2010-07-31 Paul Pluzhnikov <ppluzhnikov@google.com>
[binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998,
3 @c 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
4 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5 @c
6 @c %**start of header
7 @c makeinfo ignores cmds prev to setfilename, so its arg cannot make use
8 @c of @set vars. However, you can override filename with makeinfo -o.
9 @setfilename gdb.info
10 @c
11 @include gdb-cfg.texi
12 @c
13 @settitle Debugging with @value{GDBN}
14 @setchapternewpage odd
15 @c %**end of header
16
17 @iftex
18 @c @smallbook
19 @c @cropmarks
20 @end iftex
21
22 @finalout
23 @syncodeindex ky cp
24 @syncodeindex tp cp
25
26 @c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
27 @c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
28 @syncodeindex vr cp
29 @syncodeindex fn cp
30
31 @c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
32 @c This is updated by GNU Press.
33 @set EDITION Ninth
34
35 @c !!set GDB edit command default editor
36 @set EDITOR /bin/ex
37
38 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
39
40 @c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
41 @c manuals to an info tree.
42 @dircategory Software development
43 @direntry
44 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
45 @end direntry
46
47 @copying
48 Copyright @copyright{} 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
49 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
50 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
51
52 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
53 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
54 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
55 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
56 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
57 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
58
59 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
60 this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
61 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
62 @end copying
63
64 @ifnottex
65 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
66
67 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
68 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
69 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
70 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
71 @end ifset
72 Version @value{GDBVN}.
73
74 @insertcopying
75 @end ifnottex
76
77 @titlepage
78 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
79 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
80 @sp 1
81 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
82 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
83 @sp 1
84 @subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
85 @end ifset
86 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
87 @page
88 @tex
89 {\parskip=0pt
90 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
91 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
92 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
93 }
94 @end tex
95
96 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
97 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
98 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
99 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
100 ISBN 1-882114-77-9 @*
101
102 @insertcopying
103 @page
104 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
105 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
106 software in general. We will miss him.
107 @end titlepage
108 @page
109
110 @ifnottex
111 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
112
113 @top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
114
115 This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
116
117 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN}
118 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
119 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
120 @end ifset
121 Version @value{GDBVN}.
122
123 Copyright (C) 1988-2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
124
125 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
126 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
127 software in general. We will miss him.
128
129 @menu
130 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
131 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
132
133 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
134 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
135 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
136 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
137 * Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
138 * Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
139 * Stack:: Examining the stack
140 * Source:: Examining source files
141 * Data:: Examining data
142 * Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
143 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
144 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
145 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
146
147 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
148
149 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
150 * Altering:: Altering execution
151 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
152 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
153 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
154 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
155 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
156 * Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
157 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
158 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
159 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
160 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
161 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
162 * JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
163
164 * GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
165
166 * Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
167 * Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
168 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
169 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
170 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
171 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
172 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
173 * Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
174 @value{GDBN}
175 * Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
176 the operating system
177 * Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
178 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
179 how you can copy and share GDB
180 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
181 * Index:: Index
182 @end menu
183
184 @end ifnottex
185
186 @contents
187
188 @node Summary
189 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
190
191 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
192 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
193 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
194
195 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
196 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
197
198 @itemize @bullet
199 @item
200 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
201
202 @item
203 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
204
205 @item
206 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
207
208 @item
209 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
210 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
211 @end itemize
212
213 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
214 For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
215 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
216
217 Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
218 @ref{D,,D}.
219
220 @cindex Modula-2
221 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
222 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
223
224 @cindex Pascal
225 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
226 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
227 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
228 syntax.
229
230 @cindex Fortran
231 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
232 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
233 underscore.
234
235 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
236 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
237
238 @menu
239 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
240 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
241 @end menu
242
243 @node Free Software
244 @unnumberedsec Free Software
245
246 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
247 General Public License
248 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
249 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
250 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
251 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
252 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
253 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
254
255 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
256 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
257 from anyone else.
258
259 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
260
261 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
262 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
263 include with the free software. Many of our most important
264 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
265 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
266 when an important free software package does not come with a free
267 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
268 gaps today.
269
270 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
271 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
272 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
273 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
274 them from the free software world.
275
276 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
277 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
278 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
279 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
280 contract to make it non-free.
281
282 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
283 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
284 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
285 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
286 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
287 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
288 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
289
290 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
291 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
292 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
293 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
294
295 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
296 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
297 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
298 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
299 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
300 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
301 community.
302
303 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
304 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
305 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
306 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
307 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
308 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
309 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
310 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
311 of the manual.
312
313 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
314 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
315 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
316 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
317 manual to replace it.
318
319 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
320 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
321 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
322 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
323 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
324 the free software community.
325
326 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
327 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
328 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
329 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
330 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
331 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
332 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
333 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
334 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
335
336 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
337 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
338 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
339 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
340 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
341 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
342 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
343 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
344
345 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
346 published by other publishers, at
347 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
348
349 @node Contributors
350 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
351
352 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
353 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
354 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
355 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
356 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
357 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
358 blow-by-blow account.
359
360 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
361
362 @quotation
363 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
364 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
365 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
366 @end quotation
367
368 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
369 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
370 releases:
371 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
372 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
373 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
374 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
375 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
376 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
377 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
378 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
379 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
380
381 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
382 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
383
384 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
385 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
386 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
387 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
388 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
389
390 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
391 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
392 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
393
394 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
395 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
396
397 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
398
399 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
400 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
401 support.
402 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
403 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
404 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
405 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
406 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
407 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
408 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
409 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
410 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
411 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
412 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
413 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
414 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
415 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
416 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
417 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
418
419 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
420
421 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
422 libraries.
423
424 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
425 about several machine instruction sets.
426
427 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
428 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
429 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
430 and RDI targets, respectively.
431
432 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
433 command-line editing and command history.
434
435 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
436 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
437
438 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
439 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
440 symbols.
441
442 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
443 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
444
445 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
446
447 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
448 processors.
449
450 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
451
452 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
453
454 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
455
456 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
457 watchpoints.
458
459 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
460
461 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
462
463 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
464 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
465
466 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
467 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
468 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
469 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
470 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
471 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
472 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
473
474 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
475 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
476
477 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
478 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
479 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
480 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
481 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
482 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
483 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
484 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
485 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
486 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
487 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
488 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
489 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
490 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
491 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
492
493 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
494 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
495
496 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
497 Hat.
498
499 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
500 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
501 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
502 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
503 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
504 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
505
506 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
507 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
508 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
509 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
510 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
511 trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
512 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
513 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
514 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
515 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
516 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
517 Weigand.
518
519 Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
520 Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
521 who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
522 Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
523
524 Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
525 Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
526
527 @node Sample Session
528 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
529
530 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
531 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
532 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
533
534 @iftex
535 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
536 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
537 @end iftex
538
539 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
540 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
541
542 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
543 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
544 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
545 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
546 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
547 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
548 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
549 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
550 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
551
552 @smallexample
553 $ @b{cd gnu/m4}
554 $ @b{./m4}
555 @b{define(foo,0000)}
556
557 @b{foo}
558 0000
559 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
560
561 @b{bar}
562 0000
563 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
564
565 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
566 @b{baz}
567 @b{Ctrl-d}
568 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
569 @end smallexample
570
571 @noindent
572 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
573
574 @smallexample
575 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
576 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
577 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
578 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
579 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
580 the conditions.
581 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
582 for details.
583
584 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
585 (@value{GDBP})
586 @end smallexample
587
588 @noindent
589 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
590 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
591 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
592 that examples fit in this manual.
593
594 @smallexample
595 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
596 @end smallexample
597
598 @noindent
599 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
600 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
601 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
602 @code{break} command.
603
604 @smallexample
605 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
606 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
607 @end smallexample
608
609 @noindent
610 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
611 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
612 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
613
614 @smallexample
615 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
616 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
617 @b{define(foo,0000)}
618
619 @b{foo}
620 0000
621 @end smallexample
622
623 @noindent
624 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
625 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
626 context where it stops.
627
628 @smallexample
629 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
630
631 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
632 at builtin.c:879
633 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
634 @end smallexample
635
636 @noindent
637 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
638 the next line of the current function.
639
640 @smallexample
641 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
642 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
643 : nil,
644 @end smallexample
645
646 @noindent
647 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
648 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
649 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
650 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
651
652 @smallexample
653 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
654 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
655 at input.c:530
656 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
657 @end smallexample
658
659 @noindent
660 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
661 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
662 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
663 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
664 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
665 stack frame for each active subroutine.
666
667 @smallexample
668 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
669 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
670 at input.c:530
671 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
672 at builtin.c:882
673 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
674 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
675 at macro.c:71
676 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
677 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
678 @end smallexample
679
680 @noindent
681 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
682 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
683 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
684
685 @smallexample
686 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
687 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
688 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
689 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
690 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
691 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
692 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
693 : xstrdup(rq);
694 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
695 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
696 @end smallexample
697
698 @noindent
699 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
700 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
701 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
702 (@code{print}) to see their values.
703
704 @smallexample
705 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
706 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
707 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
708 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
709 @end smallexample
710
711 @noindent
712 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
713 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
714 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
715
716 @smallexample
717 (@value{GDBP}) @b{l}
718 533 xfree(rquote);
719 534
720 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
721 : xstrdup (lq);
722 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
723 : xstrdup (rq);
724 537
725 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
726 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
727 540 @}
728 541
729 542 void
730 @end smallexample
731
732 @noindent
733 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
734 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
735
736 @smallexample
737 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
738 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
739 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
740 540 @}
741 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
742 $3 = 9
743 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
744 $4 = 7
745 @end smallexample
746
747 @noindent
748 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
749 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
750 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
751 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
752 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
753 assignments.
754
755 @smallexample
756 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
757 $5 = 7
758 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
759 $6 = 9
760 @end smallexample
761
762 @noindent
763 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
764 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
765 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
766 example that caused trouble initially:
767
768 @smallexample
769 (@value{GDBP}) @b{c}
770 Continuing.
771
772 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
773
774 baz
775 0000
776 @end smallexample
777
778 @noindent
779 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
780 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
781 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
782
783 @smallexample
784 @b{Ctrl-d}
785 Program exited normally.
786 @end smallexample
787
788 @noindent
789 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
790 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
791 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
792
793 @smallexample
794 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
795 @end smallexample
796
797 @node Invocation
798 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
799
800 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
801 The essentials are:
802 @itemize @bullet
803 @item
804 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
805 @item
806 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
807 @end itemize
808
809 @menu
810 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
811 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
812 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
813 * Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
814 @end menu
815
816 @node Invoking GDB
817 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
818
819 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
820 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
821
822 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
823 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
824
825 The command-line options described here are designed
826 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
827 options may effectively be unavailable.
828
829 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
830 specifying an executable program:
831
832 @smallexample
833 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
834 @end smallexample
835
836 @noindent
837 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
838 specified:
839
840 @smallexample
841 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
842 @end smallexample
843
844 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
845 to debug a running process:
846
847 @smallexample
848 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
849 @end smallexample
850
851 @noindent
852 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
853 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
854
855 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
856 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
857 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
858 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
859 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
860
861 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
862 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
863 option processing.
864 @smallexample
865 @value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
866 @end smallexample
867 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
868 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
869
870 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
871 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
872
873 @smallexample
874 @value{GDBP} -silent
875 @end smallexample
876
877 @noindent
878 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
879 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
880
881 @noindent
882 Type
883
884 @smallexample
885 @value{GDBP} -help
886 @end smallexample
887
888 @noindent
889 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
890 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
891
892 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
893 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
894 @samp{-x} option is used.
895
896
897 @menu
898 * File Options:: Choosing files
899 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
900 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
901 @end menu
902
903 @node File Options
904 @subsection Choosing Files
905
906 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
907 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
908 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
909 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
910 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
911 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
912 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
913 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
914 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
915 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
916 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
917 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
918 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
919
920 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
921 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
922 argument and ignore it.
923
924 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
925 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
926 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
927 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
928 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
929
930 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
931 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
932 @c it.
933
934 @table @code
935 @item -symbols @var{file}
936 @itemx -s @var{file}
937 @cindex @code{--symbols}
938 @cindex @code{-s}
939 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
940
941 @item -exec @var{file}
942 @itemx -e @var{file}
943 @cindex @code{--exec}
944 @cindex @code{-e}
945 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
946 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
947
948 @item -se @var{file}
949 @cindex @code{--se}
950 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
951 file.
952
953 @item -core @var{file}
954 @itemx -c @var{file}
955 @cindex @code{--core}
956 @cindex @code{-c}
957 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
958
959 @item -pid @var{number}
960 @itemx -p @var{number}
961 @cindex @code{--pid}
962 @cindex @code{-p}
963 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
964
965 @item -command @var{file}
966 @itemx -x @var{file}
967 @cindex @code{--command}
968 @cindex @code{-x}
969 Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
970 evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
971 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
972
973 @item -eval-command @var{command}
974 @itemx -ex @var{command}
975 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
976 @cindex @code{-ex}
977 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
978
979 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
980 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
981
982 @smallexample
983 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
984 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
985 @end smallexample
986
987 @item -directory @var{directory}
988 @itemx -d @var{directory}
989 @cindex @code{--directory}
990 @cindex @code{-d}
991 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
992
993 @item -r
994 @itemx -readnow
995 @cindex @code{--readnow}
996 @cindex @code{-r}
997 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
998 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
999 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1000
1001 @end table
1002
1003 @node Mode Options
1004 @subsection Choosing Modes
1005
1006 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1007 batch mode or quiet mode.
1008
1009 @table @code
1010 @item -nx
1011 @itemx -n
1012 @cindex @code{--nx}
1013 @cindex @code{-n}
1014 Do not execute commands found in any initialization files. Normally,
1015 @value{GDBN} executes the commands in these files after all the command
1016 options and arguments have been processed. @xref{Command Files,,Command
1017 Files}.
1018
1019 @item -quiet
1020 @itemx -silent
1021 @itemx -q
1022 @cindex @code{--quiet}
1023 @cindex @code{--silent}
1024 @cindex @code{-q}
1025 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1026 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1027
1028 @item -batch
1029 @cindex @code{--batch}
1030 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1031 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1032 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1033 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1034 in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination;
1035 @pxref{Screen Size} and acts as if @kbd{set confirm off} were in
1036 effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1037
1038 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1039 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1040 make this more useful, the message
1041
1042 @smallexample
1043 Program exited normally.
1044 @end smallexample
1045
1046 @noindent
1047 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1048 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1049 mode.
1050
1051 @item -batch-silent
1052 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1053 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1054 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1055 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1056 for an interactive session.
1057
1058 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1059 messages, for example.
1060
1061 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1062 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1063
1064 @item -return-child-result
1065 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1066 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1067 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1068
1069 @itemize @bullet
1070 @item
1071 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1072 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1073 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1074 @item
1075 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1076 @item
1077 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1078 the exit code will be -1.
1079 @end itemize
1080
1081 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1082 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1083 interface.
1084
1085 @item -nowindows
1086 @itemx -nw
1087 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1088 @cindex @code{-nw}
1089 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1090 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1091 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1092
1093 @item -windows
1094 @itemx -w
1095 @cindex @code{--windows}
1096 @cindex @code{-w}
1097 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1098 used if possible.
1099
1100 @item -cd @var{directory}
1101 @cindex @code{--cd}
1102 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1103 instead of the current directory.
1104
1105 @item -fullname
1106 @itemx -f
1107 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1108 @cindex @code{-f}
1109 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1110 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1111 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1112 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1113 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1114 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1115 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1116 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1117 frame.
1118
1119 @item -epoch
1120 @cindex @code{--epoch}
1121 The Epoch Emacs-@value{GDBN} interface sets this option when it runs
1122 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to modify its print
1123 routines so as to allow Epoch to display values of expressions in a
1124 separate window.
1125
1126 @item -annotate @var{level}
1127 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1128 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1129 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1130 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1131 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1132 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1133 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1134 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1135 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1136
1137 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1138 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
1139
1140 @item --args
1141 @cindex @code{--args}
1142 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1143 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1144 This option stops option processing.
1145
1146 @item -baud @var{bps}
1147 @itemx -b @var{bps}
1148 @cindex @code{--baud}
1149 @cindex @code{-b}
1150 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1151 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1152
1153 @item -l @var{timeout}
1154 @cindex @code{-l}
1155 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1156 for remote debugging.
1157
1158 @item -tty @var{device}
1159 @itemx -t @var{device}
1160 @cindex @code{--tty}
1161 @cindex @code{-t}
1162 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1163 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1164
1165 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1166 @item -tui
1167 @cindex @code{--tui}
1168 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1169 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1170 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1171 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Alternatively, the
1172 Text User Interface can be enabled by invoking the program
1173 @samp{@value{GDBTUI}}. Do not use this option if you run @value{GDBN} from
1174 Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1175
1176 @c @item -xdb
1177 @c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1178 @c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1179 @c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1180 @c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1181 @c systems.
1182
1183 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1184 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1185 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1186 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1187 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1188 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1189
1190 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1191 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1192 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1193 previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1194 selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1195 @sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1196
1197 @item -write
1198 @cindex @code{--write}
1199 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1200 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1201 (@pxref{Patching}).
1202
1203 @item -statistics
1204 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1205 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1206 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1207
1208 @item -version
1209 @cindex @code{--version}
1210 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1211 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1212
1213 @end table
1214
1215 @node Startup
1216 @subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1217 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1218
1219 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1220
1221 @enumerate
1222 @item
1223 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1224 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1225
1226 @item
1227 @cindex init file
1228 Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1229 used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1230 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
1231 that file.
1232
1233 @item
1234 Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1235 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1236 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1237 that file.
1238
1239 @item
1240 Processes command line options and operands.
1241
1242 @item
1243 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1244 working directory. This is only done if the current directory is
1245 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1246 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1247 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1248 @value{GDBN}.
1249
1250 @item
1251 Reads command files specified by the @samp{-x} option. @xref{Command
1252 Files}, for more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1253
1254 @item
1255 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1256 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1257 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1258 @end enumerate
1259
1260 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1261 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1262 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1263 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1264 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1265 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1266
1267 To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1268 can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1269
1270 @cindex init file name
1271 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1272 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1273 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1274 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1275 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1276 ports of @value{GDBN} use the standard name, but if they find a
1277 @file{gdb.ini} file, they warn you about that and suggest to rename
1278 the file to the standard name.
1279
1280
1281 @node Quitting GDB
1282 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1283 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1284 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1285
1286 @table @code
1287 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1288 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1289 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1290 @itemx q
1291 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1292 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1293 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1294 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1295 error code.
1296 @end table
1297
1298 @cindex interrupt
1299 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1300 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1301 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1302 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1303 until a time when it is safe.
1304
1305 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1306 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1307 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1308
1309 @node Shell Commands
1310 @section Shell Commands
1311
1312 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1313 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1314 just use the @code{shell} command.
1315
1316 @table @code
1317 @kindex shell
1318 @cindex shell escape
1319 @item shell @var{command string}
1320 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command string}.
1321 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1322 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1323 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1324 @end table
1325
1326 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1327 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1328 @value{GDBN}:
1329
1330 @table @code
1331 @kindex make
1332 @cindex calling make
1333 @item make @var{make-args}
1334 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1335 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1336 @end table
1337
1338 @node Logging Output
1339 @section Logging Output
1340 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1341 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1342
1343 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1344 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1345
1346 @table @code
1347 @kindex set logging
1348 @item set logging on
1349 Enable logging.
1350 @item set logging off
1351 Disable logging.
1352 @cindex logging file name
1353 @item set logging file @var{file}
1354 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1355 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1356 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1357 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1358 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1359 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1360 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1361 @kindex show logging
1362 @item show logging
1363 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1364 @end table
1365
1366 @node Commands
1367 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1368
1369 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1370 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1371 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1372 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1373 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1374
1375 @menu
1376 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1377 * Completion:: Command completion
1378 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1379 @end menu
1380
1381 @node Command Syntax
1382 @section Command Syntax
1383
1384 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1385 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1386 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1387 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1388 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1389 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1390
1391 @cindex abbreviation
1392 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1393 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1394 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1395 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1396 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1397 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1398 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1399
1400 @cindex repeating commands
1401 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1402 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1403 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1404 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1405 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1406 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1407 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1408
1409 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1410 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1411 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1412
1413 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1414 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1415 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1416 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1417 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1418
1419 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1420 @cindex comment
1421 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1422 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1423 Files,,Command Files}).
1424
1425 @cindex repeating command sequences
1426 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1427 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1428 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1429 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1430 for editing.
1431
1432 @node Completion
1433 @section Command Completion
1434
1435 @cindex completion
1436 @cindex word completion
1437 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1438 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1439 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1440 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1441
1442 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1443 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1444 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1445 enter it). For example, if you type
1446
1447 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1448 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1449 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1450 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1451 @smallexample
1452 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1453 @end smallexample
1454
1455 @noindent
1456 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1457 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1458
1459 @smallexample
1460 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1461 @end smallexample
1462
1463 @noindent
1464 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1465 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1466 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1467 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1468 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1469 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1470
1471 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1472 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1473 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1474 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1475 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1476 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1477 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1478 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1479 example:
1480
1481 @smallexample
1482 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1483 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1484 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1485 make_abs_section make_function_type
1486 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1487 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1488 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1489 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1490 @end smallexample
1491
1492 @noindent
1493 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1494 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1495 command.
1496
1497 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1498 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1499 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1500 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1501 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1502
1503 @cindex quotes in commands
1504 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1505 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1506 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1507 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1508 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1509 @value{GDBN} commands.
1510
1511 The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1512 name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1513 overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1514 by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1515 may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1516 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1517 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1518 word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1519 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1520 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1521 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1522
1523 @smallexample
1524 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1525 bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1526 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1527 @end smallexample
1528
1529 In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1530 quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1531 completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1532 place:
1533
1534 @smallexample
1535 (@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1536 @exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1537 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1538 @end smallexample
1539
1540 @noindent
1541 In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1542 you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1543 completion on an overloaded symbol.
1544
1545 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1546 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1547 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1548 see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1549
1550 @cindex completion of structure field names
1551 @cindex structure field name completion
1552 @cindex completion of union field names
1553 @cindex union field name completion
1554 When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1555 structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1556 confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1557 examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1558 limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1559 left-hand-side:
1560
1561 @smallexample
1562 (@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1563 magic to_delete to_fputs to_put to_rewind
1564 to_data to_flush to_isatty to_read to_write
1565 @end smallexample
1566
1567 @noindent
1568 This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1569 @code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1570 follows:
1571
1572 @smallexample
1573 struct ui_file
1574 @{
1575 int *magic;
1576 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1577 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1578 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1579 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1580 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1581 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1582 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1583 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1584 void *to_data;
1585 @}
1586 @end smallexample
1587
1588
1589 @node Help
1590 @section Getting Help
1591 @cindex online documentation
1592 @kindex help
1593
1594 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1595 using the command @code{help}.
1596
1597 @table @code
1598 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1599 @item help
1600 @itemx h
1601 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1602 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1603
1604 @smallexample
1605 (@value{GDBP}) help
1606 List of classes of commands:
1607
1608 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1609 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1610 data -- Examining data
1611 files -- Specifying and examining files
1612 internals -- Maintenance commands
1613 obscure -- Obscure features
1614 running -- Running the program
1615 stack -- Examining the stack
1616 status -- Status inquiries
1617 support -- Support facilities
1618 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
1619 stopping the program
1620 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1621
1622 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1623 commands in that class.
1624 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1625 documentation.
1626 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1627 (@value{GDBP})
1628 @end smallexample
1629 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1630
1631 @item help @var{class}
1632 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1633 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1634 help display for the class @code{status}:
1635
1636 @smallexample
1637 (@value{GDBP}) help status
1638 Status inquiries.
1639
1640 List of commands:
1641
1642 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1643 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
1644 info -- Generic command for showing things
1645 about the program being debugged
1646 show -- Generic command for showing things
1647 about the debugger
1648
1649 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1650 documentation.
1651 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1652 (@value{GDBP})
1653 @end smallexample
1654
1655 @item help @var{command}
1656 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1657 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1658
1659 @kindex apropos
1660 @item apropos @var{args}
1661 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1662 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1663 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1664
1665 @smallexample
1666 apropos reload
1667 @end smallexample
1668
1669 @noindent
1670 results in:
1671
1672 @smallexample
1673 @c @group
1674 set symbol-reloading -- Set dynamic symbol table reloading
1675 multiple times in one run
1676 show symbol-reloading -- Show dynamic symbol table reloading
1677 multiple times in one run
1678 @c @end group
1679 @end smallexample
1680
1681 @kindex complete
1682 @item complete @var{args}
1683 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1684 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1685 command you want completed. For example:
1686
1687 @smallexample
1688 complete i
1689 @end smallexample
1690
1691 @noindent results in:
1692
1693 @smallexample
1694 @group
1695 if
1696 ignore
1697 info
1698 inspect
1699 @end group
1700 @end smallexample
1701
1702 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1703 @end table
1704
1705 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1706 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1707 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1708 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1709 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Index point to
1710 all the sub-commands. @xref{Index}.
1711
1712 @c @group
1713 @table @code
1714 @kindex info
1715 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1716 @item info
1717 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1718 program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
1719 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1720 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1721 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1722 @w{@code{help info}}.
1723
1724 @kindex set
1725 @item set
1726 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1727 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1728 @code{set prompt $}.
1729
1730 @kindex show
1731 @item show
1732 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1733 @value{GDBN} itself.
1734 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1735 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1736 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1737 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1738
1739 @kindex info set
1740 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1741 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1742 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1743 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1744 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1745 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1746 @end table
1747 @c @end group
1748
1749 Here are three miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1750 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1751
1752 @table @code
1753 @kindex show version
1754 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1755 @item show version
1756 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1757 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1758 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1759 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1760 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1761 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1762 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1763 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1764 @value{GDBN}.
1765
1766 @kindex show copying
1767 @kindex info copying
1768 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1769 @item show copying
1770 @itemx info copying
1771 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1772
1773 @kindex show warranty
1774 @kindex info warranty
1775 @item show warranty
1776 @itemx info warranty
1777 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1778 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1779
1780 @end table
1781
1782 @node Running
1783 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1784
1785 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1786 debugging information when you compile it.
1787
1788 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1789 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1790 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1791 kill a child process.
1792
1793 @menu
1794 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1795 * Starting:: Starting your program
1796 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1797 * Environment:: Your program's environment
1798
1799 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1800 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1801 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1802 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1803
1804 * Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
1805 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1806 * Forks:: Debugging forks
1807 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1808 @end menu
1809
1810 @node Compilation
1811 @section Compiling for Debugging
1812
1813 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1814 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1815 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1816 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1817 and addresses in the executable code.
1818
1819 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1820 the compiler.
1821
1822 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1823 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
1824 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1825 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1826 executables containing debugging information.
1827
1828 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1829 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1830 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1831 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1832 in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
1833
1834 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1835 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1836 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1837
1838 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1839 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1840 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1841 the @option{-g} flag alone, because this information is rather large.
1842 Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
1843 provides macro information if you specify the options
1844 @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-g3}; the former option requests
1845 debugging information in the Dwarf 2 format, and the latter requests
1846 ``extra information''. In the future, we hope to find more compact
1847 ways to represent macro information, so that it can be included with
1848 @option{-g} alone.
1849
1850 @need 2000
1851 @node Starting
1852 @section Starting your Program
1853 @cindex starting
1854 @cindex running
1855
1856 @table @code
1857 @kindex run
1858 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1859 @item run
1860 @itemx r
1861 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1862 You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1863 argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1864 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1865 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
1866
1867 @end table
1868
1869 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1870 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1871 that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
1872 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
1873 like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
1874 message like this one:
1875
1876 @smallexample
1877 The "remote" target does not support "run".
1878 Try "help target" or "continue".
1879 @end smallexample
1880
1881 @noindent
1882 then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
1883 first (@pxref{load}).
1884
1885 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
1886 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
1887 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
1888 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
1889 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
1890 divided into four categories:
1891
1892 @table @asis
1893 @item The @emph{arguments.}
1894 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
1895 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
1896 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
1897 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
1898 the arguments.
1899 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
1900 @code{SHELL} environment variable.
1901 @xref{Arguments, ,Your Program's Arguments}.
1902
1903 @item The @emph{environment.}
1904 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
1905 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
1906 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
1907 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
1908
1909 @item The @emph{working directory.}
1910 Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
1911 the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
1912 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
1913
1914 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
1915 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
1916 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
1917 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
1918 set a different device for your program.
1919 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
1920
1921 @cindex pipes
1922 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
1923 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
1924 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
1925 wrong program.
1926 @end table
1927
1928 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
1929 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
1930 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
1931 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
1932 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
1933
1934 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
1935 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
1936 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
1937 your current breakpoints.
1938
1939 @table @code
1940 @kindex start
1941 @item start
1942 @cindex run to main procedure
1943 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
1944 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
1945 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
1946 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
1947 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
1948 procedure, depending on the language used.
1949
1950 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
1951 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
1952 the @samp{run} command.
1953
1954 @cindex elaboration phase
1955 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
1956 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
1957 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
1958 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
1959 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
1960 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
1961 will remain to halt execution.
1962
1963 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
1964 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
1965 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
1966 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
1967 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
1968
1969 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
1970 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
1971 your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
1972 elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
1973 elaboration code before running your program.
1974
1975 @kindex set exec-wrapper
1976 @item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
1977 @itemx show exec-wrapper
1978 @itemx unset exec-wrapper
1979 When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
1980 launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
1981 with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
1982 @var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
1983 arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
1984 appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
1985 your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
1986
1987 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
1988 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
1989 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
1990 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
1991
1992 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
1993 the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
1994 environment:
1995
1996 @smallexample
1997 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
1998 (@value{GDBP}) run
1999 @end smallexample
2000
2001 This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2002 @sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2003
2004 @kindex set disable-randomization
2005 @item set disable-randomization
2006 @itemx set disable-randomization on
2007 This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2008 randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2009 is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2010 reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2011
2012 This feature is implemented only on @sc{gnu}/Linux. You can get the same
2013 behavior using
2014
2015 @smallexample
2016 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2017 @end smallexample
2018
2019 @item set disable-randomization off
2020 Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2021 ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2022 disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2023 @value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2024 as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2025 disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2026
2027 The virtual address space randomization is implemented only on @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2028 It protects the programs against some kinds of security attacks. In these
2029 cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2030 code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2031 a code at its expected addresses.
2032
2033 Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2034 makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2035 having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2036 library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2037 misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2038 random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2039 startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2040 a randomly chosen address.
2041
2042 Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2043 similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2044 a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2045 already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2046 executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2047
2048 Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2049 (as long as the randomization is enabled).
2050
2051 @item show disable-randomization
2052 Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2053 the virtual address space of the started program.
2054
2055 @end table
2056
2057 @node Arguments
2058 @section Your Program's Arguments
2059
2060 @cindex arguments (to your program)
2061 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2062 @code{run} command.
2063 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2064 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2065 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2066 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2067 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2068
2069 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2070 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2071 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2072 the program, not by the shell.
2073
2074 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2075 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2076
2077 @table @code
2078 @kindex set args
2079 @item set args
2080 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2081 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2082 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2083 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2084 it again without arguments.
2085
2086 @kindex show args
2087 @item show args
2088 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2089 @end table
2090
2091 @node Environment
2092 @section Your Program's Environment
2093
2094 @cindex environment (of your program)
2095 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2096 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2097 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2098 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2099 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2100 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2101 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2102
2103 @table @code
2104 @kindex path
2105 @item path @var{directory}
2106 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2107 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2108 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2109 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2110 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2111 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2112 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2113
2114 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2115 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2116 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2117 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2118 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2119 @var{directory} to the search path.
2120 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2121 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2122
2123 @kindex show paths
2124 @item show paths
2125 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2126 environment variable).
2127
2128 @kindex show environment
2129 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2130 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2131 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2132 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2133 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2134
2135 @kindex set environment
2136 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2137 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2138 changes for your program only, not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may
2139 be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
2140 any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2141 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2142 null value.
2143 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2144 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2145
2146 For example, this command:
2147
2148 @smallexample
2149 set env USER = foo
2150 @end smallexample
2151
2152 @noindent
2153 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2154 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2155 are not actually required.)
2156
2157 @kindex unset environment
2158 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2159 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2160 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2161 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2162 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2163 @end table
2164
2165 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2166 the shell indicated
2167 by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it exists (or
2168 @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable names a shell
2169 that runs an initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, or
2170 @file{.bashrc} for BASH---any variables you set in that file affect
2171 your program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to
2172 files that are only run when you sign on, such as @file{.login} or
2173 @file{.profile}.
2174
2175 @node Working Directory
2176 @section Your Program's Working Directory
2177
2178 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2179 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2180 working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2181 The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2182 from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2183 working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2184
2185 The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2186 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2187 Specify Files}.
2188
2189 @table @code
2190 @kindex cd
2191 @cindex change working directory
2192 @item cd @var{directory}
2193 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}.
2194
2195 @kindex pwd
2196 @item pwd
2197 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2198 @end table
2199
2200 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2201 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2202 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2203 configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2204 proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2205 current working directory of the debuggee.
2206
2207 @node Input/Output
2208 @section Your Program's Input and Output
2209
2210 @cindex redirection
2211 @cindex i/o
2212 @cindex terminal
2213 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2214 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2215 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2216 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2217 running your program.
2218
2219 @table @code
2220 @kindex info terminal
2221 @item info terminal
2222 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2223 program is using.
2224 @end table
2225
2226 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2227 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2228
2229 @smallexample
2230 run > outfile
2231 @end smallexample
2232
2233 @noindent
2234 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2235
2236 @kindex tty
2237 @cindex controlling terminal
2238 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2239 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2240 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2241 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2242 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2243
2244 @smallexample
2245 tty /dev/ttyb
2246 @end smallexample
2247
2248 @noindent
2249 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2250 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2251 that as their controlling terminal.
2252
2253 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2254 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2255 terminal.
2256
2257 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2258 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2259 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2260 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2261
2262 @cindex inferior tty
2263 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2264 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2265 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2266 program.
2267
2268 @table @code
2269 @item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2270 @kindex set inferior-tty
2271 Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2272
2273 @item show inferior-tty
2274 @kindex show inferior-tty
2275 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2276 @end table
2277
2278 @node Attach
2279 @section Debugging an Already-running Process
2280 @kindex attach
2281 @cindex attach
2282
2283 @table @code
2284 @item attach @var{process-id}
2285 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2286 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2287 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2288 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2289 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2290
2291 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2292 executing the command.
2293 @end table
2294
2295 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2296 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2297 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2298 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2299
2300 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2301 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2302 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2303 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2304 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2305 Specify Files}.
2306
2307 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2308 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2309 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2310 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2311 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2312 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2313 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2314
2315 @table @code
2316 @kindex detach
2317 @item detach
2318 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2319 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2320 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2321 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2322 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2323 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2324 executing the command.
2325 @end table
2326
2327 If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2328 that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2329 By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2330 things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2331 @code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2332 Messages}).
2333
2334 @node Kill Process
2335 @section Killing the Child Process
2336
2337 @table @code
2338 @kindex kill
2339 @item kill
2340 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2341 @end table
2342
2343 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2344 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2345 is running.
2346
2347 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2348 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2349 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2350 outside the debugger.
2351
2352 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2353 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2354 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2355 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2356 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2357 breakpoint settings).
2358
2359 @node Inferiors and Programs
2360 @section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2361
2362 @value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2363 session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2364 several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2365 before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2366 multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2367 from multiple executables.
2368
2369 @cindex inferior
2370 @value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2371 object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2372 a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2373 have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2374 may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2375 identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2376 inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2377 embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2378 of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2379 threads running in it.
2380
2381 To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2382 inferiors}}:
2383
2384 @table @code
2385 @kindex info inferiors
2386 @item info inferiors
2387 Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2388
2389 @value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2390
2391 @enumerate
2392 @item
2393 the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2394
2395 @item
2396 the target system's inferior identifier
2397
2398 @item
2399 the name of the executable the inferior is running.
2400
2401 @end enumerate
2402
2403 @noindent
2404 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
2405 indicates the current inferior.
2406
2407 For example,
2408 @end table
2409 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2410
2411 @smallexample
2412 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2413 Num Description Executable
2414 2 process 2307 hello
2415 * 1 process 3401 goodbye
2416 @end smallexample
2417
2418 To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
2419
2420 @table @code
2421 @kindex inferior @var{infno}
2422 @item inferior @var{infno}
2423 Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
2424 @var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
2425 in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
2426 @end table
2427
2428
2429 You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
2430 @code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
2431 systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
2432 automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
2433 remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
2434 @w{@code{remove-inferior}} command.
2435
2436 @table @code
2437 @kindex add-inferior
2438 @item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
2439 Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
2440 executable. @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
2441 the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
2442 change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
2443 @code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
2444
2445 @kindex clone-inferior
2446 @item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
2447 Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
2448 @var{infno}. @var{n} defaults to 1. @var{infno} defaults to the
2449 number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
2450 want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
2451
2452 @smallexample
2453 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2454 Num Description Executable
2455 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2456 (@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
2457 Added inferior 2.
2458 1 inferiors added.
2459 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2460 Num Description Executable
2461 2 <null> helloworld
2462 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2463 @end smallexample
2464
2465 You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
2466
2467 @kindex remove-inferior
2468 @item remove-inferior @var{infno}
2469 Removes the inferior @var{infno}. It is not possible to remove an
2470 inferior that is running with this command. For those, use the
2471 @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
2472
2473 @end table
2474
2475 To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
2476 inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
2477 inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
2478 using the @w{@code{kill inferior}} command:
2479
2480 @table @code
2481 @kindex detach inferior @var{infno}
2482 @item detach inferior @var{infno}
2483 Detach from the inferior identified by @value{GDBN} inferior number
2484 @var{infno}. Note that the inferior's entry still stays on the list
2485 of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its Description will
2486 show @samp{<null>}.
2487
2488 @kindex kill inferior @var{infno}
2489 @item kill inferior @var{infno}
2490 Kill the inferior identified by @value{GDBN} inferior number
2491 @var{infno}. Note that the inferior's entry still stays on the list
2492 of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its Description will
2493 show @samp{<null>}.
2494 @end table
2495
2496 After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
2497 @code{detach inferior}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferior}, or after
2498 a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
2499 @code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
2500
2501
2502 To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
2503 control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
2504
2505 @table @code
2506 @kindex set print inferior-events
2507 @cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
2508 @item set print inferior-events
2509 @itemx set print inferior-events on
2510 @itemx set print inferior-events off
2511 The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
2512 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
2513 inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
2514 detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
2515
2516 @kindex show print inferior-events
2517 @item show print inferior-events
2518 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
2519 inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
2520 @end table
2521
2522 Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
2523 single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
2524 value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
2525
2526
2527 Occasionaly, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
2528 get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
2529 spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
2530 info program-spaces}} command.
2531
2532 @table @code
2533 @kindex maint info program-spaces
2534 @item maint info program-spaces
2535 Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
2536 @value{GDBN}.
2537
2538 @value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
2539
2540 @enumerate
2541 @item
2542 the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2543
2544 @item
2545 the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
2546 the @code{file} command.
2547
2548 @end enumerate
2549
2550 @noindent
2551 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
2552 indicates the current program space.
2553
2554 In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
2555 information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
2556 example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
2557
2558 @smallexample
2559 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2560 Id Executable
2561 2 goodbye
2562 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
2563 * 1 hello
2564 @end smallexample
2565
2566 Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
2567 while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
2568 some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
2569 same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
2570 the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
2571
2572 @smallexample
2573 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2574 Id Executable
2575 * 1 vfork-test
2576 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
2577 @end smallexample
2578
2579 Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
2580 space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
2581 @end table
2582
2583 @node Threads
2584 @section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
2585
2586 @cindex threads of execution
2587 @cindex multiple threads
2588 @cindex switching threads
2589 In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2590 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2591 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2592 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2593 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2594 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2595 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2596
2597 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2598 programs:
2599
2600 @itemize @bullet
2601 @item automatic notification of new threads
2602 @item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2603 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2604 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2605 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2606 @item thread-specific breakpoints
2607 @item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
2608 messages on thread start and exit.
2609 @item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
2610 the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
2611 isn't compatible with the program.
2612 @end itemize
2613
2614 @quotation
2615 @emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2616 @value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2617 If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2618 effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2619 from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2620 like this:
2621
2622 @smallexample
2623 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2624 (@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2625 Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2626 see the IDs of currently known threads.
2627 @end smallexample
2628 @c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2629 @c doesn't support threads"?
2630 @end quotation
2631
2632 @cindex focus of debugging
2633 @cindex current thread
2634 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2635 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2636 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2637 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2638 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2639
2640 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2641 @cindex thread identifier (system)
2642 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2643 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2644 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2645 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2646 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2647 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2648 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2649 @sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
2650
2651 @smallexample
2652 [New Thread 46912507313328 (LWP 25582)]
2653 @end smallexample
2654
2655 @noindent
2656 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2657 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2658 further qualifier.
2659
2660 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2661 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2662 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2663 @c program?
2664 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2665 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2666 @c threads ab initio?
2667
2668 @cindex thread number
2669 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2670 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2671 number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2672
2673 @table @code
2674 @kindex info threads
2675 @item info threads
2676 Display a summary of all threads currently in your
2677 program. @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2678
2679 @enumerate
2680 @item
2681 the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2682
2683 @item
2684 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2685
2686 @item
2687 the current stack frame summary for that thread
2688 @end enumerate
2689
2690 @noindent
2691 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2692 indicates the current thread.
2693
2694 For example,
2695 @end table
2696 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2697
2698 @smallexample
2699 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2700 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2701 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2702 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2703 at threadtest.c:68
2704 @end smallexample
2705
2706 On HP-UX systems:
2707
2708 @cindex debugging multithreaded programs (on HP-UX)
2709 @cindex thread identifier (GDB), on HP-UX
2710 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2711 number---a small integer assigned in thread-creation order---with each
2712 thread in your program.
2713
2714 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message, on HP-UX
2715 @cindex thread identifier (system), on HP-UX
2716 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2717 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2718 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2719 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2720 both @value{GDBN}'s thread number and the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2721 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2722 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2723 HP-UX, you see
2724
2725 @smallexample
2726 [New thread 2 (system thread 26594)]
2727 @end smallexample
2728
2729 @noindent
2730 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread.
2731
2732 @table @code
2733 @kindex info threads (HP-UX)
2734 @item info threads
2735 Display a summary of all threads currently in your
2736 program. @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2737
2738 @enumerate
2739 @item the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2740
2741 @item the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2742
2743 @item the current stack frame summary for that thread
2744 @end enumerate
2745
2746 @noindent
2747 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2748 indicates the current thread.
2749
2750 For example,
2751 @end table
2752 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2753
2754 @smallexample
2755 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2756 * 3 system thread 26607 worker (wptr=0x7b09c318 "@@") \@*
2757 at quicksort.c:137
2758 2 system thread 26606 0x7b0030d8 in __ksleep () \@*
2759 from /usr/lib/libc.2
2760 1 system thread 27905 0x7b003498 in _brk () \@*
2761 from /usr/lib/libc.2
2762 @end smallexample
2763
2764 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2765 Solaris-specific command:
2766
2767 @table @code
2768 @item maint info sol-threads
2769 @kindex maint info sol-threads
2770 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
2771 Display info on Solaris user threads.
2772 @end table
2773
2774 @table @code
2775 @kindex thread @var{threadno}
2776 @item thread @var{threadno}
2777 Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2778 argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2779 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2780 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2781 you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2782
2783 @smallexample
2784 @c FIXME!! This example made up; find a @value{GDBN} w/threads and get real one
2785 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2786 [Switching to process 35 thread 23]
2787 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2788 @end smallexample
2789
2790 @noindent
2791 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2792 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2793 threads.
2794
2795 @vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
2796 The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_thread} contains the number
2797 of the current thread. You may find this useful in writing breakpoint
2798 conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth. See
2799 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
2800 information on convenience variables.
2801
2802 @kindex thread apply
2803 @cindex apply command to several threads
2804 @item thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{command}
2805 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2806 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2807 threads that you want affected with the command argument
2808 @var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2809 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2810 could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2811 command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2812
2813 @kindex set print thread-events
2814 @cindex print messages on thread start and exit
2815 @item set print thread-events
2816 @itemx set print thread-events on
2817 @itemx set print thread-events off
2818 The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
2819 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
2820 started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
2821 be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
2822 Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
2823
2824 @kindex show print thread-events
2825 @item show print thread-events
2826 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
2827 have started and exited.
2828 @end table
2829
2830 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
2831 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2832 programs with multiple threads.
2833
2834 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
2835 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2836
2837 @table @code
2838 @kindex set libthread-db-search-path
2839 @cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
2840 @item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
2841 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
2842 directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
2843 If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
2844 an empty list.
2845
2846 On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
2847 @code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
2848 inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2849 to find @code{libthread_db}. If that fails, @value{GDBN} will continue
2850 with default system shared library directories, and finally the directory
2851 from which @code{libpthread} was loaded in the inferior process.
2852
2853 For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
2854 @value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
2855 If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
2856 mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
2857 will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
2858 If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
2859 @value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
2860
2861 Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
2862 only on some platforms.
2863
2864 @kindex show libthread-db-search-path
2865 @item show libthread-db-search-path
2866 Display current libthread_db search path.
2867
2868 @kindex set debug libthread-db
2869 @kindex show debug libthread-db
2870 @cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
2871 @item set debug libthread-db
2872 @itemx show debug libthread-db
2873 Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
2874 Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
2875 @end table
2876
2877 @node Forks
2878 @section Debugging Forks
2879
2880 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
2881 @cindex multiple processes
2882 @cindex processes, multiple
2883 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
2884 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
2885 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
2886 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
2887 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
2888 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
2889 will cause it to terminate.
2890
2891 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
2892 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
2893 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
2894 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
2895 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
2896 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
2897 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
2898 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
2899 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
2900 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
2901
2902 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
2903 create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
2904 Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
2905 only?) and @sc{gnu}/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
2906
2907 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
2908 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
2909
2910 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
2911 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
2912
2913 @table @code
2914 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
2915 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
2916 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
2917 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
2918 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
2919
2920 @table @code
2921 @item parent
2922 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
2923 unimpeded. This is the default.
2924
2925 @item child
2926 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
2927 unimpeded.
2928
2929 @end table
2930
2931 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
2932 @item show follow-fork-mode
2933 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
2934 @end table
2935
2936 @cindex debugging multiple processes
2937 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
2938 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
2939
2940 @table @code
2941 @kindex set detach-on-fork
2942 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
2943 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
2944 retain debugger control over them both.
2945
2946 @table @code
2947 @item on
2948 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
2949 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
2950 independently. This is the default.
2951
2952 @item off
2953 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
2954 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
2955 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
2956 is held suspended.
2957
2958 @end table
2959
2960 @kindex show detach-on-fork
2961 @item show detach-on-fork
2962 Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
2963 @end table
2964
2965 If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
2966 will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
2967 You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
2968 using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
2969 to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
2970 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
2971
2972 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
2973 from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferior}} command (allowing it
2974 to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferior}}
2975 command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
2976 and Programs}.
2977
2978 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
2979 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
2980 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
2981 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
2982 the child process's @code{main}.
2983
2984 On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
2985 cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
2986
2987 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
2988 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
2989 process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
2990 as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
2991 @value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
2992 You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
2993 command.
2994
2995 @table @code
2996 @kindex set follow-exec-mode
2997 @item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
2998
2999 Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3000 @code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3001
3002 @code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3003
3004 @table @code
3005 @item new
3006 @value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3007 new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3008 @code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3009 original inferior.
3010
3011 For example:
3012
3013 @smallexample
3014 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3015 (gdb) info inferior
3016 Id Description Executable
3017 * 1 <null> prog1
3018 (@value{GDBP}) run
3019 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3020 Program exited normally.
3021 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3022 Id Description Executable
3023 * 2 <null> prog2
3024 1 <null> prog1
3025 @end smallexample
3026
3027 @item same
3028 @value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3029 executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3030 inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3031 e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3032 running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3033
3034 For example:
3035
3036 @smallexample
3037 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3038 Id Description Executable
3039 * 1 <null> prog1
3040 (@value{GDBP}) run
3041 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3042 Program exited normally.
3043 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3044 Id Description Executable
3045 * 1 <null> prog2
3046 @end smallexample
3047
3048 @end table
3049 @end table
3050
3051 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3052 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3053 Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3054
3055 @node Checkpoint/Restart
3056 @section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3057
3058 @cindex checkpoint
3059 @cindex restart
3060 @cindex bookmark
3061 @cindex snapshot of a process
3062 @cindex rewind program state
3063
3064 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3065 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3066 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3067 later.
3068
3069 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3070 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3071 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3072 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3073 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3074
3075 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3076 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3077 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3078 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3079 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3080 start again from there.
3081
3082 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3083 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3084
3085 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3086
3087 @table @code
3088 @kindex checkpoint
3089 @item checkpoint
3090 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3091 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3092 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3093
3094 @kindex info checkpoints
3095 @item info checkpoints
3096 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3097 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3098 listed:
3099
3100 @table @code
3101 @item Checkpoint ID
3102 @item Process ID
3103 @item Code Address
3104 @item Source line, or label
3105 @end table
3106
3107 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3108 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3109 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3110 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3111 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3112 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3113 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3114
3115 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3116 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3117 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3118 the debugger.
3119
3120 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3121 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3122 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3123
3124 @end table
3125
3126 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3127 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3128 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3129 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3130 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3131 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3132 previously read data can be read again.
3133
3134 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3135 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3136 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3137 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3138 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3139 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3140
3141 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3142 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3143 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3144 different execution path this time.
3145
3146 @cindex checkpoints and process id
3147 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3148 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3149 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3150 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3151 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3152 potentially pose a problem.
3153
3154 @subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3155
3156 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3157 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3158 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3159 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3160 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3161 next.
3162
3163 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3164 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3165 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3166 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3167 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3168
3169 @node Stopping
3170 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
3171
3172 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3173 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3174 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3175
3176 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3177 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3178 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3179 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3180 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3181 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3182 explicitly request this information at any time.
3183
3184 @table @code
3185 @kindex info program
3186 @item info program
3187 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3188 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3189 @end table
3190
3191 @menu
3192 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3193 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3194 * Signals:: Signals
3195 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3196 @end menu
3197
3198 @node Breakpoints
3199 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3200
3201 @cindex breakpoints
3202 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3203 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3204 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3205 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3206 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3207 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3208 program.
3209
3210 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3211 the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
3212 you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
3213 in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
3214 (for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
3215 call).
3216
3217 @cindex watchpoints
3218 @cindex data breakpoints
3219 @cindex memory tracing
3220 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
3221 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3222 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3223 when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3224 of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3225 combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3226 @dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3227 watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3228 from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3229 enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3230 same commands.
3231
3232 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3233 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3234 Automatic Display}.
3235
3236 @cindex catchpoints
3237 @cindex breakpoint on events
3238 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3239 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3240 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3241 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3242 Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3243 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
3244 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3245
3246 @cindex breakpoint numbers
3247 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
3248 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3249 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
3250 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
3251 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
3252 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
3253 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
3254 enable it again.
3255
3256 @cindex breakpoint ranges
3257 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
3258 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
3259 operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
3260 @samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
3261 hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
3262 all breakpoints in that range are operated on.
3263
3264 @menu
3265 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
3266 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
3267 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
3268 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
3269 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
3270 * Conditions:: Break conditions
3271 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
3272 * Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
3273 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3274 * Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3275 @end menu
3276
3277 @node Set Breaks
3278 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
3279
3280 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
3281 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
3282 @c
3283 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
3284
3285 @kindex break
3286 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
3287 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
3288 @cindex latest breakpoint
3289 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
3290 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
3291 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
3292 Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
3293 convenience variables.
3294
3295 @table @code
3296 @item break @var{location}
3297 Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
3298 function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
3299 (@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
3300 specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
3301 before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
3302
3303 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
3304 C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
3305 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
3306 that situation.
3307
3308 It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
3309 only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
3310 or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
3311
3312 @item break
3313 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
3314 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
3315 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
3316 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
3317 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
3318 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
3319 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
3320 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
3321 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
3322 inside loops.
3323
3324 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
3325 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
3326 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
3327 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
3328 existed when your program stopped.
3329
3330 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
3331 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
3332 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
3333 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
3334 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
3335 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
3336 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
3337
3338 @kindex tbreak
3339 @item tbreak @var{args}
3340 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
3341 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
3342 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
3343 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3344
3345 @kindex hbreak
3346 @cindex hardware breakpoints
3347 @item hbreak @var{args}
3348 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
3349 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
3350 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
3351 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
3352 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
3353 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
3354 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
3355 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
3356 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
3357 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
3358 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
3359 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
3360 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
3361 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
3362 @xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3363 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3364 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3365 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3366
3367 @kindex thbreak
3368 @item thbreak @var{args}
3369 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
3370 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
3371 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
3372 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
3373 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
3374 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
3375 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3376 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3377
3378 @kindex rbreak
3379 @cindex regular expression
3380 @cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
3381 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
3382 @item rbreak @var{regex}
3383 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
3384 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
3385 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
3386 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
3387 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
3388 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
3389
3390 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
3391 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
3392 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
3393 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
3394 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
3395 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
3396
3397 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
3398 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
3399 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
3400 classes.
3401
3402 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
3403 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
3404 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
3405
3406 @smallexample
3407 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
3408 @end smallexample
3409
3410 @item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
3411 If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
3412 the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
3413 specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
3414 every function in a given file:
3415
3416 @smallexample
3417 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
3418 @end smallexample
3419
3420 The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
3421 optionally be surrounded by spaces.
3422
3423 @kindex info breakpoints
3424 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
3425 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@r{]}
3426 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@r{]}
3427 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
3428 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
3429 about the specified breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint). For
3430 each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
3431
3432 @table @emph
3433 @item Breakpoint Numbers
3434 @item Type
3435 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
3436 @item Disposition
3437 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
3438 @item Enabled or Disabled
3439 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3440 that are not enabled.
3441 @item Address
3442 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
3443 pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
3444 contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
3445 library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
3446 See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
3447 have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
3448 @item What
3449 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3450 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3451 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3452 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3453 @end table
3454
3455 @noindent
3456 If a breakpoint is conditional, @code{info break} shows the condition on
3457 the line following the affected breakpoint; breakpoint commands, if any,
3458 are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is allowed to have a condition
3459 specified for it. The condition is not parsed for validity until a shared
3460 library is loaded that allows the pending breakpoint to resolve to a
3461 valid location.
3462
3463 @noindent
3464 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
3465 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3466 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3467 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3468 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
3469
3470 @noindent
3471 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3472 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3473 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3474 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3475 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3476 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3477 @end table
3478
3479 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3480 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3481 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3482 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
3483
3484 @cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
3485 @cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
3486 It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
3487 in your program. Examples of this situation are:
3488
3489 @itemize @bullet
3490 @item
3491 For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
3492 instances of the function body, used in different cases.
3493
3494 @item
3495 For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
3496 correspond to any number of instantiations.
3497
3498 @item
3499 For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
3500 several places where that function is inlined.
3501 @end itemize
3502
3503 In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
3504 the relevant locations@footnote{
3505 As of this writing, multiple-location breakpoints work only if there's
3506 line number information for all the locations. This means that they
3507 will generally not work in system libraries, unless you have debug
3508 info with line numbers for them.}.
3509
3510 A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
3511 table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
3512 each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
3513 address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
3514 addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
3515 locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
3516 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
3517
3518 For example:
3519
3520 @smallexample
3521 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
3522 1 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
3523 stop only if i==1
3524 breakpoint already hit 1 time
3525 1.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
3526 1.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
3527 @end smallexample
3528
3529 Each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
3530 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
3531 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. Note that you cannot
3532 delete the individual locations from the list, you can only delete the
3533 entire list of locations that belong to their parent breakpoint (with
3534 the @kbd{delete @var{num}} command, where @var{num} is the number of
3535 the parent breakpoint, 1 in the above example). Disabling or enabling
3536 the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects all of the locations
3537 that belong to that breakpoint.
3538
3539 @cindex pending breakpoints
3540 It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
3541 Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
3542 and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
3543 this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
3544 any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
3545 set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
3546 debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
3547 symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
3548 breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
3549 a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
3550 is not yet resolved.
3551
3552 After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
3553 @value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
3554 shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
3555 pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
3556 ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
3557 that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
3558
3559 This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
3560 example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
3561 a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
3562 a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
3563
3564 Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
3565 differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
3566 enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
3567
3568 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
3569 happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
3570 address specification to an address:
3571
3572 @kindex set breakpoint pending
3573 @kindex show breakpoint pending
3574 @table @code
3575 @item set breakpoint pending auto
3576 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3577 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3578
3579 @item set breakpoint pending on
3580 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3581 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3582
3583 @item set breakpoint pending off
3584 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3585 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3586 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3587
3588 @item show breakpoint pending
3589 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3590 @end table
3591
3592 The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
3593 variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
3594 as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
3595
3596 @cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
3597 For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
3598 software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
3599 breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
3600 breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
3601 breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
3602 breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
3603 breakpoints.
3604
3605 You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands::
3606
3607 @kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
3608 @kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
3609 @table @code
3610 @item set breakpoint auto-hw on
3611 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
3612 will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
3613 breakpoint must be used.
3614
3615 @item set breakpoint auto-hw off
3616 This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
3617 type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
3618 trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
3619 @end table
3620
3621 @value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
3622 at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
3623 executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
3624 code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
3625 the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
3626 behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
3627 target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
3628 targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
3629 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
3630
3631 @kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
3632 @kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
3633 @table @code
3634 @item set breakpoint always-inserted off
3635 All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
3636 the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
3637 removed from the target when it stops.
3638
3639 @item set breakpoint always-inserted on
3640 Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
3641 the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
3642 breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
3643 removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is removed.
3644
3645 @cindex non-stop mode, and @code{breakpoint always-inserted}
3646 @item set breakpoint always-inserted auto
3647 This is the default mode. If @value{GDBN} is controlling the inferior
3648 in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}), gdb behaves as if
3649 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is on. If @value{GDBN} is
3650 controlling the inferior in all-stop mode, @value{GDBN} behaves as if
3651 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is off.
3652 @end table
3653
3654 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3655 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3656 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3657 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3658 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3659 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3660 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3661 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3662
3663
3664 @node Set Watchpoints
3665 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
3666
3667 @cindex setting watchpoints
3668 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3669 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3670 this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
3671 The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
3672 as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
3673
3674 @itemize @bullet
3675 @item
3676 A reference to the value of a single variable.
3677
3678 @item
3679 An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
3680 @samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
3681 address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
3682
3683 @item
3684 An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
3685 expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
3686 language (@pxref{Languages}).
3687 @end itemize
3688
3689 You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
3690 not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
3691 @samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
3692 @value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
3693 the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
3694 valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
3695 pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
3696 @code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
3697 the expression changes.
3698
3699 @cindex software watchpoints
3700 @cindex hardware watchpoints
3701 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3702 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3703 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3704 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3705 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3706 culprit.)
3707
3708 On some systems, such as HP-UX, PowerPC, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3709 x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3710 watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3711
3712 @table @code
3713 @kindex watch
3714 @item watch @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}
3715 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
3716 expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
3717 changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
3718 to watch the value of a single variable:
3719
3720 @smallexample
3721 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo
3722 @end smallexample
3723
3724 If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}}
3725 clause, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
3726 @var{threadnum} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
3727 change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
3728 that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
3729 with Hardware Watchpoints.
3730
3731 @kindex rwatch
3732 @item rwatch @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}
3733 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3734 by the program.
3735
3736 @kindex awatch
3737 @item awatch @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}
3738 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3739 or written into by the program.
3740
3741 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@r{]}
3742 @item info watchpoints
3743 This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
3744 @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3745 @end table
3746
3747 If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
3748 dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
3749 never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
3750 a never-changing value:
3751
3752 @smallexample
3753 (@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
3754 Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
3755 (@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
3756 Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
3757 @end smallexample
3758
3759 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3760 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3761 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3762 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3763 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3764 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3765
3766 @cindex use only software watchpoints
3767 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3768 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3769 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3770 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
3771 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
3772 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
3773 mechanism of watching expression values.)
3774
3775 @table @code
3776 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3777 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3778 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
3779
3780 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3781 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3782 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
3783 @end table
3784
3785 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3786 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3787 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3788
3789 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
3790
3791 @smallexample
3792 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
3793 @end smallexample
3794
3795 @noindent
3796 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
3797
3798 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
3799 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
3800 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
3801 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
3802 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
3803 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
3804 will print a message like this:
3805
3806 @smallexample
3807 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
3808 @end smallexample
3809
3810 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
3811 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
3812 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
3813 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
3814 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
3815 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
3816 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
3817 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
3818
3819 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
3820 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
3821 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
3822 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
3823 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
3824 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
3825
3826 @smallexample
3827 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
3828 @end smallexample
3829
3830 @noindent
3831 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
3832
3833 Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
3834 exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
3835 That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
3836 expression with separately allocated resources.
3837
3838 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
3839 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
3840 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
3841
3842 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
3843 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
3844 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
3845 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
3846 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
3847 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
3848 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
3849 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
3850 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
3851
3852 @cindex watchpoints and threads
3853 @cindex threads and watchpoints
3854 In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
3855 watched expression from every thread.
3856
3857 @quotation
3858 @emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
3859 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
3860 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
3861 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
3862 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
3863 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
3864 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
3865 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
3866 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
3867 @end quotation
3868
3869 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
3870
3871 @node Set Catchpoints
3872 @subsection Setting Catchpoints
3873 @cindex catchpoints, setting
3874 @cindex exception handlers
3875 @cindex event handling
3876
3877 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
3878 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
3879 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
3880
3881 @table @code
3882 @kindex catch
3883 @item catch @var{event}
3884 Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
3885 @table @code
3886 @item throw
3887 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
3888 The throwing of a C@t{++} exception.
3889
3890 @item catch
3891 The catching of a C@t{++} exception.
3892
3893 @item exception
3894 @cindex Ada exception catching
3895 @cindex catch Ada exceptions
3896 An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
3897 at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
3898 the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
3899 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
3900
3901 When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
3902 name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
3903 fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
3904 @value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
3905 rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
3906 called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
3907 the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
3908 Pck.Constraint_Error}.
3909
3910 @item exception unhandled
3911 An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program.
3912
3913 @item assert
3914 A failed Ada assertion.
3915
3916 @item exec
3917 @cindex break on fork/exec
3918 A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
3919 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
3920
3921 @item syscall
3922 @itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number}@r{]} @dots{}
3923 @cindex break on a system call.
3924 A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
3925 syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
3926 from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
3927 @value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
3928 debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
3929 argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
3930 will be caught.
3931
3932 @var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
3933 underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
3934 GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
3935 names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
3936
3937 @c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
3938 @c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
3939 @c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
3940 @c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
3941
3942 Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
3943 each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
3944 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
3945 available choices.
3946
3947 You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
3948 number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
3949 identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
3950 name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
3951 into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
3952 may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
3953 list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
3954 behind the OS upgrades).
3955
3956 The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
3957 arguments to it:
3958
3959 @smallexample
3960 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
3961 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
3962 (@value{GDBP}) r
3963 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
3964
3965 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
3966 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
3967 (@value{GDBP}) c
3968 Continuing.
3969
3970 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
3971 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
3972 (@value{GDBP})
3973 @end smallexample
3974
3975 Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
3976
3977 @smallexample
3978 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
3979 Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
3980 (@value{GDBP}) r
3981 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
3982
3983 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
3984 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
3985 (@value{GDBP}) c
3986 Continuing.
3987
3988 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
3989 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
3990 (@value{GDBP})
3991 @end smallexample
3992
3993 An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
3994 below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
3995 file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
3996
3997 @smallexample
3998 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
3999 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4000 (@value{GDBP}) r
4001 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4002
4003 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4004 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4005 (@value{GDBP}) c
4006 Continuing.
4007
4008 Program exited normally.
4009 (@value{GDBP})
4010 @end smallexample
4011
4012 However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4013 in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4014 a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4015 but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4016
4017 @smallexample
4018 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4019 warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4020 Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4021 (@value{GDBP})
4022 @end smallexample
4023
4024 If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4025 it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4026 architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4027 you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4028 notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4029 name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4030
4031 @smallexample
4032 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4033 warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4034 warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4035 GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4036 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4037 (@value{GDBP})
4038 @end smallexample
4039
4040 Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4041
4042 Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4043 number. In this case, you would see something like:
4044
4045 @smallexample
4046 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4047 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
4048 @end smallexample
4049
4050 Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
4051
4052 @item fork
4053 A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4054 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4055
4056 @item vfork
4057 A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4058 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4059
4060 @end table
4061
4062 @item tcatch @var{event}
4063 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
4064 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
4065
4066 @end table
4067
4068 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
4069
4070 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling
4071 (@code{catch throw} and @code{catch catch}) in @value{GDBN}:
4072
4073 @itemize @bullet
4074 @item
4075 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4076 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4077 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4078 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4079 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4080 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4081 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4082 disabled within interactive calls.
4083
4084 @item
4085 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4086
4087 @item
4088 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4089 @end itemize
4090
4091 @cindex raise exceptions
4092 Sometimes @code{catch} is not the best way to debug exception handling:
4093 if you need to know exactly where an exception is raised, it is better to
4094 stop @emph{before} the exception handler is called, since that way you
4095 can see the stack before any unwinding takes place. If you set a
4096 breakpoint in an exception handler instead, it may not be easy to find
4097 out where the exception was raised.
4098
4099 To stop just before an exception handler is called, you need some
4100 knowledge of the implementation. In the case of @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, exceptions are
4101 raised by calling a library function named @code{__raise_exception}
4102 which has the following ANSI C interface:
4103
4104 @smallexample
4105 /* @var{addr} is where the exception identifier is stored.
4106 @var{id} is the exception identifier. */
4107 void __raise_exception (void **addr, void *id);
4108 @end smallexample
4109
4110 @noindent
4111 To make the debugger catch all exceptions before any stack
4112 unwinding takes place, set a breakpoint on @code{__raise_exception}
4113 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Exceptions}).
4114
4115 With a conditional breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions})
4116 that depends on the value of @var{id}, you can stop your program when
4117 a specific exception is raised. You can use multiple conditional
4118 breakpoints to stop your program when any of a number of exceptions are
4119 raised.
4120
4121
4122 @node Delete Breaks
4123 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
4124
4125 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4126 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4127 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4128 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
4129 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
4130 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
4131
4132 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
4133 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
4134 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
4135 their breakpoint numbers.
4136
4137 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
4138 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
4139 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
4140
4141 @table @code
4142 @kindex clear
4143 @item clear
4144 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
4145 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
4146 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
4147 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
4148
4149 @item clear @var{location}
4150 Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
4151 @xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
4152 most useful ones are listed below:
4153
4154 @table @code
4155 @item clear @var{function}
4156 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
4157 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
4158
4159 @item clear @var{linenum}
4160 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
4161 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
4162 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
4163 @end table
4164
4165 @cindex delete breakpoints
4166 @kindex delete
4167 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
4168 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4169 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
4170 ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
4171 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
4172 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
4173 @end table
4174
4175 @node Disabling
4176 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
4177
4178 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
4179 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
4180 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
4181 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
4182 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
4183
4184 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
4185 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
4186 one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
4187 print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
4188 do not know which numbers to use.
4189
4190 Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
4191 affects all of its locations.
4192
4193 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of four different
4194 states of enablement:
4195
4196 @itemize @bullet
4197 @item
4198 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
4199 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
4200 @item
4201 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
4202 @item
4203 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
4204 disabled.
4205 @item
4206 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
4207 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
4208 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
4209 @end itemize
4210
4211 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
4212 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
4213
4214 @table @code
4215 @kindex disable
4216 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
4217 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4218 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
4219 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
4220 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
4221 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
4222 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
4223
4224 @kindex enable
4225 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4226 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
4227 become effective once again in stopping your program.
4228
4229 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
4230 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
4231 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
4232
4233 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
4234 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
4235 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
4236 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
4237 @end table
4238
4239 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
4240 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
4241 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4242 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
4243 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
4244 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
4245 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
4246 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
4247 Stepping}.)
4248
4249 @node Conditions
4250 @subsection Break Conditions
4251 @cindex conditional breakpoints
4252 @cindex breakpoint conditions
4253
4254 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
4255 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
4256 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
4257 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
4258 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
4259 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
4260 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
4261 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
4262
4263 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
4264 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
4265 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
4266 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
4267 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
4268
4269 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
4270 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
4271 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
4272 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
4273 one.
4274
4275 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
4276 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
4277 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
4278 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
4279 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
4280 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
4281 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
4282 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
4283 conditions for the
4284 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
4285 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
4286
4287 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
4288 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
4289 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
4290 with the @code{condition} command.
4291
4292 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
4293 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
4294 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
4295 catchpoint.
4296
4297 @table @code
4298 @kindex condition
4299 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
4300 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
4301 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
4302 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
4303 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
4304 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
4305 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
4306 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
4307 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
4308 prints an error message:
4309
4310 @smallexample
4311 No symbol "foo" in current context.
4312 @end smallexample
4313
4314 @noindent
4315 @value{GDBN} does
4316 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
4317 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
4318 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
4319
4320 @item condition @var{bnum}
4321 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
4322 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
4323 @end table
4324
4325 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
4326 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
4327 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
4328 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
4329 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
4330 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
4331 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
4332 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
4333 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
4334 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
4335 your program reaches it.
4336
4337 @table @code
4338 @kindex ignore
4339 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
4340 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
4341 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
4342 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
4343 takes no action.
4344
4345 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
4346 a count of zero.
4347
4348 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
4349 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
4350 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
4351 Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
4352
4353 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
4354 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
4355 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
4356
4357 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
4358 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
4359 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
4360 Variables}.
4361 @end table
4362
4363 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
4364
4365
4366 @node Break Commands
4367 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
4368
4369 @cindex breakpoint commands
4370 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
4371 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
4372 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
4373 enable other breakpoints.
4374
4375 @table @code
4376 @kindex commands
4377 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
4378 @item commands @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4379 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
4380 @itemx end
4381 Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
4382 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
4383 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
4384
4385 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
4386 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
4387
4388 With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
4389 watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
4390 encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
4391 command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
4392 set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
4393 @code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
4394 creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
4395 Expressions}).
4396 @end table
4397
4398 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
4399 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
4400
4401 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
4402 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
4403 that resumes execution.
4404
4405 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
4406 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
4407 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
4408 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
4409 ambiguities about which list to execute.
4410
4411 @kindex silent
4412 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
4413 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
4414 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
4415 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
4416 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
4417 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
4418
4419 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
4420 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
4421 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
4422
4423 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
4424 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
4425
4426 @smallexample
4427 break foo if x>0
4428 commands
4429 silent
4430 printf "x is %d\n",x
4431 cont
4432 end
4433 @end smallexample
4434
4435 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
4436 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
4437 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
4438 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
4439 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
4440 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
4441 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
4442
4443 @smallexample
4444 break 403
4445 commands
4446 silent
4447 set x = y + 4
4448 cont
4449 end
4450 @end smallexample
4451
4452 @node Save Breakpoints
4453 @subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
4454
4455 To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
4456 breakpoints}} command.
4457
4458 @table @code
4459 @kindex save breakpoints
4460 @cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
4461 @item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
4462 This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
4463 their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
4464 suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
4465 types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
4466 tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
4467 @code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
4468 with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
4469 because it may not be possible to access the context where the
4470 watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
4471 are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
4472 breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
4473 and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
4474 that can no longer be recreated.
4475 @end table
4476
4477 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
4478 @node Error in Breakpoints
4479 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4480
4481 If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
4482 watchpoints, you will see this error message:
4483
4484 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
4485 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
4486 @smallexample
4487 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
4488 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
4489 @end smallexample
4490
4491 @noindent
4492 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
4493 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
4494 watchpoints it needs to insert.
4495
4496 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
4497 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
4498
4499 @node Breakpoint-related Warnings
4500 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4501 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
4502
4503 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
4504 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
4505 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
4506 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
4507
4508 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
4509 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
4510 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
4511 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
4512 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
4513 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
4514 first in the bundle.
4515
4516 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
4517 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
4518 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
4519 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
4520 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
4521 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
4522 is hit.
4523
4524 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
4525 that's been subject to address adjustment:
4526
4527 @smallexample
4528 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
4529 @end smallexample
4530
4531 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
4532 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
4533 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
4534 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
4535 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
4536 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
4537 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
4538 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
4539
4540 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
4541 adjusted breakpoints:
4542
4543 @smallexample
4544 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
4545 to 0x00010410.
4546 @end smallexample
4547
4548 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
4549 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
4550 frequently than expected.
4551
4552 @node Continuing and Stepping
4553 @section Continuing and Stepping
4554
4555 @cindex stepping
4556 @cindex continuing
4557 @cindex resuming execution
4558 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
4559 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
4560 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
4561 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
4562 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
4563 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
4564 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
4565 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
4566
4567 @table @code
4568 @kindex continue
4569 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
4570 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
4571 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4572 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4573 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4574 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
4575 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
4576 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
4577 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
4578 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
4579
4580 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
4581 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
4582 @code{continue} is ignored.
4583
4584 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
4585 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
4586 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
4587 @code{continue}.
4588 @end table
4589
4590 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
4591 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
4592 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
4593 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
4594
4595 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
4596 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
4597 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
4598 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
4599 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
4600 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
4601
4602 @table @code
4603 @kindex step
4604 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
4605 @item step
4606 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
4607 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
4608 abbreviated @code{s}.
4609
4610 @quotation
4611 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
4612 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
4613 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
4614 @c distinction here.
4615 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
4616 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
4617 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
4618 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
4619 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
4620 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
4621 below.
4622 @end quotation
4623
4624 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
4625 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
4626 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
4627 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
4628 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
4629 called within the line.
4630
4631 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
4632 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
4633 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
4634 on MIPS machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
4635 was any debugging information about the routine.
4636
4637 @item step @var{count}
4638 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
4639 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
4640 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
4641
4642 @kindex next
4643 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
4644 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
4645 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
4646 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
4647 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
4648 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
4649 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
4650 is abbreviated @code{n}.
4651
4652 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
4653
4654
4655 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
4656 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
4657 @c
4658 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
4659 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
4660 @c function are executed without stopping.
4661
4662 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
4663 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
4664 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
4665
4666 @kindex set step-mode
4667 @item set step-mode
4668 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
4669 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
4670 @itemx set step-mode on
4671 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
4672 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
4673 information rather than stepping over it.
4674
4675 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
4676 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
4677 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
4678
4679 @item set step-mode off
4680 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
4681 debug information. This is the default.
4682
4683 @item show step-mode
4684 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
4685 source line debug information.
4686
4687 @kindex finish
4688 @kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
4689 @item finish
4690 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
4691 returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
4692 abbreviated as @code{fin}.
4693
4694 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
4695 ,Returning from a Function}).
4696
4697 @kindex until
4698 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
4699 @cindex run until specified location
4700 @item until
4701 @itemx u
4702 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
4703 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
4704 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
4705 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
4706 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
4707 than the address of the jump.
4708
4709 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
4710 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
4711 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
4712 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
4713 through the next iteration.
4714
4715 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
4716 stack frame.
4717
4718 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
4719 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
4720 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
4721 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
4722 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
4723
4724 @smallexample
4725 (@value{GDBP}) f
4726 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
4727 206 expand_input();
4728 (@value{GDBP}) until
4729 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
4730 @end smallexample
4731
4732 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
4733 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
4734 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
4735 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
4736 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
4737 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
4738 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
4739
4740 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
4741 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
4742 argument.
4743
4744 @item until @var{location}
4745 @itemx u @var{location}
4746 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
4747 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
4748 the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
4749 This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
4750 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
4751 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
4752 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
4753 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
4754 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
4755 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
4756 invocations have returned.
4757
4758 @smallexample
4759 94 int factorial (int value)
4760 95 @{
4761 96 if (value > 1) @{
4762 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
4763 98 @}
4764 99 return (value);
4765 100 @}
4766 @end smallexample
4767
4768
4769 @kindex advance @var{location}
4770 @itemx advance @var{location}
4771 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
4772 required, which should be of one of the forms described in
4773 @ref{Specify Location}.
4774 Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
4775 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
4776 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
4777 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
4778
4779
4780 @kindex stepi
4781 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
4782 @item stepi
4783 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
4784 @itemx si
4785 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
4786
4787 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
4788 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
4789 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
4790 Display,, Automatic Display}.
4791
4792 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
4793
4794 @need 750
4795 @kindex nexti
4796 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
4797 @item nexti
4798 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
4799 @itemx ni
4800 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
4801 proceed until the function returns.
4802
4803 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
4804 @end table
4805
4806 @node Signals
4807 @section Signals
4808 @cindex signals
4809
4810 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
4811 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
4812 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
4813 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
4814 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
4815 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
4816 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
4817 requested an alarm).
4818
4819 @cindex fatal signals
4820 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
4821 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
4822 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
4823 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
4824 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
4825 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
4826
4827 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
4828 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
4829 signal.
4830
4831 @cindex handling signals
4832 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
4833 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
4834 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
4835 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
4836 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
4837
4838 @table @code
4839 @kindex info signals
4840 @kindex info handle
4841 @item info signals
4842 @itemx info handle
4843 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
4844 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
4845 the defined types of signals.
4846
4847 @item info signals @var{sig}
4848 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
4849
4850 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
4851
4852 @kindex handle
4853 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
4854 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
4855 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
4856 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
4857 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
4858 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
4859 say what change to make.
4860 @end table
4861
4862 @c @group
4863 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
4864 Their full names are:
4865
4866 @table @code
4867 @item nostop
4868 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
4869 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
4870
4871 @item stop
4872 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
4873 the @code{print} keyword as well.
4874
4875 @item print
4876 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
4877
4878 @item noprint
4879 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
4880 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
4881
4882 @item pass
4883 @itemx noignore
4884 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
4885 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
4886 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
4887
4888 @item nopass
4889 @itemx ignore
4890 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
4891 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
4892 @end table
4893 @c @end group
4894
4895 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
4896 program until you
4897 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
4898 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
4899 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
4900 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
4901 program sees that signal when you continue.
4902
4903 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
4904 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
4905 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
4906 erroneous signals.
4907
4908 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
4909 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
4910 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
4911 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
4912 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
4913 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
4914 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
4915 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
4916 Program a Signal}.
4917
4918 @cindex extra signal information
4919 @anchor{extra signal information}
4920
4921 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
4922 associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
4923 delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
4924 by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
4925 that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
4926 receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
4927 target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
4928 $_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
4929 standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
4930 system header.
4931
4932 Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
4933 referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
4934
4935 @smallexample
4936 @group
4937 (@value{GDBP}) continue
4938 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
4939 0x0000000000400766 in main ()
4940 69 *(int *)p = 0;
4941 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
4942 type = struct @{
4943 int si_signo;
4944 int si_errno;
4945 int si_code;
4946 union @{
4947 int _pad[28];
4948 struct @{...@} _kill;
4949 struct @{...@} _timer;
4950 struct @{...@} _rt;
4951 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
4952 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
4953 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
4954 @} _sifields;
4955 @}
4956 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
4957 type = struct @{
4958 void *si_addr;
4959 @}
4960 (@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
4961 $1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
4962 @end group
4963 @end smallexample
4964
4965 Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
4966
4967 @node Thread Stops
4968 @section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
4969
4970 @cindex stopped threads
4971 @cindex threads, stopped
4972
4973 @cindex continuing threads
4974 @cindex threads, continuing
4975
4976 @value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
4977 (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
4978 are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
4979 debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
4980 when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
4981 or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
4982 @value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
4983 @dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
4984 you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
4985
4986 @menu
4987 * All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
4988 * Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
4989 * Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
4990 * Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
4991 * Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
4992 * Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
4993 @end menu
4994
4995 @node All-Stop Mode
4996 @subsection All-Stop Mode
4997
4998 @cindex all-stop mode
4999
5000 In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
5001 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
5002 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
5003 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
5004 underfoot.
5005
5006 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
5007 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
5008 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
5009
5010 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
5011 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
5012 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
5013 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
5014 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
5015 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
5016 stops.
5017
5018 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
5019 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
5020 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
5021 first thread completes whatever you requested.
5022
5023 @cindex automatic thread selection
5024 @cindex switching threads automatically
5025 @cindex threads, automatic switching
5026 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
5027 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
5028 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
5029 message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
5030 thread.
5031
5032 On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
5033 locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
5034
5035 @table @code
5036 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
5037 @cindex scheduler locking mode
5038 @cindex lock scheduler
5039 Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
5040 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
5041 current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
5042 mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other threads
5043 from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so that
5044 the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly.
5045 Other threads only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
5046 when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
5047 function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
5048 like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
5049 thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change
5050 the current thread away from the thread that you are debugging.
5051
5052 @item show scheduler-locking
5053 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
5054 @end table
5055
5056 @cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
5057 By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
5058 @code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
5059 threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
5060 is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
5061 @code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
5062 inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
5063 forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
5064 it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
5065 situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
5066 of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
5067 to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
5068 you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
5069 inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
5070
5071 @table @code
5072 @kindex set schedule-multiple
5073 @item set schedule-multiple
5074 Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
5075 when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
5076 all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
5077 of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
5078 @code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
5079 or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
5080
5081 @item show schedule-multiple
5082 Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
5083 multiple processes.
5084 @end table
5085
5086 @node Non-Stop Mode
5087 @subsection Non-Stop Mode
5088
5089 @cindex non-stop mode
5090
5091 @c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
5092 @c with more details.
5093
5094 For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
5095 mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
5096 the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
5097 minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
5098 where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
5099 respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
5100
5101 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
5102 @emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
5103 threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
5104 execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
5105 only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
5106 in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
5107 ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
5108 one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
5109 one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
5110 independently and simultaneously.
5111
5112 To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
5113 or attach to your program:
5114
5115 @smallexample
5116 # Enable the async interface.
5117 set target-async 1
5118
5119 # If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
5120 set pagination off
5121
5122 # Finally, turn it on!
5123 set non-stop on
5124 @end smallexample
5125
5126 You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
5127
5128 @table @code
5129 @kindex set non-stop
5130 @item set non-stop on
5131 Enable selection of non-stop mode.
5132 @item set non-stop off
5133 Disable selection of non-stop mode.
5134 @kindex show non-stop
5135 @item show non-stop
5136 Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
5137 @end table
5138
5139 Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
5140 not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
5141 In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
5142 @value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
5143 not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
5144 since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
5145 non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
5146 default.
5147
5148 In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
5149 by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
5150 To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
5151
5152 You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
5153 (@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
5154 while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
5155 The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
5156 always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
5157
5158 Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
5159 running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
5160 In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
5161 but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
5162 To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
5163
5164 Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
5165
5166 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
5167 that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
5168 thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
5169 command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
5170 changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
5171 previously current thread.
5172
5173 @node Background Execution
5174 @subsection Background Execution
5175
5176 @cindex foreground execution
5177 @cindex background execution
5178 @cindex asynchronous execution
5179 @cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
5180
5181 @value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
5182 foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
5183 (asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
5184 the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
5185 another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
5186 a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
5187
5188 You need to explicitly enable asynchronous mode before you can use
5189 background execution commands. You can use these commands to
5190 manipulate the asynchronous mode setting:
5191
5192 @table @code
5193 @kindex set target-async
5194 @item set target-async on
5195 Enable asynchronous mode.
5196 @item set target-async off
5197 Disable asynchronous mode.
5198 @kindex show target-async
5199 @item show target-async
5200 Show the current target-async setting.
5201 @end table
5202
5203 If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
5204 message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
5205
5206 To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
5207 the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
5208 just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
5209 are:
5210
5211 @table @code
5212 @kindex run&
5213 @item run
5214 @xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
5215
5216 @item attach
5217 @kindex attach&
5218 @xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
5219
5220 @item step
5221 @kindex step&
5222 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
5223
5224 @item stepi
5225 @kindex stepi&
5226 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
5227
5228 @item next
5229 @kindex next&
5230 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
5231
5232 @item nexti
5233 @kindex nexti&
5234 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
5235
5236 @item continue
5237 @kindex continue&
5238 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
5239
5240 @item finish
5241 @kindex finish&
5242 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
5243
5244 @item until
5245 @kindex until&
5246 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
5247
5248 @end table
5249
5250 Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
5251 mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
5252 However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
5253 the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
5254 previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
5255 mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
5256
5257 You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
5258 using the @code{interrupt} command.
5259
5260 @table @code
5261 @kindex interrupt
5262 @item interrupt
5263 @itemx interrupt -a
5264
5265 Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
5266 @code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
5267 only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
5268 use @code{interrupt -a}.
5269 @end table
5270
5271 @node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5272 @subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5273
5274 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
5275 Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
5276 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
5277
5278 @table @code
5279 @cindex breakpoints and threads
5280 @cindex thread breakpoints
5281 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
5282 @item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
5283 @itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
5284 @var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
5285 writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
5286 specify some source line.
5287
5288 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
5289 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
5290 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
5291 numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
5292 column of the @samp{info threads} display.
5293
5294 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
5295 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
5296 program.
5297
5298 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
5299 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before or
5300 after the breakpoint condition, like this:
5301
5302 @smallexample
5303 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
5304 @end smallexample
5305
5306 @end table
5307
5308 @node Interrupted System Calls
5309 @subsection Interrupted System Calls
5310
5311 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
5312 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
5313 @cindex premature return from system calls
5314 There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
5315 multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
5316 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
5317 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
5318 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
5319 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
5320 stop execution.
5321
5322 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
5323 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
5324 style anyways.
5325
5326 For example, do not write code like this:
5327
5328 @smallexample
5329 sleep (10);
5330 @end smallexample
5331
5332 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
5333 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
5334
5335 Instead, write this:
5336
5337 @smallexample
5338 int unslept = 10;
5339 while (unslept > 0)
5340 unslept = sleep (unslept);
5341 @end smallexample
5342
5343 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
5344 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
5345 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
5346 @value{GDBN}.
5347
5348 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
5349 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
5350 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
5351 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
5352
5353 @node Observer Mode
5354 @subsection Observer Mode
5355
5356 If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
5357 without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
5358 variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
5359 whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
5360 at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
5361
5362 When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
5363 be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
5364 @code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
5365 mode.
5366
5367 Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
5368 combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
5369 @code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
5370 then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
5371 stream will still not be able to be placed.
5372
5373 @table @code
5374
5375 @kindex observer
5376 @item set observer on
5377 @itemx set observer off
5378 When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
5379 below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
5380 non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
5381 normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
5382
5383 @item show observer
5384 Show whether observer mode is on or off.
5385
5386 @kindex may-write-registers
5387 @item set may-write-registers on
5388 @itemx set may-write-registers off
5389 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
5390 registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
5391 @code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
5392
5393 @item show may-write-registers
5394 Show the current permission to write registers.
5395
5396 @kindex may-write-memory
5397 @item set may-write-memory on
5398 @itemx set may-write-memory off
5399 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
5400 of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
5401 defaults to @code{on}.
5402
5403 @item show may-write-memory
5404 Show the current permission to write memory.
5405
5406 @kindex may-insert-breakpoints
5407 @item set may-insert-breakpoints on
5408 @itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
5409 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
5410 This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
5411 by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5412
5413 @item show may-insert-breakpoints
5414 Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
5415
5416 @kindex may-insert-tracepoints
5417 @item set may-insert-tracepoints on
5418 @itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
5419 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
5420 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5421 non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
5422 @code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5423
5424 @item show may-insert-tracepoints
5425 Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
5426
5427 @kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5428 @item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
5429 @itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
5430 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
5431 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5432 fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
5433 control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5434
5435 @item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5436 Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
5437
5438 @kindex may-interrupt
5439 @item set may-interrupt on
5440 @itemx set may-interrupt off
5441 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
5442 program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
5443 @code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
5444 @kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5445
5446 @item show may-interrupt
5447 Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
5448
5449 @end table
5450
5451 @node Reverse Execution
5452 @chapter Running programs backward
5453 @cindex reverse execution
5454 @cindex running programs backward
5455
5456 When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
5457 you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
5458 If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
5459 ``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
5460
5461 A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
5462 to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
5463 program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
5464 revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
5465 deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
5466 all target environments can support reverse execution.
5467
5468 When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
5469 have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
5470 order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
5471 thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
5472 the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
5473 instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
5474 a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
5475 should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
5476 prior values@footnote{
5477 Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
5478 memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
5479 targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
5480
5481 The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
5482 requires only that the target do something reasonable when
5483 @value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
5484 results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
5485 @value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
5486 assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
5487 consistant state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
5488 }.
5489
5490 If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
5491 reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
5492
5493 @table @code
5494 @kindex reverse-continue
5495 @kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
5496 @item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5497 @itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5498 Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
5499 in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
5500 exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
5501 asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
5502
5503 @kindex reverse-step
5504 @kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
5505 @item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5506 Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
5507 different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
5508
5509 Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
5510 at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
5511 executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
5512 debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
5513 the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
5514 statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
5515
5516 Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
5517 called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
5518
5519 @kindex reverse-stepi
5520 @kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
5521 @item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5522 Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
5523 to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
5524 counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
5525 if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
5526 back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
5527
5528 @kindex reverse-next
5529 @kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
5530 @item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5531 Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
5532 the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
5533 calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
5534 the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
5535 to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
5536 just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
5537 line of a function back to its return to its caller
5538 @footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
5539
5540 @kindex reverse-nexti
5541 @kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
5542 @item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5543 Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
5544 in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
5545 That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
5546 another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
5547 in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
5548 frame) is reached.
5549
5550 @kindex reverse-finish
5551 @item reverse-finish
5552 Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
5553 current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
5554 where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
5555 function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
5556
5557 @kindex set exec-direction
5558 @item set exec-direction
5559 Set the direction of target execution.
5560 @itemx set exec-direction reverse
5561 @cindex execute forward or backward in time
5562 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
5563 exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
5564 @code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
5565 command cannot be used in reverse mode.
5566 @item set exec-direction forward
5567 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
5568 This is the default.
5569 @end table
5570
5571
5572 @node Process Record and Replay
5573 @chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
5574 @cindex process record and replay
5575 @cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
5576
5577 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
5578 and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
5579 replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
5580
5581 @cindex replay mode
5582 When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
5583 for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
5584 mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
5585 instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
5586 code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
5587 really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
5588 program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
5589 changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
5590 execution log.
5591
5592 @cindex record mode
5593 If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
5594 @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
5595 inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
5596 for future replay.
5597
5598 The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
5599 (@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
5600 inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
5601 this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
5602 log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
5603 support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
5604
5605 When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
5606 replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
5607 previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
5608 platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
5609
5610 For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
5611 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
5612
5613 @table @code
5614 @kindex target record
5615 @kindex record
5616 @kindex rec
5617 @item target record
5618 This command starts the process record and replay target. The process
5619 record and replay target can only debug a process that is already
5620 running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with the
5621 @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording with
5622 the @kbd{target record} command.
5623
5624 Both @code{record} and @code{rec} are aliases of @code{target record}.
5625
5626 @cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
5627 Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
5628 will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
5629 is started. That's because the process record and replay target
5630 doesn't support displaced stepping.
5631
5632 @cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
5633 @cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
5634 If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
5635 the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), the
5636 process record and replay target cannot be started because it doesn't
5637 support these two modes.
5638
5639 @kindex record stop
5640 @kindex rec s
5641 @item record stop
5642 Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
5643 replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
5644 inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
5645
5646 When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
5647 the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
5648 next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
5649 you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
5650 will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
5651
5652 On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
5653 while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
5654 but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
5655 at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
5656 usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
5657
5658 When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
5659 process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
5660
5661 @kindex record save
5662 @item record save @var{filename}
5663 Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
5664 Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
5665 @var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
5666
5667 @kindex record restore
5668 @item record restore @var{filename}
5669 Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
5670 File must have been created with @code{record save}.
5671
5672 @kindex set record insn-number-max
5673 @item set record insn-number-max @var{limit}
5674 Set the limit of instructions to be recorded. Default value is 200000.
5675
5676 If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
5677 deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
5678 instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
5679 instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
5680 instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
5681 (Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
5682 lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
5683 the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
5684
5685 If @var{limit} is zero, @value{GDBN} will never delete recorded
5686 instructions from the execution log. The number of recorded
5687 instructions is unlimited in this case.
5688
5689 @kindex show record insn-number-max
5690 @item show record insn-number-max
5691 Show the limit of instructions to be recorded.
5692
5693 @kindex set record stop-at-limit
5694 @item set record stop-at-limit
5695 Control the behavior when the number of recorded instructions reaches
5696 the limit. If ON (the default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit
5697 is reached for the first time and ask you whether you want to stop the
5698 inferior or continue running it and recording the execution log. If
5699 you decide to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will
5700 cause the oldest one to be deleted.
5701
5702 If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
5703 oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
5704
5705 @kindex show record stop-at-limit
5706 @item show record stop-at-limit
5707 Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
5708
5709 @kindex set record memory-query
5710 @item set record memory-query
5711 Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
5712 changes caused by an instruction. If ON, @value{GDBN} will query
5713 whether to stop the inferior in that case.
5714
5715 If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
5716 ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
5717 @value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
5718 instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
5719 results.
5720
5721 @kindex show record memory-query
5722 @item show record memory-query
5723 Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
5724
5725 @kindex info record
5726 @item info record
5727 Show various statistics about the state of process record and its
5728 in-memory execution log buffer, including:
5729
5730 @itemize @bullet
5731 @item
5732 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
5733 @item
5734 Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
5735 @item
5736 Highest recorded instruction number.
5737 @item
5738 Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
5739 @item
5740 Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
5741 @item
5742 Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
5743 @end itemize
5744
5745 @kindex record delete
5746 @kindex rec del
5747 @item record delete
5748 When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
5749 subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
5750 from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
5751 recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
5752 @end table
5753
5754
5755 @node Stack
5756 @chapter Examining the Stack
5757
5758 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
5759 stopped and how it got there.
5760
5761 @cindex call stack
5762 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
5763 is generated.
5764 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
5765 the arguments of the call,
5766 and the local variables of the function being called.
5767 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
5768 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
5769 stack}.
5770
5771 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
5772 stack allow you to see all of this information.
5773
5774 @cindex selected frame
5775 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
5776 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
5777 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
5778 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
5779 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
5780 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
5781
5782 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
5783 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
5784 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
5785
5786 @menu
5787 * Frames:: Stack frames
5788 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
5789 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
5790 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
5791
5792 @end menu
5793
5794 @node Frames
5795 @section Stack Frames
5796
5797 @cindex frame, definition
5798 @cindex stack frame
5799 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
5800 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
5801 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
5802 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
5803 which the function is executing.
5804
5805 @cindex initial frame
5806 @cindex outermost frame
5807 @cindex innermost frame
5808 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
5809 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
5810 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
5811 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
5812 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
5813 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
5814 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
5815 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
5816
5817 @cindex frame pointer
5818 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
5819 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
5820 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
5821 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
5822 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
5823 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
5824
5825 @cindex frame number
5826 @value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
5827 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
5828 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
5829 they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
5830 frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
5831
5832 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
5833 @c underflow problems.
5834 @cindex frameless execution
5835 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
5836 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
5837 @smallexample
5838 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
5839 @end smallexample
5840 generates functions without a frame.)
5841 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
5842 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
5843 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
5844 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
5845 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
5846 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
5847 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
5848
5849 @table @code
5850 @kindex frame@r{, command}
5851 @cindex current stack frame
5852 @item frame @var{args}
5853 The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
5854 and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
5855 address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
5856 @code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
5857
5858 @kindex select-frame
5859 @cindex selecting frame silently
5860 @item select-frame
5861 The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
5862 to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
5863 @code{frame}.
5864 @end table
5865
5866 @node Backtrace
5867 @section Backtraces
5868
5869 @cindex traceback
5870 @cindex call stack traces
5871 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
5872 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
5873 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
5874 stack.
5875
5876 @table @code
5877 @kindex backtrace
5878 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
5879 @item backtrace
5880 @itemx bt
5881 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
5882 frames in the stack.
5883
5884 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
5885 character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
5886
5887 @item backtrace @var{n}
5888 @itemx bt @var{n}
5889 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
5890
5891 @item backtrace -@var{n}
5892 @itemx bt -@var{n}
5893 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
5894
5895 @item backtrace full
5896 @itemx bt full
5897 @itemx bt full @var{n}
5898 @itemx bt full -@var{n}
5899 Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
5900 number of frames to print, as described above.
5901 @end table
5902
5903 @kindex where
5904 @kindex info stack
5905 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
5906 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
5907
5908 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
5909 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
5910 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
5911 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
5912 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
5913 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
5914 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
5915 multi-threaded program.
5916
5917 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
5918 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
5919 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
5920 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
5921 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
5922 line number.
5923
5924 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
5925 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
5926
5927 @smallexample
5928 @group
5929 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
5930 at builtin.c:993
5931 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
5932 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
5933 at macro.c:71
5934 (More stack frames follow...)
5935 @end group
5936 @end smallexample
5937
5938 @noindent
5939 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
5940 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
5941 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
5942
5943 @noindent
5944 The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
5945 @code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
5946 only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
5947 @kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
5948 on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
5949
5950 @cindex value optimized out, in backtrace
5951 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
5952 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
5953 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
5954 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
5955 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
5956 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
5957 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
5958 such a backtrace might look like:
5959
5960 @smallexample
5961 @group
5962 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
5963 at builtin.c:993
5964 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<value optimized out>) at macro.c:242
5965 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<value optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
5966 at macro.c:71
5967 (More stack frames follow...)
5968 @end group
5969 @end smallexample
5970
5971 @noindent
5972 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
5973 shown as @samp{<value optimized out>}.
5974
5975 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
5976 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
5977 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
5978
5979 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
5980 @cindex program entry point
5981 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
5982 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
5983 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
5984 @code{main}@footnote{
5985 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
5986 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
5987 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
5988 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
5989 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
5990 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
5991
5992 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
5993 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
5994
5995 @table @code
5996 @item set backtrace past-main
5997 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
5998 @kindex set backtrace
5999 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
6000
6001 @item set backtrace past-main off
6002 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
6003 default.
6004
6005 @item show backtrace past-main
6006 @kindex show backtrace
6007 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
6008
6009 @item set backtrace past-entry
6010 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
6011 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
6012 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
6013 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
6014
6015 @item set backtrace past-entry off
6016 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
6017 application. This is the default.
6018
6019 @item show backtrace past-entry
6020 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
6021
6022 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
6023 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
6024 @cindex backtrace limit
6025 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of zero means
6026 unlimited.
6027
6028 @item show backtrace limit
6029 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
6030 @end table
6031
6032 @node Selection
6033 @section Selecting a Frame
6034
6035 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
6036 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
6037 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
6038 of the stack frame just selected.
6039
6040 @table @code
6041 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
6042 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
6043 @item frame @var{n}
6044 @itemx f @var{n}
6045 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
6046 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
6047 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
6048 @code{main}.
6049
6050 @item frame @var{addr}
6051 @itemx f @var{addr}
6052 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
6053 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
6054 impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
6055 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
6056 switches between them.
6057
6058 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
6059 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
6060
6061 On the MIPS and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
6062 pointer and a program counter.
6063
6064 On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
6065 pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
6066
6067 @kindex up
6068 @item up @var{n}
6069 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6070 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
6071 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
6072
6073 @kindex down
6074 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
6075 @item down @var{n}
6076 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6077 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
6078 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
6079 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
6080 @end table
6081
6082 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
6083 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
6084 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
6085 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
6086
6087 @need 1000
6088 For example:
6089
6090 @smallexample
6091 @group
6092 (@value{GDBP}) up
6093 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
6094 at env.c:10
6095 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
6096 @end group
6097 @end smallexample
6098
6099 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
6100 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
6101 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
6102 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
6103 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
6104 for details.
6105
6106 @table @code
6107 @kindex down-silently
6108 @kindex up-silently
6109 @item up-silently @var{n}
6110 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
6111 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
6112 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
6113 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
6114 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
6115 distracting.
6116 @end table
6117
6118 @node Frame Info
6119 @section Information About a Frame
6120
6121 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
6122 stack frame.
6123
6124 @table @code
6125 @item frame
6126 @itemx f
6127 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
6128 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
6129 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
6130 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
6131 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6132
6133 @kindex info frame
6134 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
6135 @item info frame
6136 @itemx info f
6137 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
6138 including:
6139
6140 @itemize @bullet
6141 @item
6142 the address of the frame
6143 @item
6144 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
6145 @item
6146 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
6147 @item
6148 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
6149 @item
6150 the address of the frame's arguments
6151 @item
6152 the address of the frame's local variables
6153 @item
6154 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
6155 @item
6156 which registers were saved in the frame
6157 @end itemize
6158
6159 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
6160 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
6161 the usual conventions.
6162
6163 @item info frame @var{addr}
6164 @itemx info f @var{addr}
6165 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
6166 selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
6167 command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
6168 architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
6169 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6170
6171 @kindex info args
6172 @item info args
6173 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
6174
6175 @item info locals
6176 @kindex info locals
6177 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
6178 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
6179 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
6180
6181 @kindex info catch
6182 @cindex catch exceptions, list active handlers
6183 @cindex exception handlers, how to list
6184 @item info catch
6185 Print a list of all the exception handlers that are active in the
6186 current stack frame at the current point of execution. To see other
6187 exception handlers, visit the associated frame (using the @code{up},
6188 @code{down}, or @code{frame} commands); then type @code{info catch}.
6189 @xref{Set Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
6190
6191 @end table
6192
6193
6194 @node Source
6195 @chapter Examining Source Files
6196
6197 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
6198 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
6199 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
6200 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
6201 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
6202 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
6203 source files by explicit command.
6204
6205 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
6206 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
6207 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
6208
6209 @menu
6210 * List:: Printing source lines
6211 * Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
6212 * Edit:: Editing source files
6213 * Search:: Searching source files
6214 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
6215 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
6216 @end menu
6217
6218 @node List
6219 @section Printing Source Lines
6220
6221 @kindex list
6222 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
6223 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
6224 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
6225 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
6226 print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
6227
6228 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
6229
6230 @table @code
6231 @item list @var{linenum}
6232 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
6233 current source file.
6234
6235 @item list @var{function}
6236 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
6237 @var{function}.
6238
6239 @item list
6240 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
6241 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
6242 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
6243 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
6244 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
6245
6246 @item list -
6247 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6248 @end table
6249
6250 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
6251 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
6252 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
6253
6254 @table @code
6255 @kindex set listsize
6256 @item set listsize @var{count}
6257 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
6258 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
6259
6260 @kindex show listsize
6261 @item show listsize
6262 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
6263 @end table
6264
6265 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
6266 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
6267 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
6268 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
6269 each repetition moves up in the source file.
6270
6271 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
6272 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
6273 of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
6274 to specify some source line.
6275
6276 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
6277
6278 @table @code
6279 @item list @var{linespec}
6280 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
6281
6282 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
6283 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
6284 linespecs. When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, and the
6285 source file of the second linespec is omitted, this refers to
6286 the same source file as the first linespec.
6287
6288 @item list ,@var{last}
6289 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
6290
6291 @item list @var{first},
6292 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
6293
6294 @item list +
6295 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
6296
6297 @item list -
6298 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6299
6300 @item list
6301 As described in the preceding table.
6302 @end table
6303
6304 @node Specify Location
6305 @section Specifying a Location
6306 @cindex specifying location
6307 @cindex linespec
6308
6309 Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
6310 of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
6311 debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code;
6312 for that reason, locations are also known as @dfn{linespecs}.
6313
6314 Here are all the different ways of specifying a code location that
6315 @value{GDBN} understands:
6316
6317 @table @code
6318 @item @var{linenum}
6319 Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
6320
6321 @item -@var{offset}
6322 @itemx +@var{offset}
6323 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
6324 line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
6325 printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
6326 execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
6327 (@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
6328 used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
6329 this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
6330 linespec.
6331
6332 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
6333 Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
6334
6335 @item @var{function}
6336 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
6337 For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
6338
6339 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
6340 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
6341 in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
6342 function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
6343 functions in different source files.
6344
6345 @item @var{label}
6346 Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears.
6347 @value{GDBN} searches for the label in the function corresponding to
6348 the currently selected stack frame. If there is no current selected
6349 stack frame (for instance, if the inferior is not running), then
6350 @value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
6351
6352 @item *@var{address}
6353 Specifies the program address @var{address}. For line-oriented
6354 commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this specifies a source
6355 line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and other
6356 breakpoint oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
6357 parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
6358 source files.
6359
6360 Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
6361 language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
6362 address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
6363 semantics of expressions used in locations to cover the situations
6364 that frequently happen during debugging. Here are the various forms
6365 of @var{address}:
6366
6367 @table @code
6368 @item @var{expression}
6369 Any expression valid in the current working language.
6370
6371 @item @var{funcaddr}
6372 An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
6373 C@t{++}, Java, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
6374 simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
6375 of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
6376 @code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
6377 (although the Pascal form also works).
6378
6379 This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
6380 before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
6381
6382 @item '@var{filename}'::@var{funcaddr}
6383 Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
6384 file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
6385 specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
6386 functions with identical names in different source files.
6387 @end table
6388
6389 @end table
6390
6391
6392 @node Edit
6393 @section Editing Source Files
6394 @cindex editing source files
6395
6396 @kindex edit
6397 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
6398 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
6399 The editing program of your choice
6400 is invoked with the current line set to
6401 the active line in the program.
6402 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
6403 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
6404
6405 @table @code
6406 @item edit @var{location}
6407 Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
6408 that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
6409 specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
6410 of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
6411 command most commonly used:
6412
6413 @table @code
6414 @item edit @var{number}
6415 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
6416
6417 @item edit @var{function}
6418 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
6419 @end table
6420
6421 @end table
6422
6423 @subsection Choosing your Editor
6424 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
6425 @footnote{
6426 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
6427 following command-line syntax:
6428 @smallexample
6429 ex +@var{number} file
6430 @end smallexample
6431 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
6432 the file where to start editing.}.
6433 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
6434 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
6435 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
6436 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
6437 @smallexample
6438 EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
6439 export EDITOR
6440 gdb @dots{}
6441 @end smallexample
6442 or in the @code{csh} shell,
6443 @smallexample
6444 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
6445 gdb @dots{}
6446 @end smallexample
6447
6448 @node Search
6449 @section Searching Source Files
6450 @cindex searching source files
6451
6452 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
6453 regular expression.
6454
6455 @table @code
6456 @kindex search
6457 @kindex forward-search
6458 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
6459 @itemx search @var{regexp}
6460 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
6461 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
6462 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
6463 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
6464 @code{fo}.
6465
6466 @kindex reverse-search
6467 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
6468 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
6469 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
6470 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
6471 this command as @code{rev}.
6472 @end table
6473
6474 @node Source Path
6475 @section Specifying Source Directories
6476
6477 @cindex source path
6478 @cindex directories for source files
6479 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
6480 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
6481 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
6482 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
6483 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
6484 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
6485 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
6486
6487 For example, suppose an executable references the file
6488 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
6489 @file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
6490 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
6491 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
6492 message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
6493 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
6494 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
6495 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
6496 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
6497 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
6498
6499 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
6500 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
6501 instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
6502 is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
6503 @file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
6504 that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
6505
6506 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
6507 source files.
6508
6509 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
6510 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
6511 each line is in the file.
6512
6513 @kindex directory
6514 @kindex dir
6515 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
6516 and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
6517 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
6518
6519 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
6520 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
6521
6522 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
6523 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
6524 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
6525 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
6526 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
6527 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
6528 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
6529 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
6530 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
6531 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
6532 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
6533 name to look up the sources.
6534
6535 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
6536 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
6537 @value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
6538 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
6539 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
6540 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
6541 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
6542 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
6543
6544 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
6545 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
6546 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
6547 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
6548 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
6549 is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
6550 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
6551
6552 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
6553 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
6554 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
6555 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
6556 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
6557 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
6558 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
6559 command.
6560
6561 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
6562 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
6563 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
6564 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
6565 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
6566 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
6567 method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
6568
6569 @cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
6570 @cindex default source path substitution
6571 You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
6572 configuring @value{GDBN} with the
6573 @samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
6574 should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
6575 prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
6576 directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
6577 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
6578 location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
6579 with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
6580 together.
6581
6582 @table @code
6583 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
6584 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
6585 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
6586 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
6587 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
6588 part of absolute file names) or
6589 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
6590 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
6591
6592 @kindex cdir
6593 @kindex cwd
6594 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
6595 @vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
6596 @cindex compilation directory
6597 @cindex current directory
6598 @cindex working directory
6599 @cindex directory, current
6600 @cindex directory, compilation
6601 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
6602 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
6603 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
6604 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
6605 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
6606 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
6607
6608 @item directory
6609 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
6610
6611 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
6612 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
6613
6614 @item show directories
6615 @kindex show directories
6616 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
6617
6618 @anchor{set substitute-path}
6619 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
6620 @kindex set substitute-path
6621 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
6622 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
6623 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
6624
6625 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
6626 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
6627
6628 @smallexample
6629 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
6630 @end smallexample
6631
6632 @noindent
6633 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
6634 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
6635 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
6636
6637 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
6638 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
6639 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
6640 the substitution.
6641
6642 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
6643
6644 @smallexample
6645 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
6646 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
6647 @end smallexample
6648
6649 @noindent
6650 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
6651 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
6652 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
6653 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
6654
6655
6656 @item unset substitute-path [path]
6657 @kindex unset substitute-path
6658 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
6659 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
6660 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
6661
6662 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
6663
6664 @item show substitute-path [path]
6665 @kindex show substitute-path
6666 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
6667 which would rewrite that path, if any.
6668
6669 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
6670 rules.
6671
6672 @end table
6673
6674 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
6675 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
6676 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
6677
6678 @enumerate
6679 @item
6680 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
6681
6682 @item
6683 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
6684 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
6685 directories in one command.
6686 @end enumerate
6687
6688 @node Machine Code
6689 @section Source and Machine Code
6690 @cindex source line and its code address
6691
6692 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
6693 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
6694 a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
6695 @code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
6696 source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
6697 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
6698 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
6699 well as hex.
6700
6701 @table @code
6702 @kindex info line
6703 @item info line @var{linespec}
6704 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
6705 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
6706 the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}.
6707 @end table
6708
6709 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
6710 the object code for the first line of function
6711 @code{m4_changequote}:
6712
6713 @c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
6714 @c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
6715 @smallexample
6716 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
6717 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
6718 @end smallexample
6719
6720 @noindent
6721 @cindex code address and its source line
6722 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
6723 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
6724 @smallexample
6725 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
6726 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
6727 @end smallexample
6728
6729 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
6730 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
6731 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
6732 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
6733 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
6734 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
6735 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
6736 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
6737 Variables}).
6738
6739 @table @code
6740 @kindex disassemble
6741 @cindex assembly instructions
6742 @cindex instructions, assembly
6743 @cindex machine instructions
6744 @cindex listing machine instructions
6745 @item disassemble
6746 @itemx disassemble /m
6747 @itemx disassemble /r
6748 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
6749 instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
6750 the @code{/m} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex as well as
6751 in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r}.
6752 The default memory range is the function surrounding the
6753 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
6754 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
6755 surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
6756 be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
6757 arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
6758
6759 @table @code
6760 @item @var{start},@var{end}
6761 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
6762 @item @var{start},+@var{length}
6763 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
6764 @code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
6765 @end table
6766
6767 @noindent
6768 When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
6769 printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
6770
6771 The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
6772 @samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
6773
6774 If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
6775 the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
6776 @end table
6777
6778 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
6779 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
6780
6781 @smallexample
6782 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
6783 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
6784 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
6785 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
6786 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
6787 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
6788 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
6789 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
6790 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
6791 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
6792 End of assembler dump.
6793 @end smallexample
6794
6795 Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86, when the
6796 program is stopped just after function prologue:
6797
6798 @smallexample
6799 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
6800 Dump of assembler code for function main:
6801 5 @{
6802 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
6803 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
6804 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
6805 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
6806 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
6807
6808 6 printf ("Hello.\n");
6809 => 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
6810 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
6811
6812 7 return 0;
6813 8 @}
6814 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
6815 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
6816 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
6817
6818 End of assembler dump.
6819 @end smallexample
6820
6821 Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
6822
6823 @smallexample
6824 (gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
6825 Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
6826 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
6827 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
6828 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
6829 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
6830 End of assembler dump.
6831 @end smallexample
6832
6833 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
6834 mnemonics or other syntax.
6835
6836 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
6837 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
6838 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
6839 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
6840 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
6841
6842 @table @code
6843 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
6844 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
6845 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
6846 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
6847 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
6848 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
6849
6850 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
6851 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
6852 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
6853 assemblers for x86-based targets.
6854
6855 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
6856 @item show disassembly-flavor
6857 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
6858 @end table
6859
6860 @table @code
6861 @kindex set disassemble-next-line
6862 @kindex show disassemble-next-line
6863 @item set disassemble-next-line
6864 @itemx show disassemble-next-line
6865 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
6866 line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
6867 display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
6868 program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
6869 displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
6870 possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
6871 (e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
6872 info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
6873 next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
6874 AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
6875 if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
6876 @value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
6877 with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
6878 OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
6879 instruction.
6880 @end table
6881
6882
6883 @node Data
6884 @chapter Examining Data
6885
6886 @cindex printing data
6887 @cindex examining data
6888 @kindex print
6889 @kindex inspect
6890 @c "inspect" is not quite a synonym if you are using Epoch, which we do not
6891 @c document because it is nonstandard... Under Epoch it displays in a
6892 @c different window or something like that.
6893 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
6894 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
6895 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
6896 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
6897 Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
6898 Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
6899
6900 @table @code
6901 @item print @var{expr}
6902 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
6903 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
6904 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
6905 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
6906 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
6907 Formats}.
6908
6909 @item print
6910 @itemx print /@var{f}
6911 @cindex reprint the last value
6912 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
6913 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
6914 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
6915 @end table
6916
6917 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
6918 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
6919 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
6920
6921 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
6922 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
6923 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
6924 Table}.
6925
6926 @menu
6927 * Expressions:: Expressions
6928 * Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
6929 * Variables:: Program variables
6930 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
6931 * Output Formats:: Output formats
6932 * Memory:: Examining memory
6933 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
6934 * Print Settings:: Print settings
6935 * Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
6936 * Value History:: Value history
6937 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
6938 * Registers:: Registers
6939 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
6940 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
6941 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
6942 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
6943 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
6944 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
6945 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
6946 character set than GDB does
6947 * Caching Remote Data:: Data caching for remote targets
6948 * Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
6949 @end menu
6950
6951 @node Expressions
6952 @section Expressions
6953
6954 @cindex expressions
6955 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
6956 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
6957 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
6958 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
6959 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
6960 you compiled your program to include this information; see
6961 @ref{Compilation}.
6962
6963 @cindex arrays in expressions
6964 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
6965 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
6966 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
6967 of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
6968 to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
6969 is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
6970
6971 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
6972 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
6973 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
6974 languages.
6975
6976 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
6977 expressions regardless of your programming language.
6978
6979 @cindex casts, in expressions
6980 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
6981 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
6982 at that address in memory.
6983 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
6984
6985 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
6986 to programming languages:
6987
6988 @table @code
6989 @item @@
6990 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
6991 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
6992
6993 @item ::
6994 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
6995 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
6996
6997 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
6998 @cindex type casting memory
6999 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
7000 @cindex casts, to view memory
7001 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
7002 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
7003 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
7004 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
7005 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
7006 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
7007 @end table
7008
7009 @node Ambiguous Expressions
7010 @section Ambiguous Expressions
7011 @cindex ambiguous expressions
7012
7013 Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
7014 some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
7015 a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
7016 different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
7017 involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
7018 templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
7019 the same function name being defined in different contexts.
7020
7021 In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
7022 the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
7023 can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
7024 @kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
7025 qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
7026 as well.
7027
7028 When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
7029 has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
7030 possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
7031 The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
7032 aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
7033 used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
7034 menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
7035 choices.
7036
7037 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
7038 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
7039 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
7040
7041 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
7042 @smallexample
7043 @group
7044 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
7045 [0] cancel
7046 [1] all
7047 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
7048 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
7049 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
7050 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
7051 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
7052 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
7053 > 2 4 6
7054 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
7055 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
7056 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
7057 Multiple breakpoints were set.
7058 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
7059 breakpoints.
7060 (@value{GDBP})
7061 @end group
7062 @end smallexample
7063
7064 @table @code
7065 @kindex set multiple-symbols
7066 @item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
7067 @cindex multiple-symbols menu
7068
7069 This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
7070 is ambiguous.
7071
7072 By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
7073 the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
7074 automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
7075 a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
7076 inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
7077 then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
7078 For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
7079 in the use of the menu.
7080
7081 When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
7082 when an ambiguity is detected.
7083
7084 Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
7085 an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
7086
7087 @kindex show multiple-symbols
7088 @item show multiple-symbols
7089 Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
7090 @end table
7091
7092 @node Variables
7093 @section Program Variables
7094
7095 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
7096 in your program.
7097
7098 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
7099 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
7100
7101 @itemize @bullet
7102 @item
7103 global (or file-static)
7104 @end itemize
7105
7106 @noindent or
7107
7108 @itemize @bullet
7109 @item
7110 visible according to the scope rules of the
7111 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
7112 @end itemize
7113
7114 @noindent This means that in the function
7115
7116 @smallexample
7117 foo (a)
7118 int a;
7119 @{
7120 bar (a);
7121 @{
7122 int b = test ();
7123 bar (b);
7124 @}
7125 @}
7126 @end smallexample
7127
7128 @noindent
7129 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
7130 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
7131 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
7132 the block where @code{b} is declared.
7133
7134 @cindex variable name conflict
7135 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
7136 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
7137 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
7138 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
7139 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
7140 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file,
7141 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
7142
7143 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
7144 @ifnotinfo
7145 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
7146 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
7147 @end ifnotinfo
7148 @smallexample
7149 @var{file}::@var{variable}
7150 @var{function}::@var{variable}
7151 @end smallexample
7152
7153 @noindent
7154 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
7155 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
7156 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
7157 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
7158
7159 @smallexample
7160 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
7161 @end smallexample
7162
7163 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
7164 This use of @samp{::} is very rarely in conflict with the very similar
7165 use of the same notation in C@t{++}. @value{GDBN} also supports use of the C@t{++}
7166 scope resolution operator in @value{GDBN} expressions.
7167 @c FIXME: Um, so what happens in one of those rare cases where it's in
7168 @c conflict?? --mew
7169
7170 @cindex wrong values
7171 @cindex variable values, wrong
7172 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
7173 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
7174 @quotation
7175 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
7176 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
7177 scope, and just before exit.
7178 @end quotation
7179 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
7180 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
7181 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
7182 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
7183 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
7184 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
7185 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
7186 variable definitions may be gone.
7187
7188 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
7189 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
7190 when compiling.
7191
7192 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
7193 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
7194 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
7195 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
7196 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
7197 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
7198 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
7199
7200 @smallexample
7201 No symbol "foo" in current context.
7202 @end smallexample
7203
7204 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
7205 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
7206 formats. For example, @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler,
7207 usually supports the @option{-gstabs+} option. @option{-gstabs+}
7208 produces debug info in a format that is superior to formats such as
7209 COFF. You may be able to use DWARF 2 (@option{-gdwarf-2}), which is also
7210 an effective form for debug info. @xref{Debugging Options,,Options
7211 for Debugging Your Program or GCC, gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu}
7212 Compiler Collection (GCC)}.
7213 @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug info formats
7214 that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
7215
7216 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
7217 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
7218 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
7219 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
7220
7221 Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
7222 signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
7223 printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
7224 @code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
7225 defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
7226 For program code
7227
7228 @smallexample
7229 char var0[] = "A";
7230 signed char var1[] = "A";
7231 @end smallexample
7232
7233 You get during debugging
7234 @smallexample
7235 (gdb) print var0
7236 $1 = "A"
7237 (gdb) print var1
7238 $2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
7239 @end smallexample
7240
7241 @node Arrays
7242 @section Artificial Arrays
7243
7244 @cindex artificial array
7245 @cindex arrays
7246 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
7247 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
7248 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
7249 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
7250 program.
7251
7252 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
7253 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
7254 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
7255 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
7256 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
7257 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
7258 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
7259 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
7260 example. If a program says
7261
7262 @smallexample
7263 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
7264 @end smallexample
7265
7266 @noindent
7267 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
7268
7269 @smallexample
7270 p *array@@len
7271 @end smallexample
7272
7273 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
7274 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
7275 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
7276 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
7277 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
7278
7279 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
7280 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
7281 The value need not be in memory:
7282 @smallexample
7283 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
7284 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7285 @end smallexample
7286
7287 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
7288 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
7289 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
7290 @smallexample
7291 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
7292 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7293 @end smallexample
7294
7295 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
7296 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
7297 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
7298 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
7299 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7300 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
7301 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
7302 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
7303 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
7304 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
7305
7306 @smallexample
7307 set $i = 0
7308 p dtab[$i++]->fv
7309 @key{RET}
7310 @key{RET}
7311 @dots{}
7312 @end smallexample
7313
7314 @node Output Formats
7315 @section Output Formats
7316
7317 @cindex formatted output
7318 @cindex output formats
7319 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
7320 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
7321 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
7322 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
7323 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
7324
7325 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
7326 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
7327 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
7328 letters supported are:
7329
7330 @table @code
7331 @item x
7332 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
7333 hexadecimal.
7334
7335 @item d
7336 Print as integer in signed decimal.
7337
7338 @item u
7339 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
7340
7341 @item o
7342 Print as integer in octal.
7343
7344 @item t
7345 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
7346 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
7347 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
7348 see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
7349
7350 @item a
7351 @cindex unknown address, locating
7352 @cindex locate address
7353 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
7354 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
7355 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
7356
7357 @smallexample
7358 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
7359 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
7360 @end smallexample
7361
7362 @noindent
7363 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
7364 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
7365
7366 @item c
7367 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
7368 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
7369 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
7370 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
7371
7372 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
7373 @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
7374 constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
7375 data.
7376
7377 @item f
7378 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
7379 using typical floating point syntax.
7380
7381 @item s
7382 @cindex printing strings
7383 @cindex printing byte arrays
7384 Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
7385 data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
7386 are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
7387 natural types.
7388
7389 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
7390 @code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
7391 strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
7392 array.
7393
7394 @item r
7395 @cindex raw printing
7396 Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
7397 use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
7398 Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
7399 value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
7400 pretty-printer which might exist.
7401 @end table
7402
7403 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
7404
7405 @smallexample
7406 p/x $pc
7407 @end smallexample
7408
7409 @noindent
7410 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
7411 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
7412
7413 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
7414 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
7415 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
7416
7417 @node Memory
7418 @section Examining Memory
7419
7420 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
7421 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
7422
7423 @cindex examining memory
7424 @table @code
7425 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
7426 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
7427 @itemx x @var{addr}
7428 @itemx x
7429 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
7430 @end table
7431
7432 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
7433 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
7434 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
7435 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
7436 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
7437
7438 @table @r
7439 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
7440 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
7441 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
7442 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
7443 @c 4.1.2.
7444
7445 @item @var{f}, the display format
7446 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
7447 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
7448 @samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
7449 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
7450 each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
7451
7452 @item @var{u}, the unit size
7453 The unit size is any of
7454
7455 @table @code
7456 @item b
7457 Bytes.
7458 @item h
7459 Halfwords (two bytes).
7460 @item w
7461 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
7462 @item g
7463 Giant words (eight bytes).
7464 @end table
7465
7466 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
7467 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
7468 the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
7469 the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
7470 Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
7471 32-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
7472 Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
7473 current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
7474 modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
7475 UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
7476 be altered.
7477
7478 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
7479 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
7480 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
7481 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
7482 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
7483 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
7484 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
7485 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
7486 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
7487 a value from memory).
7488 @end table
7489
7490 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
7491 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
7492 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
7493 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
7494 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
7495
7496 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
7497 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
7498 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
7499 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
7500 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
7501
7502 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
7503 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
7504 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
7505 including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
7506 the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
7507 slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
7508 follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
7509 @code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
7510 instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
7511
7512 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
7513 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
7514 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
7515 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
7516 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
7517 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
7518 for successive uses of @code{x}.
7519
7520 When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
7521 counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
7522
7523 @smallexample
7524 (@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
7525 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
7526 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
7527 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
7528 => 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
7529 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
7530 @end smallexample
7531
7532 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
7533 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
7534 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
7535 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
7536 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
7537 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
7538 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
7539 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
7540 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
7541
7542 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
7543 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
7544 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
7545
7546 @cindex remote memory comparison
7547 @cindex verify remote memory image
7548 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
7549 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
7550 remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
7551 the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
7552 situations.
7553
7554 @table @code
7555 @kindex compare-sections
7556 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
7557 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
7558 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
7559 the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
7560 arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
7561 availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
7562 remote request.
7563 @end table
7564
7565 @node Auto Display
7566 @section Automatic Display
7567 @cindex automatic display
7568 @cindex display of expressions
7569
7570 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
7571 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
7572 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
7573 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
7574 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
7575 The automatic display looks like this:
7576
7577 @smallexample
7578 2: foo = 38
7579 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
7580 @end smallexample
7581
7582 @noindent
7583 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
7584 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
7585 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
7586 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
7587 specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
7588 or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
7589
7590 @table @code
7591 @kindex display
7592 @item display @var{expr}
7593 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
7594 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
7595
7596 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
7597
7598 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
7599 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
7600 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
7601 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
7602 @xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
7603
7604 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
7605 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
7606 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
7607 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
7608 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7609 @end table
7610
7611 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
7612 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
7613 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
7614
7615 @table @code
7616 @kindex delete display
7617 @kindex undisplay
7618 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
7619 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7620 Remove item numbers @var{dnums} from the list of expressions to display.
7621
7622 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
7623 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
7624
7625 @kindex disable display
7626 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7627 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
7628 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
7629 enabled again later.
7630
7631 @kindex enable display
7632 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7633 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
7634 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
7635
7636 @item display
7637 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
7638 done when your program stops.
7639
7640 @kindex info display
7641 @item info display
7642 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
7643 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
7644 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
7645 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
7646 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
7647 @end table
7648
7649 @cindex display disabled out of scope
7650 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
7651 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
7652 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
7653 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
7654 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
7655 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
7656 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
7657 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
7658 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
7659 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
7660
7661 @node Print Settings
7662 @section Print Settings
7663
7664 @cindex format options
7665 @cindex print settings
7666 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
7667 and symbols are printed.
7668
7669 @noindent
7670 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
7671
7672 @table @code
7673 @kindex set print
7674 @item set print address
7675 @itemx set print address on
7676 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
7677 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
7678 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
7679 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
7680 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
7681 @code{set print address on}:
7682
7683 @smallexample
7684 @group
7685 (@value{GDBP}) f
7686 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
7687 at input.c:530
7688 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
7689 @end group
7690 @end smallexample
7691
7692 @item set print address off
7693 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
7694 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
7695
7696 @smallexample
7697 @group
7698 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
7699 (@value{GDBP}) f
7700 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
7701 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
7702 @end group
7703 @end smallexample
7704
7705 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
7706 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
7707 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
7708 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
7709
7710 @kindex show print
7711 @item show print address
7712 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
7713 @end table
7714
7715 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
7716 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
7717 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
7718 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
7719 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
7720 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
7721 it prints a symbolic address:
7722
7723 @table @code
7724 @item set print symbol-filename on
7725 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
7726 @cindex symbol, source file and line
7727 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
7728 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
7729
7730 @item set print symbol-filename off
7731 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
7732 default.
7733
7734 @item show print symbol-filename
7735 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
7736 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
7737 @end table
7738
7739 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
7740 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
7741 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
7742
7743 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
7744 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
7745
7746 @table @code
7747 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
7748 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
7749 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
7750 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
7751 @var{max-offset}. The default is 0, which tells @value{GDBN}
7752 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes it.
7753
7754 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
7755 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
7756 symbolic address.
7757 @end table
7758
7759 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
7760 @cindex pointer, finding referent
7761 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
7762 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
7763 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
7764 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
7765 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
7766 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
7767
7768 @smallexample
7769 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
7770 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
7771 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
7772 @end smallexample
7773
7774 @quotation
7775 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
7776 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
7777 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
7778 @end quotation
7779
7780 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
7781
7782 @table @code
7783 @item set print array
7784 @itemx set print array on
7785 @cindex pretty print arrays
7786 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
7787 but uses more space. The default is off.
7788
7789 @item set print array off
7790 Return to compressed format for arrays.
7791
7792 @item show print array
7793 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
7794 arrays.
7795
7796 @cindex print array indexes
7797 @item set print array-indexes
7798 @itemx set print array-indexes on
7799 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
7800 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
7801 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
7802
7803 @item set print array-indexes off
7804 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
7805
7806 @item show print array-indexes
7807 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
7808 arrays.
7809
7810 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
7811 @cindex number of array elements to print
7812 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
7813 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
7814 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
7815 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
7816 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
7817 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
7818 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to zero means that the printing is unlimited.
7819
7820 @item show print elements
7821 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
7822 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
7823
7824 @item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
7825 @kindex set print frame-arguments
7826 @cindex printing frame argument values
7827 @cindex print all frame argument values
7828 @cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
7829 @cindex do not print frame argument values
7830 This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
7831 when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
7832 values are:
7833
7834 @table @code
7835 @item all
7836 The values of all arguments are printed.
7837
7838 @item scalars
7839 Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
7840 complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
7841 by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
7842 only scalar arguments are shown:
7843
7844 @smallexample
7845 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
7846 at frame-args.c:23
7847 @end smallexample
7848
7849 @item none
7850 None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
7851 is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
7852
7853 @smallexample
7854 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
7855 at frame-args.c:23
7856 @end smallexample
7857 @end table
7858
7859 By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
7860 to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
7861 of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
7862 of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
7863 information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
7864 Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
7865 the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
7866 especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
7867 to @code{scalars} (the default) or @code{none} avoids this computation,
7868 thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
7869
7870 @item show print frame-arguments
7871 Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
7872
7873 @item set print repeats
7874 @cindex repeated array elements
7875 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
7876 elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
7877 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
7878 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
7879 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
7880 themselves. Setting the threshold to zero will cause all elements to
7881 be individually printed. The default threshold is 10.
7882
7883 @item show print repeats
7884 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
7885 elements.
7886
7887 @item set print null-stop
7888 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
7889 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
7890 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
7891 contain only short strings.
7892 The default is off.
7893
7894 @item show print null-stop
7895 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
7896 @sc{null} character.
7897
7898 @item set print pretty on
7899 @cindex print structures in indented form
7900 @cindex indentation in structure display
7901 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
7902 per line, like this:
7903
7904 @smallexample
7905 @group
7906 $1 = @{
7907 next = 0x0,
7908 flags = @{
7909 sweet = 1,
7910 sour = 1
7911 @},
7912 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
7913 @}
7914 @end group
7915 @end smallexample
7916
7917 @item set print pretty off
7918 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
7919
7920 @smallexample
7921 @group
7922 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
7923 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
7924 @end group
7925 @end smallexample
7926
7927 @noindent
7928 This is the default format.
7929
7930 @item show print pretty
7931 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
7932
7933 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
7934 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
7935 @cindex octal escapes in strings
7936 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
7937 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
7938 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
7939 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
7940 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
7941
7942 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
7943 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
7944 international character sets, and is the default.
7945
7946 @item show print sevenbit-strings
7947 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
7948
7949 @item set print union on
7950 @cindex unions in structures, printing
7951 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
7952 and other unions. This is the default setting.
7953
7954 @item set print union off
7955 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
7956 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
7957 instead.
7958
7959 @item show print union
7960 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
7961 structures and other unions.
7962
7963 For example, given the declarations
7964
7965 @smallexample
7966 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
7967 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
7968 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
7969 Bug_forms;
7970
7971 struct thing @{
7972 Species it;
7973 union @{
7974 Tree_forms tree;
7975 Bug_forms bug;
7976 @} form;
7977 @};
7978
7979 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
7980 @end smallexample
7981
7982 @noindent
7983 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
7984
7985 @smallexample
7986 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
7987 @end smallexample
7988
7989 @noindent
7990 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
7991
7992 @smallexample
7993 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
7994 @end smallexample
7995
7996 @noindent
7997 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
7998 and in Pascal.
7999 @end table
8000
8001 @need 1000
8002 @noindent
8003 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
8004
8005 @table @code
8006 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
8007 @item set print demangle
8008 @itemx set print demangle on
8009 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
8010 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
8011 linkage. The default is on.
8012
8013 @item show print demangle
8014 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
8015
8016 @item set print asm-demangle
8017 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
8018 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
8019 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
8020 The default is off.
8021
8022 @item show print asm-demangle
8023 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
8024 or demangled form.
8025
8026 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
8027 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
8028 @kindex set demangle-style
8029 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
8030 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
8031 represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
8032
8033 @table @code
8034 @item auto
8035 Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
8036
8037 @item gnu
8038 Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
8039 This is the default.
8040
8041 @item hp
8042 Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
8043
8044 @item lucid
8045 Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
8046
8047 @item arm
8048 Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
8049 @strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
8050 debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
8051 require further enhancement to permit that.
8052
8053 @end table
8054 If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
8055
8056 @item show demangle-style
8057 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
8058
8059 @item set print object
8060 @itemx set print object on
8061 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
8062 @cindex display derived types
8063 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
8064 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
8065 the virtual function table.
8066
8067 @item set print object off
8068 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
8069 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
8070
8071 @item show print object
8072 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
8073
8074 @item set print static-members
8075 @itemx set print static-members on
8076 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
8077 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
8078
8079 @item set print static-members off
8080 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
8081
8082 @item show print static-members
8083 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
8084
8085 @item set print pascal_static-members
8086 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
8087 @cindex static members of Pascal objects
8088 @cindex Pascal objects, static members display
8089 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
8090
8091 @item set print pascal_static-members off
8092 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
8093
8094 @item show print pascal_static-members
8095 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
8096
8097 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
8098 @item set print vtbl
8099 @itemx set print vtbl on
8100 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
8101 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
8102 @cindex VTBL display
8103 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
8104 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
8105 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
8106
8107 @item set print vtbl off
8108 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
8109
8110 @item show print vtbl
8111 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
8112 @end table
8113
8114 @node Pretty Printing
8115 @section Pretty Printing
8116
8117 @value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
8118 Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
8119 mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
8120
8121 For example, here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a
8122 pretty-printer:
8123
8124 @smallexample
8125 (@value{GDBP}) print s
8126 $1 = @{
8127 static npos = 4294967295,
8128 _M_dataplus = @{
8129 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
8130 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
8131 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
8132 @},
8133 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
8134 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
8135 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
8136 @}
8137 @}
8138 @end smallexample
8139
8140 With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
8141
8142 @smallexample
8143 (@value{GDBP}) print s
8144 $2 = "abcd"
8145 @end smallexample
8146
8147 For implementing pretty printers for new types you should read the Python API
8148 details (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
8149
8150 @node Value History
8151 @section Value History
8152
8153 @cindex value history
8154 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
8155 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
8156 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
8157 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
8158 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
8159 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
8160 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
8161 symbol table.
8162
8163 @cindex @code{$}
8164 @cindex @code{$$}
8165 @cindex history number
8166 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
8167 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
8168 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
8169 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
8170 history number.
8171
8172 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
8173 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
8174 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
8175 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
8176 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
8177 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
8178 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
8179
8180 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
8181 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
8182
8183 @smallexample
8184 p *$
8185 @end smallexample
8186
8187 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
8188 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
8189
8190 @smallexample
8191 p *$.next
8192 @end smallexample
8193
8194 @noindent
8195 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
8196 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
8197
8198 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
8199 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
8200
8201 @smallexample
8202 print x
8203 set x=5
8204 @end smallexample
8205
8206 @noindent
8207 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
8208 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
8209
8210 @table @code
8211 @kindex show values
8212 @item show values
8213 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
8214 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
8215 values} does not change the history.
8216
8217 @item show values @var{n}
8218 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
8219
8220 @item show values +
8221 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
8222 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
8223 @end table
8224
8225 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
8226 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
8227
8228 @node Convenience Vars
8229 @section Convenience Variables
8230
8231 @cindex convenience variables
8232 @cindex user-defined variables
8233 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
8234 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
8235 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
8236 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
8237 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
8238
8239 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
8240 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
8241 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
8242 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
8243 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
8244
8245 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
8246 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
8247 For example:
8248
8249 @smallexample
8250 set $foo = *object_ptr
8251 @end smallexample
8252
8253 @noindent
8254 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
8255 @code{object_ptr}.
8256
8257 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
8258 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
8259 value with another assignment at any time.
8260
8261 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
8262 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
8263 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
8264 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
8265
8266 @table @code
8267 @kindex show convenience
8268 @cindex show all user variables
8269 @item show convenience
8270 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values.
8271 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
8272
8273 @kindex init-if-undefined
8274 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
8275 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
8276 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
8277 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
8278 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
8279 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
8280 override default values used in a command script.
8281
8282 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
8283 any side-effects do not occur.
8284 @end table
8285
8286 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
8287 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
8288 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
8289
8290 @smallexample
8291 set $i = 0
8292 print bar[$i++]->contents
8293 @end smallexample
8294
8295 @noindent
8296 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
8297
8298 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
8299 values likely to be useful.
8300
8301 @table @code
8302 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
8303 @item $_
8304 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
8305 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
8306 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
8307 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
8308 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
8309 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
8310 to the type of @code{$__}.
8311
8312 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
8313 @item $__
8314 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
8315 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
8316 to match the format in which the data was printed.
8317
8318 @item $_exitcode
8319 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
8320 The variable @code{$_exitcode} is automatically set to the exit code when
8321 the program being debugged terminates.
8322
8323 @item $_sdata
8324 @vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
8325 The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
8326 data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
8327 @code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
8328 if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
8329
8330 @item $_siginfo
8331 @vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
8332 The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
8333 (@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
8334 could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
8335 For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
8336
8337 @item $_tlb
8338 @vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
8339 The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
8340 applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
8341 gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
8342 @xref{General Query Packets}.
8343 This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
8344
8345 @end table
8346
8347 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
8348 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
8349 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
8350
8351 @cindex convenience functions
8352 @value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
8353 have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
8354 function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
8355 however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
8356 @value{GDBN}.
8357
8358 @table @code
8359 @item help function
8360 @kindex help function
8361 @cindex show all convenience functions
8362 Print a list of all convenience functions.
8363 @end table
8364
8365 @node Registers
8366 @section Registers
8367
8368 @cindex registers
8369 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
8370 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
8371 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
8372 your machine.
8373
8374 @table @code
8375 @kindex info registers
8376 @item info registers
8377 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
8378 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
8379
8380 @kindex info all-registers
8381 @cindex floating point registers
8382 @item info all-registers
8383 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
8384 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
8385
8386 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
8387 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
8388 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
8389 the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
8390 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
8391 @end table
8392
8393 @cindex stack pointer register
8394 @cindex program counter register
8395 @cindex process status register
8396 @cindex frame pointer register
8397 @cindex standard registers
8398 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
8399 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
8400 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
8401 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
8402 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
8403 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
8404 register that contains the processor status. For example,
8405 you could print the program counter in hex with
8406
8407 @smallexample
8408 p/x $pc
8409 @end smallexample
8410
8411 @noindent
8412 or print the instruction to be executed next with
8413
8414 @smallexample
8415 x/i $pc
8416 @end smallexample
8417
8418 @noindent
8419 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
8420 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
8421 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
8422 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
8423 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
8424 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
8425 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
8426
8427 @smallexample
8428 set $sp += 4
8429 @end smallexample
8430
8431 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
8432 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
8433 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
8434 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
8435 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
8436 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
8437 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
8438
8439 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
8440 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
8441 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
8442 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
8443 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
8444 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
8445 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
8446
8447 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
8448 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
8449 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
8450 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
8451 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
8452 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
8453 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
8454 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
8455 prints the data in both formats.
8456
8457 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
8458 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
8459 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
8460 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
8461 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
8462 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
8463 registers in @code{struct} notation:
8464
8465 @smallexample
8466 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
8467 $1 = @{
8468 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
8469 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
8470 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
8471 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
8472 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
8473 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
8474 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
8475 @}
8476 @end smallexample
8477
8478 @noindent
8479 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
8480 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
8481 value to a @code{struct} member:
8482
8483 @smallexample
8484 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
8485 @end smallexample
8486
8487 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
8488 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
8489 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
8490 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
8491 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
8492 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
8493
8494 However, @value{GDBN} must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
8495 code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
8496 @value{GDBN} is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack
8497 frame makes no difference.
8498
8499 @node Floating Point Hardware
8500 @section Floating Point Hardware
8501 @cindex floating point
8502
8503 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
8504 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
8505
8506 @table @code
8507 @kindex info float
8508 @item info float
8509 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
8510 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
8511 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
8512 the ARM and x86 machines.
8513 @end table
8514
8515 @node Vector Unit
8516 @section Vector Unit
8517 @cindex vector unit
8518
8519 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
8520 more information about the status of the vector unit.
8521
8522 @table @code
8523 @kindex info vector
8524 @item info vector
8525 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
8526 layout vary depending on the hardware.
8527 @end table
8528
8529 @node OS Information
8530 @section Operating System Auxiliary Information
8531 @cindex OS information
8532
8533 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
8534 you debug your program.
8535
8536 @cindex @code{ptrace} system call
8537 @cindex @code{struct user} contents
8538 When @value{GDBN} runs on a @dfn{Posix system} (such as GNU or Unix
8539 machines), it interfaces with the inferior via the @code{ptrace}
8540 system call. The operating system creates a special sata structure,
8541 called @code{struct user}, for this interface. You can use the
8542 command @code{info udot} to display the contents of this data
8543 structure.
8544
8545 @table @code
8546 @item info udot
8547 @kindex info udot
8548 Display the contents of the @code{struct user} maintained by the OS
8549 kernel for the program being debugged. @value{GDBN} displays the
8550 contents of @code{struct user} as a list of hex numbers, similar to
8551 the @code{examine} command.
8552 @end table
8553
8554 @cindex auxiliary vector
8555 @cindex vector, auxiliary
8556 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
8557 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
8558 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
8559 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
8560 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
8561 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
8562 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
8563 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
8564 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
8565 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
8566 @ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
8567
8568 @table @code
8569 @kindex info auxv
8570 @item info auxv
8571 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
8572 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
8573 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
8574 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
8575 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
8576 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
8577 an unrecognized tag.
8578 @end table
8579
8580 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating-system-specific information
8581 and display it to user, without interpretation. For remote targets,
8582 this functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
8583 @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
8584
8585 @table @code
8586 @kindex info os
8587 @item info os
8588 List the types of OS information available for the target. If the
8589 target does not return a list of possible types, this command will
8590 report an error.
8591
8592 @kindex info os processes
8593 @item info os processes
8594 Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
8595 @value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, and
8596 the command corresponding to the process.
8597 @end table
8598
8599 @node Memory Region Attributes
8600 @section Memory Region Attributes
8601 @cindex memory region attributes
8602
8603 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
8604 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
8605 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
8606 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
8607 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
8608 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
8609 user can override the fetched regions.
8610
8611 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
8612 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
8613 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
8614 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
8615 all memory.
8616
8617 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
8618 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
8619
8620 @table @code
8621 @kindex mem
8622 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
8623 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
8624 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
8625 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
8626 case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
8627 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
8628
8629 @item mem auto
8630 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
8631 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
8632
8633 @kindex delete mem
8634 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
8635 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
8636 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
8637
8638 @kindex disable mem
8639 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
8640 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
8641 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
8642 It may be enabled again later.
8643
8644 @kindex enable mem
8645 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
8646 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
8647
8648 @kindex info mem
8649 @item info mem
8650 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
8651 for each region:
8652
8653 @table @emph
8654 @item Memory Region Number
8655 @item Enabled or Disabled.
8656 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
8657 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
8658
8659 @item Lo Address
8660 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
8661
8662 @item Hi Address
8663 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
8664
8665 @item Attributes
8666 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
8667 @end table
8668 @end table
8669
8670
8671 @subsection Attributes
8672
8673 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
8674 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
8675 write accesses to a memory region.
8676
8677 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
8678 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
8679 etc.@: from accessing memory.
8680
8681 @table @code
8682 @item ro
8683 Memory is read only.
8684 @item wo
8685 Memory is write only.
8686 @item rw
8687 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
8688 @end table
8689
8690 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
8691 The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
8692 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
8693 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
8694 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
8695
8696 @table @code
8697 @item 8
8698 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
8699 @item 16
8700 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
8701 @item 32
8702 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
8703 @item 64
8704 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
8705 @end table
8706
8707 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
8708 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
8709 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
8710 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
8711 @c
8712 @c @table @code
8713 @c @item hwbreak
8714 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
8715 @c @item swbreak (default)
8716 @c @end table
8717
8718 @subsubsection Data Cache
8719 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
8720 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
8721 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
8722 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
8723 registers.
8724
8725 @table @code
8726 @item cache
8727 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
8728 @item nocache
8729 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
8730 @end table
8731
8732 @subsection Memory Access Checking
8733 @value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
8734 not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
8735 regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
8736 better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
8737
8738 @table @code
8739 @kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
8740 @item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
8741 If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
8742 explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
8743 to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
8744 memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
8745 treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
8746 The default value is @code{on}.
8747 @kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
8748 @item show mem inaccessible-by-default
8749 Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
8750 @end table
8751
8752
8753 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
8754 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
8755 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
8756 @c
8757 @c @table @code
8758 @c @item verify
8759 @c @item noverify (default)
8760 @c @end table
8761
8762 @node Dump/Restore Files
8763 @section Copy Between Memory and a File
8764 @cindex dump/restore files
8765 @cindex append data to a file
8766 @cindex dump data to a file
8767 @cindex restore data from a file
8768
8769 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
8770 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
8771 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
8772 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
8773 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
8774 Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
8775 files.
8776
8777 @table @code
8778
8779 @kindex dump
8780 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
8781 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
8782 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
8783 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
8784
8785 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
8786 @table @code
8787 @item binary
8788 Raw binary form.
8789 @item ihex
8790 Intel hex format.
8791 @item srec
8792 Motorola S-record format.
8793 @item tekhex
8794 Tektronix Hex format.
8795 @end table
8796
8797 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
8798 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
8799 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
8800 form.
8801
8802 @kindex append
8803 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
8804 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
8805 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
8806 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
8807 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
8808
8809 @kindex restore
8810 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
8811 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
8812 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
8813 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
8814 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
8815
8816 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
8817 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
8818 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
8819 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
8820 from that location.
8821
8822 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
8823 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
8824 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
8825 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
8826
8827 @end table
8828
8829 @node Core File Generation
8830 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
8831 @cindex dump core from inferior
8832
8833 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
8834 image of a running process and its process status (register values
8835 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
8836 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
8837 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
8838 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
8839 the post-mortem debugging mode.
8840
8841 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
8842 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
8843 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
8844
8845 @table @code
8846 @kindex gcore
8847 @kindex generate-core-file
8848 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
8849 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
8850 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
8851 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
8852 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
8853 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
8854
8855 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
8856 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Unixware, and S390).
8857 @end table
8858
8859 @node Character Sets
8860 @section Character Sets
8861 @cindex character sets
8862 @cindex charset
8863 @cindex translating between character sets
8864 @cindex host character set
8865 @cindex target character set
8866
8867 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
8868 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
8869 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
8870 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
8871 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
8872 @dfn{target character set}.
8873
8874 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
8875 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
8876 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
8877 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
8878 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
8879 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
8880 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
8881 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
8882 character and string literals in expressions.
8883
8884 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
8885 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
8886 target-charset} command, described below.
8887
8888 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
8889 support:
8890
8891 @table @code
8892 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
8893 @kindex set target-charset
8894 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
8895 list of supported target character sets, type
8896 @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
8897
8898 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
8899 @kindex set host-charset
8900 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
8901
8902 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
8903 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
8904 @code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
8905 automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
8906 case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
8907
8908 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
8909 set. If you type @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
8910 @value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
8911
8912 @item set charset @var{charset}
8913 @kindex set charset
8914 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
8915 above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
8916 @value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
8917 for both host and target.
8918
8919 @item show charset
8920 @kindex show charset
8921 Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
8922
8923 @item show host-charset
8924 @kindex show host-charset
8925 Show the name of the current host character set.
8926
8927 @item show target-charset
8928 @kindex show target-charset
8929 Show the name of the current target character set.
8930
8931 @item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
8932 @kindex set target-wide-charset
8933 Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
8934 the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
8935 display the list of supported wide character sets, type
8936 @kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
8937
8938 @item show target-wide-charset
8939 @kindex show target-wide-charset
8940 Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
8941 @end table
8942
8943 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
8944 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
8945 @file{charset-test.c}:
8946
8947 @smallexample
8948 #include <stdio.h>
8949
8950 char ascii_hello[]
8951 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
8952 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
8953 char ibm1047_hello[]
8954 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
8955 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
8956
8957 main ()
8958 @{
8959 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
8960 @}
8961 @end smallexample
8962
8963 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
8964 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
8965 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
8966
8967 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
8968
8969 @smallexample
8970 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
8971 $ gdb -nw charset-test
8972 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
8973 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
8974 @dots{}
8975 (@value{GDBP})
8976 @end smallexample
8977
8978 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
8979 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
8980 strings:
8981
8982 @smallexample
8983 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
8984 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
8985 (@value{GDBP})
8986 @end smallexample
8987
8988 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
8989 initial character set:
8990 @smallexample
8991 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
8992 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
8993 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
8994 (@value{GDBP})
8995 @end smallexample
8996
8997 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
8998 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
8999 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
9000 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
9001 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
9002
9003 @smallexample
9004 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
9005 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
9006 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
9007 $2 = 72 'H'
9008 (@value{GDBP})
9009 @end smallexample
9010
9011 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
9012 literals you use in expressions:
9013
9014 @smallexample
9015 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
9016 $3 = 43 '+'
9017 (@value{GDBP})
9018 @end smallexample
9019
9020 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
9021 character.
9022
9023 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
9024 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
9025 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
9026
9027 @smallexample
9028 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
9029 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
9030 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
9031 $5 = 200 '\310'
9032 (@value{GDBP})
9033 @end smallexample
9034
9035 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
9036 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
9037
9038 @smallexample
9039 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
9040 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
9041 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
9042 @end smallexample
9043
9044 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
9045 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
9046 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
9047 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
9048 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
9049
9050 @smallexample
9051 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
9052 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9053 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
9054 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
9055 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
9056 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
9057 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
9058 $7 = 72 '\110'
9059 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
9060 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
9061 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
9062 $9 = 200 'H'
9063 (@value{GDBP})
9064 @end smallexample
9065
9066 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
9067 string literals you use in expressions:
9068
9069 @smallexample
9070 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
9071 $10 = 78 '+'
9072 (@value{GDBP})
9073 @end smallexample
9074
9075 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
9076 character.
9077
9078 @node Caching Remote Data
9079 @section Caching Data of Remote Targets
9080 @cindex caching data of remote targets
9081
9082 @value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a
9083 remote target (@pxref{Remote Debugging}). Such caching generally improves
9084 performance, because it reduces the overhead of the remote protocol by
9085 bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks. Unfortunately, simply
9086 caching everything would lead to incorrect results, since @value{GDBN}
9087 does not necessarily know anything about volatile values, memory-mapped I/O
9088 addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode})
9089 memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command is executing.
9090 Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
9091 known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
9092 rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
9093 in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
9094 stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.}.
9095 Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
9096 cacheable; see @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
9097
9098 @table @code
9099 @kindex set remotecache
9100 @item set remotecache on
9101 @itemx set remotecache off
9102 This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
9103 with old scripts.
9104
9105 @kindex show remotecache
9106 @item show remotecache
9107 Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
9108
9109 @kindex set stack-cache
9110 @item set stack-cache on
9111 @itemx set stack-cache off
9112 Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{ON}, use
9113 caching. By default, this option is @code{ON}.
9114
9115 @kindex show stack-cache
9116 @item show stack-cache
9117 Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
9118
9119 @kindex info dcache
9120 @item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
9121 Print the information about the data cache performance. The
9122 information displayed includes the dcache width and depth, and for
9123 each cache line, its number, address, and how many times it was
9124 referenced. This command is useful for debugging the data cache
9125 operation.
9126
9127 If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
9128 printed in hex.
9129 @end table
9130
9131 @node Searching Memory
9132 @section Search Memory
9133 @cindex searching memory
9134
9135 Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
9136 @code{find} command.
