17584 mode. Therefore, when the connection drops unexpectedly, and @value{GDBN}
17585 cannot ask @code{gdbserver} to kill its debugged processes, @code{gdbserver}
17586 stays running even in the @kbd{target remote} mode.
17587
17588 When @code{gdbserver} stays running, @value{GDBN} can connect to it again later.
17589 Such reconnecting is useful for features like @ref{disconnected tracing}. For
17590 completeness, at most one @value{GDBN} can be connected at a time.
17591
17592 @cindex @option{--once}, @code{gdbserver} option
17593 By default, @code{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
17594 additional connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
17595 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
17596 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session. This
17597 means no further connections to @code{gdbserver} will be possible after the
17598 first one. It also means @code{gdbserver} will terminate after the first
17599 connection with remote @value{GDBN} has closed, even for unexpectedly closed
17600 connections and even in the @kbd{target extended-remote} mode. The
17601 @option{--once} option allows reusing the same port number for connecting to
17602 multiple instances of @code{gdbserver} running on the same host, since each
17603 instance closes its port after the first connection.
17604
17605 @subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
17606
17607 @cindex @option{--debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
17608 The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
17609 status information about the debugging process.
17610 @cindex @option{--remote-debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
17611 The @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
17612 remote protocol debug output. These options are intended for
17613 @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
17614
17615 @cindex @option{--wrapper}, @code{gdbserver} option
17616 The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
17617 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
17618 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
17619 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
17620
17621 @code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
17622 command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
17623 program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
17624 runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
17625
17626 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
17627 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
17628 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
17629 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
17630
17631 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
17632 the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
17633 environment:
17634
17635 @smallexample
17636 $ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
17637 @end smallexample
17638
17639 @subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
17640
17641 Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
17642
17643 First make sure you have the necessary symbol files. Load symbols for
17644 your application using the @code{file} command before you connect. Use
17645 @code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN}
17646 was compiled with the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}).
17647
17648 The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
17649 and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
17650 system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
17651 are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
17652 during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
17653 files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
17654 programs.
17655
17656 Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
17657 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
17658 the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
17659 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
17660 @samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
17661 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
17662 already on the target.
17663
17664 @subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
17665 @cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
17666 @anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
17667
17668 During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
17669 @code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
17670 Here are the available commands.
17671
17672 @table @code
17673 @item monitor help
17674 List the available monitor commands.
17675
17676 @item monitor set debug 0
17677 @itemx monitor set debug 1
17678 Disable or enable general debugging messages.
17679
17680 @item monitor set remote-debug 0
17681 @itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
17682 Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
17683 protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
17684
17685 @item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
17686 @cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
17687 When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
17688 directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
17689 libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
17690 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to its default value.
17691
17692 The special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path} is
17693 not supported in @code{gdbserver}.
17694
17695 @item monitor exit
17696 Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
17697 @code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
17698 detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
17699 Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
17700 of a multi-process mode debug session.
17701
17702 @end table
17703
17704 @subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
17705 @cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
17706
17707 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
17708 tracepoints and static tracepoints.
17709
17710 For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
17711 @dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
17712 This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
17713 @code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
17714 requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
17715 support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
17716 @url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
17717 is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
17718 standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
17719 @code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
17720 to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
17721 using @option{--with-ust=no}.
17722
17723 There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
17724
17725 @table @code
17726 @item Specifying it as dependency at link time
17727
17728 You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
17729 library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
17730 @code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
17731
17732 @item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
17733
17734 You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
17735 your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
17736 support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
17737 cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
17738 in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
17739 @option{--wrapper} command line option.
17740
17741 @item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
17742
17743 On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
17744 by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
17745 of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
17746 systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
17747 command for that. For example:
17748
17749 @smallexample
17750 (@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
17751 @end smallexample
17752
17753 Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
17754 available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
17755 @end table
17756
17757 On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
17758 systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
17759 remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
17760 loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
17761 program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
17762 case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
17763 features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
17764 libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
17765 main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
17766 @code{gdbserver} like so:
17767
17768 @smallexample
17769 $ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
17770 @end smallexample
17771
17772 Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
17773
17774 @smallexample
17775 $ gdb myprogram
17776 (@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
17777 0x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
17778 (@value{GDBP}) b main
17779 (@value{GDBP}) continue
17780 @end smallexample
17781
17782 The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
17783 process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
17784 command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
17785 process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
17786 tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
17787 tracing.
17788
17789 @node Remote Configuration
17790 @section Remote Configuration
17791
17792 @kindex set remote
17793 @kindex show remote
17794 This section documents the configuration options available when
17795 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
17796 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
17797 system-call-allowed}.
17798
17799 @table @code
17800 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
17801 @cindex address size for remote targets
17802 @cindex bits in remote address
17803 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
17804 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
17805 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
17806 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
17807
17808 @item show remoteaddresssize
17809 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
17810
17811 @item set remotebaud @var{n}
17812 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
17813 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
17814 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
17815 remote targets.
17816
17817 @item show remotebaud
17818 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
17819
17820 @item set remotebreak
17821 @cindex interrupt remote programs
17822 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
17823 @anchor{set remotebreak}
17824 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
17825 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
17826 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
17827 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
17828 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
17829
17830 @item show remotebreak
17831 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
17832 interrupt the remote program.
17833
17834 @item set remoteflow on
17835 @itemx set remoteflow off
17836 @kindex set remoteflow
17837 Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
17838 on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
17839
17840 @item show remoteflow
17841 @kindex show remoteflow
17842 Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
17843
17844 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
17845 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
17846 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
17847 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
17848 @code{ascii}.
17849
17850 @item show remotelogbase
17851 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
17852 protocol.
17853
17854 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
17855 @cindex record serial communications on file
17856 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
17857 default is not to record at all.
17858
17859 @item show remotelogfile.
17860 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
17861 serial communications.
17862
17863 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
17864 @cindex timeout for serial communications
17865 @cindex remote timeout
17866 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
17867 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
17868
17869 @item show remotetimeout
17870 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
17871 responses.
17872
17873 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
17874 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
17875 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
17876 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
17877 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
17878 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
17879 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
17880 watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
17881
17882 @cindex limit hardware watchpoints length
17883 @cindex remote target, limit watchpoints length
17884 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit}
17885 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit @var{limit}
17886 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} bytes for the maximum length of
17887 a remote hardware watchpoint. A limit of -1, the default, is treated
17888 as unlimited.
17889
17890 @item show remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit
17891 Show the current limit (in bytes) of the maximum length of
17892 a remote hardware watchpoint.
17893
17894 @item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
17895 @itemx show remote exec-file
17896 @anchor{set remote exec-file}
17897 @cindex executable file, for remote target
17898 Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
17899 extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
17900 target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
17901 filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
17902
17903 @item set remote interrupt-sequence
17904 @cindex interrupt remote programs
17905 @cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
17906 Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
17907 @samp{BREAK-g} as the
17908 sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
17909 @samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
17910 is high level of serial line for some certain time.
17911 Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
17912 It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
17913
17914 @item show interrupt-sequence
17915 Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
17916 is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
17917 @code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
17918 also known as Magic SysRq g.
17919
17920 @item set remote interrupt-on-connect
17921 @cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
17922 Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
17923 @value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
17924 Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
17925 which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
17926
17927 @item show interrupt-on-connect
17928 Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
17929 to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
17930
17931 @kindex set tcp
17932 @kindex show tcp
17933 @item set tcp auto-retry on
17934 @cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
17935 Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
17936 debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
17937 condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
17938 before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
17939 enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
17940 to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
17941 @code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
17942
17943 @item set tcp auto-retry off
17944 Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
17945
17946 @item show tcp auto-retry
17947 Show the current auto-retry setting.
17948
17949 @item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
17950 @cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
17951 @cindex timeout, for remote target connection
17952 Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
17953 @var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
17954 (enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
17955 that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
17956 value.
17957
17958 @item show tcp connect-timeout
17959 Show the current connection timeout setting.
17960 @end table
17961
17962 @cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
17963 The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
17964 your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
17965 can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
17966 packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
17967 packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
17968 or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
17969 all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
17970 see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
17971
17972 During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
17973 If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
17974 in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
17975 @value{GDBN} developers.
17976
17977 For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
17978 packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
17979 are:
17980
17981 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
17982 @item Command Name
17983 @tab Remote Packet
17984 @tab Related Features
17985
17986 @item @code{fetch-register}
17987 @tab @code{p}
17988 @tab @code{info registers}
17989
17990 @item @code{set-register}
17991 @tab @code{P}
17992 @tab @code{set}
17993
17994 @item @code{binary-download}
17995 @tab @code{X}
17996 @tab @code{load}, @code{set}
17997
17998 @item @code{read-aux-vector}
17999 @tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
18000 @tab @code{info auxv}
18001
18002 @item @code{symbol-lookup}
18003 @tab @code{qSymbol}
18004 @tab Detecting multiple threads
18005
18006 @item @code{attach}
18007 @tab @code{vAttach}
18008 @tab @code{attach}
18009
18010 @item @code{verbose-resume}
18011 @tab @code{vCont}
18012 @tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
18013
18014 @item @code{run}
18015 @tab @code{vRun}
18016 @tab @code{run}
18017
18018 @item @code{software-breakpoint}
18019 @tab @code{Z0}
18020 @tab @code{break}
18021
18022 @item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
18023 @tab @code{Z1}
18024 @tab @code{hbreak}
18025
18026 @item @code{write-watchpoint}
18027 @tab @code{Z2}
18028 @tab @code{watch}
18029
18030 @item @code{read-watchpoint}
18031 @tab @code{Z3}
18032 @tab @code{rwatch}
18033
18034 @item @code{access-watchpoint}
18035 @tab @code{Z4}
18036 @tab @code{awatch}
18037
18038 @item @code{target-features}
18039 @tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
18040 @tab @code{set architecture}
18041
18042 @item @code{library-info}
18043 @tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
18044 @tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
18045
18046 @item @code{memory-map}
18047 @tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
18048 @tab @code{info mem}
18049
18050 @item @code{read-sdata-object}
18051 @tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
18052 @tab @code{print $_sdata}
18053
18054 @item @code{read-spu-object}
18055 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:read}
18056 @tab @code{info spu}
18057
18058 @item @code{write-spu-object}
18059 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:write}
18060 @tab @code{info spu}
18061
18062 @item @code{read-siginfo-object}
18063 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
18064 @tab @code{print $_siginfo}
18065
18066 @item @code{write-siginfo-object}
18067 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
18068 @tab @code{set $_siginfo}
18069
18070 @item @code{threads}
18071 @tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
18072 @tab @code{info threads}
18073
18074 @item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
18075 @tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
18076 @tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
18077
18078 @item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
18079 @tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
18080 @tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
18081
18082 @item @code{search-memory}
18083 @tab @code{qSearch:memory}
18084 @tab @code{find}
18085
18086 @item @code{supported-packets}
18087 @tab @code{qSupported}
18088 @tab Remote communications parameters
18089
18090 @item @code{pass-signals}
18091 @tab @code{QPassSignals}
18092 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
18093
18094 @item @code{program-signals}
18095 @tab @code{QProgramSignals}
18096 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
18097
18098 @item @code{hostio-close-packet}
18099 @tab @code{vFile:close}
18100 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18101
18102 @item @code{hostio-open-packet}
18103 @tab @code{vFile:open}
18104 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18105
18106 @item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
18107 @tab @code{vFile:pread}
18108 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18109
18110 @item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
18111 @tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
18112 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18113
18114 @item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
18115 @tab @code{vFile:unlink}
18116 @tab @code{remote delete}
18117
18118 @item @code{hostio-readlink-packet}
18119 @tab @code{vFile:readlink}
18120 @tab Host I/O
18121
18122 @item @code{noack-packet}
18123 @tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
18124 @tab Packet acknowledgment
18125
18126 @item @code{osdata}
18127 @tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
18128 @tab @code{info os}
18129
18130 @item @code{query-attached}
18131 @tab @code{qAttached}
18132 @tab Querying remote process attach state.
18133
18134 @item @code{traceframe-info}
18135 @tab @code{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
18136 @tab Traceframe info
18137
18138 @item @code{install-in-trace}
18139 @tab @code{InstallInTrace}
18140 @tab Install tracepoint in tracing
18141
18142 @item @code{disable-randomization}
18143 @tab @code{QDisableRandomization}
18144 @tab @code{set disable-randomization}
18145
18146 @item @code{conditional-breakpoints-packet}
18147 @tab @code{Z0 and Z1}
18148 @tab @code{Support for target-side breakpoint condition evaluation}
18149 @end multitable
18150
18151 @node Remote Stub
18152 @section Implementing a Remote Stub
18153
18154 @cindex debugging stub, example
18155 @cindex remote stub, example
18156 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
18157 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
18158 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
18159 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
18160 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
18161 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
18162 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
18163 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
18164
18165 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
18166 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
18167 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
18168 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
18169 program, you need:
18170
18171 @enumerate
18172 @item
18173 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
18174 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
18175 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
18176
18177 @item
18178 A C subroutine library to support your program's
18179 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
18180
18181 @item
18182 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
18183 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
18184 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
18185 documentation.
18186 @end enumerate
18187
18188 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
18189 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
18190 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
18191
18192 @table @emph
18193 @item On the host,
18194 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
18195 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
18196 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
18197
18198 @item On the target,
18199 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
18200 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
18201 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
18202
18203 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
18204 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
18205 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
18206 @end table
18207
18208 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
18209 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
18210 @sc{sparc} boards.
18211
18212 @cindex remote serial stub list
18213 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
18214
18215 @table @code
18216
18217 @item i386-stub.c
18218 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
18219 @cindex Intel
18220 @cindex i386
18221 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
18222
18223 @item m68k-stub.c
18224 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
18225 @cindex Motorola 680x0
18226 @cindex m680x0
18227 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
18228
18229 @item sh-stub.c
18230 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
18231 @cindex Renesas
18232 @cindex SH
18233 For Renesas SH architectures.
18234
18235 @item sparc-stub.c
18236 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
18237 @cindex Sparc
18238 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
18239
18240 @item sparcl-stub.c
18241 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
18242 @cindex Fujitsu
18243 @cindex SparcLite
18244 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
18245
18246 @end table
18247
18248 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
18249 recently added stubs.
18250
18251 @menu
18252 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
18253 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
18254 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
18255 @end menu
18256
18257 @node Stub Contents
18258 @subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
18259
18260 @cindex remote serial stub
18261 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
18262 subroutines:
18263
18264 @table @code
18265 @item set_debug_traps
18266 @findex set_debug_traps
18267 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
18268 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
18269 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly in your
18270 program's startup code.
18271
18272 @item handle_exception
18273 @findex handle_exception
18274 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
18275 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
18276 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
18277 run when a trap is triggered.
18278
18279 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
18280 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
18281 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
18282 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
18283 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
18284 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
18285 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
18286 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
18287 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
18288 machine.
18289
18290 @item breakpoint
18291 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
18292 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
18293 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
18294 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
18295 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
18296 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
18297 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
18298 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
18299 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
18300 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
18301 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
18302
18303 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
18304 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
18305 start of your debugging session.
18306 @end table
18307
18308 @node Bootstrapping
18309 @subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
18310
18311 @cindex remote stub, support routines
18312 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
18313 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
18314 debugging target machine.
18315
18316 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
18317 serial port.
18318
18319 @table @code
18320 @item int getDebugChar()
18321 @findex getDebugChar
18322 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
18323 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
18324 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
18325
18326 @item void putDebugChar(int)
18327 @findex putDebugChar
18328 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
18329 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
18330 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
18331 @end table
18332
18333 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
18334 @cindex interrupting remote targets
18335 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
18336 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
18337 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
18338 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
18339 remote system to stop.
18340
18341 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
18342 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
18343 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
18344 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
18345
18346 Other routines you need to supply are:
18347
18348 @table @code
18349 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
18350 @findex exceptionHandler
18351 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
18352 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
18353 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
18354 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
18355 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
18356 @var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
18357 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
18358 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
18359 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
18360 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
18361 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
18362 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
18363 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
18364
18365 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
18366 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
18367 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
18368 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
18369 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
18370
18371 @item void flush_i_cache()
18372 @findex flush_i_cache
18373 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
18374 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
18375 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
18376
18377 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
18378 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
18379 @end table
18380
18381 @noindent
18382 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
18383
18384 @table @code
18385 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
18386 @findex memset
18387 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
18388 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
18389 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
18390 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
18391 @end table
18392
18393 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
18394 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
18395 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
18396 subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
18397
18398
18399 @node Debug Session
18400 @subsection Putting it All Together
18401
18402 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
18403 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
18404 steps.
18405
18406 @enumerate
18407 @item
18408 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
18409 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
18410 @display
18411 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
18412 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
18413 @end display
18414
18415 @item
18416 Insert these lines in your program's startup code, before the main
18417 procedure is called:
18418
18419 @smallexample
18420 set_debug_traps();
18421 breakpoint();
18422 @end smallexample
18423
18424 On some machines, when a breakpoint trap is raised, the hardware
18425 automatically makes the PC point to the instruction after the
18426 breakpoint. If your machine doesn't do that, you may need to adjust
18427 @code{handle_exception} to arrange for it to return to the instruction
18428 after the breakpoint on this first invocation, so that your program
18429 doesn't keep hitting the initial breakpoint instead of making
18430 progress.
18431
18432 @item
18433 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
18434 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
18435
18436 @smallexample
18437 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
18438 @end smallexample
18439
18440 @noindent
18441 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
18442 function in your program, that function is called when
18443 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
18444 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
18445 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
18446
18447 @item
18448 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
18449 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
18450
18451 @item
18452 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
18453 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
18454
18455 @item
18456 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
18457 @c document that. FIXME.
18458 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
18459 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
18460
18461 @item
18462 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
18463 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
18464
18465 @end enumerate
18466
18467 @node Configurations
18468 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
18469
18470 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
18471 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
18472 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
18473
18474 There are three major categories of configurations: native
18475 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
18476 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
18477 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
18478 are quite different from each other.
18479
18480 @menu
18481 * Native::
18482 * Embedded OS::
18483 * Embedded Processors::
18484 * Architectures::
18485 @end menu
18486
18487 @node Native
18488 @section Native
18489
18490 This section describes details specific to particular native
18491 configurations.
18492
18493 @menu
18494 * HP-UX:: HP-UX
18495 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
18496 * SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
18497 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
18498 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
18499 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
18500 * Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
18501 @end menu
18502
18503 @node HP-UX
18504 @subsection HP-UX
18505
18506 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
18507 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
18508 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
18509
18510
18511 @node BSD libkvm Interface
18512 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
18513
18514 @cindex libkvm
18515 @cindex kernel memory image
18516 @cindex kernel crash dump
18517
18518 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
18519 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
18520 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
18521 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
18522 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
18523 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
18524 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
18525 @code{kvm} target:
18526
18527 @smallexample
18528 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
18529 @end smallexample
18530
18531 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
18532 argument:
18533
18534 @smallexample
18535 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
18536 @end smallexample
18537
18538 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
18539 available:
18540
18541 @table @code
18542 @kindex kvm
18543 @item kvm pcb
18544 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
18545
18546 @item kvm proc
18547 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
18548 modern FreeBSD systems.
18549 @end table
18550
18551 @node SVR4 Process Information
18552 @subsection SVR4 Process Information
18553 @cindex /proc
18554 @cindex examine process image
18555 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
18556
18557 Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
18558 @samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
18559 process using file-system subroutines. If @value{GDBN} is configured
18560 for an operating system with this facility, the command @code{info
18561 proc} is available to report information about the process running
18562 your program, or about any process running on your system. @code{info
18563 proc} works only on SVR4 systems that include the @code{procfs} code.
18564 This includes, as of this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital
18565 Unix), Solaris, Irix, and Unixware, but not HP-UX, for example.
18566
18567 @table @code
18568 @kindex info proc
18569 @cindex process ID
18570 @item info proc
18571 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
18572 Summarize available information about any running process. If a
18573 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
18574 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
18575 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
18576 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
18577 executable file's absolute file name.
18578
18579 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
18580 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
18581 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
18582 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
18583 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
18584 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
18585
18586 @item info proc mappings
18587 @cindex memory address space mappings
18588 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
18589 information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
18590 rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
18591 includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
18592 memory access rights to that range.
18593
18594 @item info proc stat
18595 @itemx info proc status
18596 @cindex process detailed status information
18597 These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
18598 the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
18599 how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
18600 the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
18601 consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
18602 value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
18603 (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
18604
18605 @item info proc all
18606 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
18607 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
18608
18609 @ignore
18610 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
18611 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
18612 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
18613 @kindex info proc times
18614 @item info proc times
18615 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
18616 its children.
18617
18618 @kindex info proc id
18619 @item info proc id
18620 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
18621 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
18622 @end ignore
18623
18624 @item set procfs-trace
18625 @kindex set procfs-trace
18626 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
18627 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
18628
18629 @item show procfs-trace
18630 @kindex show procfs-trace
18631 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
18632
18633 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
18634 @kindex set procfs-file
18635 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
18636 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
18637 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
18638 standard output.
18639
18640 @item show procfs-file
18641 @kindex show procfs-file
18642 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
18643
18644 @item proc-trace-entry
18645 @itemx proc-trace-exit
18646 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
18647 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
18648 @kindex proc-trace-entry
18649 @kindex proc-trace-exit
18650 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
18651 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
18652 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
18653 from the @code{syscall} interface.
18654
18655 @item info pidlist
18656 @kindex info pidlist
18657 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
18658 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
18659 processes and all the threads within each process.
18660
18661 @item info meminfo
18662 @kindex info meminfo
18663 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
18664 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
18665 @end table
18666
18667 @node DJGPP Native
18668 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
18669 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
18670 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
18671 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
18672
18673 @cindex DPMI
18674 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
18675 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
18676 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
18677 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
18678
18679 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
18680 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
18681 subsection describes those commands.
18682
18683 @table @code
18684 @kindex info dos
18685 @item info dos
18686 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
18687 information about the target system and important OS structures.
18688
18689 @kindex sysinfo
18690 @cindex MS-DOS system info
18691 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
18692 @item info dos sysinfo
18693 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
18694 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
18695 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
18696
18697 @cindex GDT
18698 @cindex LDT
18699 @cindex IDT
18700 @cindex segment descriptor tables
18701 @cindex descriptor tables display
18702 @item info dos gdt
18703 @itemx info dos ldt
18704 @itemx info dos idt
18705 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
18706 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
18707 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
18708 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
18709 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
18710 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
18711 rights.
18712
18713 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
18714 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
18715 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
18716 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
18717 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
18718
18719 @cindex garbled pointers
18720 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
18721 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
18722 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
18723 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
18724 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
18725 debugged program's data segment:
18726
18727 @smallexample
18728 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
18729 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
18730 @end smallexample
18731
18732 @noindent
18733 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
18734 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
18735
18736 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
18737 @item info dos pde
18738 @itemx info dos pte
18739 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
18740 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
18741 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
18742 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
18743 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
18744 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
18745 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
18746 that is currently in use.
18747
18748 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
18749 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
18750 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
18751 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
18752 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
18753 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
18754 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
18755
18756 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
18757 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
18758 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
18759 controller.
18760
18761 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
18762
18763 @cindex physical address from linear address
18764 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
18765 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
18766 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
18767 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
18768 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
18769 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
18770 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
18771
18772 @smallexample
18773 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
18774 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
18775 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
18776 @end smallexample
18777
18778 @noindent
18779 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
18780 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
18781 attributes of that page.
18782
18783 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
18784 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
18785 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
18786 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
18787 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
18788 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
18789
18790 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
18791 transfer buffer:
18792
18793 @smallexample
18794 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
18795 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
18796 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
18797 @end smallexample
18798
18799 @noindent
18800 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
18801 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
18802 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
18803 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
18804 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
18805
18806 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
18807 @end table
18808
18809 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
18810 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
18811 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
18812 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
18813
18814 @table @code
18815 @kindex set com1base
18816 @kindex set com1irq
18817 @kindex set com2base
18818 @kindex set com2irq
18819 @kindex set com3base
18820 @kindex set com3irq
18821 @kindex set com4base
18822 @kindex set com4irq
18823 @item set com1base @var{addr}
18824 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
18825 port.
18826
18827 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
18828 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
18829 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
18830
18831 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
18832 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
18833 other 3 COM ports.
18834
18835 @kindex show com1base
18836 @kindex show com1irq
18837 @kindex show com2base
18838 @kindex show com2irq
18839 @kindex show com3base
18840 @kindex show com3irq
18841 @kindex show com4base
18842 @kindex show com4irq
18843 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
18844 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
18845 lines used by the COM ports.
18846
18847 @item info serial
18848 @kindex info serial
18849 @cindex DOS serial port status
18850 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
18851 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
18852 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
18853 counts of various errors encountered so far.
18854 @end table
18855
18856
18857 @node Cygwin Native
18858 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
18859 @cindex MS Windows debugging
18860 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
18861 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
18862
18863 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
18864 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
18865
18866 @cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
18867 @cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
18868 MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
18869 special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
18870 by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
18871 supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
18872 sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
18873 ignores @kbd{C-c}.
18874
18875 There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
18876 this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
18877 described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
18878
18879 @table @code
18880 @kindex info w32
18881 @item info w32
18882 This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
18883 information about the target system and important OS structures.
18884
18885 @item info w32 selector
18886 This command displays information returned by
18887 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
18888 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
18889 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
18890 Without argument, this command displays information
18891 about the six segment registers.
18892
18893 @item info w32 thread-information-block
18894 This command displays thread specific information stored in the
18895 Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
18896 selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
18897
18898 @kindex info dll
18899 @item info dll
18900 This is a Cygwin-specific alias of @code{info shared}.
18901
18902 @kindex dll-symbols
18903 @item dll-symbols
18904 This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
18905 add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
18906
18907 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
18908 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
18909 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
18910 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
18911 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
18912 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
18913 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
18914 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
18915 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
18916 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
18917 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
18918
18919 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
18920 @item show cygwin-exceptions
18921 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
18922 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
18923
18924 @kindex set new-console
18925 @item set new-console @var{mode}
18926 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
18927 be started in a new console on next start.
18928 If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
18929 be started in the same console as the debugger.
18930
18931 @kindex show new-console
18932 @item show new-console
18933 Displays whether a new console is used
18934 when the debuggee is started.
18935
18936 @kindex set new-group
18937 @item set new-group @var{mode}
18938 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
18939 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
18940 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
18941 @samp{Ctrl-C}.
18942
18943 @kindex show new-group
18944 @item show new-group
18945 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
18946
18947 @kindex set debugevents
18948 @item set debugevents
18949 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
18950 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
18951 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
18952 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
18953 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
18954
18955 @kindex set debugexec
18956 @item set debugexec
18957 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
18958 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
18959
18960 @kindex set debugexceptions
18961 @item set debugexceptions
18962 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
18963 debuggee seen by the debugger.
18964
18965 @kindex set debugmemory
18966 @item set debugmemory
18967 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
18968 and writes by the debugger.
18969
18970 @kindex set shell
18971 @item set shell
18972 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
18973 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
18974
18975 @kindex show shell
18976 @item show shell
18977 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
18978
18979 @end table
18980
18981 @menu
18982 * Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
18983 @end menu
18984
18985 @node Non-debug DLL Symbols
18986 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
18987 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
18988 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
18989
18990 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
18991 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
18992 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
18993 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
18994 information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
18995 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
18996 ``minimal symbols''.
18997
18998 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
18999 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
19000 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
19001 program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
19002 @value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
19003 see the shared library information in @ref{Files}, or the
19004 @code{dll-symbols} command in @ref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
19005 explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
19006 cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
19007 which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
19008
19009 @subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
19010
19011 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
19012 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
19013 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
19014 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
19015 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
19016 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
19017 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
19018 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
19019 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
19020
19021 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
19022 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
19023 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
19024 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
19025 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
19026 (@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
19027
19028 @smallexample
19029 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
19030 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
19031
19032 Non-debugging symbols:
19033 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
19034 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
19035 @end smallexample
19036
19037 @smallexample
19038 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
19039 All functions matching regular expression "!":
19040
19041 Non-debugging symbols:
19042 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
19043 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
19044 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
19045 [etc...]
19046 @end smallexample
19047
19048 @subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
19049
19050 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
19051 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
19052 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
19053 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
19054 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
19055 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
19056 a function within a DLL without a running program.
19057
19058 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
19059 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
19060 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
19061 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
19062 problem:
19063
19064 @smallexample
19065 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
19066 $1 = 268572168
19067 @end smallexample
19068
19069 @smallexample
19070 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
19071 0x10021610: "\230y\""
19072 @end smallexample
19073
19074 And two possible solutions:
19075
19076 @smallexample
19077 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
19078 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
19079 @end smallexample
19080
19081 @smallexample
19082 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
19083 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
19084 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
19085 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
19086 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
19087 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
19088 @end smallexample
19089
19090 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
19091 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
19092 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
19093 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
19094 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
19095
19096 @smallexample
19097 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
19098 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
19099 @end smallexample
19100
19101 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
19102 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
19103 safe.
19104
19105 @node Hurd Native
19106 @subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
19107 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
19108
19109 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
19110 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
19111
19112 @table @code
19113 @item set signals
19114 @itemx set sigs
19115 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
19116 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
19117 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
19118 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
19119 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
19120 @code{signals}.
19121
19122 @item show signals
19123 @itemx show sigs
19124 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
19125 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
19126 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
19127
19128 @item set signal-thread
19129 @itemx set sigthread
19130 @kindex set signal-thread
19131 @kindex set sigthread
19132 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
19133 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
19134 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
19135 signal-thread}.
19136
19137 @item show signal-thread
19138 @itemx show sigthread
19139 @kindex show signal-thread
19140 @kindex show sigthread
19141 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
19142 delivered a signal.
19143
19144 @item set stopped
19145 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
19146 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
19147 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
19148 continued by delivering a signal to it.
19149
19150 @item show stopped
19151 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
19152 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
19153 stopped.
19154
19155 @item set exceptions
19156 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
19157 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
19158 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
19159 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
19160 trapping on.
19161
19162 @item show exceptions
19163 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
19164 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
19165
19166 @item set task pause
19167 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
19168 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
19169 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
19170 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
19171 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
19172 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
19173 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
19174 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
19175 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
19176
19177 @item show task pause
19178 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
19179 Show the current state of task suspension.
19180
19181 @item set task detach-suspend-count
19182 @cindex task suspend count
19183 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19184 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
19185 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
19186
19187 @item show task detach-suspend-count
19188 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
19189
19190 @item set task exception-port
19191 @itemx set task excp
19192 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19193 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
19194 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
19195 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
19196
19197 @item set noninvasive
19198 @cindex noninvasive task options
19199 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
19200 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
19201 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
19202 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
19203
19204 @item info send-rights
19205 @itemx info receive-rights
19206 @itemx info port-rights
19207 @itemx info port-sets
19208 @itemx info dead-names
19209 @itemx info ports
19210 @itemx info psets
19211 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19212 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19213 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19214 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19215 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19216 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
19217 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
19218 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
19219 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
19220
19221 @item set thread pause
19222 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
19223 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19224 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
19225 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
19226 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
19227 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
19228 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
19229 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
19230 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
19231 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
19232 only the current thread.
19233
19234 @item show thread pause
19235 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
19236 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
19237
19238 @item set thread run
19239 This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
19240
19241 @item show thread run
19242 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
19243
19244 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
19245 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19246 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19247 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
19248 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
19249 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
19250 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
19251
19252 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
19253 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
19254 detaching.
19255
19256 @item set thread exception-port
19257 @itemx set thread excp
19258 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
19259 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
19260 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
19261
19262 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
19263 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
19264 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
19265 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
19266
19267 @item set thread default
19268 @itemx show thread default
19269 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19270 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
19271 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
19272 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
19273 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
19274 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
19275 the non-default commands.
19276 @end table
19277
19278 @node Darwin
19279 @subsection Darwin
19280 @cindex Darwin
19281
19282 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
19283
19284 @table @code
19285 @item set debug darwin @var{num}
19286 @kindex set debug darwin
19287 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
19288 the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
19289
19290 @item show debug darwin
19291 @kindex show debug darwin
19292 Show the current state of Darwin messages.
19293
19294 @item set debug mach-o @var{num}
19295 @kindex set debug mach-o
19296 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
19297 @value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
19298 file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
19299 values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
19300 problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
19301 usage.
19302
19303 @item show debug mach-o
19304 @kindex show debug mach-o
19305 Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
19306
19307 @item set mach-exceptions on
19308 @itemx set mach-exceptions off
19309 @kindex set mach-exceptions
19310 On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
19311 mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
19312 Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
19313 better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
19314
19315 @item show mach-exceptions
19316 @kindex show mach-exceptions
19317 Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
19318 @end table
19319
19320
19321 @node Embedded OS
19322 @section Embedded Operating Systems
19323
19324 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
19325 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
19326 architectures.
19327
19328 @menu
19329 * VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
19330 @end menu
19331
19332 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
19333 various real-time operating systems.
19334
19335 @node VxWorks
19336 @subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
19337
19338 @cindex VxWorks
19339
19340 @table @code
19341
19342 @kindex target vxworks
19343 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
19344 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
19345 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
19346
19347 @end table
19348
19349 On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
19350 current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
19351
19352 @value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
19353 VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
19354 the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
19355 both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
19356 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
19357 installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
19358 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
19359
19360 @table @code
19361 @item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
19362 @kindex vxworks-timeout
19363 All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
19364 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
19365 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
19366 your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
19367 of a thin network line.
19368 @end table
19369
19370 The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
19371 this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
19372 procedures.
19373
19374 @findex INCLUDE_RDB
19375 To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
19376 to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
19377 library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
19378 VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
19379 kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
19380 source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
19381 information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
19382 manual.
19383 @c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
19384
19385 Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
19386 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
19387 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
19388 @code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
19389
19390 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
19391
19392 @smallexample
19393 (vxgdb)
19394 @end smallexample
19395
19396 @menu
19397 * VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
19398 * VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
19399 * VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
19400 @end menu
19401
19402 @node VxWorks Connection
19403 @subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
19404
19405 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
19406 network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
19407
19408 @smallexample
19409 (vxgdb) target vxworks tt
19410 @end smallexample
19411
19412 @need 750
19413 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
19414
19415 @smallexample
19416 Attaching remote machine across net...
19417 Connected to tt.
19418 @end smallexample
19419
19420 @need 1000
19421 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
19422 loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
19423 these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
19424 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}); if it fails
19425 to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
19426
19427 @smallexample
19428 prog.o: No such file or directory.
19429 @end smallexample
19430
19431 When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
19432 the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
19433 command again.
19434
19435 @node VxWorks Download
19436 @subsubsection VxWorks Download
19437
19438 @cindex download to VxWorks
19439 If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
19440 object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
19441 @code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
19442 incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
19443 command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
19444 to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
19445 table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
19446 the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
19447 filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
19448 Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
19449 to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
19450 the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
19451 @file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
19452 and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
19453 program, type this on VxWorks:
19454
19455 @smallexample
19456 -> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
19457 @end smallexample
19458
19459 @noindent
19460 Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
19461
19462 @smallexample
19463 (vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
19464 (vxgdb) load prog.o
19465 @end smallexample
19466
19467 @value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
19468
19469 @smallexample
19470 Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
19471 @end smallexample
19472
19473 You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
19474 after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
19475 this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
19476 auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
19477 history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
19478 debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
19479 table.)
19480
19481 @node VxWorks Attach
19482 @subsubsection Running Tasks
19483
19484 @cindex running VxWorks tasks
19485 You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
19486 follows:
19487
19488 @smallexample
19489 (vxgdb) attach @var{task}
19490 @end smallexample
19491
19492 @noindent
19493 where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
19494 or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
19495 the time of attachment.
19496
19497 @node Embedded Processors
19498 @section Embedded Processors
19499
19500 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
19501 configurations.
19502
19503 @cindex send command to simulator
19504 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
19505 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
19506
19507 @table @code
19508 @item sim @var{command}
19509 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
19510 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
19511 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
19512 acceptable commands.
19513 @end table
19514
19515
19516 @menu
19517 * ARM:: ARM RDI
19518 * M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
19519 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
19520 * MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
19521 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
19522 * OpenRISC 1000:: OpenRisc 1000
19523 * PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
19524 * PA:: HP PA Embedded
19525 * Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
19526 * Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
19527 * Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
19528 * AVR:: Atmel AVR
19529 * CRIS:: CRIS
19530 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
19531 @end menu
19532
19533 @node ARM
19534 @subsection ARM
19535 @cindex ARM RDI
19536
19537 @table @code
19538 @kindex target rdi
19539 @item target rdi @var{dev}
19540 ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
19541 use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
19542 monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
19543
19544 @kindex target rdp
19545 @item target rdp @var{dev}
19546 ARM Demon monitor.
19547
19548 @end table
19549
19550 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
19551
19552 @table @code
19553 @item set arm disassembler
19554 @kindex set arm
19555 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
19556 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
19557
19558 @item show arm disassembler
19559 @kindex show arm
19560 Show the current disassembly style.
19561
19562 @item set arm apcs32
19563 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
19564 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
19565
19566 @item show arm apcs32
19567 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
19568
19569 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
19570 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
19571 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
19572
19573 @table @code
19574 @item auto
19575 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
19576 @item softfpa
19577 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
19578 processors.
19579 @item fpa
19580 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
19581 @item softvfp
19582 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
19583 @item vfp
19584 VFP co-processor.
19585 @end table
19586
19587 @item show arm fpu
19588 Show the current type of the FPU.
19589
19590 @item set arm abi
19591 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
19592
19593 @item show arm abi
19594 Show the currently used ABI.
19595
19596 @item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
19597 @value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
19598 whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
19599 @value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
19600 available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
19601 use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
19602 register).
19603
19604 @item show arm fallback-mode
19605 Show the current fallback instruction mode.
19606
19607 @item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
19608 This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
19609 instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
19610 causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
19611 of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
19612
19613 @item show arm force-mode
19614 Show the current forced instruction mode.
19615
19616 @item set debug arm
19617 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
19618 target support subsystem.
19619
19620 @item show debug arm
19621 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
19622 @end table
19623
19624 The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
19625 using the RDI interface:
19626
19627 @table @code
19628 @item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
19629 @kindex rdilogfile
19630 @cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
19631 Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
19632 With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
19633 no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
19634 @file{rdi.log}.
19635
19636 @item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
19637 @kindex rdilogenable
19638 Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
19639 enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
19640 no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
19641 ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
19642 are logged to a file.
19643
19644 @item set rdiromatzero
19645 @kindex set rdiromatzero
19646 @cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
19647 Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
19648 vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
19649 (the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
19650 effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
19651
19652 @item show rdiromatzero
19653 @kindex show rdiromatzero
19654 Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
19655
19656 @item set rdiheartbeat
19657 @kindex set rdiheartbeat
19658 @cindex RDI heartbeat
19659 Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
19660 turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
19661 well as the Angel monitor.
19662
19663 @item show rdiheartbeat
19664 @kindex show rdiheartbeat
19665 Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
19666 @end table
19667
19668 @table @code
19669 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
19670 The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
19671
19672 @table @code
19673 @item --swi-support=@var{type}
19674 Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support.
19675 @var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
19676 The default value is @code{all}.
19677
19678 @table @code
19679 @item none
19680 @item demon
19681 @item angel
19682 @item redboot
19683 @item all
19684 @end table
19685 @end table
19686 @end table
19687
19688 @node M32R/D
19689 @subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
19690
19691 @table @code
19692 @kindex target m32r
19693 @item target m32r @var{dev}
19694 Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
19695
19696 @kindex target m32rsdi
19697 @item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
19698 Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
19699 @end table
19700
19701 The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
19702
19703 @table @code
19704 @item set download-path @var{path}
19705 @kindex set download-path
19706 @cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
19707 Set the default path for finding downloadable @sc{srec} files.
19708
19709 @item show download-path
19710 @kindex show download-path
19711 Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
19712
19713 @item set board-address @var{addr}
19714 @kindex set board-address
19715 @cindex M32-EVA target board address
19716 Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
19717
19718 @item show board-address
19719 @kindex show board-address
19720 Show the current IP address of the target board.
19721
19722 @item set server-address @var{addr}
19723 @kindex set server-address
19724 @cindex download server address (M32R)
19725 Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
19726 host machine.
19727
19728 @item show server-address
19729 @kindex show server-address
19730 Display the IP address of the download server.
19731
19732 @item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
19733 @kindex upload@r{, M32R}
19734 Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
19735 upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
19736 executable file is uploaded.
19737
19738 @item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
19739 @kindex tload@r{, M32R}
19740 Test the @code{upload} command.
19741 @end table
19742
19743 The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
19744
19745 @table @code
19746 @item sdireset
19747 @kindex sdireset
19748 @cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
19749 This command resets the SDI connection.
19750
19751 @item sdistatus
19752 @kindex sdistatus
19753 This command shows the SDI connection status.
19754
19755 @item debug_chaos
19756 @kindex debug_chaos
19757 @cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
19758 Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
19759
19760 @item use_debug_dma
19761 @kindex use_debug_dma
19762 Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
19763
19764 @item use_mon_code
19765 @kindex use_mon_code
19766 Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
19767
19768 @item use_ib_break
19769 @kindex use_ib_break
19770 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
19771
19772 @item use_dbt_break
19773 @kindex use_dbt_break
19774 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
19775 @end table
19776
19777 @node M68K
19778 @subsection M68k
19779
19780 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and a
19781 target command for the following ROM monitor.
19782
19783 @table @code
19784
19785 @kindex target dbug
19786 @item target dbug @var{dev}
19787 dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
19788
19789 @end table
19790
19791 @node MicroBlaze
19792 @subsection MicroBlaze
19793 @cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
19794 @cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
19795
19796 The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
19797 FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
19798 usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
19799 Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
19800 This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
19801 the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
19802 communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
19803 presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
19804 @code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
19805 this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
19806 commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
19807
19808 Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
19809
19810 @table @code
19811 @item target remote :1234
19812 Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
19813 on the same system as @code{xmd}.
19814
19815 @item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
19816 Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
19817 running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
19818
19819 @item load
19820 Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
19821
19822 @item set debug microblaze @var{n}
19823 Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
19824
19825 @item show debug microblaze @var{n}
19826 Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
19827 @end table
19828
19829 @node MIPS Embedded
19830 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Embedded
19831
19832 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} boards
19833 @value{GDBN} can use the @acronym{MIPS} remote debugging protocol to talk to a
19834 @acronym{MIPS} board attached to a serial line. This is available when
19835 you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-elf}.
19836
19837 @need 1000
19838 Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
19839
19840 @table @code
19841 @item target mips @var{port}
19842 @kindex target mips @var{port}
19843 To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
19844 name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
19845 command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
19846 the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
19847 been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
19848 download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
19849
19850 For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
19851 port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
19852 debugger:
19853
19854 @smallexample
19855 host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
19856 @value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
19857 (@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
19858 (@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
19859 (@value{GDBP}) run
19860 @end smallexample
19861
19862 @item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
19863 On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
19864 connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
19865 concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
19866 @samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
19867
19868 @item target pmon @var{port}
19869 @kindex target pmon @var{port}
19870 PMON ROM monitor.
19871
19872 @item target ddb @var{port}
19873 @kindex target ddb @var{port}
19874 NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
19875
19876 @item target lsi @var{port}
19877 @kindex target lsi @var{port}
19878 LSI variant of PMON.
19879
19880 @kindex target r3900
19881 @item target r3900 @var{dev}
19882 Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
19883
19884 @kindex target array
19885 @item target array @var{dev}
19886 Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
19887
19888 @end table
19889
19890
19891 @noindent
19892 @value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for @acronym{MIPS} targets:
19893
19894 @table @code
19895 @item set mipsfpu double
19896 @itemx set mipsfpu single
19897 @itemx set mipsfpu none
19898 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
19899 @itemx show mipsfpu
19900 @kindex set mipsfpu
19901 @kindex show mipsfpu
19902 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} remote floating point
19903 @cindex floating point, @acronym{MIPS} remote
19904 If your target board does not support the @acronym{MIPS} floating point
19905 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
19906 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
19907 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
19908 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
19909 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
19910 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
19911 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
19912 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
19913 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
19914 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
19915
19916 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
19917 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
19918 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
19919
19920 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
19921 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
19922
19923 @item set timeout @var{seconds}
19924 @itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
19925 @itemx show timeout
19926 @itemx show retransmit-timeout
19927 @cindex @code{timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
19928 @cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
19929 @kindex set timeout
19930 @kindex show timeout
19931 @kindex set retransmit-timeout
19932 @kindex show retransmit-timeout
19933 You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the @acronym{MIPS}
19934 remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
19935 default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
19936 waiting for an acknowledgment of a packet with the @code{set
19937 retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
19938 You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
19939 retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
19940 @value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-elf}.)
19941
19942 The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
19943 is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
19944 forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
19945 to run before stopping.
19946
19947 @item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
19948 @kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
19949 @cindex synchronize with remote @acronym{MIPS} target
19950 Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
19951 it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
19952 characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
19953
19954 @item show syn-garbage-limit
19955 @kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
19956 Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
19957 trying to synchronize with the remote system.
19958
19959 @item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
19960 @kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
19961 @cindex remote monitor prompt
19962 Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
19963 remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
19964 @table @asis
19965 @item pmon target
19966 @samp{PMON}
19967 @item ddb target
19968 @samp{NEC010}
19969 @item lsi target
19970 @samp{PMON>}
19971 @end table
19972
19973 @item show monitor-prompt
19974 @kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
19975 Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
19976 remote monitor.
19977
19978 @item set monitor-warnings
19979 @kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
19980 Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
19981 has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
19982 display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
19983 PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
19984
19985 @item show monitor-warnings
19986 @kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
19987 Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
19988
19989 @item pmon @var{command}
19990 @kindex pmon@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
19991 @cindex send PMON command
19992 This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
19993 monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
19994 @end table
19995
19996 @node OpenRISC 1000
19997 @subsection OpenRISC 1000
19998 @cindex OpenRISC 1000
19999
20000 @cindex or1k boards
20001 See OR1k Architecture document (@uref{www.opencores.org}) for more information
20002 about platform and commands.
20003
20004 @table @code
20005
20006 @kindex target jtag
20007 @item target jtag jtag://@var{host}:@var{port}
20008
20009 Connects to remote JTAG server.
20010 JTAG remote server can be either an or1ksim or JTAG server,
20011 connected via parallel port to the board.
20012
20013 Example: @code{target jtag jtag://localhost:9999}
20014
20015 @kindex or1ksim
20016 @item or1ksim @var{command}
20017 If connected to @code{or1ksim} OpenRISC 1000 Architectural
20018 Simulator, proprietary commands can be executed.
20019
20020 @kindex info or1k spr
20021 @item info or1k spr
20022 Displays spr groups.
20023
20024 @item info or1k spr @var{group}
20025 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno}
20026 Displays register names in selected group.
20027
20028 @item info or1k spr @var{group} @var{register}
20029 @itemx info or1k spr @var{register}
20030 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno}
20031 @itemx info or1k spr @var{registerno}
20032 Shows information about specified spr register.
20033
20034 @kindex spr
20035 @item spr @var{group} @var{register} @var{value}
20036 @itemx spr @var{register @var{value}}
20037 @itemx spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno @var{value}}
20038 @itemx spr @var{registerno @var{value}}
20039 Writes @var{value} to specified spr register.
20040 @end table
20041
20042 Some implementations of OpenRISC 1000 Architecture also have hardware trace.
20043 It is very similar to @value{GDBN} trace, except it does not interfere with normal
20044 program execution and is thus much faster. Hardware breakpoints/watchpoint
20045 triggers can be set using:
20046 @table @code
20047 @item $LEA/$LDATA
20048 Load effective address/data
20049 @item $SEA/$SDATA
20050 Store effective address/data
20051 @item $AEA/$ADATA
20052 Access effective address ($SEA or $LEA) or data ($SDATA/$LDATA)
20053 @item $FETCH
20054 Fetch data
20055 @end table
20056
20057 When triggered, it can capture low level data, like: @code{PC}, @code{LSEA},
20058 @code{LDATA}, @code{SDATA}, @code{READSPR}, @code{WRITESPR}, @code{INSTR}.
20059
20060 @code{htrace} commands:
20061 @cindex OpenRISC 1000 htrace
20062 @table @code
20063 @kindex hwatch
20064 @item hwatch @var{conditional}
20065 Set hardware watchpoint on combination of Load/Store Effective Address(es)
20066 or Data. For example:
20067
20068 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
20069
20070 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
20071
20072 @kindex htrace
20073 @item htrace info
20074 Display information about current HW trace configuration.
20075
20076 @item htrace trigger @var{conditional}
20077 Set starting criteria for HW trace.
20078
20079 @item htrace qualifier @var{conditional}
20080 Set acquisition qualifier for HW trace.
20081
20082 @item htrace stop @var{conditional}
20083 Set HW trace stopping criteria.
20084
20085 @item htrace record [@var{data}]*
20086 Selects the data to be recorded, when qualifier is met and HW trace was
20087 triggered.
20088
20089 @item htrace enable
20090 @itemx htrace disable
20091 Enables/disables the HW trace.
20092
20093 @item htrace rewind [@var{filename}]
20094 Clears currently recorded trace data.
20095
20096 If filename is specified, new trace file is made and any newly collected data
20097 will be written there.
20098
20099 @item htrace print [@var{start} [@var{len}]]
20100 Prints trace buffer, using current record configuration.
20101
20102 @item htrace mode continuous
20103 Set continuous trace mode.
20104
20105 @item htrace mode suspend
20106 Set suspend trace mode.
20107
20108 @end table
20109
20110 @node PowerPC Embedded
20111 @subsection PowerPC Embedded
20112
20113 @cindex DVC register
20114 @value{GDBN} supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
20115 implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
20116
20117 @smallexample
20118 (@value{GDBP}) watch @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} \
20119 if @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} == @var{CONSTANT EXPRESSION}
20120 @end smallexample
20121
20122 The DVC register will be automatically used when @value{GDBN} detects
20123 such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
20124 debug register (either the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on and the
20125 variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte). This feature
20126 is available in native @value{GDBN} running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
20127 or newer.
20128
20129 When running on PowerPC embedded processors, @value{GDBN} automatically uses
20130 ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on,
20131 in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
20132 watching variables of scalar types.
20133
20134 You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
20135 region using one of the following commands (@pxref{Expressions}):
20136
20137 @smallexample
20138 (@value{GDBP}) watch *((char *) @var{address})@@@var{length}
20139 (@value{GDBP}) watch @{char[@var{length}]@} @var{address}
20140 @end smallexample
20141
20142 PowerPC embedded processors support masked watchpoints. See the discussion
20143 about the @code{mask} argument in @ref{Set Watchpoints}.
20144
20145 @cindex ranged breakpoint
20146 PowerPC embedded processors support hardware accelerated
20147 @dfn{ranged breakpoints}. A ranged breakpoint stops execution of
20148 the inferior whenever it executes an instruction at any address within
20149 the range it specifies. To set a ranged breakpoint in @value{GDBN},
20150 use the @code{break-range} command.
20151
20152 @value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
20153
20154 @table @code
20155 @kindex break-range
20156 @item break-range @var{start-location}, @var{end-location}
20157 Set a breakpoint for an address range.
20158 @var{start-location} and @var{end-location} can specify a function name,
20159 a line number, an offset of lines from the current line or from the start
20160 location, or an address of an instruction (see @ref{Specify Location},
20161 for a list of all the possible ways to specify a @var{location}.)
20162 The breakpoint will stop execution of the inferior whenever it
20163 executes an instruction at any address within the specified range,
20164 (including @var{start-location} and @var{end-location}.)
20165
20166 @kindex set powerpc
20167 @item set powerpc soft-float
20168 @itemx show powerpc soft-float
20169 Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
20170 convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
20171 on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
20172
20173 @item set powerpc vector-abi
20174 @itemx show powerpc vector-abi
20175 Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
20176 arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
20177 @samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
20178 @samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
20179 registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
20180 based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
20181
20182 @item set powerpc exact-watchpoints
20183 @itemx show powerpc exact-watchpoints
20184 Allow @value{GDBN} to use only one debug register when watching a variable
20185 of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
20186 address of its first byte.
20187
20188 @kindex target dink32
20189 @item target dink32 @var{dev}
20190 DINK32 ROM monitor.
20191
20192 @kindex target ppcbug
20193 @item target ppcbug @var{dev}
20194 @kindex target ppcbug1
20195 @item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
20196 PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
20197
20198 @kindex target sds
20199 @item target sds @var{dev}
20200 SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
20201 @end table
20202
20203 @cindex SDS protocol
20204 The following commands specific to the SDS protocol are supported
20205 by @value{GDBN}:
20206
20207 @table @code
20208 @item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
20209 @kindex set sdstimeout
20210 Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
20211 default is 2 seconds.
20212
20213 @item show sdstimeout
20214 @kindex show sdstimeout
20215 Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
20216
20217 @item sds @var{command}
20218 @kindex sds@r{, a command}
20219 Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
20220 @end table
20221
20222
20223 @node PA
20224 @subsection HP PA Embedded
20225
20226 @table @code
20227
20228 @kindex target op50n
20229 @item target op50n @var{dev}
20230 OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
20231
20232 @kindex target w89k
20233 @item target w89k @var{dev}
20234 W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
20235
20236 @end table
20237
20238 @node Sparclet
20239 @subsection Tsqware Sparclet
20240
20241 @cindex Sparclet
20242
20243 @value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
20244 Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
20245 @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
20246 both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
20247 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
20248
20249 @table @code
20250 @item remotetimeout @var{args}
20251 @kindex remotetimeout
20252 @value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
20253 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
20254 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
20255 @end table
20256
20257 @cindex compiling, on Sparclet
20258 When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
20259 information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
20260 load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
20261 @samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
20262
20263 @smallexample
20264 sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
20265 @end smallexample
20266
20267 You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
20268
20269 @smallexample
20270 sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
20271 @end smallexample
20272
20273 @cindex running, on Sparclet
20274 Once you have set
20275 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
20276 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
20277 (or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
20278
20279 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
20280
20281 @smallexample
20282 (gdbslet)
20283 @end smallexample
20284
20285 @menu
20286 * Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
20287 * Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
20288 * Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
20289 * Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
20290 @end menu
20291
20292 @node Sparclet File
20293 @subsubsection Setting File to Debug
20294
20295 The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
20296
20297 @smallexample
20298 (gdbslet) file prog
20299 @end smallexample
20300
20301 @need 1000
20302 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
20303 @value{GDBN} locates
20304 the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
20305 path.
20306 If the file was compiled with debug information (option @samp{-g}), source
20307 files will be searched as well.
20308 @value{GDBN} locates
20309 the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
20310 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}).
20311 If it fails
20312 to find a file, it displays a message such as:
20313
20314 @smallexample
20315 prog: No such file or directory.
20316 @end smallexample
20317
20318 When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
20319 the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
20320 @code{target} command again.
20321
20322 @node Sparclet Connection
20323 @subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
20324
20325 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
20326 To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
20327
20328 @smallexample
20329 (gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
20330 Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
20331 main () at ../prog.c:3
20332 @end smallexample
20333
20334 @need 750
20335 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
20336
20337 @smallexample
20338 Connected to ttya.
20339 @end smallexample
20340
20341 @node Sparclet Download
20342 @subsubsection Sparclet Download
20343
20344 @cindex download to Sparclet
20345 Once connected to the Sparclet target,
20346 you can use the @value{GDBN}
20347 @code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
20348 The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
20349 command.
20350 Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
20351 address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
20352 offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
20353 of each of the file's sections.
20354 For instance, if the program
20355 @file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
20356 and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
20357
20358 @smallexample
20359 (gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
20360 Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
20361 @end smallexample
20362
20363 If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
20364 to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
20365 to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
20366
20367 @node Sparclet Execution
20368 @subsubsection Running and Debugging
20369
20370 @cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
20371 You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
20372 commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
20373 manual for the list of commands.
20374
20375 @smallexample
20376 (gdbslet) b main
20377 Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
20378 (gdbslet) run
20379 Starting program: prog
20380 Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
20381 3 char *symarg = 0;
20382 (gdbslet) step
20383 4 char *execarg = "hello!";
20384 (gdbslet)
20385 @end smallexample
20386
20387 @node Sparclite
20388 @subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
20389
20390 @table @code
20391
20392 @kindex target sparclite
20393 @item target sparclite @var{dev}
20394 Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
20395 You must use an additional command to debug the program.
20396 For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
20397 remote protocol.
20398
20399 @end table
20400
20401 @node Z8000
20402 @subsection Zilog Z8000
20403
20404 @cindex Z8000
20405 @cindex simulator, Z8000
20406 @cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
20407
20408 When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
20409 a Z8000 simulator.
20410
20411 For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
20412 unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
20413 segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
20414 appropriate by inspecting the object code.
20415
20416 @table @code
20417 @item target sim @var{args}
20418 @kindex sim
20419 @kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
20420 Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
20421 options, specify them via @var{args}.
20422 @end table
20423
20424 @noindent
20425 After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
20426 CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
20427 @code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
20428 to run your program, and so on.
20429
20430 As well as making available all the usual machine registers
20431 (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
20432 additional items of information as specially named registers:
20433
20434 @table @code
20435
20436 @item cycles
20437 Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
20438
20439 @item insts
20440 Counts instructions run in the simulator.
20441
20442 @item time
20443 Execution time in 60ths of a second.
20444
20445 @end table
20446
20447 You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
20448 conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
20449 conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
20450 simulated clock ticks.
20451
20452 @node AVR
20453 @subsection Atmel AVR
20454 @cindex AVR
20455
20456 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
20457 following AVR-specific commands:
20458
20459 @table @code
20460 @item info io_registers
20461 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
20462 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
20463 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
20464 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
20465 @end table
20466
20467 @node CRIS
20468 @subsection CRIS
20469 @cindex CRIS
20470
20471 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
20472 following CRIS-specific commands:
20473
20474 @table @code
20475 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
20476 @cindex CRIS version
20477 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
20478 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
20479 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
20480
20481 @item show cris-version
20482 Show the current CRIS version.
20483
20484 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
20485 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
20486 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
20487 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
20488 @code{R59}.
20489
20490 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
20491 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
20492
20493 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
20494 @cindex CRIS mode
20495 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
20496 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
20497 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
20498
20499 @item show cris-mode
20500 Show the current CRIS mode.
20501 @end table
20502
20503 @node Super-H
20504 @subsection Renesas Super-H
20505 @cindex Super-H
20506
20507 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
20508 commands:
20509
20510 @table @code
20511 @item regs
20512 @kindex regs@r{, Super-H}
20513 This command is deprecated, and @code{info all-registers} should be
20514 used instead.
20515
20516 Show the values of all Super-H registers.
20517
20518 @item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
20519 @kindex set sh calling-convention
20520 Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
20521 Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
20522 With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
20523 convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
20524 that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
20525 is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
20526 is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
20527 regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
20528 default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
20529 does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
20530
20531 @item show sh calling-convention
20532 @kindex show sh calling-convention
20533 Show the current calling convention setting.
20534
20535 @end table
20536
20537
20538 @node Architectures
20539 @section Architectures
20540
20541 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
20542 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
20543
20544 @menu
20545 * i386::
20546 * Alpha::
20547 * MIPS::
20548 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
20549 * SPU:: Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
20550 * PowerPC::
20551 @end menu
20552
20553 @node i386
20554 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
20555
20556 @table @code
20557 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
20558 @kindex set struct-convention
20559 @cindex struct return convention
20560 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
20561 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
20562 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
20563 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
20564 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
20565 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
20566 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
20567 be returned in a register.
20568
20569 @item show struct-convention
20570 @kindex show struct-convention
20571 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
20572 from functions.
20573 @end table
20574
20575 @node Alpha
20576 @subsection Alpha
20577
20578 See the following section.
20579
20580 @node MIPS
20581 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}
20582
20583 @cindex stack on Alpha
20584 @cindex stack on @acronym{MIPS}
20585 @cindex Alpha stack
20586 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} stack
20587 Alpha- and @acronym{MIPS}-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
20588 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
20589 find the beginning of a function.
20590
20591 @cindex response time, @acronym{MIPS} debugging
20592 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
20593 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
20594 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
20595 commands:
20596
20597 @table @code
20598 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, @acronym{MIPS})
20599 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
20600 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
20601 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
20602 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
20603 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
20604 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
20605 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
20606
20607 @item show heuristic-fence-post
20608 Display the current limit.
20609 @end table
20610
20611 @noindent
20612 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
20613 for debugging programs on Alpha or @acronym{MIPS} processors.
20614
20615 Several @acronym{MIPS}-specific commands are available when debugging @acronym{MIPS}
20616 programs:
20617
20618 @table @code
20619 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
20620 @kindex set mips abi
20621 @cindex set ABI for @acronym{MIPS}
20622 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
20623 values of @var{arg} are:
20624
20625 @table @samp
20626 @item auto
20627 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
20628 default).
20629 @item o32
20630 @item o64
20631 @item n32
20632 @item n64
20633 @item eabi32
20634 @item eabi64
20635 @end table
20636
20637 @item show mips abi
20638 @kindex show mips abi
20639 Show the @acronym{MIPS} ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
20640
20641 @item set mips compression @var{arg}
20642 @kindex set mips compression
20643 @cindex code compression, @acronym{MIPS}
20644 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} compressed
20645 @acronym{ISA, Instruction Set Architecture} encoding is used by the
20646 inferior. @value{GDBN} uses this for code disassembly and other
20647 internal interpretation purposes. This setting is only referred to
20648 when no executable has been associated with the debugging session or
20649 the executable does not provide information about the encoding it uses.
20650 Otherwise this setting is automatically updated from information
20651 provided by the executable.
20652
20653 Possible values of @var{arg} are @samp{mips16} and @samp{micromips}.
20654 The default compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding is @samp{mips16}, as
20655 executables containing @acronym{MIPS16} code frequently are not
20656 identified as such.
20657
20658 This setting is ``sticky''; that is, it retains its value across
20659 debugging sessions until reset either explicitly with this command or
20660 implicitly from an executable.
20661
20662 The compiler and/or assembler typically add symbol table annotations to
20663 identify functions compiled for the @acronym{MIPS16} or
20664 @acronym{microMIPS} @acronym{ISA}s. If these function-scope annotations
20665 are present, @value{GDBN} uses them in preference to the global
20666 compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding setting.
20667
20668 @item show mips compression
20669 @kindex show mips compression
20670 Show the @acronym{MIPS} compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding used by
20671 @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
20672
20673 @item set mipsfpu
20674 @itemx show mipsfpu
20675 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
20676
20677 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
20678 @kindex set mips mask-address
20679 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} addresses, masking
20680 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
20681 @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
20682 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
20683 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
20684
20685 @item show mips mask-address
20686 @kindex show mips mask-address
20687 Show whether the upper 32 bits of @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off or
20688 not.
20689
20690 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
20691 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
20692 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit @acronym{MIPS} targets that
20693 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old @acronym{MIPS} 64 target
20694 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
20695 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
20696
20697 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
20698 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
20699 Show the current setting of compatibility with older @acronym{MIPS} 64 targets.
20700
20701 @item set debug mips
20702 @kindex set debug mips
20703 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the @acronym{MIPS}-specific
20704 target code in @value{GDBN}.
