X-Git-Url: http://git.efficios.com/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=gdb%2FREADME;h=5f722b47a80e8003d690c2075f912d8028278eb9;hb=a3982d4858ac407c7e879a57762bc4130d54d4b8;hp=d45a905ee112024ce2e63978448ea9214cc34c4d;hpb=e91b87a36830d061ef87d67be5f309e4d4ed918f;p=deliverable%2Fbinutils-gdb.git diff --git a/gdb/README b/gdb/README index d45a905ee1..5f722b47a8 100644 --- a/gdb/README +++ b/gdb/README @@ -1,67 +1,562 @@ -This is GDB, a source-level debugger intended for GNU, -presently running under un*x. + README for gdb-5.3 release + Updated 5th September, 2002 by Andrew Cagney -Before compiling GDB, you must set up links to five files according to -the kind of machine you are running on. To do this, type `config.gdb -machine', where machine is something like `vax' or `sun2'. This -creates links named `param.h', `opcode.h', `pinsn.c', and `infdep.c'. +This is GDB, the GNU source-level debugger. -Once these files are set up, just `make' will do everything, -producing an executable `gdb' in this directory. +A summary of new features is in the file `gdb/NEWS'. -About the machine-dependent files... +Check the GDB home page at http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/ for up to +date release information, mailing list links and archives, etc. -m-.h +The file `gdb/PROBLEMS' contains information on problems identified +late in the release cycle. GDB's bug tracking data base at +http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/ contains a more complete list of +bugs. -This file contains macro definitions that express information -about the machine's registers, stack frame format and instructions. --opcode.h, -pinsn.c -These files contain the information necessary to print instructions -for your cpu type. +Unpacking and Installation -- quick overview +========================== --dep.c -Those routines which provide a low level interface to ptrace and which -tend to be machine-dependent. (The machine-independent routines are in -`infrun.c' and `inflow.c') + 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-5.3 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 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. -About debugging gdb with itself... + When you unpack the gdb-5.3.tar.gz file, you'll find a directory +called `gdb-5.3', which contains: -You 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 . + COPYING config.sub intl missing opcodes + COPYING.LIB configure libiberty mkinstalldirs readline + Makefile.in configure.in libtool.m4 mmalloc sim + README djunpack.bat ltcf-c.sh move-if-change symlink-tree + bfd etc ltcf-cxx.sh mpw-README texinfo + config gdb ltcf-gcj.sh mpw-build.in utils + config-ml.in gettext.m4 ltconfig mpw-config.in ylwrap + config.guess include ltmain.sh mpw-configure + config.if install-sh md5.sum mpw-install -Also, you want to make sure that gdb is not compiled with shared -libraries on the Sun 4. And you want to 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. +You can build GDB right in the source directory: -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 more details. + cd gdb-5.3 + ./configure + make + cp gdb/gdb /usr/local/bin/gdb (or wherever you want) -About languages other than C... +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. -C++ support has been integrated into gdb; it works, but somewhat -buggily. Pascal support has not yet been integrated in gdb; the work -is being done. +You can build GDB in any empty build directory: -About reporting bugs... + mkdir build + cd build + /gdb-5.3/configure + make + cp gdb/gdb /usr/local/bin/gdb (or wherever you want) -The correct address for reporting bugs found with gdb is -"bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu". Please send all bugs to that address. +(Building GDB with DJGPP tools for MS-DOS/MS-Windows is slightly +different; see the file gdb-5.3/gdb/config/djgpp/README for details.) -About xgdb... + 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'. -xgdb.c was provided to us by the user community; it is not an integral -part of the gdb distribution. The problem of providing visual -debugging support on top of gdb is peripheral to the GNU project and -(at least right now) we can't afford to put time into it. So while we -will be happy to incorporate user fixes to xgdb.c, we do not guarantee -that it will work and we will not fix bugs reported in it. + If you get compiler errors during this stage, see the `Reporting +Bugs' section below; there are a few known problems. -For those intersted in auto display of source and the availability of -an editor while debugging I suggest trying gdb-mode in gnu-emacs. -Comments on this mode are welcome. + 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'. + 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. + + +More Documentation +****************** + + 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-5.3/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. + + If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the +Info formatting programs, such as `texinfo-format-buffer' or +`makeinfo'. + + If you have `makeinfo' installed, and are in the top level GDB +source directory (`gdb-5.3', in the case of version 5.3), you can make +the Info file by typing: + + cd gdb/doc + make info + + 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-5.3/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. + + 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-5.3/texinfo' directory. + + 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-5.3/gdb') and then type: + + make doc/gdb.dvi + + If you prefer to have the manual in PDF format, type this from the +`gdb/doc' subdirectory of the main source directory: + + make gdb.pdf + +For this to work, you will need the PDFTeX package to be installed. + + +Installing GDB +************** + + 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. + + 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'. + + For example, the GDB version 5.3 distribution is in the `gdb-5.3' +directory. That directory contains: + +`gdb-5.3/{COPYING,COPYING.LIB}' + Standard GNU license files. Please read them. + +`gdb-5.3/bfd' + source for the Binary File Descriptor library + +`gdb-5.3/config*' + script for configuring GDB, along with other support files + +`gdb-5.3/gdb' + the source specific to GDB itself + +`gdb-5.3/include' + GNU include files + +`gdb-5.3/libiberty' + source for the `-liberty' free software library + +`gdb-5.3/mmalloc' + source for the GNU memory-mapped malloc package + +`gdb-5.3/opcodes' + source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers + +`gdb-5.3/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. + +`gdb-5.3/sim' + source for some simulators (ARM, D10V, SPARC, M32R, MIPS, PPC, V850, etc) + +`gdb-5.3/intl' + source for the GNU gettext library, for internationalization. + This is slightly modified from the standalone gettext + distribution you can get from GNU. + +`gdb-5.3/texinfo' + The `texinfo.tex' file, which you need in order to make a printed + manual using TeX. + +`gdb-5.3/etc' + Coding standards, useful files for editing GDB, and other + miscellanea. + +`gdb-5.3/utils' + A grab bag of random utilities. + + 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. + + 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-5.3' directory. + + First switch to the `gdb-VERSION-NUMBER' source directory if you are +not already in it; then run `configure'. + + For example: + + cd gdb-5.3 + ./configure + make + + 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-5.3' +source directory for version 5.3, `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 5.3, type the following to configure only +the `bfd' subdirectory: + + cd gdb-5.3/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 5.3, you can build GDB in a separate +directory for a Sun 4 like this: + + cd gdb-5.3 + mkdir ../gdb-sun4 + cd ../gdb-sun4 + ../gdb-5.3/configure + make + + 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'. + + 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'. + + 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-5.3' (or in a separate configured directory configured with +`--srcdir=PATH/gdb-5.3'), 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-5.3', for version 5.3). + + +`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 ...' + 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. + + +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-array.c Array Tech RAID controller + remote-e7000.c Hitachi E7000 ICE + 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-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-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. + + +Reporting Bugs in GDB +===================== + + There are several ways of reporting bugs in GDB. The prefered +method is to use the World Wide Web: + + http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/ + +As an alternative, the bug report can be submitted, via e-mail, to the +address "bug-gdb@gnu.org". + + When submitting a bug, please include the GDB version number (e.g., +gdb-5.3), 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 +Reporting Bugs chapter of the GDB manual (gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo). + + +Graphical interface to GDB -- X Windows, MS Windows +========================== + + Several graphical interfaces to GDB are available. You should +check: + + http://www.gnu.org/software/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'. + + +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://sources.redhat.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-5.3 + make check-gdb + +or + + (2) cd gdb-5.3/gdb + make check + +or + + (3) cd gdb-5.3/gdb/testsuite + make site.exp (builds the site specific file) + runtest -tool gdb GDB=../gdb (or GDB= as appropriate) + +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. + +See the DejaGNU documentation for further details. + + +(this is for editing this file with GNU emacs) +Local Variables: +mode: text +End: