What has changed in GDB?
(Organized release by release)
-*** Changes since GDB 6.3
+*** Changes since GDB 6.8
+
+* Watchpoints can now be set on unreadable memory locations, e.g. addresses
+which will be allocated using malloc later in program execution.
+
+* New features in the GDB remote stub, gdbserver
+
+ - The "--wrapper" command-line argument tells gdbserver to use a
+ wrapper program to launch programs for debugging.
+
+* New commands
+
+set debug timetstamp
+show debug timestamp
+ Display timestamps with GDB debugging output.
+
+set exec-wrapper
+show exec-wrapper
+unset exec-wrapper
+ Use a wrapper program to launch programs for debugging.
+
+*** Changes in GDB 6.8
+
+* New native configurations
+
+NetBSD/hppa hppa*-*netbsd*
+Xtensa GNU/Linux xtensa*-*-linux*
+
+* New targets
+
+NetBSD/hppa hppa*-*-netbsd*
+Xtensa GNU/Lunux xtensa*-*-linux*
+
+* Change in command line behavior -- corefiles vs. process ids.
+
+ When the '-p NUMBER' or '--pid NUMBER' options are used, and
+ attaching to process NUMBER fails, GDB no longer attempts to open a
+ core file named NUMBER. Attaching to a program using the -c option
+ is no longer supported. Instead, use the '-p' or '--pid' options.
+
+* GDB can now be built as a native debugger for debugging Windows x86
+(mingw32) Portable Executable (PE) programs.
+
+* Pending breakpoints no longer change their number when their address
+is resolved.
+
+* GDB now supports breakpoints with multiple locations,
+including breakpoints on C++ constructors, inside C++ templates,
+and in inlined functions.
+
+* GDB's ability to debug optimized code has been improved. GDB more
+accurately identifies function bodies and lexical blocks that occupy
+more than one contiguous range of addresses.
+
+* Target descriptions can now describe registers for PowerPC.
+
+* The GDB remote stub, gdbserver, now supports the AltiVec and SPE
+registers on PowerPC targets.
+
+* The GDB remote stub, gdbserver, now supports thread debugging on GNU/Linux
+targets even when the libthread_db library is not available.
+
+* The GDB remote stub, gdbserver, now supports the new file transfer
+commands (remote put, remote get, and remote delete).
+
+* The GDB remote stub, gdbserver, now supports run and attach in
+extended-remote mode.
+
+* hppa*64*-*-hpux11* target broken
+ The debugger is unable to start a program and fails with the following
+ error: "Error trying to get information about dynamic linker".
+ The gdb-6.7 release is also affected.
+
+* GDB now supports the --enable-targets= configure option to allow
+building a single GDB executable that supports multiple remote
+target architectures.
+
+* GDB now supports debugging C and C++ programs which use the
+Decimal Floating Point extension. In addition, the PowerPC target
+now has a set of pseudo-registers to inspect decimal float values
+stored in two consecutive float registers.
+
+* The -break-insert MI command can optionally create pending
+breakpoints now.
+
+* Improved support for debugging Ada
+ Many improvements to the Ada language support have been made. These
+ include:
+ - Better support for Ada2005 interface types
+ - Improved handling of arrays and slices in general
+ - Better support for Taft-amendment types
+ - The '{type} ADDRESS' expression is now allowed on the left hand-side
+ of an assignment
+ - Improved command completion in Ada
+ - Several bug fixes
+
+* New commands
+
+set print frame-arguments (all|scalars|none)
+show print frame-arguments
+ The value of this variable can be changed to control which argument
+ values should be printed by the debugger when displaying a frame.
+
+remote put
+remote get
+remote delete
+ Transfer files to and from a remote target, and delete remote files.
+
+* New MI commands
+
+-target-file-put
+-target-file-get
+-target-file-delete
+ Transfer files to and from a remote target, and delete remote files.
+
+* New remote packets
+
+vFile:open:
+vFile:close:
+vFile:pread:
+vFile:pwrite:
+vFile:unlink:
+ Open, close, read, write, and delete files on the remote system.
+
+* GDB on GNU/Linux and HP/UX can now debug through "exec" of a new
+process.
+
+vAttach
+ Attach to an existing process on the remote system, in extended-remote
+ mode.
+
+vRun
+ Run a new process on the remote system, in extended-remote mode.
+
+*** Changes in GDB 6.7
+
+* Resolved 101 resource leaks, null pointer dereferences, etc. in gdb,
+bfd, libiberty and opcodes, as revealed by static analysis donated by
+Coverity, Inc. (http://scan.coverity.com).
+
+* When looking up multiply-defined global symbols, GDB will now prefer the
+symbol definition in the current shared library if it was built using the
+-Bsymbolic linker option.
+
+* When the Text User Interface (TUI) is not configured, GDB will now
+recognize the -tui command-line option and print a message that the TUI
+is not supported.
+
+* The GDB remote stub, gdbserver, now has lower overhead for high
+frequency signals (e.g. SIGALRM) via the QPassSignals packet.
+
+* GDB for MIPS targets now autodetects whether a remote target provides
+32-bit or 64-bit register values.
+
+* Support for C++ member pointers has been improved.
+
+* GDB now understands XML target descriptions, which specify the
+target's overall architecture. GDB can read a description from
+a local file or over the remote serial protocol.
+
+* Vectors of single-byte data use a new integer type which is not
+automatically displayed as character or string data.
+
+* The /s format now works with the print command. It displays
+arrays of single-byte integers and pointers to single-byte integers
+as strings.
+
+* Target descriptions can now describe target-specific registers,
+for architectures which have implemented the support (currently
+only ARM, M68K, and MIPS).
+
+* GDB and the GDB remote stub, gdbserver, now support the XScale
+iWMMXt coprocessor.
+
+* The GDB remote stub, gdbserver, has been updated to support
+ARM Windows CE (mingw32ce) debugging, and GDB Windows CE support
+has been rewritten to use the standard GDB remote protocol.
+
+* GDB can now step into C++ functions which are called through thunks.
+
+* GDB for the Cell/B.E. SPU now supports overlay debugging.
+
+* The GDB remote protocol "qOffsets" packet can now honor ELF segment
+layout. It also supports a TextSeg= and DataSeg= response when only
+segment base addresses (rather than offsets) are available.
+
+* The /i format now outputs any trailing branch delay slot instructions
+immediately following the last instruction within the count specified.
+
+* The GDB remote protocol "T" stop reply packet now supports a
+"library" response. Combined with the new "qXfer:libraries:read"
+packet, this response allows GDB to debug shared libraries on targets
+where the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries (e.g.
+Windows and SymbianOS).
+
+* The GDB remote stub, gdbserver, now supports dynamic link libraries
+(DLLs) on Windows and Windows CE targets.
+
+* GDB now supports a faster verification that a .debug file matches its binary
+according to its build-id signature, if the signature is present.
+
+* New commands
+
+set remoteflow
+show remoteflow
+ Enable or disable hardware flow control (RTS/CTS) on the serial port
+ when debugging using remote targets.
+
+set mem inaccessible-by-default
+show mem inaccessible-by-default
+ If the target supplies a memory map, for instance via the remote
+ protocol's "qXfer:memory-map:read" packet, setting this variable
+ prevents GDB from accessing memory outside the memory map. This
+ is useful for targets with memory mapped registers or which react
+ badly to accesses of unmapped address space.
+
+set breakpoint auto-hw
+show breakpoint auto-hw
+ If the target supplies a memory map, for instance via the remote
+ protocol's "qXfer:memory-map:read" packet, setting this variable
+ lets GDB use hardware breakpoints automatically for memory regions
+ where it can not use software breakpoints. This covers both the
+ "break" command and internal breakpoints used for other commands
+ including "next" and "finish".
+
+catch exception
+catch exception unhandled
+ Stop the program execution when Ada exceptions are raised.
+
+catch assert
+ Stop the program execution when an Ada assertion failed.
+
+set sysroot
+show sysroot
+ Set an alternate system root for target files. This is a more
+ general version of "set solib-absolute-prefix", which is now
+ an alias to "set sysroot".
+
+info spu
+ Provide extended SPU facility status information. This set of
+ commands is available only when debugging the Cell/B.E. SPU
+ architecture.
* New native configurations
+OpenBSD/sh sh*-*openbsd*
+
+set tdesc filename
+unset tdesc filename
+show tdesc filename
+ Use the specified local file as an XML target description, and do
+ not query the target for its built-in description.
+
+* New targets
+
+OpenBSD/sh sh*-*-openbsd*
+MIPS64 GNU/Linux (gdbserver) mips64-linux-gnu
+Toshiba Media Processor mep-elf
+
+* New remote packets
+
+QPassSignals:
+ Ignore the specified signals; pass them directly to the debugged program
+ without stopping other threads or reporting them to GDB.
