find out whether anyone else is working on it.
- Known problems in GDB 5.0
- =========================
+ GDB 5.1 - Fixes
+ ===============
Below is a list of problems identified during the GDB 5.0 release
-cycle. People hope to have these problems fixed in a follow-on
-release.
-
-(The names in paren indicate people that posted the original problem.)
-
---
-
-GDB doesn't build under IRIX6.4
-
-Benjamin Gamsa wrote:
-
-Has anyone successfully built the latest (from cvs) gdb on IRIX6.4 or
-later? The first problem I hit is that proc-api.c includes
-sys/user.h, which no longer exists under IRIX6.4. If I comment out
-that include, the next problem I hit is that PIOCGETPR and PIOCGETU
-are no longer defined in IRIX6.4 (presumably related to the
-disappearance of user.h).
-
---
-
-The BFD directory requires bug-fixed AUTOMAKE et.al.
-
-AUTOMAKE 1.4 incorrectly set the TEXINPUTS environment variable. It
-contained the full path to texinfo.tex when it should have only
-contained the directory. The bug has been fixed in the current
-AUTOMAKE sources. Automake snapshots can be found in:
- ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/gdb/snapshots
-and ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/binutils
-
---
-
-gdb-cvs fails to build on freebsd-elf
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-04/msg00004.html
-
-Either the FreeBSD group need to contribute their local GDB changes
-back to the master sources or someone needs to provides a new
-(clean-room) implementation. Since the former involves a fairly
-complicated assignment the latter may be easier. [cagney]
-
---
-
-Generic: lin-thread cannot handle thread exit (Mark Kettenis, Michael
-Snyder) http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00525.html
-
-The thread_db assisted debugging code doesn't handle exiting threads
-properly, at least in combination with glibc 2.1.3 (the framework is
-there, just not the actual code). There are at least two problems
-that prevent this from working.
-
-As an additional reference point, the pre thread_db code did not work
-either.
+cycle. People hope to have these problems fixed in 5.1.
--
-Java (Anthony Green, David Taylor)
-
-Anthony Green has a number of Java patches that did not make it into
-the 5.0 release.
-
-Patch: java tests
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00512.html
-
-Patch: java booleans
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00515.html
-
-Patch: handle N_MAIN stab
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00527.html
-
---
-
-Pascal (Pierre Muller, David Taylor)
-
-Pierre Muller has contributed patches for adding Pascal Language
-support to GDB.
-
-2 pascal language patches inserted in database
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00521.html
-
-Indent -gnu ?
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00496.html
-
---
+Wow, three bug reports for the same problem in one day! We should
+probably make fixing this a real priority :-).
-GNU/Linux/x86 and random thread signals (and Solaris/SPARC but not
-Solaris/x86).
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00336.html
+Anyway, thanks for reporting.
-Christopher Blizzard writes:
+The following patch will fix the problems with setting breakpoints in
+dynamically loaded objects:
-So, I've done some more digging into this and it looks like Jim
-Kingdon has reported this problem in the past:
-
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/bug-gdb/1999-10/msg00058.html
-
-I can reproduce this problem both with and without Tom's patch. Has
-anyone seen this before? Maybe have a solution for it hanging around?
-:)
-
-There's a test case for this documented at:
-
-when debugging threaded applications you get extra SIGTRAPs
-http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=9565
-
-[There should be a GDB testcase - cagney]
-
---
-
-Possible regressions with some devel GCCs.
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00475.html
-
-gcc-2.95.2 outputs a line note *before* the prologue (and one for the
-closing brace after the epilogue, instead of before it, as it used to
-be). By disabling the RTL-style prologue generating mechanism
-(undocumented GCC option -mno-schedule-prologue), you get back the
-traditional behaviour.
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00510.html
-
-This should now be fixed.
-
---
+ http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-05/msg00230.html
-RFD: infrun.c: No bpstat_stop_status call after proceed over break?
-(Peter Schauer)
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00665.html
+This patch isn't checked in yet (ping Michael/JimB), but I hope this
+will be in the next GDB release.
-GDB misses watchpoint triggers after proceeding over a breakpoint on
-x86 targets.
-
---
-
-x86 linux GDB and SIGALRM (???)
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00803.html
-
-I know there are problems with single stepping through signal
-handlers. These problems were present in 4.18. They were just masked
-because 4.18 failed to recognize signal handlers. Fixing it is not
-easy, and will require changes to handle_inferior_event(), that I
-prefer not to make before the 5.0 release.
+There should really be a test in the testsuite for this problem, since
+it keeps coming up :-(. Any volunteers?
Mark
--
-Revised UDP support (was: Re: [Fwd: [patch] UDP transport support])
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00000.html
-
-(Broken) support for GDB's remote protocol across UDP is to be
-included in the follow-on release.
-
---
-
-Can't build IRIX -> arm GDB.
