- README for gdb-3.98 beta release
- John Gilmore 31 July 91
+ README for gdb-5.0 release
+ Updated 11 May 2000 by Andrew Cagney
+
+This is GDB, the GNU source-level debugger.
+A summary of new features is in the file `NEWS'.
+
+See the GDB home page at http://sourceware.cygnus.com/gdb/ for up to
+date release information, mailing list links and archives, etc.
+
+
+Unpacking and Installation -- quick overview
+==========================
+
+ In this release, the GDB debugger sources, the generic GNU include
+files, the BFD ("binary file description") library, the readline
+library, and other libraries all have directories of their own
+underneath the gdb-5.0 directory. The idea is that a variety of GNU
+tools can share a common copy of these things. Be aware of variation
+over time--for example don't try to build gdb with a copy of bfd from
+a release other than the gdb release (such as a binutils or gas
+release), especially if the releases are more than a few weeks apart.
+Configuration scripts and makefiles exist to cruise up and down this
+directory tree and automatically build all the pieces in the right
+order.
+
+ When you unpack the gdb-5.0.tar.gz file, you'll find a directory
+called `gdb-5.0', which contains:
+
+ COPYING config.if install-sh mmalloc readline
+ COPYING.LIB config.sub intl move-if-change sim
+ Makefile.in configure libiberty mpw-README symlink-tree
+ README configure.in ltconfig mpw-build.in texinfo
+ bfd djunpack.bat ltmain.sh mpw-config.in utils
+ config etc md5.sum mpw-configure ylwrap
+ config-ml.in gdb missing mpw-install
+ config.guess include mkinstalldirs opcodes
+
+You can build GDB right in the source directory:
+
+ cd gdb-5.0
+ ./configure
+ make
+ cp gdb/gdb /usr/local/bin/gdb (or wherever you want)
-This is GDB, the GNU source-level debugger, presently running under
-un*x. This is a beta test version of GDB version 4, and has not been
-extensively tested. It surely has some bugs, both bugs that were
-present in version 3, and new bugs. If your favorite bugfix is not
-yet present here, I encourage you to port it into this version and
-then send the diffs to bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu.
+However, we recommend that an empty directory be used instead.
+This way you do not clutter your source tree with binary files
+and will be able to create different builds with different
+configuration options.
-A summary of features new since gdb-3.5 is in the file `WHATS.NEW'.
+You can build GDB in any empty build directory:
+
+ mkdir build
+ cd build
+ <full path to your sources>/gdb-5.0/configure
+ make
- Unpacking and Installation
+(Building GDB with DJGPP tools for MS-DOS/MS-Windows is slightly
+different; see the file gdb-5.0/gdb/config/djgpp/README for details.)
-This release moves the generic GNU include files, the BFD ("binary file
-description") library, the getopt routines, obstacks, and the readline
-library into the parent directory of gdb. The idea is that a variety
-of GNU tools can share a common copy of these things.
+ This will configure and build all the libraries as well as GDB. If
+`configure' can't determine your system type, specify one as its
+argument, e.g., `./configure sun4' or `./configure decstation'.
-These generic files are packaged separately from GDB, in a tar file
-called "bfd.ilrt-3.98.tar.Z". ("ilrt" stands for include, libiberty,
-readline, texinfo). Unpack that tar file in the same directory in
-which you unpacked the gdb-3.98.tar.Z file, so that for example the
-'bfd' directory sits next to the 'gdb' directory. The whole top-level
-directory will look like this with `ls -F':
+ If you get compiler errors during this stage, see the `Reporting
+Bugs' section below; there are a few known problems.
- Makefile.in configure* include/ texinfo/
- README.configure configure.in libiberty/
- bfd/ gdb/ readline/
+ GDB requires an ISO-C (ANSI C) compiler. If you do not have an
+ISO-C compiler for your system, you may be able to download and
+install the GNU CC compiler. It is available via anonymous FTP from
+the directory `ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/gcc'.
-Once you have this stuff unpacked, and your current directory is here,
-you can type:
+ GDB can be used as a cross-debugger, running on a machine of one
+type while debugging a program running on a machine of another type.
+See below.
- ./configure HOSTNAME
- make
-and all the libraries, as well as GDB will be configured and built.
-If you get compiler warnings during this stage, see the `Reporting Bugs'
-section below; there are a few known problems.
+More Documentation
+******************
-GDB can be used as a cross-debugger, running on a machine of one type
-while debugging a program running on a machine of another type. You
-configure it this way by specifying `./configure host -target=target';
-see below.
+ All the documentation for GDB comes as part of the machine-readable
+distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which
+is a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce
+both on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the
+Info formatting commands to create the on-line version of the
+documentation and TeX (or `texi2roff') to typeset the printed version.
+ GDB includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info version
+of this manual in the `gdb/doc' subdirectory. The main Info file is
+`gdb-5.0/gdb/doc/gdb.info', and it refers to subordinate files
+matching `gdb.info*' in the same directory. If necessary, you can
+print out these files, or read them with any editor; but they are
+easier to read using the `info' subsystem in GNU Emacs or the
+standalone `info' program, available as part of the GNU Texinfo
+distribution.
- More Documentation
+ If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
+Info formatting programs, such as `texinfo-format-buffer' or
+`makeinfo'.
-The GDB manual is much expanded and improved. For online browsing,
-gdb/gdb.info is the main file, and there are gdb/gdb.info-1 through -6
-files that can be installed into your main `info' tree. If you want a
-printed version of the manual, you can run, from the GDB source
-directory,
+ If you have `makeinfo' installed, and are in the top level GDB
+source directory (`gdb-5.0', in the case of version 5.0), you can make
+the Info file by typing:
- make gdb.dvi
+ cd gdb/doc
+ make info
-to make the TeX device-independent output file. This assumes you have
-a running TeX on your system. The source for the GDB manual is in
-doc/gdb.texinfo (and a few other files it includes), provided with
-this distribution. The Makefile attempts to use the texinfo.tex
-supplied as part of the BFD-and-libraries tar file, since the manual
-uses Texinfo-2 which is not in common use yet.
+ If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need
+TeX, a program to print its DVI output files, and `texinfo.tex', the
+Texinfo definitions file. This file is included in the GDB
+distribution, in the directory `gdb-5.0/texinfo'.
+ TeX is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
+produces output files called DVI files. To print a typeset document,
+you need a program to print DVI files. If your system has TeX
+installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise command to
+use depends on your system; `lpr -d' is common; another (for PostScript
+devices) is `dvips'. The DVI print command may require a file name
+without any extension or a `.dvi' extension.
- Configuration Details (extracted from gdb.texinfo)
+ TeX also requires a macro definitions file called `texinfo.tex'.
+This file tells TeX how to typeset a document written in Texinfo
+format. On its own, TeX cannot read, much less typeset a Texinfo file.
+ `texinfo.tex' is distributed with GDB and is located in the
+`gdb-5.0/texinfo' directory.
- GDB is distributed with a `configure' script that automates the
-process of preparing GDB for installation; you can then use `make'
-to build the `gdb' program.
+ If you have TeX and a DVI printer program installed, you can typeset
+and print this manual. First switch to the the `gdb' subdirectory of
+the main source directory (for example, to `gdb-5.0/gdb') and then type:
- The `configure' script that's specific to GDB is distributed in
-the main GDB source directory. However, building GDB also requires
-several other directories of source common to multiple GNU programs.
-These directories (GNU libraries and includes) are distributed
-separately, but their `configure' scripts and `Makefile's are
-designed to work together. To ensure that GDB's `Makefile' can find
-all the pieces, you should make a single overall directory to hold
-the directories of source for GNU libraries and includes, and you
-should install the GDB source directory there too. In this
-Appendix, we refer to the directory of GNU source directories as GNUSRC.
+ make gdb.dvi
- At a minimum, to build GDB you need the directories
-
-`GNUSRC/gdb'
- the source specific to GDB itself
-`GNUSRC/bfd'
- source for the Binary File Descriptor Library
-
-`GNUSRC/include'
- GNU include files
-
-`GNUSRC/libiberty'
- source for the `-liberty' free software library
+Installing GDB
+**************
-`GNUSRC/readline'
- source for the GNU command-line interface
+ GDB comes with a `configure' script that automates the process of
+preparing GDB for installation; you can then use `make' to build the
+`gdb' program.
-Each of these directories has its own `configure' script. GNUSRC has
-an overall `configure' script, which is distributed with the GNU
-libraries and includes.
+ The GDB distribution includes all the source code you need for GDB in
+a single directory, whose name is usually composed by appending the
+version number to `gdb'.
- `configure' is designed to be called recursively, so it is most
-convenient to run `configure' from the GNUSRC directory. The
-simplest way to configure and build GDB is the following:
+ For example, the GDB version 5.0 distribution is in the `gdb-5.0'
+directory. That directory contains:
- cd GNUSRC
- ./configure HOST
- make
+`gdb-5.0/{COPYING,COPYING.LIB}'
+ Standard GNU license files. Please read them.
-where HOST is something like `sun4' or `vax', that identifies the
-platform where GDB will run. This builds the three libraries `bfd',
-`readline', and `libiberty', then `gdb' itself. The configured
-source files, and the binaries, are left in the corresponding source
-directories.
-
- You can install `gdb' anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
-However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
-the `SHELL' environment variable) is publicly readable; some systems
-refuse to let GDB debug child processes whose programs are not
-readable, and GDB uses the shell to start your program.
-
-
- Configuration Subdirectories
-
- If you build GDB for several host or target machines, and if your
-`make' program handles the `VPATH' feature (GNU `make' does), it is
-most convenient instead to build the different GDB configurations in
-subdirectories (separate from the source). `configure' does this
-for you when you simultaneously specify several configurations; but
-it's a good habit even for a single configuration. You can specify
-the use of subdirectories using the `+forcesubdirs' option
-(abbreviated `+f'). For example, you can build GDB on a Sun 4 as
-follows:
-
- cd GNUSRC
- ./configure +f sun4
- cd Host-sun4/Target-sun4
- make
+`gdb-5.0/bfd'
+ source for the Binary File Descriptor library
- When `configure' uses subdirectories to build programs or
-libraries, it creates nested directories `Host-HOST/Target-MACHINE'.