9137
9138 @table @code
9139 @kindex find
9140 @item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
9141 @itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
9142 Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
9143 etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
9144 @var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
9145 @end table
9146
9147 @var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
9148 They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
9149
9150 @table @r
9151 @item @var{s}, search query size
9152 The size of each search query value.
9153
9154 @table @code
9155 @item b
9156 bytes
9157 @item h
9158 halfwords (two bytes)
9159 @item w
9160 words (four bytes)
9161 @item g
9162 giant words (eight bytes)
9163 @end table
9164
9165 All values are interpreted in the current language.
9166 This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
9167 then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
9168
9169 If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
9170 value's type in the current language.
9171 This is useful when one wants to specify the search
9172 pattern as a mixture of types.
9173 Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
9174 a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
9175 which is typically four bytes.
9176
9177 @item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
9178 The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
9179 @end table
9180
9181 You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
9182 (@code{"}).
9183 The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
9184 regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
9185
9186 The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
9187 number of matches found.
9188
9189 The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
9190 @samp{$_}.
9191 A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
9192
9193 For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
9194
9195 @smallexample
9196 void
9197 hello ()
9198 @{
9199 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
9200 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
9201 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
9202 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
9203 printf ("%s\n", hello);
9204 @}
9205 @end smallexample
9206
9207 @noindent
9208 you get during debugging:
9209
9210 @smallexample
9211 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
9212 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
9213 1 pattern found
9214 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
9215 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
9216 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
9217 2 patterns found
9218 (gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
9219 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
9220 1 pattern found
9221 (gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
9222 0x8049560 <mixed.1625>
9223 1 pattern found
9224 (gdb) print $numfound
9225 $1 = 1
9226 (gdb) print $_
9227 $2 = (void *) 0x8049560
9228 @end smallexample
9229
9230 @node Optimized Code
9231 @chapter Debugging Optimized Code
9232 @cindex optimized code, debugging
9233 @cindex debugging optimized code
9234
9235 Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
9236 disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
9237 directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
9238 applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
9239 diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
9240 information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
9241 the running program back to constructs from your original source.
9242
9243 @value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
9244 can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
9245 progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
9246 where you may need to debug an optimized version.
9247
9248 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
9249 optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
9250 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
9251 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
9252 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
9253 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
9254
9255 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
9256 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
9257 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
9258 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
9259 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
9260
9261 @menu
9262 * Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
9263 @end menu
9264
9265 @node Inline Functions
9266 @section Inline Functions
9267 @cindex inline functions, debugging
9268
9269 @dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
9270 body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
9271 routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
9272 non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
9273 arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
9274 them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
9275 You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
9276 @code{info frame} command.
9277
9278 For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
9279 record information about inlining in the debug information ---
9280 @value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
9281 other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
9282 when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
9283 do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
9284 @samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
9285 function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
9286 displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
9287 local variables in the caller.
9288
9289 The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
9290 unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
9291 the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
9292 start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
9293 the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
9294 the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
9295 instructions are executed.
9296
9297 This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
9298 context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
9299 a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
9300 this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
9301
9302 There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
9303 function calls are the same as normal calls:
9304
9305 @itemize @bullet
9306 @item
9307 You cannot set breakpoints on inlined functions. @value{GDBN}
9308 either reports that there is no symbol with that name, or else sets the
9309 breakpoint only on non-inlined copies of the function. This limitation
9310 will be removed in a future version of @value{GDBN}; until then,
9311 set a breakpoint by line number on the first line of the inlined
9312 function instead.
9313
9314 @item
9315 Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
9316 work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
9317 may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
9318 function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
9319 version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
9320 or inside the inlined function instead.
9321
9322 @item
9323 @value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
9324 using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
9325 debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
9326 and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
9327
9328 @end itemize
9329
9330
9331 @node Macros
9332 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
9333
9334 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
9335 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
9336 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
9337 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
9338 where it was defined.
9339
9340 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
9341 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
9342 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
9343 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
9344
9345 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
9346 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
9347 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
9348 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
9349 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
9350 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
9351 see @ref{List}.
9352
9353 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
9354 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
9355 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
9356
9357 @table @code
9358
9359 @kindex macro expand
9360 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
9361 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
9362 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
9363 @item macro expand @var{expression}
9364 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
9365 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
9366 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
9367 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
9368 it can be any string of tokens.
9369
9370 @kindex macro exp1
9371 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
9372 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
9373 @cindex expand macro once
9374 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
9375 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
9376 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
9377 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
9378 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
9379 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
9380 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
9381 can be any string of tokens.
9382
9383 @kindex info macro
9384 @cindex macro definition, showing
9385 @cindex definition, showing a macro's
9386 @item info macro @var{macro}
9387 Show the definition of the macro named @var{macro}, and describe the
9388 source location or compiler command-line where that definition was established.
9389
9390 @kindex macro define
9391 @cindex user-defined macros
9392 @cindex defining macros interactively
9393 @cindex macros, user-defined
9394 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
9395 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
9396 Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
9397 invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
9398 @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
9399 ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
9400 defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
9401 @var{arglist}.
9402
9403 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
9404 expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
9405 @code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
9406 all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
9407 as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
9408
9409 @kindex macro undef
9410 @item macro undef @var{macro}
9411 Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
9412 This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
9413 define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
9414 in the program being debugged.
9415
9416 @kindex macro list
9417 @item macro list
9418 List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
9419 @end table
9420
9421 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
9422 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
9423 show our source files:
9424
9425 @smallexample
9426 $ cat sample.c
9427 #include <stdio.h>
9428 #include "sample.h"
9429
9430 #define M 42
9431 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
9432
9433 main ()
9434 @{
9435 #define N 28
9436 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9437 #undef N
9438 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
9439 #define N 1729
9440 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
9441 @}
9442 $ cat sample.h
9443 #define Q <
9444 $
9445 @end smallexample
9446
9447 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler, @value{NGCC}.
9448 We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-g3} flags to ensure the
9449 compiler includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
9450 information.
9451
9452 @smallexample
9453 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
9454 $
9455 @end smallexample
9456
9457 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
9458
9459 @smallexample
9460 $ gdb -nw sample
9461 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
9462 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
9463 GDB is free software, @dots{}
9464 (@value{GDBP})
9465 @end smallexample
9466
9467 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
9468 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
9469 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
9470
9471 @smallexample
9472 (@value{GDBP}) list main
9473 3
9474 4 #define M 42
9475 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
9476 6
9477 7 main ()
9478 8 @{
9479 9 #define N 28
9480 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9481 11 #undef N
9482 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
9483 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
9484 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
9485 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
9486 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
9487 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
9488 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
9489 #define Q <
9490 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
9491 expands to: (42 + 1)
9492 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
9493 expands to: once (M + 1)
9494 (@value{GDBP})
9495 @end smallexample
9496
9497 In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
9498 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
9499 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
9500 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
9501
9502 Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
9503 force at the source line of the current stack frame:
9504
9505 @smallexample
9506 (@value{GDBP}) break main
9507 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
9508 (@value{GDBP}) run
9509 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
9510
9511 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
9512 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9513 (@value{GDBP})
9514 @end smallexample
9515
9516 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
9517
9518 @smallexample
9519 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
9520 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
9521 #define N 28
9522 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
9523 expands to: 28 < 42
9524 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
9525 $1 = 1
9526 (@value{GDBP})
9527 @end smallexample
9528
9529 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
9530 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
9531 thereof) in force at each point:
9532
9533 @smallexample
9534 (@value{GDBP}) next
9535 Hello, world!
9536 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
9537 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
9538 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
9539 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
9540 (@value{GDBP}) next
9541 We're so creative.
9542 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
9543 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
9544 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
9545 #define N 1729
9546 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
9547 expands to: 1729 < 42
9548 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
9549 $2 = 0
9550 (@value{GDBP})
9551 @end smallexample
9552
9553 In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
9554 line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
9555 such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
9556 of the source file submitted to the compiler.
9557
9558 @smallexample
9559 (@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
9560 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
9561 -D__STDC__=1
9562 (@value{GDBP})
9563 @end smallexample
9564
9565
9566 @node Tracepoints
9567 @chapter Tracepoints
9568 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
9569 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
9570
9571 @cindex tracepoints
9572 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
9573 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
9574 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
9575 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
9576 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
9577 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
9578 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
9579
9580 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
9581 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
9582 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
9583 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
9584 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
9585 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
9586 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
9587 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
9588 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
9589 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
9590 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
9591
9592 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
9593 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
9594 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
9595 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
9596 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
9597 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
9598 Packets}.
9599
9600 It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
9601 of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
9602 through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
9603
9604 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
9605
9606 @menu
9607 * Set Tracepoints::
9608 * Analyze Collected Data::
9609 * Tracepoint Variables::
9610 * Trace Files::
9611 @end menu
9612
9613 @node Set Tracepoints
9614 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
9615
9616 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
9617 tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
9618 breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
9619 standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
9620 tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
9621 of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
9622 as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
9623
9624 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
9625 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
9626 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
9627 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
9628 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
9629 tracepoint was hit.
9630
9631 Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
9632 tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
9633 commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
9634 either.
9635
9636 @cindex fast tracepoints
9637 Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
9638 a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
9639 faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
9640
9641 @cindex static tracepoints
9642 @cindex markers, static tracepoints
9643 @cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
9644 Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
9645 that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
9646 in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
9647 tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
9648 instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
9649 the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
9650 address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
9651 investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
9652 support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
9653 points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
9654 tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
9655 @value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namelly, support for collecting
9656 registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
9657 point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
9658 The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
9659 instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
9660 static tracepoint marker.
9661
9662 @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
9663 @xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
9664
9665 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
9666 conditions and actions.
9667
9668 @menu
9669 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
9670 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
9671 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
9672 * Tracepoint Conditions::
9673 * Trace State Variables::
9674 * Tracepoint Actions::
9675 * Listing Tracepoints::
9676 * Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
9677 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
9678 * Tracepoint Restrictions::
9679 @end menu
9680
9681 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
9682 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
9683
9684 @table @code
9685 @cindex set tracepoint
9686 @kindex trace
9687 @item trace @var{location}
9688 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
9689 Its argument @var{location} can be a source line, a function name, or
9690 an address in the target program. @xref{Specify Location}. The
9691 @code{trace} command defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the
9692 target program where the debugger will briefly stop, collect some
9693 data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or
9694 changing its actions doesn't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
9695 command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
9696 not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts.
9697
9698 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
9699
9700 @smallexample
9701 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
9702
9703 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
9704
9705 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
9706
9707 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
9708
9709 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
9710 @end smallexample
9711
9712 @noindent
9713 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
9714
9715 @item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
9716 Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
9717 @var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
9718 if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
9719 @xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
9720 information on tracepoint conditions.
9721
9722 @item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
9723 @cindex set fast tracepoint
9724 @cindex fast tracepoints, setting
9725 @kindex ftrace
9726 The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
9727 support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
9728 less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
9729 instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
9730 may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
9731 location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
9732 message.
9733
9734 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
9735 @code{trace}.
9736
9737 @item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
9738 @cindex set static tracepoint
9739 @cindex static tracepoints, setting
9740 @cindex probe static tracepoint marker
9741 @kindex strace
9742 The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
9743 support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
9744 instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
9745 be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
9746 which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
9747
9748 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
9749 @code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
9750 @code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
9751 identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
9752 depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
9753 using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
9754 of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
9755 @xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
9756 Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
9757 tracing engine:
9758
9759 @smallexample
9760 main ()
9761 @{
9762 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
9763 @}
9764 @end smallexample
9765
9766 @noindent
9767 the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
9768 @code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
9769
9770 @smallexample
9771 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
9772 Cnt Enb ID Address What
9773 1 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
9774 Data: "str %s"
9775 [etc...]
9776 @end smallexample
9777
9778 @noindent
9779 so you may probe the marker above with:
9780
9781 @smallexample
9782 (@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
9783 @end smallexample
9784
9785 Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
9786 $_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
9787 call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
9788 that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
9789 string. The user data is then the result of running that formating
9790 string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
9791 static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
9792 the @samp{Data:} field.
9793
9794 You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
9795 the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
9796 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
9797
9798 @vindex $tpnum
9799 @cindex last tracepoint number
9800 @cindex recent tracepoint number
9801 @cindex tracepoint number
9802 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
9803 of the most recently set tracepoint.
9804
9805 @kindex delete tracepoint
9806 @cindex tracepoint deletion
9807 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
9808 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
9809 default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
9810 @code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
9811
9812 Examples:
9813
9814 @smallexample
9815 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
9816
9817 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
9818 @end smallexample
9819
9820 @noindent
9821 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
9822 @end table
9823
9824 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
9825 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
9826
9827 These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
9828
9829 @table @code
9830 @kindex disable tracepoint
9831 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
9832 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
9833 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
9834 the next trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
9835 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
9836
9837 @kindex enable tracepoint
9838 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
9839 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. The enabled
9840 tracepoints will become effective the next time a trace experiment is
9841 run.
9842 @end table
9843
9844 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
9845 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
9846
9847 @table @code
9848 @kindex passcount
9849 @cindex tracepoint pass count
9850 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
9851 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
9852 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
9853 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
9854 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
9855 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
9856 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
9857 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
9858 user.
9859
9860 Examples:
9861
9862 @smallexample
9863 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
9864 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
9865
9866 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
9867 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
9868 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
9869 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
9870 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
9871 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
9872 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
9873 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
9874 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
9875 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
9876 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
9877 @end smallexample
9878 @end table
9879
9880 @node Tracepoint Conditions
9881 @subsection Tracepoint Conditions
9882 @cindex conditional tracepoints
9883 @cindex tracepoint conditions
9884
9885 The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
9886 reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
9887 a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
9888 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
9889 tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
9890 program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
9891 is true.
9892
9893 Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
9894 using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
9895 @xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
9896 also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
9897 just as with breakpoints.
9898
9899 Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
9900 the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
9901 expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions}
9902 suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
9903 Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
9904 accesses, and so forth.
9905
9906 For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
9907 frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
9908 could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
9909 of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
9910 through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
9911 collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
9912 search through.
9913
9914 @smallexample
9915 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
9916 @end smallexample
9917
9918 @node Trace State Variables
9919 @subsection Trace State Variables
9920 @cindex trace state variables
9921
9922 A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
9923 created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
9924 that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
9925 but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
9926 using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
9927 integers.
9928
9929 Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
9930 to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
9931 experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
9932 trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
9933
9934 @cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
9935 Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
9936 them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
9937 variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
9938 while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
9939 the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
9940 cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
9941 @code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
9942 variable with the same name.
9943
9944 @table @code
9945
9946 @item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
9947 @kindex tvariable
9948 The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
9949 @code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
9950 @var{expression}. @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
9951 entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
9952 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
9953 @code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
9954 variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
9955 existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
9956 value. The default initial value is 0.
9957
9958 @item info tvariables
9959 @kindex info tvariables
9960 List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
9961 Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
9962 currently running.
9963
9964 @item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
9965 @kindex delete tvariable
9966 Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
9967 are specified.
9968
9969 @end table
9970
9971 @node Tracepoint Actions
9972 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
9973
9974 @table @code
9975 @kindex actions
9976 @cindex tracepoint actions
9977 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
9978 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
9979 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
9980 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
9981 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
9982 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
9983 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
9984 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
9985 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
9986 @code{while-stepping}.
9987
9988 @code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
9989 Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
9990 actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
9991
9992 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
9993 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
9994 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
9995
9996 @smallexample
9997 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
9998
9999 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
10000
10001 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
10002 @end smallexample
10003
10004 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
10005 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
10006 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
10007 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
10008 followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
10009 sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
10010 terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
10011 list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
10012
10013 @smallexample
10014 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
10015 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
10016 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
10017 > collect bar,baz
10018 > collect $regs
10019 > while-stepping 12
10020 > collect $pc, arr[i]
10021 > end
10022 end
10023 @end smallexample
10024
10025 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
10026 @item collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10027 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
10028 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
10029 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
10030 special arguments are supported:
10031
10032 @table @code
10033 @item $regs
10034 Collect all registers.
10035
10036 @item $args
10037 Collect all function arguments.
10038
10039 @item $locals
10040 Collect all local variables.
10041
10042 @item $_sdata
10043 @vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
10044 Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
10045 static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
10046 Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
10047 instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
10048 tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
10049 character string using the format provided by the programmer that
10050 instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
10051 Here's an example of a UST marker call:
10052
10053 @smallexample
10054 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
10055 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
10056 @end smallexample
10057
10058 In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
10059 @samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
10060 inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
10061 @value{GDBN}.
10062 @end table
10063
10064 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
10065 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
10066 arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
10067
10068 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
10069 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
10070
10071 @kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
10072 @item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10073 Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
10074 command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
10075 are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
10076 state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
10077 values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
10078 action were used.
10079
10080 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
10081 @item while-stepping @var{n}
10082 Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
10083 collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
10084 command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
10085 (followed by its own @code{end} command):
10086
10087 @smallexample
10088 > while-stepping 12
10089 > collect $regs, myglobal
10090 > end
10091 >
10092 @end smallexample
10093
10094 @noindent
10095 Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
10096 @code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
10097 you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
10098 @code{stepping}.
10099
10100 @item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10101 @kindex set default-collect
10102 @cindex default collection action
10103 This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
10104 hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
10105 to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
10106 individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
10107 @code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
10108 local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
10109
10110 @item show default-collect
10111 @kindex show default-collect
10112 Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
10113 tracepoint hit.
10114
10115 @end table
10116
10117 @node Listing Tracepoints
10118 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
10119
10120 @table @code
10121 @kindex info tracepoints
10122 @kindex info tp
10123 @cindex information about tracepoints
10124 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10125 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
10126 specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
10127 tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
10128 @code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
10129 command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
10130
10131 A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
10132 tracing:
10133
10134 @itemize @bullet
10135 @item
10136 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
10137 @end itemize
10138
10139 @smallexample
10140 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
10141 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
10142 1 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
10143 while-stepping 20
10144 collect globfoo, $regs
10145 end
10146 collect globfoo2
10147 end
10148 pass count 1200
10149 (@value{GDBP})
10150 @end smallexample
10151
10152 @noindent
10153 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
10154 @end table
10155
10156 @node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
10157 @subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
10158
10159 @table @code
10160 @kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
10161 @cindex information about static tracepoint markers
10162 @item info static-tracepoint-markers
10163 Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
10164 program.
10165
10166 For each marker, the following columns are printed:
10167
10168 @table @emph
10169 @item Count
10170 An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
10171 stable identifier.
10172 @item ID
10173 The marker ID, as reported by the target.
10174 @item Enabled or Disabled
10175 Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
10176 that are not enabled.
10177 @item Address
10178 Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
10179 @item What
10180 Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
10181 number. If the debug information included in the program does not
10182 allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
10183 will be left blank.
10184 @end table
10185
10186 @noindent
10187 In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
10188
10189 @table @emph
10190 @item Data
10191 User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
10192 UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
10193 marker call.
10194 @item Static tracepoints probing the marker
10195 The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
10196 @end table
10197
10198 @smallexample
10199 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
10200 Cnt ID Enb Address What
10201 1 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
10202 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
10203 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
10204 2 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
10205 Data: str %s
10206 (@value{GDBP})
10207 @end smallexample
10208 @end table
10209
10210 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
10211 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
10212
10213 @table @code
10214 @kindex tstart
10215 @cindex start a new trace experiment
10216 @cindex collected data discarded
10217 @item tstart
10218 This command takes no arguments. It starts the trace experiment, and
10219 begins collecting data. This has the side effect of discarding all
10220 the data collected in the trace buffer during the previous trace
10221 experiment.
10222
10223 @kindex tstop
10224 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
10225 @item tstop
10226 This command takes no arguments. It ends the trace experiment, and
10227 stops collecting data.
10228
10229 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
10230 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
10231 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
10232
10233 @kindex tstatus
10234 @cindex status of trace data collection
10235 @cindex trace experiment, status of
10236 @item tstatus
10237 This command displays the status of the current trace data
10238 collection.
10239 @end table
10240
10241 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
10242
10243 @smallexample
10244 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
10245 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
10246 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
10247 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
10248 > while-stepping 11
10249 > collect $regs
10250 > end
10251 > end
10252 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
10253 [time passes @dots{}]
10254 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
10255 @end smallexample
10256
10257 @cindex disconnected tracing
10258 You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
10259 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
10260 involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
10261 ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
10262 terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
10263 unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
10264 @code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
10265 continue running without @value{GDBN}.
10266
10267 @table @code
10268 @item set disconnected-tracing on
10269 @itemx set disconnected-tracing off
10270 @kindex set disconnected-tracing
10271 Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
10272 has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
10273 @code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
10274 matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
10275 for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
10276
10277 @item show disconnected-tracing
10278 @kindex show disconnected-tracing
10279 Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
10280
10281 @end table
10282
10283 When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
10284 still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
10285 meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
10286 it will continue after reconnection.
10287
10288 Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
10289 tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
10290 information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
10291 to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
10292 have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
10293 the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
10294 debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
10295 which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
10296 necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
10297 created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
10298
10299 @cindex circular trace buffer
10300 If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
10301 can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
10302 buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
10303 frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
10304 collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
10305 hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
10306 buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
10307 @samp{circular_trace_buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
10308 including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
10309 buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
10310 the next run.
10311
10312 @table @code
10313 @item set circular-trace-buffer on
10314 @itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
10315 @kindex set circular-trace-buffer
10316 Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
10317 for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
10318 fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
10319 data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
10320
10321 @item show circular-trace-buffer
10322 @kindex show circular-trace-buffer
10323 Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
10324 match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
10325 match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
10326 for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
10327
10328 @end table
10329
10330 @node Tracepoint Restrictions
10331 @subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
10332
10333 @cindex tracepoint restrictions
10334 There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
10335 described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
10336 without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
10337 the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
10338 examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
10339 collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
10340 is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
10341 mentioned here.
10342
10343 @itemize @bullet
10344
10345 @item
10346 Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
10347 the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
10348 You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
10349 convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
10350 state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
10351 functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
10352 cannot be collected either.
10353
10354 @item
10355 Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
10356 @code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
10357 behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
10358 instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
10359 may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
10360 tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
10361 variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
10362 tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
10363 where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
10364 program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
10365
10366 @item
10367 Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
10368 may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
10369 in a misleading way.
10370
10371 @item
10372 When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
10373 dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
10374 being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
10375 not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
10376 dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
10377 collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
10378 @code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
10379 by @code{ptr}.
10380
10381 @item
10382 It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
10383 tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
10384 bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*$esp@@300}
10385 (adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
10386 target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
10387 Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
10388 using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
10389 depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
10390 if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
10391 stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
10392 invalid address.
10393
10394 @item
10395 If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
10396 infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
10397 the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
10398 for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
10399 multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
10400 inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
10401 @value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
10402 it to zero.
10403
10404 @end itemize
10405
10406 @node Analyze Collected Data
10407 @section Using the Collected Data
10408
10409 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
10410 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
10411 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
10412 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
10413 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
10414 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
10415 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
10416 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
10417 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
10418 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
10419 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
10420 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
10421 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
10422 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
10423 the buffer will fail.
10424
10425 @menu
10426 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
10427 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
10428 * save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
10429 @end menu
10430
10431 @node tfind
10432 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
10433
10434 @kindex tfind
10435 @cindex select trace snapshot
10436 @cindex find trace snapshot
10437 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
10438 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
10439 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
10440 snapshot is selected.
10441
10442 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
10443
10444 @table @code
10445 @item tfind start
10446 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
10447 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
10448
10449 @item tfind none
10450 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
10451
10452 @item tfind end
10453 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
10454
10455 @item tfind
10456 No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
10457
10458 @item tfind -
10459 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
10460 retracing earlier steps.
10461
10462 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
10463 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
10464 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
10465 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
10466 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
10467
10468 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
10469 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
10470 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
10471 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
10472 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
10473
10474 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
10475 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
10476 addresses (exclusive).
10477
10478 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
10479 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
10480 @var{addr2} (inclusive).
10481
10482 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
10483 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
10484 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
10485 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
10486 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
10487 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
10488 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
10489 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
10490 @end table
10491
10492 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
10493 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
10494 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
10495 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
10496 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
10497 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
10498 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
10499 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
10500 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
10501 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
10502 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
10503 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
10504 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
10505 tracepoint as the current one.
10506
10507 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
10508 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
10509 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
10510 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
10511 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
10512
10513 @smallexample
10514 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
10515 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
10516 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
10517 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
10518 > tfind
10519 > end
10520
10521 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
10522 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
10523 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
10524 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
10525 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
10526 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
10527 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
10528 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
10529 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
10530 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
10531 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
10532 @end smallexample
10533
10534 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
10535 the buffer:
10536
10537 @smallexample
10538 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
10539 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
10540 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
10541 > tfind line
10542 > end
10543
10544 Frame 0, X = 1
10545 Frame 7, X = 2
10546 Frame 13, X = 255
10547 @end smallexample
10548
10549 @node tdump
10550 @subsection @code{tdump}
10551 @kindex tdump
10552 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
10553 @cindex tracepoint data, display
10554
10555 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
10556 the current trace snapshot.
10557
10558 @smallexample
10559 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
10560 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
10561 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
10562 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
10563 > end
10564
10565 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
10566
10567 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
10568 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
10569 at gdb_test.c:444
10570 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
10571
10572 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
10573 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
10574 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
10575 d1 0x18 24
10576 d2 0x80 128
10577 d3 0x33 51
10578 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
10579 d5 0x22 34
10580 d6 0xe0 224
10581 d7 0x380035 3670069
10582 a0 0x19e24a 1696330
10583 a1 0x3000668 50333288
10584 a2 0x100 256
10585 a3 0x322000 3284992
10586 a4 0x3000698 50333336
10587 a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
10588 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
10589 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
10590 ps 0x0 0
10591 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
10592 fpcontrol 0x0 0
10593 fpstatus 0x0 0
10594 fpiaddr 0x0 0
10595 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
10596 p1 = (void *) 0x11
10597 p2 = (void *) 0x22
10598 p3 = (void *) 0x33
10599 p4 = (void *) 0x44
10600 p5 = (void *) 0x55
10601 p6 = (void *) 0x66
10602 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
10603
10604 (@value{GDBP})
10605 @end smallexample
10606
10607 @code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
10608 actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
10609 @code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
10610 actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
10611
10612 Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
10613 uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
10614 frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
10615 collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
10616 to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
10617 body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
10618 then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
10619 list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
10620 same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
10621 @c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
10622
10623 @node save tracepoints
10624 @subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
10625 @kindex save tracepoints
10626 @kindex save-tracepoints
10627 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
10628
10629 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
10630 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
10631 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
10632 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
10633 Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
10634 alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
10635
10636 @node Tracepoint Variables
10637 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
10638 @cindex tracepoint variables
10639 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
10640
10641 @table @code
10642 @vindex $trace_frame
10643 @item (int) $trace_frame
10644 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
10645 snapshot is selected.
10646
10647 @vindex $tracepoint
10648 @item (int) $tracepoint
10649 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
10650
10651 @vindex $trace_line
10652 @item (int) $trace_line
10653 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
10654
10655 @vindex $trace_file
10656 @item (char []) $trace_file
10657 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
10658
10659 @vindex $trace_func
10660 @item (char []) $trace_func
10661 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
10662 @end table
10663
10664 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
10665 use @code{output} instead.
10666
10667 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
10668 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
10669 data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
10670 which are managed by the target.
10671
10672 @smallexample
10673 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
10674
10675 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
10676 > output $trace_file
10677 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
10678 > tfind
10679 > end
10680 @end smallexample
10681
10682 @node Trace Files
10683 @section Using Trace Files
10684 @cindex trace files
10685
10686 In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
10687 longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
10688 for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
10689 dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
10690 of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
10691
10692 @table @code
10693
10694 @kindex tsave
10695 @item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
10696 Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
10697 assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
10698 necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
10699 then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
10700 optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
10701 the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
10702 more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
10703 @code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
10704
10705 @kindex target tfile
10706 @kindex tfile
10707 @item target tfile @var{filename}
10708 Use the file named @var{filename} as a source of trace data. Commands
10709 that examine data work as they do with a live target, but it is not
10710 possible to run any new trace experiments. @code{tstatus} will report
10711 the state of the trace run at the moment the data was saved, as well
10712 as the current trace frame you are examining. @var{filename} must be
10713 on a filesystem accessible to the host.
10714
10715 @end table
10716
10717 @node Overlays
10718 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
10719 @cindex overlays
10720
10721 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
10722 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
10723 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
10724 use overlays.
10725
10726 @menu
10727 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
10728 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
10729 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
10730 mapped by asking the inferior.
10731 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
10732 @end menu
10733
10734 @node How Overlays Work
10735 @section How Overlays Work
10736 @cindex mapped overlays
10737 @cindex unmapped overlays
10738 @cindex load address, overlay's
10739 @cindex mapped address
10740 @cindex overlay area
10741
10742 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
10743 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
10744 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
10745 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
10746 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
10747
10748 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
10749 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
10750 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
10751 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
10752 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
10753 largest overlay as well.
10754
10755 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
10756 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
10757 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
10758 there.
10759
10760 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
10761 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
10762 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
10763
10764 @smallexample
10765 @group
10766 Data Instruction Larger
10767 Address Space Address Space Address Space
10768 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
10769 | | | | | |
10770 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
10771 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
10772 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
10773 | and heap | | | | | |
10774 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
10775 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
10776 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
10777 | | | | | |
10778 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
10779 address | | | | | |
10780 | overlay | <-' | | |
10781 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
10782 | | <---. | | load address
10783 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
10784 | | | |
10785 +-----------+ | |
10786 +-----------+
10787 | |
10788 +-----------+
10789
10790 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
10791 @end group
10792 @end smallexample
10793
10794 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
10795 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
10796 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
10797 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
10798 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
10799 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
10800 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
10801 program and the overlay area.
10802
10803 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
10804 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
10805 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
10806 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
10807 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
10808 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
10809 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
10810
10811 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
10812 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
10813 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
10814
10815 @itemize @bullet
10816
10817 @item
10818 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
10819 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
10820 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
10821 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
10822
10823 @item
10824 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
10825 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
10826 your program's performance.
10827
10828 @item
10829 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
10830 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
10831 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
10832 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
10833 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
10834 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
10835 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
10836
10837 @item
10838 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
10839 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
10840 instruction and data spaces.
10841
10842 @end itemize
10843
10844 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
10845 improved in many ways:
10846
10847 @itemize @bullet
10848
10849 @item
10850 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
10851 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
10852 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
10853 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
10854 area in the usual way.
10855
10856 @item
10857 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
10858 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
10859
10860 @item
10861 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
10862 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
10863 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
10864 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
10865 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
10866 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
10867 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
10868
10869 @end itemize
10870
10871
10872 @node Overlay Commands
10873 @section Overlay Commands
10874
10875 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
10876 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
10877 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
10878 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
10879 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
10880 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
10881
10882 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
10883 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
10884
10885 @table @code
10886 @item overlay off
10887 @kindex overlay
10888 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
10889 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
10890 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
10891 overlay support is disabled.
10892
10893 @item overlay manual
10894 @cindex manual overlay debugging
10895 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
10896 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
10897 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
10898 commands described below.
10899
10900 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
10901 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
10902 @cindex map an overlay
10903 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
10904 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
10905 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
10906 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
10907 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
10908 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
10909
10910 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
10911 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
10912 @cindex unmap an overlay
10913 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
10914 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
10915 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
10916 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
10917
10918 @item overlay auto
10919 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
10920 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
10921 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
10922 Overlay Debugging}.
10923
10924 @item overlay load-target
10925 @itemx overlay load
10926 @cindex reloading the overlay table
10927 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
10928 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
10929 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
10930 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
10931 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
10932
10933 @item overlay list-overlays
10934 @itemx overlay list
10935 @cindex listing mapped overlays
10936 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
10937 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
10938
10939 @end table
10940
10941 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
10942 of the function the address falls in:
10943
10944 @smallexample
10945 (@value{GDBP}) print main
10946 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
10947 @end smallexample
10948 @noindent
10949 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
10950 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
10951 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
10952 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
10953
10954 @smallexample
10955 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
10956 No sections are mapped.
10957 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
10958 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
10959 @end smallexample
10960 @noindent
10961 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
10962 name normally:
10963
10964 @smallexample
10965 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
10966 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
10967 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
10968 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
10969 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
10970 @end smallexample
10971
10972 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
10973 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
10974 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
10975 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
10976 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
10977
10978 @itemize @bullet
10979 @item
10980 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
10981 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
10982 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
10983 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
10984 @item
10985 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
10986 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
10987 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
10988 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
10989 breakpoints properly.
10990 @end itemize
10991
10992
10993 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
10994 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
10995 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
10996
10997 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
10998 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
10999 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
11000 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
11001 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
11002 current state of the overlays.
11003
11004 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
11005 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
11006
11007 @table @asis
11008
11009 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
11010 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
11011
11012 @smallexample
11013 struct
11014 @{
11015 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
11016 unsigned long vma;
11017
11018 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
11019 unsigned long size;
11020
11021 /* The overlay's load address. */
11022 unsigned long lma;
11023
11024 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
11025 zero otherwise. */
11026 unsigned long mapped;
11027 @}
11028 @end smallexample
11029
11030 @item @code{_novlys}:
11031 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
11032 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
11033
11034 @end table
11035
11036 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
11037 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
11038 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
11039 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
11040 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
11041 currently mapped.
11042
11043 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
11044 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
11045 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
11046 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
11047 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
11048 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
11049 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
11050 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
11051 are not being executed.
11052
11053 @node Overlay Sample Program
11054 @section Overlay Sample Program
11055 @cindex overlay example program
11056
11057 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
11058 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
11059 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
11060 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
11061 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
11062 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
11063 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
11064
11065 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
11066 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
11067 suite. The program consists of the following files from
11068 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
11069
11070 @table @file
11071 @item overlays.c
11072 The main program file.
11073 @item ovlymgr.c
11074 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
11075 @item foo.c
11076 @itemx bar.c
11077 @itemx baz.c
11078 @itemx grbx.c
11079 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
11080 @item d10v.ld
11081 @itemx m32r.ld
11082 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
11083 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
11084 @end table
11085
11086 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
11087 cross-compiler like this:
11088
11089 @smallexample
11090 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
11091 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
11092 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
11093 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
11094 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
11095 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
11096 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
11097 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
11098 @end smallexample
11099
11100 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
11101 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
11102 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
11103
11104
11105 @node Languages
11106 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
11107 @cindex languages
11108
11109 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
11110 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
11111 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
11112 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
11113 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
11114 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
11115
11116 @cindex working language
11117 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
11118 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
11119 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
11120 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
11121 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
11122 language}.
11123
11124 @menu
11125 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
11126 * Show:: Displaying the language
11127 * Checks:: Type and range checks
11128 * Supported Languages:: Supported languages
11129 * Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
11130 @end menu
11131
11132 @node Setting
11133 @section Switching Between Source Languages
11134
11135 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
11136 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
11137 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
11138 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
11139 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
11140 are printed, etc.
11141
11142 In addition to the working language, every source file that
11143 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
11144 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
11145 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
11146 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
11147 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
11148 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
11149 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
11150 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
11151 Displaying the Language}.
11152
11153 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
11154 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
11155 another language. In that case, make the
11156 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
11157 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
11158 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
11159
11160 @menu
11161 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
11162 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
11163 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
11164 @end menu
11165
11166 @node Filenames
11167 @subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
11168
11169 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
11170 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
11171
11172 @table @file
11173 @item .ada
11174 @itemx .ads
11175 @itemx .adb
11176 @itemx .a
11177 Ada source file.
11178
11179 @item .c
11180 C source file
11181
11182 @item .C
11183 @itemx .cc
11184 @itemx .cp
11185 @itemx .cpp
11186 @itemx .cxx
11187 @itemx .c++
11188 C@t{++} source file
11189
11190 @item .d
11191 D source file
11192
11193 @item .m
11194 Objective-C source file
11195
11196 @item .f
11197 @itemx .F
11198 Fortran source file
11199
11200 @item .mod
11201 Modula-2 source file
11202
11203 @item .s
11204 @itemx .S
11205 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
11206 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
11207 @end table
11208
11209 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
11210 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
11211
11212 @node Manually
11213 @subsection Setting the Working Language
11214
11215 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
11216 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
11217 your program.
11218
11219 @kindex set language
11220 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
11221 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
11222 a language, such as
11223 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
11224 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
11225
11226 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
11227 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
11228 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
11229 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
11230 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
11231 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
11232 command such as:
11233
11234 @smallexample
11235 print a = b + c
11236 @end smallexample
11237
11238 @noindent
11239 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
11240 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
11241 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
11242 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
11243
11244 @node Automatically
11245 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
11246
11247 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
11248 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
11249 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
11250 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
11251 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
11252 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
11253 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
11254 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
11255 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
11256
11257 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
11258 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
11259 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
11260 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
11261 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
11262
11263 @node Show
11264 @section Displaying the Language
11265
11266 The following commands help you find out which language is the
11267 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
11268
11269 @table @code
11270 @item show language
11271 @kindex show language
11272 Display the current working language. This is the
11273 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
11274 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
11275
11276 @item info frame
11277 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
11278 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
11279 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
11280 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
11281 information listed here.
11282
11283 @item info source
11284 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
11285 Display the source language of this source file.
11286 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
11287 information listed here.
11288 @end table
11289
11290 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
11291 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
11292 with a language explicitly:
11293
11294 @table @code
11295 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
11296 @kindex set extension-language
11297 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
11298 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
11299
11300 @item info extensions
11301 @kindex info extensions
11302 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
11303 @end table
11304
11305 @node Checks
11306 @section Type and Range Checking
11307
11308 @quotation
11309 @emph{Warning:} In this release, the @value{GDBN} commands for type and range
11310 checking are included, but they do not yet have any effect. This
11311 section documents the intended facilities.
11312 @end quotation
11313 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range code added
11314
11315 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
11316 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
11317 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators, and making
11318 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
11319 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
11320 by eliminating type mismatches, and providing active checks for range
11321 errors when your program is running.
11322
11323 @value{GDBN} can check for conditions like the above if you wish.
11324 Although @value{GDBN} does not check the statements in your program,
11325 it can check expressions entered directly into @value{GDBN} for
11326 evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example. As with the
11327 working language, @value{GDBN} can also decide whether or not to check
11328 automatically based on your program's source language.
11329 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default
11330 settings of supported languages.
11331
11332 @menu
11333 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
11334 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
11335 @end menu
11336
11337 @cindex type checking
11338 @cindex checks, type
11339 @node Type Checking
11340 @subsection An Overview of Type Checking
11341
11342 Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that the
11343 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
11344 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
11345 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
11346
11347 @smallexample
11348 1 + 2 @result{} 3
11349 @exdent but
11350 @error{} 1 + 2.3
11351 @end smallexample
11352
11353 The second example fails because the @code{CARDINAL} 1 is not
11354 type-compatible with the @code{REAL} 2.3.
11355
11356 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell the
11357 @value{GDBN} type checker to skip checking;
11358 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
11359 or to only issue warnings when type mismatches occur,
11360 but evaluate the expression anyway. When you choose the last of
11361 these, @value{GDBN} evaluates expressions like the second example above, but
11362 also issues a warning.
11363
11364 Even if you turn type checking off, there may be other reasons
11365 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
11366 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
11367 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
11368 with the language in use, and usually arise from expressions, such as
11369 the one described above, which make little sense to evaluate anyway.
11370
11371 Each language defines to what degree it is strict about type. For
11372 instance, both Modula-2 and C require the arguments to arithmetical
11373 operators to be numbers. In C, enumerated types and pointers can be
11374 represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
11375 operators. @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for further
11376 details on specific languages.
11377
11378 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the type checker:
11379
11380 @kindex set check type
11381 @kindex show check type
11382 @table @code
11383 @item set check type auto
11384 Set type checking on or off based on the current working language.
11385 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
11386 each language.
11387
11388 @item set check type on
11389 @itemx set check type off
11390 Set type checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
11391 current working language. Issue a warning if the setting does not
11392 match the language default. If any type mismatches occur in
11393 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
11394 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
11395
11396 @item set check type warn
11397 Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to
11398 evaluate the expression. Evaluating the expression may still
11399 be impossible for other reasons. For example, @value{GDBN} cannot add
11400 numbers and structures.
11401
11402 @item show type
11403 Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not @value{GDBN}
11404 is setting it automatically.
11405 @end table
11406
11407 @cindex range checking
11408 @cindex checks, range
11409 @node Range Checking
11410 @subsection An Overview of Range Checking
11411
11412 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
11413 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
11414 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
11415 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
11416 not exceed the bounds of the array.
11417
11418 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
11419 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
11420 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
11421 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
11422
11423 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
11424 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
11425 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
11426 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
11427 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
11428 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
11429
11430 @smallexample
11431 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
11432 @end smallexample
11433
11434 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
11435 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
11436 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
11437
11438 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
11439
11440 @kindex set check range
11441 @kindex show check range
11442 @table @code
11443 @item set check range auto
11444 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
11445 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
11446 each language.
11447
11448 @item set check range on
11449 @itemx set check range off
11450 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
11451 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
11452 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
11453 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
11454
11455 @item set check range warn
11456 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
11457 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
11458 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
11459 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
11460 systems).
11461
11462 @item show range
11463 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
11464 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
11465 @end table
11466
11467 @node Supported Languages
11468 @section Supported Languages
11469
11470 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Objective-C, Fortran, Java, Pascal,
11471 assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
11472 @c This is false ...
11473 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
11474 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
11475 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
11476 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
11477 language.
11478
11479 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
11480 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
11481 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
11482 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
11483 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
11484 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
11485 language reference or tutorial.
11486
11487 @menu
11488 * C:: C and C@t{++}
11489 * D:: D
11490 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
11491 * Fortran:: Fortran
11492 * Pascal:: Pascal
11493 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
11494 * Ada:: Ada
11495 @end menu
11496
11497 @node C
11498 @subsection C and C@t{++}
11499
11500 @cindex C and C@t{++}
11501 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
11502
11503 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
11504 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
11505 together.
11506
11507 @cindex C@t{++}
11508 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
11509 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
11510 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
11511 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
11512 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
11513 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
11514 compiler (@code{aCC}).
11515
11516 For best results when using @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, use the DWARF 2 debugging
11517 format; if it doesn't work on your system, try the stabs+ debugging
11518 format. You can select those formats explicitly with the @code{g++}
11519 command-line options @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-gstabs+}.
11520 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
11521 gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}.
11522
11523 @menu
11524 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
11525 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
11526 * C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
11527 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
11528 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
11529 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
11530 * Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
11531 * Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
11532 @end menu
11533
11534 @node C Operators
11535 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
11536
11537 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
11538
11539 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
11540 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
11541 often defined on groups of types.
11542
11543 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
11544
11545 @itemize @bullet
11546
11547 @item
11548 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
11549 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
11550
11551 @item
11552 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
11553 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
11554
11555 @item
11556 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
11557
11558 @item
11559 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
11560
11561 @end itemize
11562
11563 @noindent
11564 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
11565 in order of increasing precedence:
11566
11567 @table @code
11568 @item ,
11569 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
11570 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
11571 expression being the last expression evaluated.
11572
11573 @item =
11574 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
11575 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
11576
11577 @item @var{op}=
11578 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
11579 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
11580 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
11581 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
11582 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
11583
11584 @item ?:
11585 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
11586 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
11587 integral type.
11588
11589 @item ||
11590 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
11591
11592 @item &&
11593 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
11594
11595 @item |
11596 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
11597
11598 @item ^
11599 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
11600
11601 @item &
11602 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
11603
11604 @item ==@r{, }!=
11605 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
11606 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
11607
11608 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
11609 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
11610 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
11611 and non-zero for true.
11612
11613 @item <<@r{, }>>
11614 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
11615
11616 @item @@
11617 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
11618
11619 @item +@r{, }-
11620 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
11621 pointer types.
11622
11623 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
11624 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
11625 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
11626 integral types.
11627
11628 @item ++@r{, }--
11629 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
11630 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
11631 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
11632 operation takes place.
11633
11634 @item *
11635 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
11636 @code{++}.
11637
11638 @item &
11639 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
11640
11641 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
11642 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
11643 to examine the address
11644 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
11645 stored.
11646
11647 @item -
11648 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
11649 precedence as @code{++}.
11650
11651 @item !
11652 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
11653 @code{++}.
11654
11655 @item ~
11656 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
11657 @code{++}.
11658
11659
11660 @item .@r{, }->
11661 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
11662 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
11663 pointer based on the stored type information.
11664 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
11665
11666 @item .*@r{, }->*
11667 Dereferences of pointers to members.
11668
11669 @item []
11670 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
11671 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
11672
11673 @item ()
11674 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
11675
11676 @item ::
11677 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
11678 and @code{class} types.
11679
11680 @item ::
11681 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
11682 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
11683 above.
11684 @end table
11685
11686 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
11687 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
11688 predefined meaning.
11689
11690 @node C Constants
11691 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
11692
11693 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
11694
11695 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
11696 following ways:
11697
11698 @itemize @bullet
11699 @item
11700 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
11701 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
11702 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
11703 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
11704 @code{long} value.
11705
11706 @item
11707 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
11708 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
11709 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
11710 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
11711 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
11712 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
11713 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
11714 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
11715 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
11716 constant.
11717
11718 @item
11719 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
11720 integral equivalents.
11721
11722 @item
11723 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
11724 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
11725 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
11726 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
11727 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
11728 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
11729 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
11730 @samp{\n} for newline.
11731
11732 @item
11733 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
11734 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
11735 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
11736 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
11737 characters.
11738
11739 @item
11740 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
11741 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
11742
11743 @item
11744 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
11745 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
11746 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
11747 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
11748 @end itemize
11749
11750 @node C Plus Plus Expressions
11751 @subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
11752
11753 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
11754 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
11755
11756 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
11757 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
11758 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
11759 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
11760 @quotation
11761 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use the
11762 proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently, @value{GDBN}
11763 works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled with
11764 @value{NGCC} 2.95.3 or with @value{NGCC} 3.1 or newer, using the options
11765 @option{-gdwarf-2} or @option{-gstabs+}. DWARF 2 is preferred over
11766 stabs+. Most configurations of @value{NGCC} emit either DWARF 2 or
11767 stabs+ as their default debug format, so you usually don't need to
11768 specify a debug format explicitly. Other compilers and/or debug formats
11769 are likely to work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug
11770 C@t{++} code.
11771 @end quotation
11772
11773 @enumerate
11774
11775 @cindex member functions
11776 @item
11777 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
11778
11779 @smallexample
11780 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
11781 @end smallexample
11782
11783 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
11784 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
11785 @item
11786 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
11787 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
11788 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
11789 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}.
11790
11791 @cindex call overloaded functions
11792 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
11793 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
11794 @item
11795 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
11796 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
11797 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
11798 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
11799 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
11800 default arguments.
11801
11802 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
11803 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
11804 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
11805 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
11806 number of function arguments.
11807
11808 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
11809 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
11810 ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
11811
11812 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
11813 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
11814 @smallexample
11815 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
11816 @end smallexample
11817
11818 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
11819 see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
11820
11821 @cindex reference declarations
11822 @item
11823 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
11824 them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
11825 dereferenced.
11826
11827 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
11828 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
11829 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
11830 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
11831 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
11832
11833 @item
11834 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
11835 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
11836 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
11837 necessary, for example in an expression like
11838 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
11839 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
11840 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
11841 @end enumerate
11842
11843 In addition, when used with HP's C@t{++} compiler, @value{GDBN} supports
11844 calling virtual functions correctly, printing out virtual bases of
11845 objects, calling functions in a base subobject, casting objects, and
11846 invoking user-defined operators.
11847
11848 @node C Defaults
11849 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
11850
11851 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
11852
11853 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set type and range checking automatically, they
11854 both default to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
11855 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
11856 selects the working language.
11857
11858 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
11859 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
11860 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
11861 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
11862 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
11863 for further details.
11864
11865 @c Type checking is (a) primarily motivated by Modula-2, and (b)
11866 @c unimplemented. If (b) changes, it might make sense to let this node
11867 @c appear even if Mod-2 does not, but meanwhile ignore it. roland 16jul93.
11868
11869 @node C Checks
11870 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
11871
11872 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
11873
11874 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, type checking
11875 is not used. However, if you turn type checking on, @value{GDBN}
11876 considers two variables type equivalent if:
11877
11878 @itemize @bullet
11879 @item
11880 The two variables are structured and have the same structure, union, or
11881 enumerated tag.
11882
11883 @item
11884 The two variables have the same type name, or types that have been
11885 declared equivalent through @code{typedef}.
11886
11887 @ignore
11888 @c leaving this out because neither J Gilmore nor R Pesch understand it.
11889 @c FIXME--beers?
11890 @item
11891 The two @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} variables are
11892 declared in the same declaration. (Note: this may not be true for all C
11893 compilers.)
11894 @end ignore
11895 @end itemize
11896
11897 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
11898 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
11899 that is not itself an array.
11900
11901 @node Debugging C
11902 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
11903
11904 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
11905 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
11906 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
11907 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
11908
11909 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
11910 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
11911 ,Expressions}.
11912
11913 @node Debugging C Plus Plus
11914 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
11915
11916 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
11917
11918 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
11919 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
11920
11921 @table @code
11922 @cindex break in overloaded functions
11923 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
11924 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
11925 @value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
11926 locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
11927 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
11928
11929 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
11930 @item rbreak @var{regex}
11931 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
11932 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
11933 classes.
11934 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
11935
11936 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
11937 @item catch throw
11938 @itemx catch catch
11939 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
11940 Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
11941
11942 @cindex inheritance
11943 @item ptype @var{typename}
11944 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
11945 @var{typename}.
11946 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
11947
11948 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
11949 @item set print demangle
11950 @itemx show print demangle
11951 @itemx set print asm-demangle
11952 @itemx show print asm-demangle
11953 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
11954 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
11955 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
11956
11957 @item set print object
11958 @itemx show print object
11959 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
11960 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
11961
11962 @item set print vtbl
11963 @itemx show print vtbl
11964 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
11965 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
11966 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
11967 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
11968
11969 @kindex set overload-resolution
11970 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
11971 @item set overload-resolution on
11972 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
11973 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
11974 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
11975 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
11976 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
11977 If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
11978
11979 @item set overload-resolution off
11980 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
11981 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
11982 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
11983 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
11984 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
11985 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
11986 argument types.
11987
11988 @kindex show overload-resolution
11989 @item show overload-resolution
11990 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
11991
11992 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
11993 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
11994 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
11995 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
11996 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
11997 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
11998 @xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
11999 @end table
12000
12001 @node Decimal Floating Point
12002 @subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
12003 @cindex decimal floating point format
12004
12005 @value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
12006 decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
12007 @code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
12008 specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
12009
12010 There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
12011 Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
12012 PowerPC. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the configured
12013 target.
12014
12015 Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
12016 to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
12017 (using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
12018
12019 In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
12020 point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
12021 underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
12022
12023 In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
12024 to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
12025 See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
12026
12027 @node D
12028 @subsection D
12029
12030 @cindex D
12031 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
12032 GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
12033 specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
12034
12035 @node Objective-C
12036 @subsection Objective-C
12037
12038 @cindex Objective-C
12039 This section provides information about some commands and command
12040 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
12041 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
12042 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
12043
12044 @menu
12045 * Method Names in Commands::
12046 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
12047 @end menu
12048
12049 @node Method Names in Commands
12050 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
12051
12052 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
12053 names as line specifications:
12054
12055 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
12056 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
12057 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
12058 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
12059 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
12060 @itemize
12061 @item @code{clear}
12062 @item @code{break}
12063 @item @code{info line}
12064 @item @code{jump}
12065 @item @code{list}
12066 @end itemize
12067
12068 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
12069
12070 @smallexample
12071 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
12072 @end smallexample
12073
12074 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
12075 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
12076 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
12077 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
12078 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
12079 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
12080 debugged, enter:
12081
12082 @smallexample
12083 break -[Fruit create]
12084 @end smallexample
12085
12086 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
12087 enter:
12088
12089 @smallexample
12090 list +[NSText initialize]
12091 @end smallexample
12092
12093 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
12094 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
12095 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
12096 is also possible to specify just a method name:
12097
12098 @smallexample
12099 break create
12100 @end smallexample
12101
12102 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
12103 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
12104 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
12105 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
12106 none apply.
12107
12108 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
12109 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
12110
12111 @smallexample
12112 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
12113 @end smallexample
12114
12115 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
12116 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
12117 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
12118 @kindex print-object
12119 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
12120
12121 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
12122
12123 @smallexample
12124 print -[@var{object} hash]
12125 @end smallexample
12126
12127 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
12128 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
12129 @noindent
12130 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
12131 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
12132 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
12133 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
12134 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
12135 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
12136
12137 @node Fortran
12138 @subsection Fortran
12139 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
12140
12141 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
12142 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
12143
12144 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
12145 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
12146 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
12147 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
12148 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
12149 underscore.
12150
12151 @menu
12152 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
12153 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
12154 * Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
12155 @end menu
12156
12157 @node Fortran Operators
12158 @subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
12159
12160 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
12161
12162 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
12163 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
12164 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
12165
12166 @table @code
12167 @item **
12168 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
12169 of the second one.
12170
12171 @item :
12172 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
12173 represent a section of array.
12174
12175 @item %
12176 The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
12177 types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
12178 this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
12179 union type.
12180 @end table
12181
12182 @node Fortran Defaults
12183 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
12184
12185 @cindex Fortran Defaults
12186
12187 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
12188 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
12189 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
12190 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
12191
12192 @node Special Fortran Commands
12193 @subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
12194
12195 @cindex Special Fortran commands
12196
12197 @value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
12198 such as displaying common blocks.
12199
12200 @table @code
12201 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
12202 @kindex info common
12203 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
12204 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
12205 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
12206 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
12207 printed.
12208 @end table
12209
12210 @node Pascal
12211 @subsection Pascal
12212
12213 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
12214 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
12215 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
12216 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
12217 syntax.
12218
12219 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
12220 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
12221 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
12222
12223 @node Modula-2
12224 @subsection Modula-2
12225
12226 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
12227
12228 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
12229 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
12230 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
12231 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
12232 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
12233 table.
12234
12235 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
12236 @menu
12237 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
12238 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
12239 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
12240 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
12241 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
12242 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
12243 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
12244 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
12245 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
12246 @end menu
12247
12248 @node M2 Operators
12249 @subsubsection Operators
12250 @cindex Modula-2 operators
12251
12252 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
12253 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
12254 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
12255 following definitions hold:
12256
12257 @itemize @bullet
12258
12259 @item
12260 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
12261 their subranges.
12262
12263 @item
12264 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
12265
12266 @item
12267 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
12268
12269 @item
12270 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
12271 @var{type}}.
12272
12273 @item
12274 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
12275
12276 @item
12277 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
12278
12279 @item
12280 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
12281 @end itemize
12282
12283 @noindent
12284 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
12285 increasing precedence:
12286
12287 @table @code
12288 @item ,
12289 Function argument or array index separator.
12290
12291 @item :=
12292 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
12293 @var{value}.
12294
12295 @item <@r{, }>
12296 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
12297 types.
12298
12299 @item <=@r{, }>=
12300 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
12301 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
12302 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
12303
12304 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
12305 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
12306 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
12307 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
12308 comment character.
12309
12310 @item IN
12311 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
12312 Same precedence as @code{<}.
12313
12314 @item OR
12315 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
12316
12317 @item AND@r{, }&
12318 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
12319
12320 @item @@
12321 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
12322
12323 @item +@r{, }-
12324 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
12325 and difference on set types.
12326
12327 @item *
12328 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
12329 on set types.
12330
12331 @item /
12332 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
12333 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
12334
12335 @item DIV@r{, }MOD
12336 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
12337 precedence as @code{*}.
12338
12339 @item -
12340 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
12341
12342 @item ^
12343 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
12344
12345 @item NOT
12346 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
12347 @code{^}.
12348
12349 @item .
12350 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
12351 precedence as @code{^}.
12352
12353 @item []
12354 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
12355
12356 @item ()
12357 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
12358 as @code{^}.
12359
12360 @item ::@r{, }.
12361 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
12362 @end table
12363
12364 @quotation
12365 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
12366 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
12367 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
12368 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
12369 @end quotation
12370
12371
12372 @node Built-In Func/Proc
12373 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
12374 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
12375
12376 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
12377 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
12378
12379 @table @var
12380
12381 @item a
12382 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
12383
12384 @item c
12385 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
12386
12387 @item i
12388 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
12389
12390 @item m
12391 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
12392 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
12393 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
12394
12395 @item n
12396 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
12397
12398 @item r
12399 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
12400
12401 @item t
12402 represents a type.
12403
12404 @item v
12405 represents a variable.
12406
12407 @item x
12408 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
12409 explanation of the function for details.
12410 @end table
12411
12412 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
12413
12414 @table @code
12415 @item ABS(@var{n})
12416 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
12417
12418 @item CAP(@var{c})
12419 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
12420 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
12421
12422 @item CHR(@var{i})
12423 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
12424
12425 @item DEC(@var{v})
12426 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
12427
12428 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
12429 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
12430 new value.
12431
12432 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
12433 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
12434 set.
12435
12436 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
12437 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
12438
12439 @item HIGH(@var{a})
12440 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
12441
12442 @item INC(@var{v})
12443 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
12444
12445 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
12446 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
12447 new value.
12448
12449 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
12450 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
12451 there. Returns the new set.
12452
12453 @item MAX(@var{t})
12454 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
12455
12456 @item MIN(@var{t})
12457 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
12458
12459 @item ODD(@var{i})
12460 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
12461
12462 @item ORD(@var{x})
12463 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
12464 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
12465 @sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
12466 integral, character and enumerated types.
12467
12468 @item SIZE(@var{x})
12469 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
12470
12471 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
12472 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
12473
12474 @item TSIZE(@var{x})
12475 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
12476
12477 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
12478 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
12479 @end table
12480
12481 @quotation
12482 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
12483 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
12484 an error.
12485 @end quotation
12486
12487 @cindex Modula-2 constants
12488 @node M2 Constants
12489 @subsubsection Constants
12490
12491 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
12492 ways:
12493
12494 @itemize @bullet
12495
12496 @item
12497 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
12498 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
12499 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
12500 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
12501
12502 @item
12503 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
12504 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
12505 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
12506 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
12507 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
12508 digits.
12509
12510 @item
12511 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
12512 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
12513 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
12514 followed by a @samp{C}.
12515
12516 @item
12517 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
12518 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
12519 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
12520 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
12521 sequences.
12522
12523 @item
12524 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
12525
12526 @item
12527 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
12528 @code{FALSE}.
12529
12530 @item
12531 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
12532
12533 @item
12534 Set constants are not yet supported.
12535 @end itemize
12536
12537 @node M2 Types
12538 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
12539 @cindex Modula-2 types
12540
12541 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
12542 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
12543 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
12544 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
12545 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
12546 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
12547
12548 The first example contains the following section of code:
12549
12550 @smallexample
12551 VAR
12552 s: SET OF CHAR ;
12553 r: [20..40] ;
12554 @end smallexample
12555
12556 @noindent
12557 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
12558 @code{r} and @code{s}.
12559
12560 @smallexample
12561 (@value{GDBP}) print s
12562 @{'A'..'C', 'Z'@}
12563 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12564 SET OF CHAR
12565 (@value{GDBP}) print r
12566 21
12567 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
12568 [20..40]
12569 @end smallexample
12570
12571 @noindent
12572 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
12573
12574 @smallexample
12575 VAR
12576 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
12577 @end smallexample
12578
12579 @noindent
12580 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
12581
12582 @smallexample
12583 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12584 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
12585 @end smallexample
12586
12587 @noindent
12588 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
12589 expressions using the debugger.
12590
12591 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
12592 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
12593
12594 @smallexample
12595 VAR
12596 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
12597 @end smallexample
12598
12599 @smallexample
12600 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12601 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
12602 @end smallexample
12603
12604 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
12605 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
12606 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
12607 above.
12608
12609 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
12610
12611 @smallexample
12612 TYPE
12613 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
12614 t = [blue..yellow] ;
12615 VAR
12616 s: t ;
12617 BEGIN
12618 s := blue ;
12619 @end smallexample
12620
12621 @noindent
12622 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
12623 and value of a variable.
12624
12625 @smallexample
12626 (@value{GDBP}) print s
12627 $1 = blue
12628 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
12629 type = [blue..yellow]
12630 @end smallexample
12631
12632 @noindent
12633 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
12634 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
12635 their @code{C} counterparts.
12636
12637 @smallexample
12638 VAR
12639 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
12640 BEGIN
12641 s[1] := 1 ;
12642 @end smallexample
12643
12644 @smallexample
12645 (@value{GDBP}) print s
12646 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
12647 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12648 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
12649 @end smallexample
12650
12651 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
12652 pointer types as shown in this example:
12653
12654 @smallexample
12655 VAR
12656 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
12657 BEGIN
12658 NEW(s) ;
12659 s^[1] := 1 ;
12660 @end smallexample
12661
12662 @noindent
12663 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
12664
12665 @smallexample
12666 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12667 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
12668 @end smallexample
12669
12670 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
12671 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
12672 types:
12673
12674 @smallexample
12675 TYPE
12676 foo = RECORD
12677 f1: CARDINAL ;
12678 f2: CHAR ;
12679 f3: myarray ;
12680 END ;
12681
12682 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
12683 myrange = [-2..2] ;
12684 VAR
12685 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
12686 @end smallexample
12687
12688 @noindent
12689 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
12690 below.
12691
12692 @smallexample
12693 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
12694 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
12695 f1 : CARDINAL;
12696 f2 : CHAR;
12697 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
12698 END
12699 @end smallexample
12700
12701 @node M2 Defaults
12702 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
12703 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
12704
12705 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
12706 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
12707 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
12708 selected the working language.
12709
12710 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
12711 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
12712 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
12713 Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
12714
12715 @node Deviations
12716 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
12717 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
12718
12719 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
12720 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
12721
12722 @itemize @bullet
12723 @item
12724 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
12725 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
12726 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
12727 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
12728 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
12729 returned a pointer.)
12730
12731 @item
12732 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
12733 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
12734 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
12735 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
12736
12737 @item
12738 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
12739 argument.
12740
12741 @item
12742 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
12743 @end itemize
12744
12745 @node M2 Checks
12746 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
12747 @cindex Modula-2 checks
12748
12749 @quotation
12750 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
12751 range checking.
12752 @end quotation
12753 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
12754
12755 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
12756
12757 @itemize @bullet
12758 @item
12759 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
12760 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
12761
12762 @item
12763 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
12764 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
12765 @end itemize
12766
12767 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
12768 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
12769
12770 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
12771 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
12772
12773 @node M2 Scope
12774 @subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
12775 @cindex scope
12776 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
12777 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
12778 @ifinfo
12779 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
12780 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
12781 @end ifinfo
12782 @ifnotinfo
12783 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
12784 @end ifnotinfo
12785
12786 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
12787 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
12788 similar syntax:
12789
12790 @smallexample
12791
12792 @var{module} . @var{id}
12793 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
12794 @end smallexample
12795
12796 @noindent
12797 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
12798 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
12799 identifier within your program, except another module.
12800
12801 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
12802 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
12803 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
12804 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
12805
12806 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
12807 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
12808 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
12809 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
12810 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
12811 @var{module}.
12812
12813 @node GDB/M2
12814 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
12815
12816 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
12817 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
12818 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
12819 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
12820 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
12821 analogue in Modula-2.
12822
12823 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
12824 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
12825 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
12826 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
12827 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
12828 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
12829
12830 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
12831 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
12832 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
12833
12834 @node Ada
12835 @subsection Ada
12836 @cindex Ada
12837
12838 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
12839 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
12840 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
12841 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
12842 to be difficult.
12843
12844
12845 @cindex expressions in Ada
12846 @menu
12847 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
12848 and semantics supported by Ada mode
12849 in @value{GDBN}.
12850 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
12851 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
12852 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
12853 * Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
12854 * Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
12855 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
12856 @end menu
12857
12858 @node Ada Mode Intro
12859 @subsubsection Introduction
12860 @cindex Ada mode, general
12861
12862 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
12863 syntax, with some extensions.
12864 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
12865
12866 @itemize @bullet
12867 @item
12868 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
12869 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
12870 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
12871 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
12872
12873 @item
12874 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
12875 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
12876
12877 @item
12878 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
12879 @end itemize
12880
12881 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
12882 user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
12883 according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
12884 names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
12885 ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
12886
12887 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
12888 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
12889 was translated from an Ada source file.
12890
12891 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
12892 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
12893 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
12894 middle (to allow based literals).
12895
12896 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
12897 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
12898 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
12899 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
12900 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
12901 functions to procedures elsewhere.
12902
12903 @node Omissions from Ada
12904 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
12905 @cindex Ada, omissions from
12906
12907 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
12908
12909 @itemize @bullet
12910 @item
12911 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
12912
12913 @itemize @minus
12914 @item
12915 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
12916 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
12917
12918 @item
12919 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
12920
12921 @item
12922 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
12923
12924 @item
12925 @t{'Tag}.
12926
12927 @item
12928 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
12929 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
12930
12931 @item
12932 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
12933 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
12934
12935 @item
12936 @t{'Address}.
12937 @end itemize
12938
12939 @item
12940 The names in
12941 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
12942 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
12943 not currently available.
12944
12945 @item
12946 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
12947 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
12948 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
12949 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
12950 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
12951 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
12952 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
12953 indeterminate values.
12954
12955 @item
12956 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
12957 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
12958 are not implemented.
12959
12960 @item
12961 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
12962 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
12963 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
12964 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
12965 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
12966
12967 @smallexample
12968 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
12969 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
12970 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
12971 (@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
12972 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
12973 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
12974 @end smallexample
12975
12976 Changing a
12977 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
12978 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
12979 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
12980 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
12981 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
12982 declared to have a type such as:
12983
12984 @smallexample
12985 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
12986 Id : Integer;
12987 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
12988 end record;
12989 @end smallexample
12990
12991 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
12992 assignments:
12993
12994 @smallexample
12995 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
12996 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
12997 @end smallexample
12998
12999 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
13000 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
13001 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
13002 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
13003 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
13004 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
13005 redundant component associations, although which component values are
13006 assigned in such cases is not defined.
13007
13008 @item
13009 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
13010
13011 @item
13012 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
13013 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
13014 which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
13015 looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
13016 function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
13017 the proper resolution.
13018
13019 @item
13020 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
13021
13022 @item
13023 Entry calls are not implemented.
13024
13025 @item
13026 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
13027 formats are not supported.
13028
13029 @item
13030 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
13031
13032 @item
13033 The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
13034 are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
13035 context.
13036 Should your program
13037 redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
13038 you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
13039 @end itemize
13040
13041 @node Additions to Ada
13042 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
13043 @cindex Ada, deviations from
13044
13045 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
13046 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
13047
13048 @itemize @bullet
13049 @item
13050 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
13051 a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
13052 then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
13053 @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
13054 Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
13055 in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
13056 Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
13057 which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
13058
13059 @item
13060 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
13061 appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
13062 you must typically surround it in single quotes.
13063
13064 @item
13065 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
13066 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
13067
13068 @item
13069 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
13070 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
13071 @end itemize
13072
13073 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
13074 additions specific to Ada:
13075
13076 @itemize @bullet
13077 @item
13078 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
13079 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
13080
13081 @smallexample
13082 (@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
13083 (@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
13084 @end smallexample
13085
13086 @item
13087 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
13088 the value of its right-hand operand.
13089 This allows, for example,
13090 complex conditional breaks:
13091
13092 @smallexample
13093 (@value{GDBP}) break f
13094 (@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
13095 @end smallexample
13096
13097 @item
13098 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
13099 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
13100 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
13101 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
13102 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
13103 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
13104 in strings. For example,
13105 @smallexample
13106 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
13107 @end smallexample
13108 @noindent
13109 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
13110 after each period.
13111
13112 @item
13113 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
13114 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
13115 to write
13116
13117 @smallexample
13118 (@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
13119 @end smallexample
13120
13121 @item
13122 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
13123 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
13124 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
13125 of 3 might print as
13126
13127 @smallexample
13128 (3 => 10, 17, 1)
13129 @end smallexample
13130
13131 @noindent
13132 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
13133 clause.
13134
13135 @item
13136 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
13137 multi-character subsequence of
13138 their names (an exact match gets preference).
13139 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
13140 in place of @t{a'length}.
13141
13142 @item
13143 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
13144 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
13145 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
13146 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
13147 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
13148 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
13149 For example,
13150 @smallexample
13151 (@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
13152 @end smallexample
13153
13154 @item
13155 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
13156 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
13157 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
13158 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
13159 object.
13160
13161 @end itemize
13162
13163 @node Stopping Before Main Program
13164 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
13165
13166 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
13167 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
13168 before reaching the main procedure.
13169 As defined in the Ada Reference
13170 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
13171 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
13172 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
13173 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
13174
13175 @node Ada Tasks
13176 @subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
13177 @cindex Ada, tasking
13178
13179 Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
13180 @value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
13181
13182 @table @code
13183 @kindex info tasks
13184 @item info tasks
13185 This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
13186
13187
13188 @smallexample
13189 @iftex
13190 @leftskip=0.5cm
13191 @end iftex
13192 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13193 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13194 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13195 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
13196 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
13197 * 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
13198
13199 @end smallexample
13200
13201 @noindent
13202 In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
13203 task currently being inspected.
13204
13205 @table @asis
13206 @item ID
13207 Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
13208
13209 @item TID
13210 The Ada task ID.
13211
13212 @item P-ID
13213 The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
13214
13215 @item Pri
13216 The base priority of the task.
13217
13218 @item State
13219 Current state of the task.
13220
13221 @table @code
13222 @item Unactivated
13223 The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
13224 executing.
13225
13226 @item Runnable
13227 The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
13228 for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
13229
13230 @item Terminated
13231 The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
13232 that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
13233 terminated themselves.
13234
13235 @item Child Activation Wait
13236 The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
13237
13238 @item Accept Statement
13239 The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
13240
13241 @item Waiting on entry call
13242 The task is waiting on an entry call.
13243
13244 @item Async Select Wait
13245 The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
13246 select statement.
13247
13248 @item Delay Sleep
13249 The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
13250 alternative open.
13251
13252 @item Child Termination Wait
13253 The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
13254 waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
13255 waiting on a terminate Phase.
13256
13257 @item Wait Child in Term Alt
13258 The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
13259 finish terminating.
13260
13261 @item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
13262 The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
13263 @end table
13264
13265 @item Name
13266 Name of the task in the program.
13267
13268 @end table
13269
13270 @kindex info task @var{taskno}
13271 @item info task @var{taskno}
13272 This command shows detailled informations on the specified task, as in
13273 the following example:
13274 @smallexample
13275 @iftex
13276 @leftskip=0.5cm
13277 @end iftex
13278 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13279 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13280 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13281 * 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
13282 (@value{GDBP}) info task 2
13283 Ada Task: 0x807c468
13284 Name: task_1
13285 Thread: 0x807f378
13286 Parent: 1 (main_task)
13287 Base Priority: 15
13288 State: Runnable
13289 @end smallexample
13290
13291 @item task
13292 @kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
13293 @cindex current Ada task ID
13294 This command prints the ID of the current task.
13295
13296 @smallexample
13297 @iftex
13298 @leftskip=0.5cm
13299 @end iftex
13300 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13301 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13302 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13303 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
13304 (@value{GDBP}) task
13305 [Current task is 2]
13306 @end smallexample
13307
13308 @item task @var{taskno}
13309 @cindex Ada task switching
13310 This command is like the @code{thread @var{threadno}}
13311 command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
13312 from the current task to the given task.
13313
13314 @smallexample
13315 @iftex
13316 @leftskip=0.5cm
13317 @end iftex
13318 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13319 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13320 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13321 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
13322 (@value{GDBP}) task 1
13323 [Switching to task 1]
13324 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
13325 (@value{GDBP}) bt
13326 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
13327 #1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
13328 #2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
13329 #3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
13330 #4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
13331 @end smallexample
13332
13333 @item break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno}
13334 @itemx break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
13335 @cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
13336 @cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
13337 @kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
13338 These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
13339 command (@pxref{Thread Stops}).
13340 @var{linespec} specifies source lines, as described
13341 in @ref{Specify Location}.
13342
13343 Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
13344 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
13345 particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. @var{taskno} is one of the
13346 numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
13347 column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
13348
13349 If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
13350 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
13351 program.
13352
13353 You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
13354 well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
13355 breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
13356
13357 For example,
13358
13359 @smallexample
13360 @iftex
13361 @leftskip=0.5cm
13362 @end iftex
13363 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13364 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13365 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13366 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
13367 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
13368 * 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
13369 (@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
13370 Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
13371 (@value{GDBP}) cont
13372 Continuing.
13373 task # 1 running
13374 task # 2 running
13375
13376 Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
13377 15 flush;
13378 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13379 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13380 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13381 * 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
13382 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
13383 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
13384 @end smallexample
13385 @end table
13386
13387 @node Ada Tasks and Core Files
13388 @subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
13389 @cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
13390
13391 When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
13392 tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
13393 the platform being used.
13394 For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
13395 switching is not supported. On Tru64, however, task switching will work
13396 as usual.
13397
13398 On certain platforms, including Tru64, the debugger needs to perform some
13399 memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
13400 a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
13401 privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
13402 Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
13403 file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
13404
13405 @node Ada Glitches
13406 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
13407 @cindex Ada, problems
13408
13409 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
13410 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
13411 @value{GDBN},
13412 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
13413 and the GNU Ada compiler.
13414
13415 @itemize @bullet
13416 @item
13417 Currently, the debugger
13418 has insufficient information to determine whether certain pointers represent
13419 pointers to objects or the objects themselves.
13420 Thus, the user may have to tack an extra @code{.all} after an expression
13421 to get it printed properly.
13422
13423 @item
13424 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
13425 storage are invisible to the debugger.
13426
13427 @item
13428 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
13429 argument lists are treated as positional).
13430
13431 @item
13432 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
13433
13434 @item
13435 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
13436 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
13437 the host machine.
13438
13439 @item
13440 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
13441 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
13442 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
13443 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
13444 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
13445 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
13446 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
13447 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
13448 you can usually resolve the confusion
13449 by qualifying the problematic names with package
13450 @code{Standard} explicitly.
13451 @end itemize
13452
13453 Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
13454 information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
13455 of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
13456 around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
13457 to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
13458 enabled.
13459
13460 @kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
13461 @kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
13462 @table @code
13463
13464 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
13465 Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
13466 value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
13467 types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
13468 a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
13469 This is the default.
13470
13471 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
13472 This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
13473 sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
13474 trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
13475 the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
13476 @code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
13477 recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
13478
13479 @end table
13480
13481 @node Unsupported Languages
13482 @section Unsupported Languages
13483
13484 @cindex unsupported languages
13485 @cindex minimal language
13486 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
13487 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
13488 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
13489 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
13490 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
13491 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
13492
13493 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
13494 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
13495 language.
13496
13497 @node Symbols
13498 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
13499
13500 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
13501 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
13502 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
13503 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
13504 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
13505 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
13506 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
13507
13508 @cindex symbol names
13509 @cindex names of symbols
13510 @cindex quoting names
13511 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
13512 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
13513 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
13514 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
13515 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
13516 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
13517 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
13518 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
13519
13520 @smallexample
13521 p 'foo.c'::x
13522 @end smallexample
13523
13524 @noindent
13525 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
13526
13527 @table @code
13528 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
13529 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
13530 @kindex set case-sensitive
13531 @item set case-sensitive on
13532 @itemx set case-sensitive off
13533 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
13534 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
13535 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
13536 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
13537 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
13538 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
13539 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
13540 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
13541 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
13542 case-insensitive matches.
13543
13544 @kindex show case-sensitive
13545 @item show case-sensitive
13546 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
13547 lookups.
13548
13549 @kindex info address
13550 @cindex address of a symbol
13551 @item info address @var{symbol}
13552 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
13553 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
13554 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
13555 is always stored.