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00356.html
-
-David Whedon writes:
-> Now I'm building for an embedded arm target. If there is a way of turning
-> remote-rdi off, I couldn't find it. It looks like it gets built by default
-> in gdb/configure.tgt(line 58) Anyway, the build dies in
-> gdb/rdi-share/unixcomm.c. SERPORT1 et. al. never get defined because we
-> aren't one of the architectures supported.
-
---
-
-Problem with weak functions
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-05/msg00060.html
-
-Dan Nicolaescu writes:
-> It seems that gdb-4.95.1 does not display correctly the function when
-> stoping in weak functions.
->
-> It stops in a function that is defined as weak, not in the function
-> that is actualy run...
-
---
-
-GDB5 TOT on unixware 7
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-04/msg00119.html
-
-Robert Lipe writes:
-> I just spun the top of tree of the GDB5 branch on UnixWare 7. As a
-> practical matter, the current thread support is somewhat more annoying
-> than when GDB was thread-unaware.
-
---
-
- Code Cleanups
- =============
-
-The following are small cleanups that will hopefully be completed by
-the follow on to 5.0.
-
---
-
-ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED
-
-The need for this as almost been eliminated. The next version of GCC
-(assuming cagney gets the relevant patch committed) will be able to
-supress unused parameter warnings.
-
---
-
-Eliminate more compiler warnings.
-
-Of course there also needs to be the usual debate over which warnings
-are valid and how to best go about this.
-
-One method: choose a single option; get agreement that it is
-reasonable; try it out to see if there isn't anything silly about it
-(-Wunused-parameters is an example of that) then incrementally hack
-away.
-
-The other method is to enable all warnings and eliminate them from one
-file at a time.
-
---
-
-Delete macro TARGET_BYTE_ORDER_SELECTABLE.
-
-Patches in the database.
-
---
-
-Updated readline
-
-Readline 4.? is out. A merge wouldn't hurt.
-
---
-
-Purge PARAMS
-
-Eliminate all uses of PARAMS in GDB's source code.
-
---
-
-Elimination of make_cleanup_func. (Andrew Cagney)
-
-make_cleanup_func elimination
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00791.html
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00814.html
-
---
-
-Elimination of ``(catch_errors_ftype *) func''.
-
-Like make_cleanup_func it isn't portable.
-
---
-
-Re: Various C++ things
-
-value_headof/value_from_vtable_info are worthless, and should be removed.
-The one place in printcmd.c that uses it should use the RTTI functions.
-
-RTTI for g++ should be using the typeinfo functions rather than the vtables.
-The typeinfo functions are always at offset 4 from the beginning of the vtable,
-and are always right. The vtables will have weird names like E::VB sometimes.
-The typeinfo function will always be "E type_info function", or somesuch.
-
-value_virtual_fn_field needs to be fixed so there are no failures for virtual
-functions for C++ using g++.
-
-Testsuite cases are the major priority right now for C++ support, since i have
-to make a lot of changes that could potentially break each other.
-
---
-
-Fix ``set architecture <tab>''
-
-This command should expand to a list of all supported architectures.
-At present ``info architecture'' needs to be used. That is simply
-wrong. It involves the use of add_set_enum_cmd().
-
---
-
-GDBARCH cleanup (Andrew Cagney)
-
-The non-generated parts of gdbarch.{sh,h,c} should be separated out
-into arch-utils.[hc].
-
-Document that gdbarch_init_ftype could easily fail because it didn't
-identify an architecture.
-
---
-
-Migrate qfThreadInfo packet -> qThreadInfo. (Andrew Cagney)
-
-Add support for packet enable/disable commands with these thread
-packets. General cleanup.
-
-[PATCH] Document the ThreadInfo remote protocol queries
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00832.html
-
-[PATCH] "info threads" queries for remote.c
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00831.html
-
---
-
- General Cleanups / Fixes
- ========================
+ GDB 5.1 - New features
+ ======================
-The following are more general cleanups and fixes. They are not tied
-to any specific release.
+The following new features should be included in 5.1.
--
-Nuke USG define.
-
---
+ GDB 5.1 - Cleanups
+ ==================
-Eliminate gdb/tui/Makefile.in.
-Cleanup configury support for optional sub-directories.
-
-Check how GCC handles multiple front ends for an example of how things
-could work. A tentative first step is to rationalize things so that
-all sub directories are handled in a fashion similar to gdb/mi.
-
---
-
-[PATCH/5] src/intl/Makefile.in:distclean additions
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00363.html
-
-Do not forget to merge the patch back into the trunk.
+The following code cleanups will hopefully be applied to GDB 5.1.
--
-Update ALPHA so that it uses ``struct frame_extra_info'' instead of
-EXTRA_FRAME_INFO.
-
-This is a barrier to replacing mips_extra_func_info with something
-that works with multi-arch.