-This is because GDB can be configured for cross-compiling: GDB can
-run on one machine (the host) while debugging programs that run on
-another machine (the target). You specify cross-debugging targets
-by giving the `+target=MACHINE' option to `configure'. Specifying
-only hosts still gives you two levels of subdirectory for each host,
-with the same machine-name suffix on both. On the other hand,
-whenever you specify both hosts and targets on the same command
-line, `configure' creates all combinations of the hosts and targets you
-list.
+`gdb-5.0/config*'
+ script for configuring GDB, along with other support files
- When you run `make' to build a program or library, you must run it
-in a configured directory. If you made a single configuration,
-without subdirectories, run `make' in the source directory. If you
-have `Host-HOST/Target-MACHINE' subdirectories, run `make' in those
-subdirectories.
+`gdb-5.0/gdb'
+ the source specific to GDB itself
- Each `configure' and `Makefile' under each source directory runs
-recursively, so that typing `make' in GNUSRC (or in a
-`GNUSRC/Host-HOST/Target-MACHINE' subdirectory) builds all the
-required libraries, then GDB.
+`gdb-5.0/include'
+ GNU include files
- If you run `configure' from a directory (such as GNUSRC) that
-contains source directories for multiple libraries or programs,
-`configure' creates the `Host-HOST/Target-MACHINE' subdirectories in
-each library or program's source directory. For example, typing:
+`gdb-5.0/libiberty'
+ source for the `-liberty' free software library
- cd GNUSRC
- configure sun4 +target=vx960
+`gdb-5.0/mmalloc'
+ source for the GNU memory-mapped malloc package
-creates the following directories:
+`gdb-5.0/opcodes'
+ source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
- GNUSRC/Host-sun4/Target-vx960
- GNUSRC/bfd/Host-sun4/Target-vx960
- GNUSRC/gdb/Host-sun4/Target-vx960
- GNUSRC/libiberty/Host-sun4/Target-vx960
- GNUSRC/readline/Host-sun4/Target-vx960
+`gdb-5.0/readline'
+ source for the GNU command-line interface
+ NOTE: The readline library is compiled for use by GDB, but will
+ not be installed on your system when "make install" is issued.
-The `Makefile' in `GNUSRC/Host-sun4/Target-vx960' will `cd' to the
-appropriate lower-level directories (such as
-`GNUSRC/bfd/Host-sun4/Target-vx960'), building each in turn.
+`gdb-5.0/sim'
+ source for some simulators (ARM, D10V, SPARC, M32R, MIPS, PPC, V850, etc)
- When you have multiple hosts or targets configured, you can run
-`make' on them in parallel (for example, if they are NFS-mounted on
-each of the hosts); they will not interfere with each other.
+`gdb-5.0/intl'
+ source for the GNU gettext library, for internationalization.
+ This is slightly modified from the standalone gettext
+ distribution you can get from GNU.
+`gdb-5.0/texinfo'
+ The `texinfo.tex' file, which you need in order to make a printed
+ manual using TeX.
- `configure' Options
+`gdb-5.0/etc'
+ Coding standards, useful files for editing GDB, and other
+ miscellanea.
- Here is a summary of all the `configure' options and arguments
-that you might use for building GDB:
+`gdb-5.0/utils'
+ A grab bag of random utilities.
- configure [+destdir=DIR] [+forcesubdirs] [+norecur] [+rm]
- [+target=MACHINE...] HOST...
+ Note: the following instructions are for building GDB on Unix or
+Unix-like systems. Instructions for building with DJGPP for
+MS-DOS/MS-Windows are in the file gdb/config/djgpp/README.
-You may introduce options with the character `-' rather than `+' if
-you prefer; but options introduced with `+' may be truncated.
+ The simplest way to configure and build GDB is to run `configure'
+from the `gdb-VERSION-NUMBER' source directory, which in this example
+is the `gdb-5.0' directory.
-`+destdir=DIR'
- DIR is an installation directory *path prefix*. After you
- configure with this option, `make install' will install GDB as
- `DIR/bin/gdb', and the libraries in `DIR/lib'. If you specify
-
- `+destdir=/usr/local', for example, `make install' creates
- `/usr/local/bin/gdb'.
+ First switch to the `gdb-VERSION-NUMBER' source directory if you are
+not already in it; then run `configure'.
-`+forcesubdirs'
- Write configuration specific files in subdirectories of the form
+ For example:
- Host-MACHINE/Target-MACHINE
+ cd gdb-5.0
+ ./configure
+ make
- (and configure the `Makefile' to write binaries there too).
- Without this option, if you specify only one configuration for
- GDB, `configure' will use the same directory for source,
- configured files, and binaries. This option is used
- automatically if you specify more than one HOST or more than
- one `+target=MACHINE' option on the `configure' command line.
+ Running `configure' followed by `make' builds the `bfd',
+`readline', `mmalloc', and `libiberty' libraries, then `gdb' itself.
+The configured source files, and the binaries, are left in the
+corresponding source directories.
+
+ `configure' is a Bourne-shell (`/bin/sh') script; if your system
+does not recognize this automatically when you run a different shell,
+you may need to run `sh' on it explicitly:
+
+ sh configure
+
+ If you run `configure' from a directory that contains source
+directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the `gdb-5.0'
+source directory for version 5.0, `configure' creates configuration
+files for every directory level underneath (unless you tell it not to,
+with the `--norecursion' option).
+
+ You can run the `configure' script from any of the subordinate
+directories in the GDB distribution, if you only want to configure that
+subdirectory; but be sure to specify a path to it.
+
+ For example, with version 5.0, type the following to configure only
+the `bfd' subdirectory:
+
+ cd gdb-5.0/bfd
+ ../configure
+
+ You can install `gdb' anywhere; it has no hardwired paths. However,
+you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by the `SHELL'
+environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember that GDB uses the
+shell to start your program--some systems refuse to let GDB debug child
+processes whose programs are not readable.
+
+
+Compiling GDB in another directory
+==================================
+
+ If you want to run GDB versions for several host or target machines,
+you need a different `gdb' compiled for each combination of host and
+target. `configure' is designed to make this easy by allowing you to
+generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory, rather than in
+the source directory. If your `make' program handles the `VPATH'
+feature correctly (GNU `make' and SunOS 'make' are two that should),
+running `make' in each of these directories builds the `gdb' program
+specified there.
+
+ To build `gdb' in a separate directory, run `configure' with the
+`--srcdir' option to specify where to find the source. (You also need
+to specify a path to find `configure' itself from your working
+directory. If the path to `configure' would be the same as the
+argument to `--srcdir', you can leave out the `--srcdir' option; it
+will be assumed.)
+
+ For example, with version 5.0, you can build GDB in a separate
+directory for a Sun 4 like this:
+
+ cd gdb-5.0
+ mkdir ../gdb-sun4
+ cd ../gdb-sun4
+ ../gdb-5.0/configure
+ make
-`+norecur'
- Configure only the directory where `configure' is executed; do
- not propagate configuration to subdirectories.
+ When `configure' builds a configuration using a remote source
+directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
+(and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
+the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library `libiberty.a' in the
+directory `gdb-sun4/libiberty', and GDB itself in `gdb-sun4/gdb'.
-`+rm'
- Remove the configuration specified by other arguments.
+ One popular reason to build several GDB configurations in separate
+directories is to configure GDB for cross-compiling (where GDB runs on
+one machine--the host--while debugging programs that run on another
+machine--the target). You specify a cross-debugging target by giving
+the `--target=TARGET' option to `configure'.
-`+target=MACHINE ...'
- Configure GDB for cross-debugging programs running on each
- specified MACHINE. You may specify as many `+target' options
- as you wish. To see a list of available targets, execute `ls
- tconfig' in the GDB source directory. Without this option, GDB
- is configured to debug programs that run on the same machine
- (HOST) as GDB itself.
+ When you run `make' to build a program or library, you must run it
+in a configured directory--whatever directory you were in when you
+called `configure' (or one of its subdirectories).
+
+ The `Makefile' that `configure' generates in each source directory
+also runs recursively. If you type `make' in a source directory such
+as `gdb-5.0' (or in a separate configured directory configured with
+`--srcdir=PATH/gdb-5.0'), you will build all the required libraries,
+and then build GDB.
+
+ When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
+directories, you can run `make' on them in parallel (for example, if
+they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
+with each other.
+
+
+Specifying names for hosts and targets
+======================================
+
+ The specifications used for hosts and targets in the `configure'
+script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short
+predefined aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes
+three pieces of information in the following pattern:
+
+ ARCHITECTURE-VENDOR-OS
+
+ For example, you can use the alias `sun4' as a HOST argument or in a
+`--target=TARGET' option. The equivalent full name is
+`sparc-sun-sunos4'.
+
+ The `configure' script accompanying GDB does not provide any query
+facility to list all supported host and target names or aliases.
+`configure' calls the Bourne shell script `config.sub' to map
+abbreviations to full names; you can read the script, if you wish, or
+you can use it to test your guesses on abbreviations--for example:
+
+ % sh config.sub sun4
+ sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
+ % sh config.sub sun3
+ m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
+ % sh config.sub decstation
+ mips-dec-ultrix4.2
+ % sh config.sub hp300bsd
+ m68k-hp-bsd
+ % sh config.sub i386v
+ i386-pc-sysv
+ % sh config.sub i786v
+ Invalid configuration `i786v': machine `i786v' not recognized
+
+`config.sub' is also distributed in the GDB source directory
+(`gdb-5.0', for version 5.0).
+
+
+`configure' options
+===================
+
+ Here is a summary of the `configure' options and arguments that are
+most often useful for building GDB. `configure' also has several other
+options not listed here. *note : (configure.info)What Configure Does,
+for a full explanation of `configure'.
+
+ configure [--help]
+ [--prefix=DIR]
+ [--srcdir=PATH]
+ [--norecursion] [--rm]
+ [--enable-build-warnings]
+ [--target=TARGET]
+ [--host=HOST]
+ [HOST]
+
+You may introduce options with a single `-' rather than `--' if you
+prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use `--'.
+
+`--help'
+ Display a quick summary of how to invoke `configure'.
+
+`-prefix=DIR'
+ Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
+ `DIR'.
+
+`--srcdir=PATH'
+ *Warning: using this option requires GNU `make', or another `make'
+ that compatibly implements the `VPATH' feature.*
+ Use this option to make configurations in directories separate
+ from the GDB source directories. Among other things, you can use
+ this to build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously,
+ in separate directories. `configure' writes configuration
+ specific files in the current directory, but arranges for them to
+ use the source in the directory PATH. `configure' will create
+ directories under the working directory in parallel to the source
+ directories below PATH.
+
+`--norecursion'
+ Configure only the directory level where `configure' is executed;
+ do not propagate configuration to subdirectories.
+
+`--rm'
+ Remove the configuration that the other arguments specify.
+
+`--enable-build-warnings'
+ When building the GDB sources, ask the compiler to warn about any
+ code which looks even vaguely suspicious. You should only using
+ this feature if you're compiling with GNU CC. It passes the
+ following flags:
+ -Wimplicit
+ -Wreturn-type
+ -Wcomment
+ -Wtrigraphs
+ -Wformat
+ -Wparentheses
+ -Wpointer-arith
+
+`--target=TARGET'
+ Configure GDB for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
+ TARGET. Without this option, GDB is configured to debug programs
+ that run on the same machine (HOST) as GDB itself.
+
+ There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available
+ targets.
+
+`--host=HOST'
+ Configure GDB to run on the specified HOST.
+
+ There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available
+ hosts.
`HOST ...'
- Configure GDB to run on each specified HOST. You may specify as
- many host names as you wish. To see a list of available hosts,
- execute `ls xconfig' in the GDB source directory.
+ Same as `--host=HOST'. If you omit this, GDB will guess; it's
+ quite accurate.
`configure' accepts other options, for compatibility with configuring
-other GNU tools recursively; but these are the only options that
-affect GDB or its supporting libraries.
-
-
- Languages other than C
-
-C++ support has been integrated into gdb. GDB should work with FORTRAN
-programs. (If you have problems, please send a bug report; you may
-have to refer to some FORTRAN variables with a trailing underscore).
-There is an effort to produce a GDB that works with Modula-2. I am not
-aware of anyone who is working on getting gdb to use the syntax of any
-other language. Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file
-variables, or nested functions will not currently work.
-
-
- Kernel debugging
-
-I have't done this myself so I can't really offer any advice.
-Remote debugging over serial lines works fine, but the kernel debugging
-code in here has not been tested in years. Van Jacobson claims to have
-better kernel debugging, but won't release it for ordinary mortals.
-
-
- Remote debugging
-
-The files m68k-stub.c and i386-stub.c contain two examples of remote
-stubs to be used with remote.c. They are designeded to run standalone
-on a 68k or 386 cpu and communicate properly with the remote.c stub
-over a serial line.
-
-The file rem-multi.shar contains a general stub that can probably
-run on various different flavors of unix to allow debugging over a
-serial line from one machine to another.
-
-The files remote-eb.c and remote-nindy.c are two examples of remote
-interfaces for talking to existing ROM monitors (for the AMD 29000 and the
-Intel 960 repsectively).
-
-Remote-vx.c and the vx-share subdirectory contain a remote interface for the
-VxWorks realtime kernel, which communicates over TCP using the Sun
-RPC library. This would be a useful starting point for other remote-
-via-ethernet back ends.
-
-[This section seems to be out of date, I have never seen the "rapp"
-program, though I would like to. FIXME.]
-`rapp' runs under unix and acts as a remote stub (like rem-multi.shar
-distributed with GDB version 3). Currently it just works over UDP
-(network), not over a serial line. To get it running
-* Compile GDB on the host machine as usual
-* Compile rapp on the target machine, giving for both host and target
- the type of the target machine
-* Install "gdb" in /etc/services on both machines.
-
-
- Reporting Bugs
+other GNU tools recursively; but these are the only options that affect
+GDB or its supporting libraries.
+
+
+Languages other than C
+=======================
+
+See the GDB manual (gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo) for information on this.
+
+
+Kernel debugging
+=================
+
+ Remote debugging over serial lines works fine, but the kernel
+debugging code in here has not been tested in years. Van Jacobson has
+better kernel debugging, but the UC lawyers won't let FSF have it.
+
+
+Remote debugging
+=================
+
+ The files m68k-stub.c, i386-stub.c, and sparc-stub.c are examples
+of remote stubs to be used with remote.c. They are designed to run
+standalone on an m68k, i386, or SPARC cpu and communicate properly
+with the remote.c stub over a serial line.
+
+ The directory gdb/gdbserver/ contains `gdbserver', a program that
+allows remote debugging for Unix applications. gdbserver is only
+supported for some native configurations, including Sun 3, Sun 4, and
+Linux.
+
+ There are a number of remote interfaces for talking to existing ROM
+monitors and other hardware:
+
+ remote-adapt.c AMD 29000 "Adapt"
+ remote-array.c Array Tech RAID controller
+ remote-bug.c Motorola BUG monitor
+ remote-e7000.c Hitachi E7000 ICE
+ remote-eb.c AMD 29000 "EBMON"
+ remote-es.c Ericsson 1800 monitor
+ remote-est.c EST emulator
+ remote-hms.c Hitachi Micro Systems H8/300 monitor
+ remote-mips.c MIPS remote debugging protocol
+ remote-mm.c AMD 29000 "minimon"
+ remote-nindy.c Intel 960 "Nindy"
+ remote-nrom.c NetROM ROM emulator
+ remote-os9k.c PC running OS/9000
+ remote-rdi.c ARM with Angel monitor
+ remote-rdp.c ARM with Demon monitor
+ remote-sds.c PowerPC SDS monitor
+ remote-sim.c Generalized simulator protocol
+ remote-st.c Tandem ST-2000 monitor
+ remote-udi.c AMD 29000 using the AMD "Universal Debug Interface"
+ remote-vx.c VxWorks realtime kernel
+
+ Remote-vx.c and the vx-share subdirectory contain a remote
+interface for the VxWorks realtime kernel, which communicates over TCP
+using the Sun RPC library. This would be a useful starting point for
+other remote- via-ethernet back ends.
+
+ Remote-udi.c and the 29k-share subdirectory contain a remote
+interface for AMD 29000 programs, which uses the AMD "Universal Debug
+Interface". This allows GDB to talk to software simulators,
+emulators, and/or bare hardware boards, via network or serial
+interfaces. Note that GDB only provides an interface that speaks UDI,
+not a complete solution. You will need something on the other end
+that also speaks UDI.
+
+
+Reporting Bugs
+===============
+
+ The correct address for reporting bugs found in gdb is
+"bug-gdb@gnu.org". Please email all bugs, and all requests for help
+with GDB, to that address. Please include the GDB version number
+(e.g., gdb-5.0), and how you configured it (e.g., "sun4" or "mach386
+host, i586-intel-synopsys target"). Since GDB now supports so many
+different configurations, it is important that you be precise about
+this. If at all possible, you should include the actual banner that
+GDB prints when it starts up, or failing that, the actual configure
+command that you used when configuring GDB.
+
+ For more information on how/whether to report bugs, see the GDB
+Bugs section of the GDB manual (gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo) or the
+gdb/CONTRIBUTE file.
+
+Known bugs:
+
+ * Under Ultrix 4.2 (DECstation-3100) or Alphas under OSF/1, we have
+ seen problems with backtraces after interrupting the inferior out
+ of a read(). The problem is caused by ptrace() returning an
+ incorrect value for the frame pointer register (register 15 or
+ 30). As far as we can tell, this is a kernel problem. Any help
+ with this would be greatly appreciated.
+
+ * Under Ultrix 4.4 (DECstation-3100), setting the TERMCAP environment
+ variable to a string without a trailing ':' can cause GDB to dump
+ core upon startup. Although the core file makes it look as though
+ GDB code failed, the crash actually occurs within a call to the
+ termcap library function tgetent(). The problem can be solved by
+ using the GNU Termcap library.
+
+ Alphas running OSF/1 (versions 1.0 through 2.1) have the same buggy
+ termcap code, but GDB behaves strangely rather than crashing.
+
+ * On DECstations there are warnings about shift counts out of range in
+ various BFD modules. None of them is a cause for alarm, they are actually
+ a result of bugs in the DECstation compiler.
+
+ * Notes for the DEC Alpha using OSF/1:
+ The debugging output of native cc has two known problems; we view these
+ as compiler bugs.
+ The linker miscompacts symbol tables, which causes gdb to confuse the
+ type of variables or results in `struct <illegal>' type outputs.
+ dbx has the same problems with those executables. A workaround is to
+ specify -Wl,-b when linking, but that will increase the executable size
+ considerably.
+ If a structure has incomplete type in one file (e.g., "struct foo *"
+ without a definition for "struct foo"), gdb will be unable to find the
+ structure definition from another file.
+ It has been reported that the Ultrix 4.3A compiler on decstations has the
+ same problems.
+
+ * Notes for Solaris 2.x, using the SPARCworks cc compiler:
+ You have to compile your program with the -xs option of the SPARCworks
+ compiler to be able to debug your program with gdb.
+ Under Solaris 2.3 you also need patch 101409-03 (Jumbo linker patch).
+ Under Solaris 2.2, if you have patch 101052 installed, make sure
+ that it is at least at revision 101052-06.