20705
20706 @item show debug mips
20707 @kindex show debug mips
20708 Show the current setting of @acronym{MIPS} debugging messages.
20709 @end table
20710
20711
20712 @node HPPA
20713 @subsection HPPA
20714 @cindex HPPA support
20715
20716 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
20717 following special commands:
20718
20719 @table @code
20720 @item set debug hppa
20721 @kindex set debug hppa
20722 This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
20723 messages are to be displayed.
20724
20725 @item show debug hppa
20726 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
20727
20728 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
20729 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
20730 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
20731 given @var{address}.
20732
20733 @end table
20734
20735
20736 @node SPU
20737 @subsection Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
20738 @cindex Cell Broadband Engine
20739 @cindex SPU
20740
20741 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture,
20742 it provides the following special commands:
20743
20744 @table @code
20745 @item info spu event
20746 @kindex info spu
20747 Display SPU event facility status. Shows current event mask
20748 and pending event status.
20749
20750 @item info spu signal
20751 Display SPU signal notification facility status. Shows pending
20752 signal-control word and signal notification mode of both signal
20753 notification channels.
20754
20755 @item info spu mailbox
20756 Display SPU mailbox facility status. Shows all pending entries,
20757 in order of processing, in each of the SPU Write Outbound,
20758 SPU Write Outbound Interrupt, and SPU Read Inbound mailboxes.
20759
20760 @item info spu dma
20761 Display MFC DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
20762 DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
20763 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
20764
20765 @item info spu proxydma
20766 Display MFC Proxy-DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
20767 Proxy-DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
20768 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
20769
20770 @end table
20771
20772 When @value{GDBN} is debugging a combined PowerPC/SPU application
20773 on the Cell Broadband Engine, it provides in addition the following
20774 special commands:
20775
20776 @table @code
20777 @item set spu stop-on-load @var{arg}
20778 @kindex set spu
20779 Set whether to stop for new SPE threads. When set to @code{on}, @value{GDBN}
20780 will give control to the user when a new SPE thread enters its @code{main}
20781 function. The default is @code{off}.
20782
20783 @item show spu stop-on-load
20784 @kindex show spu
20785 Show whether to stop for new SPE threads.
20786
20787 @item set spu auto-flush-cache @var{arg}
20788 Set whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache. When set to
20789 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will automatically cause the SPE software-managed
20790 cache to be flushed whenever SPE execution stops. This provides a consistent
20791 view of PowerPC memory that is accessed via the cache. If an application
20792 does not use the software-managed cache, this option has no effect.
20793
20794 @item show spu auto-flush-cache
20795 Show whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache.
20796
20797 @end table
20798
20799 @node PowerPC
20800 @subsection PowerPC
20801 @cindex PowerPC architecture
20802
20803 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
20804 pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
20805 numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
20806 in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
20807 @code{f0} or @code{f2}.
20808
20809 The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
20810 by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
20811 @code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
20812
20813 For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
20814 wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
20815
20816
20817 @node Controlling GDB
20818 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
20819
20820 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
20821 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
20822 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
20823 described here.
20824
20825 @menu
20826 * Prompt:: Prompt
20827 * Editing:: Command editing
20828 * Command History:: Command history
20829 * Screen Size:: Screen size
20830 * Numbers:: Numbers
20831 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
20832 * Auto-loading:: Automatically loading associated files
20833 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
20834 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
20835 * Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
20836 @end menu
20837
20838 @node Prompt
20839 @section Prompt
20840
20841 @cindex prompt
20842
20843 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
20844 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
20845 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
20846 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
20847 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
20848 which one you are talking to.
20849
20850 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
20851 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
20852 or a prompt that does not.
20853
20854 @table @code
20855 @kindex set prompt
20856 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
20857 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
20858
20859 @kindex show prompt
20860 @item show prompt
20861 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
20862 @end table
20863
20864 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled have
20865 prompt extensions. The commands for interacting with these extensions
20866 are:
20867
20868 @table @code
20869 @kindex set extended-prompt
20870 @item set extended-prompt @var{prompt}
20871 Set an extended prompt that allows for substitutions.
20872 @xref{gdb.prompt}, for a list of escape sequences that can be used for
20873 substitution. Any escape sequences specified as part of the prompt
20874 string are replaced with the corresponding strings each time the prompt
20875 is displayed.
20876
20877 For example:
20878
20879 @smallexample
20880 set extended-prompt Current working directory: \w (gdb)
20881 @end smallexample
20882
20883 Note that when an extended-prompt is set, it takes control of the
20884 @var{prompt_hook} hook. @xref{prompt_hook}, for further information.
20885
20886 @kindex show extended-prompt
20887 @item show extended-prompt
20888 Prints the extended prompt. Any escape sequences specified as part of
20889 the prompt string with @code{set extended-prompt}, are replaced with the
20890 corresponding strings each time the prompt is displayed.
20891 @end table
20892
20893 @node Editing
20894 @section Command Editing
20895 @cindex readline
20896 @cindex command line editing
20897
20898 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
20899 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
20900 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
20901 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
20902 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
20903 debugging sessions.
20904
20905 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
20906 command @code{set}.
20907
20908 @table @code
20909 @kindex set editing
20910 @cindex editing
20911 @item set editing
20912 @itemx set editing on
20913 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
20914
20915 @item set editing off
20916 Disable command line editing.
20917
20918 @kindex show editing
20919 @item show editing
20920 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
20921 @end table
20922
20923 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
20924 @xref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library},
20925 @end ifset
20926 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
20927 @xref{Command Line Editing},
20928 @end ifclear
20929 for more details about the Readline
20930 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
20931 encouraged to read that chapter.
20932
20933 @node Command History
20934 @section Command History
20935 @cindex command history
20936
20937 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
20938 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
20939 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
20940 history facility.
20941
20942 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
20943 package, to provide the history facility.
20944 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
20945 @xref{Using History Interactively, , , history, GNU History Library},
20946 @end ifset
20947 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
20948 @xref{Using History Interactively},
20949 @end ifclear
20950 for the detailed description of the History library.
20951
20952 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
20953 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
20954 (@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
20955 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
20956 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
20957 pressed on a line by itself.
20958
20959 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
20960 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
20961 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
20962 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
20963
20964 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
20965 history.
20966
20967 @table @code
20968 @cindex history substitution
20969 @cindex history file
20970 @kindex set history filename
20971 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
20972 @item set history filename @var{fname}
20973 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
20974 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
20975 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
20976 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
20977 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
20978 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
20979 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
20980 is not set.
20981
20982 @cindex save command history
20983 @kindex set history save
20984 @item set history save
20985 @itemx set history save on
20986 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
20987 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
20988
20989 @item set history save off
20990 Stop recording command history in a file.
20991
20992 @cindex history size
20993 @kindex set history size
20994 @cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
20995 @item set history size @var{size}
20996 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
20997 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
20998 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set.
20999 @end table
21000
21001 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
21002 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21003 @xref{Event Designators, , , history, GNU History Library},
21004 @end ifset
21005 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21006 @xref{Event Designators},
21007 @end ifclear
21008 for more details.
21009
21010 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
21011 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
21012 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
21013 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
21014 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
21015 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
21016 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
21017 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
21018
21019 The commands to control history expansion are:
21020
21021 @table @code
21022 @item set history expansion on
21023 @itemx set history expansion
21024 @kindex set history expansion
21025 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
21026
21027 @item set history expansion off
21028 Disable history expansion.
21029
21030 @c @group
21031 @kindex show history
21032 @item show history
21033 @itemx show history filename
21034 @itemx show history save
21035 @itemx show history size
21036 @itemx show history expansion
21037 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
21038 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
21039 @c @end group
21040 @end table
21041
21042 @table @code
21043 @kindex show commands
21044 @cindex show last commands
21045 @cindex display command history
21046 @item show commands
21047 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
21048
21049 @item show commands @var{n}
21050 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
21051
21052 @item show commands +
21053 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
21054 @end table
21055
21056 @node Screen Size
21057 @section Screen Size
21058 @cindex size of screen
21059 @cindex pauses in output
21060
21061 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
21062 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
21063 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
21064 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
21065 to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
21066 determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
21067 printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
21068 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
21069
21070 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
21071 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
21072 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
21073 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
21074 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
21075 width} commands:
21076
21077 @table @code
21078 @kindex set height
21079 @kindex set width
21080 @kindex show width
21081 @kindex show height
21082 @item set height @var{lpp}
21083 @itemx show height
21084 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
21085 @itemx show width
21086 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
21087 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
21088 commands display the current settings.
21089
21090 If you specify a height of zero lines, @value{GDBN} does not pause during
21091 output no matter how long the output is. This is useful if output is to a
21092 file or to an editor buffer.
21093
21094 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN}
21095 from wrapping its output.
21096
21097 @item set pagination on
21098 @itemx set pagination off
21099 @kindex set pagination
21100 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
21101 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height 0}. Note that
21102 running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
21103 Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
21104
21105 @item show pagination
21106 @kindex show pagination
21107 Show the current pagination mode.
21108 @end table
21109
21110 @node Numbers
21111 @section Numbers
21112 @cindex number representation
21113 @cindex entering numbers
21114
21115 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
21116 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
21117 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
21118 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
21119 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
21120 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
21121 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
21122 both input and output with the commands described below.
21123
21124 @table @code
21125 @kindex set input-radix
21126 @item set input-radix @var{base}
21127 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
21128 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
21129 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
21130 example, any of
21131
21132 @smallexample
21133 set input-radix 012
21134 set input-radix 10.
21135 set input-radix 0xa
21136 @end smallexample
21137
21138 @noindent
21139 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
21140 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
21141 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
21142 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
21143 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
21144 change the radix.
21145
21146 @kindex set output-radix
21147 @item set output-radix @var{base}
21148 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
21149 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
21150 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
21151
21152 @kindex show input-radix
21153 @item show input-radix
21154 Display the current default base for numeric input.
21155
21156 @kindex show output-radix
21157 @item show output-radix
21158 Display the current default base for numeric display.
21159
21160 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
21161 @itemx show radix
21162 @kindex set radix
21163 @kindex show radix
21164 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
21165 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
21166 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
21167 default value of 10.
21168
21169 @end table
21170
21171 @node ABI
21172 @section Configuring the Current ABI
21173
21174 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
21175 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
21176 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
21177 current ABI.
21178
21179 @cindex OS ABI
21180 @kindex set osabi
21181 @kindex show osabi
21182
21183 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
21184 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
21185 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
21186 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
21187 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
21188 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
21189 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
21190 platform provides.
21191
21192 @table @code
21193 @item show osabi
21194 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
21195
21196 @item set osabi
21197 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
21198
21199 @item set osabi @var{abi}
21200 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
21201 @end table
21202
21203 @cindex float promotion
21204
21205 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
21206 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
21207 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
21208 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
21209 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
21210 @code{double} and then passed.
21211
21212 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
21213 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
21214 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
21215
21216 @table @code
21217 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
21218 @item set coerce-float-to-double
21219 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
21220 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
21221 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
21222
21223 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
21224 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
21225 functions.
21226
21227 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
21228 @item show coerce-float-to-double
21229 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
21230 @end table
21231
21232 @kindex set cp-abi
21233 @kindex show cp-abi
21234 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
21235 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
21236 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
21237 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
21238 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
21239 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
21240 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
21241 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
21242 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
21243 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
21244 ``auto''.
21245
21246 @table @code
21247 @item show cp-abi
21248 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
21249
21250 @item set cp-abi
21251 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
21252
21253 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
21254 @itemx set cp-abi auto
21255 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
21256 @end table
21257
21258 @node Auto-loading
21259 @section Automatically loading associated files
21260 @cindex auto-loading
21261
21262 @value{GDBN} sometimes reads files with commands and settings automatically,
21263 without being explicitly told so by the user. We call this feature
21264 @dfn{auto-loading}. While auto-loading is useful for automatically adapting
21265 @value{GDBN} to the needs of your project, it can sometimes produce unexpected
21266 results or introduce security risks (e.g., if the file comes from untrusted
21267 sources).
21268
21269 Note that loading of these associated files (including the local @file{.gdbinit}
21270 file) requires accordingly configured @code{auto-load safe-path}
21271 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
21272
21273 For these reasons, @value{GDBN} includes commands and options to let you
21274 control when to auto-load files and which files should be auto-loaded.
21275
21276 @table @code
21277 @anchor{set auto-load off}
21278 @kindex set auto-load off
21279 @item set auto-load off
21280 Globally disable loading of all auto-loaded files.
21281 You may want to use this command with the @samp{-iex} option
21282 (@pxref{Option -init-eval-command}) such as:
21283 @smallexample
21284 $ @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load off" untrusted-executable corefile}
21285 @end smallexample
21286
21287 Be aware that system init file (@pxref{System-wide configuration})
21288 and init files from your home directory (@pxref{Home Directory Init File})
21289 still get read (as they come from generally trusted directories).
21290 To prevent @value{GDBN} from auto-loading even those init files, use the
21291 @option{-nx} option (@pxref{Mode Options}), in addition to
21292 @code{set auto-load no}.
21293
21294 @anchor{show auto-load}
21295 @kindex show auto-load
21296 @item show auto-load
21297 Show whether auto-loading of each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) is enabled
21298 or disabled.
21299
21300 @smallexample
21301 (gdb) show auto-load
21302 gdb-scripts: Auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is on.
21303 libthread-db: Auto-loading of inferior specific libthread_db is on.
21304 local-gdbinit: Auto-loading of .gdbinit script from current directory
21305 is on.
21306 python-scripts: Auto-loading of Python scripts is on.
21307 safe-path: List of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
21308 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
21309 scripts-directory: List of directories from which to load auto-loaded scripts
21310 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
21311 @end smallexample
21312
21313 @anchor{info auto-load}
21314 @kindex info auto-load
21315 @item info auto-load
21316 Print whether each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) have been auto-loaded or
21317 not.
21318
21319 @smallexample
21320 (gdb) info auto-load
21321 gdb-scripts:
21322 Loaded Script
21323 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb
21324 libthread-db: No auto-loaded libthread-db.
21325 local-gdbinit: Local .gdbinit file "/home/user/gdb/.gdbinit" has been
21326 loaded.
21327 python-scripts:
21328 Loaded Script
21329 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py
21330 @end smallexample
21331 @end table
21332
21333 These are various kinds of files @value{GDBN} can automatically load:
21334
21335 @itemize @bullet
21336 @item
21337 @xref{objfile-gdb.py file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
21338 @item
21339 @xref{objfile-gdb.gdb file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21340 @item
21341 @xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section},
21342 controlled by @ref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
21343 @item
21344 @xref{Init File in the Current Directory},
21345 controlled by @ref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21346 @item
21347 @xref{libthread_db.so.1 file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
21348 @end itemize
21349
21350 These are @value{GDBN} control commands for the auto-loading:
21351
21352 @multitable @columnfractions .5 .5
21353 @item @xref{set auto-load off}.
21354 @tab Disable auto-loading globally.
21355 @item @xref{show auto-load}.
21356 @tab Show setting of all kinds of files.
21357 @item @xref{info auto-load}.
21358 @tab Show state of all kinds of files.
21359 @item @xref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21360 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} command scripts.
21361 @item @xref{show auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21362 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
21363 @item @xref{info auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21364 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
21365 @item @xref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
21366 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
21367 @item @xref{show auto-load python-scripts}.
21368 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
21369 @item @xref{info auto-load python-scripts}.
21370 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
21371 @item @xref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
21372 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
21373 @item @xref{show auto-load scripts-directory}.
21374 @tab Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
21375 @item @xref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21376 @tab Control for init file in the current directory.
21377 @item @xref{show auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21378 @tab Show setting of init file in the current directory.
21379 @item @xref{info auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21380 @tab Show state of init file in the current directory.
21381 @item @xref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
21382 @tab Control for thread debugging library.
21383 @item @xref{show auto-load libthread-db}.
21384 @tab Show setting of thread debugging library.
21385 @item @xref{info auto-load libthread-db}.
21386 @tab Show state of thread debugging library.
21387 @item @xref{set auto-load safe-path}.
21388 @tab Control directories trusted for automatic loading.
21389 @item @xref{show auto-load safe-path}.
21390 @tab Show directories trusted for automatic loading.
21391 @item @xref{add-auto-load-safe-path}.
21392 @tab Add directory trusted for automatic loading.
21393 @end multitable
21394
21395 @menu
21396 * Init File in the Current Directory:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load local-gdbinit}
21397 * libthread_db.so.1 file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load libthread-db}
21398 * objfile-gdb.gdb file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load gdb-script}
21399 * Auto-loading safe path:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load safe-path}
21400 * Auto-loading verbose mode:: @samp{set/show debug auto-load}
21401 @xref{Python Auto-loading}.
21402 @end menu
21403
21404 @node Init File in the Current Directory
21405 @subsection Automatically loading init file in the current directory
21406 @cindex auto-loading init file in the current directory
21407
21408 By default, @value{GDBN} reads and executes the canned sequences of commands
21409 from init file (if any) in the current working directory,
21410 see @ref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}.
21411
21412 Note that loading of this local @file{.gdbinit} file also requires accordingly
21413 configured @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
21414
21415 @table @code
21416 @anchor{set auto-load local-gdbinit}
21417 @kindex set auto-load local-gdbinit
21418 @item set auto-load local-gdbinit [on|off]
21419 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands
21420 (@pxref{Sequences}) found in init file in the current directory.
21421
21422 @anchor{show auto-load local-gdbinit}
21423 @kindex show auto-load local-gdbinit
21424 @item show auto-load local-gdbinit
21425 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands from init file in the
21426 current directory is enabled or disabled.
21427
21428 @anchor{info auto-load local-gdbinit}
21429 @kindex info auto-load local-gdbinit
21430 @item info auto-load local-gdbinit
21431 Print whether canned sequences of commands from init file in the
21432 current directory have been auto-loaded.
21433 @end table
21434
21435 @node libthread_db.so.1 file
21436 @subsection Automatically loading thread debugging library
21437 @cindex auto-loading libthread_db.so.1
21438
21439 This feature is currently present only on @sc{gnu}/Linux native hosts.
21440
21441 @value{GDBN} reads in some cases thread debugging library from places specific
21442 to the inferior (@pxref{set libthread-db-search-path}).
21443
21444 The special @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entry @samp{$sdir} is processed
21445 without checking this @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} switch as system
21446 libraries have to be trusted in general. In all other cases of
21447 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entries @value{GDBN} checks first if @samp{set
21448 auto-load libthread-db} is enabled before trying to open such thread debugging
21449 library.
21450
21451 Note that loading of this debugging library also requires accordingly configured
21452 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
21453
21454 @table @code
21455 @anchor{set auto-load libthread-db}
21456 @kindex set auto-load libthread-db
21457 @item set auto-load libthread-db [on|off]
21458 Enable or disable the auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library.
21459
21460 @anchor{show auto-load libthread-db}
21461 @kindex show auto-load libthread-db
21462 @item show auto-load libthread-db
21463 Show whether auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library is
21464 enabled or disabled.
21465
21466 @anchor{info auto-load libthread-db}
21467 @kindex info auto-load libthread-db
21468 @item info auto-load libthread-db
21469 Print the list of all loaded inferior specific thread debugging libraries and
21470 for each such library print list of inferior @var{pid}s using it.
21471 @end table
21472
21473 @node objfile-gdb.gdb file
21474 @subsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb} file
21475 @cindex auto-loading @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}
21476
21477 @value{GDBN} tries to load an @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb} file containing
21478 canned sequences of commands (@pxref{Sequences}), as long as @samp{set
21479 auto-load gdb-scripts} is set to @samp{on}.
21480
21481 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
21482 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
21483
21484 For more background refer to the similar Python scripts auto-loading
21485 description (@pxref{objfile-gdb.py file}).
21486
21487 @table @code
21488 @anchor{set auto-load gdb-scripts}
21489 @kindex set auto-load gdb-scripts
21490 @item set auto-load gdb-scripts [on|off]
21491 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts.
21492
21493 @anchor{show auto-load gdb-scripts}
21494 @kindex show auto-load gdb-scripts
21495 @item show auto-load gdb-scripts
21496 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is enabled or
21497 disabled.
21498
21499 @anchor{info auto-load gdb-scripts}
21500 @kindex info auto-load gdb-scripts
21501 @cindex print list of auto-loaded canned sequences of commands scripts
21502 @item info auto-load gdb-scripts [@var{regexp}]
21503 Print the list of all canned sequences of commands scripts that @value{GDBN}
21504 auto-loaded.
21505 @end table
21506
21507 If @var{regexp} is supplied only canned sequences of commands scripts with
21508 matching names are printed.
21509
21510 @node Auto-loading safe path
21511 @subsection Security restriction for auto-loading
21512 @cindex auto-loading safe-path
21513
21514 As the files of inferior can come from untrusted source (such as submitted by
21515 an application user) @value{GDBN} does not always load any files automatically.
21516 @value{GDBN} provides the @samp{set auto-load safe-path} setting to list
21517 directories trusted for loading files not explicitly requested by user.
21518 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern.
21519
21520 If the path is not set properly you will see a warning and the file will not
21521 get loaded:
21522
21523 @smallexample
21524 $ ./gdb -q ./gdb
21525 Reading symbols from /home/user/gdb/gdb...done.
21526 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been
21527 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
21528 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
21529 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py" auto-loading has been
21530 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
21531 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
21532 @end smallexample
21533
21534 The list of trusted directories is controlled by the following commands:
21535
21536 @table @code
21537 @anchor{set auto-load safe-path}
21538 @kindex set auto-load safe-path
21539 @item set auto-load safe-path @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
21540 Set the list of directories (and their subdirectories) trusted for automatic
21541 loading and execution of scripts. You can also enter a specific trusted file.
21542 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern; wildcards do not match
21543 directory separator - see @code{FNM_PATHNAME} for system function @code{fnmatch}
21544 (@pxref{Wildcard Matching, fnmatch, , libc, GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
21545 If you omit @var{directories}, @samp{auto-load safe-path} will be reset to
21546 its default value as specified during @value{GDBN} compilation.
21547
21548 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
21549 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
21550 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
21551
21552 @anchor{show auto-load safe-path}
21553 @kindex show auto-load safe-path
21554 @item show auto-load safe-path
21555 Show the list of directories trusted for automatic loading and execution of
21556 scripts.
21557
21558 @anchor{add-auto-load-safe-path}
21559 @kindex add-auto-load-safe-path
21560 @item add-auto-load-safe-path
21561 Add an entry (or list of entries) the list of directories trusted for automatic
21562 loading and execution of scripts. Multiple entries may be delimited by the
21563 host platform path separator in use.
21564 @end table
21565
21566 This variable defaults to what @code{--with-auto-load-dir} has been configured
21567 to (@pxref{with-auto-load-dir}). @file{$debugdir} and @file{$datadir}
21568 substitution applies the same as for @ref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
21569 The default @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by
21570 @value{GDBN} configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-safe-path}.
21571
21572 Setting this variable to @file{/} disables this security protection,
21573 corresponding @value{GDBN} configuration option is
21574 @option{--without-auto-load-safe-path}.
21575 This variable is supposed to be set to the system directories writable by the
21576 system superuser only. Users can add their source directories in init files in
21577 their home directories (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). See also deprecated
21578 init file in the current directory
21579 (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}).
21580
21581 To force @value{GDBN} to load the files it declined to load in the previous
21582 example, you could use one of the following ways:
21583
21584 @table @asis
21585 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{add-auto-load-safe-path ~/src/gdb}
21586 Specify this trusted directory (or a file) as additional component of the list.
21587 You have to specify also any existing directories displayed by
21588 by @samp{show auto-load safe-path} (such as @samp{/usr:/bin} in this example).
21589
21590 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /usr:/bin:~/src/gdb" @dots{}}
21591 Specify this directory as in the previous case but just for a single
21592 @value{GDBN} session.
21593
21594 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /" @dots{}}
21595 Disable auto-loading safety for a single @value{GDBN} session.
21596 This assumes all the files you debug during this @value{GDBN} session will come
21597 from trusted sources.
21598
21599 @item @kbd{./configure --without-auto-load-safe-path}
21600 During compilation of @value{GDBN} you may disable any auto-loading safety.
21601 This assumes all the files you will ever debug with this @value{GDBN} come from
21602 trusted sources.
21603 @end table
21604
21605 On the other hand you can also explicitly forbid automatic files loading which
21606 also suppresses any such warning messages:
21607
21608 @table @asis
21609 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load no" @dots{}}
21610 You can use @value{GDBN} command-line option for a single @value{GDBN} session.
21611
21612 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{set auto-load no}
21613 Disable auto-loading globally for the user
21614 (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). While it is improbable, you could also
21615 use system init file instead (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
21616 @end table
21617
21618 This setting applies to the file names as entered by user. If no entry matches
21619 @value{GDBN} tries as a last resort to also resolve all the file names into
21620 their canonical form (typically resolving symbolic links) and compare the
21621 entries again. @value{GDBN} already canonicalizes most of the filenames on its
21622 own before starting the comparison so a canonical form of directories is
21623 recommended to be entered.
21624
21625 @node Auto-loading verbose mode
21626 @subsection Displaying files tried for auto-load
21627 @cindex auto-loading verbose mode
21628
21629 For better visibility of all the file locations where you can place scripts to
21630 be auto-loaded with inferior --- or to protect yourself against accidental
21631 execution of untrusted scripts --- @value{GDBN} provides a feature for printing
21632 all the files attempted to be loaded. Both existing and non-existing files may
21633 be printed.
21634
21635 For example the list of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
21636 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}) applies also to canonicalized filenames which
21637 may not be too obvious while setting it up.
21638
21639 @smallexample
21640 (gdb) set debug auto-load on
21641 (gdb) file ~/src/t/true
21642 auto-load: Loading canned sequences of commands script "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb"
21643 for objfile "/tmp/true".
21644 auto-load: Updating directories of "/usr:/opt".
21645 auto-load: Using directory "/usr".
21646 auto-load: Using directory "/opt".
21647 warning: File "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been declined
21648 by your `auto-load safe-path' set to "/usr:/opt".
21649 @end smallexample
21650
21651 @table @code
21652 @anchor{set debug auto-load}
21653 @kindex set debug auto-load
21654 @item set debug auto-load [on|off]
21655 Set whether to print the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded.
21656
21657 @anchor{show debug auto-load}
21658 @kindex show debug auto-load
21659 @item show debug auto-load
21660 Show whether printing of the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded is turned
21661 on or off.
21662 @end table
21663
21664 @node Messages/Warnings
21665 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
21666
21667 @cindex verbose operation
21668 @cindex optional warnings
21669 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
21670 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
21671 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
21672 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
21673
21674 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
21675 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
21676 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
21677
21678 @table @code
21679 @kindex set verbose
21680 @item set verbose on
21681 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
21682
21683 @item set verbose off
21684 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
21685
21686 @kindex show verbose
21687 @item show verbose
21688 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
21689 @end table
21690
21691 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
21692 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
21693 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
21694 Symbol Files}).
21695
21696 @table @code
21697
21698 @kindex set complaints
21699 @item set complaints @var{limit}
21700 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
21701 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
21702 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
21703 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
21704
21705 @kindex show complaints
21706 @item show complaints
21707 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
21708
21709 @end table
21710
21711 @anchor{confirmation requests}
21712 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
21713 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
21714 you try to run a program which is already running:
21715
21716 @smallexample
21717 (@value{GDBP}) run
21718 The program being debugged has been started already.
21719 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
21720 @end smallexample
21721
21722 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
21723 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
21724
21725 @table @code
21726
21727 @kindex set confirm
21728 @cindex flinching
21729 @cindex confirmation
21730 @cindex stupid questions
21731 @item set confirm off
21732 Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
21733 the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
21734 automatically disables confirmation requests.
21735
21736 @item set confirm on
21737 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
21738
21739 @kindex show confirm
21740 @item show confirm
21741 Displays state of confirmation requests.
21742
21743 @end table
21744
21745 @cindex command tracing
21746 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
21747 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
21748 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
21749 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
21750
21751 @table @code
21752 @kindex set trace-commands
21753 @cindex command scripts, debugging
21754 @item set trace-commands on
21755 Enable command tracing.
21756 @item set trace-commands off
21757 Disable command tracing.
21758 @item show trace-commands
21759 Display the current state of command tracing.
21760 @end table
21761
21762 @node Debugging Output
21763 @section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
21764 @cindex optional debugging messages
21765
21766 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
21767 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
21768 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
21769 section documents those commands.
21770
21771 @table @code
21772 @kindex set exec-done-display
21773 @item set exec-done-display
21774 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
21775 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
21776 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
21777 @kindex show exec-done-display
21778 @item show exec-done-display
21779 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
21780 notification.
21781 @kindex set debug
21782 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
21783 @cindex architecture debugging info
21784 @item set debug arch
21785 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
21786 @kindex show debug
21787 @item show debug arch
21788 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
21789 @item set debug aix-thread
21790 @cindex AIX threads
21791 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
21792 module.
21793 @item show debug aix-thread
21794 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
21795 @item set debug check-physname
21796 @cindex physname
21797 Check the results of the ``physname'' computation. When reading DWARF
21798 debugging information for C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} attempts to compute
21799 each entity's name. @value{GDBN} can do this computation in two
21800 different ways, depending on exactly what information is present.
21801 When enabled, this setting causes @value{GDBN} to compute the names
21802 both ways and display any discrepancies.
21803 @item show debug check-physname
21804 Show the current state of ``physname'' checking.
21805 @item set debug dwarf2-die
21806 @cindex DWARF2 DIEs
21807 Dump DWARF2 DIEs after they are read in.
21808 The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
21809 A value of zero turns off the display.
21810 @item show debug dwarf2-die
21811 Show the current state of DWARF2 DIE debugging.
21812 @item set debug dwarf2-read
21813 @cindex DWARF2 Reading
21814 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to reading
21815 DWARF debug info. The default is off.
21816 @item show debug dwarf2-read
21817 Show the current state of DWARF2 reader debugging.
21818 @item set debug displaced
21819 @cindex displaced stepping debugging info
21820 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
21821 displaced stepping support. The default is off.
21822 @item show debug displaced
21823 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
21824 related to displaced stepping.
21825 @item set debug event
21826 @cindex event debugging info
21827 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
21828 default is off.
21829 @item show debug event
21830 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
21831 info.
21832 @item set debug expression
21833 @cindex expression debugging info
21834 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
21835 expression parsing. The default is off.
21836 @item show debug expression
21837 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
21838 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
21839 @item set debug frame
21840 @cindex frame debugging info
21841 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
21842 default is off.
21843 @item show debug frame
21844 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
21845 info.
21846 @item set debug gnu-nat
21847 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
21848 Turns on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
21849 @item show debug gnu-nat
21850 Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
21851 @item set debug infrun
21852 @cindex inferior debugging info
21853 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
21854 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
21855 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
21856 @item show debug infrun
21857 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
21858 @item set debug jit
21859 @cindex just-in-time compilation, debugging messages
21860 Turns on or off debugging messages from JIT debug support.
21861 @item show debug jit
21862 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} JIT debugging.
21863 @item set debug lin-lwp
21864 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
21865 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
21866 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
21867 @item show debug lin-lwp
21868 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
21869 @item set debug observer
21870 @cindex observer debugging info
21871 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
21872 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
21873 @item show debug observer
21874 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
21875 @item set debug overload
21876 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
21877 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
21878 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
21879 is off.
21880 @item show debug overload
21881 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
21882 debugging info.
21883 @cindex expression parser, debugging info
21884 @cindex debug expression parser
21885 @item set debug parser
21886 Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
21887 Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
21888 parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
21889 details. The default is off.
21890 @item show debug parser
21891 Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
21892 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
21893 @cindex serial connections, debugging
21894 @cindex debug remote protocol
21895 @cindex remote protocol debugging
21896 @cindex display remote packets
21897 @item set debug remote
21898 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
21899 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
21900 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
21901 @item show debug remote
21902 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
21903 @item set debug serial
21904 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
21905 default is off.
21906 @item show debug serial
21907 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
21908 info.
21909 @item set debug solib-frv
21910 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
21911 Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
21912 @item show debug solib-frv
21913 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
21914 messages.
21915 @item set debug symtab-create
21916 @cindex symbol table creation
21917 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol table creation.
21918 The default is off.
21919 @item show debug symtab-create
21920 Show the current state of symbol table creation debugging.
21921 @item set debug target
21922 @cindex target debugging info
21923 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
21924 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
21925 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
21926 value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
21927 until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
21928 @item show debug target
21929 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
21930 info.
21931 @item set debug timestamp
21932 @cindex timestampping debugging info
21933 Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
21934 When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
21935 message.
21936 @item show debug timestamp
21937 Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
21938 debugging info.
21939 @item set debugvarobj
21940 @cindex variable object debugging info
21941 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
21942 info. The default is off.
21943 @item show debugvarobj
21944 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
21945 debugging info.
21946 @item set debug xml
21947 @cindex XML parser debugging
21948 Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
21949 @item show debug xml
21950 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
21951 @end table
21952
21953 @node Other Misc Settings
21954 @section Other Miscellaneous Settings
21955 @cindex miscellaneous settings
21956
21957 @table @code
21958 @kindex set interactive-mode
21959 @item set interactive-mode
21960 If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to assume that GDB was started
21961 in a terminal. In practice, this means that @value{GDBN} should wait
21962 for the user to answer queries generated by commands entered at
21963 the command prompt. If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate
21964 in the opposite mode, and it uses the default answers to all queries.
21965 If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} tries to determine whether
21966 its standard input is a terminal, and works in interactive-mode if it
21967 is, non-interactively otherwise.
21968
21969 In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
21970 correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
21971 in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
21972 inside a cygwin window.
21973
21974 @kindex show interactive-mode
21975 @item show interactive-mode
21976 Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
21977 @end table
21978
21979 @node Extending GDB
21980 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
21981 @cindex extending GDB
21982
21983 @value{GDBN} provides three mechanisms for extension. The first is based
21984 on composition of @value{GDBN} commands, the second is based on the
21985 Python scripting language, and the third is for defining new aliases of
21986 existing commands.
21987
21988 To facilitate the use of the first two extensions, @value{GDBN} is capable
21989 of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
21990 can recognize which scripting language is being used by looking at
21991 the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
21992 are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
21993 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
21994
21995 You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
21996 setting:
21997
21998 @table @code
21999 @kindex set script-extension
22000 @kindex show script-extension
22001 @item set script-extension off
22002 All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
22003
22004 @item set script-extension soft
22005 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22006 extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
22007 evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
22008 the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
22009
22010 @item set script-extension strict
22011 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22012 extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
22013 language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
22014
22015 @item show script-extension
22016 Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
22017
22018 @end table
22019
22020 @menu
22021 * Sequences:: Canned Sequences of Commands
22022 * Python:: Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
22023 * Aliases:: Creating new spellings of existing commands
22024 @end menu
22025
22026 @node Sequences
22027 @section Canned Sequences of Commands
22028
22029 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
22030 Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
22031 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
22032 files.
22033
22034 @menu
22035 * Define:: How to define your own commands
22036 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
22037 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
22038 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
22039 @end menu
22040
22041 @node Define
22042 @subsection User-defined Commands
22043
22044 @cindex user-defined command
22045 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
22046 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
22047 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
22048 @code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
22049 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
22050 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
22051
22052 @smallexample
22053 define adder
22054 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
22055 end
22056 @end smallexample
22057
22058 @noindent
22059 To execute the command use:
22060
22061 @smallexample
22062 adder 1 2 3
22063 @end smallexample
22064
22065 @noindent
22066 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
22067 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
22068 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
22069 functions calls.
22070
22071 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
22072 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
22073 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
22074 been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
22075
22076 @smallexample
22077 define adder
22078 if $argc == 2
22079 print $arg0 + $arg1
22080 end
22081 if $argc == 3
22082 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
22083 end
22084 end
22085 @end smallexample
22086
22087 @table @code
22088
22089 @kindex define
22090 @item define @var{commandname}
22091 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
22092 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
22093 @var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
22094 numbers, dashes, and underscores. It may also start with any predefined
22095 prefix command. For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
22096 a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
22097
22098 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
22099 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
22100 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
22101
22102 @kindex document
22103 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
22104 @item document @var{commandname}
22105 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
22106 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
22107 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
22108 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
22109 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
22110 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
22111
22112 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
22113 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
22114 does not change the documentation.
22115
22116 @kindex dont-repeat
22117 @cindex don't repeat command
22118 @item dont-repeat
22119 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
22120 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
22121 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
22122
22123 @kindex help user-defined
22124 @item help user-defined
22125 List all user-defined commands and all python commands defined in class
22126 COMAND_USER. The first line of the documentation or docstring is
22127 included (if any).
22128
22129 @kindex show user
22130 @item show user
22131 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
22132 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
22133 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
22134 definitions for all user-defined commands.
22135 This does not work for user-defined python commands.
22136
22137 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
22138 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
22139 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
22140 @item show max-user-call-depth
22141 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
22142 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
22143 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
22144 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
22145 This does not apply to user-defined python commands.
22146 @end table
22147
22148 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
22149 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
22150
22151 When user-defined commands are executed, the
22152 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
22153 stops execution of the user-defined command.
22154
22155 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
22156 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
22157 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
22158 messages when used in a user-defined command.
22159
22160 @node Hooks
22161 @subsection User-defined Command Hooks
22162 @cindex command hooks
22163 @cindex hooks, for commands
22164 @cindex hooks, pre-command
22165
22166 @kindex hook
22167 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
22168 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
22169 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
22170 before that command.
22171
22172 @cindex hooks, post-command
22173 @kindex hookpost
22174 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
22175 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
22176 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
22177 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
22178 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
22179
22180 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
22181 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
22182
22183 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
22184 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
22185
22186 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
22187 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
22188 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
22189 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
22190 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
22191
22192 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
22193 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
22194 you could define:
22195
22196 @smallexample
22197 define hook-stop
22198 handle SIGALRM nopass
22199 end
22200
22201 define hook-run
22202 handle SIGALRM pass
22203 end
22204
22205 define hook-continue
22206 handle SIGALRM pass
22207 end
22208 @end smallexample
22209
22210 As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
22211 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
22212 you could define:
22213
22214 @smallexample
22215 define hook-echo
22216 echo <<<---
22217 end
22218
22219 define hookpost-echo
22220 echo --->>>\n
22221 end
22222
22223 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
22224 <<<---Hello World--->>>
22225 (@value{GDBP})
22226
22227 @end smallexample
22228
22229 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
22230 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
22231 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
22232 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
22233 @c or not?
22234 You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
22235 @code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
22236 @samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
22237
22238 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
22239 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
22240 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
22241
22242 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
22243 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
22244
22245 @node Command Files
22246 @subsection Command Files
22247
22248 @cindex command files
22249 @cindex scripting commands
22250 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
22251 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
22252 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
22253 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
22254 terminal.
22255
22256 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
22257 command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
22258 scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
22259 using the @code{script-extension} setting.
22260 @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
22261
22262 @table @code
22263 @kindex source
22264 @cindex execute commands from a file
22265 @item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
22266 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
22267 @end table
22268
22269 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
22270 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
22271 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
22272 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
22273 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
22274
22275 @value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
22276 If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
22277 directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
22278 (specified with the @samp{directory} command);
22279 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
22280 is not relevant to scripts.
22281
22282 If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
22283 on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
22284 The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
22285 search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
22286 and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
22287 look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
22288 The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
22289 For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
22290 the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
22291 look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
22292 For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
22293 it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
22294 @file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
22295 will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
22296
22297 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
22298 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
22299 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
22300
22301 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
22302 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
22303 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
22304 when called from command files.
22305
22306 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
22307 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
22308 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
22309 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
22310 the next command.
22311
22312 @smallexample
22313 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
22314 @end smallexample
22315
22316 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
22317 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
22318 would be directed to @file{log}.
22319
22320 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
22321 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
22322 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
22323 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
22324 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
22325 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
22326 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
22327 conditionally, etc.
22328
22329 @table @code
22330 @kindex if
22331 @kindex else
22332 @item if
22333 @itemx else
22334 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
22335 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
22336 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
22337 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
22338 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
22339 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
22340 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
22341
22342 @kindex while
22343 @item while
22344 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
22345 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
22346 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
22347 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
22348 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
22349 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
22350
22351 @kindex loop_break
22352 @item loop_break
22353 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
22354 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
22355 line.
22356
22357 @kindex loop_continue
22358 @item loop_continue
22359 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
22360 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
22361 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
22362 the controlling expression.
22363
22364 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
22365 @item end
22366 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
22367 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
22368 @end table
22369
22370
22371 @node Output
22372 @subsection Commands for Controlled Output
22373
22374 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
22375 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
22376 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
22377 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
22378 want.
22379
22380 @table @code
22381 @kindex echo
22382 @item echo @var{text}
22383 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
22384 @c because it is not in ANSI.
22385 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
22386 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
22387 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
22388 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
22389 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
22390 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
22391 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
22392 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
22393 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
22394
22395 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
22396 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
22397
22398 @smallexample
22399 echo This is some text\n\
22400 which is continued\n\
22401 onto several lines.\n
22402 @end smallexample
22403
22404 produces the same output as
22405
22406 @smallexample
22407 echo This is some text\n
22408 echo which is continued\n
22409 echo onto several lines.\n
22410 @end smallexample
22411
22412 @kindex output
22413 @item output @var{expression}
22414 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
22415 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
22416 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
22417 on expressions.
22418
22419 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
22420 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
22421 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
22422 Formats}, for more information.
22423
22424 @kindex printf
22425 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
22426 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
22427 the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
22428 @var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
22429 which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
22430 specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
22431 executing the code below:
22432
22433 @smallexample
22434 printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
22435 @end smallexample
22436
22437 As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
22438 are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
22439 by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
22440 evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
22441 style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
22442 printed.
22443
22444 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
22445
22446 @smallexample
22447 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
22448 @end smallexample
22449
22450 @code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
22451 specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
22452 character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
22453
22454 @itemize @bullet
22455 @item
22456 The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
22457
22458 @item
22459 The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
22460 width.
22461
22462 @item
22463 The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
22464 @code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
22465
22466 @item
22467 The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
22468 supported.
22469
22470 @item
22471 The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
22472
22473 @item
22474 The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
22475 @end itemize
22476
22477 @noindent
22478 Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
22479 underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
22480 the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
22481 supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
22482
22483 As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
22484 sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
22485 @samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
22486 single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
22487 supported.
22488
22489 Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
22490 (@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
22491 together with a floating point specifier.
22492 letters:
22493
22494 @itemize @bullet
22495 @item
22496 @samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
22497
22498 @item
22499 @samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
22500
22501 @item
22502 @samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
22503 @end itemize
22504
22505 If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
22506 support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
22507 such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
22508
22509 In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
22510 available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
22511
22512 Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
22513 @smallexample
22514 printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
22515 @end smallexample
22516
22517 @kindex eval
22518 @item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
22519 Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
22520 the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
22521
22522 @end table
22523
22524 @node Python
22525 @section Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
22526 @cindex python scripting
22527 @cindex scripting with python
22528
22529 You can script @value{GDBN} using the @uref{http://www.python.org/,
22530 Python programming language}. This feature is available only if
22531 @value{GDBN} was configured using @option{--with-python}.
22532
22533 @cindex python directory
22534 Python scripts used by @value{GDBN} should be installed in
22535 @file{@var{data-directory}/python}, where @var{data-directory} is
22536 the data directory as determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}).
22537 This directory, known as the @dfn{python directory},
22538 is automatically added to the Python Search Path in order to allow
22539 the Python interpreter to locate all scripts installed at this location.
22540
22541 Additionally, @value{GDBN} commands and convenience functions which
22542 are written in Python and are located in the
22543 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/command} or
22544 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/function} directories are
22545 automatically imported when @value{GDBN} starts.
22546
22547 @menu
22548 * Python Commands:: Accessing Python from @value{GDBN}.
22549 * Python API:: Accessing @value{GDBN} from Python.
22550 * Python Auto-loading:: Automatically loading Python code.
22551 * Python modules:: Python modules provided by @value{GDBN}.
22552 @end menu
22553
22554 @node Python Commands
22555 @subsection Python Commands
22556 @cindex python commands
22557 @cindex commands to access python
22558
22559 @value{GDBN} provides one command for accessing the Python interpreter,
22560 and one related setting:
22561
22562 @table @code
22563 @kindex python
22564 @item python @r{[}@var{code}@r{]}
22565 The @code{python} command can be used to evaluate Python code.
22566
22567 If given an argument, the @code{python} command will evaluate the
22568 argument as a Python command. For example:
22569
22570 @smallexample
22571 (@value{GDBP}) python print 23
22572 23
22573 @end smallexample
22574
22575 If you do not provide an argument to @code{python}, it will act as a
22576 multi-line command, like @code{define}. In this case, the Python
22577 script is made up of subsequent command lines, given after the
22578 @code{python} command. This command list is terminated using a line
22579 containing @code{end}. For example:
22580
22581 @smallexample
22582 (@value{GDBP}) python
22583 Type python script
22584 End with a line saying just "end".
22585 >print 23
22586 >end
22587 23
22588 @end smallexample
22589
22590 @kindex set python print-stack
22591 @item set python print-stack
22592 By default, @value{GDBN} will print only the message component of a
22593 Python exception when an error occurs in a Python script. This can be
22594 controlled using @code{set python print-stack}: if @code{full}, then
22595 full Python stack printing is enabled; if @code{none}, then Python stack
22596 and message printing is disabled; if @code{message}, the default, only
22597 the message component of the error is printed.
22598 @end table
22599
22600 It is also possible to execute a Python script from the @value{GDBN}
22601 interpreter:
22602
22603 @table @code
22604 @item source @file{script-name}
22605 The script name must end with @samp{.py} and @value{GDBN} must be configured
22606 to recognize the script language based on filename extension using
22607 the @code{script-extension} setting. @xref{Extending GDB, ,Extending GDB}.
22608
22609 @item python execfile ("script-name")
22610 This method is based on the @code{execfile} Python built-in function,
22611 and thus is always available.
22612 @end table
22613
22614 @node Python API
22615 @subsection Python API
22616 @cindex python api
22617 @cindex programming in python
22618
22619 @cindex python stdout
22620 @cindex python pagination
22621 At startup, @value{GDBN} overrides Python's @code{sys.stdout} and
22622 @code{sys.stderr} to print using @value{GDBN}'s output-paging streams.
22623 A Python program which outputs to one of these streams may have its
22624 output interrupted by the user (@pxref{Screen Size}). In this
22625 situation, a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception is thrown.
22626
22627 @menu
22628 * Basic Python:: Basic Python Functions.
22629 * Exception Handling:: How Python exceptions are translated.
22630 * Values From Inferior:: Python representation of values.
22631 * Types In Python:: Python representation of types.
22632 * Pretty Printing API:: Pretty-printing values.
22633 * Selecting Pretty-Printers:: How GDB chooses a pretty-printer.
22634 * Writing a Pretty-Printer:: Writing a Pretty-Printer.
22635 * Inferiors In Python:: Python representation of inferiors (processes)
22636 * Events In Python:: Listening for events from @value{GDBN}.
22637 * Threads In Python:: Accessing inferior threads from Python.
22638 * Commands In Python:: Implementing new commands in Python.
22639 * Parameters In Python:: Adding new @value{GDBN} parameters.
22640 * Functions In Python:: Writing new convenience functions.
22641 * Progspaces In Python:: Program spaces.
22642 * Objfiles In Python:: Object files.
22643 * Frames In Python:: Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
22644 * Blocks In Python:: Accessing frame blocks from Python.
22645 * Symbols In Python:: Python representation of symbols.
22646 * Symbol Tables In Python:: Python representation of symbol tables.
22647 * Breakpoints In Python:: Manipulating breakpoints using Python.
22648 * Finish Breakpoints in Python:: Setting Breakpoints on function return
22649 using Python.
22650 * Lazy Strings In Python:: Python representation of lazy strings.
22651 @end menu
22652
22653 @node Basic Python
22654 @subsubsection Basic Python
22655
22656 @cindex python functions
22657 @cindex python module
22658 @cindex gdb module
22659 @value{GDBN} introduces a new Python module, named @code{gdb}. All
22660 methods and classes added by @value{GDBN} are placed in this module.
22661 @value{GDBN} automatically @code{import}s the @code{gdb} module for
22662 use in all scripts evaluated by the @code{python} command.
22663
22664 @findex gdb.PYTHONDIR
22665 @defvar gdb.PYTHONDIR
22666 A string containing the python directory (@pxref{Python}).
22667 @end defvar
22668
22669 @findex gdb.execute
22670 @defun gdb.execute (command @r{[}, from_tty @r{[}, to_string@r{]]})
22671 Evaluate @var{command}, a string, as a @value{GDBN} CLI command.
22672 If a GDB exception happens while @var{command} runs, it is
22673 translated as described in @ref{Exception Handling,,Exception Handling}.
22674
22675 @var{from_tty} specifies whether @value{GDBN} ought to consider this
22676 command as having originated from the user invoking it interactively.
22677 It must be a boolean value. If omitted, it defaults to @code{False}.
22678
22679 By default, any output produced by @var{command} is sent to
22680 @value{GDBN}'s standard output. If the @var{to_string} parameter is
22681 @code{True}, then output will be collected by @code{gdb.execute} and
22682 returned as a string. The default is @code{False}, in which case the
22683 return value is @code{None}. If @var{to_string} is @code{True}, the
22684 @value{GDBN} virtual terminal will be temporarily set to unlimited width
22685 and height, and its pagination will be disabled; @pxref{Screen Size}.
22686 @end defun
22687
22688 @findex gdb.breakpoints
22689 @defun gdb.breakpoints ()
22690 Return a sequence holding all of @value{GDBN}'s breakpoints.
22691 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for more information.
22692 @end defun
22693
22694 @findex gdb.parameter
22695 @defun gdb.parameter (parameter)
22696 Return the value of a @value{GDBN} parameter. @var{parameter} is a
22697 string naming the parameter to look up; @var{parameter} may contain
22698 spaces if the parameter has a multi-part name. For example,
22699 @samp{print object} is a valid parameter name.
22700
22701 If the named parameter does not exist, this function throws a
22702 @code{gdb.error} (@pxref{Exception Handling}). Otherwise, the
22703 parameter's value is converted to a Python value of the appropriate
22704 type, and returned.
22705 @end defun
22706
22707 @findex gdb.history
22708 @defun gdb.history (number)
22709 Return a value from @value{GDBN}'s value history (@pxref{Value
22710 History}). @var{number} indicates which history element to return.
22711 If @var{number} is negative, then @value{GDBN} will take its absolute value
22712 and count backward from the last element (i.e., the most recent element) to
22713 find the value to return. If @var{number} is zero, then @value{GDBN} will
22714 return the most recent element. If the element specified by @var{number}
22715 doesn't exist in the value history, a @code{gdb.error} exception will be
22716 raised.
22717
22718 If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
22719 @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
22720 @end defun
22721
22722 @findex gdb.parse_and_eval
22723 @defun gdb.parse_and_eval (expression)
22724 Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
22725 evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
22726 @var{expression} must be a string.
22727
22728 This function can be useful when implementing a new command
22729 (@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
22730 command's argument as an expression. It is also useful simply to
22731 compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
22732 convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
22733 @end defun
22734
22735 @findex gdb.find_pc_line
22736 @defun gdb.find_pc_line (pc)
22737 Return the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object corresponding to the
22738 @var{pc} value. @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}. If an invalid
22739 value of @var{pc} is passed as an argument, then the @code{symtab} and
22740 @code{line} attributes of the returned @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object
22741 will be @code{None} and 0 respectively.
22742 @end defun
22743
22744 @findex gdb.post_event
22745 @defun gdb.post_event (event)
22746 Put @var{event}, a callable object taking no arguments, into
22747 @value{GDBN}'s internal event queue. This callable will be invoked at
22748 some later point, during @value{GDBN}'s event processing. Events
22749 posted using @code{post_event} will be run in the order in which they
22750 were posted; however, there is no way to know when they will be
22751 processed relative to other events inside @value{GDBN}.
22752
22753 @value{GDBN} is not thread-safe. If your Python program uses multiple
22754 threads, you must be careful to only call @value{GDBN}-specific
22755 functions in the main @value{GDBN} thread. @code{post_event} ensures
22756 this. For example:
22757
22758 @smallexample
22759 (@value{GDBP}) python
22760 >import threading
22761 >
22762 >class Writer():
22763 > def __init__(self, message):
22764 > self.message = message;
22765 > def __call__(self):
22766 > gdb.write(self.message)
22767 >
22768 >class MyThread1 (threading.Thread):
22769 > def run (self):
22770 > gdb.post_event(Writer("Hello "))
22771 >
22772 >class MyThread2 (threading.Thread):
22773 > def run (self):
22774 > gdb.post_event(Writer("World\n"))
22775 >
22776 >MyThread1().start()
22777 >MyThread2().start()
22778 >end
22779 (@value{GDBP}) Hello World
22780 @end smallexample
22781 @end defun
22782
22783 @findex gdb.write
22784 @defun gdb.write (string @r{[}, stream{]})
22785 Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated output stream. The
22786 optional @var{stream} determines the stream to print to. The default
22787 stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible stream
22788 values are:
22789
22790 @table @code
22791 @findex STDOUT
22792 @findex gdb.STDOUT
22793 @item gdb.STDOUT
22794 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
22795
22796 @findex STDERR
22797 @findex gdb.STDERR
22798 @item gdb.STDERR
22799 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
22800
22801 @findex STDLOG
22802 @findex gdb.STDLOG
22803 @item gdb.STDLOG
22804 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
22805 @end table
22806
22807 Writing to @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
22808 call this function and will automatically direct the output to the
22809 relevant stream.
22810 @end defun
22811
22812 @findex gdb.flush
22813 @defun gdb.flush ()
22814 Flush the buffer of a @value{GDBN} paginated stream so that the
22815 contents are displayed immediately. @value{GDBN} will flush the
22816 contents of a stream automatically when it encounters a newline in the
22817 buffer. The optional @var{stream} determines the stream to flush. The
22818 default stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible
22819 stream values are:
22820
22821 @table @code
22822 @findex STDOUT
22823 @findex gdb.STDOUT
22824 @item gdb.STDOUT
22825 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
22826
22827 @findex STDERR
22828 @findex gdb.STDERR
22829 @item gdb.STDERR
22830 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
22831
22832 @findex STDLOG
22833 @findex gdb.STDLOG
22834 @item gdb.STDLOG
22835 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
22836
22837 @end table
22838
22839 Flushing @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
22840 call this function for the relevant stream.
22841 @end defun
22842
22843 @findex gdb.target_charset
22844 @defun gdb.target_charset ()
22845 Return the name of the current target character set (@pxref{Character
22846 Sets}). This differs from @code{gdb.parameter('target-charset')} in
22847 that @samp{auto} is never returned.
22848 @end defun
22849
22850 @findex gdb.target_wide_charset
22851 @defun gdb.target_wide_charset ()
22852 Return the name of the current target wide character set
22853 (@pxref{Character Sets}). This differs from
22854 @code{gdb.parameter('target-wide-charset')} in that @samp{auto} is
22855 never returned.
22856 @end defun
22857
22858 @findex gdb.solib_name
22859 @defun gdb.solib_name (address)
22860 Return the name of the shared library holding the given @var{address}
22861 as a string, or @code{None}.
22862 @end defun
22863
22864 @findex gdb.decode_line
22865 @defun gdb.decode_line @r{[}expression@r{]}
22866 Return locations of the line specified by @var{expression}, or of the
22867 current line if no argument was given. This function returns a Python
22868 tuple containing two elements. The first element contains a string
22869 holding any unparsed section of @var{expression} (or @code{None} if
22870 the expression has been fully parsed). The second element contains
22871 either @code{None} or another tuple that contains all the locations
22872 that match the expression represented as @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line}
22873 objects (@pxref{Symbol Tables In Python}). If @var{expression} is
22874 provided, it is decoded the way that @value{GDBN}'s inbuilt
22875 @code{break} or @code{edit} commands do (@pxref{Specify Location}).
22876 @end defun
22877
22878 @defun gdb.prompt_hook (current_prompt)
22879 @anchor{prompt_hook}
22880
22881 If @var{prompt_hook} is callable, @value{GDBN} will call the method
22882 assigned to this operation before a prompt is displayed by
22883 @value{GDBN}.
22884
22885 The parameter @code{current_prompt} contains the current @value{GDBN}
22886 prompt. This method must return a Python string, or @code{None}. If
22887 a string is returned, the @value{GDBN} prompt will be set to that
22888 string. If @code{None} is returned, @value{GDBN} will continue to use
22889 the current prompt.
22890
22891 Some prompts cannot be substituted in @value{GDBN}. Secondary prompts
22892 such as those used by readline for command input, and annotation
22893 related prompts are prohibited from being changed.
22894 @end defun
22895
22896 @node Exception Handling
22897 @subsubsection Exception Handling
22898 @cindex python exceptions
22899 @cindex exceptions, python
22900
22901 When executing the @code{python} command, Python exceptions
22902 uncaught within the Python code are translated to calls to
22903 @value{GDBN} error-reporting mechanism. If the command that called
22904 @code{python} does not handle the error, @value{GDBN} will
22905 terminate it and print an error message containing the Python
22906 exception name, the associated value, and the Python call stack
22907 backtrace at the point where the exception was raised. Example:
22908
22909 @smallexample
22910 (@value{GDBP}) python print foo
22911 Traceback (most recent call last):
22912 File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
22913 NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
22914 @end smallexample
22915
22916 @value{GDBN} errors that happen in @value{GDBN} commands invoked by
22917 Python code are converted to Python exceptions. The type of the
22918 Python exception depends on the error.
22919
22920 @ftable @code
22921 @item gdb.error
22922 This is the base class for most exceptions generated by @value{GDBN}.
22923 It is derived from @code{RuntimeError}, for compatibility with earlier
22924 versions of @value{GDBN}.
22925
22926 If an error occurring in @value{GDBN} does not fit into some more
22927 specific category, then the generated exception will have this type.
22928
22929 @item gdb.MemoryError
22930 This is a subclass of @code{gdb.error} which is thrown when an
22931 operation tried to access invalid memory in the inferior.
22932
22933 @item KeyboardInterrupt
22934 User interrupt (via @kbd{C-c} or by typing @kbd{q} at a pagination
22935 prompt) is translated to a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception.
22936 @end ftable
22937
22938 In all cases, your exception handler will see the @value{GDBN} error
22939 message as its value and the Python call stack backtrace at the Python
22940 statement closest to where the @value{GDBN} error occured as the
22941 traceback.
22942
22943 @findex gdb.GdbError
22944 When implementing @value{GDBN} commands in Python via @code{gdb.Command},
22945 it is useful to be able to throw an exception that doesn't cause a
22946 traceback to be printed. For example, the user may have invoked the
22947 command incorrectly. Use the @code{gdb.GdbError} exception
22948 to handle this case. Example:
22949
22950 @smallexample
22951 (gdb) python
22952 >class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
22953 > """Greet the whole world."""
22954 > def __init__ (self):
22955 > super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
22956 > def invoke (self, args, from_tty):
22957 > argv = gdb.string_to_argv (args)
22958 > if len (argv) != 0:
22959 > raise gdb.GdbError ("hello-world takes no arguments")
22960 > print "Hello, World!"
22961 >HelloWorld ()
22962 >end
22963 (gdb) hello-world 42
22964 hello-world takes no arguments
22965 @end smallexample
22966
22967 @node Values From Inferior
22968 @subsubsection Values From Inferior
22969 @cindex values from inferior, with Python
22970 @cindex python, working with values from inferior
22971
22972 @cindex @code{gdb.Value}
22973 @value{GDBN} provides values it obtains from the inferior program in
22974 an object of type @code{gdb.Value}. @value{GDBN} uses this object
22975 for its internal bookkeeping of the inferior's values, and for
22976 fetching values when necessary.
22977
22978 Inferior values that are simple scalars can be used directly in
22979 Python expressions that are valid for the value's data type. Here's
22980 an example for an integer or floating-point value @code{some_val}:
22981
22982 @smallexample
22983 bar = some_val + 2
22984 @end smallexample
22985
22986 @noindent
22987 As result of this, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object
22988 whose values are of the same type as those of @code{some_val}.
22989
22990 Inferior values that are structures or instances of some class can
22991 be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}. For example, if
22992 @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance holding a structure, you
22993 can access its @code{foo} element with:
22994
22995 @smallexample
22996 bar = some_val['foo']
22997 @end smallexample
22998
22999 Again, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object.
23000
23001 A @code{gdb.Value} that represents a function can be executed via
23002 inferior function call. Any arguments provided to the call must match
23003 the function's prototype, and must be provided in the order specified
23004 by that prototype.
23005
23006 For example, @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance
23007 representing a function that takes two integers as arguments. To
23008 execute this function, call it like so:
23009
23010 @smallexample
23011 result = some_val (10,20)
23012 @end smallexample
23013
23014 Any values returned from a function call will be stored as a
23015 @code{gdb.Value}.
23016
23017 The following attributes are provided:
23018
23019 @table @code
23020 @defvar Value.address
23021 If this object is addressable, this read-only attribute holds a
23022 @code{gdb.Value} object representing the address. Otherwise,
23023 this attribute holds @code{None}.
23024 @end defvar
23025
23026 @cindex optimized out value in Python
23027 @defvar Value.is_optimized_out
23028 This read-only boolean attribute is true if the compiler optimized out
23029 this value, thus it is not available for fetching from the inferior.
23030 @end defvar
23031
23032 @defvar Value.type
23033 The type of this @code{gdb.Value}. The value of this attribute is a
23034 @code{gdb.Type} object (@pxref{Types In Python}).
23035 @end defvar
23036
23037 @defvar Value.dynamic_type
23038 The dynamic type of this @code{gdb.Value}. This uses C@t{++} run-time
23039 type information (@acronym{RTTI}) to determine the dynamic type of the
23040 value. If this value is of class type, it will return the class in
23041 which the value is embedded, if any. If this value is of pointer or
23042 reference to a class type, it will compute the dynamic type of the
23043 referenced object, and return a pointer or reference to that type,
23044 respectively. In all other cases, it will return the value's static
23045 type.
23046
23047 Note that this feature will only work when debugging a C@t{++} program
23048 that includes @acronym{RTTI} for the object in question. Otherwise,
23049 it will just return the static type of the value as in @kbd{ptype foo}
23050 (@pxref{Symbols, ptype}).
23051 @end defvar
23052
23053 @defvar Value.is_lazy
23054 The value of this read-only boolean attribute is @code{True} if this
23055 @code{gdb.Value} has not yet been fetched from the inferior.
23056 @value{GDBN} does not fetch values until necessary, for efficiency.
23057 For example:
23058
23059 @smallexample
23060 myval = gdb.parse_and_eval ('somevar')
23061 @end smallexample
23062
23063 The value of @code{somevar} is not fetched at this time. It will be
23064 fetched when the value is needed, or when the @code{fetch_lazy}
23065 method is invoked.
23066 @end defvar
23067 @end table
23068
23069 The following methods are provided:
23070
23071 @table @code
23072 @defun Value.__init__ (@var{val})
23073 Many Python values can be converted directly to a @code{gdb.Value} via
23074 this object initializer. Specifically:
23075
23076 @table @asis
23077 @item Python boolean
23078 A Python boolean is converted to the boolean type from the current
23079 language.
23080
23081 @item Python integer
23082 A Python integer is converted to the C @code{long} type for the
23083 current architecture.
23084
23085 @item Python long
23086 A Python long is converted to the C @code{long long} type for the
23087 current architecture.
23088
23089 @item Python float
23090 A Python float is converted to the C @code{double} type for the
23091 current architecture.
23092
23093 @item Python string
23094 A Python string is converted to a target string, using the current
23095 target encoding.
23096
23097 @item @code{gdb.Value}
23098 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.Value}, then a copy of the value is made.
23099
23100 @item @code{gdb.LazyString}
23101 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings In
23102 Python}), then the lazy string's @code{value} method is called, and
23103 its result is used.
23104 @end table
23105 @end defun
23106
23107 @defun Value.cast (type)
23108 Return a new instance of @code{gdb.Value} that is the result of
23109 casting this instance to the type described by @var{type}, which must
23110 be a @code{gdb.Type} object. If the cast cannot be performed for some
23111 reason, this method throws an exception.
23112 @end defun
23113
23114 @defun Value.dereference ()
23115 For pointer data types, this method returns a new @code{gdb.Value} object
23116 whose contents is the object pointed to by the pointer. For example, if
23117 @code{foo} is a C pointer to an @code{int}, declared in your C program as
23118
23119 @smallexample
23120 int *foo;
23121 @end smallexample
23122
23123 @noindent
23124 then you can use the corresponding @code{gdb.Value} to access what
23125 @code{foo} points to like this:
23126
23127 @smallexample
23128 bar = foo.dereference ()
23129 @end smallexample
23130
23131 The result @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Value} object holding the
23132 value pointed to by @code{foo}.
23133
23134 A similar function @code{Value.referenced_value} exists which also
23135 returns @code{gdb.Value} objects corresonding to the values pointed to
23136 by pointer values (and additionally, values referenced by reference
23137 values). However, the behavior of @code{Value.dereference}
23138 differs from @code{Value.referenced_value} by the fact that the
23139 behavior of @code{Value.dereference} is identical to applying the C
23140 unary operator @code{*} on a given value. For example, consider a
23141 reference to a pointer @code{ptrref}, declared in your C@t{++} program
23142 as
23143
23144 @smallexample
23145 typedef int *intptr;
23146 ...
23147 int val = 10;
23148 intptr ptr = &val;
23149 intptr &ptrref = ptr;
23150 @end smallexample
23151
23152 Though @code{ptrref} is a reference value, one can apply the method
23153 @code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding
23154 to it and obtain a @code{gdb.Value} which is identical to that
23155 corresponding to @code{val}. However, if you apply the method
23156 @code{Value.referenced_value}, the result would be a @code{gdb.Value}
23157 object identical to that corresponding to @code{ptr}.
23158
23159 @smallexample
23160 py_ptrref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ptrref")
23161 py_val = py_ptrref.dereference ()
23162 py_ptr = py_ptrref.referenced_value ()
23163 @end smallexample
23164
23165 The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
23166 corresponding to @code{val}, and @code{py_ptr} is identical to that
23167 corresponding to @code{ptr}. In general, @code{Value.dereference} can
23168 be applied whenever the C unary operator @code{*} can be applied
23169 to the corresponding C value. For those cases where applying both
23170 @code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} is allowed,
23171 the results obtained need not be identical (as we have seen in the above
23172 example). The results are however identical when applied on
23173 @code{gdb.Value} objects corresponding to pointers (@code{gdb.Value}
23174 objects with type code @code{TYPE_CODE_PTR}) in a C/C@t{++} program.
23175 @end defun
23176
23177 @defun Value.referenced_value ()
23178 For pointer or reference data types, this method returns a new
23179 @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the value referenced by the
23180 pointer/reference value. For pointer data types,
23181 @code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} produce
23182 identical results. The difference between these methods is that
23183 @code{Value.dereference} cannot get the values referenced by reference
23184 values. For example, consider a reference to an @code{int}, declared
23185 in your C@t{++} program as
23186
23187 @smallexample
23188 int val = 10;
23189 int &ref = val;
23190 @end smallexample
23191
23192 @noindent
23193 then applying @code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object
23194 corresponding to @code{ref} will result in an error, while applying
23195 @code{Value.referenced_value} will result in a @code{gdb.Value} object
23196 identical to that corresponding to @code{val}.
23197
23198 @smallexample
23199 py_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ref")
23200 er_ref = py_ref.dereference () # Results in error
23201 py_val = py_ref.referenced_value () # Returns the referenced value
23202 @end smallexample
23203
23204 The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
23205 corresponding to @code{val}.
23206 @end defun
23207
23208 @defun Value.dynamic_cast (type)
23209 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{dynamic_cast}
23210 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
23211 @end defun
23212
23213 @defun Value.reinterpret_cast (type)
23214 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{reinterpret_cast}
23215 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
23216 @end defun
23217
23218 @defun Value.string (@r{[}encoding@r{[}, errors@r{[}, length@r{]]]})
23219 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
23220 converts the contents to a Python string. Otherwise, this method will
23221 throw an exception.
23222
23223 Strings are recognized in a language-specific way; whether a given
23224 @code{gdb.Value} represents a string is determined by the current
23225 language.
23226
23227 For C-like languages, a value is a string if it is a pointer to or an
23228 array of characters or ints. The string is assumed to be terminated
23229 by a zero of the appropriate width. However if the optional length
23230 argument is given, the string will be converted to that given length,
23231 ignoring any embedded zeros that the string may contain.
23232
23233 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
23234 naming the encoding of the string in the @code{gdb.Value}, such as
23235 @code{"ascii"}, @code{"iso-8859-6"} or @code{"utf-8"}. It accepts
23236 the same encodings as the corresponding argument to Python's
23237 @code{string.decode} method, and the Python codec machinery will be used
23238 to convert the string. If @var{encoding} is not given, or if
23239 @var{encoding} is the empty string, then either the @code{target-charset}
23240 (@pxref{Character Sets}) will be used, or a language-specific encoding
23241 will be used, if the current language is able to supply one.
23242
23243 The optional @var{errors} argument is the same as the corresponding
23244 argument to Python's @code{string.decode} method.
23245
23246 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
23247 fetched and converted to the given length.
23248 @end defun
23249
23250 @defun Value.lazy_string (@r{[}encoding @r{[}, length@r{]]})
23251 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
23252 converts the contents to a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings
23253 In Python}). Otherwise, this method will throw an exception.
23254
23255 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
23256 naming the encoding of the @code{gdb.LazyString}. Some examples are:
23257 @samp{ascii}, @samp{iso-8859-6} or @samp{utf-8}. If the
23258 @var{encoding} argument is an encoding that @value{GDBN} does
23259 recognize, @value{GDBN} will raise an error.
23260
23261 When a lazy string is printed, the @value{GDBN} encoding machinery is
23262 used to convert the string during printing. If the optional
23263 @var{encoding} argument is not provided, or is an empty string,
23264 @value{GDBN} will automatically select the encoding most suitable for
23265 the string type. For further information on encoding in @value{GDBN}
23266 please see @ref{Character Sets}.
23267
23268 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
23269 fetched and encoded to the length of characters specified. If
23270 the @var{length} argument is not provided, the string will be fetched
23271 and encoded until a null of appropriate width is found.
23272 @end defun
23273
23274 @defun Value.fetch_lazy ()
23275 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is currently a lazy value
23276 (@code{gdb.Value.is_lazy} is @code{True}), then the value is
23277 fetched from the inferior. Any errors that occur in the process
23278 will produce a Python exception.
23279
23280 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is not a lazy value, this method
23281 has no effect.
23282
23283 This method does not return a value.
23284 @end defun
23285
23286 @end table
23287
23288 @node Types In Python
23289 @subsubsection Types In Python
23290 @cindex types in Python
23291 @cindex Python, working with types
23292
23293 @tindex gdb.Type
23294 @value{GDBN} represents types from the inferior using the class
23295 @code{gdb.Type}.
23296
23297 The following type-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
23298 module:
23299
23300 @findex gdb.lookup_type
23301 @defun gdb.lookup_type (name @r{[}, block@r{]})
23302 This function looks up a type by name. @var{name} is the name of the
23303 type to look up. It must be a string.
23304
23305 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
23306 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
23307
23308 Ordinarily, this function will return an instance of @code{gdb.Type}.
23309 If the named type cannot be found, it will throw an exception.
23310 @end defun
23311
23312 If the type is a structure or class type, or an enum type, the fields
23313 of that type can be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}.
23314 For example, if @code{some_type} is a @code{gdb.Type} instance holding
23315 a structure type, you can access its @code{foo} field with:
23316
23317 @smallexample
23318 bar = some_type['foo']
23319 @end smallexample
23320
23321 @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Field} object; see below under the
23322 description of the @code{Type.fields} method for a description of the
23323 @code{gdb.Field} class.
23324
23325 An instance of @code{Type} has the following attributes:
23326
23327 @table @code
23328 @defvar Type.code
23329 The type code for this type. The type code will be one of the
23330 @code{TYPE_CODE_} constants defined below.
23331 @end defvar
23332
23333 @defvar Type.sizeof
23334 The size of this type, in target @code{char} units. Usually, a
23335 target's @code{char} type will be an 8-bit byte. However, on some
23336 unusual platforms, this type may have a different size.
23337 @end defvar
23338
23339 @defvar Type.tag
23340 The tag name for this type. The tag name is the name after
23341 @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} in C and C@t{++}; not all
23342 languages have this concept. If this type has no tag name, then
23343 @code{None} is returned.
23344 @end defvar
23345 @end table
23346
23347 The following methods are provided:
23348
23349 @table @code
23350 @defun Type.fields ()
23351 For structure and union types, this method returns the fields. Range
23352 types have two fields, the minimum and maximum values. Enum types
23353 have one field per enum constant. Function and method types have one
23354 field per parameter. The base types of C@t{++} classes are also
23355 represented as fields. If the type has no fields, or does not fit
23356 into one of these categories, an empty sequence will be returned.
23357
23358 Each field is a @code{gdb.Field} object, with some pre-defined attributes:
23359 @table @code
23360 @item bitpos
23361 This attribute is not available for @code{static} fields (as in
23362 C@t{++} or Java). For non-@code{static} fields, the value is the bit
23363 position of the field. For @code{enum} fields, the value is the
23364 enumeration member's integer representation.
23365
23366 @item name
23367 The name of the field, or @code{None} for anonymous fields.
23368
23369 @item artificial
23370 This is @code{True} if the field is artificial, usually meaning that
23371 it was provided by the compiler and not the user. This attribute is
23372 always provided, and is @code{False} if the field is not artificial.
23373
23374 @item is_base_class
23375 This is @code{True} if the field represents a base class of a C@t{++}
23376 structure. This attribute is always provided, and is @code{False}
23377 if the field is not a base class of the type that is the argument of
23378 @code{fields}, or if that type was not a C@t{++} class.
23379
23380 @item bitsize
23381 If the field is packed, or is a bitfield, then this will have a
23382 non-zero value, which is the size of the field in bits. Otherwise,
23383 this will be zero; in this case the field's size is given by its type.
23384
23385 @item type
23386 The type of the field. This is usually an instance of @code{Type},
23387 but it can be @code{None} in some situations.
23388 @end table
23389 @end defun
23390
23391 @defun Type.array (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
23392 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an array of this
23393 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
23394 the array; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
23395 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the array, and the
23396 second argument is the upper bound of the array. An array's length
23397 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
23398 @end defun
23399
23400 @defun Type.vector (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
23401 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a vector of this
23402 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
23403 the vector; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
23404 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the vector, and the
23405 second argument is the upper bound of the vector. A vector's length
23406 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
23407
23408 The difference between an @code{array} and a @code{vector} is that
23409 arrays behave like in C: when used in expressions they decay to a pointer
23410 to the first element whereas vectors are treated as first class values.
23411 @end defun
23412
23413 @defun Type.const ()
23414 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
23415 @code{const}-qualified variant of this type.
23416 @end defun
23417
23418 @defun Type.volatile ()
23419 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
23420 @code{volatile}-qualified variant of this type.
23421 @end defun
23422
23423 @defun Type.unqualified ()
23424 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an unqualified
23425 variant of this type. That is, the result is neither @code{const} nor
23426 @code{volatile}.
23427 @end defun
23428
23429 @defun Type.range ()
23430 Return a Python @code{Tuple} object that contains two elements: the
23431 low bound of the argument type and the high bound of that type. If
23432 the type does not have a range, @value{GDBN} will raise a
23433 @code{gdb.error} exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
23434 @end defun
23435
23436 @defun Type.reference ()
23437 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a reference to this
23438 type.
23439 @end defun
23440
23441 @defun Type.pointer ()
23442 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a pointer to this
23443 type.
23444 @end defun
23445
23446 @defun Type.strip_typedefs ()
23447 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} that represents the real type,
23448 after removing all layers of typedefs.
23449 @end defun
23450
23451 @defun Type.target ()
23452 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents the target type
23453 of this type.
23454
23455 For a pointer type, the target type is the type of the pointed-to
23456 object. For an array type (meaning C-like arrays), the target type is
23457 the type of the elements of the array. For a function or method type,
23458 the target type is the type of the return value. For a complex type,
23459 the target type is the type of the elements. For a typedef, the
23460 target type is the aliased type.
23461
23462 If the type does not have a target, this method will throw an
23463 exception.
23464 @end defun
23465
23466 @defun Type.template_argument (n @r{[}, block@r{]})
23467 If this @code{gdb.Type} is an instantiation of a template, this will
23468 return a new @code{gdb.Type} which represents the type of the
23469 @var{n}th template argument.
23470
23471 If this @code{gdb.Type} is not a template type, this will throw an
23472 exception. Ordinarily, only C@t{++} code will have template types.
23473
23474 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
23475 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
23476 @end defun
23477 @end table
23478
23479
23480 Each type has a code, which indicates what category this type falls
23481 into. The available type categories are represented by constants
23482 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
23483
23484 @table @code
23485 @findex TYPE_CODE_PTR
23486 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
23487 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
23488 The type is a pointer.
23489
23490 @findex TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
23491 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
23492 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
23493 The type is an array.
23494
23495 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
23496 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
23497 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
23498 The type is a structure.
23499
23500 @findex TYPE_CODE_UNION
23501 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
23502 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
23503 The type is a union.
23504
23505 @findex TYPE_CODE_ENUM
23506 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
23507 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
23508 The type is an enum.
23509
23510 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
23511 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
23512 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
23513 A bit flags type, used for things such as status registers.
23514
23515 @findex TYPE_CODE_FUNC
23516 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
23517 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
23518 The type is a function.
23519
23520 @findex TYPE_CODE_INT
23521 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
23522 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
23523 The type is an integer type.
23524
23525 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLT
23526 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
23527 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
23528 A floating point type.
23529
23530 @findex TYPE_CODE_VOID
23531 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
23532 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
23533 The special type @code{void}.
23534
23535 @findex TYPE_CODE_SET
23536 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
23537 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
23538 A Pascal set type.
23539
23540 @findex TYPE_CODE_RANGE
23541 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
23542 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
23543 A range type, that is, an integer type with bounds.
23544
23545 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRING
23546 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
23547 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
23548 A string type. Note that this is only used for certain languages with
23549 language-defined string types; C strings are not represented this way.
23550
23551 @findex TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
23552 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
23553 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
23554 A string of bits.
23555
23556 @findex TYPE_CODE_ERROR
23557 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
23558 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
23559 An unknown or erroneous type.
23560
23561 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHOD
23562 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
23563 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
23564 A method type, as found in C@t{++} or Java.
23565
23566 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
23567 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
23568 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
23569 A pointer-to-member-function.
23570
23571 @findex TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
23572 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
23573 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
23574 A pointer-to-member.
23575
23576 @findex TYPE_CODE_REF
23577 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
23578 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
23579 A reference type.
23580
23581 @findex TYPE_CODE_CHAR
23582 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
23583 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
23584 A character type.
23585
23586 @findex TYPE_CODE_BOOL
23587 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
23588 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
23589 A boolean type.
23590
23591 @findex TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
23592 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
23593 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
23594 A complex float type.
23595
23596 @findex TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
23597 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
23598 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
23599 A typedef to some other type.
23600
23601 @findex TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
23602 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
23603 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
23604 A C@t{++} namespace.
23605
23606 @findex TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
23607 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
23608 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
23609 A decimal floating point type.
23610
23611 @findex TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
23612 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
23613 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
23614 A function internal to @value{GDBN}. This is the type used to represent
23615 convenience functions.
23616 @end table
23617
23618 Further support for types is provided in the @code{gdb.types}
23619 Python module (@pxref{gdb.types}).
23620
23621 @node Pretty Printing API
23622 @subsubsection Pretty Printing API
23623
23624 An example output is provided (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
23625
23626 A pretty-printer is just an object that holds a value and implements a
23627 specific interface, defined here.
23628
23629 @defun pretty_printer.children (self)
23630 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a pretty-printer to compute the
23631 children of the pretty-printer's value.
23632
23633 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
23634 protocol. Each item returned by the iterator must be a tuple holding
23635 two elements. The first element is the ``name'' of the child; the
23636 second element is the child's value. The value can be any Python
23637 object which is convertible to a @value{GDBN} value.
23638
23639 This method is optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will act
23640 as though the value has no children.
23641 @end defun
23642
23643 @defun pretty_printer.display_hint (self)
23644 The CLI may call this method and use its result to change the
23645 formatting of a value. The result will also be supplied to an MI
23646 consumer as a @samp{displayhint} attribute of the variable being
23647 printed.
23648
23649 This method is optional. If it does exist, this method must return a
23650 string.
23651
23652 Some display hints are predefined by @value{GDBN}:
23653
23654 @table @samp
23655 @item array
23656 Indicate that the object being printed is ``array-like''. The CLI
23657 uses this to respect parameters such as @code{set print elements} and
23658 @code{set print array}.
23659
23660 @item map
23661 Indicate that the object being printed is ``map-like'', and that the
23662 children of this value can be assumed to alternate between keys and
23663 values.
23664
23665 @item string
23666 Indicate that the object being printed is ``string-like''. If the
23667 printer's @code{to_string} method returns a Python string of some
23668 kind, then @value{GDBN} will call its internal language-specific
23669 string-printing function to format the string. For the CLI this means
23670 adding quotation marks, possibly escaping some characters, respecting
23671 @code{set print elements}, and the like.
23672 @end table
23673 @end defun
23674
23675 @defun pretty_printer.to_string (self)
23676 @value{GDBN} will call this method to display the string
23677 representation of the value passed to the object's constructor.
23678
23679 When printing from the CLI, if the @code{to_string} method exists,
23680 then @value{GDBN} will prepend its result to the values returned by
23681 @code{children}. Exactly how this formatting is done is dependent on
23682 the display hint, and may change as more hints are added. Also,
23683 depending on the print settings (@pxref{Print Settings}), the CLI may
23684 print just the result of @code{to_string} in a stack trace, omitting
23685 the result of @code{children}.
23686
23687 If this method returns a string, it is printed verbatim.
23688
23689 Otherwise, if this method returns an instance of @code{gdb.Value},
23690 then @value{GDBN} prints this value. This may result in a call to
23691 another pretty-printer.
23692
23693 If instead the method returns a Python value which is convertible to a
23694 @code{gdb.Value}, then @value{GDBN} performs the conversion and prints
23695 the resulting value. Again, this may result in a call to another
23696 pretty-printer. Python scalars (integers, floats, and booleans) and
23697 strings are convertible to @code{gdb.Value}; other types are not.
23698
23699 Finally, if this method returns @code{None} then no further operations
23700 are peformed in this method and nothing is printed.
23701
23702 If the result is not one of these types, an exception is raised.
23703 @end defun
23704
23705 @value{GDBN} provides a function which can be used to look up the
23706 default pretty-printer for a @code{gdb.Value}:
23707
23708 @findex gdb.default_visualizer
23709 @defun gdb.default_visualizer (value)
23710 This function takes a @code{gdb.Value} object as an argument. If a
23711 pretty-printer for this value exists, then it is returned. If no such
23712 printer exists, then this returns @code{None}.
23713 @end defun
23714
23715 @node Selecting Pretty-Printers
23716 @subsubsection Selecting Pretty-Printers
23717
23718 The Python list @code{gdb.pretty_printers} contains an array of
23719 functions or callable objects that have been registered via addition
23720 as a pretty-printer. Printers in this list are called @code{global}
23721 printers, they're available when debugging all inferiors.
23722 Each @code{gdb.Progspace} contains a @code{pretty_printers} attribute.
23723 Each @code{gdb.Objfile} also contains a @code{pretty_printers}
23724 attribute.
23725
23726 Each function on these lists is passed a single @code{gdb.Value}
23727 argument and should return a pretty-printer object conforming to the
23728 interface definition above (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}). If a function
23729 cannot create a pretty-printer for the value, it should return
23730 @code{None}.
23731
23732 @value{GDBN} first checks the @code{pretty_printers} attribute of each
23733 @code{gdb.Objfile} in the current program space and iteratively calls
23734 each enabled lookup routine in the list for that @code{gdb.Objfile}
23735 until it receives a pretty-printer object.
23736 If no pretty-printer is found in the objfile lists, @value{GDBN} then
23737 searches the pretty-printer list of the current program space,
23738 calling each enabled function until an object is returned.
23739 After these lists have been exhausted, it tries the global
23740 @code{gdb.pretty_printers} list, again calling each enabled function until an
23741 object is returned.
23742
23743 The order in which the objfiles are searched is not specified. For a
23744 given list, functions are always invoked from the head of the list,
23745 and iterated over sequentially until the end of the list, or a printer
23746 object is returned.
23747
23748 For various reasons a pretty-printer may not work.
23749 For example, the underlying data structure may have changed and
23750 the pretty-printer is out of date.
23751
23752 The consequences of a broken pretty-printer are severe enough that
23753 @value{GDBN} provides support for enabling and disabling individual
23754 printers. For example, if @code{print frame-arguments} is on,
23755 a backtrace can become highly illegible if any argument is printed
23756 with a broken printer.
23757
23758 Pretty-printers are enabled and disabled by attaching an @code{enabled}
23759 attribute to the registered function or callable object. If this attribute
23760 is present and its value is @code{False}, the printer is disabled, otherwise
23761 the printer is enabled.
23762
23763 @node Writing a Pretty-Printer
23764 @subsubsection Writing a Pretty-Printer
23765 @cindex writing a pretty-printer
23766
23767 A pretty-printer consists of two parts: a lookup function to detect
23768 if the type is supported, and the printer itself.
23769
23770 Here is an example showing how a @code{std::string} printer might be
23771 written. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for details on the API this class
23772 must provide.
23773
23774 @smallexample
23775 class StdStringPrinter(object):
23776 "Print a std::string"
23777
23778 def __init__(self, val):
23779 self.val = val
23780
23781 def to_string(self):
23782 return self.val['_M_dataplus']['_M_p']
23783
23784 def display_hint(self):
23785 return 'string'
23786 @end smallexample
23787
23788 And here is an example showing how a lookup function for the printer
23789 example above might be written.
23790
23791 @smallexample
23792 def str_lookup_function(val):
23793 lookup_tag = val.type.tag
23794 if lookup_tag == None:
23795 return None
23796 regex = re.compile("^std::basic_string<char,.*>$")
23797 if regex.match(lookup_tag):
23798 return StdStringPrinter(val)
23799 return None
23800 @end smallexample
23801
23802 The example lookup function extracts the value's type, and attempts to
23803 match it to a type that it can pretty-print. If it is a type the
23804 printer can pretty-print, it will return a printer object. If not, it
23805 returns @code{None}.
23806
23807 We recommend that you put your core pretty-printers into a Python
23808 package. If your pretty-printers are for use with a library, we
23809 further recommend embedding a version number into the package name.
23810 This practice will enable @value{GDBN} to load multiple versions of
23811 your pretty-printers at the same time, because they will have
23812 different names.
23813
23814 You should write auto-loaded code (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}) such that it
23815 can be evaluated multiple times without changing its meaning. An
23816 ideal auto-load file will consist solely of @code{import}s of your
23817 printer modules, followed by a call to a register pretty-printers with
23818 the current objfile.
23819
23820 Taken as a whole, this approach will scale nicely to multiple
23821 inferiors, each potentially using a different library version.
23822 Embedding a version number in the Python package name will ensure that
23823 @value{GDBN} is able to load both sets of printers simultaneously.
23824 Then, because the search for pretty-printers is done by objfile, and
23825 because your auto-loaded code took care to register your library's
23826 printers with a specific objfile, @value{GDBN} will find the correct
23827 printers for the specific version of the library used by each
23828 inferior.
23829
23830 To continue the @code{std::string} example (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}),
23831 this code might appear in @code{gdb.libstdcxx.v6}:
23832
23833 @smallexample
23834 def register_printers(objfile):
23835 objfile.pretty_printers.append(str_lookup_function)
23836 @end smallexample
23837
23838 @noindent
23839 And then the corresponding contents of the auto-load file would be:
23840
23841 @smallexample
23842 import gdb.libstdcxx.v6
23843 gdb.libstdcxx.v6.register_printers(gdb.current_objfile())
23844 @end smallexample
23845
23846 The previous example illustrates a basic pretty-printer.
23847 There are a few things that can be improved on.
23848 The printer doesn't have a name, making it hard to identify in a
23849 list of installed printers. The lookup function has a name, but
23850 lookup functions can have arbitrary, even identical, names.
23851
23852 Second, the printer only handles one type, whereas a library typically has
23853 several types. One could install a lookup function for each desired type
23854 in the library, but one could also have a single lookup function recognize
23855 several types. The latter is the conventional way this is handled.
23856 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
23857 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
23858
23859 The @code{gdb.printing} module provides a formal way of solving these
23860 problems (@pxref{gdb.printing}).
23861 Here is another example that handles multiple types.
23862
23863 These are the types we are going to pretty-print:
23864
23865 @smallexample
23866 struct foo @{ int a, b; @};
23867 struct bar @{ struct foo x, y; @};
23868 @end smallexample
23869
23870 Here are the printers:
23871
23872 @smallexample
23873 class fooPrinter:
23874 """Print a foo object."""
23875
23876 def __init__(self, val):
23877 self.val = val
23878
23879 def to_string(self):
23880 return ("a=<" + str(self.val["a"]) +
23881 "> b=<" + str(self.val["b"]) + ">")
23882
23883 class barPrinter:
23884 """Print a bar object."""
23885
23886 def __init__(self, val):
23887 self.val = val
23888
23889 def to_string(self):
23890 return ("x=<" + str(self.val["x"]) +
23891 "> y=<" + str(self.val["y"]) + ">")
23892 @end smallexample
23893
23894 This example doesn't need a lookup function, that is handled by the
23895 @code{gdb.printing} module. Instead a function is provided to build up
23896 the object that handles the lookup.
23897
23898 @smallexample
23899 import gdb.printing
23900
23901 def build_pretty_printer():
23902 pp = gdb.printing.RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter(
23903 "my_library")
23904 pp.add_printer('foo', '^foo$', fooPrinter)
23905 pp.add_printer('bar', '^bar$', barPrinter)
23906 return pp
23907 @end smallexample
23908
23909 And here is the autoload support:
23910
23911 @smallexample
23912 import gdb.printing
23913 import my_library
23914 gdb.printing.register_pretty_printer(
23915 gdb.current_objfile(),
23916 my_library.build_pretty_printer())
23917 @end smallexample
23918
23919 Finally, when this printer is loaded into @value{GDBN}, here is the
23920 corresponding output of @samp{info pretty-printer}:
23921
23922 @smallexample
23923 (gdb) info pretty-printer
23924 my_library.so:
23925 my_library
23926 foo
23927 bar
23928 @end smallexample
23929
23930 @node Inferiors In Python
23931 @subsubsection Inferiors In Python
23932 @cindex inferiors in Python
23933
23934 @findex gdb.Inferior
23935 Programs which are being run under @value{GDBN} are called inferiors
23936 (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). Python scripts can access
23937 information about and manipulate inferiors controlled by @value{GDBN}
23938 via objects of the @code{gdb.Inferior} class.
23939
23940 The following inferior-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
23941 module:
23942
23943 @defun gdb.inferiors ()
23944 Return a tuple containing all inferior objects.
23945 @end defun
23946
23947 @defun gdb.selected_inferior ()
23948 Return an object representing the current inferior.
23949 @end defun
23950
23951 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following attributes:
23952
23953 @table @code
23954 @defvar Inferior.num
23955 ID of inferior, as assigned by GDB.
23956 @end defvar
23957
23958 @defvar Inferior.pid
23959 Process ID of the inferior, as assigned by the underlying operating
23960 system.
23961 @end defvar
23962
23963 @defvar Inferior.was_attached
23964 Boolean signaling whether the inferior was created using `attach', or
23965 started by @value{GDBN} itself.
23966 @end defvar
23967 @end table
23968
23969 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following methods:
23970
23971 @table @code
23972 @defun Inferior.is_valid ()
23973 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Inferior} object is valid,
23974 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Inferior} object will become invalid
23975 if the inferior no longer exists within @value{GDBN}. All other
23976 @code{gdb.Inferior} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid
23977 at the time the method is called.
23978 @end defun
23979
23980 @defun Inferior.threads ()
23981 This method returns a tuple holding all the threads which are valid
23982 when it is called. If there are no valid threads, the method will
23983 return an empty tuple.
23984 @end defun
23985
23986 @findex Inferior.read_memory
23987 @defun Inferior.read_memory (address, length)
23988 Read @var{length} bytes of memory from the inferior, starting at
23989 @var{address}. Returns a buffer object, which behaves much like an array
23990 or a string. It can be modified and given to the
23991 @code{Inferior.write_memory} function.
23992 @end defun
23993
23994 @findex Inferior.write_memory
23995 @defun Inferior.write_memory (address, buffer @r{[}, length@r{]})
23996 Write the contents of @var{buffer} to the inferior, starting at
23997 @var{address}. The @var{buffer} parameter must be a Python object
23998 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
23999 object returned from @code{Inferior.read_memory}. If given, @var{length}
24000 determines the number of bytes from @var{buffer} to be written.
24001 @end defun
24002
24003 @findex gdb.search_memory
24004 @defun Inferior.search_memory (address, length, pattern)
24005 Search a region of the inferior memory starting at @var{address} with
24006 the given @var{length} using the search pattern supplied in
24007 @var{pattern}. The @var{pattern} parameter must be a Python object
24008 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
24009 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. Returns a Python @code{Long}
24010 containing the address where the pattern was found, or @code{None} if
24011 the pattern could not be found.
24012 @end defun
24013 @end table
24014
24015 @node Events In Python
24016 @subsubsection Events In Python
24017 @cindex inferior events in Python
24018
24019 @value{GDBN} provides a general event facility so that Python code can be
24020 notified of various state changes, particularly changes that occur in
24021 the inferior.
24022
24023 An @dfn{event} is just an object that describes some state change. The
24024 type of the object and its attributes will vary depending on the details
24025 of the change. All the existing events are described below.
24026
24027 In order to be notified of an event, you must register an event handler
24028 with an @dfn{event registry}. An event registry is an object in the
24029 @code{gdb.events} module which dispatches particular events. A registry
24030 provides methods to register and unregister event handlers:
24031
24032 @table @code
24033 @defun EventRegistry.connect (object)
24034 Add the given callable @var{object} to the registry. This object will be
24035 called when an event corresponding to this registry occurs.
24036 @end defun
24037
24038 @defun EventRegistry.disconnect (object)
24039 Remove the given @var{object} from the registry. Once removed, the object
24040 will no longer receive notifications of events.
24041 @end defun
24042 @end table
24043
24044 Here is an example:
24045
24046 @smallexample
24047 def exit_handler (event):
24048 print "event type: exit"
24049 print "exit code: %d" % (event.exit_code)
24050
24051 gdb.events.exited.connect (exit_handler)
24052 @end smallexample
24053
24054 In the above example we connect our handler @code{exit_handler} to the
24055 registry @code{events.exited}. Once connected, @code{exit_handler} gets
24056 called when the inferior exits. The argument @dfn{event} in this example is
24057 of type @code{gdb.ExitedEvent}. As you can see in the example the
24058 @code{ExitedEvent} object has an attribute which indicates the exit code of
24059 the inferior.
24060
24061 The following is a listing of the event registries that are available and
24062 details of the events they emit:
24063
24064 @table @code
24065
24066 @item events.cont
24067 Emits @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
24068
24069 Some events can be thread specific when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
24070 mode. When represented in Python, these events all extend
24071 @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}. Note, this event is not emitted directly; instead,
24072 events which are emitted by this or other modules might extend this event.
24073 Examples of these events are @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} and
24074 @code{gdb.ContinueEvent}.
24075
24076 @table @code
24077 @defvar ThreadEvent.inferior_thread
24078 In non-stop mode this attribute will be set to the specific thread which was
24079 involved in the emitted event. Otherwise, it will be set to @code{None}.
24080 @end defvar
24081 @end table
24082
24083 Emits @code{gdb.ContinueEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
24084
24085 This event indicates that the inferior has been continued after a stop. For
24086 inherited attribute refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above.
24087
24088 @item events.exited
24089 Emits @code{events.ExitedEvent} which indicates that the inferior has exited.
24090 @code{events.ExitedEvent} has two attributes:
24091 @table @code
24092 @defvar ExitedEvent.exit_code
24093 An integer representing the exit code, if available, which the inferior
24094 has returned. (The exit code could be unavailable if, for example,
24095 @value{GDBN} detaches from the inferior.) If the exit code is unavailable,
24096 the attribute does not exist.
24097 @end defvar
24098 @defvar ExitedEvent inferior
24099 A reference to the inferior which triggered the @code{exited} event.
24100 @end defvar
24101 @end table
24102
24103 @item events.stop
24104 Emits @code{gdb.StopEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
24105
24106 Indicates that the inferior has stopped. All events emitted by this registry
24107 extend StopEvent. As a child of @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}, @code{gdb.StopEvent}
24108 will indicate the stopped thread when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
24109 mode. Refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above for more details.
24110
24111 Emits @code{gdb.SignalEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
24112
24113 This event indicates that the inferior or one of its threads has received as
24114 signal. @code{gdb.SignalEvent} has the following attributes:
24115
24116 @table @code
24117 @defvar SignalEvent.stop_signal
24118 A string representing the signal received by the inferior. A list of possible
24119 signal values can be obtained by running the command @code{info signals} in
24120 the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
24121 @end defvar
24122 @end table
24123
24124 Also emits @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
24125
24126 @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} event indicates that one or more breakpoints have
24127 been hit, and has the following attributes:
24128
24129 @table @code
24130 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoints
24131 A sequence containing references to all the breakpoints (type
24132 @code{gdb.Breakpoint}) that were hit.
24133 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Breakpoint} object.
24134 @end defvar
24135 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoint
24136 A reference to the first breakpoint that was hit.
24137 This function is maintained for backward compatibility and is now deprecated
24138 in favor of the @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent.breakpoints} attribute.
24139 @end defvar
24140 @end table
24141
24142 @item events.new_objfile
24143 Emits @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} which indicates that a new object file has
24144 been loaded by @value{GDBN}. @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} has one attribute:
24145
24146 @table @code
24147 @defvar NewObjFileEvent.new_objfile
24148 A reference to the object file (@code{gdb.Objfile}) which has been loaded.
24149 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Objfile} object.
24150 @end defvar
24151 @end table
24152
24153 @end table
24154
24155 @node Threads In Python
24156 @subsubsection Threads In Python
24157 @cindex threads in python
24158
24159 @findex gdb.InferiorThread
24160 Python scripts can access information about, and manipulate inferior threads
24161 controlled by @value{GDBN}, via objects of the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} class.
24162
24163 The following thread-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
24164 module:
24165
24166 @findex gdb.selected_thread
24167 @defun gdb.selected_thread ()
24168 This function returns the thread object for the selected thread. If there
24169 is no selected thread, this will return @code{None}.
24170 @end defun
24171
24172 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following attributes:
24173
24174 @table @code
24175 @defvar InferiorThread.name
24176 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using
24177 @code{thread name}, then this returns that name. Otherwise, if an
24178 OS-supplied name is available, then it is returned. Otherwise, this
24179 returns @code{None}.
24180
24181 This attribute can be assigned to. The new value must be a string
24182 object, which sets the new name, or @code{None}, which removes any
24183 user-specified thread name.
24184 @end defvar
24185
24186 @defvar InferiorThread.num
24187 ID of the thread, as assigned by GDB.
24188 @end defvar
24189
24190 @defvar InferiorThread.ptid
24191 ID of the thread, as assigned by the operating system. This attribute is a
24192 tuple containing three integers. The first is the Process ID (PID); the second
24193 is the Lightweight Process ID (LWPID), and the third is the Thread ID (TID).
24194 Either the LWPID or TID may be 0, which indicates that the operating system
24195 does not use that identifier.
24196 @end defvar
24197 @end table
24198
24199 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following methods:
24200
24201 @table @code
24202 @defun InferiorThread.is_valid ()
24203 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object is valid,
24204 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object will become
24205 invalid if the thread exits, or the inferior that the thread belongs
24206 is deleted. All other @code{gdb.InferiorThread} methods will throw an
24207 exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
24208 @end defun
24209
24210 @defun InferiorThread.switch ()
24211 This changes @value{GDBN}'s currently selected thread to the one represented
24212 by this object.
24213 @end defun
24214
24215 @defun InferiorThread.is_stopped ()
24216 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is stopped.
24217 @end defun
24218
24219 @defun InferiorThread.is_running ()
24220 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is running.
24221 @end defun
24222
24223 @defun InferiorThread.is_exited ()
24224 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is exited.
24225 @end defun
24226 @end table
24227
24228 @node Commands In Python
24229 @subsubsection Commands In Python
24230
24231 @cindex commands in python
24232 @cindex python commands
24233 You can implement new @value{GDBN} CLI commands in Python. A CLI
24234 command is implemented using an instance of the @code{gdb.Command}
24235 class, most commonly using a subclass.
24236
24237 @defun Command.__init__ (name, @var{command_class} @r{[}, @var{completer_class} @r{[}, @var{prefix}@r{]]})
24238 The object initializer for @code{Command} registers the new command
24239 with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked from the
24240 subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
24241
24242 @var{name} is the name of the command. If @var{name} consists of
24243 multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
24244 commands. In this case, if one of the prefix commands does not exist,
24245 an exception is raised.
24246
24247 There is no support for multi-line commands.
24248
24249 @var{command_class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
24250 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to categorize the
24251 new command in the help system.
24252
24253 @var{completer_class} is an optional argument. If given, it should be
24254 one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined below. This argument
24255 tells @value{GDBN} how to perform completion for this command. If not
24256 given, @value{GDBN} will attempt to complete using the object's
24257 @code{complete} method (see below); if no such method is found, an
24258 error will occur when completion is attempted.
24259
24260 @var{prefix} is an optional argument. If @code{True}, then the new
24261 command is a prefix command; sub-commands of this command may be
24262 registered.
24263
24264 The help text for the new command is taken from the Python
24265 documentation string for the command's class, if there is one. If no
24266 documentation string is provided, the default value ``This command is
24267 not documented.'' is used.
24268 @end defun
24269
24270 @cindex don't repeat Python command
24271 @defun Command.dont_repeat ()
24272 By default, a @value{GDBN} command is repeated when the user enters a
24273 blank line at the command prompt. A command can suppress this
24274 behavior by invoking the @code{dont_repeat} method. This is similar
24275 to the user command @code{dont-repeat}, see @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
24276 @end defun
24277
24278 @defun Command.invoke (argument, from_tty)
24279 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when this command is invoked.
24280
24281 @var{argument} is a string. It is the argument to the command, after
24282 leading and trailing whitespace has been stripped.
24283
24284 @var{from_tty} is a boolean argument. When true, this means that the
24285 command was entered by the user at the terminal; when false it means
24286 that the command came from elsewhere.
24287
24288 If this method throws an exception, it is turned into a @value{GDBN}
24289 @code{error} call. Otherwise, the return value is ignored.
24290
24291 @findex gdb.string_to_argv
24292 To break @var{argument} up into an argv-like string use
24293 @code{gdb.string_to_argv}. This function behaves identically to
24294 @value{GDBN}'s internal argument lexer @code{buildargv}.
24295 It is recommended to use this for consistency.
24296 Arguments are separated by spaces and may be quoted.
24297 Example:
24298
24299 @smallexample
24300 print gdb.string_to_argv ("1 2\ \\\"3 '4 \"5' \"6 '7\"")
24301 ['1', '2 "3', '4 "5', "6 '7"]
24302 @end smallexample
24303
24304 @end defun
24305
24306 @cindex completion of Python commands
24307 @defun Command.complete (text, word)
24308 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when the user attempts
24309 completion on this command. All forms of completion are handled by
24310 this method, that is, the @key{TAB} and @key{M-?} key bindings
24311 (@pxref{Completion}), and the @code{complete} command (@pxref{Help,
24312 complete}).
24313
24314 The arguments @var{text} and @var{word} are both strings. @var{text}
24315 holds the complete command line up to the cursor's location.
24316 @var{word} holds the last word of the command line; this is computed
24317 using a word-breaking heuristic.
24318
24319 The @code{complete} method can return several values:
24320 @itemize @bullet
24321 @item
24322 If the return value is a sequence, the contents of the sequence are
24323 used as the completions. It is up to @code{complete} to ensure that the
24324 contents actually do complete the word. A zero-length sequence is
24325 allowed, it means that there were no completions available. Only
24326 string elements of the sequence are used; other elements in the
24327 sequence are ignored.
24328
24329 @item
24330 If the return value is one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined
24331 below, then the corresponding @value{GDBN}-internal completion
24332 function is invoked, and its result is used.
24333
24334 @item
24335 All other results are treated as though there were no available
24336 completions.
24337 @end itemize
24338 @end defun
24339
24340 When a new command is registered, it must be declared as a member of
24341 some general class of commands. This is used to classify top-level
24342 commands in the on-line help system; note that prefix commands are not
24343 listed under their own category but rather that of their top-level
24344 command. The available classifications are represented by constants
24345 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
24346
24347 @table @code
24348 @findex COMMAND_NONE
24349 @findex gdb.COMMAND_NONE
24350 @item gdb.COMMAND_NONE
24351 The command does not belong to any particular class. A command in
24352 this category will not be displayed in any of the help categories.
24353
24354 @findex COMMAND_RUNNING
24355 @findex gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
24356 @item gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
24357 The command is related to running the inferior. For example,
24358 @code{start}, @code{step}, and @code{continue} are in this category.
24359 Type @kbd{help running} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
24360 commands in this category.
24361
24362 @findex COMMAND_DATA
24363 @findex gdb.COMMAND_DATA
24364 @item gdb.COMMAND_DATA
24365 The command is related to data or variables. For example,
24366 @code{call}, @code{find}, and @code{print} are in this category. Type
24367 @kbd{help data} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands
24368 in this category.
24369
24370 @findex COMMAND_STACK
24371 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STACK
24372 @item gdb.COMMAND_STACK
24373 The command has to do with manipulation of the stack. For example,
24374 @code{backtrace}, @code{frame}, and @code{return} are in this
24375 category. Type @kbd{help stack} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a
24376 list of commands in this category.
24377
24378 @findex COMMAND_FILES
24379 @findex gdb.COMMAND_FILES
24380 @item gdb.COMMAND_FILES
24381 This class is used for file-related commands. For example,
24382 @code{file}, @code{list} and @code{section} are in this category.
24383 Type @kbd{help files} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
24384 commands in this category.
24385
24386 @findex COMMAND_SUPPORT
24387 @findex gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
24388 @item gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
24389 This should be used for ``support facilities'', generally meaning
24390 things that are useful to the user when interacting with @value{GDBN},
24391 but not related to the state of the inferior. For example,
24392 @code{help}, @code{make}, and @code{shell} are in this category. Type
24393 @kbd{help support} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
24394 commands in this category.
24395
24396 @findex COMMAND_STATUS
24397 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
24398 @item gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
24399 The command is an @samp{info}-related command, that is, related to the
24400 state of @value{GDBN} itself. For example, @code{info}, @code{macro},
24401 and @code{show} are in this category. Type @kbd{help status} at the
24402 @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this category.
24403
24404 @findex COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
24405 @findex gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
24406 @item gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
24407 The command has to do with breakpoints. For example, @code{break},
24408 @code{clear}, and @code{delete} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
24409 breakpoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in
24410 this category.
24411
24412 @findex COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
24413 @findex gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
24414 @item gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
24415 The command has to do with tracepoints. For example, @code{trace},
24416 @code{actions}, and @code{tfind} are in this category. Type
24417 @kbd{help tracepoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
24418 commands in this category.
24419
24420 @findex COMMAND_USER
24421 @findex gdb.COMMAND_USER
24422 @item gdb.COMMAND_USER
24423 The command is a general purpose command for the user, and typically
24424 does not fit in one of the other categories.
24425 Type @kbd{help user-defined} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see
24426 a list of commands in this category, as well as the list of gdb macros
24427 (@pxref{Sequences}).
24428
24429 @findex COMMAND_OBSCURE
24430 @findex gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
24431 @item gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
24432 The command is only used in unusual circumstances, or is not of
24433 general interest to users. For example, @code{checkpoint},
24434 @code{fork}, and @code{stop} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
24435 obscure} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this
24436 category.
24437
24438 @findex COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
24439 @findex gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
24440 @item gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
24441 The command is only useful to @value{GDBN} maintainers. The
24442 @code{maintenance} and @code{flushregs} commands are in this category.
24443 Type @kbd{help internals} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
24444 commands in this category.
24445 @end table
24446
24447 A new command can use a predefined completion function, either by
24448 specifying it via an argument at initialization, or by returning it
24449 from the @code{complete} method. These predefined completion
24450 constants are all defined in the @code{gdb} module:
24451
24452 @table @code
24453 @findex COMPLETE_NONE
24454 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
24455 @item gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
24456 This constant means that no completion should be done.
24457
24458 @findex COMPLETE_FILENAME
24459 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
24460 @item gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
24461 This constant means that filename completion should be performed.
24462
24463 @findex COMPLETE_LOCATION
24464 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
24465 @item gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
24466 This constant means that location completion should be done.
24467 @xref{Specify Location}.
24468
24469 @findex COMPLETE_COMMAND
24470 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
24471 @item gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
24472 This constant means that completion should examine @value{GDBN}
24473 command names.
24474
24475 @findex COMPLETE_SYMBOL
24476 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
24477 @item gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
24478 This constant means that completion should be done using symbol names
24479 as the source.
24480 @end table
24481
24482 The following code snippet shows how a trivial CLI command can be
24483 implemented in Python:
24484
24485 @smallexample
24486 class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
24487 """Greet the whole world."""
24488
24489 def __init__ (self):
24490 super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
24491
24492 def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):
24493 print "Hello, World!"
24494
24495 HelloWorld ()
24496 @end smallexample
24497
24498 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
24499 registration of the command with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
24500 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
24501 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
24502
24503 @node Parameters In Python
24504 @subsubsection Parameters In Python
24505
24506 @cindex parameters in python
24507 @cindex python parameters
24508 @tindex gdb.Parameter
24509 @tindex Parameter
24510 You can implement new @value{GDBN} parameters using Python. A new
24511 parameter is implemented as an instance of the @code{gdb.Parameter}
24512 class.
24513
24514 Parameters are exposed to the user via the @code{set} and
24515 @code{show} commands. @xref{Help}.
24516
24517 There are many parameters that already exist and can be set in
24518 @value{GDBN}. Two examples are: @code{set follow fork} and
24519 @code{set charset}. Setting these parameters influences certain
24520 behavior in @value{GDBN}. Similarly, you can define parameters that
24521 can be used to influence behavior in custom Python scripts and commands.
24522
24523 @defun Parameter.__init__ (name, @var{command-class}, @var{parameter-class} @r{[}, @var{enum-sequence}@r{]})
24524 The object initializer for @code{Parameter} registers the new
24525 parameter with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked
24526 from the subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
24527
24528 @var{name} is the name of the new parameter. If @var{name} consists
24529 of multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
24530 parameters. An example of this can be illustrated with the
24531 @code{set print} set of parameters. If @var{name} is
24532 @code{print foo}, then @code{print} will be searched as the prefix
24533 parameter. In this case the parameter can subsequently be accessed in
24534 @value{GDBN} as @code{set print foo}.
24535
24536 If @var{name} consists of multiple words, and no prefix parameter group
24537 can be found, an exception is raised.
24538
24539 @var{command-class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
24540 (@pxref{Commands In Python}). This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to
24541 categorize the new parameter in the help system.
24542
24543 @var{parameter-class} should be one of the @samp{PARAM_} constants
24544 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} the type of the new
24545 parameter; this information is used for input validation and
24546 completion.
24547
24548 If @var{parameter-class} is @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then
24549 @var{enum-sequence} must be a sequence of strings. These strings
24550 represent the possible values for the parameter.
24551
24552 If @var{parameter-class} is not @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then the presence
24553 of a fourth argument will cause an exception to be thrown.
24554
24555 The help text for the new parameter is taken from the Python
24556 documentation string for the parameter's class, if there is one. If
24557 there is no documentation string, a default value is used.
24558 @end defun
24559
24560 @defvar Parameter.set_doc
24561 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
24562 the help text for this parameter's @code{set} command. The value is
24563 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
24564 have no effect.
24565 @end defvar
24566
24567 @defvar Parameter.show_doc
24568 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
24569 the help text for this parameter's @code{show} command. The value is
24570 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
24571 have no effect.
24572 @end defvar
24573
24574 @defvar Parameter.value
24575 The @code{value} attribute holds the underlying value of the
24576 parameter. It can be read and assigned to just as any other
24577 attribute. @value{GDBN} does validation when assignments are made.
24578 @end defvar
24579
24580 There are two methods that should be implemented in any
24581 @code{Parameter} class. These are:
24582
24583 @defun Parameter.get_set_string (self)
24584 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s value has
24585 been changed via the @code{set} API (for example, @kbd{set foo off}).
24586 The @code{value} attribute has already been populated with the new
24587 value and may be used in output. This method must return a string.
24588 @end defun
24589
24590 @defun Parameter.get_show_string (self, svalue)
24591 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s
24592 @code{show} API has been invoked (for example, @kbd{show foo}). The
24593 argument @code{svalue} receives the string representation of the
24594 current value. This method must return a string.
24595 @end defun
24596
24597 When a new parameter is defined, its type must be specified. The
24598 available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
24599 module:
24600
24601 @table @code
24602 @findex PARAM_BOOLEAN
24603 @findex gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
24604 @item gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
24605 The value is a plain boolean. The Python boolean values, @code{True}
24606 and @code{False} are the only valid values.
24607
24608 @findex PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
24609 @findex gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
24610 @item gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
24611 The value has three possible states: true, false, and @samp{auto}. In
24612 Python, true and false are represented using boolean constants, and
24613 @samp{auto} is represented using @code{None}.
24614
24615 @findex PARAM_UINTEGER
24616 @findex gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
24617 @item gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
24618 The value is an unsigned integer. The value of 0 should be
24619 interpreted to mean ``unlimited''.
24620
24621 @findex PARAM_INTEGER
24622 @findex gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
24623 @item gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
24624 The value is a signed integer. The value of 0 should be interpreted
24625 to mean ``unlimited''.
24626
24627 @findex PARAM_STRING
24628 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING
24629 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING
24630 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, any escape
24631 sequences, such as @samp{\t}, @samp{\f}, and octal escapes, are
24632 translated into corresponding characters and encoded into the current
24633 host charset.
24634
24635 @findex PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
24636 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
24637 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
24638 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, escapes are
24639 passed through untranslated.
24640
24641 @findex PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
24642 @findex gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
24643 @item gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
24644 The value is a either a filename (a string), or @code{None}.
24645
24646 @findex PARAM_FILENAME
24647 @findex gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
24648 @item gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
24649 The value is a filename. This is just like
24650 @code{PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE}, but uses file names for completion.
24651
24652 @findex PARAM_ZINTEGER
24653 @findex gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
24654 @item gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
24655 The value is an integer. This is like @code{PARAM_INTEGER}, except 0
24656 is interpreted as itself.
24657
24658 @findex PARAM_ENUM
24659 @findex gdb.PARAM_ENUM
24660 @item gdb.PARAM_ENUM
24661 The value is a string, which must be one of a collection string
24662 constants provided when the parameter is created.
24663 @end table
24664
24665 @node Functions In Python
24666 @subsubsection Writing new convenience functions
24667
24668 @cindex writing convenience functions
24669 @cindex convenience functions in python
24670 @cindex python convenience functions
24671 @tindex gdb.Function
24672 @tindex Function
24673 You can implement new convenience functions (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
24674 in Python. A convenience function is an instance of a subclass of the
24675 class @code{gdb.Function}.
24676
24677 @defun Function.__init__ (name)
24678 The initializer for @code{Function} registers the new function with
24679 @value{GDBN}. The argument @var{name} is the name of the function,
24680 a string. The function will be visible to the user as a convenience
24681 variable of type @code{internal function}, whose name is the same as
24682 the given @var{name}.
24683
24684 The documentation for the new function is taken from the documentation
24685 string for the new class.
24686 @end defun
24687
24688 @defun Function.invoke (@var{*args})
24689 When a convenience function is evaluated, its arguments are converted
24690 to instances of @code{gdb.Value}, and then the function's
24691 @code{invoke} method is called. Note that @value{GDBN} does not
24692 predetermine the arity of convenience functions. Instead, all
24693 available arguments are passed to @code{invoke}, following the
24694 standard Python calling convention. In particular, a convenience
24695 function can have default values for parameters without ill effect.
24696
24697 The return value of this method is used as its value in the enclosing
24698 expression. If an ordinary Python value is returned, it is converted
24699 to a @code{gdb.Value} following the usual rules.
24700 @end defun
24701
24702 The following code snippet shows how a trivial convenience function can
24703 be implemented in Python:
24704
24705 @smallexample
24706 class Greet (gdb.Function):
24707 """Return string to greet someone.
24708 Takes a name as argument."""
24709
24710 def __init__ (self):
24711 super (Greet, self).__init__ ("greet")
24712
24713 def invoke (self, name):
24714 return "Hello, %s!" % name.string ()
24715
24716 Greet ()
24717 @end smallexample
24718
24719 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
24720 registration of the function with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
24721 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
24722 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
24723
24724 @node Progspaces In Python
24725 @subsubsection Program Spaces In Python
24726
24727 @cindex progspaces in python
24728 @tindex gdb.Progspace
24729 @tindex Progspace
24730 A program space, or @dfn{progspace}, represents a symbolic view
24731 of an address space.
24732 It consists of all of the objfiles of the program.
24733 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
24734 @xref{Inferiors and Programs, program spaces}, for more details
24735 about program spaces.
24736
24737 The following progspace-related functions are available in the
24738 @code{gdb} module:
24739
24740 @findex gdb.current_progspace
24741 @defun gdb.current_progspace ()
24742 This function returns the program space of the currently selected inferior.
24743 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}.
24744 @end defun
24745
24746 @findex gdb.progspaces
24747 @defun gdb.progspaces ()
24748 Return a sequence of all the progspaces currently known to @value{GDBN}.
24749 @end defun
24750
24751 Each progspace is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Progspace}
24752 class.
24753
24754 @defvar Progspace.filename
24755 The file name of the progspace as a string.
24756 @end defvar
24757
24758 @defvar Progspace.pretty_printers
24759 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
24760 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
24761 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
24762 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
24763 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
24764 information.
24765 @end defvar
24766
24767 @node Objfiles In Python
24768 @subsubsection Objfiles In Python
24769
24770 @cindex objfiles in python
24771 @tindex gdb.Objfile
24772 @tindex Objfile
24773 @value{GDBN} loads symbols for an inferior from various
24774 symbol-containing files (@pxref{Files}). These include the primary
24775 executable file, any shared libraries used by the inferior, and any
24776 separate debug info files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}).
24777 @value{GDBN} calls these symbol-containing files @dfn{objfiles}.
24778
24779 The following objfile-related functions are available in the
24780 @code{gdb} module:
24781
24782 @findex gdb.current_objfile
24783 @defun gdb.current_objfile ()
24784 When auto-loading a Python script (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}), @value{GDBN}
24785 sets the ``current objfile'' to the corresponding objfile. This
24786 function returns the current objfile. If there is no current objfile,
24787 this function returns @code{None}.
24788 @end defun
24789
24790 @findex gdb.objfiles
24791 @defun gdb.objfiles ()
24792 Return a sequence of all the objfiles current known to @value{GDBN}.
24793 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
24794 @end defun
24795
24796 Each objfile is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Objfile}
24797 class.
24798
24799 @defvar Objfile.filename
24800 The file name of the objfile as a string.
24801 @end defvar
24802
24803 @defvar Objfile.pretty_printers
24804 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
24805 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
24806 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
24807 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
24808 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
24809 information.
24810 @end defvar
24811
24812 A @code{gdb.Objfile} object has the following methods:
24813
24814 @defun Objfile.is_valid ()
24815 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Objfile} object is valid,
24816 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Objfile} object can become invalid
24817 if the object file it refers to is not loaded in @value{GDBN} any
24818 longer. All other @code{gdb.Objfile} methods will throw an exception
24819 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
24820 @end defun
24821
24822 @node Frames In Python
24823 @subsubsection Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
24824
24825 @cindex frames in python
24826 When the debugged program stops, @value{GDBN} is able to analyze its call
24827 stack (@pxref{Frames,,Stack frames}). The @code{gdb.Frame} class
24828 represents a frame in the stack. A @code{gdb.Frame} object is only valid
24829 while its corresponding frame exists in the inferior's stack. If you try
24830 to use an invalid frame object, @value{GDBN} will throw a @code{gdb.error}
24831 exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
24832
24833 Two @code{gdb.Frame} objects can be compared for equality with the @code{==}
24834 operator, like:
24835
24836 @smallexample
24837 (@value{GDBP}) python print gdb.newest_frame() == gdb.selected_frame ()
24838 True
24839 @end smallexample
24840
24841 The following frame-related functions are available in the @code{gdb} module:
24842
24843 @findex gdb.selected_frame
24844 @defun gdb.selected_frame ()
24845 Return the selected frame object. (@pxref{Selection,,Selecting a Frame}).
24846 @end defun
24847
24848 @findex gdb.newest_frame
24849 @defun gdb.newest_frame ()
24850 Return the newest frame object for the selected thread.
24851 @end defun
24852
24853 @defun gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
24854 Return a string explaining the reason why @value{GDBN} stopped unwinding
24855 frames, as expressed by the given @var{reason} code (an integer, see the
24856 @code{unwind_stop_reason} method further down in this section).
24857 @end defun
24858
24859 A @code{gdb.Frame} object has the following methods:
24860
24861 @table @code
24862 @defun Frame.is_valid ()
24863 Returns true if the @code{gdb.Frame} object is valid, false if not.
24864 A frame object can become invalid if the frame it refers to doesn't
24865 exist anymore in the inferior. All @code{gdb.Frame} methods will throw
24866 an exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
24867 @end defun
24868
24869 @defun Frame.name ()
24870 Returns the function name of the frame, or @code{None} if it can't be
24871 obtained.
24872 @end defun
24873
24874 @defun Frame.type ()
24875 Returns the type of the frame. The value can be one of:
24876 @table @code
24877 @item gdb.NORMAL_FRAME
24878 An ordinary stack frame.
24879
24880 @item gdb.DUMMY_FRAME
24881 A fake stack frame that was created by @value{GDBN} when performing an
24882 inferior function call.
24883
24884 @item gdb.INLINE_FRAME
24885 A frame representing an inlined function. The function was inlined
24886 into a @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME} that is older than this one.
24887
24888 @item gdb.TAILCALL_FRAME
24889 A frame representing a tail call. @xref{Tail Call Frames}.
24890
24891 @item gdb.SIGTRAMP_FRAME
24892 A signal trampoline frame. This is the frame created by the OS when
24893 it calls into a signal handler.
24894
24895 @item gdb.ARCH_FRAME
24896 A fake stack frame representing a cross-architecture call.
24897
24898 @item gdb.SENTINEL_FRAME
24899 This is like @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME}, but it is only used for the
24900 newest frame.
24901 @end table
24902 @end defun
24903
24904 @defun Frame.unwind_stop_reason ()
24905 Return an integer representing the reason why it's not possible to find
24906 more frames toward the outermost frame. Use
24907 @code{gdb.frame_stop_reason_string} to convert the value returned by this
24908 function to a string. The value can be one of:
24909
24910 @table @code
24911 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_REASON
24912 No particular reason (older frames should be available).
24913
24914 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NULL_ID
24915 The previous frame's analyzer returns an invalid result.
24916
24917 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_OUTERMOST
24918 This frame is the outermost.
24919
24920 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_UNAVAILABLE
24921 Cannot unwind further, because that would require knowing the
24922 values of registers or memory that have not been collected.
24923
24924 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_INNER_ID
24925 This frame ID looks like it ought to belong to a NEXT frame,
24926 but we got it for a PREV frame. Normally, this is a sign of
24927 unwinder failure. It could also indicate stack corruption.
24928
24929 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_SAME_ID
24930 This frame has the same ID as the previous one. That means
24931 that unwinding further would almost certainly give us another
24932 frame with exactly the same ID, so break the chain. Normally,
24933 this is a sign of unwinder failure. It could also indicate
24934 stack corruption.
24935
24936 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_SAVED_PC
24937 The frame unwinder did not find any saved PC, but we needed
24938 one to unwind further.
24939
24940 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR
24941 Any stop reason greater or equal to this value indicates some kind
24942 of error. This special value facilitates writing code that tests
24943 for errors in unwinding in a way that will work correctly even if
24944 the list of the other values is modified in future @value{GDBN}
24945 versions. Using it, you could write:
24946 @smallexample
24947 reason = gdb.selected_frame().unwind_stop_reason ()
24948 reason_str = gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
24949 if reason >= gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR:
24950 print "An error occured: %s" % reason_str
24951 @end smallexample
24952 @end table
24953
24954 @end defun
24955
24956 @defun Frame.pc ()
24957 Returns the frame's resume address.
24958 @end defun
24959
24960 @defun Frame.block ()
24961 Return the frame's code block. @xref{Blocks In Python}.
24962 @end defun
24963
24964 @defun Frame.function ()
24965 Return the symbol for the function corresponding to this frame.
24966 @xref{Symbols In Python}.
24967 @end defun
24968
24969 @defun Frame.older ()
24970 Return the frame that called this frame.
24971 @end defun
24972
24973 @defun Frame.newer ()
24974 Return the frame called by this frame.
24975 @end defun
24976
24977 @defun Frame.find_sal ()
24978 Return the frame's symtab and line object.
24979 @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}.
24980 @end defun
24981
24982 @defun Frame.read_var (variable @r{[}, block@r{]})
24983 Return the value of @var{variable} in this frame. If the optional
24984 argument @var{block} is provided, search for the variable from that
24985 block; otherwise start at the frame's current block (which is
24986 determined by the frame's current program counter). @var{variable}
24987 must be a string or a @code{gdb.Symbol} object. @var{block} must be a
24988 @code{gdb.Block} object.
24989 @end defun
24990
24991 @defun Frame.select ()
24992 Set this frame to be the selected frame. @xref{Stack, ,Examining the
24993 Stack}.
24994 @end defun
24995 @end table
24996
24997 @node Blocks In Python
24998 @subsubsection Accessing frame blocks from Python.
24999
25000 @cindex blocks in python
25001 @tindex gdb.Block
25002
25003 Within each frame, @value{GDBN} maintains information on each block
25004 stored in that frame. These blocks are organized hierarchically, and
25005 are represented individually in Python as a @code{gdb.Block}.
25006 Please see @ref{Frames In Python}, for a more in-depth discussion on
25007 frames. Furthermore, see @ref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}, for more
25008 detailed technical information on @value{GDBN}'s book-keeping of the
25009 stack.
25010
25011 A @code{gdb.Block} is iterable. The iterator returns the symbols
25012 (@pxref{Symbols In Python}) local to the block. Python programs
25013 should not assume that a specific block object will always contain a
25014 given symbol, since changes in @value{GDBN} features and
25015 infrastructure may cause symbols move across blocks in a symbol
25016 table.
25017
25018 The following block-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25019 module:
25020
25021 @findex gdb.block_for_pc
25022 @defun gdb.block_for_pc (pc)
25023 Return the @code{gdb.Block} containing the given @var{pc} value. If the
25024 block cannot be found for the @var{pc} value specified, the function
25025 will return @code{None}.
25026 @end defun
25027
25028 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following methods:
25029
25030 @table @code
25031 @defun Block.is_valid ()
25032 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is valid,
25033 @code{False} if not. A block object can become invalid if the block it
25034 refers to doesn't exist anymore in the inferior. All other
25035 @code{gdb.Block} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid at
25036 the time the method is called. The block's validity is also checked
25037 during iteration over symbols of the block.
25038 @end defun
25039 @end table
25040
25041 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following attributes:
25042
25043 @table @code
25044 @defvar Block.start
25045 The start address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
25046 @end defvar
25047
25048 @defvar Block.end
25049 The end address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
25050 @end defvar
25051
25052 @defvar Block.function
25053 The name of the block represented as a @code{gdb.Symbol}. If the
25054 block is not named, then this attribute holds @code{None}. This
25055 attribute is not writable.
25056 @end defvar
25057
25058 @defvar Block.superblock
25059 The block containing this block. If this parent block does not exist,
25060 this attribute holds @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
25061 @end defvar
25062
25063 @defvar Block.global_block
25064 The global block associated with this block. This attribute is not
25065 writable.
25066 @end defvar
25067
25068 @defvar Block.static_block
25069 The static block associated with this block. This attribute is not
25070 writable.
25071 @end defvar
25072
25073 @defvar Block.is_global
25074 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a global block,
25075 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not
25076 writable.
25077 @end defvar
25078
25079 @defvar Block.is_static
25080 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a static block,
25081 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not writable.
25082 @end defvar
25083 @end table
25084
25085 @node Symbols In Python
25086 @subsubsection Python representation of Symbols.
25087
25088 @cindex symbols in python
25089 @tindex gdb.Symbol
25090
25091 @value{GDBN} represents every variable, function and type as an
25092 entry in a symbol table. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
25093 Similarly, Python represents these symbols in @value{GDBN} with the
25094 @code{gdb.Symbol} object.
25095
25096 The following symbol-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25097 module:
25098
25099 @findex gdb.lookup_symbol
25100 @defun gdb.lookup_symbol (name @r{[}, block @r{[}, domain@r{]]})
25101 This function searches for a symbol by name. The search scope can be
25102 restricted to the parameters defined in the optional domain and block
25103 arguments.
25104
25105 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string. The
25106 optional @var{block} argument restricts the search to symbols visible
25107 in that @var{block}. The @var{block} argument must be a
25108 @code{gdb.Block} object. If omitted, the block for the current frame
25109 is used. The optional @var{domain} argument restricts
25110 the search to the domain type. The @var{domain} argument must be a
25111 domain constant defined in the @code{gdb} module and described later
25112 in this chapter.
25113
25114 The result is a tuple of two elements.
25115 The first element is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
25116 is not found.
25117 If the symbol is found, the second element is @code{True} if the symbol
25118 is a field of a method's object (e.g., @code{this} in C@t{++}),
25119 otherwise it is @code{False}.
25120 If the symbol is not found, the second element is @code{False}.
25121 @end defun
25122
25123 @findex gdb.lookup_global_symbol
25124 @defun gdb.lookup_global_symbol (name @r{[}, domain@r{]})
25125 This function searches for a global symbol by name.
25126 The search scope can be restricted to by the domain argument.
25127
25128 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string.
25129 The optional @var{domain} argument restricts the search to the domain type.
25130 The @var{domain} argument must be a domain constant defined in the @code{gdb}
25131 module and described later in this chapter.
25132
25133 The result is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
25134 is not found.
25135 @end defun
25136
25137 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following attributes:
25138
25139 @table @code
25140 @defvar Symbol.type
25141 The type of the symbol or @code{None} if no type is recorded.
25142 This attribute is represented as a @code{gdb.Type} object.
25143 @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not writable.
25144 @end defvar
25145
25146 @defvar Symbol.symtab
25147 The symbol table in which the symbol appears. This attribute is
25148 represented as a @code{gdb.Symtab} object. @xref{Symbol Tables In
25149 Python}. This attribute is not writable.
25150 @end defvar
25151
25152 @defvar Symbol.line
25153 The line number in the source code at which the symbol was defined.
25154 This is an integer.
25155 @end defvar
25156
25157 @defvar Symbol.name
25158 The name of the symbol as a string. This attribute is not writable.
25159 @end defvar
25160
25161 @defvar Symbol.linkage_name
25162 The name of the symbol, as used by the linker (i.e., may be mangled).
25163 This attribute is not writable.
25164 @end defvar
25165
25166 @defvar Symbol.print_name
25167 The name of the symbol in a form suitable for output. This is either
25168 @code{name} or @code{linkage_name}, depending on whether the user
25169 asked @value{GDBN} to display demangled or mangled names.
25170 @end defvar
25171
25172 @defvar Symbol.addr_class
25173 The address class of the symbol. This classifies how to find the value
25174 of a symbol. Each address class is a constant defined in the
25175 @code{gdb} module and described later in this chapter.
25176 @end defvar
25177
25178 @defvar Symbol.needs_frame
25179 This is @code{True} if evaluating this symbol's value requires a frame
25180 (@pxref{Frames In Python}) and @code{False} otherwise. Typically,
25181 local variables will require a frame, but other symbols will not.
25182 @end defvar
25183
25184 @defvar Symbol.is_argument
25185 @code{True} if the symbol is an argument of a function.
25186 @end defvar
25187
25188 @defvar Symbol.is_constant
25189 @code{True} if the symbol is a constant.
25190 @end defvar
25191
25192 @defvar Symbol.is_function
25193 @code{True} if the symbol is a function or a method.
25194 @end defvar
25195
25196 @defvar Symbol.is_variable
25197 @code{True} if the symbol is a variable.
25198 @end defvar
25199 @end table
25200
25201 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following methods:
25202
25203 @table @code
25204 @defun Symbol.is_valid ()
25205 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symbol} object is valid,
25206 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symbol} object can become invalid if
25207 the symbol it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any longer.
25208 All other @code{gdb.Symbol} methods will throw an exception if it is
25209 invalid at the time the method is called.
25210 @end defun
25211
25212 @defun Symbol.value (@r{[}frame@r{]})
25213 Compute the value of the symbol, as a @code{gdb.Value}. For
25214 functions, this computes the address of the function, cast to the
25215 appropriate type. If the symbol requires a frame in order to compute
25216 its value, then @var{frame} must be given. If @var{frame} is not
25217 given, or if @var{frame} is invalid, then this method will throw an
25218 exception.
25219 @end defun
25220 @end table
25221
25222 The available domain categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
25223 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
25224
25225 @table @code
25226 @findex SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
25227 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
25228 @item gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
25229 This is used when a domain has not been discovered or none of the
25230 following domains apply. This usually indicates an error either
25231 in the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
25232 @findex SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
25233 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
25234 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
25235 This domain contains variables, function names, typedef names and enum
25236 type values.
25237 @findex SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
25238 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
25239 @item gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
25240 This domain holds struct, union and enum type names.
25241 @findex SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
25242 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
25243 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
25244 This domain contains names of labels (for gotos).
25245 @findex SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
25246 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
25247 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
25248 This domain holds a subset of the @code{SYMBOLS_VAR_DOMAIN}; it
25249 contains everything minus functions and types.
25250 @findex SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
25251 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
25252 @item gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTION_DOMAIN
25253 This domain contains all functions.
25254 @findex SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
25255 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
25256 @item gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
25257 This domain contains all types.
25258 @end table
25259
25260 The available address class categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
25261 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
25262
25263 @table @code
25264 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
25265 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
25266 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
25267 If this is returned by address class, it indicates an error either in
25268 the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
25269 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
25270 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
25271 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
25272 Value is constant int.
25273 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
25274 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
25275 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
25276 Value is at a fixed address.
25277 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
25278 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
25279 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
25280 Value is in a register.
25281 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
25282 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
25283 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
25284 Value is an argument. This value is at the offset stored within the
25285 symbol inside the frame's argument list.
25286 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
25287 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
25288 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
25289 Value address is stored in the frame's argument list. Just like
25290 @code{LOC_ARG} except that the value's address is stored at the
25291 offset, not the value itself.
25292 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
25293 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
25294 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
25295 Value is a specified register. Just like @code{LOC_REGISTER} except
25296 the register holds the address of the argument instead of the argument
25297 itself.
25298 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
25299 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
25300 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
25301 Value is a local variable.
25302 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
25303 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
25304 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
25305 Value not used. Symbols in the domain @code{SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN} all
25306 have this class.
25307 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
25308 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
25309 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
25310 Value is a block.
25311 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
25312 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
25313 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
25314 Value is a byte-sequence.
25315 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
25316 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
25317 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
25318 Value is at a fixed address, but the address of the variable has to be
25319 determined from the minimal symbol table whenever the variable is
25320 referenced.
25321 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
25322 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
25323 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
25324 The value does not actually exist in the program.
25325 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
25326 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
25327 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
25328 The value's address is a computed location.
25329 @end table
25330
25331 @node Symbol Tables In Python
25332 @subsubsection Symbol table representation in Python.
25333
25334 @cindex symbol tables in python
25335 @tindex gdb.Symtab
25336 @tindex gdb.Symtab_and_line
25337
25338 Access to symbol table data maintained by @value{GDBN} on the inferior
25339 is exposed to Python via two objects: @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} and
25340 @code{gdb.Symtab}. Symbol table and line data for a frame is returned
25341 from the @code{find_sal} method in @code{gdb.Frame} object.
25342 @xref{Frames In Python}.
25343
25344 For more information on @value{GDBN}'s symbol table management, see
25345 @ref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, for more information.
25346
25347 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following attributes:
25348
25349 @table @code
25350 @defvar Symtab_and_line.symtab
25351 The symbol table object (@code{gdb.Symtab}) for this frame.
25352 This attribute is not writable.
25353 @end defvar
25354
25355 @defvar Symtab_and_line.pc
25356 Indicates the start of the address range occupied by code for the
25357 current source line. This attribute is not writable.
25358 @end defvar
25359
25360 @defvar Symtab_and_line.last
25361 Indicates the end of the address range occupied by code for the current
25362 source line. This attribute is not writable.
25363 @end defvar
25364
25365 @defvar Symtab_and_line.line
25366 Indicates the current line number for this object. This
25367 attribute is not writable.
25368 @end defvar
25369 @end table
25370
25371 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following methods:
25372
25373 @table @code
25374 @defun Symtab_and_line.is_valid ()
25375 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object is valid,
25376 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object can become
25377 invalid if the Symbol table and line object it refers to does not
25378 exist in @value{GDBN} any longer. All other
25379 @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} methods will throw an exception if it is
25380 invalid at the time the method is called.
25381 @end defun
25382 @end table
25383
25384 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following attributes:
25385
25386 @table @code
25387 @defvar Symtab.filename
25388 The symbol table's source filename. This attribute is not writable.
25389 @end defvar
25390
25391 @defvar Symtab.objfile
25392 The symbol table's backing object file. @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
25393 This attribute is not writable.
25394 @end defvar
25395 @end table
25396
25397 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following methods:
25398
25399 @table @code
25400 @defun Symtab.is_valid ()
25401 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab} object is valid,
25402 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab} object can become invalid if
25403 the symbol table it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any
25404 longer. All other @code{gdb.Symtab} methods will throw an exception
25405 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
25406 @end defun
25407
25408 @defun Symtab.fullname ()
25409 Return the symbol table's source absolute file name.
25410 @end defun
25411
25412 @defun Symtab.global_block ()
25413 Return the global block of the underlying symbol table.
25414 @xref{Blocks In Python}.
25415 @end defun
25416
25417 @defun Symtab.static_block ()
25418 Return the static block of the underlying symbol table.
25419 @xref{Blocks In Python}.
25420 @end defun
25421 @end table
25422
25423 @node Breakpoints In Python
25424 @subsubsection Manipulating breakpoints using Python
25425
25426 @cindex breakpoints in python
25427 @tindex gdb.Breakpoint
25428
25429 Python code can manipulate breakpoints via the @code{gdb.Breakpoint}
25430 class.
25431
25432 @defun Breakpoint.__init__ (spec @r{[}, type @r{[}, wp_class @r{[},internal@r{]]]})
25433 Create a new breakpoint. @var{spec} is a string naming the
25434 location of the breakpoint, or an expression that defines a
25435 watchpoint. The contents can be any location recognized by the
25436 @code{break} command, or in the case of a watchpoint, by the @code{watch}
25437 command. The optional @var{type} denotes the breakpoint to create
25438 from the types defined later in this chapter. This argument can be
25439 either: @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT} or @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. @var{type}
25440 defaults to @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT}. The optional @var{internal} argument
25441 allows the breakpoint to become invisible to the user. The breakpoint
25442 will neither be reported when created, nor will it be listed in the
25443 output from @code{info breakpoints} (but will be listed with the
25444 @code{maint info breakpoints} command). The optional @var{wp_class}
25445 argument defines the class of watchpoint to create, if @var{type} is
25446 @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. If a watchpoint class is not provided, it is
25447 assumed to be a @code{gdb.WP_WRITE} class.
25448 @end defun
25449
25450 @defun Breakpoint.stop (self)
25451 The @code{gdb.Breakpoint} class can be sub-classed and, in
25452 particular, you may choose to implement the @code{stop} method.
25453 If this method is defined as a sub-class of @code{gdb.Breakpoint},
25454 it will be called when the inferior reaches any location of a
25455 breakpoint which instantiates that sub-class. If the method returns
25456 @code{True}, the inferior will be stopped at the location of the
25457 breakpoint, otherwise the inferior will continue.
25458
25459 If there are multiple breakpoints at the same location with a
25460 @code{stop} method, each one will be called regardless of the
25461 return status of the previous. This ensures that all @code{stop}
25462 methods have a chance to execute at that location. In this scenario
25463 if one of the methods returns @code{True} but the others return
25464 @code{False}, the inferior will still be stopped.
25465
25466 You should not alter the execution state of the inferior (i.e.@:, step,
25467 next, etc.), alter the current frame context (i.e.@:, change the current
25468 active frame), or alter, add or delete any breakpoint. As a general
25469 rule, you should not alter any data within @value{GDBN} or the inferior
25470 at this time.
25471
25472 Example @code{stop} implementation:
25473
25474 @smallexample
25475 class MyBreakpoint (gdb.Breakpoint):
25476 def stop (self):
25477 inf_val = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo")
25478 if inf_val == 3:
25479 return True
25480 return False
25481 @end smallexample
25482 @end defun
25483
25484 The available watchpoint types represented by constants are defined in the
25485 @code{gdb} module:
25486
25487 @table @code
25488 @findex WP_READ
25489 @findex gdb.WP_READ
25490 @item gdb.WP_READ
25491 Read only watchpoint.
25492
25493 @findex WP_WRITE
25494 @findex gdb.WP_WRITE
25495 @item gdb.WP_WRITE
25496 Write only watchpoint.
25497
25498 @findex WP_ACCESS
25499 @findex gdb.WP_ACCESS
25500 @item gdb.WP_ACCESS
25501 Read/Write watchpoint.
25502 @end table
25503
25504 @defun Breakpoint.is_valid ()
25505 Return @code{True} if this @code{Breakpoint} object is valid,
25506 @code{False} otherwise. A @code{Breakpoint} object can become invalid
25507 if the user deletes the breakpoint. In this case, the object still
25508 exists, but the underlying breakpoint does not. In the cases of
25509 watchpoint scope, the watchpoint remains valid even if execution of the
25510 inferior leaves the scope of that watchpoint.
25511 @end defun
25512
25513 @defun Breakpoint.delete
25514 Permanently deletes the @value{GDBN} breakpoint. This also
25515 invalidates the Python @code{Breakpoint} object. Any further access
25516 to this object's attributes or methods will raise an error.
25517 @end defun
25518
25519 @defvar Breakpoint.enabled
25520 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is enabled, and
25521 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
25522 @end defvar
25523
25524 @defvar Breakpoint.silent
25525 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is silent, and
25526 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
25527
25528 Note that a breakpoint can also be silent if it has commands and the
25529 first command is @code{silent}. This is not reported by the
25530 @code{silent} attribute.
25531 @end defvar
25532
25533 @defvar Breakpoint.thread
25534 If the breakpoint is thread-specific, this attribute holds the thread
25535 id. If the breakpoint is not thread-specific, this attribute is
25536 @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
25537 @end defvar
25538
25539 @defvar Breakpoint.task
25540 If the breakpoint is Ada task-specific, this attribute holds the Ada task
25541 id. If the breakpoint is not task-specific (or the underlying
25542 language is not Ada), this attribute is @code{None}. This attribute
25543 is writable.
25544 @end defvar
25545
25546 @defvar Breakpoint.ignore_count
25547 This attribute holds the ignore count for the breakpoint, an integer.
25548 This attribute is writable.
25549 @end defvar
25550
25551 @defvar Breakpoint.number
25552 This attribute holds the breakpoint's number --- the identifier used by
25553 the user to manipulate the breakpoint. This attribute is not writable.
25554 @end defvar
25555
25556 @defvar Breakpoint.type
25557 This attribute holds the breakpoint's type --- the identifier used to
25558 determine the actual breakpoint type or use-case. This attribute is not
25559 writable.
25560 @end defvar
25561
25562 @defvar Breakpoint.visible
25563 This attribute tells whether the breakpoint is visible to the user
25564 when set, or when the @samp{info breakpoints} command is run. This
25565 attribute is not writable.
25566 @end defvar
25567
25568 The available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
25569 module:
25570
25571 @table @code
25572 @findex BP_BREAKPOINT
25573 @findex gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
25574 @item gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
25575 Normal code breakpoint.
25576
25577 @findex BP_WATCHPOINT
25578 @findex gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
25579 @item gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
25580 Watchpoint breakpoint.
25581
25582 @findex BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
25583 @findex gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
25584 @item gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
25585 Hardware assisted watchpoint.
25586
25587 @findex BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
25588 @findex gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
25589 @item gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
25590 Hardware assisted read watchpoint.
25591
25592 @findex BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
25593 @findex gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
25594 @item gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
25595 Hardware assisted access watchpoint.
25596 @end table
25597
25598 @defvar Breakpoint.hit_count
25599 This attribute holds the hit count for the breakpoint, an integer.
25600 This attribute is writable, but currently it can only be set to zero.
25601 @end defvar
25602
25603 @defvar Breakpoint.location
25604 This attribute holds the location of the breakpoint, as specified by
25605 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have a location
25606 (that is, it is a watchpoint) the attribute's value is @code{None}. This
25607 attribute is not writable.
25608 @end defvar
25609
25610 @defvar Breakpoint.expression
25611 This attribute holds a breakpoint expression, as specified by
25612 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have an
25613 expression (the breakpoint is not a watchpoint) the attribute's value
25614 is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
25615 @end defvar
25616
25617 @defvar Breakpoint.condition
25618 This attribute holds the condition of the breakpoint, as specified by
25619 the user. It is a string. If there is no condition, this attribute's
25620 value is @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
25621 @end defvar
25622
25623 @defvar Breakpoint.commands
25624 This attribute holds the commands attached to the breakpoint. If
25625 there are commands, this attribute's value is a string holding all the
25626 commands, separated by newlines. If there are no commands, this
25627 attribute is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
25628 @end defvar
25629
25630 @node Finish Breakpoints in Python
25631 @subsubsection Finish Breakpoints
25632
25633 @cindex python finish breakpoints
25634 @tindex gdb.FinishBreakpoint
25635
25636 A finish breakpoint is a temporary breakpoint set at the return address of
25637 a frame, based on the @code{finish} command. @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint}
25638 extends @code{gdb.Breakpoint}. The underlying breakpoint will be disabled
25639 and deleted when the execution will run out of the breakpoint scope (i.e.@:
25640 @code{Breakpoint.stop} or @code{FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope} triggered).
25641 Finish breakpoints are thread specific and must be create with the right
25642 thread selected.
25643
25644 @defun FinishBreakpoint.__init__ (@r{[}frame@r{]} @r{[}, internal@r{]})
25645 Create a finish breakpoint at the return address of the @code{gdb.Frame}
25646 object @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not provided, this defaults to the
25647 newest frame. The optional @var{internal} argument allows the breakpoint to
25648 become invisible to the user. @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for further
25649 details about this argument.
25650 @end defun
25651
25652 @defun FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope (self)
25653 In some circumstances (e.g.@: @code{longjmp}, C@t{++} exceptions, @value{GDBN}
25654 @code{return} command, @dots{}), a function may not properly terminate, and
25655 thus never hit the finish breakpoint. When @value{GDBN} notices such a
25656 situation, the @code{out_of_scope} callback will be triggered.
25657
25658 You may want to sub-class @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} and override this
25659 method:
25660
25661 @smallexample
25662 class MyFinishBreakpoint (gdb.FinishBreakpoint)
25663 def stop (self):
25664 print "normal finish"
25665 return True
25666
25667 def out_of_scope ():
25668 print "abnormal finish"
25669 @end smallexample
25670 @end defun
25671
25672 @defvar FinishBreakpoint.return_value
25673 When @value{GDBN} is stopped at a finish breakpoint and the frame
25674 used to build the @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} object had debug symbols, this
25675 attribute will contain a @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the return
25676 value of the function. The value will be @code{None} if the function return
25677 type is @code{void} or if the return value was not computable. This attribute
25678 is not writable.
25679 @end defvar
25680
25681 @node Lazy Strings In Python
25682 @subsubsection Python representation of lazy strings.
25683
25684 @cindex lazy strings in python
25685 @tindex gdb.LazyString
25686
25687 A @dfn{lazy string} is a string whose contents is not retrieved or
25688 encoded until it is needed.
25689
25690 A @code{gdb.LazyString} is represented in @value{GDBN} as an
25691 @code{address} that points to a region of memory, an @code{encoding}
25692 that will be used to encode that region of memory, and a @code{length}
25693 to delimit the region of memory that represents the string. The
25694 difference between a @code{gdb.LazyString} and a string wrapped within
25695 a @code{gdb.Value} is that a @code{gdb.LazyString} will be treated
25696 differently by @value{GDBN} when printing. A @code{gdb.LazyString} is
25697 retrieved and encoded during printing, while a @code{gdb.Value}
25698 wrapping a string is immediately retrieved and encoded on creation.
25699
25700 A @code{gdb.LazyString} object has the following functions:
25701
25702 @defun LazyString.value ()
25703 Convert the @code{gdb.LazyString} to a @code{gdb.Value}. This value
25704 will point to the string in memory, but will lose all the delayed
25705 retrieval, encoding and handling that @value{GDBN} applies to a
25706 @code{gdb.LazyString}.
25707 @end defun
25708
25709 @defvar LazyString.address
25710 This attribute holds the address of the string. This attribute is not
25711 writable.
25712 @end defvar
25713
25714 @defvar LazyString.length
25715 This attribute holds the length of the string in characters. If the
25716 length is -1, then the string will be fetched and encoded up to the
25717 first null of appropriate width. This attribute is not writable.
25718 @end defvar
25719
25720 @defvar LazyString.encoding
25721 This attribute holds the encoding that will be applied to the string
25722 when the string is printed by @value{GDBN}. If the encoding is not
25723 set, or contains an empty string, then @value{GDBN} will select the
25724 most appropriate encoding when the string is printed. This attribute
25725 is not writable.
25726 @end defvar
25727
25728 @defvar LazyString.type
25729 This attribute holds the type that is represented by the lazy string's
25730 type. For a lazy string this will always be a pointer type. To
25731 resolve this to the lazy string's character type, use the type's
25732 @code{target} method. @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not
25733 writable.
25734 @end defvar
25735
25736 @node Python Auto-loading
25737 @subsection Python Auto-loading
25738 @cindex Python auto-loading
25739
25740 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
25741 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
25742 @value{GDBN} will look for Python support scripts in several ways:
25743 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} (@pxref{objfile-gdb.py file})
25744 and @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
25745 (@pxref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}).
25746
25747 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
25748 debugging commands and scripts.
25749
25750 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
25751 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
25752
25753 @table @code
25754 @anchor{set auto-load python-scripts}
25755 @kindex set auto-load python-scripts
25756 @item set auto-load python-scripts [on|off]
25757 Enable or disable the auto-loading of Python scripts.
25758
25759 @anchor{show auto-load python-scripts}
25760 @kindex show auto-load python-scripts
25761 @item show auto-load python-scripts
25762 Show whether auto-loading of Python scripts is enabled or disabled.
25763
25764 @anchor{info auto-load python-scripts}
25765 @kindex info auto-load python-scripts
25766 @cindex print list of auto-loaded Python scripts
25767 @item info auto-load python-scripts [@var{regexp}]
25768 Print the list of all Python scripts that @value{GDBN} auto-loaded.
25769
25770 Also printed is the list of Python scripts that were mentioned in
25771 the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section and were not found
25772 (@pxref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}).
25773 This is useful because their names are not printed when @value{GDBN}
25774 tries to load them and fails. There may be many of them, and printing
25775 an error message for each one is problematic.
25776
25777 If @var{regexp} is supplied only Python scripts with matching names are printed.
25778
25779 Example:
25780
25781 @smallexample
25782 (gdb) info auto-load python-scripts
25783 Loaded Script
25784 Yes py-section-script.py
25785 full name: /tmp/py-section-script.py
25786 No my-foo-pretty-printers.py
25787 @end smallexample
25788 @end table
25789
25790 When reading an auto-loaded file, @value{GDBN} sets the
25791 @dfn{current objfile}. This is available via the @code{gdb.current_objfile}
25792 function (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}). This can be useful for
25793 registering objfile-specific pretty-printers.
25794
25795 @menu
25796 * objfile-gdb.py file:: The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
25797 * dotdebug_gdb_scripts section:: The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
25798 * Which flavor to choose?::
25799 @end menu
25800
25801 @node objfile-gdb.py file
25802 @subsubsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
25803 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
25804
25805 When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for
25806 a file named @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} (we call it @var{script-name} below),
25807 where @var{objfile} is the object file's real name, formed by ensuring
25808 that the file name is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving
25809 @code{.} and @code{..} components. If this file exists and is
25810 readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a Python script.
25811
25812 If this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
25813 @var{script-name} file in all of the directories as specified below.
25814
25815 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
25816 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
25817
25818 @table @code
25819 @anchor{set auto-load scripts-directory}
25820 @kindex set auto-load scripts-directory
25821 @item set auto-load scripts-directory @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
25822 Control @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location. Multiple directory entries
25823 may be delimited by the host platform path separator in use
25824 (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS).
25825
25826 Each entry here needs to be covered also by the security setting
25827 @code{set auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{set auto-load safe-path}).
25828
25829 @anchor{with-auto-load-dir}
25830 This variable defaults to @file{$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load}. The default
25831 @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by @value{GDBN}
25832 configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-dir}.
25833
25834 Any reference to @file{$debugdir} will get replaced by
25835 @var{debug-file-directory} value (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}) and any
25836 reference to @file{$datadir} will get replaced by @var{data-directory} which is
25837 determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}). @file{$debugdir} and
25838 @file{$datadir} must be placed as a directory component --- either alone or
25839 delimited by @file{/} or @file{\} directory separators, depending on the host
25840 platform.
25841
25842 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
25843 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
25844 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
25845
25846 @anchor{show auto-load scripts-directory}
25847 @kindex show auto-load scripts-directory
25848 @item show auto-load scripts-directory
25849 Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
25850 @end table
25851
25852 @value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
25853 @value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
25854 @var{objfile} is opened.
25855 So your @file{-gdb.py} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
25856 is evaluated more than once.
25857
25858 @node dotdebug_gdb_scripts section
25859 @subsubsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
25860 @cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
25861
25862 For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
25863 when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
25864 it will look for a special section named @samp{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
25865 If this section exists, its contents is a list of names of scripts to load.
25866
25867 @value{GDBN} will look for each specified script file first in the
25868 current directory and then along the source search path
25869 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
25870 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
25871 directory is not relevant to scripts.
25872
25873 Entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
25874 for example, this GCC macro:
25875
25876 @example
25877 /* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remove duplicates. */
25878 #define DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT(script_name) \
25879 asm("\
25880 .pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
25881 .byte 1\n\
25882 .asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
25883 .popsection \n\
25884 ");
25885 @end example
25886
25887 @noindent
25888 Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
25889
25890 @example
25891 DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
25892 @end example
25893
25894 The script name may include directories if desired.
25895
25896 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
25897 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
25898
25899 If the macro is put in a header, any application or library
25900 using this header will get a reference to the specified script.
25901
25902 @node Which flavor to choose?
25903 @subsubsection Which flavor to choose?
25904
25905 Given the multiple ways of auto-loading Python scripts, it might not always
25906 be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
25907
25908 Benefits of the @file{-gdb.py} way:
25909
25910 @itemize @bullet
25911 @item
25912 Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
25913
25914 @item
25915 Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
25916
25917 Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
25918 in the source search path.
25919 For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
25920 isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
25921
25922 @item
25923 Doesn't require source code additions.
25924 @end itemize
25925
25926 Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
25927
25928 @itemize @bullet
25929 @item
25930 Works with static linking.
25931
25932 Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.py} way require an objfile to
25933 trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
25934 objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
25935 scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's @file{-gdb.py} script.
25936
25937 @item
25938 Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
25939
25940 Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
25941 shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.py} script to.
25942
25943 @item
25944 Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
25945
25946 In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
25947 libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
25948 @file{-gdb.py} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
25949 cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
25950 @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
25951 top of the source tree to the source search path.
25952 @end itemize
25953
25954 @node Python modules
25955 @subsection Python modules
25956 @cindex python modules
25957
25958 @value{GDBN} comes with several modules to assist writing Python code.
25959
25960 @menu
25961 * gdb.printing:: Building and registering pretty-printers.
25962 * gdb.types:: Utilities for working with types.
25963 * gdb.prompt:: Utilities for prompt value substitution.
25964 @end menu
25965
25966 @node gdb.printing
25967 @subsubsection gdb.printing
25968 @cindex gdb.printing
25969
25970 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
25971 pretty-printers.
25972
25973 @table @code
25974 @item PrettyPrinter (@var{name}, @var{subprinters}=None)
25975 This class specifies the API that makes @samp{info pretty-printer},
25976 @samp{enable pretty-printer} and @samp{disable pretty-printer} work.
25977 Pretty-printers should generally inherit from this class.
25978
25979 @item SubPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
25980 For printers that handle multiple types, this class specifies the
25981 corresponding API for the subprinters.
25982
25983 @item RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
25984 Utility class for handling multiple printers, all recognized via
25985 regular expressions.
25986 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for an example.
25987
25988 @item FlagEnumerationPrinter (@var{name})
25989 A pretty-printer which handles printing of @code{enum} values. Unlike
25990 @value{GDBN}'s built-in @code{enum} printing, this printer attempts to
25991 work properly when there is some overlap between the enumeration
25992 constants. @var{name} is the name of the printer and also the name of
25993 the @code{enum} type to look up.
25994
25995 @item register_pretty_printer (@var{obj}, @var{printer}, @var{replace}=False)
25996 Register @var{printer} with the pretty-printer list of @var{obj}.
25997 If @var{replace} is @code{True} then any existing copy of the printer
25998 is replaced. Otherwise a @code{RuntimeError} exception is raised
25999 if a printer with the same name already exists.
26000 @end table
26001
26002 @node gdb.types
26003 @subsubsection gdb.types
26004 @cindex gdb.types
26005
26006 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
26007 @code{gdb.Types} objects.
26008
26009 @table @code
26010 @item get_basic_type (@var{type})
26011 Return @var{type} with const and volatile qualifiers stripped,
26012 and with typedefs and C@t{++} references converted to the underlying type.
26013
26014 C@t{++} example:
26015
26016 @smallexample
26017 typedef const int const_int;
26018 const_int foo (3);
26019 const_int& foo_ref (foo);
26020 int main () @{ return 0; @}
26021 @end smallexample
26022
26023 Then in gdb:
26024
26025 @smallexample
26026 (gdb) start
26027 (gdb) python import gdb.types
26028 (gdb) python foo_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo_ref")
26029 (gdb) python print gdb.types.get_basic_type(foo_ref.type)
26030 int
26031 @end smallexample
26032
26033 @item has_field (@var{type}, @var{field})
26034 Return @code{True} if @var{type}, assumed to be a type with fields
26035 (e.g., a structure or union), has field @var{field}.
26036
26037 @item make_enum_dict (@var{enum_type})
26038 Return a Python @code{dictionary} type produced from @var{enum_type}.
26039
26040 @item deep_items (@var{type})
26041 Returns a Python iterator similar to the standard
26042 @code{gdb.Type.iteritems} method, except that the iterator returned
26043 by @code{deep_items} will recursively traverse anonymous struct or
26044 union fields. For example:
26045
26046 @smallexample
26047 struct A
26048 @{
26049 int a;
26050 union @{
26051 int b0;
26052 int b1;
26053 @};
26054 @};
26055 @end smallexample
26056
26057 @noindent
26058 Then in @value{GDBN}:
26059 @smallexample
26060 (@value{GDBP}) python import gdb.types
26061 (@value{GDBP}) python struct_a = gdb.lookup_type("struct A")
26062 (@value{GDBP}) python print struct_a.keys ()
26063 @{['a', '']@}
26064 (@value{GDBP}) python print [k for k,v in gdb.types.deep_items(struct_a)]
26065 @{['a', 'b0', 'b1']@}
26066 @end smallexample
26067
26068 @end table
26069
26070 @node gdb.prompt
26071 @subsubsection gdb.prompt
26072 @cindex gdb.prompt
26073
26074 This module provides a method for prompt value-substitution.
26075
26076 @table @code
26077 @item substitute_prompt (@var{string})
26078 Return @var{string} with escape sequences substituted by values. Some
26079 escape sequences take arguments. You can specify arguments inside
26080 ``@{@}'' immediately following the escape sequence.
26081
26082 The escape sequences you can pass to this function are:
26083
26084 @table @code
26085 @item \\
26086 Substitute a backslash.
26087 @item \e
26088 Substitute an ESC character.
26089 @item \f
26090 Substitute the selected frame; an argument names a frame parameter.
26091 @item \n
26092 Substitute a newline.
26093 @item \p
26094 Substitute a parameter's value; the argument names the parameter.
26095 @item \r
26096 Substitute a carriage return.
26097 @item \t
26098 Substitute the selected thread; an argument names a thread parameter.
26099 @item \v
26100 Substitute the version of GDB.
26101 @item \w
26102 Substitute the current working directory.
26103 @item \[
26104 Begin a sequence of non-printing characters. These sequences are
26105 typically used with the ESC character, and are not counted in the string
26106 length. Example: ``\[\e[0;34m\](gdb)\[\e[0m\]'' will return a
26107 blue-colored ``(gdb)'' prompt where the length is five.
26108 @item \]
26109 End a sequence of non-printing characters.
26110 @end table
26111
26112 For example:
26113
26114 @smallexample
26115 substitute_prompt (``frame: \f,
26116 print arguments: \p@{print frame-arguments@}'')
26117 @end smallexample
26118
26119 @exdent will return the string:
26120
26121 @smallexample
26122 "frame: main, print arguments: scalars"
26123 @end smallexample
26124 @end table
26125
26126 @node Aliases
26127 @section Creating new spellings of existing commands
26128 @cindex aliases for commands
26129
26130 It is often useful to define alternate spellings of existing commands.
26131 For example, if a new @value{GDBN} command defined in Python has
26132 a long name to type, it is handy to have an abbreviated version of it
26133 that involves less typing.
26134
26135 @value{GDBN} itself uses aliases. For example @samp{s} is an alias
26136 of the @samp{step} command even though it is otherwise an ambiguous
26137 abbreviation of other commands like @samp{set} and @samp{show}.
26138
26139 Aliases are also used to provide shortened or more common versions
26140 of multi-word commands. For example, @value{GDBN} provides the
26141 @samp{tty} alias of the @samp{set inferior-tty} command.
26142
26143 You can define a new alias with the @samp{alias} command.
26144
26145 @table @code
26146
26147 @kindex alias
26148 @item alias [-a] [--] @var{ALIAS} = @var{COMMAND}
26149
26150 @end table
26151
26152 @var{ALIAS} specifies the name of the new alias.
26153 Each word of @var{ALIAS} must consist of letters, numbers, dashes and
26154 underscores.
26155
26156 @var{COMMAND} specifies the name of an existing command
26157 that is being aliased.
26158
26159 The @samp{-a} option specifies that the new alias is an abbreviation
26160 of the command. Abbreviations are not shown in command
26161 lists displayed by the @samp{help} command.
26162
26163 The @samp{--} option specifies the end of options,
26164 and is useful when @var{ALIAS} begins with a dash.
26165
26166 Here is a simple example showing how to make an abbreviation
26167 of a command so that there is less to type.
26168 Suppose you were tired of typing @samp{disas}, the current
26169 shortest unambiguous abbreviation of the @samp{disassemble} command
26170 and you wanted an even shorter version named @samp{di}.
26171 The following will accomplish this.
26172
26173 @smallexample
26174 (gdb) alias -a di = disas
26175 @end smallexample
26176
26177 Note that aliases are different from user-defined commands.
26178 With a user-defined command, you also need to write documentation
26179 for it with the @samp{document} command.
26180 An alias automatically picks up the documentation of the existing command.
26181
26182 Here is an example where we make @samp{elms} an abbreviation of
26183 @samp{elements} in the @samp{set print elements} command.
26184 This is to show that you can make an abbreviation of any part
26185 of a command.
26186
26187 @smallexample
26188 (gdb) alias -a set print elms = set print elements
26189 (gdb) alias -a show print elms = show print elements
26190 (gdb) set p elms 20
26191 (gdb) show p elms
26192 Limit on string chars or array elements to print is 200.
26193 @end smallexample
26194
26195 Note that if you are defining an alias of a @samp{set} command,
26196 and you want to have an alias for the corresponding @samp{show}
26197 command, then you need to define the latter separately.
26198
26199 Unambiguously abbreviated commands are allowed in @var{COMMAND} and
26200 @var{ALIAS}, just as they are normally.
26201
26202 @smallexample
26203 (gdb) alias -a set pr elms = set p ele
26204 @end smallexample
26205
26206 Finally, here is an example showing the creation of a one word
26207 alias for a more complex command.
26208 This creates alias @samp{spe} of the command @samp{set print elements}.
26209
26210 @smallexample
26211 (gdb) alias spe = set print elements
26212 (gdb) spe 20
26213 @end smallexample
26214
26215 @node Interpreters
26216 @chapter Command Interpreters
26217 @cindex command interpreters
26218
26219 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
26220 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
26221 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
26222
26223 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
26224 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
26225 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
26226 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
26227
26228 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
26229 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
26230 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
26231 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
26232
26233 @table @code
26234 @item console
26235 @cindex console interpreter
26236 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
26237 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
26238 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
26239
26240 @item mi
26241 @cindex mi interpreter
26242 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
26243 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
26244 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
26245 Interface}.
26246
26247 @item mi2
26248 @cindex mi2 interpreter
26249 The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
26250
26251 @item mi1
26252 @cindex mi1 interpreter
26253 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
26254
26255 @end table
26256
26257 @cindex invoke another interpreter
26258 The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
26259 switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
26260 precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
26261 enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
26262 @value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
26263 the IDE inoperable!
26264
26265 @kindex interpreter-exec
26266 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
26267 commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
26268 command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
26269 @code{interpreter-exec} command:
26270
26271 @smallexample
26272 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
26273 @end smallexample
26274
26275 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
26276 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
26277
26278 @node TUI
26279 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
26280 @cindex TUI
26281 @cindex Text User Interface
26282
26283 @menu
26284 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
26285 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
26286 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
26287 * TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
26288 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
26289 @end menu
26290
26291 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
26292 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
26293 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
26294 commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
26295 on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
26296 is available.
26297
26298 The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
26299 @samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
26300 You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
26301 using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @kbd{C-x C-a}.
26302 @xref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
26303
26304 @node TUI Overview
26305 @section TUI Overview
26306
26307 In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
26308
26309 @table @emph
26310 @item command
26311 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
26312 prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
26313 managed using readline.
26314
26315 @item source
26316 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
26317 line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
26318
26319 @item assembly
26320 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
26321
26322 @item register
26323 This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
26324 when their values change.
26325 @end table
26326
26327 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
26328 by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
26329 Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
26330 indicates the breakpoint type:
26331
26332 @table @code
26333 @item B
26334 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
26335
26336 @item b
26337 Breakpoint which was never hit.
26338
26339 @item H
26340 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
26341
26342 @item h
26343 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
26344 @end table
26345
26346 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
26347
26348 @table @code
26349 @item +
26350 Breakpoint is enabled.
26351
26352 @item -
26353 Breakpoint is disabled.
26354 @end table
26355
26356 The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
26357 thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
26358 changes.
26359
26360 These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
26361 window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
26362 layouts:
26363
26364 @itemize @bullet
26365 @item
26366 source only,
26367
26368 @item
26369 assembly only,
26370
26371 @item
26372 source and assembly,
26373
26374 @item
26375 source and registers, or
26376
26377 @item
26378 assembly and registers.
26379 @end itemize
26380
26381 A status line above the command window shows the following information:
26382
26383 @table @emph
26384 @item target
26385 Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
26386 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
26387
26388 @item process
26389 Gives the current process or thread number.
26390 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
26391
26392 @item function
26393 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
26394 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
26395 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
26396 the string @code{??} is displayed.
26397
26398 @item line
26399 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
26400 When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
26401
26402 @item pc
26403 Indicates the current program counter address.
26404 @end table
26405
26406 @node TUI Keys
26407 @section TUI Key Bindings
26408 @cindex TUI key bindings
26409
26410 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
26411 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
26412 (@pxref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library}).
26413 @end ifset
26414 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
26415 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
26416 @end ifclear
26417 The following key bindings are installed for both TUI mode and the
26418 @value{GDBN} standard mode.
26419
26420 @table @kbd
26421 @kindex C-x C-a
26422 @item C-x C-a
26423 @kindex C-x a
26424 @itemx C-x a
26425 @kindex C-x A
26426 @itemx C-x A
26427 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
26428 the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
26429 its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
26430 the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
26431 The screen is then refreshed.
26432
26433 @kindex C-x 1
26434 @item C-x 1
26435 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
26436 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
26437 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
26438
26439 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
26440
26441 @kindex C-x 2
26442 @item C-x 2
26443 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
26444 layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
26445 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
26446 previous layout and the new one.
26447
26448 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
26449
26450 @kindex C-x o
26451 @item C-x o
26452 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
26453 (like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
26454 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
26455
26456 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
26457
26458 @kindex C-x s
26459 @item C-x s
26460 Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
26461 keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
26462 @end table
26463
26464 The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
26465
26466 @table @asis
26467 @kindex PgUp
26468 @item @key{PgUp}
26469 Scroll the active window one page up.
26470
26471 @kindex PgDn
26472 @item @key{PgDn}
26473 Scroll the active window one page down.
26474
26475 @kindex Up
26476 @item @key{Up}
26477 Scroll the active window one line up.
26478
26479 @kindex Down
26480 @item @key{Down}
26481 Scroll the active window one line down.
26482
26483 @kindex Left
26484 @item @key{Left}
26485 Scroll the active window one column left.
26486
26487 @kindex Right
26488 @item @key{Right}
26489 Scroll the active window one column right.
26490
26491 @kindex C-L
26492 @item @kbd{C-L}
26493 Refresh the screen.
26494 @end table
26495
26496 Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
26497 are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
26498 window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
26499 other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
26500 and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
26501
26502 @node TUI Single Key Mode
26503 @section TUI Single Key Mode
26504 @cindex TUI single key mode
26505
26506 The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
26507 frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
26508 switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
26509
26510 @table @kbd
26511 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26512 @item c
26513 continue
26514
26515 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26516 @item d
26517 down
26518
26519 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26520 @item f
26521 finish
26522
26523 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26524 @item n
26525 next
26526
26527 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26528 @item q
26529 exit the SingleKey mode.
26530
26531 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26532 @item r
26533 run
26534
26535 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26536 @item s
26537 step
26538
26539 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26540 @item u
26541 up
26542
26543 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26544 @item v
26545 info locals
26546
26547 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
26548 @item w
26549 where
26550 @end table
26551
26552 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
26553 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
26554 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
26555 with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
26556 SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
26557 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
26558
26559
26560 @node TUI Commands
26561 @section TUI-specific Commands
26562 @cindex TUI commands
26563
26564 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
26565 These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
26566 the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
26567 of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
26568
26569 Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
26570 terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
26571 interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
26572 these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
26573 possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
26574
26575 @table @code
26576 @item info win
26577 @kindex info win
26578 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
26579
26580 @item layout next
26581 @kindex layout
26582 Display the next layout.
26583
26584 @item layout prev
26585 Display the previous layout.
26586
26587 @item layout src
26588 Display the source window only.
26589
26590 @item layout asm
26591 Display the assembly window only.
26592
26593 @item layout split
26594 Display the source and assembly window.
26595
26596 @item layout regs
26597 Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
26598
26599 @item focus next
26600 @kindex focus
26601 Make the next window active for scrolling.
26602
26603 @item focus prev
26604 Make the previous window active for scrolling.
26605
26606 @item focus src
26607 Make the source window active for scrolling.
26608
26609 @item focus asm
26610 Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
26611
26612 @item focus regs
26613 Make the register window active for scrolling.
26614
26615 @item focus cmd
26616 Make the command window active for scrolling.
26617
26618 @item refresh
26619 @kindex refresh
26620 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
26621
26622 @item tui reg float
26623 @kindex tui reg
26624 Show the floating point registers in the register window.
26625
26626 @item tui reg general
26627 Show the general registers in the register window.
26628
26629 @item tui reg next
26630 Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
26631 their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
26632 following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
26633 @code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
26634
26635 @item tui reg system
26636 Show the system registers in the register window.
26637
26638 @item update
26639 @kindex update
26640 Update the source window and the current execution point.
26641
26642 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
26643 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
26644 @kindex winheight
26645 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
26646 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
26647 decrease it.
26648
26649 @item tabset @var{nchars}
26650 @kindex tabset
26651 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
26652 @end table
26653
26654 @node TUI Configuration
26655 @section TUI Configuration Variables
26656 @cindex TUI configuration variables
26657
26658 Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
26659
26660 @table @code
26661 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
26662 @kindex set tui border-kind
26663 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
26664 The possible values are the following:
26665 @table @code
26666 @item space
26667 Use a space character to draw the border.
26668
26669 @item ascii
26670 Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
26671
26672 @item acs
26673 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
26674 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
26675 @end table
26676
26677 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
26678 @kindex set tui border-mode
26679 @itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
26680 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
26681 Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
26682 or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
26683 @table @code
26684 @item normal
26685 Use normal attributes to display the border.
26686
26687 @item standout
26688 Use standout mode.
26689
26690 @item reverse
26691 Use reverse video mode.
26692
26693 @item half
26694 Use half bright mode.
26695
26696 @item half-standout
26697 Use half bright and standout mode.
26698
26699 @item bold
26700 Use extra bright or bold mode.
26701
26702 @item bold-standout
26703 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
26704 @end table
26705 @end table
26706
26707 @node Emacs
26708 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
26709
26710 @cindex Emacs
26711 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
26712 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
26713 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
26714 @value{GDBN}.
26715
26716 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
26717 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
26718 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
26719 created Emacs buffer.
26720 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
26721
26722 Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
26723 things:
26724
26725 @itemize @bullet
26726 @item
26727 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
26728 the GUD buffer.
26729
26730 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
26731 and output done by the program you are debugging.
26732
26733 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
26734 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
26735 in this way.
26736
26737 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
26738 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
26739 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
26740 stop.
26741
26742 @item
26743 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
26744
26745 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
26746 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
26747 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
26748 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
26749 and the source.
26750
26751 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
26752 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
26753 @end itemize
26754
26755 We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
26756 a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
26757 that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
26758 @xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
26759
26760 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
26761 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
26762 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
26763 sets your current working directory to the directory associated
26764 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
26765 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
26766 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
26767 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
26768 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
26769
26770 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
26771 line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
26772 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
26773 ,Commands to Specify Files}.
26774
26775 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
26776 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
26777 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
26778 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
26779 one you want.
26780
26781 In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
26782 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
26783
26784 @table @kbd
26785 @item C-h m
26786 Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
26787
26788 @item C-c C-s
26789 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
26790 update the display window to show the current file and location.
26791
26792 @item C-c C-n
26793 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
26794 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
26795 to show the current file and location.
26796
26797 @item C-c C-i
26798 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
26799 display window accordingly.
26800
26801 @item C-c C-f
26802 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
26803 @code{finish} command.
26804
26805 @item C-c C-r
26806 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
26807 command.
26808
26809 @item C-c <
26810 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
26811 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
26812 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
26813
26814 @item C-c >
26815 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
26816 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
26817 @end table
26818
26819 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
26820 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
26821
26822 In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
26823 separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
26824 Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
26825 become the current frame and display the associated source in the
26826 source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
26827 selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
26828 speedbar displays watch expressions.
26829
26830 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
26831 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
26832 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
26833 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
26834 frame.
26835
26836 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
26837 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
26838 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
26839 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
26840 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
26841 to correspond properly with the code.
26842
26843 A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
26844 given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
26845 Emacs Manual}).
26846
26847 @c The following dropped because Epoch is nonstandard. Reactivate
26848 @c if/when v19 does something similar. ---doc@cygnus.com 19dec1990
26849 @ignore
26850 @kindex Emacs Epoch environment
26851 @kindex Epoch
26852 @kindex inspect
26853
26854 Version 18 of @sc{gnu} Emacs has a built-in window system
26855 called the @code{epoch}
26856 environment. Users of this environment can use a new command,
26857 @code{inspect} which performs identically to @code{print} except that
26858 each value is printed in its own window.
26859 @end ignore
26860
26861
26862 @node GDB/MI
26863 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
26864
26865 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
26866
26867 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
26868 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
26869 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
26870 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
26871 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
26872 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
26873
26874 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
26875 in the form of a reference manual.
26876
26877 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
26878 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
26879 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
26880
26881 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
26882
26883 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
26884 This chapter uses the following notation:
26885
26886 @itemize @bullet
26887 @item
26888 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
26889
26890 @item
26891 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
26892 it may or may not be given.
26893
26894 @item
26895 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
26896 may repeat zero or more times.
26897
26898 @item
26899 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
26900 may repeat one or more times.
26901
26902 @item
26903 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
26904 @end itemize
26905
26906 @ignore
26907 @heading Dependencies
26908 @end ignore
26909
26910 @menu
26911 * GDB/MI General Design::
26912 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
26913 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
26914 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
26915 * GDB/MI Output Records::
26916 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
26917 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
26918 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
26919 * GDB/MI Program Context::
26920 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
26921 * GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands::
26922 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
26923 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
26924 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
26925 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
26926 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
26927 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
26928 * GDB/MI File Commands::
26929 @ignore
26930 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
26931 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
26932 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
26933 @end ignore
26934 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
26935 * GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
26936 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
26937 @end menu
26938
26939 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26940 @node GDB/MI General Design
26941 @section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
26942 @cindex GDB/MI General Design
26943
26944 Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
26945 parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
26946 and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
26947 indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
26948 For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
26949 requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
26950 response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
26951 Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
26952 target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
26953 a command and reported as part of that command response.
26954
26955 The important examples of notifications are:
26956 @itemize @bullet
26957
26958 @item
26959 Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
26960 target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
26961 be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
26962 commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
26963 different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
26964 happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
26965 command itself was successfully executed.
26966
26967 @item
26968 Console output, and status notifications. Console output
26969 notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
26970 diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
26971 report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
26972 this information in command response would mean no output is produced
26973 until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
26974
26975 @item
26976 General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
26977 the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
26978 a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
26979 be included in command response, using notification allows for more
26980 orthogonal frontend design.
26981
26982 @end itemize
26983
26984 There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
26985 @value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
26986 the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
26987 processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
26988 we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
26989 the user interface.
26990
26991
26992 @menu
26993 * Context management::
26994 * Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
26995 * Thread groups::
26996 @end menu
26997
26998 @node Context management
26999 @subsection Context management
27000
27001 In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
27002 done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
27003 Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
27004 be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
27005 and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
27006 because a command line user would not want to specify that information
27007 explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
27008 @value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
27009 to what thread and frame are the current ones.
27010
27011 In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
27012 useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
27013 itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
27014 each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
27015 want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
27016 increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
27017 frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
27018 should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
27019 make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
27020 @samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} identifier
27021 for thread and frame to operate on.
27022
27023 Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
27024 a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
27025 operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
27026 current thread be changed. For example, when stopping on a breakpoint
27027 it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is hit. For
27028 another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} command via
27029 the frontend, it is desirable to change the frontend's selected thread to the
27030 one specified by user. @value{GDBN} communicates the suggestion to
27031 change current thread using the @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
27032 No such notification is available for the selected frame at the moment.
27033
27034 Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
27035 frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
27036 right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
27037 simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
27038 before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
27039 to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
27040 if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
27041 thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
27042 optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
27043 sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
27044 selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
27045 change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
27046 problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
27047 all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
27048 right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
27049 @samp{--frame} options.
27050
27051 @node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
27052 @subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
27053
27054 On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
27055 even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
27056 command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
27057 specify a preferrence for asynchronous execution using the
27058 @code{-gdb-set target-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
27059 either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
27060 frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
27061 find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
27062 @code{-list-target-features} command.
27063
27064 Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
27065 many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
27066 running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
27067 when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
27068 it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
27069 are running.
27070
27071 When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
27072 target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
27073 some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
27074 stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
27075 modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
27076 that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
27077 @code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
27078 context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
27079 stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
27080 @samp{--thread} option).
27081
27082 Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
27083 highly target dependent. However, the two commands
27084 @code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
27085 to find the state of a thread, will always work.
27086
27087 @node Thread groups
27088 @subsection Thread groups
27089 @value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
27090 On some platfroms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
27091 hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
27092 processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
27093 mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
27094
27095 The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
27096 target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
27097 accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
27098 thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
27099 neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
27100 current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
27101 that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
27102 into processes.
27103
27104 To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
27105 hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
27106 @dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
27107 thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
27108 and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
27109 command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
27110 thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
27111 debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
27112 to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
27113 the members of specific thread group.
27114
27115 To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
27116 wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
27117 introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
27118 @value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
27119 @code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
27120 groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
27121 In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
27122 after attaching to that thread group.
27123
27124 Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
27125 Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
27126 type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
27127 such thread groups.
27128
27129 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27130 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
27131 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
27132
27133 @menu
27134 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
27135 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
27136 @end menu
27137
27138 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
27139 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
27140
27141 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
27142 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
27143 @table @code
27144 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
27145 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
27146
27147 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
27148 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
27149 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
27150
27151 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
27152 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
27153 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
27154
27155 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
27156 "any sequence of digits"
27157
27158 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
27159 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
27160
27161 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
27162 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
27163
27164 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
27165 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
27166
27167 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
27168 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
27169 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
27170
27171 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
27172 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
27173
27174 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
27175 @code{CR | CR-LF}
27176 @end table
27177
27178 @noindent
27179 Notes:
27180
27181 @itemize @bullet
27182 @item
27183 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
27184 output is described below.
27185
27186 @item
27187 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
27188 finishes.
27189
27190 @item
27191 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
27192 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
27193 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
27194 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
27195 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
27196 @end itemize
27197
27198 Pragmatics:
27199
27200 @itemize @bullet
27201 @item
27202 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
27203
27204 @item
27205 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
27206 @end itemize
27207
27208 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
27209 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
27210
27211 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
27212 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
27213 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
27214 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
27215 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
27216 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
27217
27218 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
27219 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
27220 @var{token}.
27221
27222 @table @code
27223 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
27224 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
27225
27226 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
27227 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
27228
27229 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
27230 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
27231
27232 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
27233 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
27234
27235 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
27236 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output}}
27237
27238 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
27239 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output}}
27240
27241 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
27242 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output}}
27243
27244 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
27245 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
27246
27247 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
27248 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
27249
27250 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
27251 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
27252 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
27253
27254 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
27255 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
27256
27257 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
27258 @code{ @var{string} }
27259
27260 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
27261 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
27262
27263 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
27264 @code{@var{c-string}}
27265
27266 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
27267 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
27268
27269 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
27270 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
27271 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
27272
27273 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
27274 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
27275
27276 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
27277 @code{"~" @var{c-string}}
27278
27279 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
27280 @code{"@@" @var{c-string}}
27281
27282 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
27283 @code{"&" @var{c-string}}
27284
27285 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
27286 @code{CR | CR-LF}
27287
27288 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
27289 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
27290 @end table
27291
27292 @noindent
27293 Notes:
27294
27295 @itemize @bullet
27296 @item
27297 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
27298
27299 @item
27300 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
27301 for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
27302 may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
27303 output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
27304 all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
27305 target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
27306 prior command.
27307
27308 @item
27309 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
27310 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
27311 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
27312 prefixed by @samp{+}.
27313
27314 @item
27315 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
27316 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
27317 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
27318 @samp{*}.
27319
27320 @item
27321 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
27322 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
27323 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
27324 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
27325
27326 @item
27327 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
27328 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
27329 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
27330 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
27331
27332 @item
27333 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
27334 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
27335 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
27336
27337 @item
27338 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
27339 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
27340 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
27341 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
27342
27343 @item
27344 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
27345 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
27346 @var{values}.
27347
27348
27349 @end itemize
27350
27351 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
27352 details about the various output records.
27353
27354 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27355 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
27356 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
27357
27358 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
27359 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
27360
27361 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
27362 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
27363 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
27364 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
27365 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
27366 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
27367
27368 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
27369 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
27370 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
27371
27372 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27373 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
27374 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
27375 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
27376
27377 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
27378 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
27379
27380 Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
27381 by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
27382 to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
27383 section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
27384 might change.
27385
27386 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
27387 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
27388 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
27389 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
27390
27391 @itemize @bullet
27392 @item
27393 New MI commands may be added.
27394
27395 @item
27396 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
27397
27398 @item
27399 The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
27400 @code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
27401
27402 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
27403 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
27404
27405 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
27406 @c resolve inconsistencies.
27407 @end itemize
27408
27409 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
27410 will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
27411 output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
27412 @value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
27413 responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
27414
27415 @c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
27416 @c version?
27417
27418 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
27419 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
27420 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
27421 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
27422 @cindex mailing lists
27423
27424 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27425 @node GDB/MI Output Records
27426 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
27427
27428 @menu
27429 * GDB/MI Result Records::
27430 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
27431 * GDB/MI Async Records::
27432 * GDB/MI Frame Information::
27433 * GDB/MI Thread Information::
27434 * GDB/MI Ada Exception Information::
27435 @end menu
27436
27437 @node GDB/MI Result Records
27438 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
27439
27440 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
27441 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
27442 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
27443 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
27444
27445 @table @code
27446 @findex ^done
27447 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
27448 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
27449 values.
27450
27451 @item "^running"
27452 @findex ^running
27453 This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
27454 was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
27455 target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
27456 all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
27457 identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
27458 which threads are resumed.
27459
27460 @item "^connected"
27461 @findex ^connected
27462 @value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
27463
27464 @item "^error" "," @var{c-string}
27465 @findex ^error
27466 The operation failed. The @code{@var{c-string}} contains the corresponding
27467 error message.
27468
27469 @item "^exit"
27470 @findex ^exit
27471 @value{GDBN} has terminated.
27472
27473 @end table
27474
27475 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
27476 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
27477
27478 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
27479 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
27480 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
27481 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
27482 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
27483
27484 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
27485 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
27486 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
27487 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
27488 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
27489
27490 @table @code
27491 @item "~" @var{string-output}
27492 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
27493 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
27494
27495 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
27496 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
27497 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
27498 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
27499
27500 @item "&" @var{string-output}
27501 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
27502 internals.
27503 @end table
27504
27505 @node GDB/MI Async Records
27506 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
27507
27508 @cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
27509 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
27510 @dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
27511 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
27512 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
27513 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
27514
27515 The following is the list of possible async records:
27516
27517 @table @code
27518
27519 @item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
27520 The target is now running. The @var{thread} field tells which
27521 specific thread is now running, and can be @samp{all} if all threads
27522 are running. The frontend should assume that no interaction with a
27523 running thread is possible after this notification is produced.
27524 The frontend should not assume that this notification is output
27525 only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may emit this notification
27526 several times, either for different threads, because it cannot resume
27527 all threads together, or even for a single thread, if the thread must
27528 be stepped though some code before letting it run freely.
27529
27530 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
27531 The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
27532 following values:
27533
27534 @table @code
27535 @item breakpoint-hit
27536 A breakpoint was reached.
27537 @item watchpoint-trigger
27538 A watchpoint was triggered.
27539 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
27540 A read watchpoint was triggered.
27541 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
27542 An access watchpoint was triggered.
27543 @item function-finished
27544 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
27545 @item location-reached
27546 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
27547 @item watchpoint-scope
27548 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
27549 @item end-stepping-range
27550 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
27551 similar CLI command was accomplished.
27552 @item exited-signalled
27553 The inferior exited because of a signal.
27554 @item exited
27555 The inferior exited.
27556 @item exited-normally
27557 The inferior exited normally.
27558 @item signal-received
27559 A signal was received by the inferior.
27560 @item solib-event
27561 The inferior has stopped due to a library being loaded or unloaded.
27562 This can happen when @code{stop-on-solib-events} (@pxref{Files}) is
27563 set or when a @code{catch load} or @code{catch unload} catchpoint is
27564 in use (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
27565 @item fork
27566 The inferior has forked. This is reported when @code{catch fork}
27567 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
27568 @item vfork
27569 The inferior has vforked. This is reported in when @code{catch vfork}
27570 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
27571 @item syscall-entry
27572 The inferior entered a system call. This is reported when @code{catch
27573 syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
27574 @item syscall-entry
27575 The inferior returned from a system call. This is reported when
27576 @code{catch syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
27577 @item exec
27578 The inferior called @code{exec}. This is reported when @code{catch exec}
27579 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
27580 @end table
27581
27582 The @var{id} field identifies the thread that directly caused the stop
27583 -- for example by hitting a breakpoint. Depending on whether all-stop
27584 mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
27585 stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
27586 If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
27587 value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
27588 field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
27589 always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
27590 several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
27591 processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
27592 if such information is not available.
27593
27594 @item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
27595 @itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
27596 A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
27597 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
27598 group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
27599 process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
27600 cannot be used in any way.
27601
27602 @item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
27603 A thread group became associated with a running program,
27604 either because the program was just started or the thread group
27605 was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
27606 @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
27607 contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
27608
27609 @item =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"[,exit-code="@var{code}"]
27610 A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
27611 either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
27612 from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
27613 thread group. @var{code} is the exit code of the inferior; it exists
27614 only when the inferior exited with some code.
27615
27616 @item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
27617 @itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
27618 A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
27619 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
27620 field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
27621
27622 @item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"
27623 Informs that the selected thread was changed as result of the last
27624 command. This notification is not emitted as result of @code{-thread-select}
27625 command but is emitted whenever an MI command that is not documented
27626 to change the selected thread actually changes it. In particular,
27627 invoking, directly or indirectly (via user-defined command), the CLI
27628 @code{thread} command, will generate this notification.
27629
27630 We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
27631 highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
27632 that thread.
27633
27634 @item =library-loaded,...
27635 Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
27636 notification has 4 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
27637 @var{host-name}, and @var{symbols-loaded}. The @var{id} field is an
27638 opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
27639 @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
27640 library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
27641 debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
27642 @var{symbols-loaded} field is emitted only for backward compatibility
27643 and should not be relied on to convey any useful information. The
27644 @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the thread
27645 group in whose context the library was loaded. If the field is
27646 absent, it means the library was loaded in the context of all present
27647 thread groups.
27648
27649 @item =library-unloaded,...
27650 Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
27651 has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
27652 the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
27653 The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
27654 thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
27655 absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
27656 thread groups.
27657
27658 @item =breakpoint-created,bkpt=@{...@}
27659 @itemx =breakpoint-modified,bkpt=@{...@}
27660 @itemx =breakpoint-deleted,id=@var{number}
27661 Reports that a breakpoint was created, modified, or deleted,
27662 respectively. Only user-visible breakpoints are reported to the MI
27663 user.
27664
27665 The @var{bkpt} argument is of the same form as returned by the various
27666 breakpoint commands; @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}. The
27667 @var{number} is the ordinal number of the breakpoint.
27668
27669 Note that if a breakpoint is emitted in the result record of a
27670 command, then it will not also be emitted in an async record.
27671
27672 @item =cmd-param-changed,param=@var{param},value=@var{value}
27673 Reports that a parameter of the command @code{set @var{param}} is
27674 changed to @var{value}. In the multi-word @code{set} command,
27675 the @var{param} is the whole parameter list to @code{set} command.
27676 For example, In command @code{set check type on}, @var{param}
27677 is @code{check type} and @var{value} is @code{on}.
27678 @end table
27679
27680 @node GDB/MI Frame Information
27681 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
27682
27683 Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
27684 frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
27685 fields:
27686
27687 @table @code
27688 @item level
27689 The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
27690 zero. This field is always present.
27691
27692 @item func
27693 The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
27694 be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
27695
27696 @item addr
27697 The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
27698
27699 @item file
27700 The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
27701 address. This field may be absent.
27702
27703 @item line
27704 The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
27705 may be absent.
27706
27707 @item from
27708 The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
27709 corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
27710
27711 @end table
27712
27713 @node GDB/MI Thread Information
27714 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
27715
27716 Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
27717 uses a tuple with the following fields:
27718
27719 @table @code
27720 @item id
27721 The numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}. This field is
27722 always present.
27723
27724 @item target-id
27725 Target-specific string identifying the thread. This field is always present.
27726
27727 @item details
27728 Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
27729 It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
27730 frontend. This field is optional.
27731
27732 @item state
27733 Either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running}, depending on whether the
27734 thread is presently running. This field is always present.
27735
27736 @item core
27737 The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
27738 thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
27739 @end table
27740
27741 @node GDB/MI Ada Exception Information
27742 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Exception Information
27743
27744 Whenever a @code{*stopped} record is emitted because the program
27745 stopped after hitting an exception catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}),
27746 @value{GDBN} provides the name of the exception that was raised via
27747 the @code{exception-name} field.
27748
27749 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27750 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
27751 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
27752 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
27753
27754 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
27755 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
27756 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
27757 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
27758
27759 Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
27760 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
27761
27762 @subheading Setting a Breakpoint
27763
27764 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
27765 information of the breakpoint.
27766
27767 @smallexample
27768 -> -break-insert main
27769 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
27770 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
27771 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",times="0"@}
27772 <- (gdb)
27773 @end smallexample
27774
27775 @subheading Program Execution
27776
27777 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
27778 reason that execution stopped.
27779
27780 @smallexample
27781 -> -exec-run
27782 <- ^running
27783 <- (gdb)
27784 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
27785 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
27786 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
27787 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
27788 <- (gdb)
27789 -> -exec-continue
27790 <- ^running
27791 <- (gdb)
27792 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
27793 <- (gdb)
27794 @end smallexample
27795
27796 @subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
27797
27798 Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
27799
27800 @smallexample
27801 -> (gdb)
27802 <- -gdb-exit
27803 <- ^exit
27804 @end smallexample
27805
27806 Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
27807 take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
27808 performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
27809 or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
27810 @value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
27811 fails to exit in reasonable time.
27812
27813 @subheading A Bad Command
27814
27815 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
27816
27817 @smallexample
27818 -> -rubbish
27819 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
27820 <- (gdb)
27821 @end smallexample
27822
27823
27824 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27825 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
27826 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
27827
27828 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
27829 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
27830
27831 @subheading Motivation
27832
27833 The motivation for this collection of commands.
27834
27835 @subheading Introduction
27836
27837 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
27838
27839 @subheading Commands
27840
27841 For each command in the block, the following is described:
27842
27843 @subsubheading Synopsis
27844
27845 @smallexample
27846 -command @var{args}@dots{}
27847 @end smallexample
27848
27849 @subsubheading Result
27850
27851 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27852
27853 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
27854
27855 @subsubheading Example
27856
27857 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
27858 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
27859
27860
27861 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27862 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
27863 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
27864
27865 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
27866 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
27867 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
27868 breakpoints.
27869
27870 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
27871 @findex -break-after
27872
27873 @subsubheading Synopsis
27874
27875 @smallexample
27876 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
27877 @end smallexample
27878
27879 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
27880 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
27881 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
27882 @samp{-break-list} command below.
27883
27884 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27885
27886 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
27887
27888 @subsubheading Example
27889
27890 @smallexample
27891 (gdb)
27892 -break-insert main
27893 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
27894 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
27895 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
27896 (gdb)
27897 -break-after 1 3
27898 ~
27899 ^done
27900 (gdb)
27901 -break-list
27902 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
27903 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
27904 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
27905 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
27906 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
27907 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
27908 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
27909 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
27910 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
27911 line="5",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
27912 (gdb)
27913 @end smallexample
27914
27915 @ignore
27916 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
27917 @findex -break-catch
27918 @end ignore
27919
27920 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
27921 @findex -break-commands
27922
27923 @subsubheading Synopsis
27924
27925 @smallexample
27926 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
27927 @end smallexample
27928
27929 Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
27930 @var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
27931 are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
27932 commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
27933 functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
27934 some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
27935
27936 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27937
27938 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
27939
27940 @subsubheading Example
27941
27942 @smallexample
27943 (gdb)
27944 -break-insert main
27945 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
27946 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
27947 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
27948 (gdb)
27949 -break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
27950 ^done
27951 (gdb)
27952 @end smallexample
27953
27954 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
27955 @findex -break-condition
27956
27957 @subsubheading Synopsis
27958
27959 @smallexample
27960 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
27961 @end smallexample
27962
27963 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
27964 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
27965 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
27966 command below).
27967
27968 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27969
27970 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
27971
27972 @subsubheading Example
27973
27974 @smallexample
27975 (gdb)
27976 -break-condition 1 1
27977 ^done
27978 (gdb)
27979 -break-list
27980 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
27981 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
27982 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
27983 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
27984 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
27985 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
27986 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
27987 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
27988 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
27989 line="5",cond="1",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
27990 (gdb)
27991 @end smallexample
27992
27993 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
27994 @findex -break-delete
27995
27996 @subsubheading Synopsis
27997
27998 @smallexample
27999 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
28000 @end smallexample
28001
28002 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
28003 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
28004
28005 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28006
28007 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
28008
28009 @subsubheading Example
28010
28011 @smallexample
28012 (gdb)
28013 -break-delete 1
28014 ^done
28015 (gdb)
28016 -break-list
28017 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
28018 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
28019 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
28020 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
28021 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
28022 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
28023 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
28024 body=[]@}
28025 (gdb)
28026 @end smallexample
28027
28028 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
28029 @findex -break-disable
28030
28031 @subsubheading Synopsis
28032
28033 @smallexample
28034 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
28035 @end smallexample
28036
28037 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
28038 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
28039
28040 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28041
28042 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
28043
28044 @subsubheading Example
28045
28046 @smallexample
28047 (gdb)
28048 -break-disable 2
28049 ^done
28050 (gdb)
28051 -break-list
28052 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
28053 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
28054 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
28055 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
28056 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
28057 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
28058 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
28059 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
28060 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
28061 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
28062 (gdb)
28063 @end smallexample
28064
28065 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
28066 @findex -break-enable
28067
28068 @subsubheading Synopsis
28069
28070 @smallexample
28071 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
28072 @end smallexample
28073
28074 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
28075
28076 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28077
28078 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
28079
28080 @subsubheading Example
28081
28082 @smallexample
28083 (gdb)
28084 -break-enable 2
28085 ^done
28086 (gdb)
28087 -break-list
28088 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
28089 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
28090 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
28091 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
28092 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
28093 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
28094 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
28095 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
28096 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
28097 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
28098 (gdb)
28099 @end smallexample
28100
28101 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
28102 @findex -break-info
28103
28104 @subsubheading Synopsis
28105
28106 @smallexample
28107 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
28108 @end smallexample
28109
28110 @c REDUNDANT???
28111 Get information about a single breakpoint.
28112
28113 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28114
28115 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
28116
28117 @subsubheading Example
28118 N.A.
28119
28120 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
28121 @findex -break-insert
28122
28123 @subsubheading Synopsis
28124
28125 @smallexample
28126 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
28127 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
28128 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ]
28129 @end smallexample
28130
28131 @noindent
28132 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
28133
28134 @itemize @bullet
28135 @item function
28136 @c @item +offset
28137 @c @item -offset
28138 @c @item linenum
28139 @item filename:linenum
28140 @item filename:function
28141 @item *address
28142 @end itemize
28143
28144 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
28145
28146 @table @samp
28147 @item -t
28148 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
28149 @item -h
28150 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
28151 @item -f
28152 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
28153 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
28154 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
28155 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
28156 cannot be parsed.
28157 @item -d
28158 Create a disabled breakpoint.
28159 @item -a
28160 Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
28161 is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
28162 @item -c @var{condition}
28163 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
28164 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
28165 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
28166 @item -p @var{thread-id}
28167 Restrict the breakpoint to the specified @var{thread-id}.
28168 @end table
28169
28170 @subsubheading Result
28171
28172 The result is in the form:
28173
28174 @smallexample
28175 ^done,bkpt=@{number="@var{number}",type="@var{type}",disp="del"|"keep",
28176 enabled="y"|"n",addr="@var{hex}",func="@var{funcname}",file="@var{filename}",
28177 fullname="@var{full_filename}",line="@var{lineno}",[thread="@var{threadno},]
28178 times="@var{times}"@}
28179 @end smallexample
28180
28181 @noindent
28182 where @var{number} is the @value{GDBN} number for this breakpoint,
28183 @var{funcname} is the name of the function where the breakpoint was
28184 inserted, @var{filename} is the name of the source file which contains
28185 this function, @var{lineno} is the source line number within that file
28186 and @var{times} the number of times that the breakpoint has been hit
28187 (always 0 for -break-insert but may be greater for -break-info or -break-list
28188 which use the same output).
28189
28190 Note: this format is open to change.
28191 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
28192
28193 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28194
28195 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
28196 @samp{hbreak}, and @samp{thbreak}. @c and @samp{rbreak}.
28197
28198 @subsubheading Example
28199
28200 @smallexample
28201 (gdb)
28202 -break-insert main
28203 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
28204 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",times="0"@}
28205 (gdb)
28206 -break-insert -t foo
28207 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
28208 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",times="0"@}
28209 (gdb)
28210 -break-list
28211 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
28212 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
28213 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
28214 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
28215 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
28216 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
28217 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
28218 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
28219 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
28220 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",times="0"@},
28221 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
28222 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
28223 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}]@}
28224 (gdb)
28225 @c -break-insert -r foo.*
28226 @c ~int foo(int, int);
28227 @c ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
28228 @c "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}
28229 @c (gdb)
28230 @end smallexample
28231
28232 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
28233 @findex -break-list
28234
28235 @subsubheading Synopsis
28236
28237 @smallexample
28238 -break-list
28239 @end smallexample
28240
28241 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
28242
28243 @table @samp
28244 @item Number
28245 number of the breakpoint
28246 @item Type
28247 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
28248 @item Disposition
28249 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
28250 or @samp{nokeep}
28251 @item Enabled
28252 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
28253 @item Address
28254 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
28255 @item What
28256 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
28257 name, line number
28258 @item Times
28259 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
28260 @end table
28261
28262 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
28263 @code{body} field is an empty list.
28264
28265 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28266
28267 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
28268
28269 @subsubheading Example
28270
28271 @smallexample
28272 (gdb)
28273 -break-list
28274 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
28275 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
28276 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
28277 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
28278 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
28279 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
28280 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
28281 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
28282 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",times="0"@},
28283 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
28284 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
28285 line="13",times="0"@}]@}
28286 (gdb)
28287 @end smallexample
28288
28289 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
28290
28291 @smallexample
28292 (gdb)
28293 -break-list
28294 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
28295 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
28296 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
28297 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
28298 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
28299 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
28300 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
28301 body=[]@}
28302 (gdb)
28303 @end smallexample
28304
28305 @subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
28306 @findex -break-passcount
28307
28308 @subsubheading Synopsis
28309
28310 @smallexample
28311 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
28312 @end smallexample
28313
28314 Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
28315 @var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
28316 is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
28317 command @samp{passcount}.
28318
28319 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
28320 @findex -break-watch
28321
28322 @subsubheading Synopsis
28323
28324 @smallexample
28325 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
28326 @end smallexample
28327
28328 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
28329 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
28330 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
28331 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
28332 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
28333 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
28334 i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
28335 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
28336
28337 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
28338 breakpoints inserted.
28339
28340 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28341
28342 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
28343 @samp{rwatch}.
28344
28345 @subsubheading Example
28346
28347 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
28348
28349 @smallexample
28350 (gdb)
28351 -break-watch x
28352 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
28353 (gdb)
28354 -exec-continue
28355 ^running
28356 (gdb)
28357 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
28358 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
28359 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
28360 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
28361 (gdb)
28362 @end smallexample
28363
28364 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
28365 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
28366 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
28367
28368 @smallexample
28369 (gdb)
28370 -break-watch C
28371 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
28372 (gdb)
28373 -exec-continue
28374 ^running
28375 (gdb)
28376 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
28377 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
28378 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
28379 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28380 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
28381 (gdb)
28382 -exec-continue
28383 ^running
28384 (gdb)
28385 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
28386 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
28387 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
28388 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28389 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
28390 (gdb)
28391 @end smallexample
28392
28393 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
28394 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
28395 deleted.
28396
28397 @smallexample
28398 (gdb)
28399 -break-watch C
28400 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
28401 (gdb)
28402 -break-list
28403 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
28404 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
28405 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
28406 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
28407 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
28408 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
28409 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
28410 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
28411 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
28412 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28413 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",times="1"@},
28414 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
28415 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="0"@}]@}
28416 (gdb)
28417 -exec-continue
28418 ^running
28419 (gdb)
28420 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
28421 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
28422 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
28423 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28424 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
28425 (gdb)
28426 -break-list
28427 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
28428 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
28429 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
28430 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
28431 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
28432 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
28433 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
28434 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
28435 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
28436 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28437 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",times="1"@},
28438 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
28439 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="-5"@}]@}
28440 (gdb)
28441 -exec-continue
28442 ^running
28443 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
28444 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
28445 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
28446 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28447 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
28448 (gdb)
28449 -break-list
28450 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
28451 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
28452 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
28453 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
28454 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
28455 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
28456 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
28457 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
28458 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
28459 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28460 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
28461 times="1"@}]@}
28462 (gdb)
28463 @end smallexample
28464
28465 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28466 @node GDB/MI Program Context
28467 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
28468
28469 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
28470 @findex -exec-arguments
28471
28472
28473 @subsubheading Synopsis
28474
28475 @smallexample
28476 -exec-arguments @var{args}
28477 @end smallexample
28478
28479 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
28480 @samp{-exec-run}.
28481
28482 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28483
28484 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
28485
28486 @subsubheading Example
28487
28488 @smallexample
28489 (gdb)
28490 -exec-arguments -v word
28491 ^done
28492 (gdb)
28493 @end smallexample
28494
28495
28496 @ignore
28497 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
28498 @findex -exec-show-arguments
28499
28500 @subsubheading Synopsis
28501
28502 @smallexample
28503 -exec-show-arguments
28504 @end smallexample
28505
28506 Print the arguments of the program.
28507
28508 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28509
28510 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
28511
28512 @subsubheading Example
28513 N.A.
28514 @end ignore
28515
28516
28517 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
28518 @findex -environment-cd
28519
28520 @subsubheading Synopsis
28521
28522 @smallexample
28523 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
28524 @end smallexample
28525
28526 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
28527
28528 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28529
28530 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
28531
28532 @subsubheading Example
28533
28534 @smallexample
28535 (gdb)
28536 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
28537 ^done
28538 (gdb)
28539 @end smallexample
28540
28541
28542 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
28543 @findex -environment-directory
28544
28545 @subsubheading Synopsis
28546
28547 @smallexample
28548 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
28549 @end smallexample
28550
28551 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
28552 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
28553 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
28554 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
28555 occurs as normal.
28556 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
28557 multiple directories in a single command
28558 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
28559 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
28560 If blanks are needed as
28561 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
28562 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
28563 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
28564 character must not be used
28565 in any directory name.
28566 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
28567
28568 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28569
28570 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
28571
28572 @subsubheading Example
28573
28574 @smallexample
28575 (gdb)
28576 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
28577 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
28578 (gdb)
28579 -environment-directory ""
28580 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
28581 (gdb)
28582 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
28583 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
28584 (gdb)
28585 -environment-directory -r
28586 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
28587 (gdb)
28588 @end smallexample
28589
28590
28591 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
28592 @findex -environment-path
28593
28594 @subsubheading Synopsis
28595
28596 @smallexample
28597 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
28598 @end smallexample
28599
28600 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
28601 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
28602 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
28603 supplied in addition to the
28604 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
28605 occurs as normal.
28606 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
28607 multiple directories in a single command
28608 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
28609 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
28610 If blanks are needed as
28611 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
28612 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
28613 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
28614 character must not be used
28615 in any directory name.
28616 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
28617
28618
28619 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28620
28621 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
28622
28623 @subsubheading Example
28624
28625 @smallexample
28626 (gdb)
28627 -environment-path
28628 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
28629 (gdb)
28630 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
28631 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
28632 (gdb)
28633 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
28634 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
28635 (gdb)
28636 @end smallexample
28637
28638
28639 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
28640 @findex -environment-pwd
28641
28642 @subsubheading Synopsis
28643
28644 @smallexample
28645 -environment-pwd
28646 @end smallexample
28647
28648 Show the current working directory.
28649
28650 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28651
28652 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
28653
28654 @subsubheading Example
28655
28656 @smallexample
28657 (gdb)
28658 -environment-pwd
28659 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
28660 (gdb)
28661 @end smallexample
28662
28663 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28664 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
28665 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
28666
28667
28668 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
28669 @findex -thread-info
28670
28671 @subsubheading Synopsis
28672
28673 @smallexample
28674 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
28675 @end smallexample
28676
28677 Reports information about either a specific thread, if
28678 the @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all
28679 threads. When printing information about all threads,
28680 also reports the current thread.
28681
28682 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28683
28684 The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
28685 about all threads.
28686
28687 @subsubheading Result
28688
28689 The result is a list of threads. The following attributes are
28690 defined for a given thread:
28691
28692 @table @samp
28693 @item current
28694 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
28695
28696 @item id
28697 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the thread.
28698
28699 @item target-id
28700 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the thread.
28701
28702 @item details
28703 Extra information about the thread, in a target-specific format. This
28704 field is optional.
28705
28706 @item name
28707 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using the
28708 @code{thread name} command, then this name is given. Otherwise, if
28709 @value{GDBN} can extract the thread name from the target, then that
28710 name is given. If @value{GDBN} cannot find the thread name, then this
28711 field is omitted.
28712
28713 @item frame
28714 The stack frame currently executing in the thread.
28715
28716 @item state
28717 The thread's state. The @samp{state} field may have the following
28718 values:
28719
28720 @table @code
28721 @item stopped
28722 The thread is stopped. Frame information is available for stopped
28723 threads.
28724
28725 @item running
28726 The thread is running. There's no frame information for running
28727 threads.
28728
28729 @end table
28730
28731 @item core
28732 If @value{GDBN} can find the CPU core on which this thread is running,
28733 then this field is the core identifier. This field is optional.
28734
28735 @end table
28736
28737 @subsubheading Example
28738
28739 @smallexample
28740 -thread-info
28741 ^done,threads=[
28742 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
28743 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",
28744 args=[]@},state="running"@},
28745 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
28746 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",
28747 args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
28748 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},
28749 state="running"@}],
28750 current-thread-id="1"
28751 (gdb)
28752 @end smallexample
28753
28754 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
28755 @findex -thread-list-ids
28756
28757 @subsubheading Synopsis
28758
28759 @smallexample
28760 -thread-list-ids
28761 @end smallexample
28762
28763 Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
28764 end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
28765
28766 This command is retained for historical reasons, the
28767 @code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
28768
28769 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28770
28771 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
28772
28773 @subsubheading Example
28774
28775 @smallexample
28776 (gdb)
28777 -thread-list-ids
28778 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
28779 current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
28780 (gdb)
28781 @end smallexample
28782
28783
28784 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
28785 @findex -thread-select
28786
28787 @subsubheading Synopsis
28788
28789 @smallexample
28790 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
28791 @end smallexample
28792
28793 Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
28794 current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
28795
28796 This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
28797 @samp{--thread} option to each command.
28798
28799 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28800
28801 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
28802
28803 @subsubheading Example
28804
28805 @smallexample
28806 (gdb)
28807 -exec-next
28808 ^running
28809 (gdb)
28810 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
28811 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
28812 (gdb)
28813 -thread-list-ids
28814 ^done,
28815 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
28816 number-of-threads="3"
28817 (gdb)
28818 -thread-select 3
28819 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
28820 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
28821 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
28822 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
28823 (gdb)
28824 @end smallexample
28825
28826 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28827 @node GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands
28828 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Tasking Commands
28829
28830 @subheading The @code{-ada-task-info} Command
28831 @findex -ada-task-info
28832
28833 @subsubheading Synopsis
28834
28835 @smallexample
28836 -ada-task-info [ @var{task-id} ]
28837 @end smallexample
28838
28839 Reports information about either a specific Ada task, if the
28840 @var{task-id} parameter is present, or about all Ada tasks.
28841
28842 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28843
28844 The @samp{info tasks} command prints the same information
28845 about all Ada tasks (@pxref{Ada Tasks}).
28846
28847 @subsubheading Result
28848
28849 The result is a table of Ada tasks. The following columns are
28850 defined for each Ada task:
28851
28852 @table @samp
28853 @item current
28854 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
28855
28856 @item id
28857 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the Ada task.
28858
28859 @item task-id
28860 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the Ada task.
28861
28862 @item thread-id
28863 The identifier of the thread corresponding to the Ada task.
28864
28865 This field should always exist, as Ada tasks are always implemented
28866 on top of a thread. But if @value{GDBN} cannot find this corresponding
28867 thread for any reason, the field is omitted.
28868
28869 @item parent-id
28870 This field exists only when the task was created by another task.
28871 In this case, it provides the ID of the parent task.
28872
28873 @item priority
28874 The base priority of the task.
28875
28876 @item state
28877 The current state of the task. For a detailed description of the
28878 possible states, see @ref{Ada Tasks}.
28879
28880 @item name
28881 The name of the task.
28882
28883 @end table
28884
28885 @subsubheading Example
28886
28887 @smallexample
28888 -ada-task-info
28889 ^done,tasks=@{nr_rows="3",nr_cols="8",
28890 hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr=""@},
28891 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="id",colhdr="ID"@},
28892 @{width="9",alignment="1",col_name="task-id",colhdr="TID"@},
28893 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="thread-id",colhdr=""@},
28894 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="parent-id",colhdr="P-ID"@},
28895 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="priority",colhdr="Pri"@},
28896 @{width="22",alignment="-1",col_name="state",colhdr="State"@},
28897 @{width="1",alignment="2",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@}],
28898 body=[@{current="*",id="1",task-id=" 644010",thread-id="1",priority="48",
28899 state="Child Termination Wait",name="main_task"@}]@}
28900 (gdb)
28901 @end smallexample
28902
28903 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28904 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
28905 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
28906
28907 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
28908 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
28909 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
28910 other cases.
28911
28912 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
28913 @findex -exec-continue
28914
28915 @subsubheading Synopsis
28916
28917 @smallexample
28918 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
28919 @end smallexample
28920
28921 Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
28922 to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
28923 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
28924 it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
28925 @itemize @bullet
28926 @item
28927 breakpoints or watchpoints
28928 @item
28929 signals or exceptions
28930 @item
28931 the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
28932 @item
28933 the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
28934 @end itemize
28935 In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
28936 Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
28937 value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
28938 specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
28939 ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
28940 specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
28941
28942 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28943
28944 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
28945
28946 @subsubheading Example
28947
28948 @smallexample
28949 -exec-continue
28950 ^running
28951 (gdb)
28952 @@Hello world
28953 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
28954 func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
28955 line="13"@}
28956 (gdb)
28957 @end smallexample
28958
28959
28960 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
28961 @findex -exec-finish
28962
28963 @subsubheading Synopsis
28964
28965 @smallexample
28966 -exec-finish [--reverse]
28967 @end smallexample
28968
28969 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
28970 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
28971 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
28972 execution of the inferior program until the point where current
28973 function was called.
28974
28975 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28976
28977 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
28978
28979 @subsubheading Example
28980
28981 Function returning @code{void}.
28982
28983 @smallexample
28984 -exec-finish
28985 ^running
28986 (gdb)
28987 @@hello from foo
28988 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
28989 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
28990 (gdb)
28991 @end smallexample
28992
28993 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
28994 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
28995 value itself.
28996
28997 @smallexample
28998 -exec-finish
28999 ^running
29000 (gdb)
29001 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
29002 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
29003 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29004 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
29005 (gdb)
29006 @end smallexample
29007
29008
29009 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
29010 @findex -exec-interrupt
29011
29012 @subsubheading Synopsis
29013
29014 @smallexample
29015 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
29016 @end smallexample
29017
29018 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
29019 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
29020 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
29021 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
29022 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
29023
29024 Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
29025 asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
29026 @samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
29027 reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
29028
29029 In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
29030 All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
29031 @samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
29032 option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
29033
29034 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29035
29036 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
29037
29038 @subsubheading Example
29039
29040 @smallexample
29041 (gdb)
29042 111-exec-continue
29043 111^running
29044
29045 (gdb)
29046 222-exec-interrupt
29047 222^done
29048 (gdb)
29049 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
29050 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
29051 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
29052 (gdb)
29053
29054 (gdb)
29055 -exec-interrupt
29056 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
29057 (gdb)
29058 @end smallexample
29059
29060 @subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
29061 @findex -exec-jump
29062
29063 @subsubheading Synopsis
29064
29065 @smallexample
29066 -exec-jump @var{location}
29067 @end smallexample
29068
29069 Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
29070 parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
29071 different forms of @var{location}.
29072
29073 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29074
29075 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
29076
29077 @subsubheading Example
29078
29079 @smallexample
29080 -exec-jump foo.c:10
29081 *running,thread-id="all"
29082 ^running
29083 @end smallexample
29084
29085
29086 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
29087 @findex -exec-next
29088
29089 @subsubheading Synopsis
29090
29091 @smallexample
29092 -exec-next [--reverse]
29093 @end smallexample
29094
29095 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
29096 of the next source line is reached.
29097
29098 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
29099 of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
29100 source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
29101 function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
29102 source line where the function was called.
29103
29104
29105 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29106
29107 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
29108
29109 @subsubheading Example
29110
29111 @smallexample
29112 -exec-next
29113 ^running
29114 (gdb)
29115 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
29116 (gdb)
29117 @end smallexample
29118
29119
29120 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
29121 @findex -exec-next-instruction
29122
29123 @subsubheading Synopsis
29124
29125 @smallexample
29126 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
29127 @end smallexample
29128
29129 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
29130 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
29131 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
29132 printed as well.
29133
29134 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
29135 of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
29136 previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
29137 it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
29138 (from the current stack frame) is reached.
29139
29140 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29141
29142 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
29143
29144 @subsubheading Example
29145
29146 @smallexample
29147 (gdb)
29148 -exec-next-instruction
29149 ^running
29150
29151 (gdb)
29152 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
29153 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
29154 (gdb)
29155 @end smallexample
29156
29157
29158 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
29159 @findex -exec-return
29160
29161 @subsubheading Synopsis
29162
29163 @smallexample
29164 -exec-return
29165 @end smallexample
29166
29167 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
29168 Displays the new current frame.
29169
29170 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29171
29172 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
29173
29174 @subsubheading Example
29175
29176 @smallexample
29177 (gdb)
29178 200-break-insert callee4
29179 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
29180 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
29181 (gdb)
29182 000-exec-run
29183 000^running
29184 (gdb)
29185 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
29186 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
29187 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29188 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
29189 (gdb)
29190 205-break-delete
29191 205^done
29192 (gdb)
29193 111-exec-return
29194 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
29195 args=[@{name="strarg",
29196 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
29197 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29198 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
29199 (gdb)
29200 @end smallexample
29201
29202
29203 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
29204 @findex -exec-run
29205
29206 @subsubheading Synopsis
29207
29208 @smallexample
29209 -exec-run [--all | --thread-group N]
29210 @end smallexample
29211
29212 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
29213 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
29214 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
29215 the program has exited exceptionally.
29216
29217 When no option is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
29218 @samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
29219 group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
29220 If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
29221
29222 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29223
29224 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
29225
29226 @subsubheading Examples
29227
29228 @smallexample
29229 (gdb)
29230 -break-insert main
29231 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
29232 (gdb)
29233 -exec-run
29234 ^running
29235 (gdb)
29236 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
29237 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
29238 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
29239 (gdb)
29240 @end smallexample
29241
29242 @noindent
29243 Program exited normally:
29244
29245 @smallexample
29246 (gdb)
29247 -exec-run
29248 ^running
29249 (gdb)
29250 x = 55
29251 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
29252 (gdb)
29253 @end smallexample
29254
29255 @noindent
29256 Program exited exceptionally:
29257
29258 @smallexample
29259 (gdb)
29260 -exec-run
29261 ^running
29262 (gdb)
29263 x = 55
29264 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
29265 (gdb)
29266 @end smallexample
29267
29268 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
29269 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
29270
29271 @smallexample
29272 (gdb)
29273 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
29274 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
29275 @end smallexample
29276
29277
29278 @c @subheading -exec-signal
29279
29280
29281 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
29282 @findex -exec-step
29283
29284 @subsubheading Synopsis
29285
29286 @smallexample
29287 -exec-step [--reverse]
29288 @end smallexample
29289
29290 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
29291 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
29292 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
29293 function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
29294 execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
29295 previously executed source line.
29296
29297 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29298
29299 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
29300
29301 @subsubheading Example
29302
29303 Stepping into a function:
29304
29305 @smallexample
29306 -exec-step
29307 ^running
29308 (gdb)
29309 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
29310 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
29311 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
29312 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
29313 (gdb)
29314 @end smallexample
29315
29316 Regular stepping:
29317
29318 @smallexample
29319 -exec-step
29320 ^running
29321 (gdb)
29322 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
29323 (gdb)
29324 @end smallexample
29325
29326
29327 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
29328 @findex -exec-step-instruction
29329
29330 @subsubheading Synopsis
29331
29332 @smallexample
29333 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
29334 @end smallexample
29335
29336 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
29337 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
29338 inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
29339 The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
29340 whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
29341 former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
29342 as well.
29343
29344 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29345
29346 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
29347
29348 @subsubheading Example
29349
29350 @smallexample
29351 (gdb)
29352 -exec-step-instruction
29353 ^running
29354
29355 (gdb)
29356 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
29357 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
29358 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
29359 (gdb)
29360 -exec-step-instruction
29361 ^running
29362
29363 (gdb)
29364 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
29365 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
29366 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
29367 (gdb)
29368 @end smallexample
29369
29370
29371 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
29372 @findex -exec-until
29373
29374 @subsubheading Synopsis
29375
29376 @smallexample
29377 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
29378 @end smallexample
29379
29380 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
29381 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
29382 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
29383 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
29384
29385 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29386
29387 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
29388
29389 @subsubheading Example
29390
29391 @smallexample
29392 (gdb)
29393 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
29394 ^running
29395 (gdb)
29396 x = 55
29397 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
29398 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
29399 (gdb)
29400 @end smallexample
29401
29402 @ignore
29403 @subheading -file-clear
29404 Is this going away????
29405 @end ignore
29406
29407 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29408 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
29409 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
29410
29411
29412 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
29413 @findex -stack-info-frame
29414
29415 @subsubheading Synopsis
29416
29417 @smallexample
29418 -stack-info-frame
29419 @end smallexample
29420
29421 Get info on the selected frame.
29422
29423 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29424
29425 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
29426 (without arguments).
29427
29428 @subsubheading Example
29429
29430 @smallexample
29431 (gdb)
29432 -stack-info-frame
29433 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
29434 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29435 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
29436 (gdb)
29437 @end smallexample
29438
29439 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
29440 @findex -stack-info-depth
29441
29442 @subsubheading Synopsis
29443
29444 @smallexample
29445 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
29446 @end smallexample
29447
29448 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
29449 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
29450
29451 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29452
29453 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
29454
29455 @subsubheading Example
29456
29457 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
29458
29459 @smallexample
29460 (gdb)
29461 -stack-info-depth
29462 ^done,depth="12"
29463 (gdb)
29464 -stack-info-depth 4
29465 ^done,depth="4"
29466 (gdb)
29467 -stack-info-depth 12
29468 ^done,depth="12"
29469 (gdb)
29470 -stack-info-depth 11
29471 ^done,depth="11"
29472 (gdb)
29473 -stack-info-depth 13
29474 ^done,depth="12"
29475 (gdb)
29476 @end smallexample
29477
29478 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
29479 @findex -stack-list-arguments
29480
29481 @subsubheading Synopsis
29482
29483 @smallexample
29484 -stack-list-arguments @var{print-values}
29485 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
29486 @end smallexample
29487
29488 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
29489 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
29490 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
29491 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
29492 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
29493 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
29494 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
29495 which case only existing frames will be returned.
29496
29497 If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
29498 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
29499 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
29500 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
29501 structures and unions.
29502
29503 Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
29504 deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
29505
29506 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29507
29508 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
29509 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
29510 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
29511
29512 @subsubheading Example
29513
29514 @smallexample
29515 (gdb)
29516 -stack-list-frames
29517 ^done,
29518 stack=[
29519 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
29520 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29521 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
29522 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
29523 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29524 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
29525 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
29526 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29527 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
29528 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
29529 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29530 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
29531 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
29532 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29533 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
29534 (gdb)
29535 -stack-list-arguments 0
29536 ^done,
29537 stack-args=[
29538 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
29539 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
29540 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
29541 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
29542 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
29543 (gdb)
29544 -stack-list-arguments 1
29545 ^done,
29546 stack-args=[
29547 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
29548 frame=@{level="1",
29549 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
29550 frame=@{level="2",args=[
29551 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
29552 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
29553 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
29554 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
29555 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
29556 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
29557 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
29558 (gdb)
29559 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
29560 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
29561 (gdb)
29562 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
29563 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
29564 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
29565 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
29566 (gdb)
29567 @end smallexample
29568
29569 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
29570
29571
29572 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
29573 @findex -stack-list-frames
29574
29575 @subsubheading Synopsis
29576
29577 @smallexample
29578 -stack-list-frames [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
29579 @end smallexample
29580
29581 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
29582 following info:
29583
29584 @table @samp
29585 @item @var{level}
29586 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
29587 @item @var{addr}
29588 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
29589 @item @var{func}
29590 Function name.
29591 @item @var{file}
29592 File name of the source file where the function lives.
29593 @item @var{fullname}
29594 The full file name of the source file where the function lives.
29595 @item @var{line}
29596 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
29597 @item @var{from}
29598 The shared library where this function is defined. This is only given
29599 if the frame's function is not known.
29600 @end table
29601
29602 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
29603 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
29604 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
29605 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
29606 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
29607 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
29608 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be returned.
29609
29610 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29611
29612 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
29613
29614 @subsubheading Example
29615
29616 Full stack backtrace:
29617
29618 @smallexample
29619 (gdb)
29620 -stack-list-frames
29621 ^done,stack=
29622 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
29623 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
29624 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29625 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29626 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29627 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29628 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29629 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29630 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29631 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29632 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29633 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29634 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29635 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29636 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29637 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29638 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29639 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29640 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29641 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29642 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29643 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29644 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
29645 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
29646 (gdb)
29647 @end smallexample
29648
29649 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
29650
29651 @smallexample
29652 (gdb)
29653 -stack-list-frames 3 5
29654 ^done,stack=
29655 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29656 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29657 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29658 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
29659 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29660 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
29661 (gdb)
29662 @end smallexample
29663
29664 Show a single frame:
29665
29666 @smallexample
29667 (gdb)
29668 -stack-list-frames 3 3
29669 ^done,stack=
29670 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
29671 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
29672 (gdb)
29673 @end smallexample
29674
29675
29676 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
29677 @findex -stack-list-locals
29678
29679 @subsubheading Synopsis
29680
29681 @smallexample
29682 -stack-list-locals @var{print-values}
29683 @end smallexample
29684
29685 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
29686 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
29687 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
29688 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
29689 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
29690 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
29691 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
29692 other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
29693 more detail.
29694
29695 This command is deprecated in favor of the
29696 @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
29697
29698 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29699
29700 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
29701
29702 @subsubheading Example
29703
29704 @smallexample
29705 (gdb)
29706 -stack-list-locals 0
29707 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
29708 (gdb)
29709 -stack-list-locals --all-values
29710 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
29711 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
29712 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
29713 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
29714 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
29715 (gdb)
29716 @end smallexample
29717
29718 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
29719 @findex -stack-list-variables
29720
29721 @subsubheading Synopsis
29722
29723 @smallexample
29724 -stack-list-variables @var{print-values}
29725 @end smallexample
29726
29727 Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
29728 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
29729 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
29730 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
29731 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
29732 structures and unions.
29733
29734 @subsubheading Example
29735
29736 @smallexample
29737 (gdb)
29738 -stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
29739 ^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
29740 (gdb)
29741 @end smallexample
29742
29743
29744 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
29745 @findex -stack-select-frame
29746
29747 @subsubheading Synopsis
29748
29749 @smallexample
29750 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
29751 @end smallexample
29752
29753 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
29754 the stack.
29755
29756 This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
29757 option to every command.
29758
29759 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29760
29761 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
29762 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
29763
29764 @subsubheading Example
29765
29766 @smallexample
29767 (gdb)
29768 -stack-select-frame 2
29769 ^done
29770 (gdb)
29771 @end smallexample
29772
29773 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29774 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
29775 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
29776
29777 @ignore
29778
29779 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
29780
29781 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
29782 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
29783 used by @code{Insight}.
29784
29785 The two main reasons for that are:
29786
29787 @enumerate 1
29788 @item
29789 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
29790
29791 @item
29792 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
29793 now).
29794 @end enumerate
29795
29796 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
29797 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
29798 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
29799 hints about their use.
29800
29801 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
29802 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
29803 least, the following operations:
29804
29805 @itemize @bullet
29806 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
29807 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
29808 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
29809 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
29810 @end itemize
29811
29812 @end ignore
29813
29814 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
29815
29816 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
29817
29818 Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
29819 changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
29820 work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
29821 simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
29822 is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
29823 frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
29824 expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
29825 expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
29826 variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
29827 operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
29828 object, or to change display format.
29829
29830 Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
29831 that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
29832 a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
29833 element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
29834 children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
29835 leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
29836 objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
29837 is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
29838 child will be created.
29839
29840 For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
29841 string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
29842 obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
29843 that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
29844 contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
29845
29846 A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
29847 the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
29848 variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
29849 operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
29850 be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
29851 objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
29852 real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
29853 variables that frontend has created.
29854
29855 The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
29856 might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
29857 and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
29858 relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
29859 to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
29860 visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
29861 called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
29862 implicitly updated.
29863
29864 Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
29865 fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
29866 object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
29867 variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
29868 variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
29869 expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
29870 frame. Consider this example:
29871
29872 @smallexample
29873 void do_work(...)
29874 @{
29875 struct work_state state;
29876
29877 if (...)
29878 do_work(...);
29879 @}
29880 @end smallexample
29881
29882 If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
29883 this function, and we enter the recursive call, the variable
29884 object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
29885 @code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
29886 object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
29887
29888 If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
29889 refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
29890 thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
29891 variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
29892 thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
29893 and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
29894
29895 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
29896 access this functionality:
29897
29898 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
29899 @item @strong{Operation}
29900 @tab @strong{Description}
29901
29902 @item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
29903 @tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
29904 @item @code{-var-create}
29905 @tab create a variable object
29906 @item @code{-var-delete}
29907 @tab delete the variable object and/or its children
29908 @item @code{-var-set-format}
29909 @tab set the display format of this variable
29910 @item @code{-var-show-format}
29911 @tab show the display format of this variable
29912 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
29913 @tab tells how many children this object has
29914 @item @code{-var-list-children}
29915 @tab return a list of the object's children
29916 @item @code{-var-info-type}
29917 @tab show the type of this variable object
29918 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
29919 @tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
29920 @item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
29921 @tab print full expression that this variable object represents
29922 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
29923 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
29924 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
29925 @tab get the value of this variable
29926 @item @code{-var-assign}
29927 @tab set the value of this variable
29928 @item @code{-var-update}
29929 @tab update the variable and its children
29930 @item @code{-var-set-frozen}
29931 @tab set frozeness attribute
29932 @item @code{-var-set-update-range}
29933 @tab set range of children to display on update
29934 @end multitable
29935
29936 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
29937 how it can be used.
29938
29939 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
29940
29941 @subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
29942 @findex -enable-pretty-printing
29943
29944 @smallexample
29945 -enable-pretty-printing
29946 @end smallexample
29947
29948 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
29949 MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
29950 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
29951 request that this functionality be enabled.
29952
29953 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
29954
29955 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
29956 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
29957
29958 This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
29959 may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
29960
29961 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
29962 @findex -var-create
29963
29964 @subsubheading Synopsis
29965
29966 @smallexample
29967 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
29968 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
29969 @end smallexample
29970
29971 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
29972 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
29973 register.
29974
29975 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
29976 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
29977 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
29978 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
29979 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
29980
29981 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
29982 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
29983 frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
29984 object must be created.
29985
29986 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
29987 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
29988
29989 @itemize @bullet
29990 @item
29991 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
29992
29993 @item
29994 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
29995
29996 @item
29997 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
29998 @end itemize
29999
30000 @cindex dynamic varobj
30001 A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
30002 case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
30003 have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
30004 @code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
30005 will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
30006 compatibility for existing clients.
30007
30008 @subsubheading Result
30009
30010 This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
30011 are:
30012
30013 @table @samp
30014 @item name
30015 The name of the varobj.
30016
30017 @item numchild
30018 The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
30019 reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
30020 @samp{has_more} attribute.
30021
30022 @item value
30023 The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
30024 aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
30025 will not be interesting.
30026
30027 @item type
30028 The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
30029 would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI. If @samp{print object}
30030 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
30031 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
30032 @emph{declared} one.
30033
30034 @item thread-id
30035 If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
30036 thread's identifier.
30037
30038 @item has_more
30039 For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
30040 children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
30041
30042 @item dynamic
30043 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
30044 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
30045 then this attribute will not be present.
30046
30047 @item displayhint
30048 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
30049 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
30050 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
30051 @end table
30052
30053 Typical output will look like this:
30054
30055 @smallexample
30056 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
30057 has_more="@var{has_more}"
30058 @end smallexample
30059
30060
30061 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
30062 @findex -var-delete
30063
30064 @subsubheading Synopsis
30065
30066 @smallexample
30067 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
30068 @end smallexample
30069
30070 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
30071 With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
30072
30073 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
30074
30075
30076 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
30077 @findex -var-set-format
30078
30079 @subsubheading Synopsis
30080
30081 @smallexample
30082 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
30083 @end smallexample
30084
30085 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
30086 @var{format-spec}.
30087
30088 @anchor{-var-set-format}
30089 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
30090
30091 @smallexample
30092 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
30093 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
30094 @end smallexample
30095
30096 The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
30097 based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
30098 for pointers, etc.).
30099
30100 For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
30101 variable itself, and the children are not affected.
30102
30103 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
30104 @findex -var-show-format
30105
30106 @subsubheading Synopsis
30107
30108 @smallexample
30109 -var-show-format @var{name}
30110 @end smallexample
30111
30112 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
30113
30114 @smallexample
30115 @var{format} @expansion{}
30116 @var{format-spec}
30117 @end smallexample
30118
30119
30120 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
30121 @findex -var-info-num-children
30122
30123 @subsubheading Synopsis
30124
30125 @smallexample
30126 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
30127 @end smallexample
30128
30129 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
30130
30131 @smallexample
30132 numchild=@var{n}
30133 @end smallexample
30134
30135 Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
30136 It will return the current number of children, but more children may
30137 be available.
30138
30139
30140 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
30141 @findex -var-list-children
30142
30143 @subsubheading Synopsis
30144
30145 @smallexample
30146 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
30147 @end smallexample
30148 @anchor{-var-list-children}
30149
30150 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
30151 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
30152 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
30153 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
30154 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
30155 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
30156 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
30157 and unions.
30158
30159 @var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
30160 to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
30161 reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
30162 at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
30163 reported.
30164
30165 If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
30166 @code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
30167 For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
30168 intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
30169 update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
30170 front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
30171 then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
30172 different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
30173 the visible items.
30174
30175 For each child the following results are returned:
30176
30177 @table @var
30178
30179 @item name
30180 Name of the variable object created for this child.
30181
30182 @item exp
30183 The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
30184 For example this may be the name of a structure member.
30185
30186 For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
30187 expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
30188
30189 For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
30190 designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
30191 @samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
30192 type and value are not present.
30193
30194 A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
30195 pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
30196 available at all with a dynamic varobj.
30197
30198 @item numchild
30199 Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
30200 0.
30201
30202 @item type
30203 The type of the child. If @samp{print object}
30204 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
30205 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
30206 @emph{declared} one.
30207
30208 @item value
30209 If values were requested, this is the value.
30210
30211 @item thread-id
30212 If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the thread id.
30213 Otherwise this result is not present.
30214
30215 @item frozen
30216 If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
30217 @end table
30218
30219 The result may have its own attributes:
30220
30221 @table @samp
30222 @item displayhint
30223 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
30224 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
30225 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
30226
30227 @item has_more
30228 This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
30229 remaining after the end of the selected range.
30230 @end table
30231
30232 @subsubheading Example
30233
30234 @smallexample
30235 (gdb)
30236 -var-list-children n
30237 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
30238 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
30239 (gdb)
30240 -var-list-children --all-values n
30241 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
30242 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
30243 @end smallexample
30244
30245
30246 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
30247 @findex -var-info-type
30248
30249 @subsubheading Synopsis
30250
30251 @smallexample
30252 -var-info-type @var{name}
30253 @end smallexample
30254
30255 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
30256 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
30257 @value{GDBN} CLI:
30258
30259 @smallexample
30260 type=@var{typename}
30261 @end smallexample
30262
30263
30264 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
30265 @findex -var-info-expression
30266
30267 @subsubheading Synopsis
30268
30269 @smallexample
30270 -var-info-expression @var{name}
30271 @end smallexample
30272
30273 Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
30274 variable object in user interface. The string is generally
30275 not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
30276
30277 For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
30278 @code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
30279
30280 @smallexample
30281 (gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
30282 ^done,lang="C",exp="1"
30283 @end smallexample
30284
30285 @noindent
30286 Here, the values of @code{lang} can be @code{@{"C" | "C++" | "Java"@}}.
30287
30288 Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
30289 includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
30290 is of limited use.
30291
30292 @subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
30293 @findex -var-info-path-expression
30294
30295 @subsubheading Synopsis
30296
30297 @smallexample
30298 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
30299 @end smallexample
30300
30301 Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
30302 context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
30303 Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
30304 result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
30305 the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
30306 watchpoint from a variable object.
30307
30308 This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
30309 and will give an error when invoked on one.
30310
30311 For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
30312 @code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
30313 @code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
30314 @code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
30315 @code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
30316 @smallexample
30317 (gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
30318 ^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
30319 @end smallexample
30320
30321 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
30322 @findex -var-show-attributes
30323
30324 @subsubheading Synopsis
30325
30326 @smallexample
30327 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
30328 @end smallexample
30329
30330 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
30331
30332 @smallexample
30333 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
30334 @end smallexample
30335
30336 @noindent
30337 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
30338
30339 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
30340 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
30341
30342 @subsubheading Synopsis
30343
30344 @smallexample
30345 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
30346 @end smallexample
30347
30348 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
30349 object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
30350 can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
30351 this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
30352 (@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
30353 the current display format will be used. The current display format
30354 can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
30355
30356 @smallexample
30357 value=@var{value}
30358 @end smallexample
30359
30360 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
30361 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
30362
30363 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
30364 @findex -var-assign
30365
30366 @subsubheading Synopsis
30367
30368 @smallexample
30369 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
30370 @end smallexample
30371
30372 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
30373 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
30374 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
30375 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
30376
30377 @subsubheading Example
30378
30379 @smallexample
30380 (gdb)
30381 -var-assign var1 3
30382 ^done,value="3"
30383 (gdb)
30384 -var-update *
30385 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
30386 (gdb)
30387 @end smallexample
30388
30389 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
30390 @findex -var-update
30391
30392 @subsubheading Synopsis
30393
30394 @smallexample
30395 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
30396 @end smallexample
30397
30398 Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
30399 @var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
30400 list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
30401 be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
30402 @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
30403 @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
30404 object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
30405 for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
30406 @var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
30407 names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
30408 as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
30409 recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
30410 number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
30411
30412 With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
30413 currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
30414 diagnostic.
30415
30416 If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
30417 only the selected range of children will be reported.
30418
30419 @code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
30420 @samp{changelist}.
30421
30422 Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
30423
30424 @table @samp
30425 @item name
30426 The name of the varobj.
30427
30428 @item value
30429 If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
30430 present and will hold the value of the varobj.
30431
30432 @item in_scope
30433 @anchor{-var-update}
30434 This field is a string which may take one of three values:
30435
30436 @table @code
30437 @item "true"
30438 The variable object's current value is valid.
30439
30440 @item "false"
30441 The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
30442 hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
30443 scope.
30444
30445 @item "invalid"
30446 The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
30447 This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
30448 either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
30449 command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
30450 objects.
30451 @end table
30452
30453 In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
30454 be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
30455
30456 @item type_changed
30457 This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
30458 changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
30459 be @samp{false}.
30460
30461 When a varobj's type changes, its children are also likely to have
30462 become incorrect. Therefore, the varobj's children are automatically
30463 deleted when this attribute is @samp{true}. Also, the varobj's update
30464 range, when set using the @code{-var-set-update-range} command, is
30465 unset.
30466
30467 @item new_type
30468 If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
30469 hold the new type.
30470
30471 @item new_num_children
30472 For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
30473 type changed, this will be the new number of children.
30474
30475 The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
30476 valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
30477 @value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
30478 instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
30479 children which may be available.
30480
30481 The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
30482 number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
30483 detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
30484 only happen at the end of the update range).
30485
30486 @item displayhint
30487 The display hint, if any.
30488
30489 @item has_more
30490 This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
30491 available outside the varobj's update range.
30492
30493 @item dynamic
30494 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
30495 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
30496 then this attribute will not be present.
30497
30498 @item new_children
30499 If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
30500 update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
30501 be listed in this attribute.
30502 @end table
30503
30504 @subsubheading Example
30505
30506 @smallexample
30507 (gdb)
30508 -var-assign var1 3
30509 ^done,value="3"
30510 (gdb)
30511 -var-update --all-values var1
30512 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
30513 type_changed="false"@}]
30514 (gdb)
30515 @end smallexample
30516
30517 @subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
30518 @findex -var-set-frozen
30519 @anchor{-var-set-frozen}
30520
30521 @subsubheading Synopsis
30522
30523 @smallexample
30524 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
30525 @end smallexample
30526
30527 Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
30528 @var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
30529 frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
30530 frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
30531 implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
30532 a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
30533 @code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
30534 values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
30535 implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
30536 Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
30537 @code{-var-update} does.
30538
30539 @subsubheading Example
30540
30541 @smallexample
30542 (gdb)
30543 -var-set-frozen V 1
30544 ^done
30545 (gdb)
30546 @end smallexample
30547
30548 @subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
30549 @findex -var-set-update-range
30550 @anchor{-var-set-update-range}
30551
30552 @subsubheading Synopsis
30553
30554 @smallexample
30555 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
30556 @end smallexample
30557
30558 Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
30559 @code{-var-update}.
30560
30561 @var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
30562 @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
30563 children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
30564 (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
30565
30566 @subsubheading Example
30567
30568 @smallexample
30569 (gdb)
30570 -var-set-update-range V 1 2
30571 ^done
30572 @end smallexample
30573
30574 @subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
30575 @findex -var-set-visualizer
30576 @anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
30577
30578 @subsubheading Synopsis
30579
30580 @smallexample
30581 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
30582 @end smallexample
30583
30584 Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
30585
30586 @var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
30587 @samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
30588
30589 If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
30590 This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
30591 single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
30592 the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
30593 Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
30594 When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
30595 pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
30596
30597 The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
30598 select a visualizer by following the built-in process
30599 (@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
30600 a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
30601
30602 This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
30603 command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands})
30604 can be used to check this.
30605
30606 @subsubheading Example
30607
30608 Resetting the visualizer:
30609
30610 @smallexample
30611 (gdb)
30612 -var-set-visualizer V None
30613 ^done
30614 @end smallexample
30615
30616 Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
30617
30618 @smallexample
30619 (gdb)
30620 -var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
30621 ^done
30622 @end smallexample
30623
30624 Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
30625 can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
30626
30627 @smallexample
30628 (gdb)
30629 -var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
30630 ^done
30631 @end smallexample
30632
30633 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30634 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
30635 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
30636
30637 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
30638 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
30639 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
30640 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
30641
30642 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
30643 @c @subheading -data-assign
30644 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
30645 @c @subsubheading GDB Command
30646 @c set variable
30647 @c @subsubheading Example
30648 @c N.A.
30649
30650 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
30651 @findex -data-disassemble
30652
30653 @subsubheading Synopsis
30654
30655 @smallexample
30656 -data-disassemble
30657 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
30658 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
30659 -- @var{mode}
30660 @end smallexample
30661
30662 @noindent
30663 Where:
30664
30665 @table @samp
30666 @item @var{start-addr}
30667 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
30668 @item @var{end-addr}
30669 is the end address
30670 @item @var{filename}
30671 is the name of the file to disassemble
30672 @item @var{linenum}
30673 is the line number to disassemble around
30674 @item @var{lines}
30675 is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
30676 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
30677 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
30678 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
30679 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
30680 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
30681 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
30682 are displayed.
30683 @item @var{mode}
30684 is either 0 (meaning only disassembly), 1 (meaning mixed source and
30685 disassembly), 2 (meaning disassembly with raw opcodes), or 3 (meaning
30686 mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes).
30687 @end table
30688
30689 @subsubheading Result
30690
30691 The output for each instruction is composed of four fields:
30692
30693 @itemize @bullet
30694 @item Address
30695 @item Func-name
30696 @item Offset
30697 @item Instruction
30698 @end itemize
30699
30700 Note that whatever included in the instruction field, is not manipulated
30701 directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to adjust its format.
30702
30703 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30704
30705 There's no direct mapping from this command to the CLI.
30706
30707 @subsubheading Example
30708
30709 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
30710
30711 @smallexample
30712 (gdb)
30713 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
30714 ^done,
30715 asm_insns=[
30716 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
30717 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
30718 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
30719 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
30720 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
30721 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
30722 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
30723 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
30724 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
30725 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
30726 (gdb)
30727 @end smallexample
30728
30729 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
30730 @code{main}.
30731
30732 @smallexample
30733 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
30734 ^done,asm_insns=[
30735 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
30736 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
30737 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
30738 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
30739 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
30740 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
30741 [@dots{}]
30742 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
30743 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
30744 (gdb)
30745 @end smallexample
30746
30747 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
30748
30749 @smallexample
30750 (gdb)
30751 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
30752 ^done,asm_insns=[
30753 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
30754 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
30755 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
30756 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
30757 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
30758 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
30759 (gdb)
30760 @end smallexample
30761
30762 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
30763
30764 @smallexample
30765 (gdb)
30766 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
30767 ^done,asm_insns=[
30768 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
30769 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
30770 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
30771 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
30772 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
30773 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
30774 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
30775 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
30776 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
30777 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
30778 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
30779 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
30780 (gdb)
30781 @end smallexample
30782
30783
30784 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
30785 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
30786
30787 @subsubheading Synopsis
30788
30789 @smallexample
30790 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
30791 @end smallexample
30792
30793 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
30794 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
30795 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
30796
30797 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30798
30799 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
30800 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
30801 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
30802
30803 @subsubheading Example
30804
30805 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
30806 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
30807 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
30808 output.
30809
30810 @smallexample
30811 211-data-evaluate-expression A
30812 211^done,value="1"
30813 (gdb)
30814 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
30815 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
30816 (gdb)
30817 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
30818 411^done,value="4"
30819 (gdb)
30820 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
30821 511^done,value="4"
30822 (gdb)
30823 @end smallexample
30824
30825
30826 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
30827 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
30828
30829 @subsubheading Synopsis
30830
30831 @smallexample
30832 -data-list-changed-registers
30833 @end smallexample
30834
30835 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
30836
30837 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30838
30839 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
30840 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
30841
30842 @subsubheading Example
30843
30844 On a PPC MBX board:
30845
30846 @smallexample
30847 (gdb)
30848 -exec-continue
30849 ^running
30850
30851 (gdb)
30852 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
30853 func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
30854 line="5"@}
30855 (gdb)
30856 -data-list-changed-registers
30857 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
30858 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
30859 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
30860 (gdb)
30861 @end smallexample
30862
30863
30864 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
30865 @findex -data-list-register-names
30866
30867 @subsubheading Synopsis
30868
30869 @smallexample
30870 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
30871 @end smallexample
30872
30873 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
30874 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
30875 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
30876 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
30877 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
30878 include empty register names.
30879
30880 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30881
30882 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
30883 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
30884 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
30885
30886 @subsubheading Example
30887
30888 For the PPC MBX board:
30889 @smallexample
30890 (gdb)
30891 -data-list-register-names
30892 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
30893 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
30894 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
30895 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
30896 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
30897 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
30898 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
30899 (gdb)
30900 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
30901 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
30902 (gdb)
30903 @end smallexample
30904
30905 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
30906 @findex -data-list-register-values
30907
30908 @subsubheading Synopsis
30909
30910 @smallexample
30911 -data-list-register-values @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
30912 @end smallexample
30913
30914 Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
30915 which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
30916 list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
30917 numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be returned.
30918
30919 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
30920
30921 @table @code
30922 @item x
30923 Hexadecimal
30924 @item o
30925 Octal
30926 @item t
30927 Binary
30928 @item d
30929 Decimal
30930 @item r
30931 Raw
30932 @item N
30933 Natural
30934 @end table
30935
30936 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30937
30938 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
30939 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
30940
30941 @subsubheading Example
30942
30943 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
30944 don't appear in the actual output):
30945
30946 @smallexample
30947 (gdb)
30948 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
30949 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
30950 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
30951 (gdb)
30952 -data-list-register-values x
30953 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
30954 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
30955 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
30956 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
30957 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
30958 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
30959 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
30960 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
30961 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
30962 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
30963 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
30964 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
30965 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
30966 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
30967 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
30968 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
30969 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
30970 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
30971 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
30972 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
30973 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
30974 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
30975 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
30976 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
30977 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
30978 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
30979 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
30980 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
30981 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
30982 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
30983 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
30984 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
30985 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
30986 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
30987 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
30988 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
30989 (gdb)
30990 @end smallexample
30991
30992
30993 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
30994 @findex -data-read-memory
30995
30996 This command is deprecated, use @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} instead.
30997
30998 @subsubheading Synopsis
30999
31000 @smallexample
31001 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
31002 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
31003 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
31004 @end smallexample
31005
31006 @noindent
31007 where:
31008
31009 @table @samp
31010 @item @var{address}
31011 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
31012 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
31013 quoted using the C convention.
31014
31015 @item @var{word-format}
31016 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
31017 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
31018 ,Output Formats}).
31019
31020 @item @var{word-size}
31021 The size of each memory word in bytes.
31022
31023 @item @var{nr-rows}
31024 The number of rows in the output table.
31025
31026 @item @var{nr-cols}
31027 The number of columns in the output table.
31028
31029 @item @var{aschar}
31030 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
31031 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
31032 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
31033 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
31034
31035 @item @var{byte-offset}
31036 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
31037 @end table
31038
31039 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
31040 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
31041 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
31042 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
31043 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
31044 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
31045 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
31046 @samp{addr}.
31047
31048 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
31049 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
31050 @samp{prev-page}.
31051
31052 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31053
31054 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
31055 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
31056
31057 @subsubheading Example
31058
31059 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
31060 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
31061 word. Display each word in hex.
31062
31063 @smallexample
31064 (gdb)
31065 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
31066 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
31067 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
31068 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
31069 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
31070 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
31071 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
31072 (gdb)
31073 @end smallexample
31074
31075 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
31076 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
31077
31078 @smallexample
31079 (gdb)
31080 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
31081 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
31082 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
31083 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
31084 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
31085 (gdb)
31086 @end smallexample
31087
31088 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
31089 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
31090 used as the non-printable character.
31091
31092 @smallexample
31093 (gdb)
31094 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
31095 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
31096 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
31097 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
31098 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
31099 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
31100 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
31101 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
31102 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
31103 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
31104 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
31105 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
31106 (gdb)
31107 @end smallexample
31108
31109 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} Command
31110 @findex -data-read-memory-bytes
31111
31112 @subsubheading Synopsis
31113
31114 @smallexample
31115 -data-read-memory-bytes [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
31116 @var{address} @var{count}
31117 @end smallexample
31118
31119 @noindent
31120 where:
31121
31122 @table @samp
31123 @item @var{address}
31124 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
31125 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
31126 quoted using the C convention.
31127
31128 @item @var{count}
31129 The number of bytes to read. This should be an integer literal.
31130
31131 @item @var{byte-offset}
31132 The offsets in bytes relative to @var{address} at which to start
31133 reading. This should be an integer literal. This option is provided
31134 so that a frontend is not required to first evaluate address and then
31135 perform address arithmetics itself.
31136
31137 @end table
31138
31139 This command attempts to read all accessible memory regions in the
31140 specified range. First, all regions marked as unreadable in the memory
31141 map (if one is defined) will be skipped. @xref{Memory Region
31142 Attributes}. Second, @value{GDBN} will attempt to read the remaining
31143 regions. For each one, if reading full region results in an errors,
31144 @value{GDBN} will try to read a subset of the region.
31145
31146 In general, every single byte in the region may be readable or not,
31147 and the only way to read every readable byte is to try a read at
31148 every address, which is not practical. Therefore, @value{GDBN} will
31149 attempt to read all accessible bytes at either beginning or the end
31150 of the region, using a binary division scheme. This heuristic works
31151 well for reading accross a memory map boundary. Note that if a region
31152 has a readable range that is neither at the beginning or the end,
31153 @value{GDBN} will not read it.
31154
31155 The result record (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}) that is output of
31156 the command includes a field named @samp{memory} whose content is a
31157 list of tuples. Each tuple represent a successfully read memory block
31158 and has the following fields:
31159
31160 @table @code
31161 @item begin
31162 The start address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
31163
31164 @item end
31165 The end address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
31166
31167 @item offset
31168 The offset of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal, relative to
31169 the start address passed to @code{-data-read-memory-bytes}.
31170
31171 @item contents
31172 The contents of the memory block, in hex.
31173
31174 @end table
31175
31176
31177
31178 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31179
31180 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}.
31181
31182 @subsubheading Example
31183
31184 @smallexample
31185 (gdb)
31186 -data-read-memory-bytes &a 10
31187 ^done,memory=[@{begin="0xbffff154",offset="0x00000000",
31188 end="0xbffff15e",
31189 contents="01000000020000000300"@}]
31190 (gdb)
31191 @end smallexample
31192
31193
31194 @subheading The @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} Command
31195 @findex -data-write-memory-bytes
31196
31197 @subsubheading Synopsis
31198
31199 @smallexample
31200 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents}
31201 @end smallexample
31202
31203 @noindent
31204 where:
31205
31206 @table @samp
31207 @item @var{address}
31208 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
31209 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
31210 quoted using the C convention.
31211
31212 @item @var{contents}
31213 The hex-encoded bytes to write.
31214
31215 @end table
31216
31217 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31218
31219 There's no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
31220
31221 @subsubheading Example
31222
31223 @smallexample
31224 (gdb)
31225 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd"
31226 ^done
31227 (gdb)
31228 @end smallexample
31229
31230
31231 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31232 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
31233 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
31234
31235 The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
31236 tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
31237
31238 @subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
31239 @findex -trace-find
31240
31241 @subsubheading Synopsis
31242
31243 @smallexample
31244 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
31245 @end smallexample
31246
31247 Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
31248 @var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
31249 modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
31250
31251 @table @samp
31252
31253 @item none
31254 No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
31255
31256 @item frame-number
31257 An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
31258 that index.
31259
31260 @item tracepoint-number
31261 An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
31262 trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
31263
31264 @item pc
31265 An address is required as parameter. Finds
31266 next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
31267 address.
31268
31269 @item pc-inside-range
31270 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
31271 frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
31272 specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
31273
31274 @item pc-outside-range
31275 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
31276 next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
31277 the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
31278
31279 @item line
31280 Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
31281 Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
31282 the specified location.
31283
31284 @end table
31285
31286 If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
31287 have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
31288
31289 @table @samp
31290 @item found
31291 This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
31292 on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
31293
31294 @item traceframe
31295 The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
31296 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
31297
31298 @item tracepoint
31299 The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
31300 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
31301
31302 @item frame
31303 The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
31304 frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
31305 @xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
31306
31307 @end table
31308
31309 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31310
31311 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
31312
31313 @subheading -trace-define-variable
31314 @findex -trace-define-variable
31315
31316 @subsubheading Synopsis
31317
31318 @smallexample
31319 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
31320 @end smallexample
31321
31322 Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
31323 @var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
31324 trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
31325 with the @samp{$} character.
31326
31327 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31328
31329 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
31330
31331 @subheading -trace-list-variables
31332 @findex -trace-list-variables
31333
31334 @subsubheading Synopsis
31335
31336 @smallexample
31337 -trace-list-variables
31338 @end smallexample
31339
31340 Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
31341 table has the following fields:
31342
31343 @table @samp
31344 @item name
31345 The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
31346
31347 @item initial
31348 The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
31349 field is always present.
31350
31351 @item current
31352 The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
31353 signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
31354 not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
31355 presently running.
31356
31357 @end table
31358
31359 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31360
31361 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
31362
31363 @subsubheading Example
31364
31365 @smallexample
31366 (gdb)
31367 -trace-list-variables
31368 ^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
31369 hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
31370 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
31371 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
31372 body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
31373 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
31374 (gdb)
31375 @end smallexample
31376
31377 @subheading -trace-save
31378 @findex -trace-save
31379
31380 @subsubheading Synopsis
31381
31382 @smallexample
31383 -trace-save [-r ] @var{filename}
31384 @end smallexample
31385
31386 Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
31387 @samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
31388 in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
31389 to perform the save.
31390
31391 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31392
31393 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
31394
31395
31396 @subheading -trace-start
31397 @findex -trace-start
31398
31399 @subsubheading Synopsis
31400
31401 @smallexample
31402 -trace-start
31403 @end smallexample
31404
31405 Starts a tracing experiments. The result of this command does not
31406 have any fields.
31407
31408 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31409
31410 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
31411
31412 @subheading -trace-status
31413 @findex -trace-status
31414
31415 @subsubheading Synopsis
31416
31417 @smallexample
31418 -trace-status
31419 @end smallexample
31420
31421 Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
31422 the following fields:
31423
31424 @table @samp
31425
31426 @item supported
31427 May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
31428 supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
31429 @samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
31430 of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
31431 started. This field is always present.
31432
31433 @item running
31434 May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
31435 tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
31436 if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
31437
31438 @item stop-reason
31439 Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
31440 may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
31441 value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
31442 the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
31443 the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
31444 tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
31445 The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
31446 tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
31447 This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
31448
31449 @item stopping-tracepoint
31450 The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
31451 present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
31452 @samp{passcount}.
31453
31454 @item frames
31455 @itemx frames-created
31456 The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
31457 in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
31458 during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
31459 circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
31460
31461 @item buffer-size
31462 @itemx buffer-free
31463 These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
31464 remaining space. These fields are optional.
31465
31466 @item circular
31467 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
31468 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
31469 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
31470 and may fill up.
31471
31472 @item disconnected
31473 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
31474 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
31475 that the trace run will stop.
31476
31477 @end table
31478
31479 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31480
31481 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
31482
31483 @subheading -trace-stop
31484 @findex -trace-stop
31485
31486 @subsubheading Synopsis
31487
31488 @smallexample
31489 -trace-stop
31490 @end smallexample
31491
31492 Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
31493 fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
31494 @samp{running} fields are not output.
31495
31496 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31497
31498 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
31499
31500
31501 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31502 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
31503 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
31504
31505
31506 @ignore
31507 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
31508 @findex -symbol-info-address
31509
31510 @subsubheading Synopsis
31511
31512 @smallexample
31513 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
31514 @end smallexample
31515
31516 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
31517
31518 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31519
31520 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
31521
31522 @subsubheading Example
31523 N.A.
31524
31525
31526 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
31527 @findex -symbol-info-file
31528
31529 @subsubheading Synopsis
31530
31531 @smallexample
31532 -symbol-info-file
31533 @end smallexample
31534
31535 Show the file for the symbol.
31536
31537 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31538
31539 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
31540 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
31541
31542 @subsubheading Example
31543 N.A.
31544
31545
31546 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
31547 @findex -symbol-info-function
31548
31549 @subsubheading Synopsis
31550
31551 @smallexample
31552 -symbol-info-function
31553 @end smallexample
31554
31555 Show which function the symbol lives in.
31556
31557 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31558
31559 @samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
31560
31561 @subsubheading Example
31562 N.A.
31563
31564
31565 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
31566 @findex -symbol-info-line
31567
31568 @subsubheading Synopsis
31569
31570 @smallexample
31571 -symbol-info-line
31572 @end smallexample
31573
31574 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
31575
31576 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31577
31578 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
31579 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
31580
31581 @subsubheading Example
31582 N.A.
31583
31584
31585 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
31586 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
31587
31588 @subsubheading Synopsis
31589
31590 @smallexample
31591 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
31592 @end smallexample
31593
31594 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
31595
31596 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31597
31598 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
31599
31600 @subsubheading Example
31601 N.A.
31602
31603
31604 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
31605 @findex -symbol-list-functions
31606
31607 @subsubheading Synopsis
31608
31609 @smallexample
31610 -symbol-list-functions
31611 @end smallexample
31612
31613 List the functions in the executable.
31614
31615 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31616
31617 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
31618 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
31619
31620 @subsubheading Example
31621 N.A.
31622 @end ignore
31623
31624
31625 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
31626 @findex -symbol-list-lines
31627
31628 @subsubheading Synopsis
31629
31630 @smallexample
31631 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
31632 @end smallexample
31633
31634 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
31635 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
31636 ascending PC order.
31637
31638 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31639
31640 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
31641
31642 @subsubheading Example
31643 @smallexample
31644 (gdb)
31645 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
31646 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
31647 (gdb)
31648 @end smallexample
31649
31650
31651 @ignore
31652 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
31653 @findex -symbol-list-types
31654
31655 @subsubheading Synopsis
31656
31657 @smallexample
31658 -symbol-list-types
31659 @end smallexample
31660
31661 List all the type names.
31662
31663 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31664
31665 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
31666 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
31667
31668 @subsubheading Example
31669 N.A.
31670
31671
31672 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
31673 @findex -symbol-list-variables
31674
31675 @subsubheading Synopsis
31676
31677 @smallexample
31678 -symbol-list-variables
31679 @end smallexample
31680
31681 List all the global and static variable names.
31682
31683 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31684
31685 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
31686
31687 @subsubheading Example
31688 N.A.
31689
31690
31691 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
31692 @findex -symbol-locate
31693
31694 @subsubheading Synopsis
31695
31696 @smallexample
31697 -symbol-locate
31698 @end smallexample
31699
31700 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31701
31702 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
31703
31704 @subsubheading Example
31705 N.A.
31706
31707
31708 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
31709 @findex -symbol-type
31710
31711 @subsubheading Synopsis
31712
31713 @smallexample
31714 -symbol-type @var{variable}
31715 @end smallexample
31716
31717 Show type of @var{variable}.
31718
31719 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31720
31721 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
31722 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
31723
31724 @subsubheading Example
31725 N.A.
31726 @end ignore
31727
31728
31729 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31730 @node GDB/MI File Commands
31731 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
31732
31733 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
31734 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
31735
31736 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
31737 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
31738
31739 @subsubheading Synopsis
31740
31741 @smallexample
31742 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
31743 @end smallexample
31744
31745 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
31746 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
31747 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
31748 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
31749 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
31750 notification.
31751
31752 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31753
31754 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
31755
31756 @subsubheading Example
31757
31758 @smallexample
31759 (gdb)
31760 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
31761 ^done
31762 (gdb)
31763 @end smallexample
31764
31765
31766 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
31767 @findex -file-exec-file
31768
31769 @subsubheading Synopsis
31770
31771 @smallexample
31772 -file-exec-file @var{file}
31773 @end smallexample
31774
31775 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
31776 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
31777 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
31778 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
31779 notification.
31780
31781 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31782
31783 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
31784
31785 @subsubheading Example
31786
31787 @smallexample
31788 (gdb)
31789 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
31790 ^done
31791 (gdb)
31792 @end smallexample
31793
31794
31795 @ignore
31796 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
31797 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
31798
31799 @subsubheading Synopsis
31800
31801 @smallexample
31802 -file-list-exec-sections
31803 @end smallexample
31804
31805 List the sections of the current executable file.
31806
31807 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31808
31809 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
31810 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
31811 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
31812
31813 @subsubheading Example
31814 N.A.
31815 @end ignore
31816
31817
31818 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
31819 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
31820
31821 @subsubheading Synopsis
31822
31823 @smallexample
31824 -file-list-exec-source-file
31825 @end smallexample
31826
31827 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
31828 to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
31829 information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
31830 whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
31831
31832 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31833
31834 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
31835
31836 @subsubheading Example
31837
31838 @smallexample
31839 (gdb)
31840 123-file-list-exec-source-file
31841 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
31842 (gdb)
31843 @end smallexample
31844
31845
31846 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
31847 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
31848
31849 @subsubheading Synopsis
31850
31851 @smallexample
31852 -file-list-exec-source-files
31853 @end smallexample
31854
31855 List the source files for the current executable.
31856
31857 It will always output the filename, but only when @value{GDBN} can find
31858 the absolute file name of a source file, will it output the fullname.
31859
31860 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31861
31862 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
31863 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
31864
31865 @subsubheading Example
31866 @smallexample
31867 (gdb)
31868 -file-list-exec-source-files
31869 ^done,files=[
31870 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
31871 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
31872 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
31873 (gdb)
31874 @end smallexample
31875
31876 @ignore
31877 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
31878 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
31879
31880 @subsubheading Synopsis
31881
31882 @smallexample
31883 -file-list-shared-libraries
31884 @end smallexample
31885
31886 List the shared libraries in the program.
31887
31888 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31889
31890 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
31891
31892 @subsubheading Example
31893 N.A.
31894
31895
31896 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
31897 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
31898
31899 @subsubheading Synopsis
31900
31901 @smallexample
31902 -file-list-symbol-files
31903 @end smallexample
31904
31905 List symbol files.
31906
31907 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31908
31909 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
31910
31911 @subsubheading Example
31912 N.A.
31913 @end ignore
31914
31915
31916 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
31917 @findex -file-symbol-file
31918
31919 @subsubheading Synopsis
31920
31921 @smallexample
31922 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
31923 @end smallexample
31924
31925 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
31926 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
31927 produced, except for a completion notification.
31928
31929 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31930
31931 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
31932
31933 @subsubheading Example
31934
31935 @smallexample
31936 (gdb)
31937 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
31938 ^done
31939 (gdb)
31940 @end smallexample
31941
31942 @ignore
31943 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31944 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
31945 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
31946
31947 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
31948
31949 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
31950
31951 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
31952
31953 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
31954
31955 @c @subheading -overlay-map
31956
31957 @c @subheading -overlay-off
31958
31959 @c @subheading -overlay-on
31960
31961 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
31962
31963 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31964 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
31965 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
31966
31967 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
31968
31969 @c @subheading -signal-handle
31970
31971 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
31972
31973 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
31974 @end ignore
31975
31976
31977 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31978 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
31979 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
31980
31981
31982 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
31983 @findex -target-attach
31984
31985 @subsubheading Synopsis
31986
31987 @smallexample
31988 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
31989 @end smallexample
31990
31991 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
31992 @value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
31993 group, the id previously returned by
31994 @samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
31995
31996 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31997
31998 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
31999
32000 @subsubheading Example
32001 @smallexample
32002 (gdb)
32003 -target-attach 34
32004 =thread-created,id="1"
32005 *stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
32006 ^done
32007 (gdb)
32008 @end smallexample
32009
32010 @ignore
32011 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
32012 @findex -target-compare-sections
32013
32014 @subsubheading Synopsis
32015
32016 @smallexample
32017 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
32018 @end smallexample
32019
32020 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
32021 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
32022
32023 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32024
32025 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
32026
32027 @subsubheading Example
32028 N.A.
32029 @end ignore
32030
32031
32032 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
32033 @findex -target-detach
32034
32035 @subsubheading Synopsis
32036
32037 @smallexample
32038 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
32039 @end smallexample
32040
32041 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
32042 If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
32043 the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
32044
32045 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32046
32047 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
32048
32049 @subsubheading Example
32050
32051 @smallexample
32052 (gdb)
32053 -target-detach
32054 ^done
32055 (gdb)
32056 @end smallexample
32057
32058
32059 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
32060 @findex -target-disconnect
32061
32062 @subsubheading Synopsis
32063
32064 @smallexample
32065 -target-disconnect
32066 @end smallexample
32067
32068 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
32069 generally not resumed.
32070
32071 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32072
32073 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
32074
32075 @subsubheading Example
32076
32077 @smallexample
32078 (gdb)
32079 -target-disconnect
32080 ^done
32081 (gdb)
32082 @end smallexample
32083
32084
32085 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
32086 @findex -target-download
32087
32088 @subsubheading Synopsis
32089
32090 @smallexample
32091 -target-download
32092 @end smallexample
32093
32094 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
32095 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
32096
32097 @table @samp
32098 @item section
32099 The name of the section.
32100 @item section-sent
32101 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
32102 @item section-size
32103 The size of the section.
32104 @item total-sent
32105 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
32106 @item total-size
32107 The size of the overall executable to download.
32108 @end table
32109
32110 @noindent
32111 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
32112 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
32113
32114 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
32115 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
32116
32117 @table @samp
32118 @item section
32119 The name of the section.
32120 @item section-size
32121 The size of the section.
32122 @item total-size
32123 The size of the overall executable to download.
32124 @end table
32125
32126 @noindent
32127 At the end, a summary is printed.
32128
32129 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32130
32131 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
32132
32133 @subsubheading Example
32134
32135 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
32136 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
32137
32138 @smallexample
32139 (gdb)
32140 -target-download
32141 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
32142 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
32143 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
32144 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
32145 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
32146 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
32147 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
32148 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
32149 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
32150 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
32151 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
32152 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
32153 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
32154 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
32155 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
32156 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
32157 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
32158 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
32159 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
32160 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
32161 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
32162 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
32163 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
32164 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
32165 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
32166 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
32167 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
32168 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
32169 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
32170 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
32171 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
32172 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
32173 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
32174 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
32175 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
32176 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
32177 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
32178 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
32179 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
32180 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
32181 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
32182 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
32183 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
32184 write-rate="429"
32185 (gdb)
32186 @end smallexample
32187
32188
32189 @ignore
32190 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
32191 @findex -target-exec-status
32192
32193 @subsubheading Synopsis
32194
32195 @smallexample
32196 -target-exec-status
32197 @end smallexample
32198
32199 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
32200 not, for instance).
32201
32202 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32203
32204 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
32205
32206 @subsubheading Example
32207 N.A.
32208
32209
32210 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
32211 @findex -target-list-available-targets
32212
32213 @subsubheading Synopsis
32214
32215 @smallexample
32216 -target-list-available-targets
32217 @end smallexample
32218
32219 List the possible targets to connect to.
32220
32221 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32222
32223 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
32224
32225 @subsubheading Example
32226 N.A.
32227
32228
32229 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
32230 @findex -target-list-current-targets
32231
32232 @subsubheading Synopsis
32233
32234 @smallexample
32235 -target-list-current-targets
32236 @end smallexample
32237
32238 Describe the current target.
32239
32240 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32241
32242 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
32243 other things).
32244
32245 @subsubheading Example
32246 N.A.
32247
32248
32249 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
32250 @findex -target-list-parameters
32251
32252 @subsubheading Synopsis
32253
32254 @smallexample
32255 -target-list-parameters
32256 @end smallexample
32257
32258 @c ????
32259 @end ignore
32260
32261 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32262
32263 No equivalent.
32264
32265 @subsubheading Example
32266 N.A.
32267
32268
32269 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
32270 @findex -target-select
32271
32272 @subsubheading Synopsis
32273
32274 @smallexample
32275 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
32276 @end smallexample
32277
32278 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
32279
32280 @table @samp
32281 @item @var{type}
32282 The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
32283 @item @var{parameters}
32284 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
32285 Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
32286 @end table
32287
32288 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
32289 which the target program is, in the following form:
32290
32291 @smallexample
32292 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
32293 args=[@var{arg list}]
32294 @end smallexample
32295
32296 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32297
32298 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
32299
32300 @subsubheading Example
32301
32302 @smallexample
32303 (gdb)
32304 -target-select remote /dev/ttya
32305 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
32306 (gdb)
32307 @end smallexample
32308
32309 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
32310 @node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
32311 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
32312
32313
32314 @subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
32315 @findex -target-file-put
32316
32317 @subsubheading Synopsis
32318
32319 @smallexample
32320 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
32321 @end smallexample
32322
32323 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
32324 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
32325
32326 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32327
32328 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
32329
32330 @subsubheading Example
32331
32332 @smallexample
32333 (gdb)
32334 -target-file-put localfile remotefile
32335 ^done
32336 (gdb)
32337 @end smallexample
32338
32339
32340 @subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
32341 @findex -target-file-get
32342
32343 @subsubheading Synopsis
32344
32345 @smallexample
32346 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
32347 @end smallexample
32348
32349 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
32350 on the host system.
32351
32352 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32353
32354 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
32355
32356 @subsubheading Example
32357
32358 @smallexample
32359 (gdb)
32360 -target-file-get remotefile localfile
32361 ^done
32362 (gdb)
32363 @end smallexample
32364
32365
32366 @subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
32367 @findex -target-file-delete
32368
32369 @subsubheading Synopsis
32370
32371 @smallexample
32372 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
32373 @end smallexample
32374
32375 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
32376
32377 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32378
32379 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
32380
32381 @subsubheading Example
32382
32383 @smallexample
32384 (gdb)
32385 -target-file-delete remotefile
32386 ^done
32387 (gdb)
32388 @end smallexample
32389
32390
32391 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
32392 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
32393 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
32394
32395 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
32396
32397 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
32398 @findex -gdb-exit
32399
32400 @subsubheading Synopsis
32401
32402 @smallexample
32403 -gdb-exit
32404 @end smallexample
32405
32406 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
32407
32408 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32409
32410 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
32411
32412 @subsubheading Example
32413
32414 @smallexample
32415 (gdb)
32416 -gdb-exit
32417 ^exit
32418 @end smallexample
32419
32420
32421 @ignore
32422 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
32423 @findex -exec-abort
32424
32425 @subsubheading Synopsis
32426
32427 @smallexample
32428 -exec-abort
32429 @end smallexample
32430
32431 Kill the inferior running program.
32432
32433 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32434
32435 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
32436
32437 @subsubheading Example
32438 N.A.
32439 @end ignore
32440
32441
32442 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
32443 @findex -gdb-set
32444
32445 @subsubheading Synopsis
32446
32447 @smallexample
32448 -gdb-set
32449 @end smallexample
32450
32451 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
32452 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
32453
32454 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32455
32456 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
32457
32458 @subsubheading Example
32459
32460 @smallexample
32461 (gdb)
32462 -gdb-set $foo=3
32463 ^done
32464 (gdb)
32465 @end smallexample
32466
32467
32468 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
32469 @findex -gdb-show
32470
32471 @subsubheading Synopsis
32472
32473 @smallexample
32474 -gdb-show
32475 @end smallexample
32476
32477 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
32478
32479 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32480
32481 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
32482
32483 @subsubheading Example
32484
32485 @smallexample
32486 (gdb)
32487 -gdb-show annotate
32488 ^done,value="0"
32489 (gdb)
32490 @end smallexample
32491
32492 @c @subheading -gdb-source
32493
32494
32495 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
32496 @findex -gdb-version
32497
32498 @subsubheading Synopsis
32499
32500 @smallexample
32501 -gdb-version
32502 @end smallexample
32503
32504 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
32505
32506 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32507
32508 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
32509 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
32510
32511 @subsubheading Example
32512
32513 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
32514 @c box in TeX.
32515 @smallexample
32516 (gdb)
32517 -gdb-version
32518 ~GNU gdb 5.2.1
32519 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
32520 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
32521 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
32522 ~ certain conditions.
32523 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
32524 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
32525 ~ details.
32526 ~This GDB was configured as
32527 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
32528 ^done
32529 (gdb)
32530 @end smallexample
32531
32532 @subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
32533 @findex -list-features
32534
32535 Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
32536 this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
32537 or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
32538 important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
32539 of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
32540 startup.
32541
32542 The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
32543 available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
32544 have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
32545 is given below.
32546
32547 Example output:
32548
32549 @smallexample
32550 (gdb) -list-features
32551 ^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
32552 @end smallexample
32553
32554 The current list of features is:
32555
32556 @table @samp
32557 @item frozen-varobjs
32558 Indicates support for the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
32559 as possible presense of the @code{frozen} field in the output
32560 of @code{-varobj-create}.
32561 @item pending-breakpoints
32562 Indicates support for the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert}
32563 command.
32564 @item python
32565 Indicates Python scripting support, Python-based
32566 pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
32567 @samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
32568 @item thread-info
32569 Indicates support for the @code{-thread-info} command.
32570 @item data-read-memory-bytes
32571 Indicates support for the @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} and the
32572 @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} commands.
32573 @item breakpoint-notifications
32574 Indicates that changes to breakpoints and breakpoints created via the
32575 CLI will be announced via async records.
32576 @item ada-task-info
32577 Indicates support for the @code{-ada-task-info} command.
32578 @end table
32579
32580 @subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
32581 @findex -list-target-features
32582
32583 Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
32584 target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
32585 unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
32586 features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
32587 a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
32588 @code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
32589 may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
32590 Example output:
32591
32592 @smallexample
32593 (gdb) -list-features
32594 ^done,result=["async"]
32595 @end smallexample
32596
32597 The current list of features is:
32598
32599 @table @samp
32600 @item async
32601 Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
32602 execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
32603 while the target is running.
32604
32605 @item reverse
32606 Indicates that the target is capable of reverse execution.
32607 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
32608
32609 @end table
32610
32611 @subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
32612 @findex -list-thread-groups
32613
32614 @subheading Synopsis
32615
32616 @smallexample
32617 -list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
32618 @end smallexample
32619
32620 Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
32621 group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
32622 When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
32623 thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
32624 top-level thread groups.
32625
32626 Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
32627 With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
32628 available on the target.
32629
32630 The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
32631 a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
32632 as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
32633 Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
32634 each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
32635 requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
32636 are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
32637 of the @samp{group} result is described below.
32638
32639 To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
32640 together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
32641 and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
32642 permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
32643 will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
32644 @samp{threads} field.
32645
32646 In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
32647 the following caveats:
32648
32649 @itemize @bullet
32650 @item
32651 When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
32652 be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
32653 anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
32654
32655 @item
32656 When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
32657 be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
32658 be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
32659 not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
32660 The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
32661 is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
32662
32663 @end itemize
32664
32665 The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
32666 have the following fields:
32667
32668 @table @code
32669 @item id
32670 Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
32671 The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
32672 convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
32673
32674 @item type
32675 The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
32676 valid type.
32677
32678 @item pid
32679 The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
32680 for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
32681
32682 @item num_children
32683 The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
32684 absent for an available thread group.
32685
32686 @item threads
32687 This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
32688 thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
32689 specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
32690
32691 @item cores
32692 This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
32693 thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
32694 such information is not available.
32695
32696 @item executable
32697 The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
32698 The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
32699 and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
32700
32701 @end table
32702
32703 @subheading Example
32704
32705 @smallexample
32706 @value{GDBP}
32707 -list-thread-groups
32708 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
32709 -list-thread-groups 17
32710 ^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
32711 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
32712 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
32713 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
32714 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}]]
32715 -list-thread-groups --available
32716 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
32717 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
32718 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
32719 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
32720 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
32721 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
32722 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
32723 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
32724 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
32725 @end smallexample
32726
32727 @subheading The @code{-info-os} Command
32728 @findex -info-os
32729
32730 @subsubheading Synopsis
32731
32732 @smallexample
32733 -info-os [ @var{type} ]
32734 @end smallexample
32735
32736 If no argument is supplied, the command returns a table of available
32737 operating-system-specific information types. If one of these types is
32738 supplied as an argument @var{type}, then the command returns a table
32739 of data of that type.
32740
32741 The types of information available depend on the target operating
32742 system.
32743
32744 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32745
32746 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info os}.
32747
32748 @subsubheading Example
32749
32750 When run on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, the output will look something
32751 like this:
32752
32753 @smallexample
32754 @value{GDBP}
32755 -info-os
32756 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="9",nr_cols="3",
32757 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="Type"@},
32758 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="Description"@},
32759 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="Title"@}],
32760 body=[item=@{col0="processes",col1="Listing of all processes",
32761 col2="Processes"@},
32762 item=@{col0="procgroups",col1="Listing of all process groups",
32763 col2="Process groups"@},
32764 item=@{col0="threads",col1="Listing of all threads",
32765 col2="Threads"@},
32766 item=@{col0="files",col1="Listing of all file descriptors",
32767 col2="File descriptors"@},
32768 item=@{col0="sockets",col1="Listing of all internet-domain sockets",
32769 col2="Sockets"@},
32770 item=@{col0="shm",col1="Listing of all shared-memory regions",
32771 col2="Shared-memory regions"@},
32772 item=@{col0="semaphores",col1="Listing of all semaphores",
32773 col2="Semaphores"@},
32774 item=@{col0="msg",col1="Listing of all message queues",
32775 col2="Message queues"@},
32776 item=@{col0="modules",col1="Listing of all loaded kernel modules",
32777 col2="Kernel modules"@}]@}
32778 @value{GDBP}
32779 -info-os processes
32780 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="190",nr_cols="4",
32781 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="pid"@},
32782 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="user"@},
32783 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="command"@},
32784 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col3",colhdr="cores"@}],
32785 body=[item=@{col0="1",col1="root",col2="/sbin/init",col3="0"@},
32786 item=@{col0="2",col1="root",col2="[kthreadd]",col3="1"@},
32787 item=@{col0="3",col1="root",col2="[ksoftirqd/0]",col3="0"@},
32788 ...
32789 item=@{col0="26446",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="0"@},
32790 item=@{col0="28152",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="1"@}]@}
32791 (gdb)
32792 @end smallexample
32793
32794 (Note that the MI output here includes a @code{"Title"} column that
32795 does not appear in command-line @code{info os}; this column is useful
32796 for MI clients that want to enumerate the types of data, such as in a
32797 popup menu, but is needless clutter on the command line, and
32798 @code{info os} omits it.)
32799
32800 @subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
32801 @findex -add-inferior
32802
32803 @subheading Synopsis
32804
32805 @smallexample
32806 -add-inferior
32807 @end smallexample
32808
32809 Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
32810 inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
32811 be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
32812 (@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
32813 field, @samp{thread-group}, whose value is the identifier of the
32814 thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
32815
32816 @subheading Example
32817
32818 @smallexample
32819 @value{GDBP}
32820 -add-inferior
32821 ^done,thread-group="i3"
32822 @end smallexample
32823
32824 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
32825 @findex -interpreter-exec
32826
32827 @subheading Synopsis
32828
32829 @smallexample
32830 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
32831 @end smallexample
32832 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
32833
32834 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
32835
32836 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
32837
32838 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
32839
32840 @subheading Example
32841
32842 @smallexample
32843 (gdb)
32844 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
32845 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
32846 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
32847 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
32848 ^done
32849 (gdb)
32850 @end smallexample
32851
32852 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
32853 @findex -inferior-tty-set
32854
32855 @subheading Synopsis
32856
32857 @smallexample
32858 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
32859 @end smallexample
32860
32861 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
32862
32863 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
32864
32865 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
32866
32867 @subheading Example
32868
32869 @smallexample
32870 (gdb)
32871 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
32872 ^done
32873 (gdb)
32874 @end smallexample
32875
32876 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
32877 @findex -inferior-tty-show
32878
32879 @subheading Synopsis
32880
32881 @smallexample
32882 -inferior-tty-show
32883 @end smallexample
32884
32885 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
32886
32887 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
32888
32889 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
32890
32891 @subheading Example
32892
32893 @smallexample
32894 (gdb)
32895 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
32896 ^done
32897 (gdb)
32898 -inferior-tty-show
32899 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
32900 (gdb)
32901 @end smallexample
32902
32903 @subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
32904 @findex -enable-timings
32905
32906 @subheading Synopsis
32907
32908 @smallexample
32909 -enable-timings [yes | no]
32910 @end smallexample
32911
32912 Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
32913 command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
32914 developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
32915 equivalent to @samp{yes}.
32916
32917 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
32918
32919 No equivalent.
32920
32921 @subheading Example
32922
32923 @smallexample
32924 (gdb)
32925 -enable-timings
32926 ^done
32927 (gdb)
32928 -break-insert main
32929 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
32930 addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
32931 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",times="0"@},
32932 time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
32933 (gdb)
32934 -enable-timings no
32935 ^done
32936 (gdb)
32937 -exec-run
32938 ^running
32939 (gdb)
32940 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
32941 frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
32942 @{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
32943 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73"@}
32944 (gdb)
32945 @end smallexample
32946
32947 @node Annotations
32948 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
32949
32950 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
32951 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
32952 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
32953 relatively high level.
32954
32955 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
32956 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
32957
32958 @ignore
32959 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
32960 @end ignore
32961
32962 @menu
32963 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
32964 * Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
32965 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
32966 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
32967 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
32968 * Annotations for Running::
32969 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
32970 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
32971 @end menu
32972
32973 @node Annotations Overview
32974 @section What is an Annotation?
32975 @cindex annotations
32976
32977 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
32978 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
32979 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
32980 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
32981 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
32982 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
32983 cannot contain newline characters.
32984
32985 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
32986 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
32987 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
32988 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
32989 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
32990 means those three characters as output.
32991
32992 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
32993 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
32994 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
32995 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
32996 is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
32997 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
32998 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
32999 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
33000 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
33001
33002 @table @code
33003 @kindex set annotate
33004 @item set annotate @var{level}
33005 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
33006 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
33007
33008 @item show annotate
33009 @kindex show annotate
33010 Show the current annotation level.
33011 @end table
33012
33013 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
33014
33015 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
33016
33017 @smallexample
33018 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
33019 GNU gdb 6.0
33020 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
33021 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
33022 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
33023 under certain conditions.
33024 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
33025 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
33026 for details.
33027 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
33028
33029 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
33030 (@value{GDBP})
33031 ^Z^Zprompt
33032 @kbd{quit}
33033
33034 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
33035 $
33036 @end smallexample
33037
33038 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
33039 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
33040 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
33041 output from @value{GDBN}.
33042
33043 @node Server Prefix
33044 @section The Server Prefix
33045 @cindex server prefix
33046
33047 If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
33048 the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
33049 command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
33050 means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
33051 a transparent manner.
33052
33053 The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
33054 the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
33055 value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
33056 @code{print} command.
33057
33058 Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
33059 (@pxref{confirmation requests}).
33060
33061 @node Prompting
33062 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
33063
33064 @cindex annotations for prompts
33065 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
33066 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
33067 over, etc.
33068
33069 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
33070 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
33071 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
33072 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
33073 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
33074 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
33075 features the following annotations:
33076
33077 @smallexample
33078 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
33079 ^Z^Zprompt
33080 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
33081 @end smallexample
33082
33083 The input types are
33084
33085 @table @code
33086 @findex pre-prompt annotation
33087 @findex prompt annotation
33088 @findex post-prompt annotation
33089 @item prompt
33090 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
33091
33092 @findex pre-commands annotation
33093 @findex commands annotation
33094 @findex post-commands annotation
33095 @item commands
33096 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
33097 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
33098
33099 @findex pre-overload-choice annotation
33100 @findex overload-choice annotation
33101 @findex post-overload-choice annotation
33102 @item overload-choice
33103 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
33104
33105 @findex pre-query annotation
33106 @findex query annotation
33107 @findex post-query annotation
33108 @item query
33109 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
33110
33111 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
33112 @findex prompt-for-continue annotation
33113 @findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
33114 @item prompt-for-continue
33115 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
33116 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
33117 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
33118 presence of annotations.
33119 @end table
33120
33121 @node Errors
33122 @section Errors
33123 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
33124
33125 @findex quit annotation
33126 @smallexample
33127 ^Z^Zquit
33128 @end smallexample
33129
33130 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
33131
33132 @findex error annotation
33133 @smallexample
33134 ^Z^Zerror
33135 @end smallexample
33136
33137 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
33138
33139 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
33140 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
33141 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
33142 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
33143 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
33144 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
33145 to the top level.
33146
33147 @findex error-begin annotation
33148 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
33149
33150 @smallexample
33151 ^Z^Zerror-begin
33152 @end smallexample
33153
33154 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
33155 message.
33156
33157 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
33158 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
33159 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
33160
33161 @node Invalidation
33162 @section Invalidation Notices
33163
33164 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
33165 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
33166 changed.
33167
33168 @table @code
33169 @findex frames-invalid annotation
33170 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
33171
33172 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
33173 have changed.
33174
33175 @findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
33176 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
33177
33178 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
33179 deleted a breakpoint.
33180 @end table
33181
33182 @node Annotations for Running
33183 @section Running the Program
33184 @cindex annotations for running programs
33185
33186 @findex starting annotation
33187 @findex stopping annotation
33188 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
33189 @code{step} or @code{continue},
33190
33191 @smallexample
33192 ^Z^Zstarting
33193 @end smallexample
33194
33195 is output. When the program stops,
33196
33197 @smallexample
33198 ^Z^Zstopped
33199 @end smallexample
33200
33201 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
33202 annotations describe how the program stopped.
33203
33204 @table @code
33205 @findex exited annotation
33206 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
33207 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
33208 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
33209
33210 @findex signalled annotation
33211 @findex signal-name annotation
33212 @findex signal-name-end annotation
33213 @findex signal-string annotation
33214 @findex signal-string-end annotation
33215 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
33216 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
33217 annotation continues:
33218
33219 @smallexample
33220 @var{intro-text}
33221 ^Z^Zsignal-name
33222 @var{name}
33223 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
33224 @var{middle-text}
33225 ^Z^Zsignal-string
33226 @var{string}
33227 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
33228 @var{end-text}
33229 @end smallexample
33230
33231 @noindent
33232 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
33233 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
33234 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
33235 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
33236 user's benefit and have no particular format.
33237
33238 @findex signal annotation
33239 @item ^Z^Zsignal
33240 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
33241 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
33242 terminated with it.
33243
33244 @findex breakpoint annotation
33245 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
33246 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
33247
33248 @findex watchpoint annotation
33249 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
33250 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
33251 @end table
33252
33253 @node Source Annotations
33254 @section Displaying Source
33255 @cindex annotations for source display
33256
33257 @findex source annotation
33258 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
33259
33260 @smallexample
33261 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
33262 @end smallexample
33263
33264 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
33265 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
33266 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
33267 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
33268 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
33269 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
33270 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
33271 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
33272 source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
33273 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
33274 depend on the language).
33275
33276 @node JIT Interface
33277 @chapter JIT Compilation Interface
33278 @cindex just-in-time compilation
33279 @cindex JIT compilation interface
33280
33281 This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
33282 interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
33283 executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
33284 performance while maintaining platform independence.
33285
33286 Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
33287 portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
33288 object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
33289 and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
33290 @value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
33291 symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
33292
33293 If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
33294 it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
33295 you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
33296 of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
33297 LLVM JIT.
33298
33299 Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
33300 JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
33301 variable and calling a fuction at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
33302 attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
33303 find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
33304 out about additional code.
33305
33306 @menu
33307 * Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
33308 * Registering Code:: Steps to register code
33309 * Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
33310 * Custom Debug Info:: Emit debug information in a custom format
33311 @end menu
33312
33313 @node Declarations
33314 @section JIT Declarations
33315
33316 These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
33317 implement the interface:
33318
33319 @smallexample
33320 typedef enum
33321 @{
33322 JIT_NOACTION = 0,
33323 JIT_REGISTER_FN,
33324 JIT_UNREGISTER_FN
33325 @} jit_actions_t;
33326
33327 struct jit_code_entry
33328 @{
33329 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
33330 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
33331 const char *symfile_addr;
33332 uint64_t symfile_size;
33333 @};
33334
33335 struct jit_descriptor
33336 @{
33337 uint32_t version;
33338 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
33339 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
33340 uint32_t action_flag;
33341 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
33342 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
33343 @};
33344
33345 /* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
33346 void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
33347
33348 /* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
33349 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
33350 struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
33351 @end smallexample
33352
33353 If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
33354 modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
33355 a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
33356
33357 @node Registering Code
33358 @section Registering Code
33359
33360 To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
33361
33362 @itemize @bullet
33363 @item
33364 Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
33365 information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
33366
33367 @item
33368 Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
33369 file.
33370
33371 @item
33372 Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
33373
33374 @item
33375 Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
33376
33377 @item
33378 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
33379 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
33380 @end itemize
33381
33382 When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
33383 @code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
33384 new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
33385 @value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
33386
33387 @node Unregistering Code
33388 @section Unregistering Code
33389
33390 If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
33391
33392 @itemize @bullet
33393 @item
33394 Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
33395
33396 @item
33397 Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
33398
33399 @item
33400 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
33401 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
33402 @end itemize
33403
33404 If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
33405 and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
33406
33407 @node Custom Debug Info
33408 @section Custom Debug Info
33409 @cindex custom JIT debug info
33410 @cindex JIT debug info reader
33411
33412 Generating debug information in platform-native file formats (like ELF
33413 or COFF) may be an overkill for JIT compilers; especially if all the
33414 debug info is used for is displaying a meaningful backtrace. The
33415 issue can be resolved by having the JIT writers decide on a debug info
33416 format and also provide a reader that parses the debug info generated
33417 by the JIT compiler. This section gives a brief overview on writing
33418 such a parser. More specific details can be found in the source file
33419 @file{gdb/jit-reader.in}, which is also installed as a header at
33420 @file{@var{includedir}/gdb/jit-reader.h} for easy inclusion.
33421
33422 The reader is implemented as a shared object (so this functionality is
33423 not available on platforms which don't allow loading shared objects at
33424 runtime). Two @value{GDBN} commands, @code{jit-reader-load} and
33425 @code{jit-reader-unload} are provided, to be used to load and unload
33426 the readers from a preconfigured directory. Once loaded, the shared
33427 object is used the parse the debug information emitted by the JIT
33428 compiler.
33429
33430 @menu
33431 * Using JIT Debug Info Readers:: How to use supplied readers correctly
33432 * Writing JIT Debug Info Readers:: Creating a debug-info reader
33433 @end menu
33434
33435 @node Using JIT Debug Info Readers
33436 @subsection Using JIT Debug Info Readers
33437 @kindex jit-reader-load
33438 @kindex jit-reader-unload
33439
33440 Readers can be loaded and unloaded using the @code{jit-reader-load}
33441 and @code{jit-reader-unload} commands.
33442
33443 @table @code
33444 @item jit-reader-load @var{reader-name}
33445 Load the JIT reader named @var{reader-name}. On a UNIX system, this
33446 will usually load @file{@var{libdir}/gdb/@var{reader-name}}, where
33447 @var{libdir} is the system library directory, usually
33448 @file{/usr/local/lib}. Only one reader can be active at a time;
33449 trying to load a second reader when one is already loaded will result
33450 in @value{GDBN} reporting an error. A new JIT reader can be loaded by
33451 first unloading the current one using @code{jit-reader-load} and then
33452 invoking @code{jit-reader-load}.
33453
33454 @item jit-reader-unload
33455 Unload the currently loaded JIT reader.
33456
33457 @end table
33458
33459 @node Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
33460 @subsection Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
33461 @cindex writing JIT debug info readers
33462
33463 As mentioned, a reader is essentially a shared object conforming to a
33464 certain ABI. This ABI is described in @file{jit-reader.h}.
33465
33466 @file{jit-reader.h} defines the structures, macros and functions
33467 required to write a reader. It is installed (along with
33468 @value{GDBN}), in @file{@var{includedir}/gdb} where @var{includedir} is
33469 the system include directory.
33470
33471 Readers need to be released under a GPL compatible license. A reader
33472 can be declared as released under such a license by placing the macro
33473 @code{GDB_DECLARE_GPL_COMPATIBLE_READER} in a source file.
33474
33475 The entry point for readers is the symbol @code{gdb_init_reader},
33476 which is expected to be a function with the prototype
33477
33478 @findex gdb_init_reader
33479 @smallexample
33480 extern struct gdb_reader_funcs *gdb_init_reader (void);
33481 @end smallexample
33482
33483 @cindex @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs}
33484
33485 @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs} contains a set of pointers to callback
33486 functions. These functions are executed to read the debug info
33487 generated by the JIT compiler (@code{read}), to unwind stack frames
33488 (@code{unwind}) and to create canonical frame IDs
33489 (@code{get_Frame_id}). It also has a callback that is called when the
33490 reader is being unloaded (@code{destroy}). The struct looks like this
33491
33492 @smallexample
33493 struct gdb_reader_funcs
33494 @{
33495 /* Must be set to GDB_READER_INTERFACE_VERSION. */
33496 int reader_version;
33497
33498 /* For use by the reader. */
33499 void *priv_data;
33500
33501 gdb_read_debug_info *read;
33502 gdb_unwind_frame *unwind;
33503 gdb_get_frame_id *get_frame_id;
33504 gdb_destroy_reader *destroy;
33505 @};
33506 @end smallexample
33507
33508 @cindex @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks}
33509 @cindex @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}
33510
33511 The callbacks are provided with another set of callbacks by
33512 @value{GDBN} to do their job. For @code{read}, these callbacks are
33513 passed in a @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} and for @code{unwind}
33514 and @code{get_frame_id}, in a @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}.
33515 @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} has callbacks to create new object
33516 files and new symbol tables inside those object files. @code{struct
33517 gdb_unwind_callbacks} has callbacks to read registers off the current
33518 frame and to write out the values of the registers in the previous
33519 frame. Both have a callback (@code{target_read}) to read bytes off the
33520 target's address space.
33521
33522 @node In-Process Agent
33523 @chapter In-Process Agent
33524 @cindex debugging agent
33525 The traditional debugging model is conceptually low-speed, but works fine,
33526 because most bugs can be reproduced in debugging-mode execution. However,
33527 as multi-core or many-core processors are becoming mainstream, and
33528 multi-threaded programs become more and more popular, there should be more
33529 and more bugs that only manifest themselves at normal-mode execution, for
33530 example, thread races, because debugger's interference with the program's
33531 timing may conceal the bugs. On the other hand, in some applications,
33532 it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt the program's execution
33533 long enough for the developer to learn anything helpful about its behavior.
33534 If the program's correctness depends on its real-time behavior, delays
33535 introduced by a debugger might cause the program to fail, even when the
33536 code itself is correct. It is useful to be able to observe the program's
33537 behavior without interrupting it.
33538
33539 Therefore, traditional debugging model is too intrusive to reproduce
33540 some bugs. In order to reduce the interference with the program, we can
33541 reduce the number of operations performed by debugger. The
33542 @dfn{In-Process Agent}, a shared library, is running within the same
33543 process with inferior, and is able to perform some debugging operations
33544 itself. As a result, debugger is only involved when necessary, and
33545 performance of debugging can be improved accordingly. Note that
33546 interference with program can be reduced but can't be removed completely,
33547 because the in-process agent will still stop or slow down the program.
33548
33549 The in-process agent can interpret and execute Agent Expressions
33550 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) during performing debugging operations. The
33551 agent expressions can be used for different purposes, such as collecting
33552 data in tracepoints, and condition evaluation in breakpoints.
33553
33554 @anchor{Control Agent}
33555 You can control whether the in-process agent is used as an aid for
33556 debugging with the following commands:
33557
33558 @table @code
33559 @kindex set agent on
33560 @item set agent on
33561 Causes the in-process agent to perform some operations on behalf of the
33562 debugger. Just which operations requested by the user will be done
33563 by the in-process agent depends on the its capabilities. For example,
33564 if you request to evaluate breakpoint conditions in the in-process agent,
33565 and the in-process agent has such capability as well, then breakpoint
33566 conditions will be evaluated in the in-process agent.
33567
33568 @kindex set agent off
33569 @item set agent off
33570 Disables execution of debugging operations by the in-process agent. All
33571 of the operations will be performed by @value{GDBN}.
33572
33573 @kindex show agent
33574 @item show agent
33575 Display the current setting of execution of debugging operations by
33576 the in-process agent.
33577 @end table
33578
33579 @menu
33580 * In-Process Agent Protocol::
33581 @end menu
33582
33583 @node In-Process Agent Protocol
33584 @section In-Process Agent Protocol
33585 @cindex in-process agent protocol
33586
33587 The in-process agent is able to communicate with both @value{GDBN} and
33588 GDBserver (@pxref{In-Process Agent}). This section documents the protocol
33589 used for communications between @value{GDBN} or GDBserver and the IPA.
33590 In general, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver sends commands
33591 (@pxref{IPA Protocol Commands}) and data to in-process agent, and then
33592 in-process agent replies back with the return result of the command, or
33593 some other information. The data sent to in-process agent is composed
33594 of primitive data types, such as 4-byte or 8-byte type, and composite
33595 types, which are called objects (@pxref{IPA Protocol Objects}).
33596
33597 @menu
33598 * IPA Protocol Objects::
33599 * IPA Protocol Commands::
33600 @end menu
33601
33602 @node IPA Protocol Objects
33603 @subsection IPA Protocol Objects
33604 @cindex ipa protocol objects
33605
33606 The commands sent to and results received from agent may contain some
33607 complex data types called @dfn{objects}.
33608
33609 The in-process agent is running on the same machine with @value{GDBN}
33610 or GDBserver, so it doesn't have to handle as much differences between
33611 two ends as remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}) tries to handle.
33612 However, there are still some differences of two ends in two processes:
33613
33614 @enumerate
33615 @item
33616 word size. On some 64-bit machines, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver can be
33617 compiled as a 64-bit executable, while in-process agent is a 32-bit one.
33618 @item
33619 ABI. Some machines may have multiple types of ABI, @value{GDBN} or
33620 GDBserver is compiled with one, and in-process agent is compiled with
33621 the other one.
33622 @end enumerate
33623
33624 Here are the IPA Protocol Objects:
33625
33626 @enumerate
33627 @item
33628 agent expression object. It represents an agent expression
33629 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}).
33630 @anchor{agent expression object}
33631 @item
33632 tracepoint action object. It represents a tracepoint action
33633 (@pxref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}) to collect registers,
33634 memory, static trace data and to evaluate expression.
33635 @anchor{tracepoint action object}
33636 @item
33637 tracepoint object. It represents a tracepoint (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
33638 @anchor{tracepoint object}
33639
33640 @end enumerate
33641
33642 The following table describes important attributes of each IPA protocol
33643 object:
33644
33645 @multitable @columnfractions .30 .20 .50
33646 @headitem Name @tab Size @tab Description
33647 @item @emph{agent expression object} @tab @tab
33648 @item length @tab 4 @tab length of bytes code
33649 @item byte code @tab @var{length} @tab contents of byte code
33650 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting memory} @tab @tab
33651 @item 'M' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
33652 @item addr @tab 8 @tab if @var{basereg} is @samp{-1}, @var{addr} is the
33653 address of the lowest byte to collect, otherwise @var{addr} is the offset
33654 of @var{basereg} for memory collecting.
33655 @item len @tab 8 @tab length of memory for collecting
33656 @item basereg @tab 4 @tab the register number containing the starting
33657 memory address for collecting.
33658 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting registers} @tab @tab
33659 @item 'R' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
33660 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting static trace data} @tab @tab
33661 @item 'L' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
33662 @item @emph{tracepoint action for expression evaluation} @tab @tab
33663 @item 'X' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
33664 @item agent expression @tab length of @tab @ref{agent expression object}
33665 @item @emph{tracepoint object} @tab @tab
33666 @item number @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint
33667 @item address @tab 8 @tab address of tracepoint inserted on
33668 @item type @tab 4 @tab type of tracepoint
33669 @item enabled @tab 1 @tab enable or disable of tracepoint
33670 @item step_count @tab 8 @tab step
33671 @item pass_count @tab 8 @tab pass
33672 @item numactions @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint actions
33673 @item hit count @tab 8 @tab hit count
33674 @item trace frame usage @tab 8 @tab trace frame usage
33675 @item compiled_cond @tab 8 @tab compiled condition
33676 @item orig_size @tab 8 @tab orig size
33677 @item condition @tab 4 if condition is NULL otherwise length of
33678 @ref{agent expression object}
33679 @tab zero if condition is NULL, otherwise is
33680 @ref{agent expression object}
33681 @item actions @tab variable
33682 @tab numactions number of @ref{tracepoint action object}
33683 @end multitable
33684
33685 @node IPA Protocol Commands
33686 @subsection IPA Protocol Commands
33687 @cindex ipa protocol commands
33688
33689 The spaces in each command are delimiters to ease reading this commands
33690 specification. They don't exist in real commands.
33691
33692 @table @samp
33693
33694 @item FastTrace:@var{tracepoint_object} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}
33695 Installs a new fast tracepoint described by @var{tracepoint_object}
33696 (@pxref{tracepoint object}). @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}, 8-byte long, is the
33697 head of @dfn{jumppad}, which is used to jump to data collection routine
33698 in IPA finally.
33699
33700 Replies:
33701 @table @samp
33702 @item OK @var{target_address} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} @var{fjump_size} @var{fjump}
33703 @var{target_address} is address of tracepoint in the inferior.
33704 @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} is updated head of jumppad. Both of
33705 @var{target_address} and @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} are 8-byte long.
33706 @var{fjump} contains a sequence of instructions jump to jumppad entry.
33707 @var{fjump_size}, 4-byte long, is the size of @var{fjump}.
33708 @item E @var{NN}
33709 for an error
33710
33711 @end table
33712
33713 @item close
33714 Closes the in-process agent. This command is sent when @value{GDBN} or GDBserver
33715 is about to kill inferiors.
33716
33717 @item qTfSTM
33718 @xref{qTfSTM}.
33719 @item qTsSTM
33720 @xref{qTsSTM}.
33721 @item qTSTMat
33722 @xref{qTSTMat}.
33723 @item probe_marker_at:@var{address}
33724 Asks in-process agent to probe the marker at @var{address}.
33725
33726 Replies:
33727 @table @samp
33728 @item E @var{NN}
33729 for an error
33730 @end table
33731 @item unprobe_marker_at:@var{address}
33732 Asks in-process agent to unprobe the marker at @var{address}.
33733 @end table
33734
33735 @node GDB Bugs
33736 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
33737 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
33738 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
33739
33740 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
33741
33742 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
33743 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
33744 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
33745 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
33746
33747 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
33748 information that enables us to fix the bug.
33749
33750 @menu
33751 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
33752 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
33753 @end menu
33754
33755 @node Bug Criteria
33756 @section Have You Found a Bug?
33757 @cindex bug criteria
33758
33759 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
33760
33761 @itemize @bullet
33762 @cindex fatal signal
33763 @cindex debugger crash
33764 @cindex crash of debugger
33765 @item
33766 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
33767 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
33768
33769 @cindex error on valid input
33770 @item
33771 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
33772 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
33773 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
33774
33775 @cindex invalid input
33776 @item
33777 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
33778 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
33779 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
33780 for traditional practice''.
33781
33782 @item
33783 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
33784 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
33785 @end itemize
33786
33787 @node Bug Reporting
33788 @section How to Report Bugs
33789 @cindex bug reports
33790 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
33791
33792 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
33793 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
33794 contact that organization first.
33795
33796 You can find contact information for many support companies and
33797 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
33798 distribution.
33799 @c should add a web page ref...
33800
33801 @ifset BUGURL
33802 @ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
33803 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
33804 @value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
33805 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
33806 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
33807 be used.
33808
33809 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
33810 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
33811 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
33812 @samp{bug-gdb}.
33813
33814 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
33815 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
33816 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
33817 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
33818 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
33819 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
33820 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
33821 bug reports to the mailing list.
33822 @end ifset
33823 @ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
33824 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
33825 @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
33826 @end ifclear
33827 @end ifset
33828
33829 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
33830 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
33831 fact or leave it out, state it!
33832
33833 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
33834 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
33835 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
33836 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
33837 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
33838 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
33839 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
33840 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
33841 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
33842
33843 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
33844 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
33845 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
33846 self-contained.
33847
33848 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
33849 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
33850 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
33851 bugs properly.
33852
33853 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
33854
33855 @itemize @bullet
33856 @item
33857 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
33858 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
33859 version}.
33860
33861 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
33862 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
33863
33864 @item
33865 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
33866 version number.
33867
33868 @item
33869 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
33870 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
33871
33872 @item
33873 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
33874 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
33875 C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
33876 to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
33877 those compilers.
33878
33879 @item
33880 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
33881 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
33882 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
33883 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
33884
33885 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
33886 and then we might not encounter the bug.
33887
33888 @item
33889 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
33890 reproduce the bug.
33891
33892 @item
33893 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
33894 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
33895
33896 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
33897 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
33898 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
33899 a chance to make a mistake.
33900
33901 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
33902 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
33903 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
33904 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
33905 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
33906 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
33907 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
33908 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
33909
33910 @pindex script
33911 @cindex recording a session script
33912 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
33913 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
33914 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
33915 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
33916
33917 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
33918 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
33919
33920 @item
33921 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
33922 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
33923 it by context, not by line number.
33924
33925 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
33926 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
33927
33928 @end itemize
33929
33930 Here are some things that are not necessary:
33931
33932 @itemize @bullet
33933 @item
33934 A description of the envelope of the bug.
33935
33936 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
33937 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
33938 changes will not affect it.
33939
33940 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
33941 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
33942 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
33943 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
33944
33945 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
33946 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
33947 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
33948 less time, and so on.
33949
33950 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
33951 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
33952
33953 @item
33954 A patch for the bug.
33955
33956 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
33957 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
33958 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
33959 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
33960
33961 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
33962 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
33963 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
33964 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
33965
33966 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
33967 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
33968 help us to understand.
33969
33970 @item
33971 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
33972
33973 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
33974 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
33975 @end itemize
33976
33977 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
33978 @c and consists of the two following files:
33979 @c rluser.texi
33980 @c hsuser.texi
33981 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
33982 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
33983 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
33984 @include rluser.texi
33985 @include hsuser.texi
33986 @end ifclear
33987
33988 @node In Memoriam
33989 @appendix In Memoriam
33990
33991 The @value{GDBN} project mourns the loss of the following long-time
33992 contributors:
33993
33994 @table @code
33995 @item Fred Fish
33996 Fred was a long-standing contributor to @value{GDBN} (1991-2006), and
33997 to Free Software in general. Outside of @value{GDBN}, he was known in
33998 the Amiga world for his series of Fish Disks, and the GeekGadget project.
33999
34000 @item Michael Snyder
34001 Michael was one of the Global Maintainers of the @value{GDBN} project,
34002 with contributions recorded as early as 1996, until 2011. In addition
34003 to his day to day participation, he was a large driving force behind
34004 adding Reverse Debugging to @value{GDBN}.
34005 @end table
34006
34007 Beyond their technical contributions to the project, they were also
34008 enjoyable members of the Free Software Community. We will miss them.
34009
34010 @node Formatting Documentation
34011 @appendix Formatting Documentation
34012
34013 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
34014 @cindex reference card
34015 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
34016 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
34017 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
34018 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
34019 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
34020 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
34021
34022 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
34023 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
34024
34025 @smallexample
34026 make refcard.dvi
34027 @end smallexample
34028
34029 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
34030 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
34031 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
34032 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
34033 your @sc{dvi} output program.
34034
34035 @cindex documentation
34036
34037 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
34038 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
34039 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
34040 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
34041 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
34042 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
34043
34044 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
34045 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
34046 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
34047 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
34048 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
34049 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
34050 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
34051 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
34052
34053 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
34054 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
34055 @code{makeinfo}.
34056
34057 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
34058 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
34059 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
34060
34061 @smallexample
34062 cd gdb
34063 make gdb.info
34064 @end smallexample
34065
34066 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
34067 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
34068 Texinfo definitions file.
34069
34070 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
34071 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
34072 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
34073 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
34074 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
34075 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
34076 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
34077
34078 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
34079 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
34080 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
34081 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
34082 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
34083 directory.
34084
34085 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
34086 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
34087 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
34088 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
34089
34090 @smallexample
34091 make gdb.dvi
34092 @end smallexample
34093
34094 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
34095
34096 @node Installing GDB
34097 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
34098 @cindex installation
34099
34100 @menu
34101 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
34102 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
34103 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
34104 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
34105 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
34106 * System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
34107 @end menu
34108
34109 @node Requirements
34110 @section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
34111 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
34112
34113 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
34114 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
34115
34116 @heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
34117 @table @asis
34118 @item ISO C90 compiler
34119 @value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
34120 working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
34121
34122 @end table
34123
34124 @heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
34125 @table @asis
34126 @item Expat
34127 @anchor{Expat}
34128 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
34129 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
34130 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
34131 The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
34132 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
34133 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
34134
34135 Expat is used for:
34136
34137 @itemize @bullet
34138 @item
34139 Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
34140 @item
34141 Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
34142 @item
34143 Remote shared library lists (@xref{Library List Format},
34144 or alternatively @pxref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets})
34145 @item
34146 MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
34147 @item
34148 Traceframe info (@pxref{Traceframe Info Format})
34149 @end itemize
34150
34151 @item zlib
34152 @cindex compressed debug sections
34153 @value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
34154 compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
34155 of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
34156 is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
34157 information in such binaries.
34158
34159 The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
34160 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
34161 @url{http://zlib.net}.
34162
34163 @item iconv
34164 @value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
34165 Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
34166 on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
34167 other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
34168
34169 If @value{GDBN} is using the @code{iconv} program which is installed
34170 in a non-standard place, you will need to tell @value{GDBN} where to find it.
34171 This is done with @option{--with-iconv-bin} which specifies the
34172 directory that contains the @code{iconv} program.
34173
34174 On systems without @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If you
34175 have previously installed Libiconv, you can use the
34176 @option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to configure.
34177
34178 @value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
34179 arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
34180 in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
34181 if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
34182 implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
34183 by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
34184 Libiconv, unpack it, and then rename the directory holding the
34185 Libiconv source code to @samp{libiconv}.
34186 @end table
34187
34188 @node Running Configure
34189 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
34190 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
34191 @value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
34192 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
34193 build the @code{gdb} program.
34194 @iftex
34195 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
34196 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
34197 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
34198 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
34199 @end iftex
34200
34201 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
34202 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
34203 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
34204
34205 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
34206 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
34207
34208 @table @code
34209 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
34210 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
34211
34212 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
34213 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
34214
34215 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
34216 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
34217
34218 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
34219 @sc{gnu} include files
34220
34221 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
34222 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
34223
34224 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
34225 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
34226
34227 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
34228 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
34229
34230 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
34231 source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
34232
34233 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
34234 source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
34235 @end table
34236
34237 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
34238 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
34239 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
34240
34241 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
34242 if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
34243 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
34244 argument.
34245
34246 For example:
34247
34248 @smallexample
34249 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
34250 ./configure @var{host}
34251 make
34252 @end smallexample
34253
34254 @noindent
34255 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
34256 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
34257 (You can often leave off @var{host}; @file{configure} tries to guess the
34258 correct value by examining your system.)
34259
34260 Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
34261 @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
34262 libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
34263 binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
34264
34265 @need 750
34266 @file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
34267 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
34268 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
34269
34270 @smallexample
34271 sh configure @var{host}
34272 @end smallexample
34273
34274 If you run @file{configure} from a directory that contains source
34275 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
34276 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN},
34277 @file{configure}
34278 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
34279 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
34280
34281 You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
34282 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
34283 @file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
34284 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
34285 if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
34286 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
34287 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
34288 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
34289 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
34290
34291 You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
34292 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
34293 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
34294 that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
34295 let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
34296
34297 @node Separate Objdir
34298 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
34299
34300 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
34301 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
34302 host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
34303 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
34304 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
34305 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
34306 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
34307 program specified there.