+
+qXfer:features:read:
+ Read an XML target description from the target, which describes its
+ features.
+
+qXfer:spu:read:
+qXfer:spu:write:
+ Read or write contents of an spufs file on the target system. These
+ packets are available only on the Cell/B.E. SPU architecture.
+
+qXfer:libraries:read:
+ Report the loaded shared libraries. Combined with new "T" packet
+ response, this packet allows GDB to debug shared libraries on
+ targets where the operating system manages the list of loaded
+ libraries (e.g. Windows and SymbianOS).
+
+* Removed targets
+
+Support for these obsolete configurations has been removed.
+
+alpha*-*-osf1*
+alpha*-*-osf2*
+d10v-*-*
+hppa*-*-hiux*
+i[34567]86-ncr-*
+i[34567]86-*-dgux*
+i[34567]86-*-lynxos*
+i[34567]86-*-netware*
+i[34567]86-*-sco3.2v5*
+i[34567]86-*-sco3.2v4*
+i[34567]86-*-sco*
+i[34567]86-*-sysv4.2*
+i[34567]86-*-sysv4*
+i[34567]86-*-sysv5*
+i[34567]86-*-unixware2*
+i[34567]86-*-unixware*
+i[34567]86-*-sysv*
+i[34567]86-*-isc*
+m68*-cisco*-*
+m68*-tandem-*
+mips*-*-pe
+rs6000-*-lynxos*
+sh*-*-pe
+
+* Other removed features
+
+target abug
+target cpu32bug
+target est
+target rom68k
+
+ Various m68k-only ROM monitors.
+
+target hms
+target e7000
+target sh3
+target sh3e
+
+ Various Renesas ROM monitors and debugging interfaces for SH and
+ H8/300.
+
+target ocd
+
+ Support for a Macraigor serial interface to on-chip debugging.
+ GDB does not directly support the newer parallel or USB
+ interfaces.
+
+DWARF 1 support
+
+ A debug information format. The predecessor to DWARF 2 and
+ DWARF 3, which are still supported.
+
+Support for the HP aCC compiler on HP-UX/PA-RISC
+
+ SOM-encapsulated symbolic debugging information, automatic
+ invocation of pxdb, and the aCC custom C++ ABI. This does not
+ affect HP-UX for Itanium or GCC for HP-UX/PA-RISC. Code compiled
+ with aCC can still be debugged on an assembly level.
+
+MIPS ".pdr" sections
+
+ A MIPS-specific format used to describe stack frame layout
+ in debugging information.
+
+Scheme support
+
+ GDB could work with an older version of Guile to debug
+ the interpreter and Scheme programs running in it.
+
+set mips stack-arg-size
+set mips saved-gpreg-size
+
+ Use "set mips abi" to control parameter passing for MIPS.
+
+*** Changes in GDB 6.6
+
+* New targets
+
+Xtensa xtensa-elf
+Cell Broadband Engine SPU spu-elf
+
+* GDB can now be configured as a cross-debugger targeting native Windows
+(mingw32) or Cygwin. It can communicate with a remote debugging stub
+running on a Windows system over TCP/IP to debug Windows programs.
+
+* The GDB remote stub, gdbserver, has been updated to support Windows and
+Cygwin debugging. Both single-threaded and multi-threaded programs are
+supported.
+
+* The "set trust-readonly-sections" command works again. This command was
+broken in GDB 6.3, 6.4, and 6.5.
+
+* The "load" command now supports writing to flash memory, if the remote
+stub provides the required support.
+
+* Support for GNU/Linux Thread Local Storage (TLS, per-thread variables) no
+longer requires symbolic debug information (e.g. DWARF-2).
+
+* New commands
+
+set substitute-path
+unset substitute-path
+show substitute-path
+ Manage a list of substitution rules that GDB uses to rewrite the name
+ of the directories where the sources are located. This can be useful
+ for instance when the sources were moved to a different location
+ between compilation and debugging.
+
+set trace-commands
+show trace-commands
+ Print each CLI command as it is executed. Each command is prefixed with
+ a number of `+' symbols representing the nesting depth.
+ The source command now has a `-v' option to enable the same feature.
+
+* REMOVED features
+
+The ARM Demon monitor support (RDP protocol, "target rdp").
+
+Kernel Object Display, an embedded debugging feature which only worked with
+an obsolete version of Cisco IOS.