13556
13557 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
13558 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
13559 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
13560
13561 @kindex info symbol
13562 @cindex symbol from address
13563 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
13564 @item info symbol @var{addr}
13565 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
13566 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
13567 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
13568
13569 @smallexample
13570 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
13571 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
13572 @end smallexample
13573
13574 @noindent
13575 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
13576 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
13577
13578 For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
13579 library containing the symbol is also printed:
13580
13581 @smallexample
13582 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
13583 _start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
13584 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
13585 __read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
13586 @end smallexample
13587
13588 @kindex whatis
13589 @item whatis [@var{arg}]
13590 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression or
13591 a data type. With no argument, print the data type of @code{$}, the
13592 last value in the value history. If @var{arg} is an expression, it is
13593 not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
13594 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place. If
13595 @var{arg} is a type name, it may be the name of a type or typedef, or
13596 for C code it may have the form @samp{class @var{class-name}},
13597 @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union @var{union-tag}} or
13598 @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
13599 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
13600
13601 @kindex ptype
13602 @item ptype [@var{arg}]
13603 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
13604 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
13605 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
13606
13607 For example, for this variable declaration:
13608
13609 @smallexample
13610 struct complex @{double real; double imag;@} v;
13611 @end smallexample
13612
13613 @noindent
13614 the two commands give this output:
13615
13616 @smallexample
13617 @group
13618 (@value{GDBP}) whatis v
13619 type = struct complex
13620 (@value{GDBP}) ptype v
13621 type = struct complex @{
13622 double real;
13623 double imag;
13624 @}
13625 @end group
13626 @end smallexample
13627
13628 @noindent
13629 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
13630 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
13631
13632 @cindex incomplete type
13633 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
13634 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
13635 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
13636 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
13637 given these declarations:
13638
13639 @smallexample
13640 struct foo;
13641 struct foo *fooptr;
13642 @end smallexample
13643
13644 @noindent
13645 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
13646
13647 @smallexample
13648 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
13649 $1 = <incomplete type>
13650 @end smallexample
13651
13652 @noindent
13653 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
13654 completely specified.
13655
13656 @kindex info types
13657 @item info types @var{regexp}
13658 @itemx info types
13659 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
13660 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
13661 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
13662 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
13663 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
13664 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
13665 name is @code{value}.
13666
13667 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
13668 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
13669 lists all source files where a type is defined.
13670
13671 @kindex info scope
13672 @cindex local variables
13673 @item info scope @var{location}
13674 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
13675 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
13676 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
13677 to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
13678 details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
13679
13680 @smallexample
13681 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
13682 Scope for command_line_handler:
13683 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
13684 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
13685 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
13686 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
13687 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
13688 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
13689 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
13690 @end smallexample
13691
13692 @noindent
13693 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
13694 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
13695 collect}.
13696
13697 @kindex info source
13698 @item info source
13699 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
13700 the function containing the current point of execution:
13701 @itemize @bullet
13702 @item
13703 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
13704 @item
13705 the directory it was compiled in,
13706 @item
13707 its length, in lines,
13708 @item
13709 which programming language it is written in,
13710 @item
13711 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
13712 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
13713 @item
13714 whether the debugging information includes information about
13715 preprocessor macros.
13716 @end itemize
13717
13718
13719 @kindex info sources
13720 @item info sources
13721 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
13722 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
13723 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
13724
13725 @kindex info functions
13726 @item info functions
13727 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
13728
13729 @item info functions @var{regexp}
13730 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
13731 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
13732 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
13733 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
13734 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
13735 that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
13736 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
13737
13738 @kindex info variables
13739 @item info variables
13740 Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
13741 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
13742
13743 @item info variables @var{regexp}
13744 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
13745 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
13746 @var{regexp}.
13747
13748 @kindex info classes
13749 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
13750 @item info classes
13751 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
13752 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
13753 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
13754 expression.
13755
13756 @kindex info selectors
13757 @item info selectors
13758 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
13759 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
13760 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
13761 expression.
13762
13763 @ignore
13764 This was never implemented.
13765 @kindex info methods
13766 @item info methods
13767 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
13768 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
13769 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
13770 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
13771 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
13772 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
13773 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
13774 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
13775 @end ignore
13776
13777 @cindex reloading symbols
13778 Some systems allow individual object files that make up your program to
13779 be replaced without stopping and restarting your program. For example,
13780 in VxWorks you can simply recompile a defective object file and keep on
13781 running. If you are running on one of these systems, you can allow
13782 @value{GDBN} to reload the symbols for automatically relinked modules:
13783
13784 @table @code
13785 @kindex set symbol-reloading
13786 @item set symbol-reloading on
13787 Replace symbol definitions for the corresponding source file when an
13788 object file with a particular name is seen again.
13789
13790 @item set symbol-reloading off
13791 Do not replace symbol definitions when encountering object files of the
13792 same name more than once. This is the default state; if you are not
13793 running on a system that permits automatic relinking of modules, you
13794 should leave @code{symbol-reloading} off, since otherwise @value{GDBN}
13795 may discard symbols when linking large programs, that may contain
13796 several modules (from different directories or libraries) with the same
13797 name.
13798
13799 @kindex show symbol-reloading
13800 @item show symbol-reloading
13801 Show the current @code{on} or @code{off} setting.
13802 @end table
13803
13804 @cindex opaque data types
13805 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
13806 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
13807 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
13808 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
13809 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
13810 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
13811 another source file. The default is on.
13812
13813 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
13814 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
13815
13816 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
13817 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
13818 is printed as follows:
13819 @smallexample
13820 @{<no data fields>@}
13821 @end smallexample
13822
13823 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
13824 @item show opaque-type-resolution
13825 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
13826
13827 @kindex maint print symbols
13828 @cindex symbol dump
13829 @kindex maint print psymbols
13830 @cindex partial symbol dump
13831 @item maint print symbols @var{filename}
13832 @itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
13833 @itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
13834 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
13835 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
13836 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
13837 symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
13838 collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
13839 only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
13840 command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
13841 use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
13842 symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
13843 files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
13844 @samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
13845 required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
13846 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
13847 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
13848
13849 @kindex maint info symtabs
13850 @kindex maint info psymtabs
13851 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
13852 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
13853 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
13854 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
13855 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
13856 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
13857
13858 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
13859 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
13860 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
13861 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
13862 structure in more detail. For example:
13863
13864 @smallexample
13865 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
13866 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
13867 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
13868 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
13869 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
13870 readin no
13871 fullname (null)
13872 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
13873 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
13874 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
13875 dependencies (none)
13876 @}
13877 @}
13878 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
13879 (@value{GDBP})
13880 @end smallexample
13881 @noindent
13882 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
13883 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
13884 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
13885 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
13886 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
13887
13888 @smallexample
13889 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
13890 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
13891 line 1574.
13892 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
13893 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
13894 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
13895 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
13896 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
13897 dirname (null)
13898 fullname (null)
13899 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
13900 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
13901 debugformat DWARF 2
13902 @}
13903 @}
13904 (@value{GDBP})
13905 @end smallexample
13906 @end table
13907
13908
13909 @node Altering
13910 @chapter Altering Execution
13911
13912 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
13913 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
13914 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
13915 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
13916 program.
13917
13918 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
13919 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
13920 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
13921
13922 @menu
13923 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
13924 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
13925 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
13926 * Returning:: Returning from a function
13927 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
13928 * Patching:: Patching your program
13929 @end menu
13930
13931 @node Assignment
13932 @section Assignment to Variables
13933
13934 @cindex assignment
13935 @cindex setting variables
13936 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
13937 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
13938
13939 @smallexample
13940 print x=4
13941 @end smallexample
13942
13943 @noindent
13944 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
13945 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
13946 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
13947 information on operators in supported languages.
13948
13949 @kindex set variable
13950 @cindex variables, setting
13951 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
13952 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
13953 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
13954 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
13955 ,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
13956
13957 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
13958 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
13959 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
13960 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
13961 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
13962 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
13963 command @code{set width}:
13964
13965 @smallexample
13966 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
13967 type = double
13968 (@value{GDBP}) p width
13969 $4 = 13
13970 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
13971 Invalid syntax in expression.
13972 @end smallexample
13973
13974 @noindent
13975 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
13976 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
13977
13978 @smallexample
13979 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
13980 @end smallexample
13981
13982 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
13983 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
13984 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
13985 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
13986 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
13987 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
13988
13989 @smallexample
13990 @group
13991 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
13992 type = double
13993 (@value{GDBP}) p g
13994 $1 = 1
13995 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
13996 (@value{GDBP}) p g
13997 $2 = 1
13998 (@value{GDBP}) r
13999 The program being debugged has been started already.
14000 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
14001 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
14002 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
14003 Invalid bfd target.
14004 (@value{GDBP}) show g
14005 The current BFD target is "=4".
14006 @end group
14007 @end smallexample
14008
14009 @noindent
14010 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
14011 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
14012 @code{g}, use
14013
14014 @smallexample
14015 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
14016 @end smallexample
14017
14018 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
14019 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
14020 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
14021 same length or shorter.
14022 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
14023 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
14024
14025 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
14026 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
14027 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
14028 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
14029 and representation in memory), and
14030
14031 @smallexample
14032 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
14033 @end smallexample
14034
14035 @noindent
14036 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
14037
14038 @node Jumping
14039 @section Continuing at a Different Address
14040
14041 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
14042 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
14043 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
14044
14045 @table @code
14046 @kindex jump
14047 @item jump @var{linespec}
14048 @itemx jump @var{location}
14049 Resume execution at line @var{linespec} or at address given by
14050 @var{location}. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
14051 breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
14052 different forms of @var{linespec} and @var{location}. It is common
14053 practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
14054 @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
14055
14056 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
14057 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
14058 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
14059 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
14060 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
14061 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
14062 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
14063 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
14064 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
14065 @end table
14066
14067 @c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
14068 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
14069 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
14070 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
14071 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
14072 example,
14073
14074 @smallexample
14075 set $pc = 0x485
14076 @end smallexample
14077
14078 @noindent
14079 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
14080 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
14081 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
14082
14083 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
14084 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
14085 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
14086 detail.
14087
14088 @c @group
14089 @node Signaling
14090 @section Giving your Program a Signal
14091 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
14092
14093 @table @code
14094 @kindex signal
14095 @item signal @var{signal}
14096 Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
14097 signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
14098 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
14099 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
14100
14101 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
14102 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
14103 a signal and would ordinary see the signal when resumed with the
14104 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
14105 signal.
14106
14107 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
14108 after executing the command.
14109 @end table
14110 @c @end group
14111
14112 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
14113 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
14114 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
14115 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
14116 passes the signal directly to your program.
14117
14118
14119 @node Returning
14120 @section Returning from a Function
14121
14122 @table @code
14123 @cindex returning from a function
14124 @kindex return
14125 @item return
14126 @itemx return @var{expression}
14127 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
14128 command. If you give an
14129 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
14130 value.
14131 @end table
14132
14133 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
14134 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
14135 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
14136 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
14137
14138 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
14139 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
14140 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
14141 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
14142 of functions.
14143
14144 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
14145 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
14146 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
14147 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
14148 selected stack frame returns naturally.
14149
14150 @value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
14151 the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
14152 type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
14153 OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
14154 CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
14155 registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
14156 specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
14157 current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
14158 assignment into the right register(s).
14159
14160 Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
14161 use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
14162 debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
14163 function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
14164 int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
14165 into a @code{long long int}:
14166
14167 @smallexample
14168 Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
14169 29 return 31;
14170 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
14171 Make func return now? (y or n) y
14172 #0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
14173 43 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
14174 (@value{GDBP})
14175 @end smallexample
14176
14177 However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
14178 function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
14179 to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
14180 in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
14181 typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
14182 of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
14183 architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
14184 an appropriate cast explicitly:
14185
14186 @smallexample
14187 Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
14188 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
14189 Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
14190 Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
14191 (@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
14192 Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
14193 #0 0x00400526 in main ()
14194 (@value{GDBP})
14195 @end smallexample
14196
14197 @node Calling
14198 @section Calling Program Functions
14199
14200 @table @code
14201 @cindex calling functions
14202 @cindex inferior functions, calling
14203 @item print @var{expr}
14204 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
14205 @var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
14206 debugged.
14207
14208 @kindex call
14209 @item call @var{expr}
14210 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
14211 returned values.
14212
14213 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
14214 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
14215 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
14216 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
14217 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
14218 value history.
14219 @end table
14220
14221 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
14222 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
14223 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
14224 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
14225
14226 Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
14227 call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
14228 exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
14229 frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
14230 an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
14231 dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
14232 seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
14233 in that case is controlled by the
14234 @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
14235
14236 @table @code
14237 @item set unwindonsignal
14238 @kindex set unwindonsignal
14239 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
14240 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
14241 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
14242 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
14243 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
14244 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
14245 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
14246 received.
14247
14248 @item show unwindonsignal
14249 @kindex show unwindonsignal
14250 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
14251 @value{GDBN}.
14252
14253 @item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
14254 @kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
14255 @cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
14256 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
14257 Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
14258 unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
14259 debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
14260 it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
14261 the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
14262 the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
14263
14264 @item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
14265 @kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
14266 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
14267 @value{GDBN}.
14268
14269 @end table
14270
14271 @cindex weak alias functions
14272 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
14273 for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
14274 the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
14275 which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
14276 As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
14277 even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
14278 function instead.
14279
14280 @node Patching
14281 @section Patching Programs
14282
14283 @cindex patching binaries
14284 @cindex writing into executables
14285 @cindex writing into corefiles
14286
14287 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
14288 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
14289 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
14290 patching your program's binary.
14291
14292 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
14293 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
14294 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
14295 repairs.
14296
14297 @table @code
14298 @kindex set write
14299 @item set write on
14300 @itemx set write off
14301 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
14302 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
14303 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
14304
14305 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
14306 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
14307 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
14308
14309 @item show write
14310 @kindex show write
14311 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
14312 as well as reading.
14313 @end table
14314
14315 @node GDB Files
14316 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
14317
14318 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
14319 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
14320 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
14321 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
14322
14323 @menu
14324 * Files:: Commands to specify files
14325 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
14326 * Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
14327 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
14328 * Data Files:: GDB data files
14329 @end menu
14330
14331 @node Files
14332 @section Commands to Specify Files
14333
14334 @cindex symbol table
14335 @cindex core dump file
14336
14337 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
14338 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
14339 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
14340 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
14341
14342 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
14343 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
14344 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
14345 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
14346 Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
14347 new files are useful.
14348
14349 @table @code
14350 @cindex executable file
14351 @kindex file
14352 @item file @var{filename}
14353 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
14354 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
14355 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
14356 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
14357 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
14358 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
14359 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
14360 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
14361
14362 @cindex unlinked object files
14363 @cindex patching object files
14364 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
14365 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
14366 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
14367 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
14368 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
14369 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
14370 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
14371 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
14372
14373 @item file
14374 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
14375 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
14376
14377 @kindex exec-file
14378 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
14379 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
14380 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
14381 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
14382 discard information on the executable file.
14383
14384 @kindex symbol-file
14385 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
14386 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
14387 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
14388 table and program to run from the same file.
14389
14390 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
14391 program's symbol table.
14392
14393 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
14394 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
14395 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
14396 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
14397 @value{GDBN}.
14398
14399 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
14400 executing it once.
14401
14402 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
14403 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
14404 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
14405 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
14406 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
14407 using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
14408 optimized code.
14409
14410 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
14411 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
14412 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
14413 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
14414 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
14415
14416 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
14417 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
14418 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
14419 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
14420 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
14421 Warnings and Messages}.)
14422
14423 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
14424 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
14425 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
14426 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
14427 in stabs format.
14428
14429 @kindex readnow
14430 @cindex reading symbols immediately
14431 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
14432 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
14433 @itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
14434 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
14435 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
14436 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
14437 entire symbol table available.
14438
14439 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
14440 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
14441 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
14442 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
14443 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
14444 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
14445 @c files.
14446
14447 @kindex core-file
14448 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
14449 @itemx core
14450 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
14451 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
14452 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
14453 executable file itself for other parts.
14454
14455 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
14456 to be used.
14457
14458 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
14459 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
14460 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
14461 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
14462 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
14463
14464 @kindex add-symbol-file
14465 @cindex dynamic linking
14466 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
14467 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
14468 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @r{-s}@var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
14469 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
14470 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
14471 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
14472 into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
14473 address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
14474 this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
14475 of @samp{@r{-s}@var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
14476 section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
14477 @var{address} as an expression.
14478
14479 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
14480 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
14481 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
14482 thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data
14483 instead, use the @code{symbol-file} command without any arguments.
14484
14485 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
14486 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
14487 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
14488 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
14489 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
14490 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
14491 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
14492 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
14493 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
14494
14495 @itemize @bullet
14496 @item
14497 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
14498 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
14499 @item
14500 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
14501 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
14502 @item
14503 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
14504 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
14505 @end itemize
14506
14507 @noindent
14508 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
14509 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
14510 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
14511 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
14512 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
14513 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
14514 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
14515 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
14516 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
14517 way.
14518
14519 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
14520
14521 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
14522 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
14523 @cindex load symbols from memory
14524 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
14525 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
14526 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
14527 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
14528 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
14529 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
14530 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
14531 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
14532 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
14533
14534 @kindex add-shared-symbol-files
14535 @kindex assf
14536 @item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
14537 @itemx assf @var{library-file}
14538 The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
14539 in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
14540 alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
14541 @value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
14542 @value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
14543 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
14544 library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
14545 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
14546
14547 @kindex section
14548 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
14549 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
14550 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
14551 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
14552 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
14553 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
14554 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
14555 their addresses.
14556
14557 @kindex info files
14558 @kindex info target
14559 @item info files
14560 @itemx info target
14561 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
14562 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
14563 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
14564 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
14565 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
14566 current ones.
14567
14568 @kindex maint info sections
14569 @item maint info sections
14570 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
14571 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
14572 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
14573 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
14574 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
14575 may be arbitrarily combined):
14576
14577 @table @code
14578 @item ALLOBJ
14579 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
14580 @item @var{sections}
14581 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
14582 @item @var{section-flags}
14583 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
14584 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
14585 @table @code
14586 @item ALLOC
14587 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
14588 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
14589 @item LOAD
14590 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
14591 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
14592 @item RELOC
14593 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
14594 @item READONLY
14595 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
14596 @item CODE
14597 Section contains executable code only.
14598 @item DATA
14599 Section contains data only (no executable code).
14600 @item ROM
14601 Section will reside in ROM.
14602 @item CONSTRUCTOR
14603 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
14604 @item HAS_CONTENTS
14605 Section is not empty.
14606 @item NEVER_LOAD
14607 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
14608 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
14609 A notification to the linker that the section contains
14610 COFF shared library information.
14611 @item IS_COMMON
14612 Section contains common symbols.
14613 @end table
14614 @end table
14615 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
14616 @cindex read-only sections
14617 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
14618 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
14619 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
14620 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
14621 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
14622 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
14623 enhancement to debugging performance.
14624
14625 The default is off.
14626
14627 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
14628 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
14629 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
14630 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
14631
14632 @item show trust-readonly-sections
14633 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
14634 @end table
14635
14636 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
14637 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
14638 name and remembers it that way.
14639
14640 @cindex shared libraries
14641 @anchor{Shared Libraries}
14642 @value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
14643 and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
14644
14645 On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
14646 shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
14647
14648 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
14649 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
14650 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
14651 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
14652 debugging a core file).
14653
14654 On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
14655 automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
14656
14657 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
14658 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
14659 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
14660
14661 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
14662 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
14663 particularly large or there are many of them.
14664
14665 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
14666 commands:
14667
14668 @table @code
14669 @kindex set auto-solib-add
14670 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
14671 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
14672 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
14673 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
14674 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
14675 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
14676 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
14677
14678 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
14679 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
14680 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
14681 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
14682 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
14683 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
14684 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
14685 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
14686 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
14687
14688 @kindex show auto-solib-add
14689 @item show auto-solib-add
14690 Display the current autoloading mode.
14691 @end table
14692
14693 @cindex load shared library
14694 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
14695 command:
14696
14697 @table @code
14698 @kindex info sharedlibrary
14699 @kindex info share
14700 @item info share @var{regex}
14701 @itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
14702 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
14703 that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
14704 all shared libraries that are loaded.
14705
14706 @kindex sharedlibrary
14707 @kindex share
14708 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
14709 @itemx share @var{regex}
14710 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
14711 Unix regular expression.
14712 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
14713 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
14714 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
14715 loaded.
14716
14717 @item nosharedlibrary
14718 @kindex nosharedlibrary
14719 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
14720 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
14721 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
14722 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
14723 discarded.
14724 @end table
14725
14726 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
14727 when any of shared library events happen. Use the @code{set
14728 stop-on-solib-events} command for this:
14729
14730 @table @code
14731 @item set stop-on-solib-events
14732 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
14733 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
14734 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
14735 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
14736 shared library.
14737
14738 @item show stop-on-solib-events
14739 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
14740 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
14741 library events happen.
14742 @end table
14743
14744 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
14745 configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
14746 this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
14747 on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
14748 libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
14749 provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
14750 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
14751 not.
14752
14753 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
14754 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
14755 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
14756 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
14757 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
14758
14759 @table @code
14760 @cindex prefix for shared library file names
14761 @cindex system root, alternate
14762 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
14763 @kindex set sysroot
14764 @item set sysroot @var{path}
14765 Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
14766 absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
14767 runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
14768 target program's memory. If you use @code{set sysroot} to find shared
14769 libraries, they need to be laid out in the same way that they are on
14770 the target, with e.g.@: a @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy
14771 under @var{path}.
14772
14773 If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{remote:}, @value{GDBN} will
14774 retrieve the target libraries from the remote system. This is only
14775 supported when using a remote target that supports the @code{remote get}
14776 command (@pxref{File Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}).
14777 The part of @var{path} following the initial @file{remote:}
14778 (if present) is used as system root prefix on the remote file system.
14779 @footnote{If you want to specify a local system root using a directory
14780 that happens to be named @file{remote:}, you need to use some equivalent
14781 variant of the name like @file{./remote:}.}
14782
14783 For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
14784 SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
14785 absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
14786 @value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
14787 slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
14788
14789 @smallexample
14790 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
14791 @end smallexample
14792
14793 Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
14794 @var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
14795 system:
14796
14797 @smallexample
14798 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
14799 @end smallexample
14800
14801 If that does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries removing
14802 the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
14803 for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
14804 colons:
14805
14806 @smallexample
14807 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
14808 @end smallexample
14809
14810 This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
14811 with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
14812 copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
14813 @samp{z}):
14814
14815 @smallexample
14816 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
14817 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
14818 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
14819 @end smallexample
14820
14821 @noindent
14822 and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
14823 @value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
14824 @file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
14825
14826 If that still does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries
14827 removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
14828
14829 @smallexample
14830 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
14831 @end smallexample
14832
14833 This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
14834 if you don't want or need to.
14835
14836 The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
14837 sysroot}.
14838
14839 @cindex default system root
14840 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
14841 You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
14842 @samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
14843 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
14844 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
14845 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
14846 location.
14847
14848 @kindex show sysroot
14849 @item show sysroot
14850 Display the current shared library prefix.
14851
14852 @kindex set solib-search-path
14853 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
14854 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
14855 directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
14856 is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
14857 path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
14858 use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
14859 @samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
14860 finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
14861 it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
14862 of shared library symbols.
14863
14864 @kindex show solib-search-path
14865 @item show solib-search-path
14866 Display the current shared library search path.
14867
14868 @cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
14869 @kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
14870 @kindex show target-file-system-kind
14871 @item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
14872 Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
14873
14874 Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
14875 make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
14876 example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
14877 system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
14878 @value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
14879 @file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
14880 drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
14881 indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
14882 normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
14883 the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
14884 as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
14885 it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
14886 shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
14887 with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
14888 @code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
14889 to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
14890 map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
14891 semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
14892 to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
14893 tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
14894 current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
14895 Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
14896
14897 @table @code
14898 @item unix
14899 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
14900 kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
14901 are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
14902 the forward slash.
14903
14904 @item dos-based
14905 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
14906 File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
14907 followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
14908 both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
14909 considered directory separators.
14910
14911 @item auto
14912 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
14913 target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
14914 This is the default.
14915 @end table
14916 @end table
14917
14918
14919 @node Separate Debug Files
14920 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
14921 @cindex separate debugging information files
14922 @cindex debugging information in separate files
14923 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
14924 @cindex debugging information directory, global
14925 @cindex global debugging information directory
14926 @cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
14927 @cindex @file{.build-id} directory
14928
14929 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
14930 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
14931 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
14932 Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
14933 than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
14934 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
14935 install only when they need to debug a problem.
14936
14937 @value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
14938 file:
14939
14940 @itemize @bullet
14941 @item
14942 The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
14943 the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
14944 usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
14945 name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
14946 (e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
14947 debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
14948 checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
14949 the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
14950
14951 @item
14952 The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
14953 also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
14954 only on some operating systems, notably those which use the ELF format
14955 for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
14956 this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
14957 command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld.info,
14958 The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
14959 explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
14960 below.
14961 @end itemize
14962
14963 Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
14964 uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
14965
14966 @itemize @bullet
14967 @item
14968 For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
14969 the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
14970 directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under the global debug
14971 directory, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to the leading
14972 directories of the executable's absolute file name.
14973
14974 @item
14975 For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
14976 @file{.build-id} subdirectory of the global debug directory for a file
14977 named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
14978 first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
14979 are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
14980 hex characters, not 10.)
14981 @end itemize
14982
14983 So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
14984 @file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
14985 file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
14986 @code{abcdef1234}. If the global debug directory is
14987 @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
14988 debug information files, in the indicated order:
14989
14990 @itemize @minus
14991 @item
14992 @file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
14993 @item
14994 @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
14995 @item
14996 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
14997 @item
14998 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
14999 @end itemize
15000
15001 You can set the global debugging info directory's name, and view the
15002 name @value{GDBN} is currently using.
15003
15004 @table @code
15005
15006 @kindex set debug-file-directory
15007 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
15008 Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
15009 information files to @var{directory}. Multiple directory components can be set
15010 concatenating them by a directory separator.
15011
15012 @kindex show debug-file-directory
15013 @item show debug-file-directory
15014 Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
15015 information files.
15016
15017 @end table
15018
15019 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
15020 @cindex debug link sections
15021 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
15022 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
15023
15024 @itemize
15025 @item
15026 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
15027 a zero byte,
15028 @item
15029 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
15030 boundary within the section, and
15031 @item
15032 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
15033 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
15034 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
15035 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
15036 @end itemize
15037
15038 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
15039 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
15040 described above.
15041
15042 @cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
15043 @cindex build ID sections
15044 The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
15045 ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
15046 often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
15047 It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
15048 the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
15049 algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
15050 content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
15051 value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
15052 stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
15053
15054 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
15055 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
15056 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
15057 should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
15058 but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
15059 in an ordinary executable.
15060
15061 The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
15062 @samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
15063 the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
15064 following commands:
15065
15066 @smallexample
15067 @kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
15068 @kbd{strip -g foo}
15069 @end smallexample
15070
15071 @noindent
15072 These commands remove the debugging
15073 information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
15074 @file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
15075 two files:
15076
15077 @itemize @bullet
15078 @item
15079 The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
15080 behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
15081
15082 @smallexample
15083 @kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
15084 @end smallexample
15085
15086 Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
15087 a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
15088 foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
15089 the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
15090
15091 @item
15092 Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
15093 the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
15094 compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
15095 utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
15096 @end itemize
15097
15098 @noindent
15099
15100 @cindex CRC algorithm definition
15101 The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
15102 IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
15103
15104 @c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
15105 @c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
15106 @c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
15107 @c different ways!
15108 @ifhtml
15109 @display
15110 @html
15111 <em>x</em><sup>32</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>26</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>23</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>22</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>16</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>12</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>11</sup>
15112 + <em>x</em><sup>10</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>8</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>7</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>5</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>4</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>2</sup> + <em>x</em> + 1
15113 @end html
15114 @end display
15115 @end ifhtml
15116 @ifnothtml
15117 @display
15118 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
15119 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
15120 @end display
15121 @end ifnothtml
15122
15123 The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
15124 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
15125 @code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
15126 the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
15127 CRC.
15128
15129 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
15130 @dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{Remote Protocol,
15131 , @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol}). However in the
15132 case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed @emph{most}
15133 significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so trailing
15134 zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
15135
15136 To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
15137 which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
15138 initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
15139 this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
15140 @code{0xffffffff}.
15141
15142 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
15143 @smallexample
15144 unsigned long
15145 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
15146 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
15147 @{
15148 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
15149 @{
15150 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
15151 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
15152 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
15153 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
15154 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
15155 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
15156 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
15157 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
15158 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
15159 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
15160 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
15161 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
15162 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
15163 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
15164 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
15165 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
15166 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
15167 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
15168 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
15169 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
15170 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
15171 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
15172 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
15173 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
15174 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
15175 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
15176 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
15177 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
15178 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
15179 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
15180 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
15181 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
15182 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
15183 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
15184 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
15185 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
15186 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
15187 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
15188 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
15189 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
15190 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
15191 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
15192 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
15193 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
15194 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
15195 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
15196 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
15197 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
15198 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
15199 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
15200 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
15201 0x2d02ef8d
15202 @};
15203 unsigned char *end;
15204
15205 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
15206 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
15207 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
15208 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
15209 @}
15210 @end smallexample
15211
15212 @noindent
15213 This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
15214
15215
15216 @node Index Files
15217 @section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
15218 @cindex index files
15219 @cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
15220
15221 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
15222 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
15223 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
15224 on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
15225 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
15226 startup.
15227
15228 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
15229 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
15230 using @command{objcopy}.
15231
15232 To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
15233
15234 @table @code
15235 @item save gdb-index @var{directory}
15236 @kindex save gdb-index
15237 Create an index file for each symbol file currently known by
15238 @value{GDBN}. Each file is named after its corresponding symbol file,
15239 with @samp{.gdb-index} appended, and is written into the given
15240 @var{directory}.
15241 @end table
15242
15243 Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
15244 file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
15245
15246 @smallexample
15247 $ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
15248 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
15249 @end smallexample
15250
15251 There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
15252 for DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, they do not
15253 currently work for programs using Ada.
15254
15255 @pindex gdb-add-index
15256 @value{GDBN} comes with a program, @command{gdb-add-index}, which can
15257 be used to add the index to a symbol file. It takes the symbol file
15258 as its only argument:
15259
15260 @smallexample
15261 $ gdb-add-index symfile
15262 @end smallexample
15263
15264
15265 @node Symbol Errors
15266 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
15267
15268 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
15269 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
15270 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
15271 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
15272 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
15273 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
15274 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
15275 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
15276 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
15277 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
15278 Messages}).
15279
15280 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
15281
15282 @table @code
15283 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
15284
15285 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
15286 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
15287 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
15288 in its outer scope blocks.
15289
15290 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
15291 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
15292 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
15293 function.
15294
15295 @item block at @var{address} out of order
15296
15297 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
15298 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
15299 do so.
15300
15301 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
15302 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
15303 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
15304 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
15305 Messages}.)
15306
15307 @item bad block start address patched
15308
15309 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
15310 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
15311 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
15312
15313 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
15314 starting on the previous source line.
15315
15316 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
15317
15318 @cindex foo
15319 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
15320 larger than the size of the string table.
15321
15322 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
15323 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
15324 with this name.
15325
15326 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
15327
15328 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
15329 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
15330 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
15331
15332 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
15333 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
15334 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
15335 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
15336 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
15337 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
15338
15339 @item stub type has NULL name
15340
15341 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
15342
15343 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
15344 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
15345 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
15346 it.
15347
15348 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
15349
15350 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
15351
15352 @end table
15353
15354 @node Data Files
15355 @section GDB Data Files
15356
15357 @cindex prefix for data files
15358 @value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
15359 are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
15360
15361 You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
15362 is currently using.
15363
15364 @table @code
15365 @kindex set data-directory
15366 @item set data-directory @var{directory}
15367 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
15368 to @var{directory}.
15369
15370 @kindex show data-directory
15371 @item show data-directory
15372 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
15373 @end table
15374
15375 @cindex default data directory
15376 @cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
15377 You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
15378 @samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
15379 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
15380 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
15381 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
15382 location.
15383
15384 @node Targets
15385 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
15386
15387 @cindex debugging target
15388 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
15389
15390 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
15391 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
15392 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
15393 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
15394 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
15395 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
15396 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
15397 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
15398
15399 @cindex target architecture
15400 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
15401 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
15402 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
15403 command.
15404
15405 @table @code
15406 @kindex set architecture
15407 @kindex show architecture
15408 @item set architecture @var{arch}
15409 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
15410 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
15411 supported architectures.
15412
15413 @item show architecture
15414 Show the current target architecture.
15415
15416 @item set processor
15417 @itemx processor
15418 @kindex set processor
15419 @kindex show processor
15420 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
15421 and @code{show architecture}.
15422 @end table
15423
15424 @menu
15425 * Active Targets:: Active targets
15426 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
15427 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
15428 @end menu
15429
15430 @node Active Targets
15431 @section Active Targets
15432
15433 @cindex stacking targets
15434 @cindex active targets
15435 @cindex multiple targets
15436
15437 There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
15438 recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
15439 and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
15440 on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
15441 example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
15442 the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
15443 recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
15444 presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
15445 remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
15446
15447 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
15448 file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
15449 specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
15450 command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
15451
15452 @node Target Commands
15453 @section Commands for Managing Targets
15454
15455 @table @code
15456 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
15457 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
15458 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
15459 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
15460 protocol of the target machine.
15461
15462 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
15463 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
15464 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
15465
15466 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
15467 after executing the command.
15468
15469 @kindex help target
15470 @item help target
15471 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
15472 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
15473 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
15474
15475 @item help target @var{name}
15476 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
15477 select it.
15478
15479 @kindex set gnutarget
15480 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
15481 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
15482 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
15483 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
15484 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
15485 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
15486
15487 @quotation
15488 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
15489 you must know the actual BFD name.
15490 @end quotation
15491
15492 @noindent
15493 @xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
15494
15495 @kindex show gnutarget
15496 @item show gnutarget
15497 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
15498 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
15499 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
15500 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BDF target is "auto"}.
15501 @end table
15502
15503 @cindex common targets
15504 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
15505 configuration):
15506
15507 @table @code
15508 @kindex target
15509 @item target exec @var{program}
15510 @cindex executable file target
15511 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
15512 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
15513
15514 @item target core @var{filename}
15515 @cindex core dump file target
15516 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
15517 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
15518
15519 @item target remote @var{medium}
15520 @cindex remote target
15521 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
15522 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
15523 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
15524
15525 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
15526 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
15527
15528 @smallexample
15529 target remote /dev/ttya
15530 @end smallexample
15531
15532 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
15533 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
15534 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
15535 clobbered by the download.
15536
15537 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
15538 @cindex built-in simulator target
15539 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
15540 In general,
15541 @smallexample
15542 target sim
15543 load
15544 run
15545 @end smallexample
15546 @noindent
15547 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
15548 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
15549 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
15550 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
15551 Processors}.
15552
15553 @end table
15554
15555 Some configurations may include these targets as well:
15556
15557 @table @code
15558
15559 @item target nrom @var{dev}
15560 @cindex NetROM ROM emulator target
15561 NetROM ROM emulator. This target only supports downloading.
15562
15563 @end table
15564
15565 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
15566 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
15567
15568 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
15569 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
15570 various aspects of this process.
15571
15572 @table @code
15573
15574 @item set hash
15575 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
15576 @cindex hash mark while downloading
15577 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
15578 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
15579 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
15580 monitor.
15581
15582 @item show hash
15583 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
15584 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
15585
15586 @item set debug monitor
15587 @kindex set debug monitor
15588 @cindex display remote monitor communications
15589 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
15590 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
15591
15592 @item show debug monitor
15593 @kindex show debug monitor
15594 Show the current status of displaying communications between
15595 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
15596 @end table
15597
15598 @table @code
15599
15600 @kindex load @var{filename}
15601 @item load @var{filename}
15602 @anchor{load}
15603 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
15604 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
15605 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
15606 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
15607 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
15608 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
15609
15610 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
15611 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
15612 target is @dots{}}''
15613
15614 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
15615 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
15616 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
15617 specifies a fixed address.
15618 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
15619
15620 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
15621 load programs into flash memory.
15622
15623 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
15624 @end table
15625
15626 @node Byte Order
15627 @section Choosing Target Byte Order
15628
15629 @cindex choosing target byte order
15630 @cindex target byte order
15631
15632 Some types of processors, such as the MIPS, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
15633 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
15634 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
15635 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
15636 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
15637 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
15638
15639 @table @code
15640 @kindex set endian
15641 @item set endian big
15642 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
15643
15644 @item set endian little
15645 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
15646
15647 @item set endian auto
15648 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
15649 executable.
15650
15651 @item show endian
15652 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
15653
15654 @end table
15655
15656 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
15657 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
15658 target system.
15659
15660
15661 @node Remote Debugging
15662 @chapter Debugging Remote Programs
15663 @cindex remote debugging
15664
15665 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
15666 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
15667 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
15668 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
15669 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
15670
15671 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
15672 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
15673 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
15674 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
15675 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
15676 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
15677
15678 Other remote targets may be available in your
15679 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
15680
15681 @menu
15682 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
15683 * File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
15684 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
15685 * Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
15686 * Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
15687 @end menu
15688
15689 @node Connecting
15690 @section Connecting to a Remote Target
15691
15692 On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
15693 your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symbol and debugging information.
15694 Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
15695 program as the first argument.
15696
15697 @cindex @code{target remote}
15698 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
15699 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
15700 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
15701 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
15702 @code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
15703 Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
15704
15705 @table @code
15706
15707 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
15708 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
15709 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
15710 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
15711
15712 @smallexample
15713 target remote /dev/ttyb
15714 @end smallexample
15715
15716 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
15717 @w{@samp{--baud}} option, or use the @code{set remotebaud} command
15718 (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remotebaud}) before the
15719 @code{target} command.
15720
15721 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
15722 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
15723 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
15724 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
15725 The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
15726 address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
15727 the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
15728 it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
15729 target.
15730
15731 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
15732 @code{manyfarms}:
15733
15734 @smallexample
15735 target remote manyfarms:2828
15736 @end smallexample
15737
15738 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
15739 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
15740 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
15741 port 1234 on your local machine:
15742
15743 @smallexample
15744 target remote :1234
15745 @end smallexample
15746 @noindent
15747
15748 Note that the colon is still required here.
15749
15750 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
15751 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
15752 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
15753 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
15754
15755 @smallexample
15756 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
15757 @end smallexample
15758
15759 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
15760 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
15761 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
15762 cause havoc with your debugging session.
15763
15764 @item target remote | @var{command}
15765 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
15766 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
15767 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
15768 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
15769 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
15770 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
15771 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
15772 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
15773
15774 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
15775 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
15776 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
15777
15778 @end table
15779
15780 Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
15781 commands to examine and change data. The remote program is already
15782 running; you can use @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}, and you do not
15783 need to use @kbd{run}.
15784
15785 @cindex interrupting remote programs
15786 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
15787 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
15788 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
15789 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
15790 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
15791 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
15792
15793 @smallexample
15794 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
15795 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
15796 @end smallexample
15797
15798 If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
15799 (If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
15800 remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
15801 goes back to waiting.
15802
15803 @table @code
15804 @kindex detach (remote)
15805 @item detach
15806 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
15807 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
15808 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
15809 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
15810 command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
15811
15812 @kindex disconnect
15813 @item disconnect
15814 The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
15815 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
15816 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
15817 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
15818 another target.
15819
15820 @cindex send command to remote monitor
15821 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
15822 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
15823 @kindex monitor
15824 @item monitor @var{cmd}
15825 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
15826 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
15827 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
15828 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
15829 and implement.
15830 @end table
15831
15832 @node File Transfer
15833 @section Sending files to a remote system
15834 @cindex remote target, file transfer
15835 @cindex file transfer
15836 @cindex sending files to remote systems
15837
15838 Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
15839 connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
15840 for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
15841 running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
15842 e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
15843 the only way to upload or download files.
15844
15845 Not all remote targets support these commands.
15846
15847 @table @code
15848 @kindex remote put
15849 @item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
15850 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
15851 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
15852
15853 @kindex remote get
15854 @item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
15855 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
15856 on the host system.
15857
15858 @kindex remote delete
15859 @item remote delete @var{targetfile}
15860 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
15861
15862 @end table
15863
15864 @node Server
15865 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
15866
15867 @kindex gdbserver
15868 @cindex remote connection without stubs
15869 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
15870 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
15871 @code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
15872
15873 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
15874 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
15875 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
15876 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
15877 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
15878 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
15879 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
15880 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
15881 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
15882 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
15883 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
15884 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
15885 choice for debugging.
15886
15887 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
15888 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
15889 protocol.
15890
15891 @quotation
15892 @emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
15893 Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
15894 @value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
15895 target system with the same privileges as the user running
15896 @code{gdbserver}.
15897 @end quotation
15898
15899 @subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
15900 @cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
15901
15902 Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
15903 program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
15904 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
15905 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
15906 system does all the symbol handling.
15907
15908 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
15909 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
15910 syntax is:
15911
15912 @smallexample
15913 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
15914 @end smallexample
15915
15916 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line) or a TCP
15917 hostname and portnumber. For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
15918 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
15919 @file{/dev/com1}:
15920
15921 @smallexample
15922 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
15923 @end smallexample
15924
15925 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
15926 with it.
15927
15928 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
15929
15930 @smallexample
15931 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
15932 @end smallexample
15933
15934 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
15935 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
15936 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
15937 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
15938 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
15939 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
15940 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
15941 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
15942 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
15943 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
15944 @code{target remote} command.
15945
15946 @subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
15947
15948 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
15949 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
15950
15951 @smallexample
15952 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
15953 @end smallexample
15954
15955 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
15956 to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
15957
15958 @pindex pidof
15959 @cindex attach to a program by name
15960 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
15961 @code{pidof} utility:
15962
15963 @smallexample
15964 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
15965 @end smallexample
15966
15967 In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
15968 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
15969 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
15970
15971 @subsubsection Multi-Process Mode for @code{gdbserver}
15972 @cindex gdbserver, multiple processes
15973 @cindex multiple processes with gdbserver
15974
15975 When you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target remote},
15976 @code{gdbserver} debugs the specified program only once. When the
15977 program exits, or you detach from it, @value{GDBN} closes the connection
15978 and @code{gdbserver} exits.
15979
15980 If you connect using @kbd{target extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver}
15981 enters multi-process mode. When the debugged program exits, or you
15982 detach from it, @value{GDBN} stays connected to @code{gdbserver} even
15983 though no program is running. The @code{run} and @code{attach}
15984 commands instruct @code{gdbserver} to run or attach to a new program.
15985 The @code{run} command uses @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set
15986 remote exec-file}) to select the program to run. Command line
15987 arguments are supported, except for wildcard expansion and I/O
15988 redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
15989
15990 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
15991 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
15992 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
15993 the program you want to debug.
15994
15995 @code{gdbserver} does not automatically exit in multi-process mode.
15996 You can terminate it by using @code{monitor exit}
15997 (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}).
15998
15999 @subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
16000
16001 The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
16002 status information about the debugging process. The
16003 @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
16004 remote protocol debug output. These options are intended for
16005 @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
16006
16007 The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
16008 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
16009 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
16010 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
16011
16012 @code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
16013 command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
16014 program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
16015 runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
16016
16017 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
16018 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
16019 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
16020 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
16021
16022 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
16023 the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
16024 environment:
16025
16026 @smallexample
16027 $ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
16028 @end smallexample
16029
16030 @subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
16031
16032 Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
16033
16034 First make sure you have the necessary symbol files. Load symbols for
16035 your application using the @code{file} command before you connect. Use
16036 @code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN}
16037 was compiled with the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}).
16038
16039 The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
16040 and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
16041 system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
16042 are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
16043 during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
16044 files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
16045 programs.
16046
16047 Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
16048 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
16049 the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
16050 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
16051 @samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
16052 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
16053 already on the target.
16054
16055 @subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
16056 @cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
16057 @anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
16058
16059 During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
16060 @code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
16061 Here are the available commands.
16062
16063 @table @code
16064 @item monitor help
16065 List the available monitor commands.
16066
16067 @item monitor set debug 0
16068 @itemx monitor set debug 1
16069 Disable or enable general debugging messages.
16070
16071 @item monitor set remote-debug 0
16072 @itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
16073 Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
16074 protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
16075
16076 @item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
16077 @cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
16078 When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
16079 directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
16080 libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
16081 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to an empty list.
16082
16083 @item monitor exit
16084 Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
16085 @code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
16086 detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
16087 Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
16088 of a multi-process mode debug session.
16089
16090 @end table
16091
16092 @subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
16093 @cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
16094
16095 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
16096 tracepoints and static tracepoints.
16097
16098 For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
16099 @dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
16100 This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
16101 @code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
16102 requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
16103 support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
16104 @url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
16105 is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
16106 standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
16107 @code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
16108 to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
16109 using @option{--with-ust=no}.
16110
16111 There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
16112
16113 @table @code
16114 @item Specifying it as dependency at link time
16115
16116 You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
16117 library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
16118 @code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
16119
16120 @item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
16121
16122 You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
16123 your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
16124 support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
16125 cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
16126 in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
16127 @option{--wrapper} command line option.
16128
16129 @item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
16130
16131 On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
16132 by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
16133 of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
16134 systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
16135 command for that. For example:
16136
16137 @smallexample
16138 (@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
16139 @end smallexample
16140
16141 Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
16142 available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
16143 @end table
16144
16145 On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
16146 systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
16147 remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
16148 loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
16149 program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
16150 case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
16151 features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
16152 libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
16153 main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
16154 @code{gdbserver} like so:
16155
16156 @smallexample
16157 $ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
16158 @end smallexample
16159
16160 Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
16161
16162 @smallexample
16163 $ gdb myprogram
16164 (@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
16165 0x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
16166 (@value{GDBP}) b main
16167 (@value{GDBP}) continue
16168 @end smallexample
16169
16170 The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
16171 process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
16172 command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
16173 process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
16174 tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
16175 tracing.
16176
16177 @node Remote Configuration
16178 @section Remote Configuration
16179
16180 @kindex set remote
16181 @kindex show remote
16182 This section documents the configuration options available when
16183 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
16184 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
16185 system-call-allowed}.
16186
16187 @table @code
16188 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
16189 @cindex address size for remote targets
16190 @cindex bits in remote address
16191 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
16192 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
16193 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
16194 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
16195
16196 @item show remoteaddresssize
16197 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
16198
16199 @item set remotebaud @var{n}
16200 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
16201 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
16202 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
16203 remote targets.
16204
16205 @item show remotebaud
16206 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
16207
16208 @item set remotebreak
16209 @cindex interrupt remote programs
16210 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
16211 @anchor{set remotebreak}
16212 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
16213 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
16214 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
16215 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
16216 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
16217
16218 @item show remotebreak
16219 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
16220 interrupt the remote program.
16221
16222 @item set remoteflow on
16223 @itemx set remoteflow off
16224 @kindex set remoteflow
16225 Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
16226 on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
16227
16228 @item show remoteflow
16229 @kindex show remoteflow
16230 Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
16231
16232 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
16233 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
16234 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
16235 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
16236 @code{ascii}.
16237
16238 @item show remotelogbase
16239 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
16240 protocol.
16241
16242 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
16243 @cindex record serial communications on file
16244 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
16245 default is not to record at all.
16246
16247 @item show remotelogfile.
16248 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
16249 serial communications.
16250
16251 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
16252 @cindex timeout for serial communications
16253 @cindex remote timeout
16254 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
16255 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
16256
16257 @item show remotetimeout
16258 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
16259 responses.
16260
16261 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
16262 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
16263 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
16264 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
16265 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
16266 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
16267 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
16268 watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
16269
16270 @item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
16271 @itemx show remote exec-file
16272 @anchor{set remote exec-file}
16273 @cindex executable file, for remote target
16274 Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
16275 extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
16276 target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
16277 filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
16278
16279 @item set remote interrupt-sequence
16280 @cindex interrupt remote programs
16281 @cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
16282 Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
16283 @samp{BREAK-g} as the
16284 sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
16285 @samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
16286 is high level of serial line for some certain time.
16287 Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
16288 It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
16289
16290 @item show interrupt-sequence
16291 Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
16292 is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
16293 @code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
16294 also known as Magic SysRq g.
16295
16296 @item set remote interrupt-on-connect
16297 @cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
16298 Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
16299 @value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
16300 Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
16301 which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
16302
16303 @item show interrupt-on-connect
16304 Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
16305 to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
16306
16307 @kindex set tcp
16308 @kindex show tcp
16309 @item set tcp auto-retry on
16310 @cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
16311 Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
16312 debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
16313 condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
16314 before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
16315 enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
16316 to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
16317 @code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
16318
16319 @item set tcp auto-retry off
16320 Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
16321
16322 @item show tcp auto-retry
16323 Show the current auto-retry setting.
16324
16325 @item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
16326 @cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
16327 @cindex timeout, for remote target connection
16328 Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
16329 @var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
16330 (enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
16331 that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
16332 value.
16333
16334 @item show tcp connect-timeout
16335 Show the current connection timeout setting.
16336 @end table
16337
16338 @cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
16339 The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
16340 your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
16341 can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
16342 packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
16343 packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
16344 or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
16345 all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
16346 see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
16347
16348 During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
16349 If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
16350 in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
16351 @value{GDBN} developers.
16352
16353 For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
16354 packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
16355 are:
16356
16357 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
16358 @item Command Name
16359 @tab Remote Packet
16360 @tab Related Features
16361
16362 @item @code{fetch-register}
16363 @tab @code{p}
16364 @tab @code{info registers}
16365
16366 @item @code{set-register}
16367 @tab @code{P}
16368 @tab @code{set}
16369
16370 @item @code{binary-download}
16371 @tab @code{X}
16372 @tab @code{load}, @code{set}
16373
16374 @item @code{read-aux-vector}
16375 @tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
16376 @tab @code{info auxv}
16377
16378 @item @code{symbol-lookup}
16379 @tab @code{qSymbol}
16380 @tab Detecting multiple threads
16381
16382 @item @code{attach}
16383 @tab @code{vAttach}
16384 @tab @code{attach}
16385
16386 @item @code{verbose-resume}
16387 @tab @code{vCont}
16388 @tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
16389
16390 @item @code{run}
16391 @tab @code{vRun}
16392 @tab @code{run}
16393
16394 @item @code{software-breakpoint}
16395 @tab @code{Z0}
16396 @tab @code{break}
16397
16398 @item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
16399 @tab @code{Z1}
16400 @tab @code{hbreak}
16401
16402 @item @code{write-watchpoint}
16403 @tab @code{Z2}
16404 @tab @code{watch}
16405
16406 @item @code{read-watchpoint}
16407 @tab @code{Z3}
16408 @tab @code{rwatch}
16409
16410 @item @code{access-watchpoint}
16411 @tab @code{Z4}
16412 @tab @code{awatch}
16413
16414 @item @code{target-features}
16415 @tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
16416 @tab @code{set architecture}
16417
16418 @item @code{library-info}
16419 @tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
16420 @tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
16421
16422 @item @code{memory-map}
16423 @tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
16424 @tab @code{info mem}
16425
16426 @item @code{read-sdata-object}
16427 @tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
16428 @tab @code{print $_sdata}
16429
16430 @item @code{read-spu-object}
16431 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:read}
16432 @tab @code{info spu}
16433
16434 @item @code{write-spu-object}
16435 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:write}
16436 @tab @code{info spu}
16437
16438 @item @code{read-siginfo-object}
16439 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
16440 @tab @code{print $_siginfo}
16441
16442 @item @code{write-siginfo-object}
16443 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
16444 @tab @code{set $_siginfo}
16445
16446 @item @code{threads}
16447 @tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
16448 @tab @code{info threads}
16449
16450 @item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
16451 @tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
16452 @tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
16453
16454 @item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
16455 @tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
16456 @tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
16457
16458 @item @code{search-memory}
16459 @tab @code{qSearch:memory}
16460 @tab @code{find}
16461
16462 @item @code{supported-packets}
16463 @tab @code{qSupported}
16464 @tab Remote communications parameters
16465
16466 @item @code{pass-signals}
16467 @tab @code{QPassSignals}
16468 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
16469
16470 @item @code{hostio-close-packet}
16471 @tab @code{vFile:close}
16472 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
16473
16474 @item @code{hostio-open-packet}
16475 @tab @code{vFile:open}
16476 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
16477
16478 @item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
16479 @tab @code{vFile:pread}
16480 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
16481
16482 @item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
16483 @tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
16484 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
16485
16486 @item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
16487 @tab @code{vFile:unlink}
16488 @tab @code{remote delete}
16489
16490 @item @code{noack-packet}
16491 @tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
16492 @tab Packet acknowledgment
16493
16494 @item @code{osdata}
16495 @tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
16496 @tab @code{info os}
16497
16498 @item @code{query-attached}
16499 @tab @code{qAttached}
16500 @tab Querying remote process attach state.
16501 @end multitable
16502
16503 @node Remote Stub
16504 @section Implementing a Remote Stub
16505
16506 @cindex debugging stub, example
16507 @cindex remote stub, example
16508 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
16509 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
16510 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
16511 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
16512 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
16513 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
16514 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
16515 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
16516
16517 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
16518 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
16519 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
16520 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
16521 program, you need:
16522
16523 @enumerate
16524 @item
16525 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
16526 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
16527 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
16528
16529 @item
16530 A C subroutine library to support your program's
16531 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
16532
16533 @item
16534 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
16535 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
16536 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
16537 documentation.
16538 @end enumerate
16539
16540 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
16541 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
16542 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
16543
16544 @table @emph
16545 @item On the host,
16546 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
16547 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
16548 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
16549
16550 @item On the target,
16551 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
16552 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
16553 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
16554
16555 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
16556 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
16557 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
16558 @end table
16559
16560 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
16561 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
16562 @sc{sparc} boards.
16563
16564 @cindex remote serial stub list
16565 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
16566
16567 @table @code
16568
16569 @item i386-stub.c
16570 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
16571 @cindex Intel
16572 @cindex i386
16573 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
16574
16575 @item m68k-stub.c
16576 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
16577 @cindex Motorola 680x0
16578 @cindex m680x0
16579 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
16580
16581 @item sh-stub.c
16582 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
16583 @cindex Renesas
16584 @cindex SH
16585 For Renesas SH architectures.
16586
16587 @item sparc-stub.c
16588 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
16589 @cindex Sparc
16590 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
16591
16592 @item sparcl-stub.c
16593 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
16594 @cindex Fujitsu
16595 @cindex SparcLite
16596 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
16597
16598 @end table
16599
16600 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
16601 recently added stubs.
16602
16603 @menu
16604 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
16605 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
16606 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
16607 @end menu
16608
16609 @node Stub Contents
16610 @subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
16611
16612 @cindex remote serial stub
16613 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
16614 subroutines:
16615
16616 @table @code
16617 @item set_debug_traps
16618 @findex set_debug_traps
16619 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
16620 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
16621 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly near the
16622 beginning of your program.
16623
16624 @item handle_exception
16625 @findex handle_exception
16626 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
16627 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
16628 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
16629 run when a trap is triggered.
16630
16631 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
16632 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
16633 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
16634 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
16635 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
16636 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
16637 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
16638 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
16639 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
16640 machine.
16641
16642 @item breakpoint
16643 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
16644 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
16645 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
16646 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
16647 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
16648 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
16649 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
16650 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
16651 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
16652 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
16653 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
16654
16655 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
16656 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
16657 start of your debugging session.
16658 @end table
16659
16660 @node Bootstrapping
16661 @subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
16662
16663 @cindex remote stub, support routines
16664 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
16665 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
16666 debugging target machine.
16667
16668 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
16669 serial port.
16670
16671 @table @code
16672 @item int getDebugChar()
16673 @findex getDebugChar
16674 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
16675 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
16676 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
16677
16678 @item void putDebugChar(int)
16679 @findex putDebugChar
16680 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
16681 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
16682 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
16683 @end table
16684
16685 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
16686 @cindex interrupting remote targets
16687 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
16688 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
16689 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
16690 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
16691 remote system to stop.
16692
16693 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
16694 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
16695 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
16696 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
16697
16698 Other routines you need to supply are:
16699
16700 @table @code
16701 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
16702 @findex exceptionHandler
16703 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
16704 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
16705 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
16706 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
16707 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
16708 @var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
16709 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
16710 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
16711 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
16712 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
16713 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
16714 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
16715 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
16716
16717 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
16718 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
16719 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
16720 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
16721 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
16722
16723 @item void flush_i_cache()
16724 @findex flush_i_cache
16725 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
16726 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
16727 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
16728
16729 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
16730 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
16731 @end table
16732
16733 @noindent
16734 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
16735
16736 @table @code
16737 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
16738 @findex memset
16739 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
16740 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
16741 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
16742 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
16743 @end table
16744
16745 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
16746 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
16747 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
16748 subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
16749
16750
16751 @node Debug Session
16752 @subsection Putting it All Together
16753
16754 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
16755 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
16756 steps.
16757
16758 @enumerate
16759 @item
16760 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
16761 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
16762 @display
16763 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
16764 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
16765 @end display
16766
16767 @item
16768 Insert these lines near the top of your program:
16769
16770 @smallexample
16771 set_debug_traps();
16772 breakpoint();
16773 @end smallexample
16774
16775 @item
16776 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
16777 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
16778
16779 @smallexample
16780 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
16781 @end smallexample
16782
16783 @noindent
16784 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
16785 function in your program, that function is called when
16786 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
16787 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
16788 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
16789
16790 @item
16791 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
16792 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
16793
16794 @item
16795 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
16796 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
16797
16798 @item
16799 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
16800 @c document that. FIXME.
16801 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
16802 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
16803
16804 @item
16805 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
16806 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
16807
16808 @end enumerate
16809
16810 @node Configurations
16811 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
16812
16813 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
16814 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
16815 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
16816
16817 There are three major categories of configurations: native
16818 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
16819 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
16820 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
16821 are quite different from each other.
16822
16823 @menu
16824 * Native::
16825 * Embedded OS::
16826 * Embedded Processors::
16827 * Architectures::
16828 @end menu
16829
16830 @node Native
16831 @section Native
16832
16833 This section describes details specific to particular native
16834 configurations.
16835
16836 @menu
16837 * HP-UX:: HP-UX
16838 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
16839 * SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
16840 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
16841 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
16842 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
16843 * Neutrino:: Features specific to QNX Neutrino
16844 * Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
16845 @end menu
16846
16847 @node HP-UX
16848 @subsection HP-UX
16849
16850 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
16851 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
16852 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
16853
16854
16855 @node BSD libkvm Interface
16856 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
16857
16858 @cindex libkvm
16859 @cindex kernel memory image
16860 @cindex kernel crash dump
16861
16862 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
16863 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
16864 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
16865 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
16866 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
16867 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
16868 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
16869 @code{kvm} target:
16870
16871 @smallexample
16872 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
16873 @end smallexample
16874
16875 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
16876 argument:
16877
16878 @smallexample
16879 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
16880 @end smallexample
16881
16882 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
16883 available:
16884
16885 @table @code
16886 @kindex kvm
16887 @item kvm pcb
16888 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
16889
16890 @item kvm proc
16891 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
16892 modern FreeBSD systems.
16893 @end table
16894
16895 @node SVR4 Process Information
16896 @subsection SVR4 Process Information
16897 @cindex /proc
16898 @cindex examine process image
16899 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
16900
16901 Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
16902 @samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
16903 process using file-system subroutines. If @value{GDBN} is configured
16904 for an operating system with this facility, the command @code{info
16905 proc} is available to report information about the process running
16906 your program, or about any process running on your system. @code{info
16907 proc} works only on SVR4 systems that include the @code{procfs} code.
16908 This includes, as of this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital
16909 Unix), Solaris, Irix, and Unixware, but not HP-UX, for example.
16910
16911 @table @code
16912 @kindex info proc
16913 @cindex process ID
16914 @item info proc
16915 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
16916 Summarize available information about any running process. If a
16917 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
16918 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
16919 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
16920 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
16921 executable file's absolute file name.
16922
16923 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
16924 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
16925 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
16926 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
16927 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
16928 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
16929
16930 @item info proc mappings
16931 @cindex memory address space mappings
16932 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
16933 information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
16934 rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
16935 includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
16936 memory access rights to that range.
16937
16938 @item info proc stat
16939 @itemx info proc status
16940 @cindex process detailed status information
16941 These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
16942 the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
16943 how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
16944 the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
16945 consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
16946 value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
16947 (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
16948
16949 @item info proc all
16950 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
16951 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
16952
16953 @ignore
16954 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
16955 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
16956 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
16957 @kindex info proc times
16958 @item info proc times
16959 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
16960 its children.
16961
16962 @kindex info proc id
16963 @item info proc id
16964 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
16965 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
16966 @end ignore
16967
16968 @item set procfs-trace
16969 @kindex set procfs-trace
16970 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
16971 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
16972
16973 @item show procfs-trace
16974 @kindex show procfs-trace
16975 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
16976
16977 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
16978 @kindex set procfs-file
16979 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
16980 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
16981 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
16982 standard output.
16983
16984 @item show procfs-file
16985 @kindex show procfs-file
16986 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
16987
16988 @item proc-trace-entry
16989 @itemx proc-trace-exit
16990 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
16991 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
16992 @kindex proc-trace-entry
16993 @kindex proc-trace-exit
16994 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
16995 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
16996 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
16997 from the @code{syscall} interface.
16998
16999 @item info pidlist
17000 @kindex info pidlist
17001 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
17002 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
17003 processes and all the threads within each process.
17004
17005 @item info meminfo
17006 @kindex info meminfo
17007 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
17008 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
17009 @end table
17010
17011 @node DJGPP Native
17012 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
17013 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
17014 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
17015 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
17016
17017 @cindex DPMI
17018 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
17019 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
17020 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
17021 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
17022
17023 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
17024 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
17025 subsection describes those commands.
17026
17027 @table @code
17028 @kindex info dos
17029 @item info dos
17030 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
17031 information about the target system and important OS structures.
17032
17033 @kindex sysinfo
17034 @cindex MS-DOS system info
17035 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
17036 @item info dos sysinfo
17037 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
17038 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
17039 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
17040
17041 @cindex GDT
17042 @cindex LDT
17043 @cindex IDT
17044 @cindex segment descriptor tables
17045 @cindex descriptor tables display
17046 @item info dos gdt
17047 @itemx info dos ldt
17048 @itemx info dos idt
17049 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
17050 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
17051 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
17052 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
17053 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
17054 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
17055 rights.
17056
17057 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
17058 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
17059 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
17060 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
17061 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
17062
17063 @cindex garbled pointers
17064 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
17065 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
17066 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
17067 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
17068 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
17069 debugged program's data segment:
17070
17071 @smallexample
17072 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
17073 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
17074 @end smallexample
17075
17076 @noindent
17077 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
17078 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
17079
17080 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
17081 @item info dos pde
17082 @itemx info dos pte
17083 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
17084 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
17085 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
17086 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
17087 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
17088 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
17089 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
17090 that is currently in use.
17091
17092 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
17093 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
17094 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
17095 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
17096 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
17097 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
17098 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
17099
17100 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
17101 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
17102 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
17103 controller.
17104
17105 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
17106
17107 @cindex physical address from linear address
17108 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
17109 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
17110 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
17111 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
17112 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
17113 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
17114 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
17115
17116 @smallexample
17117 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
17118 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
17119 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
17120 @end smallexample
17121
17122 @noindent
17123 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
17124 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
17125 attributes of that page.
17126
17127 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
17128 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
17129 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
17130 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
17131 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
17132 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
17133
17134 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
17135 transfer buffer:
17136
17137 @smallexample
17138 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
17139 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
17140 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
17141 @end smallexample
17142
17143 @noindent
17144 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
17145 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
17146 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
17147 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
17148 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
17149
17150 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
17151 @end table
17152
17153 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
17154 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
17155 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
17156 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
17157
17158 @table @code
17159 @kindex set com1base
17160 @kindex set com1irq
17161 @kindex set com2base
17162 @kindex set com2irq
17163 @kindex set com3base
17164 @kindex set com3irq
17165 @kindex set com4base
17166 @kindex set com4irq
17167 @item set com1base @var{addr}
17168 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
17169 port.
17170
17171 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
17172 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
17173 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
17174
17175 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
17176 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
17177 other 3 COM ports.
17178
17179 @kindex show com1base
17180 @kindex show com1irq
17181 @kindex show com2base
17182 @kindex show com2irq
17183 @kindex show com3base
17184 @kindex show com3irq
17185 @kindex show com4base
17186 @kindex show com4irq
17187 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
17188 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
17189 lines used by the COM ports.
17190
17191 @item info serial
17192 @kindex info serial
17193 @cindex DOS serial port status
17194 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
17195 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
17196 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
17197 counts of various errors encountered so far.
17198 @end table
17199
17200
17201 @node Cygwin Native
17202 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
17203 @cindex MS Windows debugging
17204 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
17205 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
17206
17207 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
17208 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
17209
17210 @cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
17211 @cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
17212 MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
17213 special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
17214 by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
17215 supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
17216 sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
17217 ignores @kbd{C-c}.
17218
17219 There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
17220 this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
17221 described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
17222
17223 @table @code
17224 @kindex info w32
17225 @item info w32
17226 This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
17227 information about the target system and important OS structures.
17228
17229 @item info w32 selector
17230 This command displays information returned by
17231 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
17232 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
17233 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
17234 Without argument, this command displays information
17235 about the six segment registers.
17236
17237 @item info w32 thread-information-block
17238 This command displays thread specific information stored in the
17239 Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
17240 selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
17241
17242 @kindex info dll
17243 @item info dll
17244 This is a Cygwin-specific alias of @code{info shared}.
17245
17246 @kindex dll-symbols
17247 @item dll-symbols
17248 This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
17249 add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
17250
17251 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
17252 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
17253 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
17254 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
17255 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
17256 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
17257 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
17258 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
17259 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
17260 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
17261 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
17262
17263 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
17264 @item show cygwin-exceptions
17265 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
17266 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
17267
17268 @kindex set new-console
17269 @item set new-console @var{mode}
17270 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
17271 be started in a new console on next start.
17272 If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
17273 be started in the same console as the debugger.
17274
17275 @kindex show new-console
17276 @item show new-console
17277 Displays whether a new console is used
17278 when the debuggee is started.
17279
17280 @kindex set new-group
17281 @item set new-group @var{mode}
17282 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
17283 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
17284 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
17285 @samp{Ctrl-C}.
17286
17287 @kindex show new-group
17288 @item show new-group
17289 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
17290
17291 @kindex set debugevents
17292 @item set debugevents
17293 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
17294 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
17295 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
17296 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
17297 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
17298
17299 @kindex set debugexec
17300 @item set debugexec
17301 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
17302 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
17303
17304 @kindex set debugexceptions
17305 @item set debugexceptions
17306 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
17307 debuggee seen by the debugger.
17308
17309 @kindex set debugmemory
17310 @item set debugmemory
17311 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
17312 and writes by the debugger.
17313
17314 @kindex set shell
17315 @item set shell
17316 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
17317 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
17318
17319 @kindex show shell
17320 @item show shell
17321 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
17322
17323 @end table
17324
17325 @menu
17326 * Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
17327 @end menu
17328
17329 @node Non-debug DLL Symbols
17330 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
17331 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
17332 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
17333
17334 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
17335 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
17336 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
17337 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
17338 information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
17339 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
17340 ``minimal symbols''.
17341
17342 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
17343 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
17344 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
17345 program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
17346 @value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
17347 see the shared library information in @ref{Files}, or the
17348 @code{dll-symbols} command in @ref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
17349 explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
17350 cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
17351 which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
17352
17353 @subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
17354
17355 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
17356 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
17357 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
17358 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
17359 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
17360 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
17361 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
17362 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
17363 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
17364
17365 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
17366 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
17367 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
17368 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
17369 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
17370 (@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
17371
17372 @smallexample
17373 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
17374 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
17375
17376 Non-debugging symbols:
17377 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
17378 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
17379 @end smallexample
17380
17381 @smallexample
17382 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
17383 All functions matching regular expression "!":
17384
17385 Non-debugging symbols:
17386 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
17387 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
17388 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
17389 [etc...]
17390 @end smallexample
17391
17392 @subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
17393
17394 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
17395 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
17396 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
17397 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
17398 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
17399 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
17400 a function within a DLL without a running program.
17401
17402 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
17403 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
17404 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
17405 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
17406 problem:
17407
17408 @smallexample
17409 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
17410 $1 = 268572168
17411 @end smallexample
17412
17413 @smallexample
17414 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
17415 0x10021610: "\230y\""
17416 @end smallexample
17417
17418 And two possible solutions:
17419
17420 @smallexample
17421 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
17422 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
17423 @end smallexample
17424
17425 @smallexample
17426 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
17427 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
17428 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
17429 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
17430 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
17431 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
17432 @end smallexample
17433
17434 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
17435 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
17436 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
17437 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
17438 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
17439
17440 @smallexample
17441 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
17442 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
17443 @end smallexample
17444
17445 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
17446 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
17447 safe.
17448
17449 @node Hurd Native
17450 @subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
17451 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
17452
17453 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
17454 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
17455
17456 @table @code
17457 @item set signals
17458 @itemx set sigs
17459 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
17460 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
17461 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
17462 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
17463 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
17464 @code{signals}.
17465
17466 @item show signals
17467 @itemx show sigs
17468 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
17469 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
17470 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
17471
17472 @item set signal-thread
17473 @itemx set sigthread
17474 @kindex set signal-thread
17475 @kindex set sigthread
17476 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
17477 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
17478 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
17479 signal-thread}.
17480
17481 @item show signal-thread
17482 @itemx show sigthread
17483 @kindex show signal-thread
17484 @kindex show sigthread
17485 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
17486 delivered a signal.
17487
17488 @item set stopped
17489 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
17490 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
17491 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
17492 continued by delivering a signal to it.
17493
17494 @item show stopped
17495 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
17496 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
17497 stopped.
17498
17499 @item set exceptions
17500 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
17501 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
17502 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
17503 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
17504 trapping on.
17505
17506 @item show exceptions
17507 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
17508 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
17509
17510 @item set task pause
17511 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
17512 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
17513 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
17514 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
17515 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
17516 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
17517 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
17518 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
17519 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
17520
17521 @item show task pause
17522 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
17523 Show the current state of task suspension.
17524
17525 @item set task detach-suspend-count
17526 @cindex task suspend count
17527 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17528 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
17529 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
17530
17531 @item show task detach-suspend-count
17532 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
17533
17534 @item set task exception-port
17535 @itemx set task excp
17536 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17537 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
17538 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
17539 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
17540
17541 @item set noninvasive
17542 @cindex noninvasive task options
17543 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
17544 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
17545 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
17546 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
17547
17548 @item info send-rights
17549 @itemx info receive-rights
17550 @itemx info port-rights
17551 @itemx info port-sets
17552 @itemx info dead-names
17553 @itemx info ports
17554 @itemx info psets
17555 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17556 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17557 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17558 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17559 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17560 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
17561 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
17562 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
17563 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
17564
17565 @item set thread pause
17566 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
17567 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17568 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
17569 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
17570 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
17571 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
17572 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
17573 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
17574 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
17575 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
17576 only the current thread.
17577
17578 @item show thread pause
17579 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
17580 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
17581
17582 @item set thread run
17583 This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
17584
17585 @item show thread run
17586 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
17587
17588 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
17589 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17590 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17591 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
17592 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
17593 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
17594 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
17595
17596 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
17597 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
17598 detaching.
17599
17600 @item set thread exception-port
17601 @itemx set thread excp
17602 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
17603 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
17604 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
17605
17606 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
17607 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
17608 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
17609 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
17610
17611 @item set thread default
17612 @itemx show thread default
17613 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
17614 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
17615 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
17616 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
17617 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
17618 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
17619 the non-default commands.
17620 @end table
17621
17622
17623 @node Neutrino
17624 @subsection QNX Neutrino
17625 @cindex QNX Neutrino
17626
17627 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the QNX
17628 Neutrino target:
17629
17630 @table @code
17631 @item set debug nto-debug
17632 @kindex set debug nto-debug
17633 When set to on, enables debugging messages specific to the QNX
17634 Neutrino support.
17635
17636 @item show debug nto-debug
17637 @kindex show debug nto-debug
17638 Show the current state of QNX Neutrino messages.
17639 @end table
17640
17641 @node Darwin
17642 @subsection Darwin
17643 @cindex Darwin
17644
17645 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
17646
17647 @table @code
17648 @item set debug darwin @var{num}
17649 @kindex set debug darwin
17650 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
17651 the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
17652
17653 @item show debug darwin
17654 @kindex show debug darwin
17655 Show the current state of Darwin messages.
17656
17657 @item set debug mach-o @var{num}
17658 @kindex set debug mach-o
17659 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
17660 @value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
17661 file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
17662 values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
17663 problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
17664 usage.
17665
17666 @item show debug mach-o
17667 @kindex show debug mach-o
17668 Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
17669
17670 @item set mach-exceptions on
17671 @itemx set mach-exceptions off
17672 @kindex set mach-exceptions
17673 On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
17674 mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
17675 Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
17676 better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
17677
17678 @item show mach-exceptions
17679 @kindex show mach-exceptions
17680 Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
17681 @end table
17682
17683
17684 @node Embedded OS
17685 @section Embedded Operating Systems
17686
17687 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
17688 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
17689 architectures.
17690
17691 @menu
17692 * VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
17693 @end menu
17694
17695 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
17696 various real-time operating systems.
17697
17698 @node VxWorks
17699 @subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
17700
17701 @cindex VxWorks
17702
17703 @table @code
17704
17705 @kindex target vxworks
17706 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
17707 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
17708 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
17709
17710 @end table
17711
17712 On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
17713 current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
17714
17715 @value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
17716 VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
17717 the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
17718 both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
17719 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
17720 installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
17721 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
17722
17723 @table @code
17724 @item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
17725 @kindex vxworks-timeout
17726 All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
17727 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
17728 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
17729 your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
17730 of a thin network line.
17731 @end table
17732
17733 The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
17734 this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
17735 procedures.
17736
17737 @findex INCLUDE_RDB
17738 To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
17739 to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
17740 library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
17741 VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
17742 kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
17743 source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
17744 information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
17745 manual.
17746 @c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
17747
17748 Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
17749 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
17750 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
17751 @code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
17752
17753 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
17754
17755 @smallexample
17756 (vxgdb)
17757 @end smallexample
17758
17759 @menu
17760 * VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
17761 * VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
17762 * VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
17763 @end menu
17764
17765 @node VxWorks Connection
17766 @subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
17767
17768 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
17769 network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
17770
17771 @smallexample
17772 (vxgdb) target vxworks tt
17773 @end smallexample
17774
17775 @need 750
17776 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
17777
17778 @smallexample
17779 Attaching remote machine across net...
17780 Connected to tt.
17781 @end smallexample
17782
17783 @need 1000
17784 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
17785 loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
17786 these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
17787 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}); if it fails
17788 to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
17789
17790 @smallexample
17791 prog.o: No such file or directory.
17792 @end smallexample
17793
17794 When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
17795 the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
17796 command again.
17797
17798 @node VxWorks Download
17799 @subsubsection VxWorks Download
17800
17801 @cindex download to VxWorks
17802 If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
17803 object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
17804 @code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
17805 incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
17806 command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
17807 to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
17808 table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
17809 the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
17810 filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
17811 Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
17812 to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
17813 the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
17814 @file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
17815 and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
17816 program, type this on VxWorks:
17817
17818 @smallexample
17819 -> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
17820 @end smallexample
17821
17822 @noindent
17823 Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
17824
17825 @smallexample
17826 (vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
17827 (vxgdb) load prog.o
17828 @end smallexample
17829
17830 @value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
17831
17832 @smallexample
17833 Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
17834 @end smallexample
17835
17836 You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
17837 after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
17838 this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
17839 auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
17840 history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
17841 debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
17842 table.)
17843
17844 @node VxWorks Attach
17845 @subsubsection Running Tasks
17846
17847 @cindex running VxWorks tasks
17848 You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
17849 follows:
17850
17851 @smallexample
17852 (vxgdb) attach @var{task}
17853 @end smallexample
17854
17855 @noindent
17856 where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
17857 or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
17858 the time of attachment.
17859
17860 @node Embedded Processors
17861 @section Embedded Processors
17862
17863 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
17864 configurations.
17865
17866 @cindex send command to simulator
17867 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
17868 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
17869
17870 @table @code
17871 @item sim @var{command}
17872 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
17873 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
17874 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
17875 acceptable commands.
17876 @end table
17877
17878
17879 @menu
17880 * ARM:: ARM RDI
17881 * M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
17882 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
17883 * MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
17884 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
17885 * OpenRISC 1000:: OpenRisc 1000
17886 * PA:: HP PA Embedded
17887 * PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
17888 * Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
17889 * Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
17890 * Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
17891 * AVR:: Atmel AVR
17892 * CRIS:: CRIS
17893 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
17894 @end menu
17895
17896 @node ARM
17897 @subsection ARM
17898 @cindex ARM RDI
17899
17900 @table @code
17901 @kindex target rdi
17902 @item target rdi @var{dev}
17903 ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
17904 use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
17905 monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
17906
17907 @kindex target rdp
17908 @item target rdp @var{dev}
17909 ARM Demon monitor.
17910
17911 @end table
17912
17913 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
17914
17915 @table @code
17916 @item set arm disassembler
17917 @kindex set arm
17918 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
17919 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
17920
17921 @item show arm disassembler
17922 @kindex show arm
17923 Show the current disassembly style.
17924
17925 @item set arm apcs32
17926 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
17927 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
17928
17929 @item show arm apcs32
17930 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
17931
17932 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
17933 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
17934 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
17935
17936 @table @code
17937 @item auto
17938 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
17939 @item softfpa
17940 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
17941 processors.
17942 @item fpa
17943 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
17944 @item softvfp
17945 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
17946 @item vfp
17947 VFP co-processor.
17948 @end table
17949
17950 @item show arm fpu
17951 Show the current type of the FPU.
17952
17953 @item set arm abi
17954 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
17955
17956 @item show arm abi
17957 Show the currently used ABI.
17958
17959 @item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
17960 @value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
17961 whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
17962 @value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
17963 available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
17964 use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
17965 register).
17966
17967 @item show arm fallback-mode
17968 Show the current fallback instruction mode.
17969
17970 @item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
17971 This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
17972 instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
17973 causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
17974 of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
17975
17976 @item show arm force-mode
17977 Show the current forced instruction mode.
17978
17979 @item set debug arm
17980 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
17981 target support subsystem.
17982
17983 @item show debug arm
17984 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
17985 @end table
17986
17987 The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
17988 using the RDI interface:
17989
17990 @table @code
17991 @item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
17992 @kindex rdilogfile
17993 @cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
17994 Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
17995 With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
17996 no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
17997 @file{rdi.log}.
17998
17999 @item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
18000 @kindex rdilogenable
18001 Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
18002 enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
18003 no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
18004 ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
18005 are logged to a file.
18006
18007 @item set rdiromatzero
18008 @kindex set rdiromatzero
18009 @cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
18010 Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
18011 vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
18012 (the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
18013 effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
18014
18015 @item show rdiromatzero
18016 @kindex show rdiromatzero
18017 Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
18018
18019 @item set rdiheartbeat
18020 @kindex set rdiheartbeat
18021 @cindex RDI heartbeat
18022 Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
18023 turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
18024 well as the Angel monitor.
18025
18026 @item show rdiheartbeat
18027 @kindex show rdiheartbeat
18028 Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
18029 @end table
18030
18031 @table @code
18032 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
18033 The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
18034
18035 @table @code
18036 @item --swi-support=@var{type}
18037 Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support.
18038 @var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
18039 The default value is @code{all}.
18040
18041 @table @code
18042 @item none
18043 @item demon
18044 @item angel
18045 @item redboot
18046 @item all
18047 @end table
18048 @end table
18049 @end table
18050
18051 @node M32R/D
18052 @subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
18053
18054 @table @code
18055 @kindex target m32r
18056 @item target m32r @var{dev}
18057 Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
18058
18059 @kindex target m32rsdi
18060 @item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
18061 Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
18062 @end table
18063
18064 The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
18065
18066 @table @code
18067 @item set download-path @var{path}
18068 @kindex set download-path
18069 @cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
18070 Set the default path for finding downloadable @sc{srec} files.
18071
18072 @item show download-path
18073 @kindex show download-path
18074 Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
18075
18076 @item set board-address @var{addr}
18077 @kindex set board-address
18078 @cindex M32-EVA target board address
18079 Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
18080
18081 @item show board-address
18082 @kindex show board-address
18083 Show the current IP address of the target board.
18084
18085 @item set server-address @var{addr}
18086 @kindex set server-address
18087 @cindex download server address (M32R)
18088 Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
18089 host machine.
18090
18091 @item show server-address
18092 @kindex show server-address
18093 Display the IP address of the download server.
18094
18095 @item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
18096 @kindex upload@r{, M32R}
18097 Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
18098 upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
18099 executable file is uploaded.
18100
18101 @item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
18102 @kindex tload@r{, M32R}
18103 Test the @code{upload} command.
18104 @end table
18105
18106 The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
18107
18108 @table @code
18109 @item sdireset
18110 @kindex sdireset
18111 @cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
18112 This command resets the SDI connection.
18113
18114 @item sdistatus
18115 @kindex sdistatus
18116 This command shows the SDI connection status.
18117
18118 @item debug_chaos
18119 @kindex debug_chaos
18120 @cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
18121 Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
18122
18123 @item use_debug_dma
18124 @kindex use_debug_dma
18125 Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
18126
18127 @item use_mon_code
18128 @kindex use_mon_code
18129 Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
18130
18131 @item use_ib_break
18132 @kindex use_ib_break
18133 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
18134
18135 @item use_dbt_break
18136 @kindex use_dbt_break
18137 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
18138 @end table
18139
18140 @node M68K
18141 @subsection M68k
18142
18143 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and a
18144 target command for the following ROM monitor.
18145
18146 @table @code
18147
18148 @kindex target dbug
18149 @item target dbug @var{dev}
18150 dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
18151
18152 @end table
18153
18154 @node MicroBlaze
18155 @subsection MicroBlaze
18156 @cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
18157 @cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
18158
18159 The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
18160 FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
18161 usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
18162 Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
18163 This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
18164 the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
18165 communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
18166 presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
18167 @code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
18168 this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
18169 commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
18170
18171 Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
18172
18173 @table @code
18174 @item target remote :1234
18175 Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
18176 on the same system as @code{xmd}.
18177
18178 @item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
18179 Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
18180 running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
18181
18182 @item load
18183 Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
18184
18185 @item set debug microblaze @var{n}
18186 Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
18187
18188 @item show debug microblaze @var{n}
18189 Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
18190 @end table
18191
18192 @node MIPS Embedded
18193 @subsection MIPS Embedded
18194
18195 @cindex MIPS boards
18196 @value{GDBN} can use the MIPS remote debugging protocol to talk to a
18197 MIPS board attached to a serial line. This is available when
18198 you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-idt-ecoff}.
18199
18200 @need 1000
18201 Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
18202
18203 @table @code
18204 @item target mips @var{port}
18205 @kindex target mips @var{port}
18206 To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
18207 name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
18208 command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
18209 the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
18210 been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
18211 download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
18212
18213 For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
18214 port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
18215 debugger:
18216
18217 @smallexample
18218 host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
18219 @value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
18220 (@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
18221 (@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
18222 (@value{GDBP}) run
18223 @end smallexample
18224
18225 @item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
18226 On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
18227 connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
18228 concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
18229 @samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
18230
18231 @item target pmon @var{port}
18232 @kindex target pmon @var{port}
18233 PMON ROM monitor.
18234
18235 @item target ddb @var{port}
18236 @kindex target ddb @var{port}
18237 NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
18238
18239 @item target lsi @var{port}
18240 @kindex target lsi @var{port}
18241 LSI variant of PMON.
18242
18243 @kindex target r3900
18244 @item target r3900 @var{dev}
18245 Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
18246
18247 @kindex target array
18248 @item target array @var{dev}
18249 Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
18250
18251 @end table
18252
18253
18254 @noindent
18255 @value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for MIPS targets:
18256
18257 @table @code
18258 @item set mipsfpu double
18259 @itemx set mipsfpu single
18260 @itemx set mipsfpu none
18261 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
18262 @itemx show mipsfpu
18263 @kindex set mipsfpu
18264 @kindex show mipsfpu
18265 @cindex MIPS remote floating point
18266 @cindex floating point, MIPS remote
18267 If your target board does not support the MIPS floating point
18268 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
18269 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
18270 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
18271 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
18272 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
18273 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
18274 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
18275 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
18276 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
18277 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
18278
18279 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
18280 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
18281 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
18282
18283 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
18284 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
18285
18286 @item set timeout @var{seconds}
18287 @itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
18288 @itemx show timeout
18289 @itemx show retransmit-timeout
18290 @cindex @code{timeout}, MIPS protocol
18291 @cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, MIPS protocol
18292 @kindex set timeout
18293 @kindex show timeout
18294 @kindex set retransmit-timeout
18295 @kindex show retransmit-timeout
18296 You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the MIPS
18297 remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
18298 default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
18299 waiting for an acknowledgment of a packet with the @code{set
18300 retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
18301 You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
18302 retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
18303 @value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-idt-ecoff}.)
18304
18305 The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
18306 is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
18307 forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
18308 to run before stopping.
18309
18310 @item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
18311 @kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
18312 @cindex synchronize with remote MIPS target
18313 Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
18314 it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
18315 characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
18316
18317 @item show syn-garbage-limit
18318 @kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
18319 Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
18320 trying to synchronize with the remote system.
18321
18322 @item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
18323 @kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
18324 @cindex remote monitor prompt
18325 Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
18326 remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
18327 @table @asis
18328 @item pmon target
18329 @samp{PMON}
18330 @item ddb target
18331 @samp{NEC010}
18332 @item lsi target
18333 @samp{PMON>}
18334 @end table
18335
18336 @item show monitor-prompt
18337 @kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
18338 Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
18339 remote monitor.
18340
18341 @item set monitor-warnings
18342 @kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
18343 Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
18344 has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
18345 display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
18346 PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
18347
18348 @item show monitor-warnings
18349 @kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
18350 Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
18351
18352 @item pmon @var{command}
18353 @kindex pmon@r{, MIPS remote}
18354 @cindex send PMON command
18355 This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
18356 monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
18357 @end table
18358
18359 @node OpenRISC 1000
18360 @subsection OpenRISC 1000
18361 @cindex OpenRISC 1000
18362
18363 @cindex or1k boards
18364 See OR1k Architecture document (@uref{www.opencores.org}) for more information
18365 about platform and commands.
18366
18367 @table @code
18368
18369 @kindex target jtag
18370 @item target jtag jtag://@var{host}:@var{port}
18371
18372 Connects to remote JTAG server.
18373 JTAG remote server can be either an or1ksim or JTAG server,
18374 connected via parallel port to the board.
18375
18376 Example: @code{target jtag jtag://localhost:9999}
18377
18378 @kindex or1ksim
18379 @item or1ksim @var{command}
18380 If connected to @code{or1ksim} OpenRISC 1000 Architectural
18381 Simulator, proprietary commands can be executed.
18382
18383 @kindex info or1k spr
18384 @item info or1k spr
18385 Displays spr groups.
18386
18387 @item info or1k spr @var{group}
18388 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno}
18389 Displays register names in selected group.
18390
18391 @item info or1k spr @var{group} @var{register}
18392 @itemx info or1k spr @var{register}
18393 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno}
18394 @itemx info or1k spr @var{registerno}
18395 Shows information about specified spr register.
18396
18397 @kindex spr
18398 @item spr @var{group} @var{register} @var{value}
18399 @itemx spr @var{register @var{value}}
18400 @itemx spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno @var{value}}
18401 @itemx spr @var{registerno @var{value}}
18402 Writes @var{value} to specified spr register.
18403 @end table
18404
18405 Some implementations of OpenRISC 1000 Architecture also have hardware trace.
18406 It is very similar to @value{GDBN} trace, except it does not interfere with normal
18407 program execution and is thus much faster. Hardware breakpoints/watchpoint
18408 triggers can be set using:
18409 @table @code
18410 @item $LEA/$LDATA
18411 Load effective address/data
18412 @item $SEA/$SDATA
18413 Store effective address/data
18414 @item $AEA/$ADATA
18415 Access effective address ($SEA or $LEA) or data ($SDATA/$LDATA)
18416 @item $FETCH
18417 Fetch data
18418 @end table
18419
18420 When triggered, it can capture low level data, like: @code{PC}, @code{LSEA},
18421 @code{LDATA}, @code{SDATA}, @code{READSPR}, @code{WRITESPR}, @code{INSTR}.
18422
18423 @code{htrace} commands:
18424 @cindex OpenRISC 1000 htrace
18425 @table @code
18426 @kindex hwatch
18427 @item hwatch @var{conditional}
18428 Set hardware watchpoint on combination of Load/Store Effective Address(es)
18429 or Data. For example:
18430
18431 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
18432
18433 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
18434
18435 @kindex htrace
18436 @item htrace info
18437 Display information about current HW trace configuration.
18438
18439 @item htrace trigger @var{conditional}
18440 Set starting criteria for HW trace.
18441
18442 @item htrace qualifier @var{conditional}
18443 Set acquisition qualifier for HW trace.
18444
18445 @item htrace stop @var{conditional}
18446 Set HW trace stopping criteria.
18447
18448 @item htrace record [@var{data}]*
18449 Selects the data to be recorded, when qualifier is met and HW trace was
18450 triggered.
18451
18452 @item htrace enable
18453 @itemx htrace disable
18454 Enables/disables the HW trace.
18455
18456 @item htrace rewind [@var{filename}]
18457 Clears currently recorded trace data.
18458
18459 If filename is specified, new trace file is made and any newly collected data
18460 will be written there.
18461
18462 @item htrace print [@var{start} [@var{len}]]
18463 Prints trace buffer, using current record configuration.
18464
18465 @item htrace mode continuous
18466 Set continuous trace mode.
18467
18468 @item htrace mode suspend
18469 Set suspend trace mode.
18470
18471 @end table
18472
18473 @node PowerPC Embedded
18474 @subsection PowerPC Embedded
18475
18476 @value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
18477
18478 @table @code
18479 @kindex set powerpc
18480 @item set powerpc soft-float
18481 @itemx show powerpc soft-float
18482 Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
18483 convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
18484 on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
18485
18486 @item set powerpc vector-abi
18487 @itemx show powerpc vector-abi
18488 Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
18489 arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
18490 @samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
18491 @samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
18492 registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
18493 based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
18494
18495 @kindex target dink32
18496 @item target dink32 @var{dev}
18497 DINK32 ROM monitor.
18498
18499 @kindex target ppcbug
18500 @item target ppcbug @var{dev}
18501 @kindex target ppcbug1
18502 @item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
18503 PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
18504
18505 @kindex target sds
18506 @item target sds @var{dev}
18507 SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
18508 @end table
18509
18510 @cindex SDS protocol
18511 The following commands specific to the SDS protocol are supported
18512 by @value{GDBN}:
18513
18514 @table @code
18515 @item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
18516 @kindex set sdstimeout
18517 Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
18518 default is 2 seconds.
18519
18520 @item show sdstimeout
18521 @kindex show sdstimeout
18522 Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
18523
18524 @item sds @var{command}
18525 @kindex sds@r{, a command}
18526 Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
18527 @end table
18528
18529
18530 @node PA
18531 @subsection HP PA Embedded
18532
18533 @table @code
18534
18535 @kindex target op50n
18536 @item target op50n @var{dev}
18537 OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
18538
18539 @kindex target w89k
18540 @item target w89k @var{dev}
18541 W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
18542
18543 @end table
18544
18545 @node Sparclet
18546 @subsection Tsqware Sparclet
18547
18548 @cindex Sparclet
18549
18550 @value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
18551 Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
18552 @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
18553 both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
18554 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
18555
18556 @table @code
18557 @item remotetimeout @var{args}
18558 @kindex remotetimeout
18559 @value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
18560 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
18561 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
18562 @end table
18563
18564 @cindex compiling, on Sparclet
18565 When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
18566 information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
18567 load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
18568 @samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
18569
18570 @smallexample
18571 sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
18572 @end smallexample
18573
18574 You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
18575
18576 @smallexample
18577 sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
18578 @end smallexample
18579
18580 @cindex running, on Sparclet
18581 Once you have set
18582 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
18583 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
18584 (or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
18585
18586 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
18587
18588 @smallexample
18589 (gdbslet)
18590 @end smallexample
18591
18592 @menu
18593 * Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
18594 * Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
18595 * Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
18596 * Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
18597 @end menu
18598
18599 @node Sparclet File
18600 @subsubsection Setting File to Debug
18601
18602 The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
18603
18604 @smallexample
18605 (gdbslet) file prog
18606 @end smallexample
18607
18608 @need 1000
18609 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
18610 @value{GDBN} locates
18611 the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
18612 path.
18613 If the file was compiled with debug information (option @samp{-g}), source
18614 files will be searched as well.
18615 @value{GDBN} locates
18616 the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
18617 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}).
18618 If it fails
18619 to find a file, it displays a message such as:
18620
18621 @smallexample
18622 prog: No such file or directory.
18623 @end smallexample
18624
18625 When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
18626 the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
18627 @code{target} command again.
18628
18629 @node Sparclet Connection
18630 @subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
18631
18632 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
18633 To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
18634
18635 @smallexample
18636 (gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
18637 Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
18638 main () at ../prog.c:3
18639 @end smallexample
18640
18641 @need 750
18642 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
18643
18644 @smallexample
18645 Connected to ttya.
18646 @end smallexample
18647
18648 @node Sparclet Download
18649 @subsubsection Sparclet Download
18650
18651 @cindex download to Sparclet
18652 Once connected to the Sparclet target,
18653 you can use the @value{GDBN}
18654 @code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
18655 The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
18656 command.
18657 Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
18658 address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
18659 offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
18660 of each of the file's sections.
18661 For instance, if the program
18662 @file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
18663 and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
18664
18665 @smallexample
18666 (gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
18667 Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
18668 @end smallexample
18669
18670 If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
18671 to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
18672 to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
18673
18674 @node Sparclet Execution
18675 @subsubsection Running and Debugging
18676
18677 @cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
18678 You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
18679 commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
18680 manual for the list of commands.
18681
18682 @smallexample
18683 (gdbslet) b main
18684 Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
18685 (gdbslet) run
18686 Starting program: prog
18687 Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
18688 3 char *symarg = 0;
18689 (gdbslet) step
18690 4 char *execarg = "hello!";
18691 (gdbslet)
18692 @end smallexample
18693
18694 @node Sparclite
18695 @subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
18696
18697 @table @code
18698
18699 @kindex target sparclite
18700 @item target sparclite @var{dev}
18701 Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
18702 You must use an additional command to debug the program.
18703 For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
18704 remote protocol.
18705
18706 @end table
18707
18708 @node Z8000
18709 @subsection Zilog Z8000
18710
18711 @cindex Z8000
18712 @cindex simulator, Z8000
18713 @cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
18714
18715 When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
18716 a Z8000 simulator.
18717
18718 For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
18719 unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
18720 segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
18721 appropriate by inspecting the object code.
18722
18723 @table @code
18724 @item target sim @var{args}
18725 @kindex sim
18726 @kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
18727 Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
18728 options, specify them via @var{args}.
18729 @end table
18730
18731 @noindent
18732 After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
18733 CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
18734 @code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
18735 to run your program, and so on.
18736
18737 As well as making available all the usual machine registers
18738 (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
18739 additional items of information as specially named registers:
18740
18741 @table @code
18742
18743 @item cycles
18744 Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
18745
18746 @item insts
18747 Counts instructions run in the simulator.
18748
18749 @item time
18750 Execution time in 60ths of a second.
18751
18752 @end table
18753
18754 You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
18755 conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
18756 conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
18757 simulated clock ticks.
18758
18759 @node AVR
18760 @subsection Atmel AVR
18761 @cindex AVR
18762
18763 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
18764 following AVR-specific commands:
18765
18766 @table @code
18767 @item info io_registers
18768 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
18769 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
18770 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
18771 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
18772 @end table
18773
18774 @node CRIS
18775 @subsection CRIS
18776 @cindex CRIS
18777
18778 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
18779 following CRIS-specific commands:
18780
18781 @table @code
18782 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
18783 @cindex CRIS version
18784 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
18785 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
18786 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
18787
18788 @item show cris-version
18789 Show the current CRIS version.
18790
18791 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
18792 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
18793 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
18794 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
18795 @code{R59}.
18796
18797 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
18798 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
18799
18800 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
18801 @cindex CRIS mode
18802 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
18803 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
18804 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
18805
18806 @item show cris-mode
18807 Show the current CRIS mode.
18808 @end table
18809
18810 @node Super-H
18811 @subsection Renesas Super-H
18812 @cindex Super-H
18813
18814 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
18815 commands:
18816
18817 @table @code
18818 @item regs
18819 @kindex regs@r{, Super-H}
18820 Show the values of all Super-H registers.
18821
18822 @item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
18823 @kindex set sh calling-convention
18824 Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
18825 Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
18826 With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
18827 convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
18828 that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
18829 is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
18830 is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
18831 regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
18832 default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
18833 does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
18834
18835 @item show sh calling-convention
18836 @kindex show sh calling-convention
18837 Show the current calling convention setting.
18838
18839 @end table
18840
18841
18842 @node Architectures
18843 @section Architectures
18844
18845 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
18846 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
18847
18848 @menu
18849 * i386::
18850 * A29K::
18851 * Alpha::
18852 * MIPS::
18853 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
18854 * SPU:: Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
18855 * PowerPC::
18856 @end menu
18857
18858 @node i386
18859 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
18860
18861 @table @code
18862 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
18863 @kindex set struct-convention
18864 @cindex struct return convention
18865 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
18866 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
18867 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
18868 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
18869 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
18870 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
18871 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
18872 be returned in a register.
18873
18874 @item show struct-convention
18875 @kindex show struct-convention
18876 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
18877 from functions.
18878 @end table
18879
18880 @node A29K
18881 @subsection A29K
18882
18883 @table @code
18884
18885 @kindex set rstack_high_address
18886 @cindex AMD 29K register stack
18887 @cindex register stack, AMD29K
18888 @item set rstack_high_address @var{address}
18889 On AMD 29000 family processors, registers are saved in a separate
18890 @dfn{register stack}. There is no way for @value{GDBN} to determine the
18891 extent of this stack. Normally, @value{GDBN} just assumes that the
18892 stack is ``large enough''. This may result in @value{GDBN} referencing
18893 memory locations that do not exist. If necessary, you can get around
18894 this problem by specifying the ending address of the register stack with
18895 the @code{set rstack_high_address} command. The argument should be an
18896 address, which you probably want to precede with @samp{0x} to specify in
18897 hexadecimal.
18898
18899 @kindex show rstack_high_address
18900 @item show rstack_high_address
18901 Display the current limit of the register stack, on AMD 29000 family
18902 processors.
18903
18904 @end table
18905
18906 @node Alpha
18907 @subsection Alpha
18908
18909 See the following section.
18910
18911 @node MIPS
18912 @subsection MIPS
18913
18914 @cindex stack on Alpha
18915 @cindex stack on MIPS
18916 @cindex Alpha stack
18917 @cindex MIPS stack
18918 Alpha- and MIPS-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
18919 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
18920 find the beginning of a function.
18921
18922 @cindex response time, MIPS debugging
18923 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
18924 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
18925 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
18926 commands:
18927
18928 @table @code
18929 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, MIPS)
18930 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
18931 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
18932 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
18933 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
18934 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
18935 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
18936 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
18937
18938 @item show heuristic-fence-post
18939 Display the current limit.
18940 @end table
18941
18942 @noindent
18943 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
18944 for debugging programs on Alpha or MIPS processors.
18945
18946 Several MIPS-specific commands are available when debugging MIPS
18947 programs:
18948
18949 @table @code
18950 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
18951 @kindex set mips abi
18952 @cindex set ABI for MIPS
18953 Tell @value{GDBN} which MIPS ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
18954 values of @var{arg} are:
18955
18956 @table @samp
18957 @item auto
18958 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
18959 default).
18960 @item o32
18961 @item o64
18962 @item n32
18963 @item n64
18964 @item eabi32
18965 @item eabi64
18966 @item auto
18967 @end table
18968
18969 @item show mips abi
18970 @kindex show mips abi
18971 Show the MIPS ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
18972
18973 @item set mipsfpu
18974 @itemx show mipsfpu
18975 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
18976
18977 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
18978 @kindex set mips mask-address
18979 @cindex MIPS addresses, masking
18980 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
18981 MIPS addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
18982 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
18983 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
18984
18985 @item show mips mask-address
18986 @kindex show mips mask-address
18987 Show whether the upper 32 bits of MIPS addresses are masked off or
18988 not.
18989
18990 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
18991 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
18992 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit MIPS targets that
18993 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old MIPS 64 target
18994 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
18995 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
18996
18997 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
18998 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
18999 Show the current setting of compatibility with older MIPS 64 targets.
19000
19001 @item set debug mips
19002 @kindex set debug mips
19003 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the MIPS-specific
19004 target code in @value{GDBN}.
19005
19006 @item show debug mips
19007 @kindex show debug mips
19008 Show the current setting of MIPS debugging messages.
19009 @end table
19010
19011
19012 @node HPPA
19013 @subsection HPPA
19014 @cindex HPPA support
19015
19016 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
19017 following special commands:
19018
19019 @table @code
19020 @item set debug hppa
19021 @kindex set debug hppa
19022 This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
19023 messages are to be displayed.
19024
19025 @item show debug hppa
19026 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
19027
19028 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
19029 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
19030 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
19031 given @var{address}.
19032
19033 @end table
19034
19035
19036 @node SPU
19037 @subsection Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
19038 @cindex Cell Broadband Engine
19039 @cindex SPU
19040
19041 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture,
19042 it provides the following special commands:
19043
19044 @table @code
19045 @item info spu event
19046 @kindex info spu
19047 Display SPU event facility status. Shows current event mask
19048 and pending event status.
19049
19050 @item info spu signal
19051 Display SPU signal notification facility status. Shows pending
19052 signal-control word and signal notification mode of both signal
19053 notification channels.
19054
19055 @item info spu mailbox
19056 Display SPU mailbox facility status. Shows all pending entries,
19057 in order of processing, in each of the SPU Write Outbound,
19058 SPU Write Outbound Interrupt, and SPU Read Inbound mailboxes.
19059
19060 @item info spu dma
19061 Display MFC DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
19062 DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
19063 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
19064
19065 @item info spu proxydma
19066 Display MFC Proxy-DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
19067 Proxy-DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
19068 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
19069
19070 @end table
19071
19072 When @value{GDBN} is debugging a combined PowerPC/SPU application
19073 on the Cell Broadband Engine, it provides in addition the following
19074 special commands:
19075
19076 @table @code
19077 @item set spu stop-on-load @var{arg}
19078 @kindex set spu
19079 Set whether to stop for new SPE threads. When set to @code{on}, @value{GDBN}
19080 will give control to the user when a new SPE thread enters its @code{main}
19081 function. The default is @code{off}.
19082
19083 @item show spu stop-on-load
19084 @kindex show spu
19085 Show whether to stop for new SPE threads.
19086
19087 @item set spu auto-flush-cache @var{arg}
19088 Set whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache. When set to
19089 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will automatically cause the SPE software-managed
19090 cache to be flushed whenever SPE execution stops. This provides a consistent
19091 view of PowerPC memory that is accessed via the cache. If an application
19092 does not use the software-managed cache, this option has no effect.
19093
19094 @item show spu auto-flush-cache
19095 Show whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache.
19096
19097 @end table
19098
19099 @node PowerPC
19100 @subsection PowerPC
19101 @cindex PowerPC architecture
19102
19103 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
19104 pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
19105 numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
19106 in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
19107 @code{f0} or @code{f2}.
19108
19109 The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
19110 by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
19111 @code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
19112
19113 For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
19114 wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
19115
19116
19117 @node Controlling GDB
19118 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
19119
19120 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
19121 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
19122 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
19123 described here.
19124
19125 @menu
19126 * Prompt:: Prompt
19127 * Editing:: Command editing
19128 * Command History:: Command history
19129 * Screen Size:: Screen size
19130 * Numbers:: Numbers
19131 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
19132 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
19133 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
19134 * Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
19135 @end menu
19136
19137 @node Prompt
19138 @section Prompt
19139
19140 @cindex prompt
19141
19142 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
19143 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
19144 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
19145 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
19146 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
19147 which one you are talking to.
19148
19149 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
19150 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
19151 or a prompt that does not.
19152
19153 @table @code
19154 @kindex set prompt
19155 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
19156 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
19157
19158 @kindex show prompt
19159 @item show prompt
19160 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
19161 @end table
19162
19163 @node Editing
19164 @section Command Editing
19165 @cindex readline
19166 @cindex command line editing
19167
19168 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
19169 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
19170 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
19171 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
19172 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
19173 debugging sessions.
19174
19175 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
19176 command @code{set}.
19177
19178 @table @code
19179 @kindex set editing
19180 @cindex editing
19181 @item set editing
19182 @itemx set editing on
19183 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
19184
19185 @item set editing off
19186 Disable command line editing.
19187
19188 @kindex show editing
19189 @item show editing
19190 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
19191 @end table
19192
19193 @xref{Command Line Editing}, for more details about the Readline
19194 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
19195 encouraged to read that chapter.
19196
19197 @node Command History
19198 @section Command History
19199 @cindex command history
19200
19201 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
19202 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
19203 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
19204 history facility.
19205
19206 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
19207 package, to provide the history facility. @xref{Using History
19208 Interactively}, for the detailed description of the History library.
19209
19210 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
19211 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
19212 (@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
19213 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
19214 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
19215 pressed on a line by itself.
19216
19217 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
19218 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
19219 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
19220 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
19221
19222 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
19223 history.
19224
19225 @table @code
19226 @cindex history substitution
19227 @cindex history file
19228 @kindex set history filename
19229 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
19230 @item set history filename @var{fname}
19231 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
19232 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
19233 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
19234 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
19235 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
19236 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
19237 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
19238 is not set.
19239
19240 @cindex save command history
19241 @kindex set history save
19242 @item set history save
19243 @itemx set history save on
19244 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
19245 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
19246
19247 @item set history save off
19248 Stop recording command history in a file.
19249
19250 @cindex history size
19251 @kindex set history size
19252 @cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
19253 @item set history size @var{size}
19254 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
19255 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
19256 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set.
19257 @end table
19258
19259 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
19260 @xref{Event Designators}, for more details.
19261
19262 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
19263 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
19264 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
19265 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
19266 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
19267 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
19268 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
19269 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
19270
19271 The commands to control history expansion are:
19272
19273 @table @code
19274 @item set history expansion on
19275 @itemx set history expansion
19276 @kindex set history expansion
19277 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
19278
19279 @item set history expansion off
19280 Disable history expansion.
19281
19282 @c @group
19283 @kindex show history
19284 @item show history
19285 @itemx show history filename
19286 @itemx show history save
19287 @itemx show history size
19288 @itemx show history expansion
19289 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
19290 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
19291 @c @end group
19292 @end table
19293
19294 @table @code
19295 @kindex show commands
19296 @cindex show last commands
19297 @cindex display command history
19298 @item show commands
19299 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
19300
19301 @item show commands @var{n}
19302 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
19303
19304 @item show commands +
19305 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
19306 @end table
19307
19308 @node Screen Size
19309 @section Screen Size
19310 @cindex size of screen
19311 @cindex pauses in output
19312
19313 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
19314 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
19315 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
19316 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
19317 to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
19318 determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
19319 printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
19320 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
19321
19322 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
19323 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
19324 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
19325 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
19326 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
19327 width} commands:
19328
19329 @table @code
19330 @kindex set height
19331 @kindex set width
19332 @kindex show width
19333 @kindex show height
19334 @item set height @var{lpp}
19335 @itemx show height
19336 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
19337 @itemx show width
19338 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
19339 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
19340 commands display the current settings.
19341
19342 If you specify a height of zero lines, @value{GDBN} does not pause during
19343 output no matter how long the output is. This is useful if output is to a
19344 file or to an editor buffer.
19345
19346 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN}
19347 from wrapping its output.
19348
19349 @item set pagination on
19350 @itemx set pagination off
19351 @kindex set pagination
19352 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
19353 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height 0}. Note that
19354 running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
19355 Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
19356
19357 @item show pagination
19358 @kindex show pagination
19359 Show the current pagination mode.
19360 @end table
19361
19362 @node Numbers
19363 @section Numbers
19364 @cindex number representation
19365 @cindex entering numbers
19366
19367 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
19368 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
19369 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
19370 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
19371 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
19372 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
19373 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
19374 both input and output with the commands described below.
19375
19376 @table @code
19377 @kindex set input-radix
19378 @item set input-radix @var{base}
19379 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
19380 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
19381 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
19382 example, any of
19383
19384 @smallexample
19385 set input-radix 012
19386 set input-radix 10.
19387 set input-radix 0xa
19388 @end smallexample
19389
19390 @noindent
19391 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
19392 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
19393 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
19394 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
19395 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
19396 change the radix.
19397
19398 @kindex set output-radix
19399 @item set output-radix @var{base}
19400 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
19401 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
19402 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
19403
19404 @kindex show input-radix
19405 @item show input-radix
19406 Display the current default base for numeric input.
19407
19408 @kindex show output-radix
19409 @item show output-radix
19410 Display the current default base for numeric display.
19411
19412 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
19413 @itemx show radix
19414 @kindex set radix
19415 @kindex show radix
19416 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
19417 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
19418 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
19419 default value of 10.
19420
19421 @end table
19422
19423 @node ABI
19424 @section Configuring the Current ABI
19425
19426 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
19427 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
19428 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
19429 current ABI.
19430
19431 @cindex OS ABI
19432 @kindex set osabi
19433 @kindex show osabi
19434
19435 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
19436 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
19437 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
19438 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
19439 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
19440 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
19441 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
19442 platform provides.
19443
19444 @table @code
19445 @item show osabi
19446 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
19447
19448 @item set osabi
19449 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
19450
19451 @item set osabi @var{abi}
19452 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
19453 @end table
19454
19455 @cindex float promotion
19456
19457 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
19458 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
19459 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
19460 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
19461 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
19462 @code{double} and then passed.
19463
19464 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
19465 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
19466 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
19467
19468 @table @code
19469 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
19470 @item set coerce-float-to-double
19471 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
19472 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
19473 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
19474
19475 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
19476 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
19477 functions.
19478
19479 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
19480 @item show coerce-float-to-double
19481 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
19482 @end table
19483
19484 @kindex set cp-abi
19485 @kindex show cp-abi
19486 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
19487 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
19488 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
19489 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
19490 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
19491 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
19492 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
19493 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
19494 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
19495 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
19496 ``auto''.
19497
19498 @table @code
19499 @item show cp-abi
19500 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
19501
19502 @item set cp-abi
19503 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
19504
19505 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
19506 @itemx set cp-abi auto
19507 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
19508 @end table
19509
19510 @node Messages/Warnings
19511 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
19512
19513 @cindex verbose operation
19514 @cindex optional warnings
19515 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
19516 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
19517 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
19518 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
19519
19520 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
19521 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
19522 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
19523
19524 @table @code
19525 @kindex set verbose
19526 @item set verbose on
19527 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
19528
19529 @item set verbose off
19530 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
19531
19532 @kindex show verbose
19533 @item show verbose
19534 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
19535 @end table
19536
19537 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
19538 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
19539 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
19540 Symbol Files}).
19541
19542 @table @code
19543
19544 @kindex set complaints
19545 @item set complaints @var{limit}
19546 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
19547 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
19548 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
19549 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
19550
19551 @kindex show complaints
19552 @item show complaints
19553 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
19554
19555 @end table
19556
19557 @anchor{confirmation requests}
19558 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
19559 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
19560 you try to run a program which is already running:
19561
19562 @smallexample
19563 (@value{GDBP}) run
19564 The program being debugged has been started already.
19565 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
19566 @end smallexample
19567
19568 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
19569 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
19570
19571 @table @code
19572
19573 @kindex set confirm
19574 @cindex flinching
19575 @cindex confirmation
19576 @cindex stupid questions
19577 @item set confirm off
19578 Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
19579 the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
19580 automatically disables confirmation requests.
19581
19582 @item set confirm on
19583 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
19584
19585 @kindex show confirm
19586 @item show confirm
19587 Displays state of confirmation requests.
19588
19589 @end table
19590
19591 @cindex command tracing
19592 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
19593 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
19594 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
19595 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
19596
19597 @table @code
19598 @kindex set trace-commands
19599 @cindex command scripts, debugging
19600 @item set trace-commands on
19601 Enable command tracing.
19602 @item set trace-commands off
19603 Disable command tracing.
19604 @item show trace-commands
19605 Display the current state of command tracing.
19606 @end table
19607
19608 @node Debugging Output
19609 @section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
19610 @cindex optional debugging messages
19611
19612 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
19613 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
19614 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
19615 section documents those commands.
19616
19617 @table @code
19618 @kindex set exec-done-display
19619 @item set exec-done-display
19620 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
19621 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
19622 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
19623 @kindex show exec-done-display
19624 @item show exec-done-display
19625 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
19626 notification.
19627 @kindex set debug
19628 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
19629 @cindex architecture debugging info
19630 @item set debug arch
19631 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
19632 @kindex show debug
19633 @item show debug arch
19634 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
19635 @item set debug aix-thread
19636 @cindex AIX threads
19637 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
19638 module.
19639 @item show debug aix-thread
19640 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
19641 @item set debug dwarf2-die
19642 @cindex DWARF2 DIEs
19643 Dump DWARF2 DIEs after they are read in.
19644 The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
19645 A value of zero turns off the display.
19646 @item show debug dwarf2-die
19647 Show the current state of DWARF2 DIE debugging.
19648 @item set debug displaced
19649 @cindex displaced stepping debugging info
19650 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
19651 displaced stepping support. The default is off.
19652 @item show debug displaced
19653 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
19654 related to displaced stepping.
19655 @item set debug event
19656 @cindex event debugging info
19657 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
19658 default is off.
19659 @item show debug event
19660 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
19661 info.
19662 @item set debug expression
19663 @cindex expression debugging info
19664 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
19665 expression parsing. The default is off.
19666 @item show debug expression
19667 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
19668 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
19669 @item set debug frame
19670 @cindex frame debugging info
19671 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
19672 default is off.
19673 @item show debug frame
19674 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
19675 info.
19676 @item set debug gnu-nat
19677 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
19678 Turns on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
19679 @item show debug gnu-nat
19680 Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
19681 @item set debug infrun
19682 @cindex inferior debugging info
19683 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
19684 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
19685 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
19686 @item show debug infrun
19687 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
19688 @item set debug lin-lwp
19689 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
19690 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
19691 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
19692 @item show debug lin-lwp
19693 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
19694 @item set debug lin-lwp-async
19695 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP async debug messages
19696 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
19697 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP async debug support.
19698 @item show debug lin-lwp-async
19699 Show the current state of Linux LWP async debugging messages.
19700 @item set debug observer
19701 @cindex observer debugging info
19702 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
19703 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
19704 @item show debug observer
19705 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
19706 @item set debug overload
19707 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
19708 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
19709 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
19710 is off.
19711 @item show debug overload
19712 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
19713 debugging info.
19714 @cindex expression parser, debugging info
19715 @cindex debug expression parser
19716 @item set debug parser
19717 Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
19718 Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
19719 parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
19720 details. The default is off.
19721 @item show debug parser
19722 Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
19723 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
19724 @cindex serial connections, debugging
19725 @cindex debug remote protocol
19726 @cindex remote protocol debugging
19727 @cindex display remote packets
19728 @item set debug remote
19729 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
19730 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
19731 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
19732 @item show debug remote
19733 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
19734 @item set debug serial
19735 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
19736 default is off.
19737 @item show debug serial
19738 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
19739 info.
19740 @item set debug solib-frv
19741 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
19742 Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
19743 @item show debug solib-frv
19744 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
19745 messages.
19746 @item set debug target
19747 @cindex target debugging info
19748 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
19749 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
19750 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
19751 value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
19752 until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
19753 @item show debug target
19754 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
19755 info.
19756 @item set debug timestamp
19757 @cindex timestampping debugging info
19758 Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
19759 When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
19760 message.
19761 @item show debug timestamp
19762 Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
19763 debugging info.
19764 @item set debugvarobj
19765 @cindex variable object debugging info
19766 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
19767 info. The default is off.
19768 @item show debugvarobj
19769 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
19770 debugging info.
19771 @item set debug xml
19772 @cindex XML parser debugging
19773 Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
19774 @item show debug xml
19775 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
19776 @end table
19777
19778 @node Other Misc Settings
19779 @section Other Miscellaneous Settings
19780 @cindex miscellaneous settings
19781
19782 @table @code
19783 @kindex set interactive-mode
19784 @item set interactive-mode
19785 If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate interactively.
19786 If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate non-interactively,
19787 If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} guesses which mode to use,
19788 based on whether the debugger was started in a terminal or not.
19789
19790 In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
19791 correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
19792 in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
19793 inside a cygwin window.
19794
19795 @kindex show interactive-mode
19796 @item show interactive-mode
19797 Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
19798 @end table
19799
19800 @node Extending GDB
19801 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
19802 @cindex extending GDB
19803
19804 @value{GDBN} provides two mechanisms for extension. The first is based
19805 on composition of @value{GDBN} commands, and the second is based on the
19806 Python scripting language.
19807
19808 To facilitate the use of these extensions, @value{GDBN} is capable
19809 of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
19810 can recognize which scripting language is being used by looking at
19811 the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
19812 are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
19813 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
19814
19815 You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
19816 setting:
19817
19818 @table @code
19819 @kindex set script-extension
19820 @kindex show script-extension
19821 @item set script-extension off
19822 All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
19823
19824 @item set script-extension soft
19825 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
19826 extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
19827 evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
19828 the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
19829
19830 @item set script-extension strict
19831 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
19832 extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
19833 language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
19834
19835 @item show script-extension
19836 Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
19837
19838 @end table
19839
19840 @menu
19841 * Sequences:: Canned Sequences of Commands
19842 * Python:: Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
19843 @end menu
19844
19845 @node Sequences
19846 @section Canned Sequences of Commands
19847
19848 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
19849 Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
19850 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
19851 files.
19852
19853 @menu
19854 * Define:: How to define your own commands
19855 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
19856 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
19857 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
19858 @end menu
19859
19860 @node Define
19861 @subsection User-defined Commands
19862
19863 @cindex user-defined command
19864 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
19865 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
19866 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
19867 @code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
19868 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
19869 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
19870
19871 @smallexample
19872 define adder
19873 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
19874 end
19875 @end smallexample
19876
19877 @noindent
19878 To execute the command use:
19879
19880 @smallexample
19881 adder 1 2 3
19882 @end smallexample
19883
19884 @noindent
19885 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
19886 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
19887 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
19888 functions calls.
19889
19890 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
19891 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
19892 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
19893 been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
19894
19895 @smallexample
19896 define adder
19897 if $argc == 2
19898 print $arg0 + $arg1
19899 end
19900 if $argc == 3
19901 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
19902 end
19903 end
19904 @end smallexample
19905
19906 @table @code
19907
19908 @kindex define
19909 @item define @var{commandname}
19910 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
19911 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
19912 @var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
19913 numbers, dashes, and underscores. It may also start with any predefined
19914 prefix command. For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
19915 a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
19916
19917 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
19918 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
19919 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
19920
19921 @kindex document
19922 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
19923 @item document @var{commandname}
19924 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
19925 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
19926 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
19927 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
19928 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
19929 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
19930
19931 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
19932 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
19933 does not change the documentation.
19934
19935 @kindex dont-repeat
19936 @cindex don't repeat command
19937 @item dont-repeat
19938 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
19939 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
19940 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
19941
19942 @kindex help user-defined
19943 @item help user-defined
19944 List all user-defined commands, with the first line of the documentation
19945 (if any) for each.
19946
19947 @kindex show user
19948 @item show user
19949 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
19950 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
19951 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
19952 definitions for all user-defined commands.
19953
19954 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
19955 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
19956 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
19957 @item show max-user-call-depth
19958 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
19959 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
19960 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
19961 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
19962 @end table
19963
19964 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
19965 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
19966
19967 When user-defined commands are executed, the
19968 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
19969 stops execution of the user-defined command.
19970
19971 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
19972 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
19973 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
19974 messages when used in a user-defined command.
19975
19976 @node Hooks
19977 @subsection User-defined Command Hooks
19978 @cindex command hooks
19979 @cindex hooks, for commands
19980 @cindex hooks, pre-command
19981
19982 @kindex hook
19983 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
19984 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
19985 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
19986 before that command.
19987
19988 @cindex hooks, post-command
19989 @kindex hookpost
19990 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
19991 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
19992 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
19993 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
19994 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
19995
19996 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
19997 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
19998
19999 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
20000 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
20001
20002 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
20003 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
20004 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
20005 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
20006 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
20007
20008 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
20009 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
20010 you could define:
20011
20012 @smallexample
20013 define hook-stop
20014 handle SIGALRM nopass
20015 end
20016
20017 define hook-run
20018 handle SIGALRM pass
20019 end
20020
20021 define hook-continue
20022 handle SIGALRM pass
20023 end
20024 @end smallexample
20025
20026 As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
20027 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
20028 you could define:
20029
20030 @smallexample
20031 define hook-echo
20032 echo <<<---
20033 end
20034
20035 define hookpost-echo
20036 echo --->>>\n
20037 end
20038
20039 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
20040 <<<---Hello World--->>>
20041 (@value{GDBP})
20042
20043 @end smallexample
20044
20045 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
20046 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
20047 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
20048 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
20049 @c or not?
20050 You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
20051 @code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
20052 @samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
20053
20054 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
20055 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
20056 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
20057
20058 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
20059 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
20060
20061 @node Command Files
20062 @subsection Command Files
20063
20064 @cindex command files
20065 @cindex scripting commands
20066 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
20067 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
20068 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
20069 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
20070 terminal.
20071
20072 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
20073 command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
20074 scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
20075 using the @code{script-extension} setting.
20076 @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
20077
20078 @table @code
20079 @kindex source
20080 @cindex execute commands from a file
20081 @item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
20082 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
20083 @end table
20084
20085 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
20086 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
20087 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
20088 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
20089 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
20090
20091 @value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
20092 If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
20093 directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
20094 (specified with the @samp{directory} command);
20095 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
20096 is not relevant to scripts.
20097
20098 If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
20099 on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
20100 The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
20101 search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
20102 and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
20103 look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
20104 The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
20105 For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
20106 the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
20107 look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
20108 For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
20109 it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
20110 @file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
20111 will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
20112
20113 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
20114 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
20115 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
20116
20117 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
20118 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
20119 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
20120 when called from command files.
20121
20122 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
20123 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
20124 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
20125 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
20126 the next command.
20127
20128 @smallexample
20129 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
20130 @end smallexample
20131
20132 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
20133 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
20134 would be directed to @file{log}.
20135
20136 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
20137 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
20138 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
20139 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
20140 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
20141 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
20142 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
20143 conditionally, etc.
20144
20145 @table @code
20146 @kindex if
20147 @kindex else
20148 @item if
20149 @itemx else
20150 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
20151 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
20152 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
20153 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
20154 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
20155 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
20156 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
20157
20158 @kindex while
20159 @item while
20160 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
20161 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
20162 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
20163 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
20164 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
20165 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
20166
20167 @kindex loop_break
20168 @item loop_break
20169 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
20170 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
20171 line.
20172
20173 @kindex loop_continue
20174 @item loop_continue
20175 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
20176 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
20177 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
20178 the controlling expression.
20179
20180 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
20181 @item end
20182 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
20183 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
20184 @end table
20185
20186
20187 @node Output
20188 @subsection Commands for Controlled Output
20189
20190 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
20191 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
20192 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
20193 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
20194 want.
20195
20196 @table @code
20197 @kindex echo
20198 @item echo @var{text}
20199 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
20200 @c because it is not in ANSI.
20201 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
20202 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
20203 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
20204 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
20205 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
20206 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
20207 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
20208 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
20209 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
20210
20211 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
20212 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
20213
20214 @smallexample
20215 echo This is some text\n\
20216 which is continued\n\
20217 onto several lines.\n
20218 @end smallexample
20219
20220 produces the same output as
20221
20222 @smallexample
20223 echo This is some text\n
20224 echo which is continued\n
20225 echo onto several lines.\n
20226 @end smallexample
20227
20228 @kindex output
20229 @item output @var{expression}
20230 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
20231 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
20232 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
20233 on expressions.
20234
20235 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
20236 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
20237 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
20238 Formats}, for more information.
20239
20240 @kindex printf
20241 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
20242 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
20243 the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
20244 @var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
20245 which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
20246 specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
20247 executing the code below:
20248
20249 @smallexample
20250 printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
20251 @end smallexample
20252
20253 As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
20254 are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
20255 by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
20256 evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
20257 style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
20258 printed.
20259
20260 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
20261
20262 @smallexample
20263 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
20264 @end smallexample
20265
20266 @code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
20267 specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
20268 character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
20269
20270 @itemize @bullet
20271 @item
20272 The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
20273
20274 @item
20275 The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
20276 width.
20277
20278 @item
20279 The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
20280 @code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
20281
20282 @item
20283 The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
20284 supported.
20285
20286 @item
20287 The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
20288
20289 @item
20290 The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
20291 @end itemize
20292
20293 @noindent
20294 Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
20295 underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
20296 the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
20297 supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
20298
20299 As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
20300 sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
20301 @samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
20302 single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
20303 supported.
20304
20305 Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
20306 (@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
20307 together with a floating point specifier.
20308 letters:
20309
20310 @itemize @bullet
20311 @item
20312 @samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
20313
20314 @item
20315 @samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
20316
20317 @item
20318 @samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
20319 @end itemize
20320
20321 If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
20322 support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
20323 such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
20324
20325 In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
20326 available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
20327
20328 Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
20329 @smallexample
20330 printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
20331 @end smallexample
20332
20333 @kindex eval
20334 @item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
20335 Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
20336 the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
20337
20338 @end table
20339
20340 @node Python
20341 @section Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
20342 @cindex python scripting
20343 @cindex scripting with python
20344
20345 You can script @value{GDBN} using the @uref{http://www.python.org/,
20346 Python programming language}. This feature is available only if
20347 @value{GDBN} was configured using @option{--with-python}.
20348
20349 @cindex python directory
20350 Python scripts used by @value{GDBN} should be installed in
20351 @file{@var{data-directory}/python}, where @var{data-directory} is
20352 the data directory as determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}). This directory, known as the @dfn{python directory},
20353 is automatically added to the Python Search Path in order to allow
20354 the Python interpreter to locate all scripts installed at this location.
20355
20356 @menu
20357 * Python Commands:: Accessing Python from @value{GDBN}.
20358 * Python API:: Accessing @value{GDBN} from Python.
20359 * Auto-loading:: Automatically loading Python code.
20360 @end menu
20361
20362 @node Python Commands
20363 @subsection Python Commands
20364 @cindex python commands
20365 @cindex commands to access python
20366
20367 @value{GDBN} provides one command for accessing the Python interpreter,
20368 and one related setting:
20369
20370 @table @code
20371 @kindex python
20372 @item python @r{[}@var{code}@r{]}
20373 The @code{python} command can be used to evaluate Python code.
20374
20375 If given an argument, the @code{python} command will evaluate the
20376 argument as a Python command. For example:
20377
20378 @smallexample
20379 (@value{GDBP}) python print 23
20380 23
20381 @end smallexample
20382
20383 If you do not provide an argument to @code{python}, it will act as a
20384 multi-line command, like @code{define}. In this case, the Python
20385 script is made up of subsequent command lines, given after the
20386 @code{python} command. This command list is terminated using a line
20387 containing @code{end}. For example:
20388
20389 @smallexample
20390 (@value{GDBP}) python
20391 Type python script
20392 End with a line saying just "end".
20393 >print 23
20394 >end
20395 23
20396 @end smallexample
20397
20398 @kindex maint set python print-stack
20399 @item maint set python print-stack
20400 By default, @value{GDBN} will print a stack trace when an error occurs
20401 in a Python script. This can be controlled using @code{maint set
20402 python print-stack}: if @code{on}, the default, then Python stack
20403 printing is enabled; if @code{off}, then Python stack printing is
20404 disabled.
20405 @end table
20406
20407 It is also possible to execute a Python script from the @value{GDBN}
20408 interpreter:
20409
20410 @table @code
20411 @item source @file{script-name}
20412 The script name must end with @samp{.py} and @value{GDBN} must be configured
20413 to recognize the script language based on filename extension using
20414 the @code{script-extension} setting. @xref{Extending GDB, ,Extending GDB}.
20415
20416 @item python execfile ("script-name")
20417 This method is based on the @code{execfile} Python built-in function,
20418 and thus is always available.
20419 @end table
20420
20421 @node Python API
20422 @subsection Python API
20423 @cindex python api
20424 @cindex programming in python
20425
20426 @cindex python stdout
20427 @cindex python pagination
20428 At startup, @value{GDBN} overrides Python's @code{sys.stdout} and
20429 @code{sys.stderr} to print using @value{GDBN}'s output-paging streams.
20430 A Python program which outputs to one of these streams may have its
20431 output interrupted by the user (@pxref{Screen Size}). In this
20432 situation, a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception is thrown.
20433
20434 @menu
20435 * Basic Python:: Basic Python Functions.
20436 * Exception Handling::
20437 * Values From Inferior::
20438 * Types In Python:: Python representation of types.
20439 * Pretty Printing API:: Pretty-printing values.
20440 * Selecting Pretty-Printers:: How GDB chooses a pretty-printer.
20441 * Disabling Pretty-Printers:: Disabling broken printers.
20442 * Inferiors In Python:: Python representation of inferiors (processes)
20443 * Threads In Python:: Accessing inferior threads from Python.
20444 * Commands In Python:: Implementing new commands in Python.
20445 * Parameters In Python:: Adding new @value{GDBN} parameters.
20446 * Functions In Python:: Writing new convenience functions.
20447 * Progspaces In Python:: Program spaces.
20448 * Objfiles In Python:: Object files.
20449 * Frames In Python:: Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
20450 * Blocks In Python:: Accessing frame blocks from Python.
20451 * Symbols In Python:: Python representation of symbols.
20452 * Symbol Tables In Python:: Python representation of symbol tables.
20453 * Lazy Strings In Python:: Python representation of lazy strings.
20454 * Breakpoints In Python:: Manipulating breakpoints using Python.
20455 @end menu
20456
20457 @node Basic Python
20458 @subsubsection Basic Python
20459
20460 @cindex python functions
20461 @cindex python module
20462 @cindex gdb module
20463 @value{GDBN} introduces a new Python module, named @code{gdb}. All
20464 methods and classes added by @value{GDBN} are placed in this module.
20465 @value{GDBN} automatically @code{import}s the @code{gdb} module for
20466 use in all scripts evaluated by the @code{python} command.
20467
20468 @findex gdb.PYTHONDIR
20469 @defvar PYTHONDIR
20470 A string containing the python directory (@pxref{Python}).
20471 @end defvar
20472
20473 @findex gdb.execute
20474 @defun execute command [from_tty] [to_string]
20475 Evaluate @var{command}, a string, as a @value{GDBN} CLI command.
20476 If a GDB exception happens while @var{command} runs, it is
20477 translated as described in @ref{Exception Handling,,Exception Handling}.
20478
20479 @var{from_tty} specifies whether @value{GDBN} ought to consider this
20480 command as having originated from the user invoking it interactively.
20481 It must be a boolean value. If omitted, it defaults to @code{False}.
20482
20483 By default, any output produced by @var{command} is sent to
20484 @value{GDBN}'s standard output. If the @var{to_string} parameter is
20485 @code{True}, then output will be collected by @code{gdb.execute} and
20486 returned as a string. The default is @code{False}, in which case the
20487 return value is @code{None}.
20488 @end defun
20489
20490 @findex gdb.breakpoints
20491 @defun breakpoints
20492 Return a sequence holding all of @value{GDBN}'s breakpoints.
20493 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for more information.
20494 @end defun
20495
20496 @findex gdb.parameter
20497 @defun parameter parameter
20498 Return the value of a @value{GDBN} parameter. @var{parameter} is a
20499 string naming the parameter to look up; @var{parameter} may contain
20500 spaces if the parameter has a multi-part name. For example,
20501 @samp{print object} is a valid parameter name.
20502
20503 If the named parameter does not exist, this function throws a
20504 @code{RuntimeError}. Otherwise, the parameter's value is converted to
20505 a Python value of the appropriate type, and returned.
20506 @end defun
20507
20508 @findex gdb.history
20509 @defun history number
20510 Return a value from @value{GDBN}'s value history (@pxref{Value
20511 History}). @var{number} indicates which history element to return.
20512 If @var{number} is negative, then @value{GDBN} will take its absolute value
20513 and count backward from the last element (i.e., the most recent element) to
20514 find the value to return. If @var{number} is zero, then @value{GDBN} will
20515 return the most recent element. If the element specified by @var{number}
20516 doesn't exist in the value history, a @code{RuntimeError} exception will be
20517 raised.
20518
20519 If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
20520 @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
20521 @end defun
20522
20523 @findex gdb.parse_and_eval
20524 @defun parse_and_eval expression
20525 Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
20526 evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
20527 @var{expression} must be a string.
20528
20529 This function can be useful when implementing a new command
20530 (@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
20531 command's argument as an expression. It is also useful simply to
20532 compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
20533 convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
20534 @end defun
20535
20536 @findex gdb.write
20537 @defun write string
20538 Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated standard output stream.
20539 Writing to @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
20540 call this function.
20541 @end defun
20542
20543 @findex gdb.flush
20544 @defun flush
20545 Flush @value{GDBN}'s paginated standard output stream. Flushing
20546 @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically call this
20547 function.
20548 @end defun
20549
20550 @findex gdb.target_charset
20551 @defun target_charset
20552 Return the name of the current target character set (@pxref{Character
20553 Sets}). This differs from @code{gdb.parameter('target-charset')} in
20554 that @samp{auto} is never returned.
20555 @end defun
20556
20557 @findex gdb.target_wide_charset
20558 @defun target_wide_charset
20559 Return the name of the current target wide character set
20560 (@pxref{Character Sets}). This differs from
20561 @code{gdb.parameter('target-wide-charset')} in that @samp{auto} is
20562 never returned.
20563 @end defun
20564
20565 @node Exception Handling
20566 @subsubsection Exception Handling
20567 @cindex python exceptions
20568 @cindex exceptions, python
20569
20570 When executing the @code{python} command, Python exceptions
20571 uncaught within the Python code are translated to calls to
20572 @value{GDBN} error-reporting mechanism. If the command that called
20573 @code{python} does not handle the error, @value{GDBN} will
20574 terminate it and print an error message containing the Python
20575 exception name, the associated value, and the Python call stack
20576 backtrace at the point where the exception was raised. Example:
20577
20578 @smallexample
20579 (@value{GDBP}) python print foo
20580 Traceback (most recent call last):
20581 File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
20582 NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
20583 @end smallexample
20584
20585 @value{GDBN} errors that happen in @value{GDBN} commands invoked by Python
20586 code are converted to Python @code{RuntimeError} exceptions. User
20587 interrupt (via @kbd{C-c} or by typing @kbd{q} at a pagination
20588 prompt) is translated to a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt}
20589 exception. If you catch these exceptions in your Python code, your
20590 exception handler will see @code{RuntimeError} or
20591 @code{KeyboardInterrupt} as the exception type, the @value{GDBN} error
20592 message as its value, and the Python call stack backtrace at the
20593 Python statement closest to where the @value{GDBN} error occured as the
20594 traceback.
20595
20596 @findex gdb.GdbError
20597 When implementing @value{GDBN} commands in Python via @code{gdb.Command},
20598 it is useful to be able to throw an exception that doesn't cause a
20599 traceback to be printed. For example, the user may have invoked the
20600 command incorrectly. Use the @code{gdb.GdbError} exception
20601 to handle this case. Example:
20602
20603 @smallexample
20604 (gdb) python
20605 >class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
20606 > """Greet the whole world."""
20607 > def __init__ (self):
20608 > super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE)
20609 > def invoke (self, args, from_tty):
20610 > argv = gdb.string_to_argv (args)
20611 > if len (argv) != 0:
20612 > raise gdb.GdbError ("hello-world takes no arguments")
20613 > print "Hello, World!"
20614 >HelloWorld ()
20615 >end
20616 (gdb) hello-world 42
20617 hello-world takes no arguments
20618 @end smallexample
20619
20620 @node Values From Inferior
20621 @subsubsection Values From Inferior
20622 @cindex values from inferior, with Python
20623 @cindex python, working with values from inferior
20624
20625 @cindex @code{gdb.Value}
20626 @value{GDBN} provides values it obtains from the inferior program in
20627 an object of type @code{gdb.Value}. @value{GDBN} uses this object
20628 for its internal bookkeeping of the inferior's values, and for
20629 fetching values when necessary.
20630
20631 Inferior values that are simple scalars can be used directly in
20632 Python expressions that are valid for the value's data type. Here's
20633 an example for an integer or floating-point value @code{some_val}:
20634
20635 @smallexample
20636 bar = some_val + 2
20637 @end smallexample
20638
20639 @noindent
20640 As result of this, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object
20641 whose values are of the same type as those of @code{some_val}.
20642
20643 Inferior values that are structures or instances of some class can
20644 be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}. For example, if
20645 @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance holding a structure, you
20646 can access its @code{foo} element with:
20647
20648 @smallexample
20649 bar = some_val['foo']
20650 @end smallexample
20651
20652 Again, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object.
20653
20654 A @code{gdb.Value} that represents a function can be executed via
20655 inferior function call. Any arguments provided to the call must match
20656 the function's prototype, and must be provided in the order specified
20657 by that prototype.
20658
20659 For example, @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance
20660 representing a function that takes two integers as arguments. To
20661 execute this function, call it like so:
20662
20663 @smallexample
20664 result = some_val (10,20)
20665 @end smallexample
20666
20667 Any values returned from a function call will be stored as a
20668 @code{gdb.Value}.
20669
20670 The following attributes are provided:
20671
20672 @table @code
20673 @defivar Value address
20674 If this object is addressable, this read-only attribute holds a
20675 @code{gdb.Value} object representing the address. Otherwise,
20676 this attribute holds @code{None}.
20677 @end defivar
20678
20679 @cindex optimized out value in Python
20680 @defivar Value is_optimized_out
20681 This read-only boolean attribute is true if the compiler optimized out
20682 this value, thus it is not available for fetching from the inferior.
20683 @end defivar
20684
20685 @defivar Value type
20686 The type of this @code{gdb.Value}. The value of this attribute is a
20687 @code{gdb.Type} object.
20688 @end defivar
20689 @end table
20690
20691 The following methods are provided:
20692
20693 @table @code
20694 @defmethod Value cast type
20695 Return a new instance of @code{gdb.Value} that is the result of
20696 casting this instance to the type described by @var{type}, which must
20697 be a @code{gdb.Type} object. If the cast cannot be performed for some
20698 reason, this method throws an exception.
20699 @end defmethod
20700
20701 @defmethod Value dereference
20702 For pointer data types, this method returns a new @code{gdb.Value} object
20703 whose contents is the object pointed to by the pointer. For example, if
20704 @code{foo} is a C pointer to an @code{int}, declared in your C program as
20705
20706 @smallexample
20707 int *foo;
20708 @end smallexample
20709
20710 @noindent
20711 then you can use the corresponding @code{gdb.Value} to access what
20712 @code{foo} points to like this:
20713
20714 @smallexample
20715 bar = foo.dereference ()
20716 @end smallexample
20717
20718 The result @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Value} object holding the
20719 value pointed to by @code{foo}.
20720 @end defmethod
20721
20722 @defmethod Value string @r{[}encoding@r{]} @r{[}errors@r{]} @r{[}length@r{]}
20723 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
20724 converts the contents to a Python string. Otherwise, this method will
20725 throw an exception.
20726
20727 Strings are recognized in a language-specific way; whether a given
20728 @code{gdb.Value} represents a string is determined by the current
20729 language.
20730
20731 For C-like languages, a value is a string if it is a pointer to or an
20732 array of characters or ints. The string is assumed to be terminated
20733 by a zero of the appropriate width. However if the optional length
20734 argument is given, the string will be converted to that given length,
20735 ignoring any embedded zeros that the string may contain.
20736
20737 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
20738 naming the encoding of the string in the @code{gdb.Value}, such as
20739 @code{"ascii"}, @code{"iso-8859-6"} or @code{"utf-8"}. It accepts
20740 the same encodings as the corresponding argument to Python's
20741 @code{string.decode} method, and the Python codec machinery will be used
20742 to convert the string. If @var{encoding} is not given, or if
20743 @var{encoding} is the empty string, then either the @code{target-charset}
20744 (@pxref{Character Sets}) will be used, or a language-specific encoding
20745 will be used, if the current language is able to supply one.
20746
20747 The optional @var{errors} argument is the same as the corresponding
20748 argument to Python's @code{string.decode} method.
20749
20750 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
20751 fetched and converted to the given length.
20752 @end defmethod
20753
20754 @defmethod Value lazy_string @r{[}encoding@r{]} @r{[}length@r{]}
20755 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
20756 converts the contents to a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings
20757 In Python}). Otherwise, this method will throw an exception.
20758
20759 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
20760 naming the encoding of the @code{gdb.LazyString}. Some examples are:
20761 @samp{ascii}, @samp{iso-8859-6} or @samp{utf-8}. If the
20762 @var{encoding} argument is an encoding that @value{GDBN} does
20763 recognize, @value{GDBN} will raise an error.
20764
20765 When a lazy string is printed, the @value{GDBN} encoding machinery is
20766 used to convert the string during printing. If the optional
20767 @var{encoding} argument is not provided, or is an empty string,
20768 @value{GDBN} will automatically select the encoding most suitable for
20769 the string type. For further information on encoding in @value{GDBN}
20770 please see @ref{Character Sets}.
20771
20772 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
20773 fetched and encoded to the length of characters specified. If
20774 the @var{length} argument is not provided, the string will be fetched
20775 and encoded until a null of appropriate width is found.
20776 @end defmethod
20777 @end table
20778
20779 @node Types In Python
20780 @subsubsection Types In Python
20781 @cindex types in Python
20782 @cindex Python, working with types
20783
20784 @tindex gdb.Type
20785 @value{GDBN} represents types from the inferior using the class
20786 @code{gdb.Type}.
20787
20788 The following type-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
20789 module:
20790
20791 @findex gdb.lookup_type
20792 @defun lookup_type name [block]
20793 This function looks up a type by name. @var{name} is the name of the
20794 type to look up. It must be a string.
20795
20796 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
20797 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
20798
20799 Ordinarily, this function will return an instance of @code{gdb.Type}.
20800 If the named type cannot be found, it will throw an exception.
20801 @end defun
20802
20803 An instance of @code{Type} has the following attributes:
20804
20805 @table @code
20806 @defivar Type code
20807 The type code for this type. The type code will be one of the
20808 @code{TYPE_CODE_} constants defined below.
20809 @end defivar
20810
20811 @defivar Type sizeof
20812 The size of this type, in target @code{char} units. Usually, a
20813 target's @code{char} type will be an 8-bit byte. However, on some
20814 unusual platforms, this type may have a different size.
20815 @end defivar
20816
20817 @defivar Type tag
20818 The tag name for this type. The tag name is the name after
20819 @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} in C and C@t{++}; not all
20820 languages have this concept. If this type has no tag name, then
20821 @code{None} is returned.
20822 @end defivar
20823 @end table
20824
20825 The following methods are provided:
20826
20827 @table @code
20828 @defmethod Type fields
20829 For structure and union types, this method returns the fields. Range
20830 types have two fields, the minimum and maximum values. Enum types
20831 have one field per enum constant. Function and method types have one
20832 field per parameter. The base types of C@t{++} classes are also
20833 represented as fields. If the type has no fields, or does not fit
20834 into one of these categories, an empty sequence will be returned.
20835
20836 Each field is an object, with some pre-defined attributes:
20837 @table @code
20838 @item bitpos
20839 This attribute is not available for @code{static} fields (as in
20840 C@t{++} or Java). For non-@code{static} fields, the value is the bit
20841 position of the field.
20842
20843 @item name
20844 The name of the field, or @code{None} for anonymous fields.
20845
20846 @item artificial
20847 This is @code{True} if the field is artificial, usually meaning that
20848 it was provided by the compiler and not the user. This attribute is
20849 always provided, and is @code{False} if the field is not artificial.
20850
20851 @item is_base_class
20852 This is @code{True} if the field represents a base class of a C@t{++}
20853 structure. This attribute is always provided, and is @code{False}
20854 if the field is not a base class of the type that is the argument of
20855 @code{fields}, or if that type was not a C@t{++} class.
20856
20857 @item bitsize
20858 If the field is packed, or is a bitfield, then this will have a
20859 non-zero value, which is the size of the field in bits. Otherwise,
20860 this will be zero; in this case the field's size is given by its type.
20861
20862 @item type
20863 The type of the field. This is usually an instance of @code{Type},
20864 but it can be @code{None} in some situations.
20865 @end table
20866 @end defmethod
20867
20868 @defmethod Type const
20869 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
20870 @code{const}-qualified variant of this type.
20871 @end defmethod
20872
20873 @defmethod Type volatile
20874 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
20875 @code{volatile}-qualified variant of this type.
20876 @end defmethod
20877
20878 @defmethod Type unqualified
20879 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an unqualified
20880 variant of this type. That is, the result is neither @code{const} nor
20881 @code{volatile}.
20882 @end defmethod
20883
20884 @defmethod Type range
20885 Return a Python @code{Tuple} object that contains two elements: the
20886 low bound of the argument type and the high bound of that type. If
20887 the type does not have a range, @value{GDBN} will raise a
20888 @code{RuntimeError} exception.
20889 @end defmethod
20890
20891 @defmethod Type reference
20892 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a reference to this
20893 type.
20894 @end defmethod
20895
20896 @defmethod Type pointer
20897 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a pointer to this
20898 type.
20899 @end defmethod
20900
20901 @defmethod Type strip_typedefs
20902 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} that represents the real type,
20903 after removing all layers of typedefs.
20904 @end defmethod
20905
20906 @defmethod Type target
20907 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents the target type
20908 of this type.
20909
20910 For a pointer type, the target type is the type of the pointed-to
20911 object. For an array type (meaning C-like arrays), the target type is
20912 the type of the elements of the array. For a function or method type,
20913 the target type is the type of the return value. For a complex type,
20914 the target type is the type of the elements. For a typedef, the
20915 target type is the aliased type.
20916
20917 If the type does not have a target, this method will throw an
20918 exception.
20919 @end defmethod
20920
20921 @defmethod Type template_argument n [block]
20922 If this @code{gdb.Type} is an instantiation of a template, this will
20923 return a new @code{gdb.Type} which represents the type of the
20924 @var{n}th template argument.
20925
20926 If this @code{gdb.Type} is not a template type, this will throw an
20927 exception. Ordinarily, only C@t{++} code will have template types.
20928
20929 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
20930 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
20931 @end defmethod
20932 @end table
20933
20934
20935 Each type has a code, which indicates what category this type falls
20936 into. The available type categories are represented by constants
20937 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
20938
20939 @table @code
20940 @findex TYPE_CODE_PTR
20941 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
20942 @item TYPE_CODE_PTR
20943 The type is a pointer.
20944
20945 @findex TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
20946 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
20947 @item TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
20948 The type is an array.
20949
20950 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
20951 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
20952 @item TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
20953 The type is a structure.
20954
20955 @findex TYPE_CODE_UNION
20956 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
20957 @item TYPE_CODE_UNION
20958 The type is a union.
20959
20960 @findex TYPE_CODE_ENUM
20961 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
20962 @item TYPE_CODE_ENUM
20963 The type is an enum.
20964
20965 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
20966 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
20967 @item TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
20968 A bit flags type, used for things such as status registers.
20969
20970 @findex TYPE_CODE_FUNC
20971 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
20972 @item TYPE_CODE_FUNC
20973 The type is a function.
20974
20975 @findex TYPE_CODE_INT
20976 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
20977 @item TYPE_CODE_INT
20978 The type is an integer type.
20979
20980 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLT
20981 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
20982 @item TYPE_CODE_FLT
20983 A floating point type.
20984
20985 @findex TYPE_CODE_VOID
20986 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
20987 @item TYPE_CODE_VOID
20988 The special type @code{void}.
20989
20990 @findex TYPE_CODE_SET
20991 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
20992 @item TYPE_CODE_SET
20993 A Pascal set type.
20994
20995 @findex TYPE_CODE_RANGE
20996 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
20997 @item TYPE_CODE_RANGE
20998 A range type, that is, an integer type with bounds.
20999
21000 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRING
21001 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
21002 @item TYPE_CODE_STRING
21003 A string type. Note that this is only used for certain languages with
21004 language-defined string types; C strings are not represented this way.
21005
21006 @findex TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
21007 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
21008 @item TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
21009 A string of bits.
21010
21011 @findex TYPE_CODE_ERROR
21012 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
21013 @item TYPE_CODE_ERROR
21014 An unknown or erroneous type.
21015
21016 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHOD
21017 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
21018 @item TYPE_CODE_METHOD
21019 A method type, as found in C@t{++} or Java.
21020
21021 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
21022 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
21023 @item TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
21024 A pointer-to-member-function.
21025
21026 @findex TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
21027 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
21028 @item TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
21029 A pointer-to-member.
21030
21031 @findex TYPE_CODE_REF
21032 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
21033 @item TYPE_CODE_REF
21034 A reference type.
21035
21036 @findex TYPE_CODE_CHAR
21037 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
21038 @item TYPE_CODE_CHAR
21039 A character type.
21040
21041 @findex TYPE_CODE_BOOL
21042 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
21043 @item TYPE_CODE_BOOL
21044 A boolean type.
21045
21046 @findex TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
21047 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
21048 @item TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
21049 A complex float type.
21050
21051 @findex TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
21052 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
21053 @item TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
21054 A typedef to some other type.
21055
21056 @findex TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
21057 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
21058 @item TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
21059 A C@t{++} namespace.
21060
21061 @findex TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
21062 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
21063 @item TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
21064 A decimal floating point type.
21065
21066 @findex TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
21067 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
21068 @item TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
21069 A function internal to @value{GDBN}. This is the type used to represent
21070 convenience functions.
21071 @end table
21072
21073 @node Pretty Printing API
21074 @subsubsection Pretty Printing API
21075
21076 An example output is provided (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
21077
21078 A pretty-printer is just an object that holds a value and implements a
21079 specific interface, defined here.
21080
21081 @defop Operation {pretty printer} children (self)
21082 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a pretty-printer to compute the
21083 children of the pretty-printer's value.
21084
21085 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
21086 protocol. Each item returned by the iterator must be a tuple holding
21087 two elements. The first element is the ``name'' of the child; the
21088 second element is the child's value. The value can be any Python
21089 object which is convertible to a @value{GDBN} value.
21090
21091 This method is optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will act
21092 as though the value has no children.
21093 @end defop
21094
21095 @defop Operation {pretty printer} display_hint (self)
21096 The CLI may call this method and use its result to change the
21097 formatting of a value. The result will also be supplied to an MI
21098 consumer as a @samp{displayhint} attribute of the variable being
21099 printed.
21100
21101 This method is optional. If it does exist, this method must return a
21102 string.
21103
21104 Some display hints are predefined by @value{GDBN}:
21105
21106 @table @samp
21107 @item array
21108 Indicate that the object being printed is ``array-like''. The CLI
21109 uses this to respect parameters such as @code{set print elements} and
21110 @code{set print array}.
21111
21112 @item map
21113 Indicate that the object being printed is ``map-like'', and that the
21114 children of this value can be assumed to alternate between keys and
21115 values.
21116
21117 @item string
21118 Indicate that the object being printed is ``string-like''. If the
21119 printer's @code{to_string} method returns a Python string of some
21120 kind, then @value{GDBN} will call its internal language-specific
21121 string-printing function to format the string. For the CLI this means
21122 adding quotation marks, possibly escaping some characters, respecting
21123 @code{set print elements}, and the like.
21124 @end table
21125 @end defop
21126
21127 @defop Operation {pretty printer} to_string (self)
21128 @value{GDBN} will call this method to display the string
21129 representation of the value passed to the object's constructor.
21130
21131 When printing from the CLI, if the @code{to_string} method exists,
21132 then @value{GDBN} will prepend its result to the values returned by
21133 @code{children}. Exactly how this formatting is done is dependent on
21134 the display hint, and may change as more hints are added. Also,
21135 depending on the print settings (@pxref{Print Settings}), the CLI may
21136 print just the result of @code{to_string} in a stack trace, omitting
21137 the result of @code{children}.
21138
21139 If this method returns a string, it is printed verbatim.
21140
21141 Otherwise, if this method returns an instance of @code{gdb.Value},
21142 then @value{GDBN} prints this value. This may result in a call to
21143 another pretty-printer.
21144
21145 If instead the method returns a Python value which is convertible to a
21146 @code{gdb.Value}, then @value{GDBN} performs the conversion and prints
21147 the resulting value. Again, this may result in a call to another
21148 pretty-printer. Python scalars (integers, floats, and booleans) and
21149 strings are convertible to @code{gdb.Value}; other types are not.
21150
21151 Finally, if this method returns @code{None} then no further operations
21152 are peformed in this method and nothing is printed.
21153
21154 If the result is not one of these types, an exception is raised.
21155 @end defop
21156
21157 @node Selecting Pretty-Printers
21158 @subsubsection Selecting Pretty-Printers
21159
21160 The Python list @code{gdb.pretty_printers} contains an array of
21161 functions or callable objects that have been registered via addition
21162 as a pretty-printer.
21163 Each @code{gdb.Progspace} contains a @code{pretty_printers} attribute.
21164 Each @code{gdb.Objfile} also contains a @code{pretty_printers}
21165 attribute.
21166
21167 A function on one of these lists is passed a single @code{gdb.Value}
21168 argument and should return a pretty-printer object conforming to the
21169 interface definition above (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}). If a function
21170 cannot create a pretty-printer for the value, it should return
21171 @code{None}.
21172
21173 @value{GDBN} first checks the @code{pretty_printers} attribute of each
21174 @code{gdb.Objfile} in the current program space and iteratively calls
21175 each enabled function (@pxref{Disabling Pretty-Printers})
21176 in the list for that @code{gdb.Objfile} until it receives
21177 a pretty-printer object.
21178 If no pretty-printer is found in the objfile lists, @value{GDBN} then
21179 searches the pretty-printer list of the current program space,
21180 calling each enabled function until an object is returned.
21181 After these lists have been exhausted, it tries the global
21182 @code{gdb.pretty_printers} list, again calling each enabled function until an
21183 object is returned.
21184
21185 The order in which the objfiles are searched is not specified. For a
21186 given list, functions are always invoked from the head of the list,
21187 and iterated over sequentially until the end of the list, or a printer
21188 object is returned.
21189
21190 Here is an example showing how a @code{std::string} printer might be
21191 written:
21192
21193 @smallexample
21194 class StdStringPrinter:
21195 "Print a std::string"
21196
21197 def __init__ (self, val):
21198 self.val = val
21199
21200 def to_string (self):
21201 return self.val['_M_dataplus']['_M_p']
21202
21203 def display_hint (self):
21204 return 'string'
21205 @end smallexample
21206
21207 And here is an example showing how a lookup function for the printer
21208 example above might be written.
21209
21210 @smallexample
21211 def str_lookup_function (val):
21212
21213 lookup_tag = val.type.tag
21214 regex = re.compile ("^std::basic_string<char,.*>$")
21215 if lookup_tag == None:
21216 return None
21217 if regex.match (lookup_tag):
21218 return StdStringPrinter (val)
21219
21220 return None
21221 @end smallexample
21222
21223 The example lookup function extracts the value's type, and attempts to
21224 match it to a type that it can pretty-print. If it is a type the
21225 printer can pretty-print, it will return a printer object. If not, it
21226 returns @code{None}.
21227
21228 We recommend that you put your core pretty-printers into a Python
21229 package. If your pretty-printers are for use with a library, we
21230 further recommend embedding a version number into the package name.
21231 This practice will enable @value{GDBN} to load multiple versions of
21232 your pretty-printers at the same time, because they will have
21233 different names.
21234
21235 You should write auto-loaded code (@pxref{Auto-loading}) such that it
21236 can be evaluated multiple times without changing its meaning. An
21237 ideal auto-load file will consist solely of @code{import}s of your
21238 printer modules, followed by a call to a register pretty-printers with
21239 the current objfile.
21240
21241 Taken as a whole, this approach will scale nicely to multiple
21242 inferiors, each potentially using a different library version.
21243 Embedding a version number in the Python package name will ensure that
21244 @value{GDBN} is able to load both sets of printers simultaneously.
21245 Then, because the search for pretty-printers is done by objfile, and
21246 because your auto-loaded code took care to register your library's
21247 printers with a specific objfile, @value{GDBN} will find the correct
21248 printers for the specific version of the library used by each
21249 inferior.
21250
21251 To continue the @code{std::string} example (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}),
21252 this code might appear in @code{gdb.libstdcxx.v6}:
21253
21254 @smallexample
21255 def register_printers (objfile):
21256 objfile.pretty_printers.add (str_lookup_function)
21257 @end smallexample
21258
21259 @noindent
21260 And then the corresponding contents of the auto-load file would be:
21261
21262 @smallexample
21263 import gdb.libstdcxx.v6
21264 gdb.libstdcxx.v6.register_printers (gdb.current_objfile ())
21265 @end smallexample
21266
21267 @node Disabling Pretty-Printers
21268 @subsubsection Disabling Pretty-Printers
21269 @cindex disabling pretty-printers
21270
21271 For various reasons a pretty-printer may not work.
21272 For example, the underlying data structure may have changed and
21273 the pretty-printer is out of date.
21274
21275 The consequences of a broken pretty-printer are severe enough that
21276 @value{GDBN} provides support for enabling and disabling individual
21277 printers. For example, if @code{print frame-arguments} is on,
21278 a backtrace can become highly illegible if any argument is printed
21279 with a broken printer.
21280
21281 Pretty-printers are enabled and disabled by attaching an @code{enabled}
21282 attribute to the registered function or callable object. If this attribute
21283 is present and its value is @code{False}, the printer is disabled, otherwise
21284 the printer is enabled.
21285
21286 @node Inferiors In Python
21287 @subsubsection Inferiors In Python
21288 @cindex inferiors in python
21289
21290 @findex gdb.Inferior
21291 Programs which are being run under @value{GDBN} are called inferiors
21292 (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). Python scripts can access
21293 information about and manipulate inferiors controlled by @value{GDBN}
21294 via objects of the @code{gdb.Inferior} class.
21295
21296 The following inferior-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
21297 module:
21298
21299 @defun inferiors
21300 Return a tuple containing all inferior objects.
21301 @end defun
21302
21303 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following attributes:
21304
21305 @table @code
21306 @defivar Inferior num
21307 ID of inferior, as assigned by GDB.
21308 @end defivar
21309
21310 @defivar Inferior pid
21311 Process ID of the inferior, as assigned by the underlying operating
21312 system.
21313 @end defivar
21314
21315 @defivar Inferior was_attached
21316 Boolean signaling whether the inferior was created using `attach', or
21317 started by @value{GDBN} itself.
21318 @end defivar
21319 @end table
21320
21321 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following methods:
21322
21323 @table @code
21324 @defmethod Inferior threads
21325 This method returns a tuple holding all the threads which are valid
21326 when it is called. If there are no valid threads, the method will
21327 return an empty tuple.
21328 @end defmethod
21329
21330 @findex gdb.read_memory
21331 @defmethod Inferior read_memory address length
21332 Read @var{length} bytes of memory from the inferior, starting at
21333 @var{address}. Returns a buffer object, which behaves much like an array
21334 or a string. It can be modified and given to the @code{gdb.write_memory}
21335 function.
21336 @end defmethod
21337
21338 @findex gdb.write_memory
21339 @defmethod Inferior write_memory address buffer @r{[}length@r{]}
21340 Write the contents of @var{buffer} to the inferior, starting at
21341 @var{address}. The @var{buffer} parameter must be a Python object
21342 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
21343 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. If given, @var{length}
21344 determines the number of bytes from @var{buffer} to be written.
21345 @end defmethod
21346
21347 @findex gdb.search_memory
21348 @defmethod Inferior search_memory address length pattern
21349 Search a region of the inferior memory starting at @var{address} with
21350 the given @var{length} using the search pattern supplied in
21351 @var{pattern}. The @var{pattern} parameter must be a Python object
21352 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
21353 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. Returns a Python @code{Long}
21354 containing the address where the pattern was found, or @code{None} if
21355 the pattern could not be found.
21356 @end defmethod
21357 @end table
21358
21359 @node Threads In Python
21360 @subsubsection Threads In Python
21361 @cindex threads in python
21362
21363 @findex gdb.InferiorThread
21364 Python scripts can access information about, and manipulate inferior threads
21365 controlled by @value{GDBN}, via objects of the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} class.
21366
21367 The following thread-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
21368 module:
21369
21370 @findex gdb.selected_thread
21371 @defun selected_thread
21372 This function returns the thread object for the selected thread. If there
21373 is no selected thread, this will return @code{None}.
21374 @end defun
21375
21376 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following attributes:
21377
21378 @table @code
21379 @defivar InferiorThread num
21380 ID of the thread, as assigned by GDB.
21381 @end defivar
21382
21383 @defivar InferiorThread ptid
21384 ID of the thread, as assigned by the operating system. This attribute is a
21385 tuple containing three integers. The first is the Process ID (PID); the second
21386 is the Lightweight Process ID (LWPID), and the third is the Thread ID (TID).
21387 Either the LWPID or TID may be 0, which indicates that the operating system
21388 does not use that identifier.
21389 @end defivar
21390 @end table
21391
21392 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following methods:
21393
21394 @table @code
21395 @defmethod InferiorThread switch
21396 This changes @value{GDBN}'s currently selected thread to the one represented
21397 by this object.
21398 @end defmethod
21399
21400 @defmethod InferiorThread is_stopped
21401 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is stopped.
21402 @end defmethod
21403
21404 @defmethod InferiorThread is_running
21405 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is running.
21406 @end defmethod
21407
21408 @defmethod InferiorThread is_exited
21409 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is exited.
21410 @end defmethod
21411 @end table
21412
21413 @node Commands In Python
21414 @subsubsection Commands In Python
21415
21416 @cindex commands in python
21417 @cindex python commands
21418 You can implement new @value{GDBN} CLI commands in Python. A CLI
21419 command is implemented using an instance of the @code{gdb.Command}
21420 class, most commonly using a subclass.
21421
21422 @defmethod Command __init__ name @var{command_class} @r{[}@var{completer_class}@r{]} @r{[}@var{prefix}@r{]}
21423 The object initializer for @code{Command} registers the new command
21424 with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked from the
21425 subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
21426
21427 @var{name} is the name of the command. If @var{name} consists of
21428 multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
21429 commands. In this case, if one of the prefix commands does not exist,
21430 an exception is raised.
21431
21432 There is no support for multi-line commands.
21433
21434 @var{command_class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
21435 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to categorize the
21436 new command in the help system.
21437
21438 @var{completer_class} is an optional argument. If given, it should be
21439 one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined below. This argument
21440 tells @value{GDBN} how to perform completion for this command. If not
21441 given, @value{GDBN} will attempt to complete using the object's
21442 @code{complete} method (see below); if no such method is found, an
21443 error will occur when completion is attempted.
21444
21445 @var{prefix} is an optional argument. If @code{True}, then the new
21446 command is a prefix command; sub-commands of this command may be
21447 registered.
21448
21449 The help text for the new command is taken from the Python
21450 documentation string for the command's class, if there is one. If no
21451 documentation string is provided, the default value ``This command is
21452 not documented.'' is used.
21453 @end defmethod
21454
21455 @cindex don't repeat Python command
21456 @defmethod Command dont_repeat
21457 By default, a @value{GDBN} command is repeated when the user enters a
21458 blank line at the command prompt. A command can suppress this
21459 behavior by invoking the @code{dont_repeat} method. This is similar
21460 to the user command @code{dont-repeat}, see @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
21461 @end defmethod
21462
21463 @defmethod Command invoke argument from_tty
21464 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when this command is invoked.
21465
21466 @var{argument} is a string. It is the argument to the command, after
21467 leading and trailing whitespace has been stripped.
21468
21469 @var{from_tty} is a boolean argument. When true, this means that the
21470 command was entered by the user at the terminal; when false it means
21471 that the command came from elsewhere.
21472
21473 If this method throws an exception, it is turned into a @value{GDBN}
21474 @code{error} call. Otherwise, the return value is ignored.
21475
21476 @findex gdb.string_to_argv
21477 To break @var{argument} up into an argv-like string use
21478 @code{gdb.string_to_argv}. This function behaves identically to
21479 @value{GDBN}'s internal argument lexer @code{buildargv}.
21480 It is recommended to use this for consistency.
21481 Arguments are separated by spaces and may be quoted.
21482 Example:
21483
21484 @smallexample
21485 print gdb.string_to_argv ("1 2\ \\\"3 '4 \"5' \"6 '7\"")
21486 ['1', '2 "3', '4 "5', "6 '7"]
21487 @end smallexample
21488
21489 @end defmethod
21490
21491 @cindex completion of Python commands
21492 @defmethod Command complete text word
21493 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when the user attempts
21494 completion on this command. All forms of completion are handled by
21495 this method, that is, the @key{TAB} and @key{M-?} key bindings
21496 (@pxref{Completion}), and the @code{complete} command (@pxref{Help,
21497 complete}).
21498
21499 The arguments @var{text} and @var{word} are both strings. @var{text}
21500 holds the complete command line up to the cursor's location.
21501 @var{word} holds the last word of the command line; this is computed
21502 using a word-breaking heuristic.
21503
21504 The @code{complete} method can return several values:
21505 @itemize @bullet
21506 @item
21507 If the return value is a sequence, the contents of the sequence are
21508 used as the completions. It is up to @code{complete} to ensure that the
21509 contents actually do complete the word. A zero-length sequence is
21510 allowed, it means that there were no completions available. Only
21511 string elements of the sequence are used; other elements in the
21512 sequence are ignored.
21513
21514 @item
21515 If the return value is one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined
21516 below, then the corresponding @value{GDBN}-internal completion
21517 function is invoked, and its result is used.
21518
21519 @item
21520 All other results are treated as though there were no available
21521 completions.
21522 @end itemize
21523 @end defmethod
21524
21525 When a new command is registered, it must be declared as a member of
21526 some general class of commands. This is used to classify top-level
21527 commands in the on-line help system; note that prefix commands are not
21528 listed under their own category but rather that of their top-level
21529 command. The available classifications are represented by constants
21530 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
21531
21532 @table @code
21533 @findex COMMAND_NONE
21534 @findex gdb.COMMAND_NONE
21535 @item COMMAND_NONE
21536 The command does not belong to any particular class. A command in
21537 this category will not be displayed in any of the help categories.
21538
21539 @findex COMMAND_RUNNING
21540 @findex gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
21541 @item COMMAND_RUNNING
21542 The command is related to running the inferior. For example,
21543 @code{start}, @code{step}, and @code{continue} are in this category.
21544 Type @kbd{help running} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
21545 commands in this category.
21546
21547 @findex COMMAND_DATA
21548 @findex gdb.COMMAND_DATA
21549 @item COMMAND_DATA
21550 The command is related to data or variables. For example,
21551 @code{call}, @code{find}, and @code{print} are in this category. Type
21552 @kbd{help data} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands
21553 in this category.
21554
21555 @findex COMMAND_STACK
21556 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STACK
21557 @item COMMAND_STACK
21558 The command has to do with manipulation of the stack. For example,
21559 @code{backtrace}, @code{frame}, and @code{return} are in this
21560 category. Type @kbd{help stack} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a
21561 list of commands in this category.
21562
21563 @findex COMMAND_FILES
21564 @findex gdb.COMMAND_FILES
21565 @item COMMAND_FILES
21566 This class is used for file-related commands. For example,
21567 @code{file}, @code{list} and @code{section} are in this category.
21568 Type @kbd{help files} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
21569 commands in this category.
21570
21571 @findex COMMAND_SUPPORT
21572 @findex gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
21573 @item COMMAND_SUPPORT
21574 This should be used for ``support facilities'', generally meaning
21575 things that are useful to the user when interacting with @value{GDBN},
21576 but not related to the state of the inferior. For example,
21577 @code{help}, @code{make}, and @code{shell} are in this category. Type
21578 @kbd{help support} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
21579 commands in this category.
21580
21581 @findex COMMAND_STATUS
21582 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
21583 @item COMMAND_STATUS
21584 The command is an @samp{info}-related command, that is, related to the
21585 state of @value{GDBN} itself. For example, @code{info}, @code{macro},
21586 and @code{show} are in this category. Type @kbd{help status} at the
21587 @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this category.
21588
21589 @findex COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
21590 @findex gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
21591 @item COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
21592 The command has to do with breakpoints. For example, @code{break},
21593 @code{clear}, and @code{delete} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
21594 breakpoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in
21595 this category.
21596
21597 @findex COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
21598 @findex gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
21599 @item COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
21600 The command has to do with tracepoints. For example, @code{trace},
21601 @code{actions}, and @code{tfind} are in this category. Type
21602 @kbd{help tracepoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
21603 commands in this category.
21604
21605 @findex COMMAND_OBSCURE
21606 @findex gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
21607 @item COMMAND_OBSCURE
21608 The command is only used in unusual circumstances, or is not of
21609 general interest to users. For example, @code{checkpoint},
21610 @code{fork}, and @code{stop} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
21611 obscure} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this
21612 category.
21613
21614 @findex COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
21615 @findex gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
21616 @item COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
21617 The command is only useful to @value{GDBN} maintainers. The
21618 @code{maintenance} and @code{flushregs} commands are in this category.
21619 Type @kbd{help internals} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
21620 commands in this category.
21621 @end table
21622
21623 A new command can use a predefined completion function, either by
21624 specifying it via an argument at initialization, or by returning it
21625 from the @code{complete} method. These predefined completion
21626 constants are all defined in the @code{gdb} module:
21627
21628 @table @code
21629 @findex COMPLETE_NONE
21630 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
21631 @item COMPLETE_NONE
21632 This constant means that no completion should be done.
21633
21634 @findex COMPLETE_FILENAME
21635 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
21636 @item COMPLETE_FILENAME
21637 This constant means that filename completion should be performed.
21638
21639 @findex COMPLETE_LOCATION
21640 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
21641 @item COMPLETE_LOCATION
21642 This constant means that location completion should be done.
21643 @xref{Specify Location}.
21644
21645 @findex COMPLETE_COMMAND
21646 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
21647 @item COMPLETE_COMMAND
21648 This constant means that completion should examine @value{GDBN}
21649 command names.
21650
21651 @findex COMPLETE_SYMBOL
21652 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
21653 @item COMPLETE_SYMBOL
21654 This constant means that completion should be done using symbol names
21655 as the source.
21656 @end table
21657
21658 The following code snippet shows how a trivial CLI command can be
21659 implemented in Python:
21660
21661 @smallexample
21662 class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
21663 """Greet the whole world."""
21664
21665 def __init__ (self):
21666 super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE)
21667
21668 def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):
21669 print "Hello, World!"
21670
21671 HelloWorld ()
21672 @end smallexample
21673
21674 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
21675 registration of the command with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
21676 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
21677 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
21678
21679 @node Parameters In Python
21680 @subsubsection Parameters In Python
21681
21682 @cindex parameters in python
21683 @cindex python parameters
21684 @tindex gdb.Parameter
21685 @tindex Parameter
21686 You can implement new @value{GDBN} parameters using Python. A new
21687 parameter is implemented as an instance of the @code{gdb.Parameter}
21688 class.
21689
21690 Parameters are exposed to the user via the @code{set} and
21691 @code{show} commands. @xref{Help}.
21692
21693 There are many parameters that already exist and can be set in
21694 @value{GDBN}. Two examples are: @code{set follow fork} and
21695 @code{set charset}. Setting these parameters influences certain
21696 behavior in @value{GDBN}. Similarly, you can define parameters that
21697 can be used to influence behavior in custom Python scripts and commands.
21698
21699 @defmethod Parameter __init__ name @var{command-class} @var{parameter-class} @r{[}@var{enum-sequence}@r{]}
21700 The object initializer for @code{Parameter} registers the new
21701 parameter with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked
21702 from the subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
21703
21704 @var{name} is the name of the new parameter. If @var{name} consists
21705 of multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
21706 parameters. An example of this can be illustrated with the
21707 @code{set print} set of parameters. If @var{name} is
21708 @code{print foo}, then @code{print} will be searched as the prefix
21709 parameter. In this case the parameter can subsequently be accessed in
21710 @value{GDBN} as @code{set print foo}.
21711
21712 If @var{name} consists of multiple words, and no prefix parameter group
21713 can be found, an exception is raised.
21714
21715 @var{command-class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
21716 (@pxref{Commands In Python}). This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to
21717 categorize the new parameter in the help system.
21718
21719 @var{parameter-class} should be one of the @samp{PARAM_} constants
21720 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} the type of the new
21721 parameter; this information is used for input validation and
21722 completion.
21723
21724 If @var{parameter-class} is @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then
21725 @var{enum-sequence} must be a sequence of strings. These strings
21726 represent the possible values for the parameter.
21727
21728 If @var{parameter-class} is not @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then the presence
21729 of a fourth argument will cause an exception to be thrown.
21730
21731 The help text for the new parameter is taken from the Python
21732 documentation string for the parameter's class, if there is one. If
21733 there is no documentation string, a default value is used.
21734 @end defmethod
21735
21736 @defivar Parameter set_doc
21737 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
21738 the help text for this parameter's @code{set} command. The value is
21739 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
21740 have no effect.
21741 @end defivar
21742
21743 @defivar Parameter show_doc
21744 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
21745 the help text for this parameter's @code{show} command. The value is
21746 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
21747 have no effect.
21748 @end defivar
21749
21750 @defivar Parameter value
21751 The @code{value} attribute holds the underlying value of the
21752 parameter. It can be read and assigned to just as any other
21753 attribute. @value{GDBN} does validation when assignments are made.
21754 @end defivar
21755
21756
21757 When a new parameter is defined, its type must be specified. The
21758 available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
21759 module:
21760
21761 @table @code
21762 @findex PARAM_BOOLEAN
21763 @findex gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
21764 @item PARAM_BOOLEAN
21765 The value is a plain boolean. The Python boolean values, @code{True}
21766 and @code{False} are the only valid values.
21767
21768 @findex PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
21769 @findex gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
21770 @item PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
21771 The value has three possible states: true, false, and @samp{auto}. In
21772 Python, true and false are represented using boolean constants, and
21773 @samp{auto} is represented using @code{None}.
21774
21775 @findex PARAM_UINTEGER
21776 @findex gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
21777 @item PARAM_UINTEGER
21778 The value is an unsigned integer. The value of 0 should be
21779 interpreted to mean ``unlimited''.
21780
21781 @findex PARAM_INTEGER
21782 @findex gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
21783 @item PARAM_INTEGER
21784 The value is a signed integer. The value of 0 should be interpreted
21785 to mean ``unlimited''.
21786
21787 @findex PARAM_STRING
21788 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING
21789 @item PARAM_STRING
21790 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, any escape
21791 sequences, such as @samp{\t}, @samp{\f}, and octal escapes, are
21792 translated into corresponding characters and encoded into the current
21793 host charset.
21794
21795 @findex PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
21796 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
21797 @item PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
21798 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, escapes are
21799 passed through untranslated.
21800
21801 @findex PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
21802 @findex gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
21803 @item PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
21804 The value is a either a filename (a string), or @code{None}.
21805
21806 @findex PARAM_FILENAME
21807 @findex gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
21808 @item PARAM_FILENAME
21809 The value is a filename. This is just like
21810 @code{PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE}, but uses file names for completion.
21811
21812 @findex PARAM_ZINTEGER
21813 @findex gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
21814 @item PARAM_ZINTEGER
21815 The value is an integer. This is like @code{PARAM_INTEGER}, except 0
21816 is interpreted as itself.
21817
21818 @findex PARAM_ENUM
21819 @findex gdb.PARAM_ENUM
21820 @item PARAM_ENUM
21821 The value is a string, which must be one of a collection string
21822 constants provided when the parameter is created.
21823 @end table
21824
21825 @node Functions In Python
21826 @subsubsection Writing new convenience functions
21827
21828 @cindex writing convenience functions
21829 @cindex convenience functions in python
21830 @cindex python convenience functions
21831 @tindex gdb.Function
21832 @tindex Function
21833 You can implement new convenience functions (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
21834 in Python. A convenience function is an instance of a subclass of the
21835 class @code{gdb.Function}.
21836
21837 @defmethod Function __init__ name
21838 The initializer for @code{Function} registers the new function with
21839 @value{GDBN}. The argument @var{name} is the name of the function,
21840 a string. The function will be visible to the user as a convenience
21841 variable of type @code{internal function}, whose name is the same as
21842 the given @var{name}.
21843
21844 The documentation for the new function is taken from the documentation
21845 string for the new class.
21846 @end defmethod
21847
21848 @defmethod Function invoke @var{*args}
21849 When a convenience function is evaluated, its arguments are converted
21850 to instances of @code{gdb.Value}, and then the function's
21851 @code{invoke} method is called. Note that @value{GDBN} does not
21852 predetermine the arity of convenience functions. Instead, all
21853 available arguments are passed to @code{invoke}, following the
21854 standard Python calling convention. In particular, a convenience
21855 function can have default values for parameters without ill effect.
21856
21857 The return value of this method is used as its value in the enclosing
21858 expression. If an ordinary Python value is returned, it is converted
21859 to a @code{gdb.Value} following the usual rules.
21860 @end defmethod
21861
21862 The following code snippet shows how a trivial convenience function can
21863 be implemented in Python:
21864
21865 @smallexample
21866 class Greet (gdb.Function):
21867 """Return string to greet someone.
21868 Takes a name as argument."""
21869
21870 def __init__ (self):
21871 super (Greet, self).__init__ ("greet")
21872
21873 def invoke (self, name):
21874 return "Hello, %s!" % name.string ()
21875
21876 Greet ()
21877 @end smallexample
21878
21879 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
21880 registration of the function with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
21881 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
21882 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
21883
21884 @node Progspaces In Python
21885 @subsubsection Program Spaces In Python
21886
21887 @cindex progspaces in python
21888 @tindex gdb.Progspace
21889 @tindex Progspace
21890 A program space, or @dfn{progspace}, represents a symbolic view
21891 of an address space.
21892 It consists of all of the objfiles of the program.
21893 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
21894 @xref{Inferiors and Programs, program spaces}, for more details
21895 about program spaces.
21896
21897 The following progspace-related functions are available in the
21898 @code{gdb} module:
21899
21900 @findex gdb.current_progspace
21901 @defun current_progspace
21902 This function returns the program space of the currently selected inferior.
21903 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}.
21904 @end defun
21905
21906 @findex gdb.progspaces
21907 @defun progspaces
21908 Return a sequence of all the progspaces currently known to @value{GDBN}.
21909 @end defun
21910
21911 Each progspace is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Progspace}
21912 class.
21913
21914 @defivar Progspace filename
21915 The file name of the progspace as a string.
21916 @end defivar
21917
21918 @defivar Progspace pretty_printers
21919 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
21920 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
21921 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
21922 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
21923 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
21924 information.
21925 @end defivar
21926
21927 @node Objfiles In Python
21928 @subsubsection Objfiles In Python
21929
21930 @cindex objfiles in python
21931 @tindex gdb.Objfile
21932 @tindex Objfile
21933 @value{GDBN} loads symbols for an inferior from various
21934 symbol-containing files (@pxref{Files}). These include the primary
21935 executable file, any shared libraries used by the inferior, and any
21936 separate debug info files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}).
21937 @value{GDBN} calls these symbol-containing files @dfn{objfiles}.
21938
21939 The following objfile-related functions are available in the
21940 @code{gdb} module:
21941
21942 @findex gdb.current_objfile
21943 @defun current_objfile
21944 When auto-loading a Python script (@pxref{Auto-loading}), @value{GDBN}
21945 sets the ``current objfile'' to the corresponding objfile. This
21946 function returns the current objfile. If there is no current objfile,
21947 this function returns @code{None}.
21948 @end defun
21949
21950 @findex gdb.objfiles
21951 @defun objfiles
21952 Return a sequence of all the objfiles current known to @value{GDBN}.
21953 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
21954 @end defun
21955
21956 Each objfile is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Objfile}
21957 class.
21958
21959 @defivar Objfile filename
21960 The file name of the objfile as a string.
21961 @end defivar
21962
21963 @defivar Objfile pretty_printers
21964 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
21965 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
21966 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
21967 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
21968 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
21969 information.
21970 @end defivar
21971
21972 @node Frames In Python
21973 @subsubsection Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
21974
21975 @cindex frames in python
21976 When the debugged program stops, @value{GDBN} is able to analyze its call
21977 stack (@pxref{Frames,,Stack frames}). The @code{gdb.Frame} class
21978 represents a frame in the stack. A @code{gdb.Frame} object is only valid
21979 while its corresponding frame exists in the inferior's stack. If you try
21980 to use an invalid frame object, @value{GDBN} will throw a @code{RuntimeError}
21981 exception.
21982
21983 Two @code{gdb.Frame} objects can be compared for equality with the @code{==}
21984 operator, like:
21985
21986 @smallexample
21987 (@value{GDBP}) python print gdb.newest_frame() == gdb.selected_frame ()
21988 True
21989 @end smallexample
21990
21991 The following frame-related functions are available in the @code{gdb} module:
21992
21993 @findex gdb.selected_frame
21994 @defun selected_frame
21995 Return the selected frame object. (@pxref{Selection,,Selecting a Frame}).
21996 @end defun
21997
21998 @defun frame_stop_reason_string reason
21999 Return a string explaining the reason why @value{GDBN} stopped unwinding
22000 frames, as expressed by the given @var{reason} code (an integer, see the
22001 @code{unwind_stop_reason} method further down in this section).
22002 @end defun
22003
22004 A @code{gdb.Frame} object has the following methods:
22005
22006 @table @code
22007 @defmethod Frame is_valid
22008 Returns true if the @code{gdb.Frame} object is valid, false if not.
22009 A frame object can become invalid if the frame it refers to doesn't
22010 exist anymore in the inferior. All @code{gdb.Frame} methods will throw
22011 an exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
22012 @end defmethod
22013
22014 @defmethod Frame name
22015 Returns the function name of the frame, or @code{None} if it can't be
22016 obtained.
22017 @end defmethod
22018
22019 @defmethod Frame type
22020 Returns the type of the frame. The value can be one of
22021 @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME}, @code{gdb.DUMMY_FRAME}, @code{gdb.SIGTRAMP_FRAME}
22022 or @code{gdb.SENTINEL_FRAME}.
22023 @end defmethod
22024
22025 @defmethod Frame unwind_stop_reason
22026 Return an integer representing the reason why it's not possible to find
22027 more frames toward the outermost frame. Use
22028 @code{gdb.frame_stop_reason_string} to convert the value returned by this
22029 function to a string.
22030 @end defmethod
22031
22032 @defmethod Frame pc
22033 Returns the frame's resume address.
22034 @end defmethod
22035
22036 @defmethod Frame block
22037 Return the frame's code block. @xref{Blocks In Python}.
22038 @end defmethod
22039
22040 @defmethod Frame function
22041 Return the symbol for the function corresponding to this frame.
22042 @xref{Symbols In Python}.
22043 @end defmethod
22044
22045 @defmethod Frame older
22046 Return the frame that called this frame.
22047 @end defmethod
22048
22049 @defmethod Frame newer
22050 Return the frame called by this frame.
22051 @end defmethod
22052
22053 @defmethod Frame find_sal
22054 Return the frame's symtab and line object.
22055 @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}.
22056 @end defmethod
22057
22058 @defmethod Frame read_var variable @r{[}block@r{]}
22059 Return the value of @var{variable} in this frame. If the optional
22060 argument @var{block} is provided, search for the variable from that
22061 block; otherwise start at the frame's current block (which is
22062 determined by the frame's current program counter). @var{variable}
22063 must be a string or a @code{gdb.Symbol} object. @var{block} must be a
22064 @code{gdb.Block} object.
22065 @end defmethod
22066
22067 @defmethod Frame select
22068 Set this frame to be the selected frame. @xref{Stack, ,Examining the
22069 Stack}.
22070 @end defmethod
22071 @end table
22072
22073 @node Blocks In Python
22074 @subsubsection Accessing frame blocks from Python.
22075
22076 @cindex blocks in python
22077 @tindex gdb.Block
22078
22079 Within each frame, @value{GDBN} maintains information on each block
22080 stored in that frame. These blocks are organized hierarchically, and
22081 are represented individually in Python as a @code{gdb.Block}.
22082 Please see @ref{Frames In Python}, for a more in-depth discussion on
22083 frames. Furthermore, see @ref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}, for more
22084 detailed technical information on @value{GDBN}'s book-keeping of the
22085 stack.
22086
22087 The following block-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
22088 module:
22089
22090 @findex gdb.block_for_pc
22091 @defun block_for_pc pc
22092 Return the @code{gdb.Block} containing the given @var{pc} value. If the
22093 block cannot be found for the @var{pc} value specified, the function
22094 will return @code{None}.
22095 @end defun
22096
22097 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following attributes:
22098
22099 @table @code
22100 @defivar Block start
22101 The start address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
22102 @end defivar
22103
22104 @defivar Block end
22105 The end address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
22106 @end defivar
22107
22108 @defivar Block function
22109 The name of the block represented as a @code{gdb.Symbol}. If the
22110 block is not named, then this attribute holds @code{None}. This
22111 attribute is not writable.
22112 @end defivar
22113
22114 @defivar Block superblock
22115 The block containing this block. If this parent block does not exist,
22116 this attribute holds @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
22117 @end defivar
22118 @end table
22119
22120 @node Symbols In Python
22121 @subsubsection Python representation of Symbols.
22122
22123 @cindex symbols in python
22124 @tindex gdb.Symbol
22125
22126 @value{GDBN} represents every variable, function and type as an
22127 entry in a symbol table. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
22128 Similarly, Python represents these symbols in @value{GDBN} with the
22129 @code{gdb.Symbol} object.
22130
22131 The following symbol-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
22132 module:
22133
22134 @findex gdb.lookup_symbol
22135 @defun lookup_symbol name [block] [domain]
22136 This function searches for a symbol by name. The search scope can be
22137 restricted to the parameters defined in the optional domain and block
22138 arguments.
22139
22140 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string. The
22141 optional @var{block} argument restricts the search to symbols visible
22142 in that @var{block}. The @var{block} argument must be a
22143 @code{gdb.Block} object. The optional @var{domain} argument restricts
22144 the search to the domain type. The @var{domain} argument must be a
22145 domain constant defined in the @code{gdb} module and described later
22146 in this chapter.
22147 @end defun
22148
22149 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following attributes:
22150
22151 @table @code
22152 @defivar Symbol symtab
22153 The symbol table in which the symbol appears. This attribute is
22154 represented as a @code{gdb.Symtab} object. @xref{Symbol Tables In
22155 Python}. This attribute is not writable.
22156 @end defivar
22157
22158 @defivar Symbol name
22159 The name of the symbol as a string. This attribute is not writable.
22160 @end defivar
22161
22162 @defivar Symbol linkage_name
22163 The name of the symbol, as used by the linker (i.e., may be mangled).
22164 This attribute is not writable.
22165 @end defivar
22166
22167 @defivar Symbol print_name
22168 The name of the symbol in a form suitable for output. This is either
22169 @code{name} or @code{linkage_name}, depending on whether the user
22170 asked @value{GDBN} to display demangled or mangled names.
22171 @end defivar
22172
22173 @defivar Symbol addr_class
22174 The address class of the symbol. This classifies how to find the value
22175 of a symbol. Each address class is a constant defined in the
22176 @code{gdb} module and described later in this chapter.
22177 @end defivar
22178
22179 @defivar Symbol is_argument
22180 @code{True} if the symbol is an argument of a function.
22181 @end defivar
22182
22183 @defivar Symbol is_constant
22184 @code{True} if the symbol is a constant.
22185 @end defivar
22186
22187 @defivar Symbol is_function
22188 @code{True} if the symbol is a function or a method.
22189 @end defivar
22190
22191 @defivar Symbol is_variable
22192 @code{True} if the symbol is a variable.
22193 @end defivar
22194 @end table
22195
22196 The available domain categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
22197 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
22198
22199 @table @code
22200 @findex SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
22201 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
22202 @item SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
22203 This is used when a domain has not been discovered or none of the
22204 following domains apply. This usually indicates an error either
22205 in the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
22206 @findex SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
22207 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
22208 @item SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
22209 This domain contains variables, function names, typedef names and enum
22210 type values.
22211 @findex SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
22212 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
22213 @item SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
22214 This domain holds struct, union and enum type names.
22215 @findex SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
22216 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
22217 @item SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
22218 This domain contains names of labels (for gotos).
22219 @findex SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
22220 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
22221 @item SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
22222 This domain holds a subset of the @code{SYMBOLS_VAR_DOMAIN}; it
22223 contains everything minus functions and types.
22224 @findex SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
22225 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
22226 @item SYMBOL_FUNCTION_DOMAIN
22227 This domain contains all functions.
22228 @findex SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
22229 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
22230 @item SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
22231 This domain contains all types.
22232 @end table
22233
22234 The available address class categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
22235 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
22236
22237 @table @code
22238 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
22239 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
22240 @item SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
22241 If this is returned by address class, it indicates an error either in
22242 the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
22243 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
22244 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
22245 @item SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
22246 Value is constant int.
22247 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
22248 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
22249 @item SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
22250 Value is at a fixed address.
22251 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
22252 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
22253 @item SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
22254 Value is in a register.
22255 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
22256 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
22257 @item SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
22258 Value is an argument. This value is at the offset stored within the
22259 symbol inside the frame's argument list.
22260 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
22261 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
22262 @item SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
22263 Value address is stored in the frame's argument list. Just like
22264 @code{LOC_ARG} except that the value's address is stored at the
22265 offset, not the value itself.
22266 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
22267 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
22268 @item SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
22269 Value is a specified register. Just like @code{LOC_REGISTER} except
22270 the register holds the address of the argument instead of the argument
22271 itself.
22272 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
22273 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
22274 @item SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
22275 Value is a local variable.
22276 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
22277 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
22278 @item SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
22279 Value not used. Symbols in the domain @code{SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN} all
22280 have this class.
22281 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
22282 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
22283 @item SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
22284 Value is a block.
22285 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
22286 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
22287 @item SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
22288 Value is a byte-sequence.
22289 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
22290 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
22291 @item SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
22292 Value is at a fixed address, but the address of the variable has to be
22293 determined from the minimal symbol table whenever the variable is
22294 referenced.
22295 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
22296 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
22297 @item SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
22298 The value does not actually exist in the program.
22299 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
22300 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
22301 @item SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
22302 The value's address is a computed location.
22303 @end table
22304
22305 @node Symbol Tables In Python
22306 @subsubsection Symbol table representation in Python.
22307
22308 @cindex symbol tables in python
22309 @tindex gdb.Symtab
22310 @tindex gdb.Symtab_and_line
22311
22312 Access to symbol table data maintained by @value{GDBN} on the inferior
22313 is exposed to Python via two objects: @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} and
22314 @code{gdb.Symtab}. Symbol table and line data for a frame is returned
22315 from the @code{find_sal} method in @code{gdb.Frame} object.
22316 @xref{Frames In Python}.
22317
22318 For more information on @value{GDBN}'s symbol table management, see
22319 @ref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, for more information.
22320
22321 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following attributes:
22322
22323 @table @code
22324 @defivar Symtab_and_line symtab
22325 The symbol table object (@code{gdb.Symtab}) for this frame.
22326 This attribute is not writable.
22327 @end defivar
22328
22329 @defivar Symtab_and_line pc
22330 Indicates the current program counter address. This attribute is not
22331 writable.
22332 @end defivar
22333
22334 @defivar Symtab_and_line line
22335 Indicates the current line number for this object. This
22336 attribute is not writable.
22337 @end defivar
22338 @end table
22339
22340 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following attributes:
22341
22342 @table @code
22343 @defivar Symtab filename
22344 The symbol table's source filename. This attribute is not writable.
22345 @end defivar
22346
22347 @defivar Symtab objfile
22348 The symbol table's backing object file. @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
22349 This attribute is not writable.
22350 @end defivar
22351 @end table
22352
22353 The following methods are provided:
22354
22355 @table @code
22356 @defmethod Symtab fullname
22357 Return the symbol table's source absolute file name.
22358 @end defmethod
22359 @end table
22360
22361 @node Breakpoints In Python
22362 @subsubsection Manipulating breakpoints using Python
22363
22364 @cindex breakpoints in python
22365 @tindex gdb.Breakpoint
22366
22367 Python code can manipulate breakpoints via the @code{gdb.Breakpoint}
22368 class.
22369
22370 @defmethod Breakpoint __init__ spec @r{[}type@r{]} @r{[}wp_class@r{]}
22371 Create a new breakpoint. @var{spec} is a string naming the
22372 location of the breakpoint, or an expression that defines a
22373 watchpoint. The contents can be any location recognized by the
22374 @code{break} command, or in the case of a watchpoint, by the @code{watch}
22375 command. The optional @var{type} denotes the breakpoint to create
22376 from the types defined later in this chapter. This argument can be
22377 either: @code{BP_BREAKPOINT} or @code{BP_WATCHPOINT}. @var{type}
22378 defaults to @code{BP_BREAKPOINT}. The optional @var{wp_class}
22379 argument defines the class of watchpoint to create, if @var{type} is
22380 defined as @code{BP_WATCHPOINT}. If a watchpoint class is not
22381 provided, it is assumed to be a @var{WP_WRITE} class.
22382 @end defmethod
22383
22384 The available watchpoint types represented by constants are defined in the
22385 @code{gdb} module:
22386
22387 @table @code
22388 @findex WP_READ
22389 @findex gdb.WP_READ
22390 @item WP_READ
22391 Read only watchpoint.
22392
22393 @findex WP_WRITE
22394 @findex gdb.WP_WRITE
22395 @item WP_WRITE
22396 Write only watchpoint.
22397
22398 @findex WP_ACCESS
22399 @findex gdb.WP_ACCESS
22400 @item WP_ACCESS
22401 Read/Write watchpoint.
22402 @end table
22403
22404 @defmethod Breakpoint is_valid
22405 Return @code{True} if this @code{Breakpoint} object is valid,
22406 @code{False} otherwise. A @code{Breakpoint} object can become invalid
22407 if the user deletes the breakpoint. In this case, the object still
22408 exists, but the underlying breakpoint does not. In the cases of
22409 watchpoint scope, the watchpoint remains valid even if execution of the
22410 inferior leaves the scope of that watchpoint.
22411 @end defmethod
22412
22413 @defivar Breakpoint enabled
22414 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is enabled, and
22415 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
22416 @end defivar
22417
22418 @defivar Breakpoint silent
22419 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is silent, and
22420 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
22421
22422 Note that a breakpoint can also be silent if it has commands and the
22423 first command is @code{silent}. This is not reported by the
22424 @code{silent} attribute.
22425 @end defivar
22426
22427 @defivar Breakpoint thread
22428 If the breakpoint is thread-specific, this attribute holds the thread
22429 id. If the breakpoint is not thread-specific, this attribute is
22430 @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
22431 @end defivar
22432
22433 @defivar Breakpoint task
22434 If the breakpoint is Ada task-specific, this attribute holds the Ada task
22435 id. If the breakpoint is not task-specific (or the underlying
22436 language is not Ada), this attribute is @code{None}. This attribute
22437 is writable.
22438 @end defivar
22439
22440 @defivar Breakpoint ignore_count
22441 This attribute holds the ignore count for the breakpoint, an integer.
22442 This attribute is writable.
22443 @end defivar
22444
22445 @defivar Breakpoint number
22446 This attribute holds the breakpoint's number --- the identifier used by
22447 the user to manipulate the breakpoint. This attribute is not writable.
22448 @end defivar
22449
22450 @defivar Breakpoint type
22451 This attribute holds the breakpoint's type --- the identifier used to
22452 determine the actual breakpoint type or use-case. This attribute is not
22453 writable.
22454 @end defivar
22455
22456 The available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
22457 module:
22458
22459 @table @code
22460 @findex BP_BREAKPOINT
22461 @findex gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
22462 @item BP_BREAKPOINT
22463 Normal code breakpoint.
22464
22465 @findex BP_WATCHPOINT
22466 @findex gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
22467 @item BP_WATCHPOINT
22468 Watchpoint breakpoint.
22469
22470 @findex BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
22471 @findex gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
22472 @item BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
22473 Hardware assisted watchpoint.
22474
22475 @findex BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
22476 @findex gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
22477 @item BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
22478 Hardware assisted read watchpoint.
22479
22480 @findex BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
22481 @findex gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
22482 @item BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
22483 Hardware assisted access watchpoint.
22484 @end table
22485
22486 @defivar Breakpoint hit_count
22487 This attribute holds the hit count for the breakpoint, an integer.
22488 This attribute is writable, but currently it can only be set to zero.
22489 @end defivar
22490
22491 @defivar Breakpoint location
22492 This attribute holds the location of the breakpoint, as specified by
22493 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have a location
22494 (that is, it is a watchpoint) the attribute's value is @code{None}. This
22495 attribute is not writable.
22496 @end defivar
22497
22498 @defivar Breakpoint expression
22499 This attribute holds a breakpoint expression, as specified by
22500 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have an
22501 expression (the breakpoint is not a watchpoint) the attribute's value
22502 is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
22503 @end defivar
22504
22505 @defivar Breakpoint condition
22506 This attribute holds the condition of the breakpoint, as specified by
22507 the user. It is a string. If there is no condition, this attribute's
22508 value is @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
22509 @end defivar
22510
22511 @defivar Breakpoint commands
22512 This attribute holds the commands attached to the breakpoint. If
22513 there are commands, this attribute's value is a string holding all the
22514 commands, separated by newlines. If there are no commands, this
22515 attribute is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
22516 @end defivar
22517
22518 @node Lazy Strings In Python
22519 @subsubsection Python representation of lazy strings.
22520
22521 @cindex lazy strings in python
22522 @tindex gdb.LazyString
22523
22524 A @dfn{lazy string} is a string whose contents is not retrieved or
22525 encoded until it is needed.
22526
22527 A @code{gdb.LazyString} is represented in @value{GDBN} as an
22528 @code{address} that points to a region of memory, an @code{encoding}
22529 that will be used to encode that region of memory, and a @code{length}
22530 to delimit the region of memory that represents the string. The
22531 difference between a @code{gdb.LazyString} and a string wrapped within
22532 a @code{gdb.Value} is that a @code{gdb.LazyString} will be treated
22533 differently by @value{GDBN} when printing. A @code{gdb.LazyString} is
22534 retrieved and encoded during printing, while a @code{gdb.Value}
22535 wrapping a string is immediately retrieved and encoded on creation.
22536
22537 A @code{gdb.LazyString} object has the following functions:
22538
22539 @defmethod LazyString value
22540 Convert the @code{gdb.LazyString} to a @code{gdb.Value}. This value
22541 will point to the string in memory, but will lose all the delayed
22542 retrieval, encoding and handling that @value{GDBN} applies to a
22543 @code{gdb.LazyString}.
22544 @end defmethod
22545
22546 @defivar LazyString address
22547 This attribute holds the address of the string. This attribute is not
22548 writable.
22549 @end defivar
22550
22551 @defivar LazyString length
22552 This attribute holds the length of the string in characters. If the
22553 length is -1, then the string will be fetched and encoded up to the
22554 first null of appropriate width. This attribute is not writable.
22555 @end defivar
22556
22557 @defivar LazyString encoding
22558 This attribute holds the encoding that will be applied to the string
22559 when the string is printed by @value{GDBN}. If the encoding is not
22560 set, or contains an empty string, then @value{GDBN} will select the
22561 most appropriate encoding when the string is printed. This attribute
22562 is not writable.
22563 @end defivar
22564
22565 @defivar LazyString type
22566 This attribute holds the type that is represented by the lazy string's
22567 type. For a lazy string this will always be a pointer type. To
22568 resolve this to the lazy string's character type, use the type's
22569 @code{target} method. @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not
22570 writable.
22571 @end defivar
22572
22573 @node Auto-loading
22574 @subsection Auto-loading
22575 @cindex auto-loading, Python
22576
22577 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
22578 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
22579 @value{GDBN} will look for Python support scripts in several ways:
22580 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} and @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section.
22581
22582 @menu
22583 * objfile-gdb.py file:: The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
22584 * .debug_gdb_scripts section:: The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
22585 * Which flavor to choose?::
22586 @end menu
22587
22588 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
22589 debugging commands and scripts.
22590
22591 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled.
22592
22593 @table @code
22594 @kindex maint set python auto-load
22595 @item maint set python auto-load [yes|no]
22596 Enable or disable the Python auto-loading feature.
22597
22598 @kindex maint show python auto-load
22599 @item maint show python auto-load
22600 Show whether Python auto-loading is enabled or disabled.
22601 @end table
22602
22603 When reading an auto-loaded file, @value{GDBN} sets the
22604 @dfn{current objfile}. This is available via the @code{gdb.current_objfile}
22605 function (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}). This can be useful for
22606 registering objfile-specific pretty-printers.
22607
22608 @node objfile-gdb.py file
22609 @subsubsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
22610 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
22611
22612 When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for
22613 a file named @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py},
22614 where @var{objfile} is the object file's real name, formed by ensuring
22615 that the file name is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving
22616 @code{.} and @code{..} components. If this file exists and is
22617 readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a Python script.
22618
22619 If this file does not exist, and if the parameter
22620 @code{debug-file-directory} is set (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}),
22621 then @value{GDBN} will look for @var{real-name} in all of the
22622 directories mentioned in the value of @code{debug-file-directory}.
22623
22624 Finally, if this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
22625 a file named @file{@var{data-directory}/python/auto-load/@var{real-name}}, where
22626 @var{data-directory} is @value{GDBN}'s data directory (available via
22627 @code{show data-directory}, @pxref{Data Files}), and @var{real-name}
22628 is the object file's real name, as described above.
22629
22630 @value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
22631 @value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
22632 @var{objfile} is opened.
22633 So your @file{-gdb.py} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
22634 is evaluated more than once.
22635
22636 @node .debug_gdb_scripts section
22637 @subsubsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
22638 @cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
22639
22640 For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
22641 when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
22642 it will look for a special section named @samp{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
22643 If this section exists, its contents is a list of names of scripts to load.
22644
22645 @value{GDBN} will look for each specified script file first in the
22646 current directory and then along the source search path
22647 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
22648 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
22649 directory is not relevant to scripts.
22650
22651 Entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
22652 for example, this GCC macro:
22653
22654 @example
22655 /* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remote duplicates. */
22656 #define DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT(script_name) \
22657 asm("\
22658 .pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
22659 .byte 1\n\
22660 .asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
22661 .popsection \n\
22662 ");
22663 @end example
22664
22665 @noindent
22666 Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
22667
22668 @example
22669 DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
22670 @end example
22671
22672 The script name may include directories if desired.
22673
22674 If the macro is put in a header, any application or library
22675 using this header will get a reference to the specified script.
22676
22677 @node Which flavor to choose?
22678 @subsubsection Which flavor to choose?
22679
22680 Given the multiple ways of auto-loading Python scripts, it might not always
22681 be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
22682
22683 Benefits of the @file{-gdb.py} way:
22684
22685 @itemize @bullet
22686 @item
22687 Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
22688
22689 @item
22690 Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
22691
22692 Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
22693 in the source search path.
22694 For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
22695 isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
22696
22697 @item
22698 Doesn't require source code additions.
22699 @end itemize
22700
22701 Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
22702
22703 @itemize @bullet
22704 @item
22705 Works with static linking.
22706
22707 Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.py} way require an objfile to
22708 trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
22709 objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
22710 scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's @file{-gdb.py} script.
22711
22712 @item
22713 Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
22714
22715 Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
22716 shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.py} script to.
22717
22718 @item
22719 Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
22720
22721 In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
22722 libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
22723 @file{-gdb.py} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
22724 cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
22725 @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
22726 top of the source tree to the source search path.
22727 @end itemize
22728
22729 @node Interpreters
22730 @chapter Command Interpreters
22731 @cindex command interpreters
22732
22733 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
22734 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
22735 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
22736
22737 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
22738 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
22739 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
22740 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
22741
22742 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
22743 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
22744 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
22745 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
22746
22747 @table @code
22748 @item console
22749 @cindex console interpreter
22750 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
22751 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
22752 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
22753
22754 @item mi
22755 @cindex mi interpreter
22756 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
22757 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
22758 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
22759 Interface}.
22760
22761 @item mi2
22762 @cindex mi2 interpreter
22763 The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
22764
22765 @item mi1
22766 @cindex mi1 interpreter
22767 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
22768
22769 @end table
22770
22771 @cindex invoke another interpreter
22772 The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
22773 switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
22774 precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
22775 enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
22776 @value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
22777 the IDE inoperable!
22778
22779 @kindex interpreter-exec
22780 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
22781 commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
22782 command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
22783 @code{interpreter-exec} command:
22784
22785 @smallexample
22786 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
22787 @end smallexample
22788
22789 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
22790 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
22791
22792 @node TUI
22793 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
22794 @cindex TUI
22795 @cindex Text User Interface
22796
22797 @menu
22798 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
22799 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
22800 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
22801 * TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
22802 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
22803 @end menu
22804
22805 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
22806 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
22807 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
22808 commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
22809 on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
22810 is available.
22811
22812 @pindex @value{GDBTUI}
22813 The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
22814 either @samp{@value{GDBTUI}} or @samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
22815 You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
22816 using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @kbd{C-x C-a}.
22817 @xref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
22818
22819 @node TUI Overview
22820 @section TUI Overview
22821
22822 In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
22823
22824 @table @emph
22825 @item command
22826 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
22827 prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
22828 managed using readline.
22829
22830 @item source
22831 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
22832 line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
22833
22834 @item assembly
22835 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
22836
22837 @item register
22838 This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
22839 when their values change.
22840 @end table
22841
22842 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
22843 by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
22844 Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
22845 indicates the breakpoint type:
22846
22847 @table @code
22848 @item B
22849 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
22850
22851 @item b
22852 Breakpoint which was never hit.
22853
22854 @item H
22855 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
22856
22857 @item h
22858 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
22859 @end table
22860
22861 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
22862
22863 @table @code
22864 @item +
22865 Breakpoint is enabled.
22866
22867 @item -
22868 Breakpoint is disabled.
22869 @end table
22870
22871 The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
22872 thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
22873 changes.
22874
22875 These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
22876 window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
22877 layouts:
22878
22879 @itemize @bullet
22880 @item
22881 source only,
22882
22883 @item
22884 assembly only,
22885
22886 @item
22887 source and assembly,
22888
22889 @item
22890 source and registers, or
22891
22892 @item
22893 assembly and registers.
22894 @end itemize
22895
22896 A status line above the command window shows the following information:
22897
22898 @table @emph
22899 @item target
22900 Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
22901 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
22902
22903 @item process
22904 Gives the current process or thread number.
22905 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
22906
22907 @item function
22908 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
22909 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
22910 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
22911 the string @code{??} is displayed.
22912
22913 @item line
22914 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
22915 When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
22916
22917 @item pc
22918 Indicates the current program counter address.
22919 @end table
22920
22921 @node TUI Keys
22922 @section TUI Key Bindings
22923 @cindex TUI key bindings
22924
22925 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
22926 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}). The following key bindings
22927 are installed for both TUI mode and the @value{GDBN} standard mode.
22928
22929 @table @kbd
22930 @kindex C-x C-a
22931 @item C-x C-a
22932 @kindex C-x a
22933 @itemx C-x a
22934 @kindex C-x A
22935 @itemx C-x A
22936 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
22937 the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
22938 its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
22939 the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
22940 The screen is then refreshed.
22941
22942 @kindex C-x 1
22943 @item C-x 1
22944 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
22945 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
22946 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
22947
22948 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
22949
22950 @kindex C-x 2
22951 @item C-x 2
22952 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
22953 layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
22954 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
22955 previous layout and the new one.
22956
22957 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
22958
22959 @kindex C-x o
22960 @item C-x o
22961 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
22962 (like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
22963 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
22964
22965 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
22966
22967 @kindex C-x s
22968 @item C-x s
22969 Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
22970 keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
22971 @end table
22972
22973 The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
22974
22975 @table @asis
22976 @kindex PgUp
22977 @item @key{PgUp}
22978 Scroll the active window one page up.
22979
22980 @kindex PgDn
22981 @item @key{PgDn}
22982 Scroll the active window one page down.
22983
22984 @kindex Up
22985 @item @key{Up}
22986 Scroll the active window one line up.
22987
22988 @kindex Down
22989 @item @key{Down}
22990 Scroll the active window one line down.
22991
22992 @kindex Left
22993 @item @key{Left}
22994 Scroll the active window one column left.
22995
22996 @kindex Right
22997 @item @key{Right}
22998 Scroll the active window one column right.
22999
23000 @kindex C-L
23001 @item @kbd{C-L}
23002 Refresh the screen.
23003 @end table
23004
23005 Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
23006 are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
23007 window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
23008 other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
23009 and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
23010
23011 @node TUI Single Key Mode
23012 @section TUI Single Key Mode
23013 @cindex TUI single key mode
23014
23015 The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
23016 frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
23017 switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
23018
23019 @table @kbd
23020 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23021 @item c
23022 continue
23023
23024 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23025 @item d
23026 down
23027
23028 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23029 @item f
23030 finish
23031
23032 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23033 @item n
23034 next
23035
23036 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23037 @item q
23038 exit the SingleKey mode.
23039
23040 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23041 @item r
23042 run
23043
23044 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23045 @item s
23046 step
23047
23048 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23049 @item u
23050 up
23051
23052 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23053 @item v
23054 info locals
23055
23056 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
23057 @item w
23058 where
23059 @end table
23060
23061 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
23062 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
23063 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
23064 with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
23065 SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
23066 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
23067
23068
23069 @node TUI Commands
23070 @section TUI-specific Commands
23071 @cindex TUI commands
23072
23073 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
23074 These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
23075 the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
23076 of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
23077
23078 Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
23079 terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
23080 interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
23081 these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
23082 possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
23083
23084 @table @code
23085 @item info win
23086 @kindex info win
23087 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
23088
23089 @item layout next
23090 @kindex layout
23091 Display the next layout.
23092
23093 @item layout prev
23094 Display the previous layout.
23095
23096 @item layout src
23097 Display the source window only.
23098
23099 @item layout asm
23100 Display the assembly window only.
23101
23102 @item layout split
23103 Display the source and assembly window.
23104
23105 @item layout regs
23106 Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
23107
23108 @item focus next
23109 @kindex focus
23110 Make the next window active for scrolling.
23111
23112 @item focus prev
23113 Make the previous window active for scrolling.
23114
23115 @item focus src
23116 Make the source window active for scrolling.
23117
23118 @item focus asm
23119 Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
23120
23121 @item focus regs
23122 Make the register window active for scrolling.
23123
23124 @item focus cmd
23125 Make the command window active for scrolling.
23126
23127 @item refresh
23128 @kindex refresh
23129 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
23130
23131 @item tui reg float
23132 @kindex tui reg
23133 Show the floating point registers in the register window.
23134
23135 @item tui reg general
23136 Show the general registers in the register window.
23137
23138 @item tui reg next
23139 Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
23140 their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
23141 following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
23142 @code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
23143
23144 @item tui reg system
23145 Show the system registers in the register window.
23146
23147 @item update
23148 @kindex update
23149 Update the source window and the current execution point.
23150
23151 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
23152 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
23153 @kindex winheight
23154 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
23155 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
23156 decrease it.
23157
23158 @item tabset @var{nchars}
23159 @kindex tabset
23160 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
23161 @end table
23162
23163 @node TUI Configuration
23164 @section TUI Configuration Variables
23165 @cindex TUI configuration variables
23166
23167 Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
23168
23169 @table @code
23170 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
23171 @kindex set tui border-kind
23172 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
23173 The possible values are the following:
23174 @table @code
23175 @item space
23176 Use a space character to draw the border.
23177
23178 @item ascii
23179 Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
23180
23181 @item acs
23182 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
23183 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
23184 @end table
23185
23186 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
23187 @kindex set tui border-mode
23188 @itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
23189 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
23190 Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
23191 or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
23192 @table @code
23193 @item normal
23194 Use normal attributes to display the border.
23195
23196 @item standout
23197 Use standout mode.
23198
23199 @item reverse
23200 Use reverse video mode.
23201
23202 @item half
23203 Use half bright mode.
23204
23205 @item half-standout
23206 Use half bright and standout mode.
23207
23208 @item bold
23209 Use extra bright or bold mode.
23210
23211 @item bold-standout
23212 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
23213 @end table
23214 @end table
23215
23216 @node Emacs
23217 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
23218
23219 @cindex Emacs
23220 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
23221 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
23222 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
23223 @value{GDBN}.
23224
23225 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
23226 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
23227 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
23228 created Emacs buffer.
23229 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
23230
23231 Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
23232 things:
23233
23234 @itemize @bullet
23235 @item
23236 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
23237 the GUD buffer.
23238
23239 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
23240 and output done by the program you are debugging.
23241
23242 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
23243 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
23244 in this way.
23245
23246 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
23247 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
23248 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
23249 stop.
23250
23251 @item
23252 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
23253
23254 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
23255 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
23256 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
23257 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
23258 and the source.
23259
23260 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
23261 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
23262 @end itemize
23263
23264 We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
23265 a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
23266 that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
23267 @xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
23268
23269 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
23270 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
23271 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
23272 sets your current working directory to to the directory associated
23273 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
23274 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
23275 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
23276 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
23277 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
23278
23279 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
23280 line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
23281 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
23282 ,Commands to Specify Files}.
23283
23284 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
23285 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
23286 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
23287 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
23288 one you want.
23289
23290 In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
23291 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
23292
23293 @table @kbd
23294 @item C-h m
23295 Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
23296
23297 @item C-c C-s
23298 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
23299 update the display window to show the current file and location.
23300
23301 @item C-c C-n
23302 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
23303 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
23304 to show the current file and location.
23305
23306 @item C-c C-i
23307 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
23308 display window accordingly.
23309
23310 @item C-c C-f
23311 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
23312 @code{finish} command.
23313
23314 @item C-c C-r
23315 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
23316 command.
23317
23318 @item C-c <
23319 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
23320 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
23321 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
23322
23323 @item C-c >
23324 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
23325 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
23326 @end table
23327
23328 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
23329 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
23330
23331 In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
23332 separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
23333 Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
23334 become the current frame and display the associated source in the
23335 source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
23336 selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
23337 speedbar displays watch expressions.
23338
23339 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
23340 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
23341 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
23342 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
23343 frame.
23344
23345 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
23346 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
23347 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
23348 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
23349 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
23350 to correspond properly with the code.
23351
23352 A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
23353 given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
23354 Emacs Manual}).
23355
23356 @c The following dropped because Epoch is nonstandard. Reactivate
23357 @c if/when v19 does something similar. ---doc@cygnus.com 19dec1990
23358 @ignore
23359 @kindex Emacs Epoch environment
23360 @kindex Epoch
23361 @kindex inspect
23362
23363 Version 18 of @sc{gnu} Emacs has a built-in window system
23364 called the @code{epoch}
23365 environment. Users of this environment can use a new command,
23366 @code{inspect} which performs identically to @code{print} except that
23367 each value is printed in its own window.
23368 @end ignore
23369
23370
23371 @node GDB/MI
23372 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
23373
23374 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
23375
23376 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
23377 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
23378 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
23379 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
23380 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
23381 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
23382
23383 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
23384 in the form of a reference manual.
23385
23386 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
23387 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
23388 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
23389
23390 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
23391
23392 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
23393 This chapter uses the following notation:
23394
23395 @itemize @bullet
23396 @item
23397 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
23398
23399 @item
23400 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
23401 it may or may not be given.
23402
23403 @item
23404 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
23405 may repeat zero or more times.
23406
23407 @item
23408 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
23409 may repeat one or more times.
23410
23411 @item
23412 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
23413 @end itemize
23414
23415 @ignore
23416 @heading Dependencies
23417 @end ignore
23418
23419 @menu
23420 * GDB/MI General Design::
23421 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
23422 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
23423 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
23424 * GDB/MI Output Records::
23425 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
23426 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
23427 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
23428 * GDB/MI Program Context::
23429 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
23430 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
23431 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
23432 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
23433 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
23434 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
23435 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
23436 * GDB/MI File Commands::
23437 @ignore
23438 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
23439 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
23440 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
23441 @end ignore
23442 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
23443 * GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
23444 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
23445 @end menu
23446
23447 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
23448 @node GDB/MI General Design
23449 @section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
23450 @cindex GDB/MI General Design
23451
23452 Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
23453 parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
23454 and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
23455 indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
23456 For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
23457 requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
23458 response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
23459 Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
23460 target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
23461 a command and reported as part of that command response.
23462
23463 The important examples of notifications are:
23464 @itemize @bullet
23465
23466 @item
23467 Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
23468 target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
23469 be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
23470 commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
23471 different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
23472 happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
23473 command itself was successfully executed.
23474
23475 @item
23476 Console output, and status notifications. Console output
23477 notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
23478 diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
23479 report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
23480 this information in command response would mean no output is produced
23481 until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
23482
23483 @item
23484 General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
23485 the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
23486 a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
23487 be included in command response, using notification allows for more
23488 orthogonal frontend design.
23489
23490 @end itemize
23491
23492 There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
23493 @value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
23494 the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
23495 processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
23496 we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
23497 the user interface.
23498
23499
23500 @menu
23501 * Context management::
23502 * Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
23503 * Thread groups::
23504 @end menu
23505
23506 @node Context management
23507 @subsection Context management
23508
23509 In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
23510 done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
23511 Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
23512 be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
23513 and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
23514 because a command line user would not want to specify that information
23515 explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
23516 @value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
23517 to what thread and frame are the current ones.
23518
23519 In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
23520 useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
23521 itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
23522 each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
23523 want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
23524 increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
23525 frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
23526 should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
23527 make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
23528 @samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} identifier
23529 for thread and frame to operate on.
23530
23531 Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
23532 a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
23533 operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
23534 current thread be changed. For example, when stopping on a breakpoint
23535 it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is hit. For
23536 another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} command via
23537 the frontend, it is desirable to change the frontend's selected thread to the
23538 one specified by user. @value{GDBN} communicates the suggestion to
23539 change current thread using the @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
23540 No such notification is available for the selected frame at the moment.
23541
23542 Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
23543 frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
23544 right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
23545 simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
23546 before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
23547 to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
23548 if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
23549 thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
23550 optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
23551 sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
23552 selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
23553 change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
23554 problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
23555 all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
23556 right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
23557 @samp{--frame} options.
23558
23559 @node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
23560 @subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
23561
23562 On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
23563 even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
23564 command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
23565 specify a preferrence for asynchronous execution using the
23566 @code{-gdb-set target-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
23567 either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
23568 frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
23569 find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
23570 @code{-list-target-features} command.
23571
23572 Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
23573 many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
23574 running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
23575 when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
23576 it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
23577 are running.
23578
23579 When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
23580 target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
23581 some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
23582 stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
23583 modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
23584 that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
23585 @code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
23586 context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
23587 stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
23588 @samp{--thread} option).
23589
23590 Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
23591 highly target dependent. However, the two commands
23592 @code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
23593 to find the state of a thread, will always work.
23594
23595 @node Thread groups
23596 @subsection Thread groups
23597 @value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
23598 On some platfroms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
23599 hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
23600 processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
23601 mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
23602
23603 The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
23604 target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
23605 accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
23606 thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
23607 neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
23608 current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
23609 that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
23610 into processes.
23611
23612 To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
23613 hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
23614 @dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
23615 thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
23616 and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
23617 command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
23618 thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
23619 debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
23620 to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
23621 the members of specific thread group.
23622
23623 To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
23624 wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
23625 introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
23626 @value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
23627 @code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
23628 groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
23629 In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
23630 after attaching to that thread group.
23631
23632 Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
23633 Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
23634 type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
23635 such thread groups.
23636
23637 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
23638 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
23639 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
23640
23641 @menu
23642 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
23643 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
23644 @end menu
23645
23646 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
23647 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
23648
23649 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
23650 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
23651 @table @code
23652 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
23653 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
23654
23655 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
23656 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
23657 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
23658
23659 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
23660 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
23661 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
23662
23663 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
23664 "any sequence of digits"
23665
23666 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
23667 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
23668
23669 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
23670 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
23671
23672 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
23673 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
23674
23675 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
23676 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
23677 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
23678
23679 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
23680 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
23681
23682 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
23683 @code{CR | CR-LF}
23684 @end table
23685
23686 @noindent
23687 Notes:
23688
23689 @itemize @bullet
23690 @item
23691 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
23692 output is described below.
23693
23694 @item
23695 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
23696 finishes.
23697
23698 @item
23699 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
23700 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
23701 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
23702 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
23703 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
23704 @end itemize
23705
23706 Pragmatics:
23707
23708 @itemize @bullet
23709 @item
23710 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
23711
23712 @item
23713 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
23714 @end itemize
23715
23716 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
23717 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
23718
23719 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
23720 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
23721 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
23722 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
23723 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
23724 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
23725
23726 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
23727 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
23728 @var{token}.
23729
23730 @table @code
23731 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
23732 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
23733
23734 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
23735 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
23736
23737 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
23738 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
23739
23740 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
23741 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
23742
23743 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
23744 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output}}
23745
23746 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
23747 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output}}
23748
23749 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
23750 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output}}
23751
23752 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
23753 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
23754
23755 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
23756 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
23757
23758 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
23759 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
23760 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
23761
23762 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
23763 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
23764
23765 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
23766 @code{ @var{string} }
23767
23768 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
23769 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
23770
23771 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
23772 @code{@var{c-string}}
23773
23774 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
23775 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
23776
23777 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
23778 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
23779 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
23780
23781 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
23782 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
23783
23784 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
23785 @code{"~" @var{c-string}}
23786
23787 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
23788 @code{"@@" @var{c-string}}
23789
23790 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
23791 @code{"&" @var{c-string}}
23792
23793 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
23794 @code{CR | CR-LF}
23795
23796 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
23797 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
23798 @end table
23799
23800 @noindent
23801 Notes:
23802
23803 @itemize @bullet
23804 @item
23805 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
23806
23807 @item
23808 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
23809 for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
23810 may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
23811 output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
23812 all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
23813 target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
23814 prior command.
23815
23816 @item
23817 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
23818 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
23819 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
23820 prefixed by @samp{+}.
23821
23822 @item
23823 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
23824 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
23825 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
23826 @samp{*}.
23827
23828 @item
23829 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
23830 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
23831 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
23832 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
23833
23834 @item
23835 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
23836 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
23837 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
23838 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
23839
23840 @item
23841 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
23842 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
23843 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
23844
23845 @item
23846 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
23847 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
23848 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
23849 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
23850
23851 @item
23852 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
23853 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
23854 @var{values}.
23855
23856
23857 @end itemize
23858
23859 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
23860 details about the various output records.
23861
23862 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
23863 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
23864 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
23865
23866 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
23867 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
23868
23869 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
23870 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
23871 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
23872 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
23873 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
23874 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
23875
23876 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
23877 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
23878 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
23879
23880 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
23881 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
23882 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
23883 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
23884
23885 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
23886 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
23887
23888 Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
23889 by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
23890 to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
23891 section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
23892 might change.
23893
23894 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
23895 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
23896 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
23897 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
23898
23899 @itemize @bullet
23900 @item
23901 New MI commands may be added.
23902
23903 @item
23904 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
23905
23906 @item
23907 The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
23908 @code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
23909
23910 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
23911 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
23912
23913 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
23914 @c resolve inconsistencies.
23915 @end itemize
23916
23917 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
23918 will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
23919 output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
23920 @value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
23921 responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
23922
23923 @c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
23924 @c version?
23925
23926 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
23927 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
23928 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
23929 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
23930 @cindex mailing lists
23931
23932 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
23933 @node GDB/MI Output Records
23934 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
23935
23936 @menu
23937 * GDB/MI Result Records::
23938 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
23939 * GDB/MI Async Records::
23940 * GDB/MI Frame Information::
23941 * GDB/MI Thread Information::
23942 @end menu
23943
23944 @node GDB/MI Result Records
23945 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
23946
23947 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
23948 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
23949 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
23950 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
23951
23952 @table @code
23953 @findex ^done
23954 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
23955 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
23956 values.
23957
23958 @item "^running"
23959 @findex ^running
23960 This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
23961 was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
23962 target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
23963 all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
23964 identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
23965 which threads are resumed.
23966
23967 @item "^connected"
23968 @findex ^connected
23969 @value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
23970
23971 @item "^error" "," @var{c-string}
23972 @findex ^error
23973 The operation failed. The @code{@var{c-string}} contains the corresponding
23974 error message.
23975
23976 @item "^exit"
23977 @findex ^exit
23978 @value{GDBN} has terminated.
23979
23980 @end table
23981
23982 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
23983 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
23984
23985 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
23986 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
23987 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
23988 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
23989 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
23990
23991 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
23992 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
23993 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
23994 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
23995 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
23996
23997 @table @code
23998 @item "~" @var{string-output}
23999 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
24000 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
24001
24002 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
24003 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
24004 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
24005 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
24006
24007 @item "&" @var{string-output}
24008 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
24009 internals.
24010 @end table
24011
24012 @node GDB/MI Async Records
24013 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
24014
24015 @cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
24016 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
24017 @dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
24018 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
24019 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
24020 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
24021
24022 The following is the list of possible async records:
24023
24024 @table @code
24025
24026 @item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
24027 The target is now running. The @var{thread} field tells which
24028 specific thread is now running, and can be @samp{all} if all threads
24029 are running. The frontend should assume that no interaction with a
24030 running thread is possible after this notification is produced.
24031 The frontend should not assume that this notification is output
24032 only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may emit this notification
24033 several times, either for different threads, because it cannot resume
24034 all threads together, or even for a single thread, if the thread must
24035 be stepped though some code before letting it run freely.
24036
24037 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
24038 The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
24039 following values:
24040
24041 @table @code
24042 @item breakpoint-hit
24043 A breakpoint was reached.
24044 @item watchpoint-trigger
24045 A watchpoint was triggered.
24046 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
24047 A read watchpoint was triggered.
24048 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
24049 An access watchpoint was triggered.
24050 @item function-finished
24051 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
24052 @item location-reached
24053 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
24054 @item watchpoint-scope
24055 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
24056 @item end-stepping-range
24057 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
24058 similar CLI command was accomplished.
24059 @item exited-signalled
24060 The inferior exited because of a signal.
24061 @item exited
24062 The inferior exited.
24063 @item exited-normally
24064 The inferior exited normally.
24065 @item signal-received
24066 A signal was received by the inferior.
24067 @end table
24068
24069 The @var{id} field identifies the thread that directly caused the stop
24070 -- for example by hitting a breakpoint. Depending on whether all-stop
24071 mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
24072 stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
24073 If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
24074 value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
24075 field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
24076 always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
24077 several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
24078 processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
24079 if such information is not available.
24080
24081 @item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
24082 @itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
24083 A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
24084 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
24085 group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
24086 process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
24087 cannot be used in any way.
24088
24089 @item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
24090 A thread group became associated with a running program,
24091 either because the program was just started or the thread group
24092 was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
24093 @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
24094 contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
24095
24096 @itemx =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"
24097 A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
24098 either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
24099 from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
24100 thread group.
24101
24102 @item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
24103 @itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
24104 A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
24105 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
24106 field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
24107
24108 @item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"
24109 Informs that the selected thread was changed as result of the last
24110 command. This notification is not emitted as result of @code{-thread-select}
24111 command but is emitted whenever an MI command that is not documented
24112 to change the selected thread actually changes it. In particular,
24113 invoking, directly or indirectly (via user-defined command), the CLI
24114 @code{thread} command, will generate this notification.
24115
24116 We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
24117 highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
24118 that thread.
24119
24120 @item =library-loaded,...
24121 Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
24122 notification has 4 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
24123 @var{host-name}, and @var{symbols-loaded}. The @var{id} field is an
24124 opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
24125 @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
24126 library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
24127 debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
24128 @var{symbols-loaded} field reports if the debug symbols for this
24129 library are loaded. The @var{thread-group} field, if present,
24130 specifies the id of the thread group in whose context the library was loaded.
24131 If the field is absent, it means the library was loaded in the context
24132 of all present thread groups.
24133
24134 @item =library-unloaded,...
24135 Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
24136 has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
24137 the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
24138 The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
24139 thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
24140 absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
24141 thread groups.
24142
24143 @end table
24144
24145 @node GDB/MI Frame Information
24146 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
24147
24148 Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
24149 frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
24150 fields:
24151
24152 @table @code
24153 @item level
24154 The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
24155 zero. This field is always present.
24156
24157 @item func
24158 The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
24159 be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
24160
24161 @item addr
24162 The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
24163
24164 @item file
24165 The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
24166 address. This field may be absent.