34308
34309 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
34310 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
34311 (You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
34312 itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
34313 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
34314 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
34315
34316 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
34317 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
34318
34319 @smallexample
34320 @group
34321 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
34322 mkdir ../gdb-sun4
34323 cd ../gdb-sun4
34324 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
34325 make
34326 @end group
34327 @end smallexample
34328
34329 When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
34330 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
34331 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
34332 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
34333 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
34334 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
34335
34336 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
34337 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
34338 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
34339 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
34340 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
34341
34342 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
34343 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
34344 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
34345 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
34346 You specify a cross-debugging target by
34347 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
34348
34349 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
34350 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
34351 called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
34352
34353 The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
34354 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
34355 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
34356 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
34357 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
34358
34359 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
34360 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
34361 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
34362 with each other.
34363
34364 @node Config Names
34365 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
34366
34367 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
34368 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
34369 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
34370 of information in the following pattern:
34371
34372 @smallexample
34373 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
34374 @end smallexample
34375
34376 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
34377 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
34378 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
34379
34380 The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
34381 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
34382 aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
34383 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
34384 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
34385 abbreviations---for example:
34386
34387 @smallexample
34388 % sh config.sub i386-linux
34389 i386-pc-linux-gnu
34390 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
34391 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
34392 % sh config.sub hp9k700
34393 hppa1.1-hp-hpux
34394 % sh config.sub sun4
34395 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
34396 % sh config.sub sun3
34397 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
34398 % sh config.sub i986v
34399 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
34400 @end smallexample
34401
34402 @noindent
34403 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
34404 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
34405
34406 @node Configure Options
34407 @section @file{configure} Options
34408
34409 Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
34410 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure} also has
34411 several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
34412 Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @file{configure}.
34413
34414 @smallexample
34415 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
34416 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
34417 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
34418 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
34419 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
34420 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
34421 @var{host}
34422 @end smallexample
34423
34424 @noindent
34425 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
34426 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
34427 @samp{--}.
34428
34429 @table @code
34430 @item --help
34431 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
34432
34433 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
34434 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
34435 @file{@var{dir}}.
34436
34437 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
34438 Configure the source to install programs under directory
34439 @file{@var{dir}}.
34440
34441 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
34442 @need 2000
34443 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
34444 @strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
34445 @code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
34446 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
34447 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
34448 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
34449 directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
34450 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
34451 directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
34452 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
34453 @var{dirname}.
34454
34455 @item --norecursion
34456 Configure only the directory level where @file{configure} is executed; do not
34457 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
34458
34459 @item --target=@var{target}
34460 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
34461 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
34462 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
34463
34464 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
34465
34466 @item @var{host} @dots{}
34467 Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
34468
34469 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
34470 @end table
34471
34472 There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
34473 needed for special purposes only.
34474
34475 @node System-wide configuration
34476 @section System-wide configuration and settings
34477 @cindex system-wide init file
34478
34479 @value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
34480 this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
34481 @value{GDBN} does during startup}).
34482
34483 Here is the corresponding configure option:
34484
34485 @table @code
34486 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
34487 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
34488 @var{file}.
34489 @end table
34490
34491 If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
34492 it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
34493
34494 @itemize @bullet
34495 @item
34496 If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
34497 it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
34498 are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
34499 if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
34500 init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
34501 @file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
34502
34503 @item
34504 By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
34505 it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
34506 @option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
34507 then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
34508 wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
34509 @end itemize
34510
34511 @node Maintenance Commands
34512 @appendix Maintenance Commands
34513 @cindex maintenance commands
34514 @cindex internal commands
34515
34516 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
34517 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
34518 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
34519 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
34520 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
34521
34522 @table @code
34523 @kindex maint agent
34524 @kindex maint agent-eval
34525 @item maint agent @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
34526 @itemx maint agent-eval @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
34527 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
34528 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
34529 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
34530 expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
34531 @samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
34532 to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
34533 globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
34534 of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
34535 the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
34536 addition and return the sum.
34537 If @code{-at} is given, generate remote agent bytecode for @var{location}.
34538 If not, generate remote agent bytecode for current frame PC address.
34539
34540 @kindex maint agent-printf
34541 @item maint agent-printf @var{format},@var{expr},...
34542 Translate the given format string and list of argument expressions
34543 into remote agent bytecodes and display them as a disassembled list.
34544 This command is useful for debugging the agent version of dynamic
34545 printf (@pxref{Dynamic Printf}.
34546
34547 @kindex maint info breakpoints
34548 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
34549 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
34550 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
34551 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
34552 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
34553 is shown:
34554
34555 @table @code
34556 @item breakpoint
34557 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
34558
34559 @item watchpoint
34560 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
34561
34562 @item longjmp
34563 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
34564 @code{longjmp} calls.
34565
34566 @item longjmp resume
34567 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
34568
34569 @item until
34570 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
34571
34572 @item finish
34573 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
34574
34575 @item shlib events
34576 Shared library events.
34577
34578 @end table
34579
34580 @kindex maint info bfds
34581 @item maint info bfds
34582 This prints information about each @code{bfd} object that is known to
34583 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Top, , BFD, bfd, The Binary File Descriptor Library}.
34584
34585 @kindex set displaced-stepping
34586 @kindex show displaced-stepping
34587 @cindex displaced stepping support
34588 @cindex out-of-line single-stepping
34589 @item set displaced-stepping
34590 @itemx show displaced-stepping
34591 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
34592 if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
34593 over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
34594 an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
34595 breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
34596
34597 @table @code
34598 @item set displaced-stepping on
34599 If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
34600 displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
34601
34602 @item set displaced-stepping off
34603 @value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
34604 even if such is supported by the target architecture.
34605
34606 @cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
34607 @item set displaced-stepping auto
34608 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
34609 only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
34610 architecture supports displaced stepping.
34611 @end table
34612
34613 @kindex maint check-symtabs
34614 @item maint check-symtabs
34615 Check the consistency of psymtabs and symtabs.
34616
34617 @kindex maint cplus first_component
34618 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
34619 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
34620
34621 @kindex maint cplus namespace
34622 @item maint cplus namespace
34623 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
34624
34625 @kindex maint demangle
34626 @item maint demangle @var{name}
34627 Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C mangled @var{name}.
34628
34629 @kindex maint deprecate
34630 @kindex maint undeprecate
34631 @cindex deprecated commands
34632 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
34633 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
34634 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
34635 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
34636 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
34637 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
34638 the replacement as part of the warning.
34639
34640 @kindex maint dump-me
34641 @item maint dump-me
34642 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
34643 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
34644 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
34645 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
34646
34647 @kindex maint internal-error
34648 @kindex maint internal-warning
34649 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
34650 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
34651 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
34652 or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
34653 or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
34654 internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
34655 either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
34656 @value{GDBN} session.
34657
34658 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
34659 used as the text of the error or warning message.
34660
34661 Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
34662
34663 @smallexample
34664 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
34665 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
34666 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
34667 debugging may prove unreliable.
34668 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
34669 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
34670 (@value{GDBP})
34671 @end smallexample
34672
34673 @cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
34674 @cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
34675
34676 @kindex maint set internal-error
34677 @kindex maint show internal-error
34678 @kindex maint set internal-warning
34679 @kindex maint show internal-warning
34680 @item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
34681 @itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
34682 @itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
34683 @itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
34684 When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
34685 gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
34686 core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
34687 override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
34688 described in the table below.
34689
34690 @table @samp
34691 @item quit
34692 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
34693 quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
34694
34695 @item corefile
34696 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
34697 create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do.
34698 @end table
34699
34700 @kindex maint packet
34701 @item maint packet @var{text}
34702 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
34703 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
34704 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
34705 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
34706 checksum.
34707
34708 @kindex maint print architecture
34709 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
34710 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
34711 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
34712
34713 @kindex maint print c-tdesc
34714 @item maint print c-tdesc
34715 Print the current target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
34716 a C source file. The created source file can be used in @value{GDBN}
34717 when an XML parser is not available to parse the description.
34718
34719 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
34720 @item maint print dummy-frames
34721 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
34722
34723 @smallexample
34724 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
34725 @dots{}
34726 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
34727 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
34728 58 return (a + b);
34729 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
34730 @dots{}
34731 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
34732 0x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
34733 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
34734 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
34735 (@value{GDBP})
34736 @end smallexample
34737
34738 Takes an optional file parameter.
34739
34740 @kindex maint print registers
34741 @kindex maint print raw-registers
34742 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
34743 @kindex maint print register-groups
34744 @kindex maint print remote-registers
34745 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
34746 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
34747 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
34748 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
34749 @itemx maint print remote-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
34750 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
34751
34752 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
34753 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print
34754 cooked-registers} includes the (cooked) value of all registers,
34755 including registers which aren't available on the target nor visible
34756 to user; the command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the
34757 groups that each register is a member of; and the command @code{maint
34758 print remote-registers} includes the remote target's register numbers
34759 and offsets in the `G' packets. @xref{Registers,, Registers, gdbint,
34760 @value{GDBN} Internals}.
34761
34762 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
34763 write the information.
34764
34765 @kindex maint print reggroups
34766 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
34767 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
34768 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
34769 information.
34770
34771 The register groups info looks like this:
34772
34773 @smallexample
34774 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
34775 Group Type
34776 general user
34777 float user
34778 all user
34779 vector user
34780 system user
34781 save internal
34782 restore internal
34783 @end smallexample
34784
34785 @kindex flushregs
34786 @item flushregs
34787 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
34788
34789 @kindex maint print objfiles
34790 @cindex info for known object files
34791 @item maint print objfiles
34792 Print a dump of all known object files. For each object file, this
34793 command prints its name, address in memory, and all of its psymtabs
34794 and symtabs.
34795
34796 @kindex maint print section-scripts
34797 @cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
34798 @item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
34799 Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
34800 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
34801 matching @var{regexp}.
34802 For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
34803 and the full path if known.
34804 @xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}.
34805
34806 @kindex maint print statistics
34807 @cindex bcache statistics
34808 @item maint print statistics
34809 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
34810 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
34811 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
34812 of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
34813 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
34814 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
34815 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
34816 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
34817 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
34818 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
34819 lengths.
34820
34821 @kindex maint print target-stack
34822 @cindex target stack description
34823 @item maint print target-stack
34824 A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
34825 kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
34826 so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
34827 In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
34828 until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
34829 address.
34830
34831 This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
34832 the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
34833
34834 @kindex maint print type
34835 @cindex type chain of a data type
34836 @item maint print type @var{expr}
34837 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
34838 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
34839 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
34840 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
34841 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
34842
34843 @kindex maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
34844 @kindex maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
34845 @item maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
34846 @item maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
34847 Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
34848 information.
34849
34850 The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
34851 describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
34852 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
34853 expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
34854 too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
34855 always see the disassembly form.
34856
34857 Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
34858
34859 @smallexample
34860 (gdb) info addr argc
34861 Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
34862 1: DW_OP_fbreg 0
34863 @end smallexample
34864
34865 For more information on these expressions, see
34866 @uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
34867
34868 @kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
34869 @kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
34870 @item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
34871 @itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
34872 Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
34873
34874 @cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
34875 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
34876 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
34877 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
34878 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
34879 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
34880 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
34881 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
34882 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
34883
34884 @kindex maint set profile
34885 @kindex maint show profile
34886 @cindex profiling GDB
34887 @item maint set profile
34888 @itemx maint show profile
34889 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
34890
34891 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
34892 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
34893 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
34894 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
34895 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
34896 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
34897 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
34898
34899 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
34900 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
34901
34902 @kindex maint set show-debug-regs
34903 @kindex maint show show-debug-regs
34904 @cindex hardware debug registers
34905 @item maint set show-debug-regs
34906 @itemx maint show show-debug-regs
34907 Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
34908 registers. Use @code{ON} to enable, @code{OFF} to disable. If
34909 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
34910 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
34911 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
34912
34913 @kindex maint set show-all-tib
34914 @kindex maint show show-all-tib
34915 @item maint set show-all-tib
34916 @itemx maint show show-all-tib
34917 Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
34918 at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
34919 command.
34920
34921 @kindex maint space
34922 @cindex memory used by commands
34923 @item maint space
34924 Control whether to display memory usage for each command. If set to a
34925 nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
34926 took, following the command's own output. This can also be requested
34927 by invoking @value{GDBN} with the @option{--statistics} command-line
34928 switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
34929
34930 @kindex maint time
34931 @cindex time of command execution
34932 @item maint time
34933 Control whether to display the execution time of @value{GDBN} for each command.
34934 If set to a nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
34935 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
34936 Both CPU time and wallclock time are printed.
34937 Printing both is useful when trying to determine whether the cost is
34938 CPU or, e.g., disk/network, latency.
34939 Note that the CPU time printed is for @value{GDBN} only, it does not include
34940 the execution time of the inferior because there's no mechanism currently
34941 to compute how much time was spent by @value{GDBN} and how much time was
34942 spent by the program been debugged.
34943 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
34944 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
34945
34946 @kindex maint translate-address
34947 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
34948 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
34949 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
34950 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
34951 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
34952 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
34953 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
34954
34955 If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
34956 is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
34957 executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
34958
34959 @end table
34960
34961 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
34962 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
34963
34964 @table @code
34965 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
34966 @kindex set watchdog
34967 @cindex watchdog timer
34968 @cindex timeout for commands
34969 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
34970 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
34971 reports and error and the command is aborted.
34972
34973 @item show watchdog
34974 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
34975 @end table
34976
34977 @node Remote Protocol
34978 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
34979
34980 @menu
34981 * Overview::
34982 * Packets::
34983 * Stop Reply Packets::
34984 * General Query Packets::
34985 * Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
34986 * Tracepoint Packets::
34987 * Host I/O Packets::
34988 * Interrupts::
34989 * Notification Packets::
34990 * Remote Non-Stop::
34991 * Packet Acknowledgment::
34992 * Examples::
34993 * File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
34994 * Library List Format::
34995 * Library List Format for SVR4 Targets::
34996 * Memory Map Format::
34997 * Thread List Format::
34998 * Traceframe Info Format::
34999 @end menu
35000
35001 @node Overview
35002 @section Overview
35003
35004 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
35005 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
35006 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
35007 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
35008
35009 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
35010 transmitted and received data, respectively.
35011
35012 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
35013 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
35014 @cindex remote serial protocol
35015 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
35016 and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
35017 @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
35018 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
35019 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
35020
35021 @smallexample
35022 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
35023 @end smallexample
35024 @noindent
35025
35026 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
35027 @noindent
35028 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
35029 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
35030 eight bit unsigned checksum).
35031
35032 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
35033 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
35034
35035 @smallexample
35036 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
35037 @end smallexample
35038
35039 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
35040 @noindent
35041 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
35042 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
35043 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
35044
35045 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
35046 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
35047 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
35048 retransmission):
35049
35050 @smallexample
35051 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
35052 <- @code{+}
35053 @end smallexample
35054 @noindent
35055
35056 The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
35057 once a connection is established.
35058 @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
35059
35060 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
35061 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
35062 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
35063 when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
35064 threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
35065 behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
35066 execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
35067
35068 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
35069 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
35070 exceptions).
35071
35072 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
35073 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
35074 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
35075 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
35076
35077 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
35078 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
35079 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
35080
35081 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
35082 @anchor{Binary Data}
35083 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
35084 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
35085 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
35086 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
35087 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
35088 binary data.
35089
35090 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
35091 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
35092 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
35093 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
35094 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
35095 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
35096 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
35097 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
35098 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
35099 (described next).
35100
35101 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
35102 Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
35103 instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
35104 repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
35105 binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
35106 @code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
35107 produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
35108 code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
35109 encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
35110 @samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
35111 after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
35112 3}} more times.
35113
35114 The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
35115 greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
35116 seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
35117 five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
35118 @samp{0*"00}.
35119
35120 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
35121 error number. That number is not well defined.
35122
35123 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
35124 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
35125 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
35126 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
35127 on that response.
35128
35129 At a minimum, a stub is required to support the @samp{g} and @samp{G}
35130 commands for register access, and the @samp{m} and @samp{M} commands
35131 for memory access. Stubs that only control single-threaded targets
35132 can implement run control with the @samp{c} (continue), and @samp{s}
35133 (step) commands. Stubs that support multi-threading targets should
35134 support the @samp{vCont} command. All other commands are optional.
35135
35136 @node Packets
35137 @section Packets
35138
35139 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
35140 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
35141 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
35142 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
35143
35144 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
35145 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
35146 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
35147 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
35148 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
35149 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
35150 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
35151 @var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
35152 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
35153 @var{baz}.
35154
35155 @cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
35156 @anchor{thread-id syntax}
35157 Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
35158 a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
35159 interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
35160 can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
35161 pick any thread.
35162
35163 In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
35164 which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
35165 process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
35166 The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
35167 format described above: a positive number with target-specific
35168 interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
35169 to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
35170 indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
35171 @samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
35172 error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
35173 @samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
35174 for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
35175 ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
35176
35177 The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
35178 @value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
35179 feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
35180 more information.
35181
35182 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
35183 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
35184
35185 Here are the packet descriptions.
35186
35187 @table @samp
35188
35189 @item !
35190 @cindex @samp{!} packet
35191 @anchor{extended mode}
35192 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
35193 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
35194 debugged.
35195
35196 Reply:
35197 @table @samp
35198 @item OK
35199 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
35200 @end table
35201
35202 @item ?
35203 @cindex @samp{?} packet
35204 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
35205 step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
35206 target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
35207
35208 Reply:
35209 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
35210
35211 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
35212 @cindex @samp{A} packet
35213 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
35214 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
35215 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
35216
35217 Reply:
35218 @table @samp
35219 @item OK
35220 The arguments were set.
35221 @item E @var{NN}
35222 An error occurred.
35223 @end table
35224
35225 @item b @var{baud}
35226 @cindex @samp{b} packet
35227 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
35228 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
35229
35230 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
35231 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
35232 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
35233
35234 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
35235 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
35236 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
35237 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
35238 of view, nothing actually happened.}
35239
35240 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
35241 @cindex @samp{B} packet
35242 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
35243 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
35244
35245 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
35246 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
35247
35248 @cindex @samp{bc} packet
35249 @anchor{bc}
35250 @item bc
35251 Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
35252 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
35253
35254 Reply:
35255 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
35256
35257 @cindex @samp{bs} packet
35258 @anchor{bs}
35259 @item bs
35260 Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
35261 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
35262
35263 Reply:
35264 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
35265
35266 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
35267 @cindex @samp{c} packet
35268 Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
35269 resume at current address.
35270
35271 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
35272 packet}.
35273
35274 Reply:
35275 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
35276
35277 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
35278 @cindex @samp{C} packet
35279 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
35280 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
35281
35282 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
35283 packet}.
35284
35285 Reply:
35286 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
35287
35288 @item d
35289 @cindex @samp{d} packet
35290 Toggle debug flag.
35291
35292 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
35293 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
35294
35295 @item D
35296 @itemx D;@var{pid}
35297 @cindex @samp{D} packet
35298 The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
35299 remote system. It is sent to the remote target
35300 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
35301
35302 The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
35303 protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
35304 detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
35305 big-endian hex string.
35306
35307 Reply:
35308 @table @samp
35309 @item OK
35310 for success
35311 @item E @var{NN}
35312 for an error
35313 @end table
35314
35315 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
35316 @cindex @samp{F} packet
35317 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
35318 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
35319 Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
35320
35321 @item g
35322 @anchor{read registers packet}
35323 @cindex @samp{g} packet
35324 Read general registers.
35325
35326 Reply:
35327 @table @samp
35328 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
35329 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
35330 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
35331 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
35332 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
35333 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}. The
35334 specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
35335
35336 When reading registers from a trace frame (@pxref{Analyze Collected
35337 Data,,Using the Collected Data}), the stub may also return a string of
35338 literal @samp{x}'s in place of the register data digits, to indicate
35339 that the corresponding register has not been collected, thus its value
35340 is unavailable. For example, for an architecture with 4 registers of
35341 4 bytes each, the following reply indicates to @value{GDBN} that
35342 registers 0 and 2 have not been collected, while registers 1 and 3
35343 have been collected, and both have zero value:
35344
35345 @smallexample
35346 -> @code{g}
35347 <- @code{xxxxxxxx00000000xxxxxxxx00000000}
35348 @end smallexample
35349
35350 @item E @var{NN}
35351 for an error.
35352 @end table
35353
35354 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
35355 @cindex @samp{G} packet
35356 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
35357 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
35358
35359 Reply:
35360 @table @samp
35361 @item OK
35362 for success
35363 @item E @var{NN}
35364 for an error
35365 @end table
35366
35367 @item H @var{op} @var{thread-id}
35368 @cindex @samp{H} packet
35369 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
35370 @samp{G}, et.al.). @var{op} depends on the operation to be performed:
35371 it should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations (note that this
35372 is deprecated, supporting the @samp{vCont} command is a better
35373 option), @samp{g} for other operations. The thread designator
35374 @var{thread-id} has the format and interpretation described in
35375 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
35376
35377 Reply:
35378 @table @samp
35379 @item OK
35380 for success
35381 @item E @var{NN}
35382 for an error
35383 @end table
35384
35385 @c FIXME: JTC:
35386 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
35387 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
35388 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
35389 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
35390 @c described. For example:
35391 @c
35392 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
35393 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
35394 @c otherwise returns current registers.
35395 @c
35396 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
35397 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
35398 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
35399
35400 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
35401 @anchor{cycle step packet}
35402 @cindex @samp{i} packet
35403 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
35404 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
35405 step starting at that address.
35406
35407 @item I
35408 @cindex @samp{I} packet
35409 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
35410 step packet}.
35411
35412 @item k
35413 @cindex @samp{k} packet
35414 Kill request.
35415
35416 FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
35417 thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
35418 thread?)}.
35419
35420 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
35421 @cindex @samp{m} packet
35422 Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
35423 Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
35424
35425 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
35426 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
35427 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
35428 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
35429 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
35430 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
35431 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
35432 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
35433
35434 Reply:
35435 @table @samp
35436 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
35437 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
35438 number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
35439 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
35440 @item E @var{NN}
35441 @var{NN} is errno
35442 @end table
35443
35444 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
35445 @cindex @samp{M} packet
35446 Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
35447 @var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
35448 hexadecimal number.
35449
35450 Reply:
35451 @table @samp
35452 @item OK
35453 for success
35454 @item E @var{NN}
35455 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
35456 written).
35457 @end table
35458
35459 @item p @var{n}
35460 @cindex @samp{p} packet
35461 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
35462 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
35463 register value is encoded.
35464
35465 Reply:
35466 @table @samp
35467 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
35468 the register's value
35469 @item E @var{NN}
35470 for an error
35471 @item
35472 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
35473 @end table
35474
35475 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
35476 @anchor{write register packet}
35477 @cindex @samp{P} packet
35478 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
35479 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
35480 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
35481
35482 Reply:
35483 @table @samp
35484 @item OK
35485 for success
35486 @item E @var{NN}
35487 for an error
35488 @end table
35489
35490 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
35491 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
35492 @cindex @samp{q} packet
35493 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
35494 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
35495 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
35496
35497 @item r
35498 @cindex @samp{r} packet
35499 Reset the entire system.
35500
35501 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
35502
35503 @item R @var{XX}
35504 @cindex @samp{R} packet
35505 Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
35506 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
35507
35508 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
35509
35510 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
35511 @cindex @samp{s} packet
35512 Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
35513 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
35514
35515 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
35516 packet}.
35517
35518 Reply:
35519 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
35520
35521 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
35522 @anchor{step with signal packet}
35523 @cindex @samp{S} packet
35524 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
35525 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
35526
35527 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
35528 packet}.
35529
35530 Reply:
35531 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
35532
35533 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
35534 @cindex @samp{t} packet
35535 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
35536 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
35537 @var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
35538
35539 @item T @var{thread-id}
35540 @cindex @samp{T} packet
35541 Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
35542
35543 Reply:
35544 @table @samp
35545 @item OK
35546 thread is still alive
35547 @item E @var{NN}
35548 thread is dead
35549 @end table
35550
35551 @item v
35552 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
35553 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
35554
35555 @item vAttach;@var{pid}
35556 @cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
35557 Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
35558 The process ID is a
35559 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
35560 threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
35561 attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
35562
35563 @c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
35564 @c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
35565 @c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
35566 @c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
35567 @c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
35568 @c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
35569 @c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
35570 @c stopping or restarting threads.
35571
35572 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
35573
35574 Reply:
35575 @table @samp
35576 @item E @var{nn}
35577 for an error
35578 @item @r{Any stop packet}
35579 for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
35580 @item OK
35581 for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
35582 @end table
35583
35584 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
35585 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
35586 @anchor{vCont packet}
35587 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
35588 If an action is specified with no @var{thread-id}, then it is applied to any
35589 threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
35590 specified then other threads should remain stopped in all-stop mode and
35591 in their current state in non-stop mode.
35592 Specifying multiple
35593 default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
35594 Thread IDs are specified using the syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
35595
35596 Currently supported actions are:
35597
35598 @table @samp
35599 @item c
35600 Continue.
35601 @item C @var{sig}
35602 Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
35603 @item s
35604 Step.
35605 @item S @var{sig}
35606 Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
35607 @item t
35608 Stop.
35609 @end table
35610
35611 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
35612 @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
35613 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
35614
35615 The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
35616 (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
35617 A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
35618 When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
35619 the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
35620 signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
35621 as an implementation detail.
35622
35623 The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
35624 multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}). Note that in
35625 this case @samp{vCont} actions can be specified to apply to all threads
35626 in a process by using the @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the
35627 @var{thread-id}.
35628
35629 Reply:
35630 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
35631
35632 @item vCont?
35633 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
35634 Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
35635
35636 Reply:
35637 @table @samp
35638 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
35639 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
35640 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
35641 @item
35642 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
35643 @end table
35644
35645 @item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
35646 @cindex @samp{vFile} packet
35647 Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
35648 see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
35649
35650 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
35651 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
35652 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
35653 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
35654 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
35655 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
35656 Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
35657 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
35658 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
35659 packet is received.
35660
35661 Reply:
35662 @table @samp
35663 @item OK
35664 for success
35665 @item E @var{NN}
35666 for an error
35667 @end table
35668
35669 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
35670 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
35671 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
35672 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
35673 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
35674 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
35675 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
35676 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
35677 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
35678 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
35679 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
35680 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
35681
35682
35683 Reply:
35684 @table @samp
35685 @item OK
35686 for success
35687 @item E.memtype
35688 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
35689 @item E @var{NN}
35690 for an error
35691 @end table
35692
35693 @item vFlashDone
35694 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
35695 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
35696 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
35697 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
35698 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
35699 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
35700 request is completed.
35701
35702 @item vKill;@var{pid}
35703 @cindex @samp{vKill} packet
35704 Kill the process with the specified process ID. @var{pid} is a
35705 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
35706 preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
35707 supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
35708
35709 Reply:
35710 @table @samp
35711 @item E @var{nn}
35712 for an error
35713 @item OK
35714 for success
35715 @end table
35716
35717 @item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
35718 @cindex @samp{vRun} packet
35719 Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
35720 command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
35721 @var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
35722 (e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
35723 state.
35724
35725 @c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
35726
35727 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
35728
35729 Reply:
35730 @table @samp
35731 @item E @var{nn}
35732 for an error
35733 @item @r{Any stop packet}
35734 for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
35735 @end table
35736
35737 @item vStopped
35738 @anchor{vStopped packet}
35739 @cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
35740
35741 In non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}), acknowledge a previous stop
35742 reply and prompt for the stub to report another one.
35743
35744 Reply:
35745 @table @samp
35746 @item @r{Any stop packet}
35747 if there is another unreported stop event (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
35748 @item OK
35749 if there are no unreported stop events
35750 @end table
35751
35752 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
35753 @anchor{X packet}
35754 @cindex @samp{X} packet
35755 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
35756 @var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
35757 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
35758
35759 Reply:
35760 @table @samp
35761 @item OK
35762 for success
35763 @item E @var{NN}
35764 for an error
35765 @end table
35766
35767 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
35768 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
35769 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
35770 @cindex @samp{z} packet
35771 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
35772 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
35773 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
35774
35775 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
35776 separately.
35777
35778 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
35779 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
35780 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
35781 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
35782 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
35783 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
35784
35785 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
35786 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}@r{[};cmds:@var{persist},@var{cmd_list}@dots{}@r{]}
35787 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
35788 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
35789 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
35790 @var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
35791
35792 A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
35793 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
35794 @var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of
35795 the breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm}
35796 and @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
35797 architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind};
35798 @var{cond_list} is an optional list of conditional expressions in bytecode
35799 form that should be evaluated on the target's side. These are the
35800 conditions that should be taken into consideration when deciding if
35801 the breakpoint trigger should be reported back to @var{GDBN}.
35802
35803 The @var{cond_list} parameter is comprised of a series of expressions,
35804 concatenated without separators. Each expression has the following form:
35805
35806 @table @samp
35807
35808 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
35809 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
35810 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
35811
35812 @end table
35813
35814 The optional @var{cmd_list} parameter introduces commands that may be
35815 run on the target, rather than being reported back to @value{GDBN}.
35816 The parameter starts with a numeric flag @var{persist}; if the flag is
35817 nonzero, then the breakpoint may remain active and the commands
35818 continue to be run even when @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target.
35819 Following this flag is a series of expressions concatenated with no
35820 separators. Each expression has the following form:
35821
35822 @table @samp
35823
35824 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
35825 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
35826 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
35827
35828 @end table
35829
35830 see @ref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}.
35831
35832 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
35833 code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
35834 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
35835 target, is not defined.}
35836
35837 Reply:
35838 @table @samp
35839 @item OK
35840 success
35841 @item
35842 not supported
35843 @item E @var{NN}
35844 for an error
35845 @end table
35846
35847 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
35848 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}
35849 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
35850 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
35851 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
35852 address @var{addr}.
35853
35854 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
35855 dependant on being able to modify the target's memory. @var{kind}
35856 and @var{cond_list} have the same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
35857
35858 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
35859 movement.}
35860
35861 Reply:
35862 @table @samp
35863 @item OK
35864 success
35865 @item
35866 not supported
35867 @item E @var{NN}
35868 for an error
35869 @end table
35870
35871 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
35872 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
35873 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
35874 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
35875 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
35876 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
35877
35878 Reply:
35879 @table @samp
35880 @item OK
35881 success
35882 @item
35883 not supported
35884 @item E @var{NN}
35885 for an error
35886 @end table
35887
35888 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
35889 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
35890 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
35891 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
35892 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
35893 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
35894
35895 Reply:
35896 @table @samp
35897 @item OK
35898 success
35899 @item
35900 not supported
35901 @item E @var{NN}
35902 for an error
35903 @end table
35904
35905 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
35906 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
35907 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
35908 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
35909 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
35910 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
35911
35912 Reply:
35913 @table @samp
35914 @item OK
35915 success
35916 @item
35917 not supported
35918 @item E @var{NN}
35919 for an error
35920 @end table
35921
35922 @end table
35923
35924 @node Stop Reply Packets
35925 @section Stop Reply Packets
35926 @cindex stop reply packets
35927
35928 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
35929 @samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
35930 receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
35931 and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
35932 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
35933 number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
35934 @value{GDBN} source code.
35935
35936 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
35937 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
35938 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
35939 components.
35940
35941 @table @samp
35942
35943 @item S @var{AA}
35944 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
35945 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
35946 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
35947
35948 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
35949 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
35950 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
35951 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
35952 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
35953 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
35954 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
35955 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
35956
35957 @itemize @bullet
35958 @item
35959 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
35960 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
35961 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
35962 two-digit hex number.
35963
35964 @item
35965 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
35966 the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
35967
35968 @item
35969 If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
35970 the core on which the stop event was detected.
35971
35972 @item
35973 If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
35974 specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
35975 reasons are listed below. @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
35976 signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
35977
35978 @item
35979 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
35980 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
35981 future.
35982 @end itemize
35983
35984 The currently defined stop reasons are:
35985
35986 @table @samp
35987 @item watch
35988 @itemx rwatch
35989 @itemx awatch
35990 The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
35991 hex.
35992
35993 @cindex shared library events, remote reply
35994 @item library
35995 The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
35996 @value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
35997 list of loaded libraries. @var{r} is ignored.
35998
35999 @cindex replay log events, remote reply
36000 @item replaylog
36001 The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
36002 logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
36003 beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
36004 will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
36005 for more information.
36006 @end table
36007
36008 @item W @var{AA}
36009 @itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
36010 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
36011 applicable to certain targets.
36012
36013 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the exited
36014 process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported support for
36015 multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
36016 The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
36017
36018 @item X @var{AA}
36019 @itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
36020 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
36021
36022 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
36023 terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
36024 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
36025 extensions}. The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
36026
36027 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
36028 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
36029 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
36030 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
36031 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
36032
36033 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
36034 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
36035 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
36036 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
36037 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
36038 system calls.
36039
36040 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
36041 this very system call.
36042
36043 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
36044 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
36045 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
36046 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
36047 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
36048 Protocol Extension}, for more details.
36049
36050 @end table
36051
36052 @node General Query Packets
36053 @section General Query Packets
36054 @cindex remote query requests
36055
36056 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
36057 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
36058 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
36059 sending information to and from the stub.
36060
36061 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
36062 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
36063 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
36064 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
36065 conventions:
36066
36067 @itemize @bullet
36068 @item
36069 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
36070 @item
36071 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
36072 letter.
36073 @item
36074 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
36075 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
36076 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
36077 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
36078 @end itemize
36079
36080 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
36081 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
36082 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
36083 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
36084 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
36085 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
36086 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
36087 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
36088 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
36089 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
36090 packet.}.
36091
36092 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
36093 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
36094 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
36095 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
36096 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
36097
36098 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
36099
36100 @table @samp
36101
36102 @item QAgent:1
36103 @item QAgent:0
36104 Turn on or off the agent as a helper to perform some debugging operations
36105 delegated from @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Control Agent}).
36106
36107 @item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
36108 @cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
36109 Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
36110 target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
36111 pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
36112 @samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
36113 @samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
36114 indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
36115 indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
36116 own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
36117 insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
36118
36119 @item qC
36120 @cindex current thread, remote request
36121 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
36122 Return the current thread ID.
36123
36124 Reply:
36125 @table @samp
36126 @item QC @var{thread-id}
36127 Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
36128 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
36129 @item @r{(anything else)}
36130 Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
36131 @end table
36132
36133 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
36134 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
36135 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
36136 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
36137 IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
36138 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
36139 @code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
36140
36141 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
36142 files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
36143 Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
36144 separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
36145 significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
36146 detect trailing zeros.
36147
36148 Reply:
36149 @table @samp
36150 @item E @var{NN}
36151 An error (such as memory fault)
36152 @item C @var{crc32}
36153 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
36154 @end table
36155
36156 @item QDisableRandomization:@var{value}
36157 @cindex disable address space randomization, remote request
36158 @cindex @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet
36159 Some target operating systems will randomize the virtual address space
36160 of the inferior process as a security feature, but provide a feature
36161 to disable such randomization, e.g.@: to allow for a more deterministic
36162 debugging experience. On such systems, this packet with a @var{value}
36163 of 1 directs the target to disable address space randomization for
36164 processes subsequently started via @samp{vRun} packets, while a packet
36165 with a @var{value} of 0 tells the target to enable address space
36166 randomization.
36167
36168 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
36169
36170 Reply:
36171 @table @samp
36172 @item OK
36173 The request succeeded.
36174
36175 @item E @var{nn}
36176 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
36177
36178 @item
36179 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QDisableRandomization} is not supported
36180 by the stub.
36181 @end table
36182
36183 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
36184 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
36185 This should only be done on targets that actually support disabling
36186 address space randomization.
36187
36188 @item qfThreadInfo
36189 @itemx qsThreadInfo
36190 @cindex list active threads, remote request
36191 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
36192 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
36193 Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
36194 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
36195 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
36196 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
36197 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
36198 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
36199
36200 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
36201
36202 Reply:
36203 @table @samp
36204 @item m @var{thread-id}
36205 A single thread ID
36206 @item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
36207 a comma-separated list of thread IDs
36208 @item l
36209 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
36210 @end table
36211
36212 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
36213 more thread IDs, separated by commas.
36214 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
36215 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
36216 with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
36217 Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
36218 fields.
36219
36220 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
36221 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
36222 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
36223 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
36224 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
36225
36226 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
36227 thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
36228
36229 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
36230 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
36231 information associated with the variable.)
36232
36233 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
36234 load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
36235 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
36236 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
36237 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
36238 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
36239
36240 Reply:
36241 @table @samp
36242 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
36243 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
36244 local storage requested.
36245
36246 @item E @var{nn}
36247 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
36248
36249 @item
36250 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
36251 @end table
36252
36253 @item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
36254 @cindex get thread information block address
36255 @cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
36256 Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
36257
36258 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
36259
36260 Reply:
36261 @table @samp
36262 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
36263 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
36264 thread information block.
36265
36266 @item E @var{nn}
36267 An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
36268 address could not be retrieved.
36269
36270 @item
36271 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
36272 @end table
36273
36274 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
36275 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
36276 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
36277 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
36278 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
36279 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
36280 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
36281
36282 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
36283
36284 Reply:
36285 @table @samp
36286 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
36287 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
36288 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
36289 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
36290 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
36291 is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
36292 digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
36293 @end table
36294
36295 @item qOffsets
36296 @cindex section offsets, remote request
36297 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
36298 Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
36299 image.
36300
36301 Reply:
36302 @table @samp
36303 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
36304 Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
36305 Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
36306 If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
36307 @samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
36308 segments by the supplied offsets.
36309
36310 @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
36311 @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
36312 to the @code{Bss} section.}
36313
36314 @item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
36315 Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
36316 contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
36317 @samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
36318 conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
36319 @var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
36320 does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
36321 as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
36322 kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
36323 @end table
36324
36325 @item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
36326 @cindex thread information, remote request
36327 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
36328 Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
36329 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
36330 (@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
36331
36332 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
36333 (see below).
36334
36335 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
36336
36337 @item QNonStop:1
36338 @item QNonStop:0
36339 @cindex non-stop mode, remote request
36340 @cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
36341 @anchor{QNonStop}
36342 Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
36343 @xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
36344
36345 Reply:
36346 @table @samp
36347 @item OK
36348 The request succeeded.
36349
36350 @item E @var{nn}
36351 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
36352
36353 @item
36354 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
36355 the stub.
36356 @end table
36357
36358 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
36359 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
36360 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
36361 @pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
36362
36363 @item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
36364 @cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
36365 @cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
36366 @anchor{QPassSignals}
36367 Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
36368 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
36369 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
36370 strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
36371 the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
36372 reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
36373 combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
36374 new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
36375 @var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
36376
36377 Reply:
36378 @table @samp
36379 @item OK
36380 The request succeeded.
36381
36382 @item E @var{nn}
36383 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
36384
36385 @item
36386 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
36387 the stub.
36388 @end table
36389
36390 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
36391 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
36392 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
36393 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
36394
36395 @item QProgramSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
36396 @cindex signals the inferior may see, remote request
36397 @cindex @samp{QProgramSignals} packet
36398 @anchor{QProgramSignals}
36399 Each listed @var{signal} may be delivered to the inferior process.
36400 Others should be silently discarded.
36401
36402 In some cases, the remote stub may need to decide whether to deliver a
36403 signal to the program or not without @value{GDBN} involvement. One
36404 example of that is while detaching --- the program's threads may have
36405 stopped for signals that haven't yet had a chance of being reported to
36406 @value{GDBN}, and so the remote stub can use the signal list specified
36407 by this packet to know whether to deliver or ignore those pending
36408 signals.
36409
36410 This does not influence whether to deliver a signal as requested by a
36411 resumption packet (@pxref{vCont packet}).
36412
36413 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
36414 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
36415 strictly greater than the previous item. Multiple
36416 @samp{QProgramSignals} packets do not combine; any earlier
36417 @samp{QProgramSignals} list is completely replaced by the new list.
36418
36419 Reply:
36420 @table @samp
36421 @item OK
36422 The request succeeded.
36423
36424 @item E @var{nn}
36425 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
36426
36427 @item
36428 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QProgramSignals} is not supported
36429 by the stub.
36430 @end table
36431
36432 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote program-signals}
36433 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote program-signals}).
36434 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
36435 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
36436
36437 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
36438 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
36439 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
36440 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
36441 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
36442 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
36443 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
36444 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
36445 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
36446
36447 Reply:
36448 @table @samp
36449 @item OK
36450 A command response with no output.
36451 @item @var{OUTPUT}
36452 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
36453 @item E @var{NN}
36454 Indicate a badly formed request.
36455 @item
36456 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
36457 @end table
36458
36459 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
36460 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
36461 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
36462 packets.)
36463
36464 @item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
36465 @cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
36466 @cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
36467 @anchor{qSearch memory}
36468 Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
36469 @var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex.
36470 @var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, hex encoded.
36471
36472 Reply:
36473 @table @samp
36474 @item 0
36475 The pattern was not found.
36476 @item 1,address
36477 The pattern was found at @var{address}.
36478 @item E @var{NN}
36479 A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
36480 @item
36481 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
36482 @end table
36483
36484 @item QStartNoAckMode
36485 @cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
36486 @anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
36487 Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
36488 protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
36489
36490 Reply:
36491 @table @samp
36492 @item OK
36493 The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
36494 @value{GDBN} acknowledges this reponse,
36495 but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
36496 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
36497 @item
36498 An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
36499 @end table
36500
36501 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
36502 @cindex supported packets, remote query
36503 @cindex features of the remote protocol
36504 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
36505 @anchor{qSupported}
36506 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
36507 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
36508 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
36509 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
36510 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
36511 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
36512 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
36513 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
36514 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
36515 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
36516 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
36517 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
36518 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
36519 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
36520
36521 Reply:
36522 @table @samp
36523 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
36524 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
36525 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
36526 possible forms).
36527 @item
36528 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
36529 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
36530 @end table
36531
36532 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
36533 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
36534 are:
36535
36536 @table @samp
36537 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
36538 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
36539 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
36540 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
36541 @item @var{name}+
36542 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
36543 need an associated value.
36544 @item @var{name}-
36545 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
36546 @item @var{name}?
36547 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
36548 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
36549 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
36550 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
36551 @end table
36552
36553 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
36554 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
36555 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
36556 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
36557 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
36558
36559 The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
36560 are defined:
36561
36562 @table @samp
36563 @item multiprocess
36564 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
36565 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
36566 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
36567 including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
36568 @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
36569
36570 @item xmlRegisters
36571 This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
36572 description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
36573 specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
36574 description.
36575
36576 @item qRelocInsn
36577 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
36578 @samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
36579 instruction reply packet}).
36580 @end table
36581
36582 Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
36583 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
36584 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
36585 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
36586 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
36587 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
36588 improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
36589 an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
36590 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
36591 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
36592 all the features it supports.
36593
36594 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
36595 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
36596
36597 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
36598 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
36599 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
36600 form response.
36601
36602 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
36603 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
36604 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
36605 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
36606
36607 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
36608 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
36609 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
36610 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
36611 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
36612
36613 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
36614
36615 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
36616 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
36617 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
36618 @item Feature Name
36619 @tab Value Required
36620 @tab Default
36621 @tab Probe Allowed
36622
36623 @item @samp{PacketSize}
36624 @tab Yes
36625 @tab @samp{-}
36626 @tab No
36627
36628 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
36629 @tab No
36630 @tab @samp{-}
36631 @tab Yes
36632
36633 @item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
36634 @tab No
36635 @tab @samp{-}
36636 @tab Yes
36637
36638 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
36639 @tab No
36640 @tab @samp{-}
36641 @tab Yes
36642
36643 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
36644 @tab No
36645 @tab @samp{-}
36646 @tab Yes
36647
36648 @item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
36649 @tab No
36650 @tab @samp{-}
36651 @tab Yes
36652
36653 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:read}
36654 @tab No
36655 @tab @samp{-}
36656 @tab Yes
36657
36658 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:write}
36659 @tab No
36660 @tab @samp{-}
36661 @tab Yes
36662
36663 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
36664 @tab No
36665 @tab @samp{-}
36666 @tab Yes
36667
36668 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
36669 @tab No
36670 @tab @samp{-}
36671 @tab Yes
36672
36673 @item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
36674 @tab No
36675 @tab @samp{-}
36676 @tab Yes
36677
36678 @item @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
36679 @tab No
36680 @tab @samp{-}
36681 @tab Yes
36682
36683 @item @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
36684 @tab No
36685 @tab @samp{-}
36686 @tab Yes
36687
36688 @item @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
36689 @tab No
36690 @tab @samp{-}
36691 @tab Yes
36692
36693 @item @samp{QNonStop}
36694 @tab No
36695 @tab @samp{-}
36696 @tab Yes
36697
36698 @item @samp{QPassSignals}
36699 @tab No
36700 @tab @samp{-}
36701 @tab Yes
36702
36703 @item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
36704 @tab No
36705 @tab @samp{-}
36706 @tab Yes
36707
36708 @item @samp{multiprocess}
36709 @tab No
36710 @tab @samp{-}
36711 @tab No
36712
36713 @item @samp{ConditionalBreakpoints}
36714 @tab No
36715 @tab @samp{-}
36716 @tab No
36717
36718 @item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
36719 @tab No
36720 @tab @samp{-}
36721 @tab No
36722
36723 @item @samp{ReverseContinue}
36724 @tab No
36725 @tab @samp{-}
36726 @tab No
36727
36728 @item @samp{ReverseStep}
36729 @tab No
36730 @tab @samp{-}
36731 @tab No
36732
36733 @item @samp{TracepointSource}
36734 @tab No
36735 @tab @samp{-}
36736 @tab No
36737
36738 @item @samp{QAgent}
36739 @tab No
36740 @tab @samp{-}
36741 @tab No
36742
36743 @item @samp{QAllow}
36744 @tab No
36745 @tab @samp{-}
36746 @tab No
36747
36748 @item @samp{QDisableRandomization}
36749 @tab No
36750 @tab @samp{-}
36751 @tab No
36752
36753 @item @samp{EnableDisableTracepoints}
36754 @tab No
36755 @tab @samp{-}
36756 @tab No
36757
36758 @item @samp{tracenz}
36759 @tab No
36760 @tab @samp{-}
36761 @tab No
36762
36763 @item @samp{BreakpointCommands}
36764 @tab No
36765 @tab @samp{-}
36766 @tab No
36767
36768 @end multitable
36769
36770 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
36771
36772 @table @samp
36773 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
36774 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
36775 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
36776 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
36777 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
36778 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
36779 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
36780 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
36781 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
36782 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
36783
36784 @item qXfer:auxv:read
36785 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
36786 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
36787
36788 @item qXfer:features:read
36789 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
36790 (@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
36791
36792 @item qXfer:libraries:read
36793 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
36794 (@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
36795
36796 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read
36797 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
36798 (@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
36799
36800 @item qXfer:memory-map:read
36801 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
36802 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
36803
36804 @item qXfer:sdata:read
36805 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
36806 (@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
36807
36808 @item qXfer:spu:read
36809 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:read} packet
36810 (@pxref{qXfer spu read}).
36811
36812 @item qXfer:spu:write
36813 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:write} packet
36814 (@pxref{qXfer spu write}).
36815
36816 @item qXfer:siginfo:read
36817 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
36818 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
36819
36820 @item qXfer:siginfo:write
36821 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
36822 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
36823
36824 @item qXfer:threads:read
36825 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
36826 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
36827
36828 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read
36829 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
36830 packet (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}).
36831
36832 @item qXfer:uib:read
36833 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
36834 packet (@pxref{qXfer unwind info block}).
36835
36836 @item qXfer:fdpic:read
36837 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
36838 packet (@pxref{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}).
36839
36840 @item QNonStop
36841 The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
36842 (@pxref{QNonStop}).
36843
36844 @item QPassSignals
36845 The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
36846 (@pxref{QPassSignals}).
36847
36848 @item QStartNoAckMode
36849 The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
36850 prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
36851
36852 @item multiprocess
36853 @anchor{multiprocess extensions}
36854 @cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
36855 The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
36856 protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
36857 thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
36858 add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
36859 replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
36860 syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
36861 debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
36862 multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
36863 indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
36864
36865 @item qXfer:osdata:read
36866 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
36867 ((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
36868
36869 @item ConditionalBreakpoints
36870 The target accepts and implements evaluation of conditional expressions
36871 defined for breakpoints. The target will only report breakpoint triggers
36872 when such conditions are true (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
36873
36874 @item ConditionalTracepoints
36875 The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
36876 for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
36877
36878 @item ReverseContinue
36879 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
36880 (@pxref{bc}).
36881
36882 @item ReverseStep
36883 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
36884 (@pxref{bs}).
36885
36886 @item TracepointSource
36887 The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
36888 the source form of tracepoint definitions.
36889
36890 @item QAgent
36891 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAgent} packet.
36892
36893 @item QAllow
36894 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
36895
36896 @item QDisableRandomization
36897 The remote stub understands the @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet.
36898
36899 @item StaticTracepoint
36900 @cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
36901 The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
36902
36903 @item InstallInTrace
36904 @anchor{install tracepoint in tracing}
36905 The remote stub supports installing tracepoint in tracing.
36906
36907 @item EnableDisableTracepoints
36908 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTEnable} (@pxref{QTEnable}) and
36909 @samp{QTDisable} (@pxref{QTDisable}) packets that allow tracepoints
36910 to be enabled and disabled while a trace experiment is running.
36911
36912 @item tracenz
36913 @cindex string tracing, in remote protocol
36914 The remote stub supports the @samp{tracenz} bytecode for collecting strings.
36915 See @ref{Bytecode Descriptions} for details about the bytecode.
36916
36917 @item BreakpointCommands
36918 @cindex breakpoint commands, in remote protocol
36919 The remote stub supports running a breakpoint's command list itself,
36920 rather than reporting the hit to @value{GDBN}.
36921
36922 @end table
36923
36924 @item qSymbol::
36925 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
36926 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
36927 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
36928 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
36929
36930 Reply:
36931 @table @samp
36932 @item OK
36933 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
36934 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
36935 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
36936 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
36937 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
36938 below.
36939 @end table
36940
36941 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
36942 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
36943
36944 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
36945 target has previously requested.
36946
36947 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
36948 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
36949 will be empty.
36950
36951 Reply:
36952 @table @samp
36953 @item OK
36954 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
36955 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
36956 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
36957 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
36958 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
36959 @end table
36960
36961 @item qTBuffer
36962 @item QTBuffer
36963 @item QTDisconnected
36964 @itemx QTDP
36965 @itemx QTDPsrc
36966 @itemx QTDV
36967 @itemx qTfP
36968 @itemx qTfV
36969 @itemx QTFrame
36970 @itemx qTMinFTPILen
36971
36972 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
36973
36974 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
36975 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
36976 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
36977 Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
36978 the target OS. @var{thread-id} is a thread ID;
36979 see @ref{thread-id syntax}. This
36980 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
36981 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
36982 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
36983 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
36984 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
36985
36986 Reply:
36987 @table @samp
36988 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
36989 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
36990 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
36991 the thread's attributes.
36992 @end table
36993
36994 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
36995 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
36996 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
36997 packets.)
36998
36999 @item QTNotes
37000 @item qTP
37001 @item QTSave
37002 @item qTsP
37003 @item qTsV
37004 @itemx QTStart
37005 @itemx QTStop
37006 @itemx QTEnable
37007 @itemx QTDisable
37008 @itemx QTinit
37009 @itemx QTro
37010 @itemx qTStatus
37011 @itemx qTV
37012 @itemx qTfSTM
37013 @itemx qTsSTM
37014 @itemx qTSTMat
37015 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
37016
37017 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
37018 @cindex read special object, remote request
37019 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
37020 @anchor{qXfer read}
37021 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
37022 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
37023 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
37024 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
37025 additional details about what data to access.
37026
37027 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
37028 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
37029 formats, listed below.
37030
37031 @table @samp
37032 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
37033 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
37034 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
37035 auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
37036
37037 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37038 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37039
37040 @item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
37041 @anchor{qXfer target description read}
37042 Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
37043 annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
37044 always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
37045
37046 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37047 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37048
37049 @item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
37050 @anchor{qXfer library list read}
37051 Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
37052 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
37053 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
37054
37055 Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
37056 not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
37057 the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
37058
37059 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37060 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37061
37062 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
37063 @anchor{qXfer svr4 library list read}
37064 Access the target's list of loaded libraries when the target is an SVR4
37065 platform. @xref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets}. The annex part
37066 of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
37067
37068 This packet is optional for better performance on SVR4 targets.
37069 @value{GDBN} uses memory read packets to read the SVR4 library list otherwise.
37070
37071 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37072 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37073
37074 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
37075 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
37076 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
37077 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
37078 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
37079
37080 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37081 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37082
37083 @item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
37084 @anchor{qXfer sdata read}
37085
37086 Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
37087 information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
37088 be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
37089 Action Lists}.
37090
37091 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37092 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
37093 (@pxref{qSupported}).
37094
37095 @item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
37096 @anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
37097 Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
37098 system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
37099 empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
37100
37101 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37102 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
37103 (@pxref{qSupported}).
37104
37105 @item qXfer:spu:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
37106 @anchor{qXfer spu read}
37107 Read contents of an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
37108 annex specifies which file to read; it must be of the form
37109 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
37110 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
37111 in that context to be accessed.
37112
37113 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37114 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
37115 (@pxref{qSupported}).
37116
37117 @item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
37118 @anchor{qXfer threads read}
37119 Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
37120 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
37121 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
37122
37123 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37124 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37125
37126 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
37127 @anchor{qXfer traceframe info read}
37128
37129 Return a description of the current traceframe's contents.
37130 @xref{Traceframe Info Format}. The annex part of the generic
37131 @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
37132
37133 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37134 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37135
37136 @item qXfer:uib:read:@var{pc}:@var{offset},@var{length}
37137 @anchor{qXfer unwind info block}
37138
37139 Return the unwind information block for @var{pc}. This packet is used
37140 on OpenVMS/ia64 to ask the kernel unwind information.
37141
37142 This packet is not probed by default.
37143
37144 @item qXfer:fdpic:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
37145 @anchor{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}
37146 Read contents of @code{loadmap}s on the target system. The
37147 annex, either @samp{exec} or @samp{interp}, specifies which @code{loadmap},
37148 executable @code{loadmap} or interpreter @code{loadmap} to read.
37149
37150 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37151 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37152
37153 @item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
37154 @anchor{qXfer osdata read}
37155 Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
37156 @xref{Operating System Information}.
37157
37158 @end table
37159
37160 Reply:
37161 @table @samp
37162 @item m @var{data}
37163 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
37164 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
37165 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
37166 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
37167 @var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
37168 request.
37169
37170 @item l @var{data}
37171 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
37172 There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
37173 than the @var{length} in the request.
37174
37175 @item l
37176 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
37177 There is no more data to be read.
37178
37179 @item E00
37180 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
37181
37182 @item E @var{nn}
37183 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
37184 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
37185
37186 @item
37187 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
37188 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
37189 @end table
37190
37191 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
37192 @cindex write data into object, remote request
37193 @anchor{qXfer write}
37194 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
37195 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
37196 into the data. @var{data}@dots{} is the binary-encoded data
37197 (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
37198 is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
37199 to access.
37200
37201 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
37202 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
37203 formats, listed below.
37204
37205 @table @samp
37206 @item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
37207 @anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
37208 Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
37209 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
37210 empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
37211
37212 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37213 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
37214 (@pxref{qSupported}).
37215
37216 @item qXfer:spu:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
37217 @anchor{qXfer spu write}
37218 Write @var{data} to an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
37219 annex specifies which file to write; it must be of the form
37220 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
37221 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
37222 in that context to be accessed.
37223
37224 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37225 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37226 @end table
37227
37228 Reply:
37229 @table @samp
37230 @item @var{nn}
37231 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
37232 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
37233
37234 @item E00
37235 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
37236
37237 @item E @var{nn}
37238 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
37239 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
37240
37241 @item
37242 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
37243 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
37244 @end table
37245
37246 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
37247 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
37248 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
37249 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
37250 must respond with an empty packet.
37251
37252 @item qAttached:@var{pid}
37253 @cindex query attached, remote request
37254 @cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
37255 Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
37256 existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
37257 protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
37258 @var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
37259 process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
37260 the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
37261
37262 This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
37263 should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
37264 the @code{quit} command.
37265
37266 Reply:
37267 @table @samp
37268 @item 1
37269 The remote server attached to an existing process.
37270 @item 0
37271 The remote server created a new process.
37272 @item E @var{NN}
37273 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
37274 @end table
37275
37276 @end table
37277
37278 @node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
37279 @section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
37280
37281 This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
37282 target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
37283 details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
37284
37285 @menu
37286 * ARM-Specific Protocol Details::
37287 * MIPS-Specific Protocol Details::
37288 @end menu
37289
37290 @node ARM-Specific Protocol Details
37291 @subsection @acronym{ARM}-specific Protocol Details
37292
37293 @menu
37294 * ARM Breakpoint Kinds::
37295 @end menu
37296
37297 @node ARM Breakpoint Kinds
37298 @subsubsection @acronym{ARM} Breakpoint Kinds
37299 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{ARM}
37300
37301 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
37302
37303 @table @r
37304
37305 @item 2
37306 16-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
37307
37308 @item 3
37309 32-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
37310
37311 @item 4
37312 32-bit @acronym{ARM} mode breakpoint.
37313
37314 @end table
37315
37316 @node MIPS-Specific Protocol Details
37317 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}-specific Protocol Details
37318
37319 @menu
37320 * MIPS Register packet Format::
37321 * MIPS Breakpoint Kinds::
37322 @end menu
37323
37324 @node MIPS Register packet Format
37325 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Register Packet Format
37326 @cindex register packet format, @acronym{MIPS}
37327
37328 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
37329 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
37330 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
37331 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
37332 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
37333 most-significant -- least-significant.
37334
37335 @table @r
37336
37337 @item MIPS32
37338 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
37339 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
37340 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
37341
37342 @item MIPS64
37343 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
37344 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
37345 as @code{MIPS32}.
37346
37347 @end table
37348
37349 @node MIPS Breakpoint Kinds
37350 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Breakpoint Kinds
37351 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{MIPS}
37352
37353 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
37354
37355 @table @r
37356
37357 @item 2
37358 16-bit @acronym{MIPS16} mode breakpoint.
37359
37360 @item 3
37361 16-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
37362
37363 @item 4
37364 32-bit standard @acronym{MIPS} mode breakpoint.
37365
37366 @item 5
37367 32-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
37368
37369 @end table
37370
37371 @node Tracepoint Packets
37372 @section Tracepoint Packets
37373 @cindex tracepoint packets
37374 @cindex packets, tracepoint
37375
37376 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
37377 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
37378
37379 @table @samp
37380
37381 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
37382 @cindex @samp{QTDP} packet
37383 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
37384 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
37385 the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
37386 count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
37387 then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
37388 the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
37389 for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
37390 tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
37391 by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
37392 encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
37393 further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
37394 actions.
37395
37396 Replies:
37397 @table @samp
37398 @item OK
37399 The packet was understood and carried out.
37400 @item qRelocInsn
37401 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
37402 @item
37403 The packet was not recognized.
37404 @end table
37405
37406 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
37407 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
37408 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
37409 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
37410 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
37411 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
37412 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
37413
37414 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
37415 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
37416 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
37417 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
37418 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
37419 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
37420 tracepoint actions.
37421
37422 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
37423 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
37424 following forms:
37425
37426 @table @samp
37427
37428 @item R @var{mask}
37429 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
37430 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
37431 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
37432 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
37433 not fit in a 32-bit word.
37434
37435 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
37436 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
37437 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
37438 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
37439 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
37440 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
37441 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
37442
37443 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
37444 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
37445 it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
37446 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
37447 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
37448 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
37449 packet).
37450
37451 @end table
37452
37453 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
37454 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
37455 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
37456 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
37457 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
37458 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
37459 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
37460 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
37461
37462 Replies:
37463 @table @samp
37464 @item OK
37465 The packet was understood and carried out.
37466 @item qRelocInsn
37467 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
37468 @item
37469 The packet was not recognized.
37470 @end table
37471
37472 @item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
37473 @cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
37474 Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
37475 This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
37476 originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. @var{type}
37477 is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
37478 tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
37479 @var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
37480
37481 @var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
37482 string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
37483 This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
37484 fit in a single packet.
37485 @c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
37486 @c tracepoint descriptions section.
37487
37488 The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
37489 @samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
37490 @value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
37491 list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
37492
37493 The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
37494 report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
37495 query packets.
37496
37497 Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
37498 if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
37499 Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
37500 much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
37501 tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
37502 the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
37503 could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
37504 be found.
37505
37506 @item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}
37507 @cindex define trace state variable, remote request
37508 @cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
37509 Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
37510 value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
37511 and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
37512 the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
37513 target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
37514 mentioned in expressions.
37515
37516 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
37517 @cindex @samp{QTFrame} packet
37518 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
37519 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
37520 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
37521
37522 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
37523 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
37524 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
37525 one of the following forms:
37526
37527 @table @samp
37528 @item F @var{f}
37529 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
37530 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
37531 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
37532
37533 @item T @var{t}
37534 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
37535 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
37536
37537 @end table
37538
37539 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
37540 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
37541 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
37542 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
37543
37544 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
37545 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
37546 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
37547 is a hexadecimal number.
37548
37549 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
37550 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
37551 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
37552 and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
37553 numbers.
37554
37555 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
37556 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
37557 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
37558
37559 @item qTMinFTPILen
37560 @cindex @samp{qTMinFTPILen} packet
37561 This packet requests the minimum length of instruction at which a fast
37562 tracepoint (@pxref{Set Tracepoints}) may be placed. For instance, on
37563 the 32-bit x86 architecture, it is possible to use a 4-byte jump, but
37564 it depends on the target system being able to create trampolines in
37565 the first 64K of memory, which might or might not be possible for that
37566 system. So the reply to this packet will be 4 if it is able to
37567 arrange for that.
37568
37569 Replies:
37570
37571 @table @samp
37572 @item 0
37573 The minimum instruction length is currently unknown.
37574 @item @var{length}
37575 The minimum instruction length is @var{length}, where @var{length} is greater
37576 or equal to 1. @var{length} is a hexadecimal number. A reply of 1 means
37577 that a fast tracepoint may be placed on any instruction regardless of size.
37578 @item E
37579 An error has occurred.
37580 @item
37581 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the stub.
37582 @end table
37583
37584 @item QTStart
37585 @cindex @samp{QTStart} packet
37586 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
37587 tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
37588 @samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
37589 instruction reply packet}).
37590
37591 @item QTStop
37592 @cindex @samp{QTStop} packet
37593 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
37594
37595 @item QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
37596 @anchor{QTEnable}
37597 @cindex @samp{QTEnable} packet
37598 Enable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
37599 experiment. If the tracepoint was previously disabled, then collection
37600 of data from it will resume.
37601
37602 @item QTDisable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
37603 @anchor{QTDisable}
37604 @cindex @samp{QTDisable} packet
37605 Disable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
37606 experiment. No more data will be collected from the tracepoint unless
37607 @samp{QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}} is subsequently issued.
37608
37609 @item QTinit
37610 @cindex @samp{QTinit} packet
37611 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
37612
37613 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
37614 @cindex @samp{QTro} packet
37615 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
37616 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
37617 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
37618
37619 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
37620 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
37621 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
37622 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
37623
37624 @item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
37625 @cindex @samp{QTDisconnected} packet
37626 Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
37627 disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
37628 continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
37629 @value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
37630
37631 @item qTStatus
37632 @cindex @samp{qTStatus} packet
37633 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
37634
37635 The reply has the form:
37636
37637 @table @samp
37638
37639 @item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
37640 @var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
37641 running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
37642 optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
37643
37644 @end table
37645
37646 If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
37647 explanations as one of the optional fields:
37648
37649 @table @samp
37650
37651 @item tnotrun:0
37652 No trace has been run yet.
37653
37654 @item tstop[:@var{text}]:0
37655 The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command. The optional
37656 @var{text} field is a user-supplied string supplied as part of the
37657 stop command (for instance, an explanation of why the trace was
37658 stopped manually). It is hex-encoded.
37659
37660 @item tfull:0
37661 The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
37662
37663 @item tdisconnected:0
37664 The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
37665
37666 @item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
37667 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
37668
37669 @item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
37670 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
37671 string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
37672 (for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression).
37673 @var{text} is hex encoded.
37674
37675 @item tunknown:0
37676 The trace stopped for some other reason.
37677
37678 @end table
37679
37680 Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
37681 Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
37682 the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
37683 numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
37684 trace.
37685
37686 @table @samp
37687
37688 @item tframes:@var{n}
37689 The number of trace frames in the buffer.
37690
37691 @item tcreated:@var{n}
37692 The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
37693 be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
37694
37695 @item tsize:@var{n}
37696 The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
37697
37698 @item tfree:@var{n}
37699 The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
37700
37701 @item circular:@var{n}
37702 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
37703 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
37704 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
37705 and may fill up.
37706
37707 @item disconn:@var{n}
37708 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
37709 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
37710 that the trace run will stop.
37711
37712 @end table
37713
37714 @item qTP:@var{tp}:@var{addr}
37715 @cindex tracepoint status, remote request
37716 @cindex @samp{qTP} packet
37717 Ask the stub for the current state of tracepoint number @var{tp} at
37718 address @var{addr}.
37719
37720 Replies:
37721 @table @samp
37722 @item V@var{hits}:@var{usage}
37723 The tracepoint has been hit @var{hits} times so far during the trace
37724 run, and accounts for @var{usage} in the trace buffer. Note that
37725 @code{while-stepping} steps are not counted as separate hits, but the
37726 steps' space consumption is added into the usage number.
37727
37728 @end table
37729
37730 @item qTV:@var{var}
37731 @cindex trace state variable value, remote request
37732 @cindex @samp{qTV} packet
37733 Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
37734
37735 Replies:
37736 @table @samp
37737 @item V@var{value}
37738 The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
37739 value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
37740 saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
37741 user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
37742 different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
37743 program is running.
37744
37745 @item U
37746 The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
37747 if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
37748 was not collected.
37749 @end table
37750
37751 @item qTfP
37752 @cindex @samp{qTfP} packet
37753 @itemx qTsP
37754 @cindex @samp{qTsP} packet
37755 These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
37756 the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
37757 of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
37758 to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
37759 that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
37760
37761 @item qTfV
37762 @cindex @samp{qTfV} packet
37763 @itemx qTsV
37764 @cindex @samp{qTsV} packet
37765 These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
37766 target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
37767 and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
37768 these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
37769 trace state variables.
37770
37771 @item qTfSTM
37772 @itemx qTsSTM
37773 @anchor{qTfSTM}
37774 @anchor{qTsSTM}
37775 @cindex @samp{qTfSTM} packet
37776 @cindex @samp{qTsSTM} packet
37777 These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
37778 in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
37779 first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
37780 pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
37781
37782 Reply:
37783 @table @samp
37784 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
37785 A single marker
37786 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
37787 a comma-separated list of markers
37788 @item l
37789 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
37790 @item E @var{nn}
37791 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
37792 @item
37793 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
37794 stub.
37795 @end table
37796
37797 @var{address} is encoded in hex.
37798 @var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
37799
37800 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
37801 more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
37802 reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
37803 query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
37804 @dfn{last}).
37805
37806 @item qTSTMat:@var{address}
37807 @anchor{qTSTMat}
37808 @cindex @samp{qTSTMat} packet
37809 This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
37810 target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
37811 syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
37812 tracepoint markers.
37813
37814 @item QTSave:@var{filename}
37815 @cindex @samp{QTSave} packet
37816 This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
37817 @var{filename} in the target's filesystem. @var{filename} is encoded
37818 as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
37819 absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
37820
37821 @item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
37822 @cindex @samp{qTBuffer} packet
37823 Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
37824 starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
37825 a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
37826 The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
37827 in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
37828 A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
37829 available.
37830
37831 @item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
37832 This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
37833 @var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
37834
37835 @item QTNotes:@r{[}@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@r{[};@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@dots{}
37836 @cindex @samp{QTNotes} packet
37837 This packet adds optional textual notes to the trace run. Allowable
37838 types include @code{user}, @code{notes}, and @code{tstop}, the
37839 @var{text} fields are arbitrary strings, hex-encoded.
37840
37841 @end table
37842
37843 @subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
37844 When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
37845 relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
37846 different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
37847 enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
37848 return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
37849 PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
37850 of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
37851 it had executed in the original location.
37852
37853 In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
37854 respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
37855 packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
37856 this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
37857 documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
37858 descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
37859 format of the request is:
37860
37861 @table @samp
37862 @item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
37863
37864 This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
37865 to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
37866 instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
37867 @var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
37868 memory starting at @var{to}.
37869 @end table
37870
37871 Replies:
37872 @table @samp
37873 @item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
37874 Informs the stub the relocation is complete. @var{adjusted_size} is
37875 the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
37876 @item E @var{NN}
37877 A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
37878 relocating the instruction.
37879 @end table
37880
37881 @node Host I/O Packets
37882 @section Host I/O Packets
37883 @cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
37884 @cindex file transfer, remote protocol
37885
37886 The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
37887 operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
37888 used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
37889 filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
37890 layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
37891 Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
37892 protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
37893 Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
37894 target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
37895 Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
37896
37897 The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
37898 its arguments. They have this format:
37899
37900 @table @samp
37901
37902 @item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
37903 @var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
37904 should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
37905 for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
37906 the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
37907 numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
37908 used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
37909 hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
37910 buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
37911
37912 @end table
37913
37914 The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
37915
37916 @table @samp
37917
37918 @item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
37919 @var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
37920 non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
37921 @var{errno} will be included in the result. @var{errno} will have a
37922 value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
37923 operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
37924 binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
37925 normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
37926 documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
37927 @var{attachment}.
37928
37929 @item
37930 An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
37931
37932 @end table
37933
37934 These are the supported Host I/O operations:
37935
37936 @table @samp
37937 @item vFile:open: @var{pathname}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
37938 Open a file at @var{pathname} and return a file descriptor for it, or
37939 return -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string,
37940 @var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
37941 (@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
37942 of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
37943 @xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
37944
37945 @item vFile:close: @var{fd}
37946 Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
37947 -1 if an error occurs.
37948
37949 @item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
37950 Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
37951 @var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
37952 relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
37953 common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
37954 condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
37955 returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
37956 @var{count} was zero.
37957
37958 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
37959 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
37960 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
37961 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
37962 some characters were escaped.
37963
37964 @item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
37965 Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
37966 to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
37967 file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
37968 separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
37969 packet is used. @samp{vFile:write} returns the number of bytes written,
37970 which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
37971 error occurred.
37972
37973 @item vFile:unlink: @var{pathname}
37974 Delete the file at @var{pathname} on the target. Return 0,
37975 or -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string.
37976
37977 @item vFile:readlink: @var{filename}
37978 Read value of symbolic link @var{filename} on the target. Return
37979 the number of bytes read, or -1 if an error occurs.
37980
37981 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
37982 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
37983 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
37984 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
37985 some characters were escaped.
37986
37987 @end table
37988
37989 @node Interrupts
37990 @section Interrupts
37991 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
37992
37993 When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
37994 attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or
37995 a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g},
37996 control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
37997
37998 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
37999 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
38000 currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
38001 interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
38002 @code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
38003
38004 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
38005 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
38006 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
38007 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
38008 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
38009 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
38010 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
38011 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
38012
38013 @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
38014 When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
38015 it stops execution and connects to gdb.
38016
38017 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
38018 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
38019 implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
38020 threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
38021 currently-executing threads and processes.
38022 If the stub is successful at interrupting the
38023 running program, it should send one of the stop
38024 reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
38025 of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
38026 for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
38027 Interrupts received while the
38028 program is stopped are discarded.
38029
38030 @node Notification Packets
38031 @section Notification Packets
38032 @cindex notification packets
38033 @cindex packets, notification
38034
38035 The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
38036 packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
38037 may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
38038 present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
38039 without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
38040 are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
38041 is not a problem.
38042
38043 A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
38044 @var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
38045 and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
38046 as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
38047 never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
38048 receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
38049 to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
38050
38051 Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
38052 colon characters, followed by a colon character.
38053
38054 Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
38055 notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
38056 timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
38057 not they understand it.
38058
38059 Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
38060 protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
38061 future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
38062 new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
38063 recipients.
38064
38065 (Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
38066 the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
38067 transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
38068 are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
38069 assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
38070
38071 The following notification packets from the stub to @value{GDBN} are
38072 defined:
38073
38074 @table @samp
38075 @item Stop: @var{reply}
38076 Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
38077 The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
38078 described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
38079 for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
38080 @value{GDBN}.
38081 @end table
38082
38083 @node Remote Non-Stop
38084 @section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
38085
38086 @value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
38087 multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
38088 supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
38089 @samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38090
38091 @value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
38092 establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
38093 does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
38094 must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
38095 all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
38096 probe the target state after a mode change.
38097
38098 In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
38099 would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
38100 asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
38101 inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
38102 in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
38103 mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
38104 when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
38105 of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
38106 affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
38107 to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
38108 threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
38109
38110 Only one stop reply notification at a time may be pending; if
38111 additional stop events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
38112 previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
38113 synchronous transmission in response to @samp{vStopped} packets from
38114 @value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
38115 the stub is permitted to resend a stop reply notification
38116 if it believes @value{GDBN} may not have received it. @value{GDBN}
38117 ignores additional stop reply notifications received before it has
38118 finished processing a previous notification and the stub has completed
38119 sending any queued stop events.
38120
38121 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} must be prepared to receive a stop reply
38122 notification at any time. Specifically, they may appear when
38123 @value{GDBN} is not otherwise reading input from the stub, or when
38124 @value{GDBN} is expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
38125 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
38126 Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
38127 the stub so there is no ambiguity.
38128
38129 After receiving a stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall
38130 acknowledge it by sending a @samp{vStopped} packet (@pxref{vStopped packet})
38131 as a regular, synchronous request to the stub. Such acknowledgment
38132 is not required to happen immediately, as @value{GDBN} is permitted to
38133 send other, unrelated packets to the stub first, which the stub should
38134 process normally.
38135
38136 Upon receiving a @samp{vStopped} packet, if the stub has other queued
38137 stop events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
38138 normal stop reply response. @value{GDBN} shall then send another
38139 @samp{vStopped} packet to solicit further responses; again, it is
38140 permitted to send other, unrelated packets as well which the stub
38141 should process normally.
38142
38143 If the stub receives a @samp{vStopped} packet and there are no
38144 additional stop events to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK}
38145 response. At this point, if further stop events occur, the stub shall
38146 send a new stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the
38147 notification, and the process shall be repeated.
38148
38149 In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
38150 follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
38151 sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
38152 sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
38153 it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
38154 stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
38155 subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
38156 using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
38157 asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
38158 If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
38159 or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
38160 @samp{OK}.
38161
38162 @node Packet Acknowledgment
38163 @section Packet Acknowledgment
38164
38165 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
38166 @cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
38167 By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
38168 the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
38169 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
38170 This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
38171 unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
38172
38173 In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
38174 TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
38175 It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
38176 overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
38177 @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
38178
38179 When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
38180 expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
38181 and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
38182 @ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
38183
38184 If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
38185 no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
38186 by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
38187 @pxref{qSupported}.
38188 If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
38189 disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
38190 (@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
38191 @value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
38192 Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
38193 @value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
38194 response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
38195
38196 Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
38197 between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
38198 it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
38199 connection.
38200 Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
38201 new connection is established,
38202 there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
38203 for the current connection, once disabled.
38204
38205 @node Examples
38206 @section Examples
38207
38208 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
38209 does not get any direct output:
38210
38211 @smallexample
38212 -> @code{R00}
38213 <- @code{+}
38214 @emph{target restarts}
38215 -> @code{?}
38216 <- @code{+}
38217 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
38218 -> @code{+}
38219 @end smallexample
38220
38221 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
38222
38223 @smallexample
38224 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
38225 <- @code{+}
38226 -> @code{s}
38227 <- @code{+}
38228 @emph{time passes}
38229 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
38230 -> @code{+}
38231 -> @code{g}
38232 <- @code{+}
38233 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
38234 -> @code{+}
38235 @end smallexample
38236
38237 @node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
38238 @section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
38239 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
38240
38241 @menu
38242 * File-I/O Overview::
38243 * Protocol Basics::
38244 * The F Request Packet::
38245 * The F Reply Packet::
38246 * The Ctrl-C Message::
38247 * Console I/O::
38248 * List of Supported Calls::
38249 * Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
38250 * Constants::
38251 * File-I/O Examples::
38252 @end menu
38253
38254 @node File-I/O Overview
38255 @subsection File-I/O Overview
38256 @cindex file-i/o overview
38257
38258 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
38259 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
38260 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
38261 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
38262 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
38263 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
38264
38265 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
38266 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
38267 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
38268 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
38269 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
38270
38271 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
38272 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
38273 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
38274 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
38275 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
38276 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
38277 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
38278
38279 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
38280 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
38281 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
38282 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
38283 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
38284
38285 @smallexample
38286 (@value{GDBP}) continue
38287 <- target requests 'system call X'
38288 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
38289 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
38290 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
38291 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
38292 @end smallexample
38293
38294 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
38295 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
38296 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
38297 system are not supported by this protocol.
38298
38299 File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
38300
38301 @node Protocol Basics
38302 @subsection Protocol Basics
38303 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
38304
38305 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
38306 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
38307 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
38308 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
38309 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
38310 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
38311 to call the appropriate host system call:
38312
38313 @itemize @bullet
38314 @item
38315 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
38316
38317 @item
38318 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
38319 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
38320 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
38321 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
38322
38323 @end itemize
38324
38325 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
38326
38327 @itemize @bullet
38328 @item
38329 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
38330 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
38331 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
38332 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
38333 packet.
38334
38335 @item
38336 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
38337 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
38338
38339 @item
38340 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
38341
38342 @item
38343 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
38344
38345 @item
38346 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
38347 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
38348 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
38349 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
38350 packet.
38351
38352 @end itemize
38353
38354 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
38355 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
38356
38357 @itemize @bullet
38358 @item
38359 Return value.
38360
38361 @item
38362 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
38363
38364 @item
38365 ``Ctrl-C'' flag.
38366
38367 @end itemize
38368
38369 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
38370 the latest continue or step action.
38371
38372 @node The F Request Packet
38373 @subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
38374 @cindex file-i/o request packet
38375 @cindex @code{F} request packet
38376
38377 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
38378
38379 @table @samp
38380 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
38381
38382 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
38383 This is just the name of the function.
38384
38385 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
38386 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
38387 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
38388 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
38389 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
38390 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
38391 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
38392
38393 @end table
38394
38395
38396
38397 @node The F Reply Packet
38398 @subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
38399 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
38400 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
38401
38402 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
38403
38404 @table @samp
38405
38406 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
38407
38408 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
38409
38410 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
38411 representation.
38412 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
38413
38414 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
38415 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
38416 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
38417
38418 @smallexample
38419 F0,0,C
38420 @end smallexample
38421
38422 @noindent
38423 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
38424
38425 @smallexample
38426 F-1,4,C
38427 @end smallexample
38428
38429 @noindent
38430 assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
38431
38432 @end table
38433
38434
38435 @node The Ctrl-C Message
38436 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
38437 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
38438
38439 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
38440 reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
38441 the target should behave as if it had
38442 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
38443 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
38444 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
38445 packet.
38446
38447 It's important for the target to know in which
38448 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
38449
38450 @itemize @bullet
38451 @item
38452 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
38453
38454 @item
38455 The system call on the host has been finished.
38456
38457 @end itemize
38458
38459 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
38460 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
38461 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
38462 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
38463 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
38464 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
38465
38466 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
38467 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
38468 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
38469 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
38470 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
38471 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
38472 or the full action has been completed.
38473
38474 @node Console I/O
38475 @subsection Console I/O
38476 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
38477
38478 By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
38479 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
38480 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
38481 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
38482 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
38483 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
38484 conditions is met:
38485
38486 @itemize @bullet
38487 @item
38488 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
38489 @code{read}
38490 system call is treated as finished.
38491
38492 @item
38493 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
38494 newline.
38495
38496 @item
38497 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
38498 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
38499
38500 @end itemize
38501
38502 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
38503 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
38504 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
38505 is stopped at the user's request.
38506
38507
38508 @node List of Supported Calls
38509 @subsection List of Supported Calls
38510 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
38511
38512 @menu
38513 * open::
38514 * close::
38515 * read::
38516 * write::
38517 * lseek::
38518 * rename::
38519 * unlink::
38520 * stat/fstat::
38521 * gettimeofday::
38522 * isatty::
38523 * system::
38524 @end menu
38525
38526 @node open
38527 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
38528 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
38529
38530 @table @asis
38531 @item Synopsis:
38532 @smallexample
38533 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
38534 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
38535 @end smallexample
38536
38537 @item Request:
38538 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
38539
38540 @noindent
38541 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
38542
38543 @table @code
38544 @item O_CREAT
38545 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
38546 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
38547 are concerned.
38548
38549 @item O_EXCL
38550 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
38551 an error and open() fails.
38552
38553 @item O_TRUNC
38554 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
38555 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
38556 truncated to zero length.
38557
38558 @item O_APPEND
38559 The file is opened in append mode.
38560
38561 @item O_RDONLY
38562 The file is opened for reading only.
38563
38564 @item O_WRONLY
38565 The file is opened for writing only.
38566
38567 @item O_RDWR
38568 The file is opened for reading and writing.
38569 @end table
38570
38571 @noindent
38572 Other bits are silently ignored.
38573
38574
38575 @noindent
38576 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
38577
38578 @table @code
38579 @item S_IRUSR
38580 User has read permission.
38581
38582 @item S_IWUSR
38583 User has write permission.
38584
38585 @item S_IRGRP
38586 Group has read permission.
38587
38588 @item S_IWGRP
38589 Group has write permission.
38590
38591 @item S_IROTH
38592 Others have read permission.
38593
38594 @item S_IWOTH
38595 Others have write permission.
38596 @end table
38597
38598 @noindent
38599 Other bits are silently ignored.
38600
38601
38602 @item Return value:
38603 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
38604 occurred.
38605
38606 @item Errors:
38607
38608 @table @code
38609 @item EEXIST
38610 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
38611
38612 @item EISDIR
38613 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
38614
38615 @item EACCES
38616 The requested access is not allowed.
38617
38618 @item ENAMETOOLONG
38619 @var{pathname} was too long.
38620
38621 @item ENOENT
38622 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
38623
38624 @item ENODEV
38625 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
38626
38627 @item EROFS
38628 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
38629 write access was requested.
38630
38631 @item EFAULT
38632 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
38633
38634 @item ENOSPC
38635 No space on device to create the file.
38636
38637 @item EMFILE
38638 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
38639
38640 @item ENFILE
38641 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
38642 has been reached.
38643
38644 @item EINTR
38645 The call was interrupted by the user.
38646 @end table
38647
38648 @end table
38649
38650 @node close
38651 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
38652 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
38653
38654 @table @asis
38655 @item Synopsis:
38656 @smallexample
38657 int close(int fd);
38658 @end smallexample
38659
38660 @item Request:
38661 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
38662
38663 @item Return value:
38664 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
38665
38666 @item Errors:
38667
38668 @table @code
38669 @item EBADF
38670 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
38671
38672 @item EINTR
38673 The call was interrupted by the user.
38674 @end table
38675
38676 @end table
38677
38678 @node read
38679 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
38680 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
38681
38682 @table @asis
38683 @item Synopsis:
38684 @smallexample
38685 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
38686 @end smallexample
38687
38688 @item Request:
38689 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
38690
38691 @item Return value:
38692 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
38693 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
38694 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
38695
38696 @item Errors:
38697
38698 @table @code
38699 @item EBADF
38700 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
38701 reading.
38702
38703 @item EFAULT
38704 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
38705
38706 @item EINTR
38707 The call was interrupted by the user.
38708 @end table
38709
38710 @end table
38711
38712 @node write
38713 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
38714 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
38715
38716 @table @asis
38717 @item Synopsis:
38718 @smallexample
38719 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
38720 @end smallexample
38721
38722 @item Request:
38723 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
38724
38725 @item Return value:
38726 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
38727 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
38728 is returned.
38729
38730 @item Errors:
38731
38732 @table @code
38733 @item EBADF
38734 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
38735 writing.
38736
38737 @item EFAULT
38738 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
38739
38740 @item EFBIG
38741 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
38742 host-specific maximum file size allowed.
38743
38744 @item ENOSPC
38745 No space on device to write the data.
38746
38747 @item EINTR
38748 The call was interrupted by the user.
38749 @end table
38750
38751 @end table
38752
38753 @node lseek
38754 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
38755 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
38756
38757 @table @asis
38758 @item Synopsis:
38759 @smallexample
38760 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
38761 @end smallexample
38762
38763 @item Request:
38764 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
38765
38766 @var{flag} is one of:
38767
38768 @table @code
38769 @item SEEK_SET
38770 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
38771
38772 @item SEEK_CUR
38773 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
38774 bytes.
38775
38776 @item SEEK_END
38777 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
38778 bytes.
38779 @end table
38780
38781 @item Return value:
38782 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
38783 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
38784 value of -1 is returned.
38785
38786 @item Errors:
38787
38788 @table @code
38789 @item EBADF
38790 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
38791
38792 @item ESPIPE
38793 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
38794
38795 @item EINVAL
38796 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
38797
38798 @item EINTR
38799 The call was interrupted by the user.
38800 @end table
38801
38802 @end table
38803
38804 @node rename
38805 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
38806 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
38807
38808 @table @asis
38809 @item Synopsis:
38810 @smallexample
38811 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
38812 @end smallexample
38813
38814 @item Request:
38815 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
38816
38817 @item Return value:
38818 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
38819
38820 @item Errors:
38821
38822 @table @code
38823 @item EISDIR
38824 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
38825 directory.
38826
38827 @item EEXIST
38828 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
38829
38830 @item EBUSY
38831 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
38832 process.
38833
38834 @item EINVAL
38835 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
38836 of itself.
38837
38838 @item ENOTDIR
38839 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
38840 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
38841 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
38842
38843 @item EFAULT
38844 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
38845
38846 @item EACCES
38847 No access to the file or the path of the file.
38848
38849 @item ENAMETOOLONG
38850
38851 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
38852
38853 @item ENOENT
38854 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
38855
38856 @item EROFS
38857 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
38858
38859 @item ENOSPC
38860 The device containing the file has no room for the new
38861 directory entry.
38862
38863 @item EINTR
38864 The call was interrupted by the user.
38865 @end table
38866
38867 @end table
38868
38869 @node unlink
38870 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
38871 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
38872
38873 @table @asis
38874 @item Synopsis:
38875 @smallexample
38876 int unlink(const char *pathname);
38877 @end smallexample
38878
38879 @item Request:
38880 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
38881
38882 @item Return value:
38883 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
38884
38885 @item Errors:
38886
38887 @table @code
38888 @item EACCES
38889 No access to the file or the path of the file.
38890
38891 @item EPERM
38892 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
38893
38894 @item EBUSY
38895 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
38896 being used by another process.
38897
38898 @item EFAULT
38899 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
38900
38901 @item ENAMETOOLONG
38902 @var{pathname} was too long.
38903
38904 @item ENOENT
38905 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
38906
38907 @item ENOTDIR
38908 A component of the path is not a directory.
38909
38910 @item EROFS
38911 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
38912
38913 @item EINTR
38914 The call was interrupted by the user.
38915 @end table
38916
38917 @end table
38918
38919 @node stat/fstat
38920 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
38921 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
38922 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
38923
38924 @table @asis
38925 @item Synopsis:
38926 @smallexample
38927 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
38928 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
38929 @end smallexample
38930
38931 @item Request:
38932 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
38933 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
38934
38935 @item Return value:
38936 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
38937
38938 @item Errors:
38939
38940 @table @code
38941 @item EBADF
38942 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
38943
38944 @item ENOENT
38945 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
38946 path is an empty string.
38947
38948 @item ENOTDIR
38949 A component of the path is not a directory.
38950
38951 @item EFAULT
38952 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
38953
38954 @item EACCES
38955 No access to the file or the path of the file.
38956
38957 @item ENAMETOOLONG
38958 @var{pathname} was too long.
38959
38960 @item EINTR
38961 The call was interrupted by the user.
38962 @end table
38963
38964 @end table
38965
38966 @node gettimeofday
38967 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
38968 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
38969
38970 @table @asis
38971 @item Synopsis:
38972 @smallexample
38973 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
38974 @end smallexample
38975
38976 @item Request:
38977 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
38978
38979 @item Return value:
38980 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
38981
38982 @item Errors:
38983
38984 @table @code
38985 @item EINVAL
38986 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
38987
38988 @item EFAULT
38989 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
38990 @end table
38991
38992 @end table
38993
38994 @node isatty
38995 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
38996 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
38997
38998 @table @asis
38999 @item Synopsis:
39000 @smallexample
39001 int isatty(int fd);
39002 @end smallexample
39003
39004 @item Request:
39005 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
39006
39007 @item Return value:
39008 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
39009
39010 @item Errors:
39011
39012 @table @code
39013 @item EINTR
39014 The call was interrupted by the user.
39015 @end table
39016
39017 @end table
39018
39019 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
39020 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
39021 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
39022 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
39023 needed.
39024
39025
39026 @node system
39027 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
39028 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
39029
39030 @table @asis
39031 @item Synopsis:
39032 @smallexample
39033 int system(const char *command);
39034 @end smallexample
39035
39036 @item Request:
39037 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
39038
39039 @item Return value:
39040 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
39041 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
39042 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
39043 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
39044 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
39045 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
39046 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
39047
39048 @item Errors:
39049
39050 @table @code
39051 @item EINTR
39052 The call was interrupted by the user.
39053 @end table
39054
39055 @end table
39056
39057 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
39058 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
39059 the host is simplified before it's returned
39060 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
39061 is discarded, and the return value consists
39062 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
39063
39064 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
39065 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
39066 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
39067
39068 @table @code
39069 @item set remote system-call-allowed
39070 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
39071 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
39072 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
39073
39074 @item show remote system-call-allowed
39075 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
39076 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
39077 protocol.
39078 @end table
39079
39080 @node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
39081 @subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
39082 @cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
39083
39084 @menu
39085 * Integral Datatypes::
39086 * Pointer Values::
39087 * Memory Transfer::
39088 * struct stat::
39089 * struct timeval::
39090 @end menu
39091
39092 @node Integral Datatypes
39093 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
39094 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
39095
39096 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
39097 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
39098 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
39099
39100 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
39101 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
39102
39103 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
39104
39105 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
39106 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
39107
39108 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
39109
39110 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
39111 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
39112 byte order.
39113
39114 @node Pointer Values
39115 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
39116 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
39117
39118 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
39119 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
39120 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
39121 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
39122
39123 @smallexample
39124 @code{1aaf/12}
39125 @end smallexample
39126
39127 @noindent
39128 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
39129 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
39130 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
39131 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
39132
39133 @smallexample
39134 @code{123456/d}
39135 @end smallexample
39136
39137 @node Memory Transfer
39138 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
39139 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
39140
39141 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
39142 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
39143 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
39144 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
39145 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
39146 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
39147 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
39148
39149
39150 @node struct stat
39151 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
39152 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
39153
39154 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
39155 is defined as follows:
39156
39157 @smallexample
39158 struct stat @{
39159 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
39160 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
39161 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
39162 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
39163 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
39164 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
39165 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
39166 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
39167 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
39168 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
39169 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
39170 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
39171 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
39172 @};
39173 @end smallexample
39174
39175 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
39176 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
39177 structure is of size 64 bytes.
39178
39179 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
39180 range of values.
39181
39182 @table @code
39183
39184 @item st_dev
39185 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
39186
39187 @item st_ino
39188 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
39189
39190 @item st_mode
39191 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
39192 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
39193
39194 @item st_uid
39195 @itemx st_gid
39196 @itemx st_rdev
39197 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
39198
39199 @item st_atime
39200 @itemx st_mtime
39201 @itemx st_ctime
39202 These values have a host and file system dependent
39203 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
39204 support exact timing values.
39205 @end table
39206
39207 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
39208 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
39209 continuing.
39210
39211 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
39212 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
39213 get truncated on the target.
39214
39215 @node struct timeval
39216 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
39217 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
39218
39219 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
39220 is defined as follows:
39221
39222 @smallexample
39223 struct timeval @{
39224 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
39225 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
39226 @};
39227 @end smallexample
39228
39229 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
39230 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
39231 structure is of size 8 bytes.
39232
39233 @node Constants
39234 @subsection Constants
39235 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
39236
39237 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
39238 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
39239 values before and after the call as needed.
39240
39241 @menu
39242 * Open Flags::
39243 * mode_t Values::
39244 * Errno Values::
39245 * Lseek Flags::
39246 * Limits::
39247 @end menu
39248
39249 @node Open Flags
39250 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
39251 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
39252
39253 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
39254
39255 @smallexample
39256 O_RDONLY 0x0
39257 O_WRONLY 0x1
39258 O_RDWR 0x2
39259 O_APPEND 0x8
39260 O_CREAT 0x200
39261 O_TRUNC 0x400
39262 O_EXCL 0x800
39263 @end smallexample
39264
39265 @node mode_t Values
39266 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
39267 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
39268
39269 All values are given in octal representation.
39270
39271 @smallexample
39272 S_IFREG 0100000
39273 S_IFDIR 040000
39274 S_IRUSR 0400
39275 S_IWUSR 0200
39276 S_IXUSR 0100
39277 S_IRGRP 040
39278 S_IWGRP 020
39279 S_IXGRP 010
39280 S_IROTH 04
39281 S_IWOTH 02
39282 S_IXOTH 01
39283 @end smallexample
39284
39285 @node Errno Values
39286 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
39287 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
39288
39289 All values are given in decimal representation.
39290
39291 @smallexample
39292 EPERM 1
39293 ENOENT 2
39294 EINTR 4
39295 EBADF 9
39296 EACCES 13
39297 EFAULT 14
39298 EBUSY 16
39299 EEXIST 17
39300 ENODEV 19
39301 ENOTDIR 20
39302 EISDIR 21
39303 EINVAL 22
39304 ENFILE 23
39305 EMFILE 24
39306 EFBIG 27
39307 ENOSPC 28
39308 ESPIPE 29
39309 EROFS 30
39310 ENAMETOOLONG 91
39311 EUNKNOWN 9999
39312 @end smallexample
39313
39314 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
39315 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
39316
39317 @node Lseek Flags
39318 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
39319 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
39320
39321 @smallexample
39322 SEEK_SET 0
39323 SEEK_CUR 1
39324 SEEK_END 2
39325 @end smallexample
39326
39327 @node Limits
39328 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
39329 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
39330
39331 All values are given in decimal representation.
39332
39333 @smallexample
39334 INT_MIN -2147483648
39335 INT_MAX 2147483647
39336 UINT_MAX 4294967295
39337 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
39338 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
39339 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
39340 @end smallexample
39341
39342 @node File-I/O Examples
39343 @subsection File-I/O Examples
39344 @cindex file-i/o examples
39345
39346 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
39347 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
39348
39349 @smallexample
39350 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
39351 @emph{request memory read from target}
39352 -> @code{m1234,6}
39353 <- XXXXXX
39354 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
39355 -> @code{F6}
39356 @end smallexample
39357
39358 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
39359 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
39360
39361 @smallexample
39362 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
39363 @emph{request memory write to target}
39364 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
39365 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
39366 -> @code{F6}
39367 @end smallexample
39368
39369 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
39370 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
39371
39372 @smallexample
39373 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
39374 -> @code{F-1,9}
39375 @end smallexample
39376
39377 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
39378 host is called:
39379
39380 @smallexample
39381 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
39382 -> @code{F-1,4,C}
39383 <- @code{T02}
39384 @end smallexample
39385
39386 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
39387 host is called:
39388
39389 @smallexample
39390 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
39391 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
39392 <- @code{T02}
39393 @end smallexample
39394
39395 @node Library List Format
39396 @section Library List Format
39397 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
39398
39399 On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
39400 same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
39401 @value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
39402 operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
39403 platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
39404 @value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
39405 through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
39406 packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
39407 queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
39408 are loaded.
39409
39410 The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
39411 lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
39412 associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
39413 which report where the library was loaded in memory.
39414
39415 For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
39416 library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
39417 dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
39418 should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
39419 section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
39420 depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
39421
39422 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
39423 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
39424
39425 A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
39426 offset, looks like this:
39427
39428 @smallexample
39429 <library-list>
39430 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
39431 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
39432 </library>
39433 </library-list>
39434 @end smallexample
39435
39436 Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
39437 allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
39438
39439 @smallexample
39440 <library-list>
39441 <library name="sharedlib.o">
39442 <section address="0x10000000"/>
39443 <section address="0x20000000"/>
39444 <section address="0x30000000"/>
39445 </library>
39446 </library-list>
39447 @end smallexample
39448
39449 The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
39450
39451 @smallexample
39452 <!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
39453 <!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
39454 <!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
39455 <!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
39456 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
39457 <!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
39458 <!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
39459 <!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
39460 <!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
39461 @end smallexample
39462
39463 In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
39464 single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
39465 section for each library.
39466
39467 @node Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
39468 @section Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
39469 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
39470
39471 On SVR4 platforms @value{GDBN} can use the symbol table of a dynamic loader
39472 (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) and normal memory operations to maintain a list of
39473 shared libraries. Still a special library list provided by this packet is
39474 more efficient for the @value{GDBN} remote protocol.
39475
39476 The @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet returns an XML document which lists
39477 loaded libraries and their SVR4 linker parameters. For each library on SVR4
39478 target, the following parameters are reported:
39479
39480 @itemize @minus
39481 @item
39482 @code{name}, the absolute file name from the @code{l_name} field of
39483 @code{struct link_map}.
39484 @item
39485 @code{lm} with address of @code{struct link_map} used for TLS
39486 (Thread Local Storage) access.
39487 @item
39488 @code{l_addr}, the displacement as read from the field @code{l_addr} of
39489 @code{struct link_map}. For prelinked libraries this is not an absolute
39490 memory address. It is a displacement of absolute memory address against
39491 address the file was prelinked to during the library load.
39492 @item
39493 @code{l_ld}, which is memory address of the @code{PT_DYNAMIC} segment
39494 @end itemize
39495
39496 Additionally the single @code{main-lm} attribute specifies address of
39497 @code{struct link_map} used for the main executable. This parameter is used
39498 for TLS access and its presence is optional.
39499
39500 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
39501 SVR4 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
39502
39503 A simple memory map, with two loaded libraries (which do not use prelink),
39504 looks like this:
39505
39506 @smallexample
39507 <library-list-svr4 version="1.0" main-lm="0xe4f8f8">
39508 <library name="/lib/ld-linux.so.2" lm="0xe4f51c" l_addr="0xe2d000"
39509 l_ld="0xe4eefc"/>
39510 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6" lm="0xe4fbe8" l_addr="0x154000"
39511 l_ld="0x152350"/>
39512 </library-list-svr>
39513 @end smallexample
39514
39515 The format of an SVR4 library list is described by this DTD:
39516
39517 @smallexample
39518 <!-- library-list-svr4: Root element with versioning -->
39519 <!ELEMENT library-list-svr4 (library)*>
39520 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
39521 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 main-lm CDATA #IMPLIED>
39522 <!ELEMENT library EMPTY>
39523 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
39524 <!ATTLIST library lm CDATA #REQUIRED>
39525 <!ATTLIST library l_addr CDATA #REQUIRED>
39526 <!ATTLIST library l_ld CDATA #REQUIRED>
39527 @end smallexample
39528
39529 @node Memory Map Format
39530 @section Memory Map Format
39531 @cindex memory map format
39532
39533 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
39534 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
39535 memory map.
39536
39537 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
39538 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
39539 lists memory regions.
39540
39541 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
39542 memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
39543
39544 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
39545
39546 @smallexample
39547 <?xml version="1.0"?>
39548 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
39549 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
39550 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
39551 <memory-map>
39552 region...
39553 </memory-map>
39554 @end smallexample
39555
39556 Each region can be either:
39557
39558 @itemize
39559
39560 @item
39561 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
39562 bytes from there:
39563
39564 @smallexample
39565 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
39566 @end smallexample
39567
39568
39569 @item
39570 A region of read-only memory:
39571
39572 @smallexample
39573 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
39574 @end smallexample
39575
39576
39577 @item
39578 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
39579 bytes in length:
39580
39581 @smallexample
39582 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
39583 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
39584 </memory>
39585 @end smallexample
39586
39587 @end itemize
39588
39589 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
39590 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
39591 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
39592
39593 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
39594
39595 @smallexample
39596 <!-- ................................................... -->
39597 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
39598 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
39599 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
39600 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
39601 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
39602 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
39603 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
39604 <!ELEMENT memory (property)>
39605 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
39606 and its type, or device. -->
39607 <!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
39608 start CDATA #REQUIRED
39609 length CDATA #REQUIRED
39610 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
39611 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
39612 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
39613 <!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
39614 @end smallexample
39615
39616 @node Thread List Format
39617 @section Thread List Format
39618 @cindex thread list format
39619
39620 To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
39621 @value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
39622 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
39623 the following structure:
39624
39625 @smallexample
39626 <?xml version="1.0"?>
39627 <threads>
39628 <thread id="id" core="0">
39629 ... description ...
39630 </thread>
39631 </threads>
39632 @end smallexample
39633
39634 Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
39635 identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
39636 @samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
39637 the thread was last executing on. The content of the of @samp{thread}
39638 element is interpreted as human-readable auxilliary information.
39639
39640 @node Traceframe Info Format
39641 @section Traceframe Info Format
39642 @cindex traceframe info format
39643
39644 To be able to know which objects in the inferior can be examined when
39645 inspecting a tracepoint hit, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of
39646 memory ranges, registers and trace state variables that have been
39647 collected in a traceframe.
39648
39649 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
39650 (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}) packet and is an XML document.
39651
39652 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
39653 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
39654
39655 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
39656
39657 @smallexample
39658 <?xml version="1.0"?>
39659 <!DOCTYPE traceframe-info
39660 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
39661 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-traceframe-info.dtd">
39662 <traceframe-info>
39663 block...
39664 </traceframe-info>
39665 @end smallexample
39666
39667 Each traceframe block can be either:
39668
39669 @itemize
39670
39671 @item
39672 A region of collected memory starting at @var{addr} and extending for
39673 @var{length} bytes from there:
39674
39675 @smallexample
39676 <memory start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
39677 @end smallexample
39678
39679 @end itemize
39680
39681 The formal DTD for the traceframe info format is given below:
39682
39683 @smallexample
39684 <!ELEMENT traceframe-info (memory)* >
39685 <!ATTLIST traceframe-info version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
39686
39687 <!ELEMENT memory EMPTY>
39688 <!ATTLIST memory start CDATA #REQUIRED
39689 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
39690 @end smallexample
39691
39692 @include agentexpr.texi
39693
39694 @node Target Descriptions
39695 @appendix Target Descriptions
39696 @cindex target descriptions
39697
39698 One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
39699 is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
39700 architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
39701 a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or @acronym{MIPS}, for example ---
39702 and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
39703 architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
39704 vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
39705
39706 @itemize @bullet
39707 @item
39708 With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
39709 the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
39710 @item
39711 Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
39712 audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
39713 variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
39714 @item
39715 When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
39716 at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
39717 @command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
39718 @end itemize
39719
39720 To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
39721 target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
39722 actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
39723 processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
39724 descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
39725
39726 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
39727 target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
39728
39729 @menu
39730 * Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
39731 * Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
39732 * Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
39733 descriptions.
39734 * Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
39735 @end menu
39736
39737 @node Retrieving Descriptions
39738 @section Retrieving Descriptions
39739
39740 Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
39741 specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
39742 description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
39743 protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
39744 qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
39745 @samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
39746 XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
39747 Format}.
39748
39749 Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
39750 If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
39751 specify a file are:
39752
39753 @table @code
39754 @cindex set tdesc filename
39755 @item set tdesc filename @var{path}
39756 Read the target description from @var{path}.
39757
39758 @cindex unset tdesc filename
39759 @item unset tdesc filename
39760 Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
39761 will use the description supplied by the current target.
39762
39763 @cindex show tdesc filename
39764 @item show tdesc filename
39765 Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
39766 @end table
39767
39768
39769 @node Target Description Format
39770 @section Target Description Format
39771 @cindex target descriptions, XML format
39772
39773 A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
39774 document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
39775 the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
39776 means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
39777 check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
39778 However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
39779 their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
39780
39781 Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
39782 and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
39783 sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
39784 @value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
39785 target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
39786
39787 Here is a simple target description:
39788
39789 @smallexample
39790 <target version="1.0">
39791 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
39792 </target>
39793 @end smallexample
39794
39795 @noindent
39796 This minimal description only says that the target uses
39797 the x86-64 architecture.
39798
39799 A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
39800 optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
39801 are explained further below.
39802
39803 @smallexample
39804 <?xml version="1.0"?>
39805 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
39806 <target version="1.0">
39807 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
39808 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
39809 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
39810 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
39811 </target>
39812 @end smallexample
39813
39814 @noindent
39815 The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
39816 breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
39817 declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
39818 (@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
39819 useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
39820 @samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
39821 including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
39822 revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
39823 the version mismatch.
39824
39825 @subsection Inclusion
39826 @cindex target descriptions, inclusion
39827 @cindex XInclude
39828 @ifnotinfo
39829 @cindex <xi:include>
39830 @end ifnotinfo
39831
39832 It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
39833 several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
39834 share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
39835 divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
39836 the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
39837
39838 @smallexample
39839 <xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
39840 @end smallexample
39841
39842 @noindent
39843 When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
39844 the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
39845 the contents of that document. If the current description was read
39846 using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
39847 @var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
39848 current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
39849 @var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
39850 original description.
39851
39852 @subsection Architecture
39853 @cindex <architecture>
39854
39855 An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
39856
39857 @smallexample
39858 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
39859 @end smallexample
39860
39861 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
39862 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
39863
39864 @subsection OS ABI
39865 @cindex @code{<osabi>}
39866
39867 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
39868 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
39869
39870 An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
39871
39872 @smallexample
39873 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
39874 @end smallexample
39875
39876 @var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
39877 @w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
39878
39879 @subsection Compatible Architecture
39880 @cindex @code{<compatible>}
39881
39882 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
39883 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
39884
39885 A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
39886
39887 @smallexample
39888 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
39889 @end smallexample
39890
39891 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
39892 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
39893
39894 A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
39895 is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
39896 given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
39897 Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
39898 or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
39899 in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
39900 capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
39901
39902 @smallexample
39903 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
39904 <compatible>spu</compatible>
39905 @end smallexample
39906
39907 @subsection Features
39908 @cindex <feature>
39909
39910 Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
39911 system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
39912 registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
39913 has this form:
39914
39915 @smallexample
39916 <feature name="@var{name}">
39917 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
39918 @var{reg}@dots{}
39919 </feature>
39920 @end smallexample
39921
39922 @noindent
39923 Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
39924 of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
39925 knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
39926 should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
39927
39928 @subsection Types
39929
39930 Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
39931 interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
39932 but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
39933 Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
39934 Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite types.
39935
39936 Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
39937 a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
39938 Types must be defined before they are used.
39939
39940 @cindex <vector>
39941 Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
39942 of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
39943 specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
39944 @var{count}:
39945
39946 @smallexample
39947 <vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
39948 @end smallexample
39949
39950 @cindex <union>
39951 If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
39952 with a union type containing the useful representations. The
39953 @samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
39954 each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
39955
39956 @smallexample
39957 <union id="@var{id}">
39958 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
39959 @dots{}
39960 </union>
39961 @end smallexample
39962
39963 @cindex <struct>
39964 If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
39965 it with a structure type. There are two forms of the @samp{<struct>}
39966 element; a @samp{<struct>} element must either contain only bitfields
39967 or contain no bitfields. If the structure contains only bitfields,
39968 its total size in bytes must be specified, each bitfield must have an
39969 explicit start and end, and bitfields are automatically assigned an
39970 integer type. The field's @var{start} should be less than or
39971 equal to its @var{end}, and zero represents the least significant bit.
39972
39973 @smallexample
39974 <struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
39975 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
39976 @dots{}
39977 </struct>
39978 @end smallexample
39979
39980 If the structure contains no bitfields, then each field has an
39981 explicit type, and no implicit padding is added.
39982
39983 @smallexample
39984 <struct id="@var{id}">
39985 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
39986 @dots{}
39987 </struct>
39988 @end smallexample
39989
39990 @cindex <flags>
39991 If a register's value is a series of single-bit flags, define it with
39992 a flags type. The @samp{<flags>} element has an explicit @var{size}
39993 and contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements. Each field has a
39994 @var{name}, a @var{start}, and an @var{end}. Only single-bit flags
39995 are supported.
39996
39997 @smallexample
39998 <flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
39999 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
40000 @dots{}
40001 </flags>
40002 @end smallexample
40003
40004 @subsection Registers
40005 @cindex <reg>
40006
40007 Each register is represented as an element with this form:
40008
40009 @smallexample
40010 <reg name="@var{name}"
40011 bitsize="@var{size}"
40012 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
40013 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
40014 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
40015 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
40016 @end smallexample
40017
40018 @noindent
40019 The components are as follows:
40020
40021 @table @var
40022
40023 @item name
40024 The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
40025
40026 @item bitsize
40027 The register's size, in bits.
40028
40029 @item regnum
40030 The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
40031 than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
40032 a preceding feature); the first register in the target description
40033 defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
40034 the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
40035 packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
40036 in order of increasing register number.
40037
40038 @item save-restore
40039 Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
40040 calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
40041 @code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
40042 some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
40043 ABI.
40044
40045 @item type
40046 The type of the register. @var{type} may be a predefined type, a type
40047 defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
40048 and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
40049 for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
40050 architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
40051 @var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
40052
40053 @item group
40054 The register group to which this register belongs. @var{group} must
40055 be either @code{general}, @code{float}, or @code{vector}. If no
40056 @var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register
40057 in @code{info registers}.
40058
40059 @end table
40060
40061 @node Predefined Target Types
40062 @section Predefined Target Types
40063 @cindex target descriptions, predefined types
40064
40065 Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
40066 from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
40067 standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
40068 types. The currently supported types are:
40069
40070 @table @code
40071
40072 @item int8
40073 @itemx int16
40074 @itemx int32
40075 @itemx int64
40076 @itemx int128
40077 Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
40078
40079 @item uint8
40080 @itemx uint16
40081 @itemx uint32
40082 @itemx uint64
40083 @itemx uint128
40084 Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
40085
40086 @item code_ptr
40087 @itemx data_ptr
40088 Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
40089 any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
40090 pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
40091 address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
40092 may be marked as data pointers.
40093
40094 @item ieee_single
40095 Single precision IEEE floating point.
40096
40097 @item ieee_double
40098 Double precision IEEE floating point.
40099
40100 @item arm_fpa_ext
40101 The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
40102
40103 @item i387_ext
40104 The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
40105
40106 @item i386_eflags
40107 32bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
40108
40109 @item i386_mxcsr
40110 32bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
40111
40112 @end table
40113
40114 @node Standard Target Features
40115 @section Standard Target Features
40116 @cindex target descriptions, standard features
40117
40118 A target description must contain either no registers or all the
40119 target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
40120 @value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
40121 the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
40122 default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
40123 described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
40124 can recognize them.
40125
40126 This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
40127 which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
40128 with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
40129 if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
40130 feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
40131 description. You can add additional registers to any of the
40132 standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
40133 they were added to an unrecognized feature.
40134
40135 This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
40136 Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
40137 @value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
40138
40139 Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
40140 company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
40141 architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
40142 containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
40143
40144 The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
40145 of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
40146 registers using the capitalization used in the description.
40147
40148 @menu
40149 * ARM Features::
40150 * i386 Features::
40151 * MIPS Features::
40152 * M68K Features::
40153 * PowerPC Features::
40154 * TIC6x Features::
40155 @end menu
40156
40157
40158 @node ARM Features
40159 @subsection ARM Features
40160 @cindex target descriptions, ARM features
40161
40162 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for non-M-profile
40163 ARM targets.
40164 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
40165 @samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
40166
40167 For M-profile targets (e.g. Cortex-M3), the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}
40168 feature is replaced by @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.m-profile}. It should contain
40169 registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp}, @samp{lr}, @samp{pc},
40170 and @samp{xpsr}.
40171
40172 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
40173 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
40174
40175 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
40176 it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
40177 @samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
40178 @samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
40179
40180 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
40181 should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
40182 they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
40183 @value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
40184 halves of the double-precision registers.
40185
40186 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
40187 need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
40188 VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
40189 quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
40190 If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
40191 be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
40192
40193 @node i386 Features
40194 @subsection i386 Features
40195 @cindex target descriptions, i386 features
40196
40197 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
40198 targets. It should describe the following registers:
40199
40200 @itemize @minus
40201 @item
40202 @samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
40203 @item
40204 @samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
40205 @item
40206 @samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
40207 @samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
40208 @item
40209 @samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
40210 @item
40211 @samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
40212 @samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
40213 @end itemize
40214
40215 The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
40216
40217 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
40218 describe registers:
40219
40220 @itemize @minus
40221 @item
40222 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
40223 @item
40224 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
40225 @item
40226 @samp{mxcsr}
40227 @end itemize
40228
40229 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
40230 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
40231 describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
40232
40233 @itemize @minus
40234 @item
40235 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
40236 @item
40237 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
40238 @end itemize
40239
40240 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
40241 describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
40242
40243 @node MIPS Features
40244 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Features
40245 @cindex target descriptions, @acronym{MIPS} features
40246
40247 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for @acronym{MIPS} targets.
40248 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
40249 @samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
40250 on the target.
40251
40252 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
40253 contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
40254 registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
40255
40256 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
40257 it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
40258 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
40259 @samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
40260
40261 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.dsp} feature is optional. It should
40262 contain registers @samp{hi1} through @samp{hi3}, @samp{lo1} through
40263 @samp{lo3}, and @samp{dspctl}. The @samp{dspctl} register should
40264 be 32-bit and the rest may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
40265
40266 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
40267 contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
40268 Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
40269
40270 @node M68K Features
40271 @subsection M68K Features
40272 @cindex target descriptions, M68K features
40273
40274 @table @code
40275 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
40276 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
40277 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
40278 One of those features must be always present.
40279 The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
40280 used. The feature that is present should contain registers
40281 @samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
40282 @samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
40283
40284 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
40285 This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
40286 @samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
40287 @samp{fpiaddr}.
40288 @end table
40289
40290 @node PowerPC Features
40291 @subsection PowerPC Features
40292 @cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
40293
40294 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
40295 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
40296 @samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
40297 @samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
40298
40299 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
40300 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
40301
40302 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
40303 contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr},
40304 and @samp{vrsave}.
40305
40306 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
40307 contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN}
40308 will combine these registers with the floating point registers
40309 (@samp{f0} through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0}
40310 through @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0}
40311 through @samp{vs63}, the set of vector registers for POWER7.
40312
40313 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
40314 contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
40315 @samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
40316 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
40317 @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
40318 these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
40319 user.
40320
40321 @node TIC6x Features
40322 @subsection TMS320C6x Features
40323 @cindex target descriptions, TIC6x features
40324 @cindex target descriptions, TMS320C6x features
40325 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.core} feature is required for TMS320C6x
40326 targets. It should contain registers @samp{A0} through @samp{A15},
40327 registers @samp{B0} through @samp{B15}, @samp{CSR} and @samp{PC}.
40328
40329 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.gp} feature is optional. It should
40330 contain registers @samp{A16} through @samp{A31} and @samp{B16}
40331 through @samp{B31}.
40332
40333 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.c6xp} feature is optional. It should
40334 contain registers @samp{TSR}, @samp{ILC} and @samp{RILC}.
40335
40336 @node Operating System Information
40337 @appendix Operating System Information
40338 @cindex operating system information
40339
40340 @menu
40341 * Process list::
40342 @end menu
40343
40344 Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
40345 the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
40346 processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
40347 mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
40348 target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
40349 on a different aspect of target.
40350
40351 Operating system information is retrived from the target via the
40352 remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
40353 read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
40354 the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
40355
40356 @node Process list
40357 @appendixsection Process list
40358 @cindex operating system information, process list
40359
40360 When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
40361 @samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
40362 an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
40363 @file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
40364
40365 An example document is:
40366
40367 @smallexample
40368 <?xml version="1.0"?>
40369 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
40370 <osdata type="processes">
40371 <item>
40372 <column name="pid">1</column>
40373 <column name="user">root</column>
40374 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
40375 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
40376 </item>
40377 </osdata>
40378 @end smallexample
40379
40380 Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
40381 of that column should identify the process on the target. The
40382 @samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
40383 displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
40384 should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
40385 is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
40386 which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
40387
40388 @node Trace File Format
40389 @appendix Trace File Format
40390 @cindex trace file format
40391
40392 The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
40393 section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
40394
40395 The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
40396 @code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
40397 while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
40398 in the future.
40399
40400 The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
40401 separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
40402 variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
40403 as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
40404 ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
40405 of this section.
40406
40407 @c FIXME add some specific types of data
40408
40409 The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
40410 Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
40411 four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
40412 the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
40413 character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
40414 state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
40415 hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
40416 endianness.
40417
40418 @c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
40419
40420 @table @code
40421 @item R @var{bytes}
40422 Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
40423 @code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
40424 actual bytes, in target order and @value{GDBN} register order, not a
40425 hexadecimal encoding.
40426
40427 @item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
40428 Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
40429 address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
40430 @var{length} bytes.
40431
40432 @item V @var{number} @var{value}
40433 Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
40434 @var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
40435
40436 @end table
40437
40438 Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
40439 of blocks.
40440
40441 @node Index Section Format
40442 @appendix @code{.gdb_index} section format
40443 @cindex .gdb_index section format
40444 @cindex index section format
40445
40446 This section documents the index section that is created by @code{save
40447 gdb-index} (@pxref{Index Files}). The index section is
40448 DWARF-specific; some knowledge of DWARF is assumed in this
40449 description.
40450
40451 The mapped index file format is designed to be directly
40452 @code{mmap}able on any architecture. In most cases, a datum is
40453 represented using a little-endian 32-bit integer value, called an
40454 @code{offset_type}. Big endian machines must byte-swap the values
40455 before using them. Exceptions to this rule are noted. The data is
40456 laid out such that alignment is always respected.
40457
40458 A mapped index consists of several areas, laid out in order.
40459
40460 @enumerate
40461 @item
40462 The file header. This is a sequence of values, of @code{offset_type}
40463 unless otherwise noted:
40464
40465 @enumerate
40466 @item
40467 The version number, currently 7. Versions 1, 2 and 3 are obsolete.
40468 Version 4 uses a different hashing function from versions 5 and 6.
40469 Version 6 includes symbols for inlined functions, whereas versions 4
40470 and 5 do not. Version 7 adds attributes to the CU indices in the
40471 symbol table. @value{GDBN} will only read version 4, 5, or 6 indices
40472 by specifying @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
40473
40474 @item
40475 The offset, from the start of the file, of the CU list.
40476
40477 @item
40478 The offset, from the start of the file, of the types CU list. Note
40479 that this area can be empty, in which case this offset will be equal
40480 to the next offset.
40481
40482 @item
40483 The offset, from the start of the file, of the address area.
40484
40485 @item
40486 The offset, from the start of the file, of the symbol table.
40487
40488 @item
40489 The offset, from the start of the file, of the constant pool.
40490 @end enumerate
40491
40492 @item
40493 The CU list. This is a sequence of pairs of 64-bit little-endian
40494 values, sorted by the CU offset. The first element in each pair is
40495 the offset of a CU in the @code{.debug_info} section. The second
40496 element in each pair is the length of that CU. References to a CU
40497 elsewhere in the map are done using a CU index, which is just the
40498 0-based index into this table. Note that if there are type CUs, then
40499 conceptually CUs and type CUs form a single list for the purposes of
40500 CU indices.
40501
40502 @item
40503 The types CU list. This is a sequence of triplets of 64-bit
40504 little-endian values. In a triplet, the first value is the CU offset,
40505 the second value is the type offset in the CU, and the third value is
40506 the type signature. The types CU list is not sorted.
40507
40508 @item
40509 The address area. The address area consists of a sequence of address
40510 entries. Each address entry has three elements:
40511
40512 @enumerate
40513 @item
40514 The low address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value.
40515
40516 @item
40517 The high address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value. Like
40518 @code{DW_AT_high_pc}, the value is one byte beyond the end.
40519
40520 @item
40521 The CU index. This is an @code{offset_type} value.
40522 @end enumerate
40523
40524 @item
40525 The symbol table. This is an open-addressed hash table. The size of
40526 the hash table is always a power of 2.
40527
40528 Each slot in the hash table consists of a pair of @code{offset_type}
40529 values. The first value is the offset of the symbol's name in the
40530 constant pool. The second value is the offset of the CU vector in the
40531 constant pool.
40532
40533 If both values are 0, then this slot in the hash table is empty. This
40534 is ok because while 0 is a valid constant pool index, it cannot be a
40535 valid index for both a string and a CU vector.
40536
40537 The hash value for a table entry is computed by applying an
40538 iterative hash function to the symbol's name. Starting with an
40539 initial value of @code{r = 0}, each (unsigned) character @samp{c} in
40540 the string is incorporated into the hash using the formula depending on the
40541 index version:
40542
40543 @table @asis
40544 @item Version 4
40545 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + c - 113}.
40546
40547 @item Versions 5 to 7
40548 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + tolower (c) - 113}.
40549 @end table
40550
40551 The terminating @samp{\0} is not incorporated into the hash.
40552
40553 The step size used in the hash table is computed via
40554 @code{((hash * 17) & (size - 1)) | 1}, where @samp{hash} is the hash
40555 value, and @samp{size} is the size of the hash table. The step size
40556 is used to find the next candidate slot when handling a hash
40557 collision.
40558
40559 The names of C@t{++} symbols in the hash table are canonicalized. We
40560 don't currently have a simple description of the canonicalization
40561 algorithm; if you intend to create new index sections, you must read
40562 the code.
40563
40564 @item
40565 The constant pool. This is simply a bunch of bytes. It is organized
40566 so that alignment is correct: CU vectors are stored first, followed by
40567 strings.
40568
40569 A CU vector in the constant pool is a sequence of @code{offset_type}
40570 values. The first value is the number of CU indices in the vector.
40571 Each subsequent value is the index and symbol attributes of a CU in
40572 the CU list. This element in the hash table is used to indicate which
40573 CUs define the symbol and how the symbol is used.
40574 See below for the format of each CU index+attributes entry.
40575
40576 A string in the constant pool is zero-terminated.
40577 @end enumerate
40578
40579 Attributes were added to CU index values in @code{.gdb_index} version 7.
40580 If a symbol has multiple uses within a CU then there is one
40581 CU index+attributes value for each use.
40582
40583 The format of each CU index+attributes entry is as follows
40584 (bit 0 = LSB):
40585
40586 @table @asis
40587
40588 @item Bits 0-23
40589 This is the index of the CU in the CU list.
40590 @item Bits 24-27
40591 These bits are reserved for future purposes and must be zero.
40592 @item Bits 28-30
40593 The kind of the symbol in the CU.
40594
40595 @table @asis
40596 @item 0
40597 This value is reserved and should not be used.
40598 By reserving zero the full @code{offset_type} value is backwards compatible
40599 with previous versions of the index.
40600 @item 1
40601 The symbol is a type.
40602 @item 2
40603 The symbol is a variable or an enum value.
40604 @item 3
40605 The symbol is a function.
40606 @item 4
40607 Any other kind of symbol.
40608 @item 5,6,7
40609 These values are reserved.
40610 @end table
40611
40612 @item Bit 31
40613 This bit is zero if the value is global and one if it is static.
40614
40615 The determination of whether a symbol is global or static is complicated.
40616 The authorative reference is the file @file{dwarf2read.c} in
40617 @value{GDBN} sources.
40618
40619 @end table
40620
40621 This pseudo-code describes the computation of a symbol's kind and
40622 global/static attributes in the index.
40623
40624 @smallexample
40625 is_external = get_attribute (die, DW_AT_external);
40626 language = get_attribute (cu_die, DW_AT_language);
40627 switch (die->tag)
40628 @{
40629 case DW_TAG_typedef:
40630 case DW_TAG_base_type:
40631 case DW_TAG_subrange_type:
40632 kind = TYPE;
40633 is_static = 1;
40634 break;
40635 case DW_TAG_enumerator:
40636 kind = VARIABLE;
40637 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
40638 break;
40639 case DW_TAG_subprogram:
40640 kind = FUNCTION;
40641 is_static = ! (is_external || language == ADA);
40642 break;
40643 case DW_TAG_constant:
40644 kind = VARIABLE;
40645 is_static = ! is_external;
40646 break;
40647 case DW_TAG_variable:
40648 kind = VARIABLE;
40649 is_static = ! is_external;
40650 break;
40651 case DW_TAG_namespace:
40652 kind = TYPE;
40653 is_static = 0;
40654 break;
40655 case DW_TAG_class_type:
40656 case DW_TAG_interface_type:
40657 case DW_TAG_structure_type:
40658 case DW_TAG_union_type:
40659 case DW_TAG_enumeration_type:
40660 kind = TYPE;
40661 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
40662 break;
40663 default:
40664 assert (0);
40665 @}
40666 @end smallexample
40667
40668 @include gpl.texi
40669
40670 @node GNU Free Documentation License
40671 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
40672 @include fdl.texi
40673
40674 @node Concept Index
40675 @unnumbered Concept Index
40676
40677 @printindex cp
40678
40679 @node Command and Variable Index
40680 @unnumbered Command, Variable, and Function Index
40681
40682 @printindex fn
40683
40684 @tex
40685 % I think something like @@colophon should be in texinfo. In the
40686 % meantime:
40687 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
40688 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
40689 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
40690 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
40691 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
40692 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
40693 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
40694 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
40695 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
40696 \page\colophon
40697 % Blame: doc@@cygnus.com, 1991.
40698 @end tex
40699
40700 @bye
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