+
+The 'set download-write-size' and 'show download-write-size' commands.
+
+* New remote packets
+
+qSupported:
+ Tell a stub about GDB client features, and request remote target features.
+ The first feature implemented is PacketSize, which allows the target to
+ specify the size of packets it can handle - to minimize the number of
+ packets required and improve performance when connected to a remote
+ target.
+
+qXfer:auxv:read:
+ Fetch an OS auxilliary vector from the remote stub. This packet is a
+ more efficient replacement for qPart:auxv:read.
+
+qXfer:memory-map:read:
+ Fetch a memory map from the remote stub, including information about
+ RAM, ROM, and flash memory devices.
+
+vFlashErase:
+vFlashWrite:
+vFlashDone:
+ Erase and program a flash memory device.
+
+* Removed remote packets
+
+qPart:auxv:read:
+ This packet has been replaced by qXfer:auxv:read. Only GDB 6.4 and 6.5
+ used it, and only gdbserver implemented it.
+
+*** Changes in GDB 6.5
+
+* New targets
+
+Renesas M32C/M16C m32c-elf
+
+Morpho Technologies ms1 ms1-elf
+
+* New commands
+
+init-if-undefined Initialize a convenience variable, but
+ only if it doesn't already have a value.
+
+The following commands are presently only implemented for native GNU/Linux:
+
+checkpoint Save a snapshot of the program state.
+
+restart <n> Return the program state to a
+ previously saved state.
+
+info checkpoints List currently saved checkpoints.
+
+delete-checkpoint <n> Delete a previously saved checkpoint.
+
+set|show detach-on-fork Tell gdb whether to detach from a newly
+ forked process, or to keep debugging it.
+
+info forks List forks of the user program that
+ are available to be debugged.
+
+fork <n> Switch to debugging one of several
+ forks of the user program that are
+ available to be debugged.
+
+delete-fork <n> Delete a fork from the list of forks
+ that are available to be debugged (and
+ kill the forked process).
+
+detach-fork <n> Delete a fork from the list of forks
+ that are available to be debugged (and
+ allow the process to continue).
+
+* New architecture
+
+Morpho Technologies ms2 ms1-elf
+
+* Improved Windows host support
+
+GDB now builds as a cross debugger hosted on i686-mingw32, including
+native console support, and remote communications using either
+network sockets or serial ports.
+
+* Improved Modula-2 language support
+
+GDB can now print most types in the Modula-2 syntax. This includes:
+basic types, set types, record types, enumerated types, range types,
+pointer types and ARRAY types. Procedure var parameters are correctly
+printed and hexadecimal addresses and character constants are also
+written in the Modula-2 syntax. Best results can be obtained by using
+GNU Modula-2 together with the -gdwarf-2 command line option.
+
+* REMOVED features
+
+The ARM rdi-share module.
+
+The Netware NLM debug server.
+
+*** Changes in GDB 6.4
+
+* New native configurations
+
+OpenBSD/arm arm*-*-openbsd*
OpenBSD/mips64 mips64-*-openbsd*
+* New targets
+
+Morpho Technologies ms1 ms1-elf
+
+* New command line options
+
+--batch-silent As for --batch, but totally silent.
+--return-child-result The debugger will exist with the same value
+ the child (debugged) program exited with.
+--eval-command COMMAND, -ex COMMAND
+ Execute a single GDB CLI command. This may be
+ specified multiple times and in conjunction
+ with the --command (-x) option.
+
* Deprecated commands removed
The following commands, that were deprecated in 2000, have been
* REMOVED configurations and files
VxWorks and the XDR protocol *-*-vxworks
-Renesas H8/300S h8300*-*-*
Motorola MCORE mcore-*-*
-Matsushita MN10300 w/simulator mn10300-*-*
National Semiconductor NS32000 ns32k-*-*
-NEC V850 v850-*-*
+
+* New "set print array-indexes" command
+
+After turning this setting "on", GDB prints the index of each element
+when displaying arrays. The default is "off" to preserve the previous
+behavior.
+
+* VAX floating point support
+
+GDB now supports the not-quite-ieee VAX F and D floating point formats.
+
+* User-defined command support
+
+In addition to using $arg0..$arg9 for argument passing, it is now possible
+to use $argc to determine now many arguments have been passed. See the
+section on user-defined commands in the user manual for more information.
*** Changes in GDB 6.3:
projects / deliverable / binutils-gdb.git / blobdiff