+
+ * Under Irix 5 for SGIs, you must have installed the `compiler_dev.hdr'
+ subsystem that is on the IDO CD, otherwise you will get complaints
+ that certain files such as `/usr/include/syms.h' cannot be found.
+
+ * Under Irix 6 you must build with GCC. The vendor compiler reports
+ as errors certain assignments that GCC considers to be warnings.
+
+ GDB can produce warnings about symbols that it does not understand.
+By default, these warnings are disabled. You can enable them by
+executing `set complaint 10' (which you can put in your ~/.gdbinit if
+you like). I recommend doing this if you are working on a compiler,
+assembler, linker, or GDB, since it will point out problems that you
+may be able to fix. Warnings produced during symbol reading indicate
+some mismatch between the object file and GDB's symbol reading code.
+In many cases, it's a mismatch between the specs for the object file
+format, and what the compiler actually outputs or the debugger
+actually understands.
+
+
+Graphical interface to GDB -- X Windows, MS Windows
+==========================
+
+ Several graphical interfaces to GDB are available. You should
+check:
+
+ http://sourceware.cygnus.com/gdb/#gui
+
+for an up-to-date list.
+
+ Emacs users will very likely enjoy the Grand Unified Debugger mode;
+try typing `M-x gdb RET'. Those interested in experimenting with a
+new kind of gdb-mode should load gdb/gdba.el into GNU Emacs 19.25 or
+later. Comments on this mode are also welcome.
+
+
+Writing Code for GDB
+=====================
+
+ There is a lot of information about writing code for GDB in the
+internals manual, distributed with GDB in gdb/doc/gdbint.texinfo. You
+can read it by hand, print it by using TeX and texinfo, or process it
+into an `info' file for use with Emacs' info mode or the standalone
+`info' program.
+
+ If you are pondering writing anything but a short patch, especially
+take note of the information about copyrights in the node Submitting
+Patches. It can take quite a while to get all the paperwork done, so
+we encourage you to start that process as soon as you decide you are
+planning to work on something, or at least well ahead of when you
+think you will be ready to submit the patches.
+
+
+GDB Testsuite
+=============
+
+ Included with the GDB distribution is a DejaGNU based testsuite
+that can either be used to test your newly built GDB, or for
+regression testing a GDB with local modifications.
+
+ Running the testsuite requires the prior installation of DejaGNU,
+which is generally available via ftp. The directory
+ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/dejagnu/ will contain a recent
+snapshot. Once DejaGNU is installed, you can run the tests in one of
+the following ways:
+
+ (1) cd gdb-5.0
+ make check-gdb
+
+or
+
+ (2) cd gdb-5.0/gdb
+ make check
+
+or
-The correct address for reporting bugs found in gdb is
-"bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu". Please email all bugs to that address.
+ (3) cd gdb-5.0/gdb/testsuite
+ make site.exp (builds the site specific file)
+ runtest -tool gdb GDB=../gdb (or GDB=<somepath> as appropriate)
-"mcheck.c", line 32, will produce a pointer conversion warning, which
-can be ignored.
+The last method gives you slightly more control in case of problems
+with building one or more test executables or if you are using the
+testsuite `standalone', without it being part of the GDB source tree.
-When gdb reads object files produced by the Sun bundled C compiler,
-you will often get a "bad block start address patched" message. You
-can shut off such messages with the command `set complaint 0' (which
-you can put in your ~/.gdbinit if you like). Messages like this
-during symbol reading indicate some mismatch between the object file
-and GDB's symbol reading code (in this case, it's a mismatch
-between the specs for the object file format, and what Sun's compiler
-actually outputs).
+See the DejaGNU documentation for further details.
-If you port gdb to a new machine, please send the required changes
-to bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu. If your changes are more than a few
-lines, obtain and send in a copyright assignment from gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu, as
-described in the section `Writing Code for GDB'.
-
-
- X Windows versus GDB
-
-xgdb is obsolete. We are not doing any development or support of it.
-
-There is an "xxgdb", which shows more promise, which was posted to
-comp.sources.x.
-
-For those intersted in auto display of source and the availability of
-an editor while debugging I suggest trying gdb-mode in gnu-emacs
-(Try typing M-x gdb RETURN). Comments on this mode are welcome.
-
-
- About the machine-dependent files
-
-tconfig/<machine>
-This contains Makefile stuff for when the target system is <machine>.
-It also specifies the name of the tm-XXX.h file for this machine.
-
-xconfig/<machine>
-This contains Makefile stuff for when the host system is <machine>.
-It also specifies the name of the xm-XXX.h file for this machine.
-
-tm-XXX.h (tm.h is a link to this file, created by configure).
-This file contains macro definitions about the target machine's
-registers, stack frame format and instructions.
-
-xm-XXX.h (xm.h is a link to this file, created by configure).
-This contains macro definitions describing the host system environment,
-such as byte order, host C compiler and library, ptrace support,
-and core file structure.