-
---
-
-Multi-arch mips_extra_func_info.
-
-This first needs the alpha to be updated so that it uses ``struct
-frame_extra_info''.
-
---
-
-Send normal output to gdb_stdout.
-Send error messages to gdb_stderror.
-Send debug and log output log gdb_stdlog.
-
-GDB still contains many cases where (f)printf or printf_filtered () is
-used when it should be sending the messages to gdb_stderror or
-gdb_stdlog. The thought of #defining printf to something has crossed
-peoples minds ;-)
-
---
-
-Rationalize the host-endian code (grep for HOST_BYTE_ORDER).
-
-At present defs.h includes <endian.h> (which is linux specific) yet
-almost nothing depends on it. Suggest "gdb_endian.h" which can also
-handle <machine/endian.h> and only include that where it is really
-needed.
+ GDB 5.1 - Known Problems
+ ========================
--
-Replace asprintf() calls with xasprintf() calls.
+z8k
-As with things like strdup() most calls to asprintf() don't check the
-return value.
+The z8k has suffered bit rot and is known to not build. The problem
+was occuring in the opcodes directory.
--
-Rationaize savestring(), msavestring() and mstrsave().
+The BFD directory requires bug-fixed AUTOMAKE et.al.
-In general libiberty's xstrdup () can be used.
+AUTOMAKE 1.4 incorrectly set the TEXINPUTS environment variable. It
+contained the full path to texinfo.tex when it should have only
+contained the directory. The bug has been fixed in the current
+AUTOMAKE sources. Automake snapshots can be found in:
+ ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/gdb/snapshots
+and ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/binutils
--
-Eliminate mmalloc() from GDB.
+Solaris 8 x86 CURSES_H problem
+http://sources.redhat.com/ml/gdb/2000-07/msg00038.html
-Also eliminate it from defs.h.
+The original problem was worked around with:
---
+ 2000-06-06 Michael Snyder <msnyder@cygnus.com>
-Check/cleanup MI documentation.
+ * configure.in: Enable autoconf to find curses.h on Solaris 2.8.
+ * configure: Regenerate.
-The list of commands specified in the documentation needs to be
-checked against the mi-cmds.c table in a mechanical way (so that they
-two can be kept up-to-date).
+When building both GDB and SID using the same source tree the problem
+will still occure. sid/component/configure.in mis-configures
+<curses.h> and leaves wrong information in the config cache.
--
-Eliminate error_begin().
-
-With ui_file, there is no need for the statefull error_begin ()
-function.
+ GDB 5.2 - Fixes
+ ===============
--
-Add built-by, build-date, tm, xm, nm and anything else into gdb binary
-so that you can see how the GDB was created.
-
-Some of these (*m.h) would be added to the generated config.h. That
-in turn would fix a long standing bug where by the build process many
-not notice a changed tm.h file. Since everything depends on config.h,
-a change to *m.h forces a change to config.h and, consequently forces
-a rebuild.
+ GDB 5.2 - New features
+ ======================
--
-Replace gdb_stdtarg with gdb_targout (and possibly gdb_targerr).
-
-gdb_stdtarg is easily confused with gdb_stdarg.
+GCC 3.0 ABI support (but hopefully sooner...).
--
-Remote protocol doco feedback.
-
-Too much feedback to mention needs to be merged in (901660). Search
-for the word ``remote''.
+Objective C/C++ support (but hopefully sooner...).
--
-set/show remote X-packet ...
-
-``(gdb) help set remote X-packet'' doesn't list the applicable
-responses. The help message needs to be expanded.
+Import of readline 4.2
--
-Extra ui_file methods - dump.
+ GDB 5.2 - Cleanups
+ ==================
-These are for debugging / testing. An aside is to set up a whitebox
-testsuite for key internals such as ui_file.
+The following cleanups have been identified as part of GDB 5.2.
--
-Add an "info bfd" command that displays supported object formats,
-similarly to objdump -i.
-
-Is there a command already?
-
---
-
-Eliminate PTR. ISO-C allows ``void *''.
+Remove old code that does not use ui_out functions and all the related
+"ifdef"s. This also allows the elimination of -DUI_OUT from
+Makefile.in and configure.in.
--
-Eliminate abort ().
+Compiler warnings.
-GDB should never abort. GDB should either throw ``error ()'' or
-``internal_error ()''. Better still GDB should naturally unwind with
-an error status.
+Eliminate warnings for all targets on at least one host for one of the
+-W flags. Flags up for debate include: -Wswitch -Wcomment -trigraphs
+-Wtrigraphs -Wunused-function -Wunused-label -Wunused-variable
+-Wunused-value -Wchar-subscripts -Wtraditional -Wshadow -Wcast-qual
+-Wcast-align -Wwrite-strings -Wconversion -Wstrict-prototypes
+-Wmissing-prototypes -Wmissing-declarations -Wredundant-decls
+-Woverloaded-virtual -Winline
--
- Architectural Changes
- =====================
-
-These are harder than simple cleanups / fixes and, consequently
-involve more work. Typically an Architectural Change will be broken
-down into a more digestible set of cleanups and fixes.
+Deprecate, if not delete, the following:
---
+ register[]
+ register_valid[]
+ register_buffer()
+ REGISTER_BYTE()
+ Replaced by, on the target side
+ supply_register()
+ and on core-gdb side:
+ {read,write}_register_gen()
+ Remote.c will need to use something
+ other than REGISTER_BYTE() and
+ REGISTER_RAW_SIZE() when unpacking
+ [gG] packets.
-Replace READ_FP() with FRAME_HANDLE().
+ STORE_PSEUDO_REGISTER
+ FETCH_PSEUDO_REGISTER
+ Now handed by the methods
+ gdbarch_{read,write}_register()
+ which sits between core GDB and
+ the register cache.
-READ_FP() is a hangover from the days of the vax when the ABI really
-did have a frame pointer register. Modern architectures typically
-construct a virtual frame-handle from the stack pointer and various
-other bits of string.
+ REGISTER_CONVERTIBLE
+ REGISTER_CONVERT_TO_RAW
+ REGISTER_CONVERT_TO_VIRTUAL
+ I think these three are redundant.
+ gdbarch_register_{read,write} can
+ do any conversion it likes.
-Unfortunatly GDB still treats this synthetic FP register as though it
-is real. That in turn really confuses users (arm and ``print $fp'' VS
-``info registers fp''). The synthetic FP should be separated out of
-the true register set presented to the user.
+ REGISTER_VIRTUAL_SIZE
+ MAX_REGISTER_VIRTUAL_SIZE
+ REGISTER_VIRTUAL_TYPE
+ I think these can be replaced by
+ the pair:
+ FRAME_REGISTER_TYPE(frame, regnum)
+ REGISTER_TYPE(regnum)
---
+ DO_REGISTERS_INFO
+ Replace with
+ FRAME_REGISTER_INFO (frame, ...)
-MI's input does not use buffering.
+ REGISTER_SIM_REGNO()
+ If nothing else rename this so that
+ how it relates to rawreg and the
+ regnum is clear.
-At present the MI interface reads raw characters of from an unbuffered
-FD. This is to avoid several nasty buffer/race conditions. That code
-should be changed so that it registers its self with the event loop
-(on the input FD) and then push commands up to MI as they arrive.
+ REGISTER_BYTES
+ The size of the cache can be computed
+ on the fly.
-The serial code already does this.
+ IS_TRAPPED_INTERNALVAR
+ The pseudo registers should eventually make
+ this redundant.
--
-Register Cache Cleanup (below from Andrew Cagney)
-
-I would depict the current register architecture as something like:
-
- High GDB --> Low GDB
- | |
- \|/ \|/
- --- REG NR -----
- |
- register + REGISTER_BYTE(reg_nr)
- |
- \|/
- -------------------------
- | extern register[] |
- -------------------------
-
-where neither the high (valops.c et.al.) or low gdb (*-tdep.c) are
-really clear on what mechanisms they should be using to manipulate that
-buffer. Further, much code assumes, dangerously, that registers are
-contigious. Having got mips-tdep.c to support multiple ABIs, believe
-me, that is a bad assumption. Finally, that register cache layout is
-determined by the current remote/local target and _not_ the less
-specific target ISA. In fact, in many cases it is determined by the
-somewhat arbitrary layout of the [gG] packets!
-
-
-How I would like the register file to work is more like:
-
-
- High GDB
- |
- \|/
- pseudo reg-nr
- |
- map pseudo <->
- random cache
- bytes
- |
- \|/
- ------------
- | register |
- | cache |
- ------------
- /|\
- |
- map random cache
- bytes to target
- dependant i-face
- /|\
- |
- target dependant
- such as [gG] packet
- or ptrace buffer
-
-The main objectives being:
-
- o a clear separation between the low
- level target and the high level GDB
-
- o a mechanism that solves the general
- problem of register aliases, overlaps
- etc instead of treating them as optional
- extras that can be wedged in as an after
- thought (that is a reasonable description
- of the current code).
-
- Identify then solve the hard case and the
- rest just falls out. GDB solved the easy
- case and then tried to ignore the real
- world :-)
-
- o a removal of the assumption that the
- mapping between the register cache
- and virtual registers is largely static.
- If you flip the USR/SSR stack register
- select bit in the status-register then
- the corresponding stack registers should
- reflect the change.
-
- o a mechanism that clearly separates the
- gdb internal register cache from any
- target (not architecture) dependant
- specifics such as [gG] packets.