-
-<machine>-opcode.h
-<machine>-pinsn.c
-These files contain the information necessary to print instructions
-for your cpu type. <machine>-opcode.h includes some large initialized
-data structures, which is strange for a ".h" file, but it's OK since
-it is only included in one place. <machine>-opcode.h is shared
-between the debugger and the assembler (if the GNU assembler has been
-ported to that machine), whereas <machine>-pinsn.c is specific to GDB.
-
-<machine>-tdep.c
-This file contains any miscellaneous code required for this machine
-as a target. On some machines it doesn't exist at all. Its existence
-is specified in the tconfig/XXX file.
-
-<machine>-xdep.c
-This file contains any miscellaneous code required for this machine
-as a host. On some machines it doesn't exist at all. Its existence
-is specified in the xconfig/XXX file.
-
-infptrace.c
-This is the low level interface to inferior processes for systems
-using the Unix ptrace call in a vanilla way. Some systems have their
-own routines in <machine>-xdep.c. Whether or not it is used
-is specified in the xconfig/XXX file.
-
-coredep.c
-Machine and system-dependent aspects of reading core files. Some
-machines use coredep.c; some have the routines in <machine>-xdep.c.
-Whether or not it is used is specified in the xconfig/XXX file.
-Now that BFD is used to read core files, virtually all machines should
-use coredep.c and should just provide fetch_core_registers in
-<machine>-xdep.c.
-
-exec.c
-Machine and system-dependent aspects of reading executable files.
-Some machines use exec.c; some have the routines in <machine>-tdep.c
-Since BFD, virtually all machines should use exec.c.
-
-
- Writing Code for GDB
-
-We appreciate having users contribute code that is of general use, but
-for it to be included in future GDB releases it must be cleanly
-written. We do not want to include changes that will needlessly make
-future maintainance difficult. It is not much harder to do things
-right, and in the long term it is worth it to the GNU project, and
-probably to you individually as well.
-
-Please code according to the GNU coding standards. If you do not have
-a copy, you can request one by sending mail to gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu.
-
-If you make substantial changes, you'll have to file a copyright
-assignment with the Free Software Foundation before we can produce a
-release that includes your changes. Send mail requesting the copyright
-assignment to gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu. Do this early, like before the
-changes actually work, or even before you start them, because a manager
-or lawyer on your end will probably make this a slow process.
-
-Please try to avoid making machine-specific changes to
-machine-independent files. If this is unavoidable, put a hook in the
-machine-independent file which calls a (possibly) machine-dependent
-macro (for example, the IGNORE_SYMBOL macro can be used for any
-symbols which need to be ignored on a specific machine. Calling
-IGNORE_SYMBOL in dbxread.c is a lot cleaner than a maze of #if
-defined's). The machine-independent code should do whatever "most"
-machines want if the macro is not defined in param.h. Using #if
-defined can sometimes be OK (e.g. SET_STACK_LIMIT_HUGE) but should be
-conditionalized on a specific feature of an operating system (set in
-tm.h or xm.h) rather than something like #if defined(vax) or #if
-defined(SYSV). If you use an #ifdef on some symbol that is defined
-in a header file (e.g. #ifdef TIOCSETP), *please* make sure that you
-have #include'd the relevant header file in that module!
-
-It is better to replace entire routines which may be system-specific,
-rather than put in a whole bunch of hooks which are probably not going
-to be helpful for any purpose other than your changes. For example,
-if you want to modify dbxread.c to deal with DBX debugging symbols
-which are in COFF files rather than BSD a.out files, do something
-along the lines of a macro GET_NEXT_SYMBOL, which could have
-different definitions for COFF and a.out, rather than trying to put
-the necessary changes throughout all the code in dbxread.c that
-currently assumes BSD format.
-
-Please avoid duplicating code. For example, in GDB 3.x all the stuff
-in infptrace.c was duplicated in *-dep.c, and so changing something
-was very painful. In GDB 4.x, these have all been consolidated
-into infptrace.c. infptrace.c can deal with variations between
-systems the same way any system-independent file would (hooks, #if
-defined, etc.), and machines which are radically different don't need
-to use infptrace.c at all. The same was true of core_file_command
-and exec_file_command.
-
-
- Debugging gdb with itself
-
-If gdb is limping on your machine, this is the preferred way to get it
-fully functional. Be warned that in some ancient Unix systems, like
-Ultrix 4.0, a program can't be running in one process while it is being
-debugged in another. Rather than doing "./gdb ./gdb", which works on
-Suns and such, you can copy gdb to gdb2 and then do "./gdb ./gdb2".
-
-When you run gdb in this directory, it will read a ".gdbinit" file that
-sets up some simple things to make debugging gdb easier. The "info"
-command, when executed without a subcommand in a gdb being debugged by
-gdb, will pop you back up to the top level gdb. See .gdbinit for details.
-
-If you use emacs, you will probably want to do a "make TAGS" after you
-configure your distribution; this will put the machine dependent
-routines for your local machine where they will be accessed first by a
-M-period.
-
-Also, make sure that you've compiled gdb with your local cc or taken
-appropriate precautions regarding ansification of include files. See
-the Makefile for more information.
\f
(this is for editing this file with GNU emacs)
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