-
-Of course, like anything, it sounds good in theory. In reality, it
-would have to contend with many<->many relationships at both the
-virt<->cache and cache<->target level. For instance:
-
- virt<->cache
- Modifying an mmx register may involve
- scattering values across both FP and
- mmpx specific parts of a buffer
-
- cache<->target
- When writing back a SP it may need to
- both be written to both SP and USP.
-
-
-Hmm,
-
-Rather than let this like the last time it was discussed, just slip, I'm
-first going to add this e-mail (+ references) to TODO. I'd then like to
-sketch out a broad strategy I think could get us there.
-
-
-First thing I'd suggest is separating out the ``extern registers[]''
-code so that we can at least identify what is using it. At present
-things are scattered across many files. That way we can at least
-pretend that there is a cache instead of a global array :-)
-
-I'd then suggest someone putting up a proposal for the pseudo-reg /
-high-level side interface so that code can be adopted to it. For old
-code, initially a blanket rename of write_register_bytes() to
-deprecated_write_register_bytes() would help.
-
-Following that would, finaly be the corresponding changes to the target.
-
---
+Obsolete the targets:
-Fix ``I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that.'' from symfile.c.
-
-This requires internationalization.
-
---
-
-Check that GDB can handle all BFD architectures (Andrew Cagney)
-
-There should be a test that checks that BFD/GDB are in sync with
-regard to architecture changes. Something like a test that first
-queries GDB for all supported architectures and then feeds each back
-to GDB.. Anyone interested in learning how to write tests? :-)
-
---
-
-Add support for Modula3
-
-Get DEC/Compaq to contribute their Modula-3 support.
+arm*-wince-pe
+mips*-*-pe
+sh*-*-pe
--
-Convert ALL architectures to MULTI-ARCH.
+Obsolete the protocols:
---
+RDB?
-Convert GDB build process to AUTOMAKE.
+``As of version 5.3, WindRiver has removed the RDB server (RDB
+protocol support is built into gdb).'' -- Till.
--
--
-Can the xdep files be replaced by autoconf?
-Can the tm.h and nm.h files be eliminated by multi-arch.
-
---
-
-Add a transcript mechanism to GDB.
-
-Such a mechanism might log all gdb input and output to a file in a
-form that would allow it to be replayed. It could involve ``gdb
---transcript=FILE'' or it could involve ``(gdb) transcript file''.
-
---
-
-Make MI interface accessable from existing CLI.
-
---
-
-Select the initial multi-arch ISA / ABI based on --target or similar.
-
-At present the default is based on what ever is first in the BFD
-archures table. It should be determined based on the ``--target=...''
-name.
-
---
-
-Truly multi-arch.
-
-Enable the code to recognize --enable-targets=.... like BINUTILS does.
-
---
-
-Add a breakpoint-edit command to MI.
-
-It would be similar to MI's breakpoint create but would apply to an
-existing breakpoint. It saves the need to delete/create breakpoints
-when ever they are changed.
-
---
-
-Add directory path to MI breakpoint.
-
-That way the GUI's task of finding the file within which the
-breakpoint was set is simplified.
-
---
-
-Re-do GDB's output pager.
-
-GDB's output pager still relies on people correctly using *_filtered
-for gdb_stdout and *_unfiltered for gdb_stdlog / gdb_stderr.
-Hopefully, with all normal output going to gdb_stdout, the pager can
-just look at the ui_file that the output is on and then use that to
-decide what to do about paging. Sounds good in theory.
-
---
-
-Add mechanism to reject expression classes to MI
-
-There are situtations where you don't want GDB's expression
-parser/evaluator to perform inferior function calls or variable
-assignments.
-
---
-
-Remove sideffects from libgdb breakpoint create function.
-
-The user can use the CLI to create a breakpoint with partial
-information - no file (gdb would use the file from the last
-breakpoint).
-
-The libgdb interface currently affects that environment which can lead
-to confusion when a user is setting breakpoints via both the MI and
-the CLI.
-
-This is also a good example of how getting the CLI ``right'' will be
-hard.
-
---
-
-GDB doesn't recover gracefully from remote protocol errors.
+Convert GDB build process to AUTOMAKE.
-GDB wasn't checking for NAKs from the remote target. Instead a NAK is
-ignored and a timeout is required before GDB retries. A pre-cursor to
-fixing this this is making GDB's remote protocol packet more robust.
+See also sub-directory configure below.
-While downloading to a remote protocol target, gdb ignores packet
-errors in so far as it will continue to edownload with chunk N+1 even
-if chunk N was not correctly sent. This causes gdb.base/remote.exp to
-take a painfully long time to run. As a PS that test needs to be
-fixed so that it builds on 16 bit machines.
+The current convention is (kind of) to use $(<header>_h) in all
+dependency lists. It isn't done in a consistent way.
--
-Move gdb_lasterr to ui_out?
-
-The way GDB throws errors and records them needs a re-think. ui_out
-handles the correct output well. It doesn't resolve what to do with
-output / error-messages when things go wrong.
+ GDB 5.2 - Known Problems
+ ========================
--
-Fix implementation of ``target xxx''.
-
-At present when the user specifies ``target xxxx'', the CLI maps that
-directly onto a target open method. It is then assumed that the
-target open method should do all sorts of complicated things as this
-is the only chance it has. Check how the various remote targets
-duplicate the target operations. Check also how the various targets
-behave differently for purely arbitrary reasons.
-
-What should happen is that ``target xxxx'' should call a generic
-``target'' function and that should then co-ordinate the opening of
-``xxxx''. This becomes especially important when you're trying to
-open an asynchronous target that may need to perform background tasks
-as part of the ``attach'' phase.
-
-Unfortunatly, due to limitations in the old/creaking command.h
-interface, that isn't possible. The function being called isn't told
-of the ``xxx'' or any other context information.
+ Code Cleanups: General
+ ======================
-Consequently a precursor to fixing ``target xxxx'' is to clean up the
-CLI code so that it passes to the callback function (attatched to a
-command) useful information such as the actual command and a context
-for that command. Other changes such as making ``struct command''
-opaque may also help.
-
---
+The following are more general cleanups and fixes. They are not tied
+to any specific release.
-Document trace machinery
---
+ New Features and Fixes
+ ======================
-Document overlay machinery.
+These are harder than cleanups but easier than work involving
+fundamental architectural change.
--
- Legacy Wish List
+ Language Support
================
-This list is not up to date, and opinions vary about the importance or
-even desirability of some of the items. If you do fix something, it
-always pays to check the below.
+New languages come onto the scene all the time.
--
-@c This does not work (yet if ever). FIXME.
-@c @item --parse=@var{lang} @dots{}
-@c Configure the @value{GDBN} expression parser to parse the listed languages.
-@c @samp{all} configures @value{GDBN} for all supported languages. To get a
-@c list of all supported languages, omit the argument. Without this
-@c option, @value{GDBN} is configured to parse all supported languages.
-
---
-
-START_INFERIOR_TRAPS_EXPECTED need never be defined to 2, since that
-is its default value. Clean this up.
-
---
-
-It should be possible to use symbols from shared libraries before we know
-exactly where the libraries will be loaded. E.g. "b perror" before running
-the program. This could maybe be done as an extension of the "breakpoint
-re-evaluation" after new symbols are loaded.
-
---
-
-Make single_step() insert and remove breakpoints in one operation.
-
---
-
-Speed up single stepping by avoiding extraneous ptrace calls.
-
---
-
-Speed up single stepping by not inserting and removing breakpoints
-each time the inferior starts and stops.
-
-Breakpoints should not be inserted and deleted all the time. Only the
-one(s) there should be removed when we have to step over one. Support
-breakpoints that don't have to be removed to step over them.
-
-[this has resulted in numerous debates. The issue isn't clear cut]
-
---
-
-Provide "voodoo" debugging of core files. This creates a zombie
-process as a child of the debugger, and loads it up with the data,
-stack, and regs of the core file. This allows you to call functions
-in the executable, to manipulate the data in the core file.
-
-[you wish]
-
---
-
-GDB reopens the source file on every line, as you "next" through it.
-
-[still true? I've a memory of this being fixed]
-
---
-
-Perhaps "i source" should take an argument like that of "list".
-
---
-
-Remove "at 0xnnnn" from the "b foo" response, if `print address off' and if
-it matches the source line indicated.
-
---
-
-The prompt at end of screen should accept space as well as CR.
-
---
-
-Backtrace should point out what the currently selected frame is, in
-its display, perhaps showing "@3 foo (bar, ...)" or ">3 foo (bar,
-...)" rather than "#3 foo (bar, ...)".
-
---
-
-"i program" should work for core files, and display more info, like what
-actually caused it to die.
-
---
-
-"x/10i" should shorten the long name, if any, on subsequent lines.
-
---
-
-"next" over a function that longjumps, never stops until next time you happen
-to get to that spot by accident. E.g. "n" over execute_command which has
-an error.
-
---
-
-"set zeroprint off", don't bother printing members of structs which
-are entirely zero. Useful for those big structs with few useful
-members.
-
---
-
-GDB does four ioctl's for every command, probably switching terminal modes
-to/from inferior or for readline or something.
-
---
-
-terminal_ours versus terminal_inferior: cache state. Switch should be a noop
-if the state is the same, too.
-
---
-
-"i frame" shows wrong "arglist at" location, doesn't show where the args
-should be found, only their actual values.
-
---
-
-There should be a way for "set" commands to validate the new setting
-before it takes effect.
-
---
-
-"ena d" is ambiguous, why? "ena delete" seems to think it is a command!
-
---
-
-i line VAR produces "Line number not known for symbol ``var''.". I
-thought we were stashing that info now!
-
---
-
-We should be able to write to random files at hex offsets like adb.
-
---
-
-Make "target xxx" command interruptible.
-
---
-
-[elena - delete this]
-
-Handle add_file with separate text, data, and bss addresses. Maybe
-handle separate addresses for each segment in the object file?
-
---
-
-[Jimb/Elena delete this one]
-
-Handle free_named_symtab to cope with multiply-loaded object files
-in a dynamic linking environment. Should remember the last copy loaded,
-but not get too snowed if it finds references to the older copy.
-
---
-
-[elena delete this also]
-
-Remove all references to:
- text_offset
- data_offset
- text_data_start
- text_end
- exec_data_offset
- ...
-now that we have BFD. All remaining are in machine dependent files.
-
---
-
-Re-organize help categories into things that tend to fit on a screen
-and hang together.
-
---
-
-Add in commands like ADB's for searching for patterns, etc. We should
-be able to examine and patch raw unsymboled binaries as well in gdb as
-we can in adb. (E.g. increase the timeout in /bin/login without source).
-
-[actually, add ADB interface :-]
-
---
-
-When doing "step" or "next", if a few lines of source are skipped between
-the previous line and the current one, print those lines, not just the
-last line of a multiline statement.
-
---
-
-Handling of "&" address-of operator needs some serious overhaul
-for ANSI C and consistency on arrays and functions.
- For "float point[15];":
-ptype &point[4] ==> Attempt to take address of non-lvalue.
- For "char *malloc();":
-ptype malloc ==> "char *()"; should be same as
-ptype &malloc ==> "char *(*)()"
-call printf ("%x\n", malloc) ==> weird value, should be same as
-call printf ("%x\n", &malloc) ==> correct value
-
---
-
-Fix dbxread.c symbol reading in the presence of interrupts. It
-currently leaves a cleanup to blow away the entire symbol table when a
-QUIT occurs. (What's wrong with that? -kingdon, 28 Oct 1993).
-
-[I suspect that the grype was that, on a slow system, you might want
-to cntrl-c and get just half the symbols and then load the rest later
-- scary to be honest]
-
---
-
-Mipsread.c reads include files depth-first, because the dependencies
-in the psymtabs are way too inclusive (it seems to me). Figure out what
-really depends on what, to avoid recursing 20 or 30 times while reading
-real symtabs.
-
---
-
-value_add() should be subtracting the lower bound of arrays, if known,
-and possibly checking against the upper bound for error reporting.
-
---
-
-When listing source lines, check for a preceding \n, to verify that
-the file hasn't changed out from under us.
-
-[fixed by some other means I think. That hack wouldn't actually work
-reliably - the file might move such that another \n appears. ]
-
---
-
-Get all the remote systems (where the protocol allows it) to be able to
-stop the remote system when the GDB user types ^C (like remote.c
-does). For ebmon, use ^Ak.
-
---
-
-Possible feature: A version of the "disassemble" command which shows
-both source and assembly code ("set symbol-filename on" is a partial
-solution).
-
-[has this been done? It was certainly done for MI and GDBtk]
-
---
-
-investigate "x/s 0" (right now stops early) (I think maybe GDB is
-using a 0 address for bad purposes internally).
-
---
-
-Make "info path" and path_command work again (but independent of the
-environment either of gdb or that we'll pass to the inferior).
-
---
-
-Make GDB understand the GCC feature for putting octal constants in
-enums. Make it so overflow on an enum constant does not error_type
-the whole type. Allow arbitrarily large enums with type attributes.
-Put all this stuff in the testsuite.
-
---
-
-Make TYPE_CODE_ERROR with a non-zero TYPE_LENGTH more useful (print
-the value in hex; process type attributes). Add this to the
-testsuite. This way future compilers can add new types and old
-versions of GDB can do something halfway reasonable.
-
---
-
-Fix mdebugread.c:parse_type to do fundamental types right (see
-rs6000_builtin_type in stabsread.c for what "right" is--the point is
-that the debug format fixes the sizes of these things and it shouldn't
-depend on stuff like TARGET_PTR_BIT and so on. For mdebug, there seem
-to be separate bt* codes for 64 bit and 32 bit things, and GDB should
-be aware of that). Also use a switch statement for clarity and speed.
-
---
-
-Investigate adding symbols in target_load--some targets do, some
-don't.
+Re: Various C++ things
---
+value_headof/value_from_vtable_info are worthless, and should be
+removed. The one place in printcmd.c that uses it should use the RTTI
+functions.
-Put dirname in psymtabs and change lookup*symtab to use dirname (so
-/foo/bar.c works whether compiled by cc /foo/bar.c, or cd /foo; cc
-bar.c).
+RTTI for g++ should be using the typeinfo functions rather than the
+vtables. The typeinfo functions are always at offset 4 from the
+beginning of the vtable, and are always right. The vtables will have
+weird names like E::VB sometimes. The typeinfo function will always
+be "E type_info function", or somesuch.
---
+value_virtual_fn_field needs to be fixed so there are no failures for
+virtual functions for C++ using g++.
-Merge xcoffread.c and coffread.c. Use breakpoint_re_set instead of
-fixup_breakpoints.
+Testsuite cases are the major priority right now for C++ support,
+since i have to make a lot of changes that could potentially break
+each other.
--
-Make a watchpoint which contains a function call an error (it is
-broken now, making it work is probably not worth the effort).
-
---
-New test case based on weird.exp but in which type numbers are not
-renumbered (thus multiply defining a type). This currently causes an
-infinite loop on "p v_comb".
+ Symbol Support
+ ==============
--
-[Hey! Hint Hint Delete Delete!!!]
-
-Fix 386 floating point so that floating point registers are real
-registers (but code can deal at run-time if they are missing, like
-mips and 68k). This would clean up "info float" and related stuff.
+Investiagate ways of reducing memory.
--
-gcc -g -c enummask.c then gdb enummask.o, then "p v". GDB complains
-about not being able to access memory location 0.
-
--------------------- enummask.c
-enum mask
-{
- ANIMAL = 0,
- VEGETABLE = 1,
- MINERAL = 2,
- BASIC_CATEGORY = 3,
-
- WHITE = 0,
- BLUE = 4,
- GREEN = 8,
- BLACK = 0xc,
- COLOR = 0xc,
-
- ALIVE = 0x10,
-
- LARGE = 0x20
-} v;
+Investigate ways of improving load time.
--
-If try to modify value in file with "set write off" should give
-appropriate error not "cannot access memory at address 0x65e0".
-
---
+ Testsuite Support
+ =================
-Allow core file without exec file on RS/6000.
+There are never to many testcases.
--
-Make sure "shell" with no arguments works right on DOS.
+Better thread testsuite.
--
-Make gdb.ini (as well as .gdbinit) be checked on all platforms, so
-the same directory can be NFS-mounted on unix or DOS, and work the
-same way.
+Better C++ testsuite.
--
-[Is this another delete???]
+ Architectural Changes: General
+ ==============================
-Get SECT_OFF_TEXT stuff out of objfile_relocate (might be needed to
-get RS/6000 to work right, might not be immediately relevant).
+These are harder than simple cleanups / fixes and, consequently
+involve more work. Typically an Architectural Change will be broken
+down into a more digestible set of cleanups and fixes.
--
-Work out some kind of way to allow running the inferior to be done as
-a sub-execution of, eg. breakpoint command lists. Currently running
-the inferior interupts any command list execution. This would require
-some rewriting of wait_for_inferior & friends, and hence should
-probably be done in concert with the above.
-
---
+ Architectural Change: Multi-arch et al.
+ =======================================
-Add function arguments to gdb user defined functions.
+The long term objective is to remove all assumptions that there is a
+single target with a single address space with a single instruction
+set architecture and single application binary interface.
---
+This is an ongoing effort. The first milestone is to enable
+``multi-arch'' where by all architectural decisions are made at
+runtime.
-Add convenience variables that refer to exec file, symbol file,
-selected frame source file, selected frame function, selected frame
-line number, etc.
+It should be noted that ``gdbarch'' is really ``gdbabi'' and
+``gdbisa''. Once things are multi-arched breaking that down correctly
+will become much easier.
--
-Add a "suspend" subcommand of the "continue" command to suspend gdb
-while continuing execution of the subprocess. Useful when you are
-debugging servers and you want to dodge out and initiate a connection
-to a server running under gdb.
-
-[hey async!!]
+ Architectural Change: MI, LIBGDB and scripting languages
+ ========================================================
---
+See also architectural changes related to the event loop. LIBGDB
+can't be finished until there is a generic event loop being used by
+all targets.
-Modify the handling of symbols grouped through BINCL/EINCL stabs to
-allocate a partial symtab for each BINCL/EINCL grouping. This will
-seriously decrease the size of inter-psymtab dependencies and hence
-lessen the amount that needs to be read in when a new source file is
-accessed.
+The long term objective is it to be possible to integrate GDB into
+scripting languages.
--
-[Comming...]
+ Architectural Change: Async
+ ===========================
-Modify gdb to work correctly with Pascal.
+While GDB uses an event loop when prompting the user for input. That
+event loop is not exploited by targets when they allow the target
+program to continue. Typically targets still block in (target_wait())
+until the program again halts.
---
-
-Add a command for searching memory, a la adb. It specifies size,
-mask, value, start address. ADB searches until it finds it or hits
-an error (or is interrupted).
+The closest a target comes to supporting full asynchronous mode are
+the remote targets ``async'' and ``extended-async''.
--
-Remove the range and type checking code and documentation, if not
-going to implement.
-
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