24167
24168 @item line
24169 The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
24170 may be absent.
24171
24172 @item from
24173 The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
24174 corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
24175
24176 @end table
24177
24178 @node GDB/MI Thread Information
24179 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
24180
24181 Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
24182 uses a tuple with the following fields:
24183
24184 @table @code
24185 @item id
24186 The numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}. This field is
24187 always present.
24188
24189 @item target-id
24190 Target-specific string identifying the thread. This field is always present.
24191
24192 @item details
24193 Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
24194 It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
24195 frontend. This field is optional.
24196
24197 @item state
24198 Either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running}, depending on whether the
24199 thread is presently running. This field is always present.
24200
24201 @item core
24202 The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
24203 thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
24204 @end table
24205
24206
24207 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
24208 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
24209 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
24210 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
24211
24212 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
24213 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
24214 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
24215 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
24216
24217 Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
24218 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
24219
24220 @subheading Setting a Breakpoint
24221
24222 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
24223 information of the breakpoint.
24224
24225 @smallexample
24226 -> -break-insert main
24227 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
24228 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
24229 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",times="0"@}
24230 <- (gdb)
24231 @end smallexample
24232
24233 @subheading Program Execution
24234
24235 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
24236 reason that execution stopped.
24237
24238 @smallexample
24239 -> -exec-run
24240 <- ^running
24241 <- (gdb)
24242 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
24243 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
24244 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
24245 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
24246 <- (gdb)
24247 -> -exec-continue
24248 <- ^running
24249 <- (gdb)
24250 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
24251 <- (gdb)
24252 @end smallexample
24253
24254 @subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
24255
24256 Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
24257
24258 @smallexample
24259 -> (gdb)
24260 <- -gdb-exit
24261 <- ^exit
24262 @end smallexample
24263
24264 Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
24265 take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
24266 performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
24267 or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
24268 @value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
24269 fails to exit in reasonable time.
24270
24271 @subheading A Bad Command
24272
24273 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
24274
24275 @smallexample
24276 -> -rubbish
24277 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
24278 <- (gdb)
24279 @end smallexample
24280
24281
24282 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
24283 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
24284 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
24285
24286 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
24287 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
24288
24289 @subheading Motivation
24290
24291 The motivation for this collection of commands.
24292
24293 @subheading Introduction
24294
24295 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
24296
24297 @subheading Commands
24298
24299 For each command in the block, the following is described:
24300
24301 @subsubheading Synopsis
24302
24303 @smallexample
24304 -command @var{args}@dots{}
24305 @end smallexample
24306
24307 @subsubheading Result
24308
24309 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24310
24311 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
24312
24313 @subsubheading Example
24314
24315 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
24316 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
24317
24318
24319 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
24320 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
24321 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
24322
24323 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
24324 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
24325 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
24326 breakpoints.
24327
24328 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
24329 @findex -break-after
24330
24331 @subsubheading Synopsis
24332
24333 @smallexample
24334 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
24335 @end smallexample
24336
24337 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
24338 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
24339 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
24340 @samp{-break-list} command below.
24341
24342 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24343
24344 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
24345
24346 @subsubheading Example
24347
24348 @smallexample
24349 (gdb)
24350 -break-insert main
24351 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
24352 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
24353 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
24354 (gdb)
24355 -break-after 1 3
24356 ~
24357 ^done
24358 (gdb)
24359 -break-list
24360 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
24361 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24362 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24363 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24364 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24365 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24366 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24367 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
24368 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
24369 line="5",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
24370 (gdb)
24371 @end smallexample
24372
24373 @ignore
24374 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
24375 @findex -break-catch
24376 @end ignore
24377
24378 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
24379 @findex -break-commands
24380
24381 @subsubheading Synopsis
24382
24383 @smallexample
24384 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
24385 @end smallexample
24386
24387 Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
24388 @var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
24389 are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
24390 commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
24391 functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
24392 some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
24393
24394 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24395
24396 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
24397
24398 @subsubheading Example
24399
24400 @smallexample
24401 (gdb)
24402 -break-insert main
24403 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
24404 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
24405 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
24406 (gdb)
24407 -break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
24408 ^done
24409 (gdb)
24410 @end smallexample
24411
24412 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
24413 @findex -break-condition
24414
24415 @subsubheading Synopsis
24416
24417 @smallexample
24418 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
24419 @end smallexample
24420
24421 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
24422 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
24423 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
24424 command below).
24425
24426 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24427
24428 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
24429
24430 @subsubheading Example
24431
24432 @smallexample
24433 (gdb)
24434 -break-condition 1 1
24435 ^done
24436 (gdb)
24437 -break-list
24438 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
24439 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24440 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24441 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24442 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24443 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24444 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24445 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
24446 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
24447 line="5",cond="1",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
24448 (gdb)
24449 @end smallexample
24450
24451 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
24452 @findex -break-delete
24453
24454 @subsubheading Synopsis
24455
24456 @smallexample
24457 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
24458 @end smallexample
24459
24460 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
24461 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
24462
24463 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24464
24465 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
24466
24467 @subsubheading Example
24468
24469 @smallexample
24470 (gdb)
24471 -break-delete 1
24472 ^done
24473 (gdb)
24474 -break-list
24475 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
24476 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24477 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24478 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24479 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24480 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24481 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24482 body=[]@}
24483 (gdb)
24484 @end smallexample
24485
24486 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
24487 @findex -break-disable
24488
24489 @subsubheading Synopsis
24490
24491 @smallexample
24492 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
24493 @end smallexample
24494
24495 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
24496 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
24497
24498 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24499
24500 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
24501
24502 @subsubheading Example
24503
24504 @smallexample
24505 (gdb)
24506 -break-disable 2
24507 ^done
24508 (gdb)
24509 -break-list
24510 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
24511 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24512 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24513 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24514 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24515 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24516 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24517 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
24518 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
24519 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
24520 (gdb)
24521 @end smallexample
24522
24523 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
24524 @findex -break-enable
24525
24526 @subsubheading Synopsis
24527
24528 @smallexample
24529 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
24530 @end smallexample
24531
24532 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
24533
24534 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24535
24536 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
24537
24538 @subsubheading Example
24539
24540 @smallexample
24541 (gdb)
24542 -break-enable 2
24543 ^done
24544 (gdb)
24545 -break-list
24546 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
24547 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24548 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24549 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24550 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24551 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24552 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24553 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
24554 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
24555 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
24556 (gdb)
24557 @end smallexample
24558
24559 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
24560 @findex -break-info
24561
24562 @subsubheading Synopsis
24563
24564 @smallexample
24565 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
24566 @end smallexample
24567
24568 @c REDUNDANT???
24569 Get information about a single breakpoint.
24570
24571 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24572
24573 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
24574
24575 @subsubheading Example
24576 N.A.
24577
24578 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
24579 @findex -break-insert
24580
24581 @subsubheading Synopsis
24582
24583 @smallexample
24584 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
24585 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
24586 [ -p @var{thread} ] [ @var{location} ]
24587 @end smallexample
24588
24589 @noindent
24590 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
24591
24592 @itemize @bullet
24593 @item function
24594 @c @item +offset
24595 @c @item -offset
24596 @c @item linenum
24597 @item filename:linenum
24598 @item filename:function
24599 @item *address
24600 @end itemize
24601
24602 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
24603
24604 @table @samp
24605 @item -t
24606 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
24607 @item -h
24608 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
24609 @item -c @var{condition}
24610 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
24611 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
24612 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
24613 @item -f
24614 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
24615 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
24616 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
24617 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
24618 cannot be parsed.
24619 @item -d
24620 Create a disabled breakpoint.
24621 @item -a
24622 Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
24623 is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
24624 @end table
24625
24626 @subsubheading Result
24627
24628 The result is in the form:
24629
24630 @smallexample
24631 ^done,bkpt=@{number="@var{number}",type="@var{type}",disp="del"|"keep",
24632 enabled="y"|"n",addr="@var{hex}",func="@var{funcname}",file="@var{filename}",
24633 fullname="@var{full_filename}",line="@var{lineno}",[thread="@var{threadno},]
24634 times="@var{times}"@}
24635 @end smallexample
24636
24637 @noindent
24638 where @var{number} is the @value{GDBN} number for this breakpoint,
24639 @var{funcname} is the name of the function where the breakpoint was
24640 inserted, @var{filename} is the name of the source file which contains
24641 this function, @var{lineno} is the source line number within that file
24642 and @var{times} the number of times that the breakpoint has been hit
24643 (always 0 for -break-insert but may be greater for -break-info or -break-list
24644 which use the same output).
24645
24646 Note: this format is open to change.
24647 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
24648
24649 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24650
24651 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
24652 @samp{hbreak}, @samp{thbreak}, and @samp{rbreak}.
24653
24654 @subsubheading Example
24655
24656 @smallexample
24657 (gdb)
24658 -break-insert main
24659 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
24660 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",times="0"@}
24661 (gdb)
24662 -break-insert -t foo
24663 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
24664 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",times="0"@}
24665 (gdb)
24666 -break-list
24667 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
24668 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24669 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24670 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24671 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24672 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24673 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24674 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
24675 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
24676 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",times="0"@},
24677 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
24678 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
24679 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}]@}
24680 (gdb)
24681 -break-insert -r foo.*
24682 ~int foo(int, int);
24683 ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
24684 "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}
24685 (gdb)
24686 @end smallexample
24687
24688 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
24689 @findex -break-list
24690
24691 @subsubheading Synopsis
24692
24693 @smallexample
24694 -break-list
24695 @end smallexample
24696
24697 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
24698
24699 @table @samp
24700 @item Number
24701 number of the breakpoint
24702 @item Type
24703 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
24704 @item Disposition
24705 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
24706 or @samp{nokeep}
24707 @item Enabled
24708 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
24709 @item Address
24710 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
24711 @item What
24712 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
24713 name, line number
24714 @item Times
24715 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
24716 @end table
24717
24718 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
24719 @code{body} field is an empty list.
24720
24721 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24722
24723 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
24724
24725 @subsubheading Example
24726
24727 @smallexample
24728 (gdb)
24729 -break-list
24730 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
24731 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24732 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24733 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24734 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24735 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24736 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24737 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
24738 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",times="0"@},
24739 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
24740 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
24741 line="13",times="0"@}]@}
24742 (gdb)
24743 @end smallexample
24744
24745 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
24746
24747 @smallexample
24748 (gdb)
24749 -break-list
24750 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
24751 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24752 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24753 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24754 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24755 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24756 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24757 body=[]@}
24758 (gdb)
24759 @end smallexample
24760
24761 @subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
24762 @findex -break-passcount
24763
24764 @subsubheading Synopsis
24765
24766 @smallexample
24767 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
24768 @end smallexample
24769
24770 Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
24771 @var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
24772 is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
24773 command @samp{passcount}.
24774
24775 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
24776 @findex -break-watch
24777
24778 @subsubheading Synopsis
24779
24780 @smallexample
24781 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
24782 @end smallexample
24783
24784 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
24785 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
24786 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
24787 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
24788 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
24789 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
24790 i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
24791 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
24792
24793 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
24794 breakpoints inserted.
24795
24796 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24797
24798 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
24799 @samp{rwatch}.
24800
24801 @subsubheading Example
24802
24803 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
24804
24805 @smallexample
24806 (gdb)
24807 -break-watch x
24808 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
24809 (gdb)
24810 -exec-continue
24811 ^running
24812 (gdb)
24813 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
24814 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
24815 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
24816 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
24817 (gdb)
24818 @end smallexample
24819
24820 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
24821 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
24822 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
24823
24824 @smallexample
24825 (gdb)
24826 -break-watch C
24827 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
24828 (gdb)
24829 -exec-continue
24830 ^running
24831 (gdb)
24832 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
24833 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
24834 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
24835 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
24836 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
24837 (gdb)
24838 -exec-continue
24839 ^running
24840 (gdb)
24841 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
24842 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
24843 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
24844 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
24845 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
24846 (gdb)
24847 @end smallexample
24848
24849 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
24850 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
24851 deleted.
24852
24853 @smallexample
24854 (gdb)
24855 -break-watch C
24856 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
24857 (gdb)
24858 -break-list
24859 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
24860 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24861 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24862 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24863 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24864 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24865 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24866 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
24867 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
24868 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
24869 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",times="1"@},
24870 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
24871 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="0"@}]@}
24872 (gdb)
24873 -exec-continue
24874 ^running
24875 (gdb)
24876 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
24877 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
24878 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
24879 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
24880 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
24881 (gdb)
24882 -break-list
24883 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
24884 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24885 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24886 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24887 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24888 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24889 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24890 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
24891 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
24892 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
24893 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",times="1"@},
24894 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
24895 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="-5"@}]@}
24896 (gdb)
24897 -exec-continue
24898 ^running
24899 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
24900 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
24901 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
24902 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
24903 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
24904 (gdb)
24905 -break-list
24906 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
24907 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
24908 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
24909 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
24910 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
24911 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
24912 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
24913 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
24914 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
24915 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
24916 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
24917 times="1"@}]@}
24918 (gdb)
24919 @end smallexample
24920
24921 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
24922 @node GDB/MI Program Context
24923 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
24924
24925 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
24926 @findex -exec-arguments
24927
24928
24929 @subsubheading Synopsis
24930
24931 @smallexample
24932 -exec-arguments @var{args}
24933 @end smallexample
24934
24935 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
24936 @samp{-exec-run}.
24937
24938 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24939
24940 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
24941
24942 @subsubheading Example
24943
24944 @smallexample
24945 (gdb)
24946 -exec-arguments -v word
24947 ^done
24948 (gdb)
24949 @end smallexample
24950
24951
24952 @ignore
24953 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
24954 @findex -exec-show-arguments
24955
24956 @subsubheading Synopsis
24957
24958 @smallexample
24959 -exec-show-arguments
24960 @end smallexample
24961
24962 Print the arguments of the program.
24963
24964 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24965
24966 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
24967
24968 @subsubheading Example
24969 N.A.
24970 @end ignore
24971
24972
24973 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
24974 @findex -environment-cd
24975
24976 @subsubheading Synopsis
24977
24978 @smallexample
24979 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
24980 @end smallexample
24981
24982 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
24983
24984 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
24985
24986 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
24987
24988 @subsubheading Example
24989
24990 @smallexample
24991 (gdb)
24992 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
24993 ^done
24994 (gdb)
24995 @end smallexample
24996
24997
24998 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
24999 @findex -environment-directory
25000
25001 @subsubheading Synopsis
25002
25003 @smallexample
25004 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
25005 @end smallexample
25006
25007 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
25008 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
25009 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
25010 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
25011 occurs as normal.
25012 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
25013 multiple directories in a single command
25014 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
25015 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
25016 If blanks are needed as
25017 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
25018 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
25019 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
25020 character must not be used
25021 in any directory name.
25022 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
25023
25024 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25025
25026 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
25027
25028 @subsubheading Example
25029
25030 @smallexample
25031 (gdb)
25032 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
25033 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
25034 (gdb)
25035 -environment-directory ""
25036 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
25037 (gdb)
25038 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
25039 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
25040 (gdb)
25041 -environment-directory -r
25042 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
25043 (gdb)
25044 @end smallexample
25045
25046
25047 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
25048 @findex -environment-path
25049
25050 @subsubheading Synopsis
25051
25052 @smallexample
25053 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
25054 @end smallexample
25055
25056 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
25057 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
25058 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
25059 supplied in addition to the
25060 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
25061 occurs as normal.
25062 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
25063 multiple directories in a single command
25064 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
25065 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
25066 If blanks are needed as
25067 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
25068 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
25069 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
25070 character must not be used
25071 in any directory name.
25072 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
25073
25074
25075 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25076
25077 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
25078
25079 @subsubheading Example
25080
25081 @smallexample
25082 (gdb)
25083 -environment-path
25084 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
25085 (gdb)
25086 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
25087 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
25088 (gdb)
25089 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
25090 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
25091 (gdb)
25092 @end smallexample
25093
25094
25095 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
25096 @findex -environment-pwd
25097
25098 @subsubheading Synopsis
25099
25100 @smallexample
25101 -environment-pwd
25102 @end smallexample
25103
25104 Show the current working directory.
25105
25106 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25107
25108 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
25109
25110 @subsubheading Example
25111
25112 @smallexample
25113 (gdb)
25114 -environment-pwd
25115 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
25116 (gdb)
25117 @end smallexample
25118
25119 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25120 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
25121 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
25122
25123
25124 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
25125 @findex -thread-info
25126
25127 @subsubheading Synopsis
25128
25129 @smallexample
25130 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
25131 @end smallexample
25132
25133 Reports information about either a specific thread, if
25134 the @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all
25135 threads. When printing information about all threads,
25136 also reports the current thread.
25137
25138 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25139
25140 The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
25141 about all threads.
25142
25143 @subsubheading Example
25144
25145 @smallexample
25146 -thread-info
25147 ^done,threads=[
25148 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
25149 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
25150 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
25151 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
25152 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}],
25153 current-thread-id="1"
25154 (gdb)
25155 @end smallexample
25156
25157 The @samp{state} field may have the following values:
25158
25159 @table @code
25160 @item stopped
25161 The thread is stopped. Frame information is available for stopped
25162 threads.
25163
25164 @item running
25165 The thread is running. There's no frame information for running
25166 threads.
25167
25168 @end table
25169
25170 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
25171 @findex -thread-list-ids
25172
25173 @subsubheading Synopsis
25174
25175 @smallexample
25176 -thread-list-ids
25177 @end smallexample
25178
25179 Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
25180 end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
25181
25182 This command is retained for historical reasons, the
25183 @code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
25184
25185 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25186
25187 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
25188
25189 @subsubheading Example
25190
25191 @smallexample
25192 (gdb)
25193 -thread-list-ids
25194 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
25195 current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
25196 (gdb)
25197 @end smallexample
25198
25199
25200 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
25201 @findex -thread-select
25202
25203 @subsubheading Synopsis
25204
25205 @smallexample
25206 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
25207 @end smallexample
25208
25209 Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
25210 current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
25211
25212 This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
25213 @samp{--thread} option to each command.
25214
25215 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25216
25217 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
25218
25219 @subsubheading Example
25220
25221 @smallexample
25222 (gdb)
25223 -exec-next
25224 ^running
25225 (gdb)
25226 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
25227 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
25228 (gdb)
25229 -thread-list-ids
25230 ^done,
25231 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
25232 number-of-threads="3"
25233 (gdb)
25234 -thread-select 3
25235 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
25236 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
25237 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
25238 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
25239 (gdb)
25240 @end smallexample
25241
25242 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25243 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
25244 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
25245
25246 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
25247 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
25248 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
25249 other cases.
25250
25251 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
25252 @findex -exec-continue
25253
25254 @subsubheading Synopsis
25255
25256 @smallexample
25257 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
25258 @end smallexample
25259
25260 Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
25261 to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
25262 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
25263 it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
25264 @itemize @bullet
25265 @item
25266 breakpoints or watchpoints
25267 @item
25268 signals or exceptions
25269 @item
25270 the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
25271 @item
25272 the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
25273 @end itemize
25274 In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
25275 Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
25276 value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
25277 specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
25278 ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
25279 specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
25280
25281 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25282
25283 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
25284
25285 @subsubheading Example
25286
25287 @smallexample
25288 -exec-continue
25289 ^running
25290 (gdb)
25291 @@Hello world
25292 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
25293 func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
25294 line="13"@}
25295 (gdb)
25296 @end smallexample
25297
25298
25299 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
25300 @findex -exec-finish
25301
25302 @subsubheading Synopsis
25303
25304 @smallexample
25305 -exec-finish [--reverse]
25306 @end smallexample
25307
25308 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
25309 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
25310 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
25311 execution of the inferior program until the point where current
25312 function was called.
25313
25314 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25315
25316 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
25317
25318 @subsubheading Example
25319
25320 Function returning @code{void}.
25321
25322 @smallexample
25323 -exec-finish
25324 ^running
25325 (gdb)
25326 @@hello from foo
25327 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
25328 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
25329 (gdb)
25330 @end smallexample
25331
25332 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
25333 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
25334 value itself.
25335
25336 @smallexample
25337 -exec-finish
25338 ^running
25339 (gdb)
25340 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
25341 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
25342 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25343 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
25344 (gdb)
25345 @end smallexample
25346
25347
25348 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
25349 @findex -exec-interrupt
25350
25351 @subsubheading Synopsis
25352
25353 @smallexample
25354 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
25355 @end smallexample
25356
25357 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
25358 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
25359 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
25360 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
25361 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
25362
25363 Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
25364 asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
25365 @samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
25366 reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
25367
25368 In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
25369 All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
25370 @samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
25371 option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
25372
25373 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25374
25375 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
25376
25377 @subsubheading Example
25378
25379 @smallexample
25380 (gdb)
25381 111-exec-continue
25382 111^running
25383
25384 (gdb)
25385 222-exec-interrupt
25386 222^done
25387 (gdb)
25388 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
25389 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
25390 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
25391 (gdb)
25392
25393 (gdb)
25394 -exec-interrupt
25395 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
25396 (gdb)
25397 @end smallexample
25398
25399 @subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
25400 @findex -exec-jump
25401
25402 @subsubheading Synopsis
25403
25404 @smallexample
25405 -exec-jump @var{location}
25406 @end smallexample
25407
25408 Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
25409 parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
25410 different forms of @var{location}.
25411
25412 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25413
25414 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
25415
25416 @subsubheading Example
25417
25418 @smallexample
25419 -exec-jump foo.c:10
25420 *running,thread-id="all"
25421 ^running
25422 @end smallexample
25423
25424
25425 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
25426 @findex -exec-next
25427
25428 @subsubheading Synopsis
25429
25430 @smallexample
25431 -exec-next [--reverse]
25432 @end smallexample
25433
25434 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
25435 of the next source line is reached.
25436
25437 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
25438 of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
25439 source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
25440 function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
25441 source line where the function was called.
25442
25443
25444 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25445
25446 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
25447
25448 @subsubheading Example
25449
25450 @smallexample
25451 -exec-next
25452 ^running
25453 (gdb)
25454 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
25455 (gdb)
25456 @end smallexample
25457
25458
25459 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
25460 @findex -exec-next-instruction
25461
25462 @subsubheading Synopsis
25463
25464 @smallexample
25465 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
25466 @end smallexample
25467
25468 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
25469 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
25470 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
25471 printed as well.
25472
25473 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
25474 of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
25475 previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
25476 it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
25477 (from the current stack frame) is reached.
25478
25479 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25480
25481 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
25482
25483 @subsubheading Example
25484
25485 @smallexample
25486 (gdb)
25487 -exec-next-instruction
25488 ^running
25489
25490 (gdb)
25491 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
25492 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
25493 (gdb)
25494 @end smallexample
25495
25496
25497 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
25498 @findex -exec-return
25499
25500 @subsubheading Synopsis
25501
25502 @smallexample
25503 -exec-return
25504 @end smallexample
25505
25506 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
25507 Displays the new current frame.
25508
25509 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25510
25511 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
25512
25513 @subsubheading Example
25514
25515 @smallexample
25516 (gdb)
25517 200-break-insert callee4
25518 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
25519 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
25520 (gdb)
25521 000-exec-run
25522 000^running
25523 (gdb)
25524 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
25525 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
25526 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25527 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
25528 (gdb)
25529 205-break-delete
25530 205^done
25531 (gdb)
25532 111-exec-return
25533 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
25534 args=[@{name="strarg",
25535 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
25536 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25537 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
25538 (gdb)
25539 @end smallexample
25540
25541
25542 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
25543 @findex -exec-run
25544
25545 @subsubheading Synopsis
25546
25547 @smallexample
25548 -exec-run [--all | --thread-group N]
25549 @end smallexample
25550
25551 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
25552 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
25553 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
25554 the program has exited exceptionally.
25555
25556 When no option is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
25557 @samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
25558 group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
25559 If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
25560
25561 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25562
25563 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
25564
25565 @subsubheading Examples
25566
25567 @smallexample
25568 (gdb)
25569 -break-insert main
25570 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
25571 (gdb)
25572 -exec-run
25573 ^running
25574 (gdb)
25575 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
25576 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
25577 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
25578 (gdb)
25579 @end smallexample
25580
25581 @noindent
25582 Program exited normally:
25583
25584 @smallexample
25585 (gdb)
25586 -exec-run
25587 ^running
25588 (gdb)
25589 x = 55
25590 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
25591 (gdb)
25592 @end smallexample
25593
25594 @noindent
25595 Program exited exceptionally:
25596
25597 @smallexample
25598 (gdb)
25599 -exec-run
25600 ^running
25601 (gdb)
25602 x = 55
25603 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
25604 (gdb)
25605 @end smallexample
25606
25607 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
25608 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
25609
25610 @smallexample
25611 (gdb)
25612 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
25613 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
25614 @end smallexample
25615
25616
25617 @c @subheading -exec-signal
25618
25619
25620 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
25621 @findex -exec-step
25622
25623 @subsubheading Synopsis
25624
25625 @smallexample
25626 -exec-step [--reverse]
25627 @end smallexample
25628
25629 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
25630 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
25631 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
25632 function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
25633 execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
25634 previously executed source line.
25635
25636 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25637
25638 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
25639
25640 @subsubheading Example
25641
25642 Stepping into a function:
25643
25644 @smallexample
25645 -exec-step
25646 ^running
25647 (gdb)
25648 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
25649 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
25650 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
25651 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
25652 (gdb)
25653 @end smallexample
25654
25655 Regular stepping:
25656
25657 @smallexample
25658 -exec-step
25659 ^running
25660 (gdb)
25661 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
25662 (gdb)
25663 @end smallexample
25664
25665
25666 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
25667 @findex -exec-step-instruction
25668
25669 @subsubheading Synopsis
25670
25671 @smallexample
25672 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
25673 @end smallexample
25674
25675 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
25676 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
25677 inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
25678 The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
25679 whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
25680 former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
25681 as well.
25682
25683 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25684
25685 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
25686
25687 @subsubheading Example
25688
25689 @smallexample
25690 (gdb)
25691 -exec-step-instruction
25692 ^running
25693
25694 (gdb)
25695 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
25696 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
25697 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
25698 (gdb)
25699 -exec-step-instruction
25700 ^running
25701
25702 (gdb)
25703 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
25704 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
25705 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
25706 (gdb)
25707 @end smallexample
25708
25709
25710 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
25711 @findex -exec-until
25712
25713 @subsubheading Synopsis
25714
25715 @smallexample
25716 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
25717 @end smallexample
25718
25719 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
25720 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
25721 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
25722 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
25723
25724 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25725
25726 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
25727
25728 @subsubheading Example
25729
25730 @smallexample
25731 (gdb)
25732 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
25733 ^running
25734 (gdb)
25735 x = 55
25736 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
25737 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
25738 (gdb)
25739 @end smallexample
25740
25741 @ignore
25742 @subheading -file-clear
25743 Is this going away????
25744 @end ignore
25745
25746 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25747 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
25748 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
25749
25750
25751 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
25752 @findex -stack-info-frame
25753
25754 @subsubheading Synopsis
25755
25756 @smallexample
25757 -stack-info-frame
25758 @end smallexample
25759
25760 Get info on the selected frame.
25761
25762 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25763
25764 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
25765 (without arguments).
25766
25767 @subsubheading Example
25768
25769 @smallexample
25770 (gdb)
25771 -stack-info-frame
25772 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
25773 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25774 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
25775 (gdb)
25776 @end smallexample
25777
25778 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
25779 @findex -stack-info-depth
25780
25781 @subsubheading Synopsis
25782
25783 @smallexample
25784 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
25785 @end smallexample
25786
25787 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
25788 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
25789
25790 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25791
25792 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
25793
25794 @subsubheading Example
25795
25796 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
25797
25798 @smallexample
25799 (gdb)
25800 -stack-info-depth
25801 ^done,depth="12"
25802 (gdb)
25803 -stack-info-depth 4
25804 ^done,depth="4"
25805 (gdb)
25806 -stack-info-depth 12
25807 ^done,depth="12"
25808 (gdb)
25809 -stack-info-depth 11
25810 ^done,depth="11"
25811 (gdb)
25812 -stack-info-depth 13
25813 ^done,depth="12"
25814 (gdb)
25815 @end smallexample
25816
25817 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
25818 @findex -stack-list-arguments
25819
25820 @subsubheading Synopsis
25821
25822 @smallexample
25823 -stack-list-arguments @var{print-values}
25824 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
25825 @end smallexample
25826
25827 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
25828 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
25829 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
25830 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
25831 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
25832 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
25833 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
25834 which case only existing frames will be returned.
25835
25836 If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
25837 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
25838 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
25839 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
25840 structures and unions.
25841
25842 Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
25843 deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
25844
25845 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25846
25847 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
25848 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
25849 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
25850
25851 @subsubheading Example
25852
25853 @smallexample
25854 (gdb)
25855 -stack-list-frames
25856 ^done,
25857 stack=[
25858 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
25859 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25860 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
25861 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
25862 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25863 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
25864 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
25865 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25866 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
25867 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
25868 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25869 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
25870 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
25871 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
25872 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
25873 (gdb)
25874 -stack-list-arguments 0
25875 ^done,
25876 stack-args=[
25877 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
25878 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
25879 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
25880 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
25881 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
25882 (gdb)
25883 -stack-list-arguments 1
25884 ^done,
25885 stack-args=[
25886 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
25887 frame=@{level="1",
25888 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
25889 frame=@{level="2",args=[
25890 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
25891 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
25892 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
25893 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
25894 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
25895 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
25896 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
25897 (gdb)
25898 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
25899 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
25900 (gdb)
25901 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
25902 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
25903 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
25904 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
25905 (gdb)
25906 @end smallexample
25907
25908 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
25909
25910
25911 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
25912 @findex -stack-list-frames
25913
25914 @subsubheading Synopsis
25915
25916 @smallexample
25917 -stack-list-frames [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
25918 @end smallexample
25919
25920 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
25921 following info:
25922
25923 @table @samp
25924 @item @var{level}
25925 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
25926 @item @var{addr}
25927 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
25928 @item @var{func}
25929 Function name.
25930 @item @var{file}
25931 File name of the source file where the function lives.
25932 @item @var{line}
25933 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
25934 @end table
25935
25936 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
25937 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
25938 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
25939 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
25940 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
25941 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
25942 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be returned.
25943
25944 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25945
25946 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
25947
25948 @subsubheading Example
25949
25950 Full stack backtrace:
25951
25952 @smallexample
25953 (gdb)
25954 -stack-list-frames
25955 ^done,stack=
25956 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
25957 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
25958 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25959 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25960 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25961 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25962 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25963 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25964 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25965 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25966 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25967 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25968 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25969 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25970 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25971 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25972 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25973 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25974 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25975 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25976 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25977 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25978 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
25979 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
25980 (gdb)
25981 @end smallexample
25982
25983 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
25984
25985 @smallexample
25986 (gdb)
25987 -stack-list-frames 3 5
25988 ^done,stack=
25989 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25990 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25991 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25992 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
25993 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
25994 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
25995 (gdb)
25996 @end smallexample
25997
25998 Show a single frame:
25999
26000 @smallexample
26001 (gdb)
26002 -stack-list-frames 3 3
26003 ^done,stack=
26004 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
26005 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
26006 (gdb)
26007 @end smallexample
26008
26009
26010 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
26011 @findex -stack-list-locals
26012
26013 @subsubheading Synopsis
26014
26015 @smallexample
26016 -stack-list-locals @var{print-values}
26017 @end smallexample
26018
26019 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
26020 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
26021 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
26022 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
26023 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
26024 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
26025 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
26026 other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
26027 more detail.
26028
26029 This command is deprecated in favor of the
26030 @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
26031
26032 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26033
26034 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
26035
26036 @subsubheading Example
26037
26038 @smallexample
26039 (gdb)
26040 -stack-list-locals 0
26041 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
26042 (gdb)
26043 -stack-list-locals --all-values
26044 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
26045 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
26046 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
26047 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
26048 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
26049 (gdb)
26050 @end smallexample
26051
26052 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
26053 @findex -stack-list-variables
26054
26055 @subsubheading Synopsis
26056
26057 @smallexample
26058 -stack-list-variables @var{print-values}
26059 @end smallexample
26060
26061 Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
26062 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
26063 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
26064 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
26065 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
26066 structures and unions.
26067
26068 @subsubheading Example
26069
26070 @smallexample
26071 (gdb)
26072 -stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
26073 ^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
26074 (gdb)
26075 @end smallexample
26076
26077
26078 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
26079 @findex -stack-select-frame
26080
26081 @subsubheading Synopsis
26082
26083 @smallexample
26084 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
26085 @end smallexample
26086
26087 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
26088 the stack.
26089
26090 This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
26091 option to every command.
26092
26093 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26094
26095 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
26096 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
26097
26098 @subsubheading Example
26099
26100 @smallexample
26101 (gdb)
26102 -stack-select-frame 2
26103 ^done
26104 (gdb)
26105 @end smallexample
26106
26107 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26108 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
26109 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
26110
26111 @ignore
26112
26113 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
26114
26115 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
26116 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
26117 used by @code{Insight}.
26118
26119 The two main reasons for that are:
26120
26121 @enumerate 1
26122 @item
26123 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
26124
26125 @item
26126 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
26127 now).
26128 @end enumerate
26129
26130 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
26131 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
26132 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
26133 hints about their use.
26134
26135 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
26136 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
26137 least, the following operations:
26138
26139 @itemize @bullet
26140 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
26141 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
26142 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
26143 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
26144 @end itemize
26145
26146 @end ignore
26147
26148 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
26149
26150 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
26151
26152 Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
26153 changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
26154 work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
26155 simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
26156 is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
26157 frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
26158 expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
26159 expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
26160 variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
26161 operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
26162 object, or to change display format.
26163
26164 Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
26165 that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
26166 a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
26167 element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
26168 children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
26169 leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
26170 objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
26171 is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
26172 child will be created.
26173
26174 For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
26175 string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
26176 obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
26177 that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
26178 contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
26179
26180 A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
26181 the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
26182 variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
26183 operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
26184 be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
26185 objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
26186 real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
26187 variables that frontend has created.
26188
26189 The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
26190 might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
26191 and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
26192 relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
26193 to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
26194 visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
26195 called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
26196 implicitly updated.
26197
26198 Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
26199 fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
26200 object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
26201 variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
26202 variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
26203 expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
26204 frame. Consider this example:
26205
26206 @smallexample
26207 void do_work(...)
26208 @{
26209 struct work_state state;
26210
26211 if (...)
26212 do_work(...);
26213 @}
26214 @end smallexample
26215
26216 If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
26217 this function, and we enter the recursive call, the the variable
26218 object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
26219 @code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
26220 object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
26221
26222 If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
26223 refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
26224 thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
26225 variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
26226 thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
26227 and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
26228
26229 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
26230 access this functionality:
26231
26232 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
26233 @item @strong{Operation}
26234 @tab @strong{Description}
26235
26236 @item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
26237 @tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
26238 @item @code{-var-create}
26239 @tab create a variable object
26240 @item @code{-var-delete}
26241 @tab delete the variable object and/or its children
26242 @item @code{-var-set-format}
26243 @tab set the display format of this variable
26244 @item @code{-var-show-format}
26245 @tab show the display format of this variable
26246 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
26247 @tab tells how many children this object has
26248 @item @code{-var-list-children}
26249 @tab return a list of the object's children
26250 @item @code{-var-info-type}
26251 @tab show the type of this variable object
26252 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
26253 @tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
26254 @item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
26255 @tab print full expression that this variable object represents
26256 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
26257 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
26258 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
26259 @tab get the value of this variable
26260 @item @code{-var-assign}
26261 @tab set the value of this variable
26262 @item @code{-var-update}
26263 @tab update the variable and its children
26264 @item @code{-var-set-frozen}
26265 @tab set frozeness attribute
26266 @item @code{-var-set-update-range}
26267 @tab set range of children to display on update
26268 @end multitable
26269
26270 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
26271 how it can be used.
26272
26273 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
26274
26275 @subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
26276 @findex -enable-pretty-printing
26277
26278 @smallexample
26279 -enable-pretty-printing
26280 @end smallexample
26281
26282 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
26283 MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
26284 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
26285 request that this functionality be enabled.
26286
26287 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
26288
26289 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
26290 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
26291
26292 This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
26293 may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
26294
26295 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
26296 @findex -var-create
26297
26298 @subsubheading Synopsis
26299
26300 @smallexample
26301 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
26302 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
26303 @end smallexample
26304
26305 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
26306 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
26307 register.
26308
26309 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
26310 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
26311 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
26312 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
26313 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
26314
26315 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
26316 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
26317 frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
26318 object must be created.
26319
26320 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
26321 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
26322
26323 @itemize @bullet
26324 @item
26325 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
26326
26327 @item
26328 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
26329
26330 @item
26331 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
26332 @end itemize
26333
26334 @cindex dynamic varobj
26335 A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
26336 case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
26337 have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
26338 @code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
26339 will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
26340 compatibility for existing clients.
26341
26342 @subsubheading Result
26343
26344 This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
26345 are:
26346
26347 @table @samp
26348 @item name
26349 The name of the varobj.
26350
26351 @item numchild
26352 The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
26353 reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
26354 @samp{has_more} attribute.
26355
26356 @item value
26357 The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
26358 aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
26359 will not be interesting.
26360
26361 @item type
26362 The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
26363 would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI.
26364
26365 @item thread-id
26366 If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
26367 thread's identifier.
26368
26369 @item has_more
26370 For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
26371 children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
26372
26373 @item dynamic
26374 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
26375 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
26376 then this attribute will not be present.
26377
26378 @item displayhint
26379 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
26380 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
26381 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
26382 @end table
26383
26384 Typical output will look like this:
26385
26386 @smallexample
26387 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
26388 has_more="@var{has_more}"
26389 @end smallexample
26390
26391
26392 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
26393 @findex -var-delete
26394
26395 @subsubheading Synopsis
26396
26397 @smallexample
26398 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
26399 @end smallexample
26400
26401 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
26402 With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
26403
26404 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
26405
26406
26407 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
26408 @findex -var-set-format
26409
26410 @subsubheading Synopsis
26411
26412 @smallexample
26413 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
26414 @end smallexample
26415
26416 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
26417 @var{format-spec}.
26418
26419 @anchor{-var-set-format}
26420 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
26421
26422 @smallexample
26423 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
26424 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
26425 @end smallexample
26426
26427 The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
26428 based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
26429 for pointers, etc.).
26430
26431 For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
26432 variable itself, and the children are not affected.
26433
26434 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
26435 @findex -var-show-format
26436
26437 @subsubheading Synopsis
26438
26439 @smallexample
26440 -var-show-format @var{name}
26441 @end smallexample
26442
26443 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
26444
26445 @smallexample
26446 @var{format} @expansion{}
26447 @var{format-spec}
26448 @end smallexample
26449
26450
26451 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
26452 @findex -var-info-num-children
26453
26454 @subsubheading Synopsis
26455
26456 @smallexample
26457 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
26458 @end smallexample
26459
26460 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
26461
26462 @smallexample
26463 numchild=@var{n}
26464 @end smallexample
26465
26466 Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
26467 It will return the current number of children, but more children may
26468 be available.
26469
26470
26471 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
26472 @findex -var-list-children
26473
26474 @subsubheading Synopsis
26475
26476 @smallexample
26477 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
26478 @end smallexample
26479 @anchor{-var-list-children}
26480
26481 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
26482 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
26483 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
26484 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
26485 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
26486 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
26487 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
26488 and unions.
26489
26490 @var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
26491 to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
26492 reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
26493 at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
26494 reported.
26495
26496 If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
26497 @code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
26498 For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
26499 intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
26500 update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
26501 front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
26502 then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
26503 different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
26504 the visible items.
26505
26506 For each child the following results are returned:
26507
26508 @table @var
26509
26510 @item name
26511 Name of the variable object created for this child.
26512
26513 @item exp
26514 The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
26515 For example this may be the name of a structure member.
26516
26517 For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
26518 expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
26519
26520 For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
26521 designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
26522 @samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
26523 type and value are not present.
26524
26525 A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
26526 pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
26527 available at all with a dynamic varobj.
26528
26529 @item numchild
26530 Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
26531 0.
26532
26533 @item type
26534 The type of the child.
26535
26536 @item value
26537 If values were requested, this is the value.
26538
26539 @item thread-id
26540 If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the thread id.
26541 Otherwise this result is not present.
26542
26543 @item frozen
26544 If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
26545 @end table
26546
26547 The result may have its own attributes:
26548
26549 @table @samp
26550 @item displayhint
26551 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
26552 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
26553 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
26554
26555 @item has_more
26556 This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
26557 remaining after the end of the selected range.
26558 @end table
26559
26560 @subsubheading Example
26561
26562 @smallexample
26563 (gdb)
26564 -var-list-children n
26565 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
26566 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
26567 (gdb)
26568 -var-list-children --all-values n
26569 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
26570 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
26571 @end smallexample
26572
26573
26574 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
26575 @findex -var-info-type
26576
26577 @subsubheading Synopsis
26578
26579 @smallexample
26580 -var-info-type @var{name}
26581 @end smallexample
26582
26583 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
26584 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
26585 @value{GDBN} CLI:
26586
26587 @smallexample
26588 type=@var{typename}
26589 @end smallexample
26590
26591
26592 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
26593 @findex -var-info-expression
26594
26595 @subsubheading Synopsis
26596
26597 @smallexample
26598 -var-info-expression @var{name}
26599 @end smallexample
26600
26601 Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
26602 variable object in user interface. The string is generally
26603 not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
26604
26605 For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
26606 @code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
26607
26608 @smallexample
26609 (gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
26610 ^done,lang="C",exp="1"
26611 @end smallexample
26612
26613 @noindent
26614 Here, the values of @code{lang} can be @code{@{"C" | "C++" | "Java"@}}.
26615
26616 Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
26617 includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
26618 is of limited use.
26619
26620 @subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
26621 @findex -var-info-path-expression
26622
26623 @subsubheading Synopsis
26624
26625 @smallexample
26626 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
26627 @end smallexample
26628
26629 Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
26630 context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
26631 Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
26632 result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
26633 the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
26634 watchpoint from a variable object.
26635
26636 This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
26637 and will give an error when invoked on one.
26638
26639 For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
26640 @code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
26641 @code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
26642 @code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
26643 @code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
26644 @smallexample
26645 (gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
26646 ^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
26647 @end smallexample
26648
26649 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
26650 @findex -var-show-attributes
26651
26652 @subsubheading Synopsis
26653
26654 @smallexample
26655 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
26656 @end smallexample
26657
26658 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
26659
26660 @smallexample
26661 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
26662 @end smallexample
26663
26664 @noindent
26665 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
26666
26667 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
26668 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
26669
26670 @subsubheading Synopsis
26671
26672 @smallexample
26673 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
26674 @end smallexample
26675
26676 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
26677 object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
26678 can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
26679 this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
26680 (@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
26681 the current display format will be used. The current display format
26682 can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
26683
26684 @smallexample
26685 value=@var{value}
26686 @end smallexample
26687
26688 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
26689 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
26690
26691 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
26692 @findex -var-assign
26693
26694 @subsubheading Synopsis
26695
26696 @smallexample
26697 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
26698 @end smallexample
26699
26700 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
26701 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
26702 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
26703 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
26704
26705 @subsubheading Example
26706
26707 @smallexample
26708 (gdb)
26709 -var-assign var1 3
26710 ^done,value="3"
26711 (gdb)
26712 -var-update *
26713 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
26714 (gdb)
26715 @end smallexample
26716
26717 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
26718 @findex -var-update
26719
26720 @subsubheading Synopsis
26721
26722 @smallexample
26723 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
26724 @end smallexample
26725
26726 Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
26727 @var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
26728 list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
26729 be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
26730 @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
26731 @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
26732 object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
26733 for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
26734 @var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
26735 names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
26736 as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
26737 recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
26738 number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
26739
26740 With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
26741 currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
26742 diagnostic.
26743
26744 If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
26745 only the selected range of children will be reported.
26746
26747 @code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
26748 @samp{changelist}.
26749
26750 Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
26751
26752 @table @samp
26753 @item name
26754 The name of the varobj.
26755
26756 @item value
26757 If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
26758 present and will hold the value of the varobj.
26759
26760 @item in_scope
26761 @anchor{-var-update}
26762 This field is a string which may take one of three values:
26763
26764 @table @code
26765 @item "true"
26766 The variable object's current value is valid.
26767
26768 @item "false"
26769 The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
26770 hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
26771 scope.
26772
26773 @item "invalid"
26774 The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
26775 This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
26776 either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
26777 command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
26778 objects.
26779 @end table
26780
26781 In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
26782 be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
26783
26784 @item type_changed
26785 This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
26786 changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
26787 be @samp{false}.
26788
26789 @item new_type
26790 If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
26791 hold the new type.
26792
26793 @item new_num_children
26794 For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
26795 type changed, this will be the new number of children.
26796
26797 The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
26798 valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
26799 @value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
26800 instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
26801 children which may be available.
26802
26803 The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
26804 number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
26805 detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
26806 only happen at the end of the update range).
26807
26808 @item displayhint
26809 The display hint, if any.
26810
26811 @item has_more
26812 This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
26813 available outside the varobj's update range.
26814
26815 @item dynamic
26816 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
26817 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
26818 then this attribute will not be present.
26819
26820 @item new_children
26821 If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
26822 update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
26823 be listed in this attribute.
26824 @end table
26825
26826 @subsubheading Example
26827
26828 @smallexample
26829 (gdb)
26830 -var-assign var1 3
26831 ^done,value="3"
26832 (gdb)
26833 -var-update --all-values var1
26834 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
26835 type_changed="false"@}]
26836 (gdb)
26837 @end smallexample
26838
26839 @subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
26840 @findex -var-set-frozen
26841 @anchor{-var-set-frozen}
26842
26843 @subsubheading Synopsis
26844
26845 @smallexample
26846 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
26847 @end smallexample
26848
26849 Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
26850 @var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
26851 frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
26852 frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
26853 implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
26854 a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
26855 @code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
26856 values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
26857 implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
26858 Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
26859 @code{-var-update} does.
26860
26861 @subsubheading Example
26862
26863 @smallexample
26864 (gdb)
26865 -var-set-frozen V 1
26866 ^done
26867 (gdb)
26868 @end smallexample
26869
26870 @subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
26871 @findex -var-set-update-range
26872 @anchor{-var-set-update-range}
26873
26874 @subsubheading Synopsis
26875
26876 @smallexample
26877 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
26878 @end smallexample
26879
26880 Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
26881 @code{-var-update}.
26882
26883 @var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
26884 @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
26885 children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
26886 (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
26887
26888 @subsubheading Example
26889
26890 @smallexample
26891 (gdb)
26892 -var-set-update-range V 1 2
26893 ^done
26894 @end smallexample
26895
26896 @subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
26897 @findex -var-set-visualizer
26898 @anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
26899
26900 @subsubheading Synopsis
26901
26902 @smallexample
26903 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
26904 @end smallexample
26905
26906 Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
26907
26908 @var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
26909 @samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
26910
26911 If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
26912 This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
26913 single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
26914 the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
26915 Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
26916 When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
26917 pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
26918
26919 The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
26920 select a visualizer by following the built-in process
26921 (@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
26922 a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
26923
26924 This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
26925 command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands})
26926 can be used to check this.
26927
26928 @subsubheading Example
26929
26930 Resetting the visualizer:
26931
26932 @smallexample
26933 (gdb)
26934 -var-set-visualizer V None
26935 ^done
26936 @end smallexample
26937
26938 Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
26939
26940 @smallexample
26941 (gdb)
26942 -var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
26943 ^done
26944 @end smallexample
26945
26946 Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
26947 can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
26948
26949 @smallexample
26950 (gdb)
26951 -var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
26952 ^done
26953 @end smallexample
26954
26955 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26956 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
26957 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
26958
26959 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
26960 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
26961 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
26962 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
26963
26964 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
26965 @c @subheading -data-assign
26966 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
26967 @c @subsubheading GDB Command
26968 @c set variable
26969 @c @subsubheading Example
26970 @c N.A.
26971
26972 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
26973 @findex -data-disassemble
26974
26975 @subsubheading Synopsis
26976
26977 @smallexample
26978 -data-disassemble
26979 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
26980 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
26981 -- @var{mode}
26982 @end smallexample
26983
26984 @noindent
26985 Where:
26986
26987 @table @samp
26988 @item @var{start-addr}
26989 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
26990 @item @var{end-addr}
26991 is the end address
26992 @item @var{filename}
26993 is the name of the file to disassemble
26994 @item @var{linenum}
26995 is the line number to disassemble around
26996 @item @var{lines}
26997 is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
26998 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
26999 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
27000 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
27001 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
27002 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
27003 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
27004 are displayed.
27005 @item @var{mode}
27006 is either 0 (meaning only disassembly) or 1 (meaning mixed source and
27007 disassembly).
27008 @end table
27009
27010 @subsubheading Result
27011
27012 The output for each instruction is composed of four fields:
27013
27014 @itemize @bullet
27015 @item Address
27016 @item Func-name
27017 @item Offset
27018 @item Instruction
27019 @end itemize
27020
27021 Note that whatever included in the instruction field, is not manipulated
27022 directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to adjust its format.
27023
27024 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27025
27026 There's no direct mapping from this command to the CLI.
27027
27028 @subsubheading Example
27029
27030 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
27031
27032 @smallexample
27033 (gdb)
27034 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
27035 ^done,
27036 asm_insns=[
27037 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
27038 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
27039 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
27040 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
27041 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
27042 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
27043 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
27044 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
27045 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
27046 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
27047 (gdb)
27048 @end smallexample
27049
27050 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
27051 @code{main}.
27052
27053 @smallexample
27054 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
27055 ^done,asm_insns=[
27056 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
27057 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
27058 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
27059 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
27060 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
27061 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
27062 [@dots{}]
27063 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
27064 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
27065 (gdb)
27066 @end smallexample
27067
27068 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
27069
27070 @smallexample
27071 (gdb)
27072 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
27073 ^done,asm_insns=[
27074 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
27075 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
27076 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
27077 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
27078 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
27079 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
27080 (gdb)
27081 @end smallexample
27082
27083 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
27084
27085 @smallexample
27086 (gdb)
27087 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
27088 ^done,asm_insns=[
27089 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
27090 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
27091 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
27092 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
27093 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
27094 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
27095 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
27096 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
27097 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
27098 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
27099 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
27100 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
27101 (gdb)
27102 @end smallexample
27103
27104
27105 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
27106 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
27107
27108 @subsubheading Synopsis
27109
27110 @smallexample
27111 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
27112 @end smallexample
27113
27114 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
27115 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
27116 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
27117
27118 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27119
27120 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
27121 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
27122 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
27123
27124 @subsubheading Example
27125
27126 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
27127 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
27128 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
27129 output.
27130
27131 @smallexample
27132 211-data-evaluate-expression A
27133 211^done,value="1"
27134 (gdb)
27135 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
27136 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
27137 (gdb)
27138 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
27139 411^done,value="4"
27140 (gdb)
27141 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
27142 511^done,value="4"
27143 (gdb)
27144 @end smallexample
27145
27146
27147 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
27148 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
27149
27150 @subsubheading Synopsis
27151
27152 @smallexample
27153 -data-list-changed-registers
27154 @end smallexample
27155
27156 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
27157
27158 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27159
27160 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
27161 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
27162
27163 @subsubheading Example
27164
27165 On a PPC MBX board:
27166
27167 @smallexample
27168 (gdb)
27169 -exec-continue
27170 ^running
27171
27172 (gdb)
27173 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
27174 func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
27175 line="5"@}
27176 (gdb)
27177 -data-list-changed-registers
27178 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
27179 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
27180 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
27181 (gdb)
27182 @end smallexample
27183
27184
27185 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
27186 @findex -data-list-register-names
27187
27188 @subsubheading Synopsis
27189
27190 @smallexample
27191 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
27192 @end smallexample
27193
27194 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
27195 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
27196 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
27197 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
27198 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
27199 include empty register names.
27200
27201 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27202
27203 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
27204 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
27205 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
27206
27207 @subsubheading Example
27208
27209 For the PPC MBX board:
27210 @smallexample
27211 (gdb)
27212 -data-list-register-names
27213 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
27214 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
27215 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
27216 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
27217 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
27218 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
27219 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
27220 (gdb)
27221 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
27222 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
27223 (gdb)
27224 @end smallexample
27225
27226 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
27227 @findex -data-list-register-values
27228
27229 @subsubheading Synopsis
27230
27231 @smallexample
27232 -data-list-register-values @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
27233 @end smallexample
27234
27235 Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
27236 which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
27237 list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
27238 numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be returned.
27239
27240 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
27241
27242 @table @code
27243 @item x
27244 Hexadecimal
27245 @item o
27246 Octal
27247 @item t
27248 Binary
27249 @item d
27250 Decimal
27251 @item r
27252 Raw
27253 @item N
27254 Natural
27255 @end table
27256
27257 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27258
27259 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
27260 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
27261
27262 @subsubheading Example
27263
27264 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
27265 don't appear in the actual output):
27266
27267 @smallexample
27268 (gdb)
27269 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
27270 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
27271 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
27272 (gdb)
27273 -data-list-register-values x
27274 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
27275 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
27276 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
27277 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
27278 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
27279 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
27280 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
27281 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
27282 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
27283 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
27284 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
27285 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
27286 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
27287 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
27288 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
27289 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
27290 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
27291 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
27292 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
27293 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
27294 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
27295 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
27296 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
27297 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
27298 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
27299 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
27300 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
27301 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
27302 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
27303 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
27304 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
27305 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
27306 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
27307 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
27308 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
27309 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
27310 (gdb)
27311 @end smallexample
27312
27313
27314 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
27315 @findex -data-read-memory
27316
27317 @subsubheading Synopsis
27318
27319 @smallexample
27320 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
27321 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
27322 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
27323 @end smallexample
27324
27325 @noindent
27326 where:
27327
27328 @table @samp
27329 @item @var{address}
27330 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
27331 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
27332 quoted using the C convention.
27333
27334 @item @var{word-format}
27335 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
27336 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
27337 ,Output Formats}).
27338
27339 @item @var{word-size}
27340 The size of each memory word in bytes.
27341
27342 @item @var{nr-rows}
27343 The number of rows in the output table.
27344
27345 @item @var{nr-cols}
27346 The number of columns in the output table.
27347
27348 @item @var{aschar}
27349 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
27350 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
27351 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
27352 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
27353
27354 @item @var{byte-offset}
27355 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
27356 @end table
27357
27358 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
27359 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
27360 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
27361 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
27362 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
27363 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
27364 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
27365 @samp{addr}.
27366
27367 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
27368 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
27369 @samp{prev-page}.
27370
27371 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27372
27373 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
27374 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
27375
27376 @subsubheading Example
27377
27378 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
27379 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
27380 word. Display each word in hex.
27381
27382 @smallexample
27383 (gdb)
27384 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
27385 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
27386 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
27387 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
27388 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
27389 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
27390 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
27391 (gdb)
27392 @end smallexample
27393
27394 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
27395 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
27396
27397 @smallexample
27398 (gdb)
27399 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
27400 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
27401 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
27402 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
27403 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
27404 (gdb)
27405 @end smallexample
27406
27407 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
27408 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
27409 used as the non-printable character.
27410
27411 @smallexample
27412 (gdb)
27413 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
27414 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
27415 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
27416 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
27417 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
27418 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
27419 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
27420 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
27421 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
27422 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
27423 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
27424 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
27425 (gdb)
27426 @end smallexample
27427
27428 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27429 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
27430 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
27431
27432 The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
27433 tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
27434
27435 @subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
27436 @findex -trace-find
27437
27438 @subsubheading Synopsis
27439
27440 @smallexample
27441 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
27442 @end smallexample
27443
27444 Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
27445 @var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
27446 modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
27447
27448 @table @samp
27449
27450 @item none
27451 No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
27452
27453 @item frame-number
27454 An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
27455 that index.
27456
27457 @item tracepoint-number
27458 An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
27459 trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
27460
27461 @item pc
27462 An address is required as parameter. Finds
27463 next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
27464 address.
27465
27466 @item pc-inside-range
27467 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
27468 frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
27469 specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
27470
27471 @item pc-outside-range
27472 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
27473 next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
27474 the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
27475
27476 @item line
27477 Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
27478 Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
27479 the specified location.
27480
27481 @end table
27482
27483 If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
27484 have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
27485
27486 @table @samp
27487 @item found
27488 This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
27489 on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
27490
27491 @item traceframe
27492 The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
27493 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
27494
27495 @item tracepoint
27496 The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
27497 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
27498
27499 @item frame
27500 The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
27501 frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
27502 @xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
27503
27504 @end table
27505
27506 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27507
27508 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
27509
27510 @subheading -trace-define-variable
27511 @findex -trace-define-variable
27512
27513 @subsubheading Synopsis
27514
27515 @smallexample
27516 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
27517 @end smallexample
27518
27519 Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
27520 @var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
27521 trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
27522 with the @samp{$} character.
27523
27524 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27525
27526 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
27527
27528 @subheading -trace-list-variables
27529 @findex -trace-list-variables
27530
27531 @subsubheading Synopsis
27532
27533 @smallexample
27534 -trace-list-variables
27535 @end smallexample
27536
27537 Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
27538 table has the following fields:
27539
27540 @table @samp
27541 @item name
27542 The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
27543
27544 @item initial
27545 The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
27546 field is always present.
27547
27548 @item current
27549 The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
27550 signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
27551 not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
27552 presently running.
27553
27554 @end table
27555
27556 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27557
27558 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
27559
27560 @subsubheading Example
27561
27562 @smallexample
27563 (gdb)
27564 -trace-list-variables
27565 ^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
27566 hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
27567 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
27568 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
27569 body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
27570 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
27571 (gdb)
27572 @end smallexample
27573
27574 @subheading -trace-save
27575 @findex -trace-save
27576
27577 @subsubheading Synopsis
27578
27579 @smallexample
27580 -trace-save [-r ] @var{filename}
27581 @end smallexample
27582
27583 Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
27584 @samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
27585 in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
27586 to perform the save.
27587
27588 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27589
27590 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
27591
27592
27593 @subheading -trace-start
27594 @findex -trace-start
27595
27596 @subsubheading Synopsis
27597
27598 @smallexample
27599 -trace-start
27600 @end smallexample
27601
27602 Starts a tracing experiments. The result of this command does not
27603 have any fields.
27604
27605 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27606
27607 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
27608
27609 @subheading -trace-status
27610 @findex -trace-status
27611
27612 @subsubheading Synopsis
27613
27614 @smallexample
27615 -trace-status
27616 @end smallexample
27617
27618 Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
27619 the following fields:
27620
27621 @table @samp
27622
27623 @item supported
27624 May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
27625 supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
27626 @samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
27627 of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
27628 started. This field is always present.
27629
27630 @item running
27631 May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
27632 tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
27633 if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
27634
27635 @item stop-reason
27636 Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
27637 may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
27638 value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
27639 the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
27640 the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
27641 tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
27642 The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
27643 tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
27644 This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
27645
27646 @item stopping-tracepoint
27647 The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
27648 present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
27649 @samp{passcount}.
27650
27651 @item frames
27652 @itemx frames-created
27653 The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
27654 in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
27655 during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
27656 circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
27657
27658 @item buffer-size
27659 @itemx buffer-free
27660 These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
27661 remaining space. These fields are optional.
27662
27663 @item circular
27664 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
27665 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
27666 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
27667 and may fill up.
27668
27669 @item disconnected
27670 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
27671 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
27672 that the trace run will stop.
27673
27674 @end table
27675
27676 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27677
27678 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
27679
27680 @subheading -trace-stop
27681 @findex -trace-stop
27682
27683 @subsubheading Synopsis
27684
27685 @smallexample
27686 -trace-stop
27687 @end smallexample
27688
27689 Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
27690 fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
27691 @samp{running} fields are not output.
27692
27693 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27694
27695 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
27696
27697
27698 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27699 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
27700 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
27701
27702
27703 @ignore
27704 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
27705 @findex -symbol-info-address
27706
27707 @subsubheading Synopsis
27708
27709 @smallexample
27710 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
27711 @end smallexample
27712
27713 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
27714
27715 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27716
27717 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
27718
27719 @subsubheading Example
27720 N.A.
27721
27722
27723 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
27724 @findex -symbol-info-file
27725
27726 @subsubheading Synopsis
27727
27728 @smallexample
27729 -symbol-info-file
27730 @end smallexample
27731
27732 Show the file for the symbol.
27733
27734 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27735
27736 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
27737 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
27738
27739 @subsubheading Example
27740 N.A.
27741
27742
27743 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
27744 @findex -symbol-info-function
27745
27746 @subsubheading Synopsis
27747
27748 @smallexample
27749 -symbol-info-function
27750 @end smallexample
27751
27752 Show which function the symbol lives in.
27753
27754 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27755
27756 @samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
27757
27758 @subsubheading Example
27759 N.A.
27760
27761
27762 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
27763 @findex -symbol-info-line
27764
27765 @subsubheading Synopsis
27766
27767 @smallexample
27768 -symbol-info-line
27769 @end smallexample
27770
27771 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
27772
27773 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27774
27775 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
27776 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
27777
27778 @subsubheading Example
27779 N.A.
27780
27781
27782 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
27783 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
27784
27785 @subsubheading Synopsis
27786
27787 @smallexample
27788 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
27789 @end smallexample
27790
27791 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
27792
27793 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27794
27795 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
27796
27797 @subsubheading Example
27798 N.A.
27799
27800
27801 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
27802 @findex -symbol-list-functions
27803
27804 @subsubheading Synopsis
27805
27806 @smallexample
27807 -symbol-list-functions
27808 @end smallexample
27809
27810 List the functions in the executable.
27811
27812 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27813
27814 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
27815 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
27816
27817 @subsubheading Example
27818 N.A.
27819 @end ignore
27820
27821
27822 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
27823 @findex -symbol-list-lines
27824
27825 @subsubheading Synopsis
27826
27827 @smallexample
27828 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
27829 @end smallexample
27830
27831 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
27832 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
27833 ascending PC order.
27834
27835 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27836
27837 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
27838
27839 @subsubheading Example
27840 @smallexample
27841 (gdb)
27842 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
27843 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
27844 (gdb)
27845 @end smallexample
27846
27847
27848 @ignore
27849 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
27850 @findex -symbol-list-types
27851
27852 @subsubheading Synopsis
27853
27854 @smallexample
27855 -symbol-list-types
27856 @end smallexample
27857
27858 List all the type names.
27859
27860 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27861
27862 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
27863 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
27864
27865 @subsubheading Example
27866 N.A.
27867
27868
27869 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
27870 @findex -symbol-list-variables
27871
27872 @subsubheading Synopsis
27873
27874 @smallexample
27875 -symbol-list-variables
27876 @end smallexample
27877
27878 List all the global and static variable names.
27879
27880 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27881
27882 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
27883
27884 @subsubheading Example
27885 N.A.
27886
27887
27888 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
27889 @findex -symbol-locate
27890
27891 @subsubheading Synopsis
27892
27893 @smallexample
27894 -symbol-locate
27895 @end smallexample
27896
27897 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27898
27899 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
27900
27901 @subsubheading Example
27902 N.A.
27903
27904
27905 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
27906 @findex -symbol-type
27907
27908 @subsubheading Synopsis
27909
27910 @smallexample
27911 -symbol-type @var{variable}
27912 @end smallexample
27913
27914 Show type of @var{variable}.
27915
27916 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27917
27918 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
27919 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
27920
27921 @subsubheading Example
27922 N.A.
27923 @end ignore
27924
27925
27926 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27927 @node GDB/MI File Commands
27928 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
27929
27930 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
27931 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
27932
27933 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
27934 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
27935
27936 @subsubheading Synopsis
27937
27938 @smallexample
27939 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
27940 @end smallexample
27941
27942 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
27943 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
27944 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
27945 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
27946 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
27947 notification.
27948
27949 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27950
27951 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
27952
27953 @subsubheading Example
27954
27955 @smallexample
27956 (gdb)
27957 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
27958 ^done
27959 (gdb)
27960 @end smallexample
27961
27962
27963 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
27964 @findex -file-exec-file
27965
27966 @subsubheading Synopsis
27967
27968 @smallexample
27969 -file-exec-file @var{file}
27970 @end smallexample
27971
27972 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
27973 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
27974 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
27975 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
27976 notification.
27977
27978 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27979
27980 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
27981
27982 @subsubheading Example
27983
27984 @smallexample
27985 (gdb)
27986 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
27987 ^done
27988 (gdb)
27989 @end smallexample
27990
27991
27992 @ignore
27993 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
27994 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
27995
27996 @subsubheading Synopsis
27997
27998 @smallexample
27999 -file-list-exec-sections
28000 @end smallexample
28001
28002 List the sections of the current executable file.
28003
28004 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28005
28006 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
28007 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
28008 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
28009
28010 @subsubheading Example
28011 N.A.
28012 @end ignore
28013
28014
28015 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
28016 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
28017
28018 @subsubheading Synopsis
28019
28020 @smallexample
28021 -file-list-exec-source-file
28022 @end smallexample
28023
28024 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
28025 to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
28026 information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
28027 whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
28028
28029 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28030
28031 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
28032
28033 @subsubheading Example
28034
28035 @smallexample
28036 (gdb)
28037 123-file-list-exec-source-file
28038 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
28039 (gdb)
28040 @end smallexample
28041
28042
28043 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
28044 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
28045
28046 @subsubheading Synopsis
28047
28048 @smallexample
28049 -file-list-exec-source-files
28050 @end smallexample
28051
28052 List the source files for the current executable.
28053
28054 It will always output the filename, but only when @value{GDBN} can find
28055 the absolute file name of a source file, will it output the fullname.
28056
28057 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28058
28059 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
28060 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
28061
28062 @subsubheading Example
28063 @smallexample
28064 (gdb)
28065 -file-list-exec-source-files
28066 ^done,files=[
28067 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
28068 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
28069 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
28070 (gdb)
28071 @end smallexample
28072
28073 @ignore
28074 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
28075 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
28076
28077 @subsubheading Synopsis
28078
28079 @smallexample
28080 -file-list-shared-libraries
28081 @end smallexample
28082
28083 List the shared libraries in the program.
28084
28085 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28086
28087 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
28088
28089 @subsubheading Example
28090 N.A.
28091
28092
28093 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
28094 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
28095
28096 @subsubheading Synopsis
28097
28098 @smallexample
28099 -file-list-symbol-files
28100 @end smallexample
28101
28102 List symbol files.
28103
28104 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28105
28106 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
28107
28108 @subsubheading Example
28109 N.A.
28110 @end ignore
28111
28112
28113 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
28114 @findex -file-symbol-file
28115
28116 @subsubheading Synopsis
28117
28118 @smallexample
28119 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
28120 @end smallexample
28121
28122 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
28123 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
28124 produced, except for a completion notification.
28125
28126 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28127
28128 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
28129
28130 @subsubheading Example
28131
28132 @smallexample
28133 (gdb)
28134 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
28135 ^done
28136 (gdb)
28137 @end smallexample
28138
28139 @ignore
28140 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28141 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
28142 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
28143
28144 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
28145
28146 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
28147
28148 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
28149
28150 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
28151
28152 @c @subheading -overlay-map
28153
28154 @c @subheading -overlay-off
28155
28156 @c @subheading -overlay-on
28157
28158 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
28159
28160 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28161 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
28162 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
28163
28164 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
28165
28166 @c @subheading -signal-handle
28167
28168 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
28169
28170 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
28171 @end ignore
28172
28173
28174 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28175 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
28176 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
28177
28178
28179 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
28180 @findex -target-attach
28181
28182 @subsubheading Synopsis
28183
28184 @smallexample
28185 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
28186 @end smallexample
28187
28188 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
28189 @value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
28190 group, the id previously returned by
28191 @samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
28192
28193 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28194
28195 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
28196
28197 @subsubheading Example
28198 @smallexample
28199 (gdb)
28200 -target-attach 34
28201 =thread-created,id="1"
28202 *stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
28203 ^done
28204 (gdb)
28205 @end smallexample
28206
28207 @ignore
28208 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
28209 @findex -target-compare-sections
28210
28211 @subsubheading Synopsis
28212
28213 @smallexample
28214 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
28215 @end smallexample
28216
28217 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
28218 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
28219
28220 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28221
28222 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
28223
28224 @subsubheading Example
28225 N.A.
28226 @end ignore
28227
28228
28229 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
28230 @findex -target-detach
28231
28232 @subsubheading Synopsis
28233
28234 @smallexample
28235 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
28236 @end smallexample
28237
28238 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
28239 If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
28240 the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
28241
28242 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28243
28244 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
28245
28246 @subsubheading Example
28247
28248 @smallexample
28249 (gdb)
28250 -target-detach
28251 ^done
28252 (gdb)
28253 @end smallexample
28254
28255
28256 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
28257 @findex -target-disconnect
28258
28259 @subsubheading Synopsis
28260
28261 @smallexample
28262 -target-disconnect
28263 @end smallexample
28264
28265 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
28266 generally not resumed.
28267
28268 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28269
28270 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
28271
28272 @subsubheading Example
28273
28274 @smallexample
28275 (gdb)
28276 -target-disconnect
28277 ^done
28278 (gdb)
28279 @end smallexample
28280
28281
28282 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
28283 @findex -target-download
28284
28285 @subsubheading Synopsis
28286
28287 @smallexample
28288 -target-download
28289 @end smallexample
28290
28291 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
28292 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
28293
28294 @table @samp
28295 @item section
28296 The name of the section.
28297 @item section-sent
28298 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
28299 @item section-size
28300 The size of the section.
28301 @item total-sent
28302 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
28303 @item total-size
28304 The size of the overall executable to download.
28305 @end table
28306
28307 @noindent
28308 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
28309 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
28310
28311 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
28312 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
28313
28314 @table @samp
28315 @item section
28316 The name of the section.
28317 @item section-size
28318 The size of the section.
28319 @item total-size
28320 The size of the overall executable to download.
28321 @end table
28322
28323 @noindent
28324 At the end, a summary is printed.
28325
28326 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28327
28328 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
28329
28330 @subsubheading Example
28331
28332 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
28333 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
28334
28335 @smallexample
28336 (gdb)
28337 -target-download
28338 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
28339 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
28340 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
28341 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
28342 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
28343 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
28344 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
28345 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
28346 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
28347 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
28348 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
28349 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
28350 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
28351 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
28352 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
28353 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
28354 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
28355 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
28356 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
28357 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
28358 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
28359 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
28360 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
28361 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
28362 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
28363 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
28364 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
28365 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
28366 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
28367 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
28368 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
28369 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
28370 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
28371 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
28372 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
28373 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
28374 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
28375 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
28376 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
28377 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
28378 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
28379 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
28380 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
28381 write-rate="429"
28382 (gdb)
28383 @end smallexample
28384
28385
28386 @ignore
28387 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
28388 @findex -target-exec-status
28389
28390 @subsubheading Synopsis
28391
28392 @smallexample
28393 -target-exec-status
28394 @end smallexample
28395
28396 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
28397 not, for instance).
28398
28399 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28400
28401 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
28402
28403 @subsubheading Example
28404 N.A.
28405
28406
28407 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
28408 @findex -target-list-available-targets
28409
28410 @subsubheading Synopsis
28411
28412 @smallexample
28413 -target-list-available-targets
28414 @end smallexample
28415
28416 List the possible targets to connect to.
28417
28418 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28419
28420 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
28421
28422 @subsubheading Example
28423 N.A.
28424
28425
28426 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
28427 @findex -target-list-current-targets
28428
28429 @subsubheading Synopsis
28430
28431 @smallexample
28432 -target-list-current-targets
28433 @end smallexample
28434
28435 Describe the current target.
28436
28437 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28438
28439 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
28440 other things).
28441
28442 @subsubheading Example
28443 N.A.
28444
28445
28446 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
28447 @findex -target-list-parameters
28448
28449 @subsubheading Synopsis
28450
28451 @smallexample
28452 -target-list-parameters
28453 @end smallexample
28454
28455 @c ????
28456 @end ignore
28457
28458 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28459
28460 No equivalent.
28461
28462 @subsubheading Example
28463 N.A.
28464
28465
28466 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
28467 @findex -target-select
28468
28469 @subsubheading Synopsis
28470
28471 @smallexample
28472 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
28473 @end smallexample
28474
28475 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
28476
28477 @table @samp
28478 @item @var{type}
28479 The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
28480 @item @var{parameters}
28481 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
28482 Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
28483 @end table
28484
28485 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
28486 which the target program is, in the following form:
28487
28488 @smallexample
28489 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
28490 args=[@var{arg list}]
28491 @end smallexample
28492
28493 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28494
28495 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
28496
28497 @subsubheading Example
28498
28499 @smallexample
28500 (gdb)
28501 -target-select remote /dev/ttya
28502 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
28503 (gdb)
28504 @end smallexample
28505
28506 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28507 @node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
28508 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
28509
28510
28511 @subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
28512 @findex -target-file-put
28513
28514 @subsubheading Synopsis
28515
28516 @smallexample
28517 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
28518 @end smallexample
28519
28520 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
28521 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
28522
28523 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28524
28525 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
28526
28527 @subsubheading Example
28528
28529 @smallexample
28530 (gdb)
28531 -target-file-put localfile remotefile
28532 ^done
28533 (gdb)
28534 @end smallexample
28535
28536
28537 @subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
28538 @findex -target-file-get
28539
28540 @subsubheading Synopsis
28541
28542 @smallexample
28543 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
28544 @end smallexample
28545
28546 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
28547 on the host system.
28548
28549 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28550
28551 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
28552
28553 @subsubheading Example
28554
28555 @smallexample
28556 (gdb)
28557 -target-file-get remotefile localfile
28558 ^done
28559 (gdb)
28560 @end smallexample
28561
28562
28563 @subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
28564 @findex -target-file-delete
28565
28566 @subsubheading Synopsis
28567
28568 @smallexample
28569 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
28570 @end smallexample
28571
28572 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
28573
28574 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28575
28576 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
28577
28578 @subsubheading Example
28579
28580 @smallexample
28581 (gdb)
28582 -target-file-delete remotefile
28583 ^done
28584 (gdb)
28585 @end smallexample
28586
28587
28588 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28589 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
28590 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
28591
28592 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
28593
28594 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
28595 @findex -gdb-exit
28596
28597 @subsubheading Synopsis
28598
28599 @smallexample
28600 -gdb-exit
28601 @end smallexample
28602
28603 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
28604
28605 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28606
28607 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
28608
28609 @subsubheading Example
28610
28611 @smallexample
28612 (gdb)
28613 -gdb-exit
28614 ^exit
28615 @end smallexample
28616
28617
28618 @ignore
28619 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
28620 @findex -exec-abort
28621
28622 @subsubheading Synopsis
28623
28624 @smallexample
28625 -exec-abort
28626 @end smallexample
28627
28628 Kill the inferior running program.
28629
28630 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28631
28632 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
28633
28634 @subsubheading Example
28635 N.A.
28636 @end ignore
28637
28638
28639 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
28640 @findex -gdb-set
28641
28642 @subsubheading Synopsis
28643
28644 @smallexample
28645 -gdb-set
28646 @end smallexample
28647
28648 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
28649 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
28650
28651 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28652
28653 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
28654
28655 @subsubheading Example
28656
28657 @smallexample
28658 (gdb)
28659 -gdb-set $foo=3
28660 ^done
28661 (gdb)
28662 @end smallexample
28663
28664
28665 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
28666 @findex -gdb-show
28667
28668 @subsubheading Synopsis
28669
28670 @smallexample
28671 -gdb-show
28672 @end smallexample
28673
28674 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
28675
28676 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28677
28678 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
28679
28680 @subsubheading Example
28681
28682 @smallexample
28683 (gdb)
28684 -gdb-show annotate
28685 ^done,value="0"
28686 (gdb)
28687 @end smallexample
28688
28689 @c @subheading -gdb-source
28690
28691
28692 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
28693 @findex -gdb-version
28694
28695 @subsubheading Synopsis
28696
28697 @smallexample
28698 -gdb-version
28699 @end smallexample
28700
28701 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
28702
28703 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28704
28705 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
28706 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
28707
28708 @subsubheading Example
28709
28710 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
28711 @c box in TeX.
28712 @smallexample
28713 (gdb)
28714 -gdb-version
28715 ~GNU gdb 5.2.1
28716 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
28717 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
28718 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
28719 ~ certain conditions.
28720 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
28721 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
28722 ~ details.
28723 ~This GDB was configured as
28724 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
28725 ^done
28726 (gdb)
28727 @end smallexample
28728
28729 @subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
28730 @findex -list-features
28731
28732 Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
28733 this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
28734 or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
28735 important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
28736 of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
28737 startup.
28738
28739 The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
28740 available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
28741 have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
28742 is given below.
28743
28744 Example output:
28745
28746 @smallexample
28747 (gdb) -list-features
28748 ^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
28749 @end smallexample
28750
28751 The current list of features is:
28752
28753 @table @samp
28754 @item frozen-varobjs
28755 Indicates presence of the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
28756 as possible presense of the @code{frozen} field in the output
28757 of @code{-varobj-create}.
28758 @item pending-breakpoints
28759 Indicates presence of the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert} command.
28760 @item python
28761 Indicates presence of Python scripting support, Python-based
28762 pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
28763 @samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
28764 @item thread-info
28765 Indicates presence of the @code{-thread-info} command.
28766
28767 @end table
28768
28769 @subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
28770 @findex -list-target-features
28771
28772 Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
28773 target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
28774 unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
28775 features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
28776 a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
28777 @code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
28778 may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
28779 Example output:
28780
28781 @smallexample
28782 (gdb) -list-features
28783 ^done,result=["async"]
28784 @end smallexample
28785
28786 The current list of features is:
28787
28788 @table @samp
28789 @item async
28790 Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
28791 execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
28792 while the target is running.
28793
28794 @end table
28795
28796 @subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
28797 @findex -list-thread-groups
28798
28799 @subheading Synopsis
28800
28801 @smallexample
28802 -list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
28803 @end smallexample
28804
28805 Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
28806 group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
28807 When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
28808 thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
28809 top-level thread groups.
28810
28811 Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
28812 With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
28813 available on the target.
28814
28815 The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
28816 a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
28817 as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
28818 Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
28819 each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
28820 requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
28821 are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
28822 of the @samp{group} result is described below.
28823
28824 To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
28825 together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
28826 and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
28827 permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
28828 will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
28829 @samp{threads} field.
28830
28831 In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
28832 the following caveats:
28833
28834 @itemize @bullet
28835 @item
28836 When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
28837 be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
28838 anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
28839
28840 @item
28841 When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
28842 be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
28843 be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
28844 not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
28845 The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
28846 is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
28847
28848 @end itemize
28849
28850 The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
28851 have the following fields:
28852
28853 @table @code
28854 @item id
28855 Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
28856 The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
28857 convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
28858
28859 @item type
28860 The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
28861 valid type.
28862
28863 @item pid
28864 The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
28865 for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
28866
28867 @item num_children
28868 The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
28869 absent for an available thread group.
28870
28871 @item threads
28872 This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
28873 thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
28874 specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
28875
28876 @item cores
28877 This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
28878 thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
28879 such information is not available.
28880
28881 @item executable
28882 The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
28883 The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
28884 and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
28885
28886 @end table
28887
28888 @subheading Example
28889
28890 @smallexample
28891 @value{GDBP}
28892 -list-thread-groups
28893 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
28894 -list-thread-groups 17
28895 ^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
28896 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
28897 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
28898 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
28899 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}]]
28900 -list-thread-groups --available
28901 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
28902 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
28903 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
28904 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
28905 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
28906 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
28907 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
28908 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
28909 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
28910 @end smallexample
28911
28912
28913 @subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
28914 @findex -add-inferior
28915
28916 @subheading Synopsis
28917
28918 @smallexample
28919 -add-inferior
28920 @end smallexample
28921
28922 Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
28923 inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
28924 be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
28925 (@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
28926 field, @samp{thread-group}, whose value is the identifier of the
28927 thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
28928
28929 @subheading Example
28930
28931 @smallexample
28932 @value{GDBP}
28933 -add-inferior
28934 ^done,thread-group="i3"
28935 @end smallexample
28936
28937 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
28938 @findex -interpreter-exec
28939
28940 @subheading Synopsis
28941
28942 @smallexample
28943 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
28944 @end smallexample
28945 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
28946
28947 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
28948
28949 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
28950
28951 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
28952
28953 @subheading Example
28954
28955 @smallexample
28956 (gdb)
28957 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
28958 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
28959 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
28960 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
28961 ^done
28962 (gdb)
28963 @end smallexample
28964
28965 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
28966 @findex -inferior-tty-set
28967
28968 @subheading Synopsis
28969
28970 @smallexample
28971 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
28972 @end smallexample
28973
28974 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
28975
28976 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
28977
28978 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
28979
28980 @subheading Example
28981
28982 @smallexample
28983 (gdb)
28984 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
28985 ^done
28986 (gdb)
28987 @end smallexample
28988
28989 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
28990 @findex -inferior-tty-show
28991
28992 @subheading Synopsis
28993
28994 @smallexample
28995 -inferior-tty-show
28996 @end smallexample
28997
28998 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
28999
29000 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
29001
29002 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
29003
29004 @subheading Example
29005
29006 @smallexample
29007 (gdb)
29008 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
29009 ^done
29010 (gdb)
29011 -inferior-tty-show
29012 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
29013 (gdb)
29014 @end smallexample
29015
29016 @subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
29017 @findex -enable-timings
29018
29019 @subheading Synopsis
29020
29021 @smallexample
29022 -enable-timings [yes | no]
29023 @end smallexample
29024
29025 Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
29026 command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
29027 developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
29028 equivalent to @samp{yes}.
29029
29030 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
29031
29032 No equivalent.
29033
29034 @subheading Example
29035
29036 @smallexample
29037 (gdb)
29038 -enable-timings
29039 ^done
29040 (gdb)
29041 -break-insert main
29042 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29043 addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29044 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",times="0"@},
29045 time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
29046 (gdb)
29047 -enable-timings no
29048 ^done
29049 (gdb)
29050 -exec-run
29051 ^running
29052 (gdb)
29053 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
29054 frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
29055 @{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
29056 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73"@}
29057 (gdb)
29058 @end smallexample
29059
29060 @node Annotations
29061 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
29062
29063 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
29064 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
29065 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
29066 relatively high level.
29067
29068 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
29069 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
29070
29071 @ignore
29072 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
29073 @end ignore
29074
29075 @menu
29076 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
29077 * Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
29078 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
29079 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
29080 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
29081 * Annotations for Running::
29082 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
29083 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
29084 @end menu
29085
29086 @node Annotations Overview
29087 @section What is an Annotation?
29088 @cindex annotations
29089
29090 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
29091 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
29092 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
29093 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
29094 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
29095 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
29096 cannot contain newline characters.
29097
29098 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
29099 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
29100 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
29101 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
29102 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
29103 means those three characters as output.
29104
29105 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
29106 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
29107 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
29108 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
29109 is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
29110 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
29111 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
29112 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
29113 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
29114
29115 @table @code
29116 @kindex set annotate
29117 @item set annotate @var{level}
29118 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
29119 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
29120
29121 @item show annotate
29122 @kindex show annotate
29123 Show the current annotation level.
29124 @end table
29125
29126 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
29127
29128 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
29129
29130 @smallexample
29131 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
29132 GNU gdb 6.0
29133 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
29134 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
29135 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
29136 under certain conditions.
29137 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
29138 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
29139 for details.
29140 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
29141
29142 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
29143 (@value{GDBP})
29144 ^Z^Zprompt
29145 @kbd{quit}
29146
29147 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
29148 $
29149 @end smallexample
29150
29151 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
29152 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
29153 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
29154 output from @value{GDBN}.
29155
29156 @node Server Prefix
29157 @section The Server Prefix
29158 @cindex server prefix
29159
29160 If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
29161 the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
29162 command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
29163 means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
29164 a transparent manner.
29165
29166 The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
29167 the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
29168 value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
29169 @code{print} command.
29170
29171 Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
29172 (@pxref{confirmation requests}).
29173
29174 @node Prompting
29175 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
29176
29177 @cindex annotations for prompts
29178 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
29179 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
29180 over, etc.
29181
29182 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
29183 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
29184 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
29185 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
29186 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
29187 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
29188 features the following annotations:
29189
29190 @smallexample
29191 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
29192 ^Z^Zprompt
29193 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
29194 @end smallexample
29195
29196 The input types are
29197
29198 @table @code
29199 @findex pre-prompt annotation
29200 @findex prompt annotation
29201 @findex post-prompt annotation
29202 @item prompt
29203 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
29204
29205 @findex pre-commands annotation
29206 @findex commands annotation
29207 @findex post-commands annotation
29208 @item commands
29209 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
29210 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
29211
29212 @findex pre-overload-choice annotation
29213 @findex overload-choice annotation
29214 @findex post-overload-choice annotation
29215 @item overload-choice
29216 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
29217
29218 @findex pre-query annotation
29219 @findex query annotation
29220 @findex post-query annotation
29221 @item query
29222 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
29223
29224 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
29225 @findex prompt-for-continue annotation
29226 @findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
29227 @item prompt-for-continue
29228 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
29229 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
29230 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
29231 presence of annotations.
29232 @end table
29233
29234 @node Errors
29235 @section Errors
29236 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
29237
29238 @findex quit annotation
29239 @smallexample
29240 ^Z^Zquit
29241 @end smallexample
29242
29243 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
29244
29245 @findex error annotation
29246 @smallexample
29247 ^Z^Zerror
29248 @end smallexample
29249
29250 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
29251
29252 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
29253 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
29254 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
29255 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
29256 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
29257 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
29258 to the top level.
29259
29260 @findex error-begin annotation
29261 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
29262
29263 @smallexample
29264 ^Z^Zerror-begin
29265 @end smallexample
29266
29267 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
29268 message.
29269
29270 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
29271 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
29272 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
29273
29274 @node Invalidation
29275 @section Invalidation Notices
29276
29277 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
29278 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
29279 changed.
29280
29281 @table @code
29282 @findex frames-invalid annotation
29283 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
29284
29285 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
29286 have changed.
29287
29288 @findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
29289 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
29290
29291 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
29292 deleted a breakpoint.
29293 @end table
29294
29295 @node Annotations for Running
29296 @section Running the Program
29297 @cindex annotations for running programs
29298
29299 @findex starting annotation
29300 @findex stopping annotation
29301 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
29302 @code{step} or @code{continue},
29303
29304 @smallexample
29305 ^Z^Zstarting
29306 @end smallexample
29307
29308 is output. When the program stops,
29309
29310 @smallexample
29311 ^Z^Zstopped
29312 @end smallexample
29313
29314 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
29315 annotations describe how the program stopped.
29316
29317 @table @code
29318 @findex exited annotation
29319 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
29320 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
29321 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
29322
29323 @findex signalled annotation
29324 @findex signal-name annotation
29325 @findex signal-name-end annotation
29326 @findex signal-string annotation
29327 @findex signal-string-end annotation
29328 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
29329 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
29330 annotation continues:
29331
29332 @smallexample
29333 @var{intro-text}
29334 ^Z^Zsignal-name
29335 @var{name}
29336 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
29337 @var{middle-text}
29338 ^Z^Zsignal-string
29339 @var{string}
29340 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
29341 @var{end-text}
29342 @end smallexample
29343
29344 @noindent
29345 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
29346 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
29347 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
29348 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
29349 user's benefit and have no particular format.
29350
29351 @findex signal annotation
29352 @item ^Z^Zsignal
29353 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
29354 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
29355 terminated with it.
29356
29357 @findex breakpoint annotation
29358 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
29359 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
29360
29361 @findex watchpoint annotation
29362 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
29363 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
29364 @end table
29365
29366 @node Source Annotations
29367 @section Displaying Source
29368 @cindex annotations for source display
29369
29370 @findex source annotation
29371 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
29372
29373 @smallexample
29374 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
29375 @end smallexample
29376
29377 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
29378 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
29379 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
29380 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
29381 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
29382 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
29383 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
29384 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
29385 source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
29386 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
29387 depend on the language).
29388
29389 @node JIT Interface
29390 @chapter JIT Compilation Interface
29391 @cindex just-in-time compilation
29392 @cindex JIT compilation interface
29393
29394 This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
29395 interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
29396 executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
29397 performance while maintaining platform independence.
29398
29399 Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
29400 portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
29401 object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
29402 and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
29403 @value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
29404 symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
29405
29406 If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
29407 it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
29408 you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
29409 of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
29410 LLVM JIT.
29411
29412 Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
29413 JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
29414 variable and calling a fuction at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
29415 attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
29416 find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
29417 out about additional code.
29418
29419 @menu
29420 * Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
29421 * Registering Code:: Steps to register code
29422 * Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
29423 @end menu
29424
29425 @node Declarations
29426 @section JIT Declarations
29427
29428 These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
29429 implement the interface:
29430
29431 @smallexample
29432 typedef enum
29433 @{
29434 JIT_NOACTION = 0,
29435 JIT_REGISTER_FN,
29436 JIT_UNREGISTER_FN
29437 @} jit_actions_t;
29438
29439 struct jit_code_entry
29440 @{
29441 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
29442 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
29443 const char *symfile_addr;
29444 uint64_t symfile_size;
29445 @};
29446
29447 struct jit_descriptor
29448 @{
29449 uint32_t version;
29450 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
29451 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
29452 uint32_t action_flag;
29453 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
29454 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
29455 @};
29456
29457 /* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
29458 void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
29459
29460 /* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
29461 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
29462 struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
29463 @end smallexample
29464
29465 If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
29466 modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
29467 a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
29468
29469 @node Registering Code
29470 @section Registering Code
29471
29472 To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
29473
29474 @itemize @bullet
29475 @item
29476 Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
29477 information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
29478
29479 @item
29480 Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
29481 file.
29482
29483 @item
29484 Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
29485
29486 @item
29487 Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
29488
29489 @item
29490 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
29491 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
29492 @end itemize
29493
29494 When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
29495 @code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
29496 new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
29497 @value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
29498
29499 @node Unregistering Code
29500 @section Unregistering Code
29501
29502 If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
29503
29504 @itemize @bullet
29505 @item
29506 Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
29507
29508 @item
29509 Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
29510
29511 @item
29512 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
29513 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
29514 @end itemize
29515
29516 If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
29517 and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
29518
29519 @node GDB Bugs
29520 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
29521 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
29522 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
29523
29524 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
29525
29526 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
29527 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
29528 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
29529 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
29530
29531 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
29532 information that enables us to fix the bug.
29533
29534 @menu
29535 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
29536 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
29537 @end menu
29538
29539 @node Bug Criteria
29540 @section Have You Found a Bug?
29541 @cindex bug criteria
29542
29543 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
29544
29545 @itemize @bullet
29546 @cindex fatal signal
29547 @cindex debugger crash
29548 @cindex crash of debugger
29549 @item
29550 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
29551 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
29552
29553 @cindex error on valid input
29554 @item
29555 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
29556 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
29557 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
29558
29559 @cindex invalid input
29560 @item
29561 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
29562 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
29563 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
29564 for traditional practice''.
29565
29566 @item
29567 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
29568 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
29569 @end itemize
29570
29571 @node Bug Reporting
29572 @section How to Report Bugs
29573 @cindex bug reports
29574 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
29575
29576 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
29577 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
29578 contact that organization first.
29579
29580 You can find contact information for many support companies and
29581 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
29582 distribution.
29583 @c should add a web page ref...
29584
29585 @ifset BUGURL
29586 @ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
29587 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
29588 @value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
29589 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
29590 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
29591 be used.
29592
29593 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
29594 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
29595 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
29596 @samp{bug-gdb}.
29597
29598 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
29599 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
29600 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
29601 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
29602 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
29603 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
29604 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
29605 bug reports to the mailing list.
29606 @end ifset
29607 @ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
29608 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
29609 @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
29610 @end ifclear
29611 @end ifset
29612
29613 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
29614 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
29615 fact or leave it out, state it!
29616
29617 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
29618 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
29619 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
29620 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
29621 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
29622 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
29623 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
29624 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
29625 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
29626
29627 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
29628 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
29629 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
29630 self-contained.
29631
29632 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
29633 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
29634 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
29635 bugs properly.
29636
29637 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
29638
29639 @itemize @bullet
29640 @item
29641 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
29642 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
29643 version}.
29644
29645 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
29646 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
29647
29648 @item
29649 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
29650 version number.
29651
29652 @item
29653 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
29654 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
29655
29656 @item
29657 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
29658 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
29659 C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
29660 to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
29661 those compilers.
29662
29663 @item
29664 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
29665 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
29666 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
29667 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
29668
29669 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
29670 and then we might not encounter the bug.
29671
29672 @item
29673 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
29674 reproduce the bug.
29675
29676 @item
29677 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
29678 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
29679
29680 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
29681 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
29682 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
29683 a chance to make a mistake.
29684
29685 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
29686 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
29687 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
29688 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
29689 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
29690 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
29691 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
29692 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
29693
29694 @pindex script
29695 @cindex recording a session script
29696 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
29697 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
29698 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
29699 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
29700
29701 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
29702 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
29703
29704 @item
29705 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
29706 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
29707 it by context, not by line number.
29708
29709 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
29710 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
29711
29712 @end itemize
29713
29714 Here are some things that are not necessary:
29715
29716 @itemize @bullet
29717 @item
29718 A description of the envelope of the bug.
29719
29720 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
29721 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
29722 changes will not affect it.
29723
29724 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
29725 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
29726 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
29727 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
29728
29729 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
29730 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
29731 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
29732 less time, and so on.
29733
29734 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
29735 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
29736
29737 @item
29738 A patch for the bug.
29739
29740 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
29741 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
29742 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
29743 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
29744
29745 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
29746 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
29747 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
29748 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
29749
29750 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
29751 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
29752 help us to understand.
29753
29754 @item
29755 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
29756
29757 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
29758 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
29759 @end itemize
29760
29761 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
29762 @c and consists of the two following files:
29763 @c rluser.texinfo
29764 @c inc-hist.texinfo
29765 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
29766 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
29767 @include rluser.texi
29768 @include inc-hist.texinfo
29769
29770
29771 @node Formatting Documentation
29772 @appendix Formatting Documentation
29773
29774 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
29775 @cindex reference card
29776 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
29777 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
29778 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
29779 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
29780 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
29781 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
29782
29783 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
29784 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
29785
29786 @smallexample
29787 make refcard.dvi
29788 @end smallexample
29789
29790 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
29791 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
29792 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
29793 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
29794 your @sc{dvi} output program.
29795
29796 @cindex documentation
29797
29798 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
29799 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
29800 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
29801 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
29802 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
29803 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
29804
29805 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
29806 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
29807 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
29808 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
29809 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
29810 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
29811 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
29812 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
29813
29814 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
29815 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
29816 @code{makeinfo}.
29817
29818 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
29819 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
29820 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
29821
29822 @smallexample
29823 cd gdb
29824 make gdb.info
29825 @end smallexample
29826
29827 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
29828 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
29829 Texinfo definitions file.
29830
29831 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
29832 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
29833 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
29834 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
29835 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
29836 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
29837 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
29838
29839 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
29840 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
29841 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
29842 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
29843 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
29844 directory.
29845
29846 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
29847 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
29848 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
29849 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
29850
29851 @smallexample
29852 make gdb.dvi
29853 @end smallexample
29854
29855 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
29856
29857 @node Installing GDB
29858 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
29859 @cindex installation
29860
29861 @menu
29862 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
29863 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
29864 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
29865 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
29866 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
29867 * System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
29868 @end menu
29869
29870 @node Requirements
29871 @section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
29872 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
29873
29874 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
29875 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
29876
29877 @heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
29878 @table @asis
29879 @item ISO C90 compiler
29880 @value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
29881 working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
29882
29883 @end table
29884
29885 @heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
29886 @table @asis
29887 @item Expat
29888 @anchor{Expat}
29889 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
29890 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
29891 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
29892 The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
29893 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
29894 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
29895
29896 Expat is used for:
29897
29898 @itemize @bullet
29899 @item
29900 Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
29901 @item
29902 Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
29903 @item
29904 Remote shared library lists (@pxref{Library List Format})
29905 @item
29906 MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
29907 @end itemize
29908
29909 @item zlib
29910 @cindex compressed debug sections
29911 @value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
29912 compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
29913 of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
29914 is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
29915 information in such binaries.
29916
29917 The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
29918 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
29919 @url{http://zlib.net}.
29920
29921 @item iconv
29922 @value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
29923 Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
29924 on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
29925 other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
29926
29927 On systems with @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If you
29928 have previously installed Libiconv, you can use the
29929 @option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to configure.
29930
29931 @value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
29932 arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
29933 in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
29934 if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
29935 implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
29936 by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
29937 Libiconv, unpack it, and then rename the directory holding the
29938 Libiconv source code to @samp{libiconv}.
29939 @end table
29940
29941 @node Running Configure
29942 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
29943 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
29944 @value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
29945 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
29946 build the @code{gdb} program.
29947 @iftex
29948 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
29949 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
29950 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
29951 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
29952 @end iftex
29953
29954 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
29955 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
29956 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
29957
29958 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
29959 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
29960
29961 @table @code
29962 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
29963 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
29964
29965 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
29966 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
29967
29968 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
29969 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
29970
29971 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
29972 @sc{gnu} include files
29973
29974 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
29975 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
29976
29977 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
29978 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
29979
29980 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
29981 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
29982
29983 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
29984 source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
29985
29986 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
29987 source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
29988 @end table
29989
29990 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
29991 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
29992 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
29993
29994 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
29995 if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
29996 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
29997 argument.
29998
29999 For example:
30000
30001 @smallexample
30002 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
30003 ./configure @var{host}
30004 make
30005 @end smallexample
30006
30007 @noindent
30008 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
30009 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
30010 (You can often leave off @var{host}; @file{configure} tries to guess the
30011 correct value by examining your system.)
30012
30013 Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
30014 @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
30015 libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
30016 binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
30017
30018 @need 750
30019 @file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
30020 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
30021 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
30022
30023 @smallexample
30024 sh configure @var{host}
30025 @end smallexample
30026
30027 If you run @file{configure} from a directory that contains source
30028 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
30029 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN},
30030 @file{configure}
30031 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
30032 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
30033
30034 You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
30035 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
30036 @file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
30037 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
30038 if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
30039 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
30040 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
30041 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
30042 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
30043
30044 You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
30045 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
30046 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
30047 that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
30048 let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
30049
30050 @node Separate Objdir
30051 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
30052
30053 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
30054 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
30055 host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
30056 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
30057 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
30058 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
30059 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
30060 program specified there.
30061
30062 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
30063 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
30064 (You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
30065 itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
30066 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
30067 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
30068
30069 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
30070 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
30071
30072 @smallexample
30073 @group
30074 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
30075 mkdir ../gdb-sun4
30076 cd ../gdb-sun4
30077 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
30078 make
30079 @end group
30080 @end smallexample
30081
30082 When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
30083 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
30084 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
30085 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
30086 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
30087 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
30088
30089 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
30090 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
30091 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
30092 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
30093 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
30094
30095 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
30096 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
30097 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
30098 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
30099 You specify a cross-debugging target by
30100 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
30101
30102 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
30103 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
30104 called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
30105
30106 The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
30107 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
30108 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
30109 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
30110 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
30111
30112 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
30113 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
30114 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
30115 with each other.
30116
30117 @node Config Names
30118 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
30119
30120 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
30121 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
30122 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
30123 of information in the following pattern:
30124
30125 @smallexample
30126 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
30127 @end smallexample
30128
30129 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
30130 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
30131 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
30132
30133 The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
30134 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
30135 aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
30136 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
30137 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
30138 abbreviations---for example:
30139
30140 @smallexample
30141 % sh config.sub i386-linux
30142 i386-pc-linux-gnu
30143 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
30144 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
30145 % sh config.sub hp9k700
30146 hppa1.1-hp-hpux
30147 % sh config.sub sun4
30148 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
30149 % sh config.sub sun3
30150 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
30151 % sh config.sub i986v
30152 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
30153 @end smallexample
30154
30155 @noindent
30156 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
30157 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
30158
30159 @node Configure Options
30160 @section @file{configure} Options
30161
30162 Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
30163 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure} also has
30164 several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
30165 Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @file{configure}.
30166
30167 @smallexample
30168 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
30169 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
30170 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
30171 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
30172 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
30173 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
30174 @var{host}
30175 @end smallexample
30176
30177 @noindent
30178 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
30179 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
30180 @samp{--}.
30181
30182 @table @code
30183 @item --help
30184 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
30185
30186 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
30187 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
30188 @file{@var{dir}}.
30189
30190 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
30191 Configure the source to install programs under directory
30192 @file{@var{dir}}.
30193
30194 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
30195 @need 2000
30196 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
30197 @strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
30198 @code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
30199 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
30200 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
30201 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
30202 directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
30203 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
30204 directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
30205 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
30206 @var{dirname}.
30207
30208 @item --norecursion
30209 Configure only the directory level where @file{configure} is executed; do not
30210 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
30211
30212 @item --target=@var{target}
30213 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
30214 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
30215 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
30216
30217 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
30218
30219 @item @var{host} @dots{}
30220 Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
30221
30222 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
30223 @end table
30224
30225 There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
30226 needed for special purposes only.
30227
30228 @node System-wide configuration
30229 @section System-wide configuration and settings
30230 @cindex system-wide init file
30231
30232 @value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
30233 this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
30234 @value{GDBN} does during startup}).
30235
30236 Here is the corresponding configure option:
30237
30238 @table @code
30239 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
30240 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
30241 @var{file}.
30242 @end table
30243
30244 If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
30245 it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
30246
30247 @itemize @bullet
30248 @item
30249 If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
30250 it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
30251 are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
30252 if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
30253 init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
30254 @file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
30255
30256 @item
30257 By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
30258 it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
30259 @option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
30260 then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
30261 wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
30262 @end itemize
30263
30264 @node Maintenance Commands
30265 @appendix Maintenance Commands
30266 @cindex maintenance commands
30267 @cindex internal commands
30268
30269 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
30270 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
30271 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
30272 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
30273 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
30274
30275 @table @code
30276 @kindex maint agent
30277 @kindex maint agent-eval
30278 @item maint agent @var{expression}
30279 @itemx maint agent-eval @var{expression}
30280 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
30281 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
30282 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
30283 expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
30284 @samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
30285 to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
30286 globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
30287 of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
30288 the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
30289 addition and return the sum.
30290
30291 @kindex maint info breakpoints
30292 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
30293 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
30294 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
30295 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
30296 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
30297 is shown:
30298
30299 @table @code
30300 @item breakpoint
30301 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
30302
30303 @item watchpoint
30304 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
30305
30306 @item longjmp
30307 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
30308 @code{longjmp} calls.
30309
30310 @item longjmp resume
30311 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
30312
30313 @item until
30314 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
30315
30316 @item finish
30317 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
30318
30319 @item shlib events
30320 Shared library events.
30321
30322 @end table
30323
30324 @kindex set displaced-stepping
30325 @kindex show displaced-stepping
30326 @cindex displaced stepping support
30327 @cindex out-of-line single-stepping
30328 @item set displaced-stepping
30329 @itemx show displaced-stepping
30330 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
30331 if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
30332 over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
30333 an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
30334 breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
30335
30336 @table @code
30337 @item set displaced-stepping on
30338 If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
30339 displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
30340
30341 @item set displaced-stepping off
30342 @value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
30343 even if such is supported by the target architecture.
30344
30345 @cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
30346 @item set displaced-stepping auto
30347 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
30348 only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
30349 architecture supports displaced stepping.
30350 @end table
30351
30352 @kindex maint check-symtabs
30353 @item maint check-symtabs
30354 Check the consistency of psymtabs and symtabs.
30355
30356 @kindex maint cplus first_component
30357 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
30358 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
30359
30360 @kindex maint cplus namespace
30361 @item maint cplus namespace
30362 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
30363
30364 @kindex maint demangle
30365 @item maint demangle @var{name}
30366 Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C mangled @var{name}.
30367
30368 @kindex maint deprecate
30369 @kindex maint undeprecate
30370 @cindex deprecated commands
30371 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
30372 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
30373 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
30374 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
30375 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
30376 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
30377 the replacement as part of the warning.
30378
30379 @kindex maint dump-me
30380 @item maint dump-me
30381 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
30382 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
30383 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
30384 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
30385
30386 @kindex maint internal-error
30387 @kindex maint internal-warning
30388 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
30389 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
30390 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
30391 or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
30392 or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
30393 internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
30394 either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
30395 @value{GDBN} session.
30396
30397 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
30398 used as the text of the error or warning message.
30399
30400 Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
30401
30402 @smallexample
30403 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
30404 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
30405 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
30406 debugging may prove unreliable.
30407 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
30408 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
30409 (@value{GDBP})
30410 @end smallexample
30411
30412 @cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
30413 @cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
30414
30415 @kindex maint set internal-error
30416 @kindex maint show internal-error
30417 @kindex maint set internal-warning
30418 @kindex maint show internal-warning
30419 @item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
30420 @itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
30421 @itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
30422 @itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
30423 When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
30424 gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
30425 core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
30426 override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
30427 described in the table below.
30428
30429 @table @samp
30430 @item quit
30431 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
30432 quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
30433
30434 @item corefile
30435 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
30436 create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do.
30437 @end table
30438
30439 @kindex maint packet
30440 @item maint packet @var{text}
30441 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
30442 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
30443 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
30444 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
30445 checksum.
30446
30447 @kindex maint print architecture
30448 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
30449 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
30450 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
30451
30452 @kindex maint print c-tdesc
30453 @item maint print c-tdesc
30454 Print the current target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
30455 a C source file. The created source file can be used in @value{GDBN}
30456 when an XML parser is not available to parse the description.
30457
30458 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
30459 @item maint print dummy-frames
30460 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
30461
30462 @smallexample
30463 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
30464 @dots{}
30465 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
30466 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
30467 58 return (a + b);
30468 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
30469 @dots{}
30470 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
30471 0x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
30472 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
30473 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
30474 (@value{GDBP})
30475 @end smallexample
30476
30477 Takes an optional file parameter.
30478
30479 @kindex maint print registers
30480 @kindex maint print raw-registers
30481 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
30482 @kindex maint print register-groups
30483 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
30484 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
30485 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
30486 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
30487 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
30488
30489 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
30490 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print cooked-registers}
30491 includes the (cooked) value of all registers, including registers which
30492 aren't available on the target nor visible to user; and the
30493 command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the groups that each
30494 register is a member of. @xref{Registers,, Registers, gdbint,
30495 @value{GDBN} Internals}.
30496
30497 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
30498 write the information.
30499
30500 @kindex maint print reggroups
30501 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
30502 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
30503 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
30504 information.
30505
30506 The register groups info looks like this:
30507
30508 @smallexample
30509 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
30510 Group Type
30511 general user
30512 float user
30513 all user
30514 vector user
30515 system user
30516 save internal
30517 restore internal
30518 @end smallexample
30519
30520 @kindex flushregs
30521 @item flushregs
30522 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
30523
30524 @kindex maint print objfiles
30525 @cindex info for known object files
30526 @item maint print objfiles
30527 Print a dump of all known object files. For each object file, this
30528 command prints its name, address in memory, and all of its psymtabs
30529 and symtabs.
30530
30531 @kindex maint print section-scripts
30532 @cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
30533 @item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
30534 Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
30535 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
30536 matching @var{regexp}.
30537 For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
30538 and the full path if known.
30539 @xref{.debug_gdb_scripts section}.
30540
30541 @kindex maint print statistics
30542 @cindex bcache statistics
30543 @item maint print statistics
30544 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
30545 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
30546 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
30547 of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
30548 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
30549 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
30550 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
30551 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
30552 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
30553 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
30554 lengths.
30555
30556 @kindex maint print target-stack
30557 @cindex target stack description
30558 @item maint print target-stack
30559 A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
30560 kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
30561 so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
30562 In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
30563 until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
30564 address.
30565
30566 This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
30567 the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
30568
30569 @kindex maint print type
30570 @cindex type chain of a data type
30571 @item maint print type @var{expr}
30572 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
30573 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
30574 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
30575 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
30576 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
30577
30578 @kindex maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
30579 @kindex maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
30580 @item maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
30581 @item maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
30582 Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
30583 information.
30584
30585 The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
30586 describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
30587 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
30588 expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
30589 too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
30590 always see the disassembly form.
30591
30592 Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
30593
30594 @smallexample
30595 (gdb) info addr argc
30596 Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
30597 1: DW_OP_fbreg 0
30598 @end smallexample
30599
30600 For more information on these expressions, see
30601 @uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
30602
30603 @kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
30604 @kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
30605 @item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
30606 @itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
30607 Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
30608
30609 @cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
30610 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
30611 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
30612 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
30613 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
30614 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
30615 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
30616 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
30617 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
30618
30619 @kindex maint set profile
30620 @kindex maint show profile
30621 @cindex profiling GDB
30622 @item maint set profile
30623 @itemx maint show profile
30624 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
30625
30626 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
30627 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
30628 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
30629 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
30630 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
30631 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
30632 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
30633
30634 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
30635 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
30636
30637 @kindex maint set show-debug-regs
30638 @kindex maint show show-debug-regs
30639 @cindex hardware debug registers
30640 @item maint set show-debug-regs
30641 @itemx maint show show-debug-regs
30642 Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
30643 registers. Use @code{ON} to enable, @code{OFF} to disable. If
30644 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
30645 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
30646 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
30647
30648 @kindex maint set show-all-tib
30649 @kindex maint show show-all-tib
30650 @item maint set show-all-tib
30651 @itemx maint show show-all-tib
30652 Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
30653 at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
30654 command.
30655
30656 @kindex maint space
30657 @cindex memory used by commands
30658 @item maint space
30659 Control whether to display memory usage for each command. If set to a
30660 nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
30661 took, following the command's own output. This can also be requested
30662 by invoking @value{GDBN} with the @option{--statistics} command-line
30663 switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
30664
30665 @kindex maint time
30666 @cindex time of command execution
30667 @item maint time
30668 Control whether to display the execution time for each command. If
30669 set to a nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
30670 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
30671 The time is not printed for the commands that run the target, since
30672 there's no mechanism currently to compute how much time was spend
30673 by @value{GDBN} and how much time was spend by the program been debugged.
30674 it's not possibly currently
30675 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
30676 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
30677
30678 @kindex maint translate-address
30679 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
30680 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
30681 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
30682 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
30683 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
30684 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
30685 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
30686
30687 If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
30688 is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
30689 executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
30690
30691 @end table
30692
30693 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
30694 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
30695
30696 @table @code
30697 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
30698 @kindex set watchdog
30699 @cindex watchdog timer
30700 @cindex timeout for commands
30701 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
30702 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
30703 reports and error and the command is aborted.
30704
30705 @item show watchdog
30706 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
30707 @end table
30708
30709 @node Remote Protocol
30710 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
30711
30712 @menu
30713 * Overview::
30714 * Packets::
30715 * Stop Reply Packets::
30716 * General Query Packets::
30717 * Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
30718 * Tracepoint Packets::
30719 * Host I/O Packets::
30720 * Interrupts::
30721 * Notification Packets::
30722 * Remote Non-Stop::
30723 * Packet Acknowledgment::
30724 * Examples::
30725 * File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
30726 * Library List Format::
30727 * Memory Map Format::
30728 * Thread List Format::
30729 @end menu
30730
30731 @node Overview
30732 @section Overview
30733
30734 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
30735 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
30736 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
30737 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
30738
30739 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
30740 transmitted and received data, respectively.
30741
30742 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
30743 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
30744 @cindex remote serial protocol
30745 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
30746 and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
30747 @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
30748 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
30749 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
30750
30751 @smallexample
30752 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
30753 @end smallexample
30754 @noindent
30755
30756 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
30757 @noindent
30758 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
30759 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
30760 eight bit unsigned checksum).
30761
30762 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
30763 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
30764
30765 @smallexample
30766 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
30767 @end smallexample
30768
30769 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
30770 @noindent
30771 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
30772 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
30773 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
30774
30775 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
30776 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
30777 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
30778 retransmission):
30779
30780 @smallexample
30781 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
30782 <- @code{+}
30783 @end smallexample
30784 @noindent
30785
30786 The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
30787 once a connection is established.
30788 @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
30789
30790 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
30791 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
30792 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
30793 when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
30794 threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
30795 behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
30796 execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
30797
30798 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
30799 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
30800 exceptions).
30801
30802 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
30803 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
30804 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
30805 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
30806
30807 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
30808 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
30809 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
30810
30811 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
30812 @anchor{Binary Data}
30813 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
30814 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
30815 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
30816 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
30817 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
30818 binary data.
30819
30820 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
30821 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
30822 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
30823 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
30824 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
30825 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
30826 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
30827 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
30828 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
30829 (described next).
30830
30831 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
30832 Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
30833 instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
30834 repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
30835 binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
30836 @code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
30837 produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
30838 code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
30839 encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
30840 @samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
30841 after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
30842 3}} more times.
30843
30844 The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
30845 greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
30846 seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
30847 five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
30848 @samp{0*"00}.
30849
30850 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
30851 error number. That number is not well defined.
30852
30853 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
30854 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
30855 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
30856 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
30857 on that response.
30858
30859 A stub is required to support the @samp{g}, @samp{G}, @samp{m}, @samp{M},
30860 @samp{c}, and @samp{s} @var{command}s. All other @var{command}s are
30861 optional.
30862
30863 @node Packets
30864 @section Packets
30865
30866 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
30867 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
30868 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
30869 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
30870
30871 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
30872 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
30873 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
30874 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
30875 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
30876 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
30877 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
30878 @var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
30879 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
30880 @var{baz}.
30881
30882 @cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
30883 @anchor{thread-id syntax}
30884 Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
30885 a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
30886 interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
30887 can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
30888 pick any thread.
30889
30890 In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
30891 which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
30892 process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
30893 The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
30894 format described above: a positive number with target-specific
30895 interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
30896 to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
30897 indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
30898 @samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
30899 error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
30900 @samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
30901 for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
30902 ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
30903
30904 The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
30905 @value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
30906 feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
30907 more information.
30908
30909 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
30910 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
30911
30912 Here are the packet descriptions.
30913
30914 @table @samp
30915
30916 @item !
30917 @cindex @samp{!} packet
30918 @anchor{extended mode}
30919 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
30920 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
30921 debugged.
30922
30923 Reply:
30924 @table @samp
30925 @item OK
30926 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
30927 @end table
30928
30929 @item ?
30930 @cindex @samp{?} packet
30931 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
30932 step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
30933 target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
30934
30935 Reply:
30936 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
30937
30938 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
30939 @cindex @samp{A} packet
30940 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
30941 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
30942 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
30943
30944 Reply:
30945 @table @samp
30946 @item OK
30947 The arguments were set.
30948 @item E @var{NN}
30949 An error occurred.
30950 @end table
30951
30952 @item b @var{baud}
30953 @cindex @samp{b} packet
30954 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
30955 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
30956
30957 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
30958 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
30959 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
30960
30961 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
30962 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
30963 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
30964 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
30965 of view, nothing actually happened.}
30966
30967 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
30968 @cindex @samp{B} packet
30969 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
30970 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
30971
30972 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
30973 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
30974
30975 @cindex @samp{bc} packet
30976 @anchor{bc}
30977 @item bc
30978 Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
30979 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
30980
30981 Reply:
30982 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
30983
30984 @cindex @samp{bs} packet
30985 @anchor{bs}
30986 @item bs
30987 Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
30988 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
30989
30990 Reply:
30991 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
30992
30993 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
30994 @cindex @samp{c} packet
30995 Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
30996 resume at current address.
30997
30998 Reply:
30999 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
31000
31001 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
31002 @cindex @samp{C} packet
31003 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
31004 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
31005
31006 Reply:
31007 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
31008
31009 @item d
31010 @cindex @samp{d} packet
31011 Toggle debug flag.
31012
31013 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
31014 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
31015
31016 @item D
31017 @itemx D;@var{pid}
31018 @cindex @samp{D} packet
31019 The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
31020 remote system. It is sent to the remote target
31021 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
31022
31023 The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
31024 protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
31025 detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
31026 big-endian hex string.
31027
31028 Reply:
31029 @table @samp
31030 @item OK
31031 for success
31032 @item E @var{NN}
31033 for an error
31034 @end table
31035
31036 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
31037 @cindex @samp{F} packet
31038 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
31039 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
31040 Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
31041
31042 @item g
31043 @anchor{read registers packet}
31044 @cindex @samp{g} packet
31045 Read general registers.
31046
31047 Reply:
31048 @table @samp
31049 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
31050 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
31051 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
31052 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
31053 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
31054 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}. The
31055 specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
31056 @item E @var{NN}
31057 for an error.
31058 @end table
31059
31060 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
31061 @cindex @samp{G} packet
31062 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
31063 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
31064
31065 Reply:
31066 @table @samp
31067 @item OK
31068 for success
31069 @item E @var{NN}
31070 for an error
31071 @end table
31072
31073 @item H @var{c} @var{thread-id}
31074 @cindex @samp{H} packet
31075 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
31076 @samp{G}, et.al.). @var{c} depends on the operation to be performed: it
31077 should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations, @samp{g} for other
31078 operations. The thread designator @var{thread-id} has the format and
31079 interpretation described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
31080
31081 Reply:
31082 @table @samp
31083 @item OK
31084 for success
31085 @item E @var{NN}
31086 for an error
31087 @end table
31088
31089 @c FIXME: JTC:
31090 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
31091 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
31092 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
31093 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
31094 @c described. For example:
31095 @c
31096 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
31097 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
31098 @c otherwise returns current registers.
31099 @c
31100 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
31101 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
31102 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
31103
31104 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
31105 @anchor{cycle step packet}
31106 @cindex @samp{i} packet
31107 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
31108 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
31109 step starting at that address.
31110
31111 @item I
31112 @cindex @samp{I} packet
31113 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
31114 step packet}.
31115
31116 @item k
31117 @cindex @samp{k} packet
31118 Kill request.
31119
31120 FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
31121 thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
31122 thread?)}.
31123
31124 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
31125 @cindex @samp{m} packet
31126 Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
31127 Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
31128
31129 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
31130 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
31131 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
31132 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
31133 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
31134 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
31135 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
31136 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
31137
31138 Reply:
31139 @table @samp
31140 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
31141 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
31142 number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
31143 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
31144 @item E @var{NN}
31145 @var{NN} is errno
31146 @end table
31147
31148 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
31149 @cindex @samp{M} packet
31150 Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
31151 @var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
31152 hexadecimal number.
31153
31154 Reply:
31155 @table @samp
31156 @item OK
31157 for success
31158 @item E @var{NN}
31159 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
31160 written).
31161 @end table
31162
31163 @item p @var{n}
31164 @cindex @samp{p} packet
31165 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
31166 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
31167 register value is encoded.
31168
31169 Reply:
31170 @table @samp
31171 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
31172 the register's value
31173 @item E @var{NN}
31174 for an error
31175 @item
31176 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
31177 @end table
31178
31179 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
31180 @anchor{write register packet}
31181 @cindex @samp{P} packet
31182 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
31183 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
31184 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
31185
31186 Reply:
31187 @table @samp
31188 @item OK
31189 for success
31190 @item E @var{NN}
31191 for an error
31192 @end table
31193
31194 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
31195 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
31196 @cindex @samp{q} packet
31197 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
31198 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
31199 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
31200
31201 @item r
31202 @cindex @samp{r} packet
31203 Reset the entire system.
31204
31205 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
31206
31207 @item R @var{XX}
31208 @cindex @samp{R} packet
31209 Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
31210 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
31211
31212 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
31213
31214 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
31215 @cindex @samp{s} packet
31216 Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
31217 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
31218
31219 Reply:
31220 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
31221
31222 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
31223 @anchor{step with signal packet}
31224 @cindex @samp{S} packet
31225 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
31226 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
31227
31228 Reply:
31229 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
31230
31231 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
31232 @cindex @samp{t} packet
31233 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
31234 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
31235 @var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
31236
31237 @item T @var{thread-id}
31238 @cindex @samp{T} packet
31239 Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
31240
31241 Reply:
31242 @table @samp
31243 @item OK
31244 thread is still alive
31245 @item E @var{NN}
31246 thread is dead
31247 @end table
31248
31249 @item v
31250 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
31251 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
31252
31253 @item vAttach;@var{pid}
31254 @cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
31255 Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
31256 The process ID is a
31257 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
31258 threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
31259 attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
31260
31261 @c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
31262 @c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
31263 @c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
31264 @c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
31265 @c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
31266 @c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
31267 @c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
31268 @c stopping or restarting threads.
31269
31270 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
31271
31272 Reply:
31273 @table @samp
31274 @item E @var{nn}
31275 for an error
31276 @item @r{Any stop packet}
31277 for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
31278 @item OK
31279 for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
31280 @end table
31281
31282 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
31283 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
31284 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
31285 If an action is specified with no @var{thread-id}, then it is applied to any
31286 threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
31287 specified then other threads should remain stopped in all-stop mode and
31288 in their current state in non-stop mode.
31289 Specifying multiple
31290 default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
31291 Thread IDs are specified using the syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
31292
31293 Currently supported actions are:
31294
31295 @table @samp
31296 @item c
31297 Continue.
31298 @item C @var{sig}
31299 Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
31300 @item s
31301 Step.
31302 @item S @var{sig}
31303 Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
31304 @item t
31305 Stop.
31306 @end table
31307
31308 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
31309 @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
31310 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
31311
31312 The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
31313 (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
31314 A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
31315 When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
31316 the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
31317 signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
31318 as an implementation detail.
31319
31320 Reply:
31321 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
31322
31323 @item vCont?
31324 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
31325 Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
31326
31327 Reply:
31328 @table @samp
31329 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
31330 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
31331 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
31332 @item
31333 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
31334 @end table
31335
31336 @item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
31337 @cindex @samp{vFile} packet
31338 Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
31339 see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
31340
31341 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
31342 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
31343 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
31344 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
31345 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
31346 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
31347 Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
31348 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
31349 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
31350 packet is received.
31351
31352 The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
31353 multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}). Note that in
31354 this case @samp{vCont} actions can be specified to apply to all threads
31355 in a process by using the @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the
31356 @var{thread-id}.
31357
31358 Reply:
31359 @table @samp
31360 @item OK
31361 for success
31362 @item E @var{NN}
31363 for an error
31364 @end table
31365
31366 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
31367 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
31368 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
31369 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
31370 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
31371 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
31372 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
31373 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
31374 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
31375 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
31376 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
31377 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
31378
31379
31380 Reply:
31381 @table @samp
31382 @item OK
31383 for success
31384 @item E.memtype
31385 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
31386 @item E @var{NN}
31387 for an error
31388 @end table
31389
31390 @item vFlashDone
31391 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
31392 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
31393 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
31394 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
31395 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
31396 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
31397 request is completed.
31398
31399 @item vKill;@var{pid}
31400 @cindex @samp{vKill} packet
31401 Kill the process with the specified process ID. @var{pid} is a
31402 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
31403 preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
31404 supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
31405
31406 Reply:
31407 @table @samp
31408 @item E @var{nn}
31409 for an error
31410 @item OK
31411 for success
31412 @end table
31413
31414 @item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
31415 @cindex @samp{vRun} packet
31416 Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
31417 command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
31418 @var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
31419 (e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
31420 state.
31421
31422 @c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
31423
31424 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
31425
31426 Reply:
31427 @table @samp
31428 @item E @var{nn}
31429 for an error
31430 @item @r{Any stop packet}
31431 for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
31432 @end table
31433
31434 @item vStopped
31435 @anchor{vStopped packet}
31436 @cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
31437
31438 In non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}), acknowledge a previous stop
31439 reply and prompt for the stub to report another one.
31440
31441 Reply:
31442 @table @samp
31443 @item @r{Any stop packet}
31444 if there is another unreported stop event (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
31445 @item OK
31446 if there are no unreported stop events
31447 @end table
31448
31449 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
31450 @anchor{X packet}
31451 @cindex @samp{X} packet
31452 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
31453 @var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
31454 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
31455
31456 Reply:
31457 @table @samp
31458 @item OK
31459 for success
31460 @item E @var{NN}
31461 for an error
31462 @end table
31463
31464 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
31465 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
31466 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
31467 @cindex @samp{z} packet
31468 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
31469 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
31470 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
31471
31472 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
31473 separately.
31474
31475 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
31476 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
31477 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
31478 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
31479 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
31480 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
31481
31482 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31483 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31484 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
31485 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
31486 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
31487 @var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
31488
31489 A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
31490 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
31491 @var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of
31492 the breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm}
31493 and @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
31494 architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind};
31495 see @ref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}.
31496
31497 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
31498 code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
31499 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
31500 target, is not defined.}
31501
31502 Reply:
31503 @table @samp
31504 @item OK
31505 success
31506 @item
31507 not supported
31508 @item E @var{NN}
31509 for an error
31510 @end table
31511
31512 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31513 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31514 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
31515 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
31516 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
31517 address @var{addr}.
31518
31519 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
31520 dependant on being able to modify the target's memory. @var{kind}
31521 has the same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
31522
31523 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
31524 movement.}
31525
31526 Reply:
31527 @table @samp
31528 @item OK
31529 success
31530 @item
31531 not supported
31532 @item E @var{NN}
31533 for an error
31534 @end table
31535
31536 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31537 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31538 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
31539 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
31540 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
31541 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
31542
31543 Reply:
31544 @table @samp
31545 @item OK
31546 success
31547 @item
31548 not supported
31549 @item E @var{NN}
31550 for an error
31551 @end table
31552
31553 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31554 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31555 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
31556 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
31557 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
31558 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
31559
31560 Reply:
31561 @table @samp
31562 @item OK
31563 success
31564 @item
31565 not supported
31566 @item E @var{NN}
31567 for an error
31568 @end table
31569
31570 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31571 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
31572 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
31573 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
31574 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
31575 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
31576
31577 Reply:
31578 @table @samp
31579 @item OK
31580 success
31581 @item
31582 not supported
31583 @item E @var{NN}
31584 for an error
31585 @end table
31586
31587 @end table
31588
31589 @node Stop Reply Packets
31590 @section Stop Reply Packets
31591 @cindex stop reply packets
31592
31593 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
31594 @samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
31595 receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
31596 and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
31597 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
31598 number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
31599 @value{GDBN} source code.
31600
31601 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
31602 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
31603 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
31604 components.
31605
31606 @table @samp
31607
31608 @item S @var{AA}
31609 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
31610 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
31611 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
31612
31613 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
31614 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
31615 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
31616 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
31617 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
31618 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
31619 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
31620 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
31621
31622 @itemize @bullet
31623 @item
31624 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
31625 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
31626 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
31627 two-digit hex number.
31628
31629 @item
31630 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
31631 the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
31632
31633 @item
31634 If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
31635 the core on which the stop event was detected.
31636
31637 @item
31638 If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
31639 specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
31640 reasons are listed below. @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
31641 signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
31642
31643 @item
31644 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
31645 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
31646 future.
31647 @end itemize
31648
31649 The currently defined stop reasons are:
31650
31651 @table @samp
31652 @item watch
31653 @itemx rwatch
31654 @itemx awatch
31655 The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
31656 hex.
31657
31658 @cindex shared library events, remote reply
31659 @item library
31660 The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
31661 @value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
31662 list of loaded libraries. @var{r} is ignored.
31663
31664 @cindex replay log events, remote reply
31665 @item replaylog
31666 The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
31667 logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
31668 beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
31669 will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
31670 for more information.
31671 @end table
31672
31673 @item W @var{AA}
31674 @itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
31675 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
31676 applicable to certain targets.
31677
31678 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the exited
31679 process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported support for
31680 multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
31681 The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
31682
31683 @item X @var{AA}
31684 @itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
31685 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
31686
31687 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
31688 terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
31689 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
31690 extensions}. The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
31691
31692 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
31693 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
31694 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
31695 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
31696 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
31697
31698 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
31699 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
31700 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
31701 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
31702 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
31703 system calls.
31704
31705 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
31706 this very system call.
31707
31708 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
31709 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
31710 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
31711 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
31712 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
31713 Protocol Extension}, for more details.
31714
31715 @end table
31716
31717 @node General Query Packets
31718 @section General Query Packets
31719 @cindex remote query requests
31720
31721 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
31722 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
31723 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
31724 sending information to and from the stub.
31725
31726 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
31727 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
31728 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
31729 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
31730 conventions:
31731
31732 @itemize @bullet
31733 @item
31734 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
31735 @item
31736 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
31737 letter.
31738 @item
31739 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
31740 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
31741 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
31742 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
31743 @end itemize
31744
31745 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
31746 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
31747 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
31748 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
31749 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
31750 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
31751 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
31752 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
31753 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
31754 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
31755 packet.}.
31756
31757 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
31758 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
31759 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
31760 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
31761 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
31762
31763 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
31764
31765 @table @samp
31766
31767 @item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
31768 @cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
31769 Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
31770 target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
31771 pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
31772 @samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
31773 @samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
31774 indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
31775 indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
31776 own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
31777 insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
31778
31779 @item qC
31780 @cindex current thread, remote request
31781 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
31782 Return the current thread ID.
31783
31784 Reply:
31785 @table @samp
31786 @item QC @var{thread-id}
31787 Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
31788 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
31789 @item @r{(anything else)}
31790 Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
31791 @end table
31792
31793 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
31794 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
31795 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
31796 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
31797 IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
31798 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
31799 @code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
31800
31801 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
31802 files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
31803 Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
31804 separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
31805 significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
31806 detect trailing zeros.
31807
31808 Reply:
31809 @table @samp
31810 @item E @var{NN}
31811 An error (such as memory fault)
31812 @item C @var{crc32}
31813 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
31814 @end table
31815
31816 @item qfThreadInfo
31817 @itemx qsThreadInfo
31818 @cindex list active threads, remote request
31819 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
31820 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
31821 Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
31822 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
31823 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
31824 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
31825 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
31826 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
31827
31828 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
31829
31830 Reply:
31831 @table @samp
31832 @item m @var{thread-id}
31833 A single thread ID
31834 @item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
31835 a comma-separated list of thread IDs
31836 @item l
31837 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
31838 @end table
31839
31840 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
31841 more thread IDs, separated by commas.
31842 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
31843 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
31844 with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
31845 Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
31846 fields.
31847
31848 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
31849 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
31850 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
31851 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
31852 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
31853
31854 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
31855 thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
31856
31857 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
31858 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
31859 information associated with the variable.)
31860
31861 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
31862 the load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
31863 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
31864 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
31865 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
31866 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
31867
31868 Reply:
31869 @table @samp
31870 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
31871 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
31872 local storage requested.
31873
31874 @item E @var{nn}
31875 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
31876
31877 @item
31878 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
31879 @end table
31880
31881 @item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
31882 @cindex get thread information block address
31883 @cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
31884 Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
31885
31886 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
31887
31888 Reply:
31889 @table @samp
31890 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
31891 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
31892 thread information block.
31893
31894 @item E @var{nn}
31895 An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
31896 address could not be retrieved.
31897
31898 @item
31899 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
31900 @end table
31901
31902 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
31903 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
31904 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
31905 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
31906 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
31907 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
31908 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
31909
31910 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
31911
31912 Reply:
31913 @table @samp
31914 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
31915 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
31916 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
31917 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
31918 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
31919 is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
31920 digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
31921 @end table
31922
31923 @item qOffsets
31924 @cindex section offsets, remote request
31925 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
31926 Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
31927 image.
31928
31929 Reply:
31930 @table @samp
31931 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
31932 Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
31933 Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
31934 If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
31935 @samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
31936 segments by the supplied offsets.
31937
31938 @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
31939 @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
31940 to the @code{Bss} section.}
31941
31942 @item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
31943 Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
31944 contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
31945 @samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
31946 conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
31947 @var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
31948 does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
31949 as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
31950 kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
31951 @end table
31952
31953 @item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
31954 @cindex thread information, remote request
31955 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
31956 Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
31957 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
31958 (@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
31959
31960 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
31961 (see below).
31962
31963 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
31964
31965 @item QNonStop:1
31966 @item QNonStop:0
31967 @cindex non-stop mode, remote request
31968 @cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
31969 @anchor{QNonStop}
31970 Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
31971 @xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
31972
31973 Reply:
31974 @table @samp
31975 @item OK
31976 The request succeeded.
31977
31978 @item E @var{nn}
31979 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
31980
31981 @item
31982 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
31983 the stub.
31984 @end table
31985
31986 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
31987 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
31988 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
31989 @pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
31990
31991 @item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
31992 @cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
31993 @cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
31994 @anchor{QPassSignals}
31995 Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
31996 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
31997 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
31998 strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
31999 the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
32000 reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
32001 combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
32002 new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
32003 @var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
32004
32005 Reply:
32006 @table @samp
32007 @item OK
32008 The request succeeded.
32009
32010 @item E @var{nn}
32011 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
32012
32013 @item
32014 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
32015 the stub.
32016 @end table
32017
32018 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
32019 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
32020 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32021 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
32022
32023 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
32024 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
32025 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
32026 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
32027 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
32028 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
32029 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
32030 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
32031 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
32032
32033 Reply:
32034 @table @samp
32035 @item OK
32036 A command response with no output.
32037 @item @var{OUTPUT}
32038 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
32039 @item E @var{NN}
32040 Indicate a badly formed request.
32041 @item
32042 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
32043 @end table
32044
32045 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
32046 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
32047 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
32048 packets.)
32049
32050 @item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
32051 @cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
32052 @cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
32053 @anchor{qSearch memory}
32054 Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
32055 @var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex.
32056 @var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, hex encoded.
32057
32058 Reply:
32059 @table @samp
32060 @item 0
32061 The pattern was not found.
32062 @item 1,address
32063 The pattern was found at @var{address}.
32064 @item E @var{NN}
32065 A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
32066 @item
32067 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
32068 @end table
32069
32070 @item QStartNoAckMode
32071 @cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
32072 @anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
32073 Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
32074 protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
32075
32076 Reply:
32077 @table @samp
32078 @item OK
32079 The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
32080 @value{GDBN} acknowledges this reponse,
32081 but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
32082 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
32083 @item
32084 An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
32085 @end table
32086
32087 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
32088 @cindex supported packets, remote query
32089 @cindex features of the remote protocol
32090 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
32091 @anchor{qSupported}
32092 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
32093 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
32094 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
32095 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
32096 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
32097 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
32098 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
32099 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
32100 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
32101 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
32102 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
32103 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
32104 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
32105 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
32106
32107 Reply:
32108 @table @samp
32109 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
32110 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
32111 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
32112 possible forms).
32113 @item
32114 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
32115 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
32116 @end table
32117
32118 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
32119 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
32120 are:
32121
32122 @table @samp
32123 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
32124 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
32125 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
32126 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
32127 @item @var{name}+
32128 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
32129 need an associated value.
32130 @item @var{name}-
32131 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
32132 @item @var{name}?
32133 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
32134 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
32135 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
32136 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
32137 @end table
32138
32139 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
32140 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
32141 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
32142 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
32143 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
32144
32145 The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
32146 are defined:
32147
32148 @table @samp
32149 @item multiprocess
32150 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
32151 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
32152 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
32153 including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
32154 @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
32155
32156 @item xmlRegisters
32157 This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
32158 description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
32159 specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
32160 description.
32161
32162 @item qRelocInsn
32163 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
32164 @samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
32165 instruction reply packet}).
32166 @end table
32167
32168 Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
32169 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
32170 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
32171 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
32172 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
32173 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
32174 improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
32175 an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
32176 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
32177 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
32178 all the features it supports.
32179
32180 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
32181 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
32182
32183 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
32184 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
32185 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
32186 form response.
32187
32188 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
32189 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
32190 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
32191 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
32192
32193 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
32194 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
32195 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
32196 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
32197 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
32198
32199 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
32200
32201 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
32202 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
32203 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
32204 @item Feature Name
32205 @tab Value Required
32206 @tab Default
32207 @tab Probe Allowed
32208
32209 @item @samp{PacketSize}
32210 @tab Yes
32211 @tab @samp{-}
32212 @tab No
32213
32214 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
32215 @tab No
32216 @tab @samp{-}
32217 @tab Yes
32218
32219 @item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
32220 @tab No
32221 @tab @samp{-}
32222 @tab Yes
32223
32224 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
32225 @tab No
32226 @tab @samp{-}
32227 @tab Yes
32228
32229 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
32230 @tab No
32231 @tab @samp{-}
32232 @tab Yes
32233
32234 @item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
32235 @tab No
32236 @tab @samp{-}
32237 @tab Yes
32238
32239 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:read}
32240 @tab No
32241 @tab @samp{-}
32242 @tab Yes
32243
32244 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:write}
32245 @tab No
32246 @tab @samp{-}
32247 @tab Yes
32248
32249 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
32250 @tab No
32251 @tab @samp{-}
32252 @tab Yes
32253
32254 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
32255 @tab No
32256 @tab @samp{-}
32257 @tab Yes
32258
32259 @item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
32260 @tab No
32261 @tab @samp{-}
32262 @tab Yes
32263
32264
32265 @item @samp{QNonStop}
32266 @tab No
32267 @tab @samp{-}
32268 @tab Yes
32269
32270 @item @samp{QPassSignals}
32271 @tab No
32272 @tab @samp{-}
32273 @tab Yes
32274
32275 @item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
32276 @tab No
32277 @tab @samp{-}
32278 @tab Yes
32279
32280 @item @samp{multiprocess}
32281 @tab No
32282 @tab @samp{-}
32283 @tab No
32284
32285 @item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
32286 @tab No
32287 @tab @samp{-}
32288 @tab No
32289
32290 @item @samp{ReverseContinue}
32291 @tab No
32292 @tab @samp{-}
32293 @tab No
32294
32295 @item @samp{ReverseStep}
32296 @tab No
32297 @tab @samp{-}
32298 @tab No
32299
32300 @item @samp{TracepointSource}
32301 @tab No
32302 @tab @samp{-}
32303 @tab No
32304
32305 @item @samp{QAllow}
32306 @tab No
32307 @tab @samp{-}
32308 @tab No
32309
32310 @end multitable
32311
32312 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
32313
32314 @table @samp
32315 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
32316 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
32317 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
32318 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
32319 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
32320 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
32321 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
32322 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
32323 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
32324 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
32325
32326 @item qXfer:auxv:read
32327 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
32328 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
32329
32330 @item qXfer:features:read
32331 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
32332 (@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
32333
32334 @item qXfer:libraries:read
32335 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
32336 (@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
32337
32338 @item qXfer:memory-map:read
32339 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
32340 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
32341
32342 @item qXfer:sdata:read
32343 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
32344 (@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
32345
32346 @item qXfer:spu:read
32347 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:read} packet
32348 (@pxref{qXfer spu read}).
32349
32350 @item qXfer:spu:write
32351 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:write} packet
32352 (@pxref{qXfer spu write}).
32353
32354 @item qXfer:siginfo:read
32355 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
32356 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
32357
32358 @item qXfer:siginfo:write
32359 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
32360 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
32361
32362 @item qXfer:threads:read
32363 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
32364 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
32365
32366 @item QNonStop
32367 The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
32368 (@pxref{QNonStop}).
32369
32370 @item QPassSignals
32371 The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
32372 (@pxref{QPassSignals}).
32373
32374 @item QStartNoAckMode
32375 The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
32376 prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
32377
32378 @item multiprocess
32379 @anchor{multiprocess extensions}
32380 @cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
32381 The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
32382 protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
32383 thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
32384 add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
32385 replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
32386 syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
32387 debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
32388 multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
32389 indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
32390
32391 @item qXfer:osdata:read
32392 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
32393 ((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
32394
32395 @item ConditionalTracepoints
32396 The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
32397 for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
32398
32399 @item ReverseContinue
32400 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
32401 (@pxref{bc}).
32402
32403 @item ReverseStep
32404 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
32405 (@pxref{bs}).
32406
32407 @item TracepointSource
32408 The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
32409 the source form of tracepoint definitions.
32410
32411 @item QAllow
32412 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
32413
32414 @item StaticTracepoint
32415 @cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
32416 The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
32417
32418 @end table
32419
32420 @item qSymbol::
32421 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
32422 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
32423 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
32424 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
32425
32426 Reply:
32427 @table @samp
32428 @item OK
32429 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
32430 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
32431 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
32432 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
32433 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
32434 below.
32435 @end table
32436
32437 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
32438 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
32439
32440 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
32441 target has previously requested.
32442
32443 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
32444 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
32445 will be empty.
32446
32447 Reply:
32448 @table @samp
32449 @item OK
32450 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
32451 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
32452 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
32453 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
32454 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
32455 @end table
32456
32457 @item qTBuffer
32458 @item QTBuffer
32459 @item QTDisconnected
32460 @itemx QTDP
32461 @itemx QTDPsrc
32462 @itemx QTDV
32463 @itemx qTfP
32464 @itemx qTfV
32465 @itemx QTFrame
32466 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
32467
32468 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
32469 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
32470 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
32471 Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
32472 the target OS. @var{thread-id} is a thread ID;
32473 see @ref{thread-id syntax}. This
32474 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
32475 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
32476 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
32477 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
32478 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
32479
32480 Reply:
32481 @table @samp
32482 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
32483 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
32484 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
32485 the thread's attributes.
32486 @end table
32487
32488 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
32489 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
32490 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
32491 packets.)
32492
32493 @item QTSave
32494 @item qTsP
32495 @item qTsV
32496 @itemx QTStart
32497 @itemx QTStop
32498 @itemx QTinit
32499 @itemx QTro
32500 @itemx qTStatus
32501 @itemx qTV
32502 @itemx qTfSTM
32503 @itemx qTsSTM
32504 @itemx qTSTMat
32505 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
32506
32507 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
32508 @cindex read special object, remote request
32509 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
32510 @anchor{qXfer read}
32511 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
32512 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
32513 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
32514 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
32515 additional details about what data to access.
32516
32517 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
32518 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
32519 formats, listed below.
32520
32521 @table @samp
32522 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
32523 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
32524 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
32525 auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
32526
32527 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32528 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
32529
32530 @item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
32531 @anchor{qXfer target description read}
32532 Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
32533 annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
32534 always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
32535
32536 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32537 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
32538
32539 @item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
32540 @anchor{qXfer library list read}
32541 Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
32542 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
32543 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
32544
32545 Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
32546 not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
32547 the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
32548
32549 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32550 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
32551
32552 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
32553 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
32554 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
32555 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
32556 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
32557
32558 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32559 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
32560
32561 @item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
32562 @anchor{qXfer sdata read}
32563
32564 Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
32565 information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
32566 be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
32567 Action Lists}.
32568
32569 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32570 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
32571 (@pxref{qSupported}).
32572
32573 @item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
32574 @anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
32575 Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
32576 system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
32577 empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
32578
32579 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32580 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
32581 (@pxref{qSupported}).
32582
32583 @item qXfer:spu:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
32584 @anchor{qXfer spu read}
32585 Read contents of an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
32586 annex specifies which file to read; it must be of the form
32587 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
32588 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
32589 in that context to be accessed.
32590
32591 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32592 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
32593 (@pxref{qSupported}).
32594
32595 @item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
32596 @anchor{qXfer threads read}
32597 Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
32598 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
32599 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
32600
32601 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32602 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
32603
32604 @item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
32605 @anchor{qXfer osdata read}
32606 Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
32607 @xref{Operating System Information}.
32608
32609 @end table
32610
32611 Reply:
32612 @table @samp
32613 @item m @var{data}
32614 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
32615 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
32616 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
32617 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
32618 @var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
32619 request.
32620
32621 @item l @var{data}
32622 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
32623 There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
32624 than the @var{length} in the request.
32625
32626 @item l
32627 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
32628 There is no more data to be read.
32629
32630 @item E00
32631 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
32632
32633 @item E @var{nn}
32634 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
32635 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
32636
32637 @item
32638 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
32639 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
32640 @end table
32641
32642 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
32643 @cindex write data into object, remote request
32644 @anchor{qXfer write}
32645 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
32646 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
32647 into the data. @var{data}@dots{} is the binary-encoded data
32648 (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
32649 is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
32650 to access.
32651
32652 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
32653 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
32654 formats, listed below.
32655
32656 @table @samp
32657 @item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
32658 @anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
32659 Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
32660 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
32661 empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
32662
32663 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32664 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
32665 (@pxref{qSupported}).
32666
32667 @item qXfer:spu:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
32668 @anchor{qXfer spu write}
32669 Write @var{data} to an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
32670 annex specifies which file to write; it must be of the form
32671 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
32672 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
32673 in that context to be accessed.
32674
32675 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
32676 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
32677 @end table
32678
32679 Reply:
32680 @table @samp
32681 @item @var{nn}
32682 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
32683 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
32684
32685 @item E00
32686 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
32687
32688 @item E @var{nn}
32689 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
32690 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
32691
32692 @item
32693 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
32694 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
32695 @end table
32696
32697 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
32698 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
32699 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
32700 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
32701 must respond with an empty packet.
32702
32703 @item qAttached:@var{pid}
32704 @cindex query attached, remote request
32705 @cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
32706 Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
32707 existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
32708 protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
32709 @var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
32710 process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
32711 the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
32712
32713 This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
32714 should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
32715 the @code{quit} command.
32716
32717 Reply:
32718 @table @samp
32719 @item 1
32720 The remote server attached to an existing process.
32721 @item 0
32722 The remote server created a new process.
32723 @item E @var{NN}
32724 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
32725 @end table
32726
32727 @end table
32728
32729 @node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
32730 @section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
32731
32732 This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
32733 target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
32734 details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
32735
32736 @subsection ARM
32737
32738 @subsubsection Breakpoint Kinds
32739
32740 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
32741
32742 @table @r
32743
32744 @item 2
32745 16-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
32746
32747 @item 3
32748 32-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
32749
32750 @item 4
32751 32-bit ARM mode breakpoint.
32752
32753 @end table
32754
32755 @subsection MIPS
32756
32757 @subsubsection Register Packet Format
32758
32759 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
32760 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
32761 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
32762 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
32763 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
32764 most-significant - least-significant.
32765
32766 @table @r
32767
32768 @item MIPS32
32769
32770 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
32771 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
32772 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
32773
32774 @item MIPS64
32775
32776 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
32777 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
32778 as @code{MIPS32}.
32779
32780 @end table
32781
32782 @node Tracepoint Packets
32783 @section Tracepoint Packets
32784 @cindex tracepoint packets
32785 @cindex packets, tracepoint
32786
32787 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
32788 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
32789
32790 @table @samp
32791
32792 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
32793 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
32794 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
32795 the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
32796 count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
32797 then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
32798 the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
32799 for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
32800 tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
32801 by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
32802 encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
32803 further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
32804 actions.
32805
32806 Replies:
32807 @table @samp
32808 @item OK
32809 The packet was understood and carried out.
32810 @item qRelocInsn
32811 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
32812 @item
32813 The packet was not recognized.
32814 @end table
32815
32816 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
32817 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
32818 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
32819 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
32820 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
32821 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
32822 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
32823
32824 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
32825 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
32826 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
32827 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
32828 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
32829 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
32830 tracepoint actions.
32831
32832 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
32833 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
32834 following forms:
32835
32836 @table @samp
32837
32838 @item R @var{mask}
32839 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
32840 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
32841 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
32842 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
32843 not fit in a 32-bit word.
32844
32845 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
32846 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
32847 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
32848 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
32849 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
32850 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
32851 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
32852
32853 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
32854 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
32855 it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
32856 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
32857 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
32858 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
32859 packet).
32860
32861 @end table
32862
32863 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
32864 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
32865 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
32866 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
32867 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
32868 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
32869 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
32870 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
32871
32872 Replies:
32873 @table @samp
32874 @item OK
32875 The packet was understood and carried out.
32876 @item qRelocInsn
32877 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
32878 @item
32879 The packet was not recognized.
32880 @end table
32881
32882 @item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
32883 @cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
32884 Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
32885 This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
32886 originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. @var{type}
32887 is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
32888 tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
32889 @var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
32890
32891 @var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
32892 string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
32893 This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
32894 fit in a single packet.
32895 @c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
32896 @c tracepoint descriptions section.
32897
32898 The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
32899 @samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
32900 @value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
32901 list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
32902
32903 The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
32904 report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
32905 query packets.
32906
32907 Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
32908 if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
32909 Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
32910 much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
32911 tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
32912 the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
32913 could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
32914 be found.
32915
32916 @item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}
32917 @cindex define trace state variable, remote request
32918 @cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
32919 Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
32920 value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
32921 and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
32922 the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
32923 target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
32924 mentioned in expressions.
32925
32926 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
32927 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
32928 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
32929 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
32930
32931 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
32932 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
32933 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
32934 one of the following forms:
32935
32936 @table @samp
32937 @item F @var{f}
32938 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
32939 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
32940 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
32941
32942 @item T @var{t}
32943 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
32944 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
32945
32946 @end table
32947
32948 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
32949 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
32950 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
32951 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
32952
32953 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
32954 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
32955 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
32956 is a hexadecimal number.
32957
32958 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
32959 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
32960 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
32961 and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
32962 numbers.
32963
32964 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
32965 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
32966 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
32967
32968 @item QTStart
32969 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
32970 tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
32971 @samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
32972 instruction reply packet}).
32973
32974 @item QTStop
32975 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
32976
32977 @item QTinit
32978 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
32979
32980 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
32981 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
32982 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
32983 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
32984
32985 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
32986 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
32987 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
32988 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
32989
32990 @item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
32991 Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
32992 disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
32993 continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
32994 @value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
32995
32996 @item qTStatus
32997 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
32998
32999 The reply has the form:
33000
33001 @table @samp
33002
33003 @item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
33004 @var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
33005 running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
33006 optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
33007
33008 @end table
33009
33010 If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
33011 explanations as one of the optional fields:
33012
33013 @table @samp
33014
33015 @item tnotrun:0
33016 No trace has been run yet.
33017
33018 @item tstop:0
33019 The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command.
33020
33021 @item tfull:0
33022 The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
33023
33024 @item tdisconnected:0
33025 The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
33026
33027 @item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
33028 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
33029
33030 @item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
33031 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
33032 string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
33033 (for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression).
33034 @var{text} is hex encoded.
33035
33036 @item tunknown:0
33037 The trace stopped for some other reason.
33038
33039 @end table
33040
33041 Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
33042 Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
33043 the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
33044 numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
33045 trace.
33046
33047 @table @samp
33048
33049 @item tframes:@var{n}
33050 The number of trace frames in the buffer.
33051
33052 @item tcreated:@var{n}
33053 The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
33054 be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
33055
33056 @item tsize:@var{n}
33057 The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
33058
33059 @item tfree:@var{n}
33060 The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
33061
33062 @item circular:@var{n}
33063 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
33064 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
33065 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
33066 and may fill up.
33067
33068 @item disconn:@var{n}
33069 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
33070 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
33071 that the trace run will stop.
33072
33073 @end table
33074
33075 @item qTV:@var{var}
33076 @cindex trace state variable value, remote request
33077 @cindex @samp{qTV} packet
33078 Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
33079
33080 Replies:
33081 @table @samp
33082 @item V@var{value}
33083 The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
33084 value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
33085 saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
33086 user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
33087 different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
33088 program is running.
33089
33090 @item U
33091 The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
33092 if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
33093 was not collected.
33094 @end table
33095
33096 @item qTfP
33097 @itemx qTsP
33098 These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
33099 the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
33100 of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
33101 to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
33102 that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
33103
33104 @item qTfV
33105 @itemx qTsV
33106 These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
33107 target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
33108 and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
33109 these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
33110 trace state variables.
33111
33112 @item qTfSTM
33113 @itemx qTsSTM
33114 These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
33115 in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
33116 first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
33117 pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
33118
33119 Reply:
33120 @table @samp
33121 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
33122 A single marker
33123 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
33124 a comma-separated list of markers
33125 @item l
33126 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
33127 @item E @var{nn}
33128 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
33129 @item
33130 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
33131 stub.
33132 @end table
33133
33134 @var{address} is encoded in hex.
33135 @var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
33136
33137 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
33138 more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
33139 reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
33140 query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
33141 @dfn{last}).
33142
33143 @item qTSTMat:@var{address}
33144 This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
33145 target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
33146 syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
33147 tracepoint markers.
33148
33149 @item QTSave:@var{filename}
33150 This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
33151 @var{filename} in the target's filesystem. @var{filename} is encoded
33152 as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
33153 absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
33154
33155 @item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
33156 Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
33157 starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
33158 a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
33159 The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
33160 in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
33161 A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
33162 available.
33163
33164 @item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
33165 This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
33166 @var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
33167
33168 @end table
33169
33170 @subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
33171 When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
33172 relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
33173 different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
33174 enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
33175 return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
33176 PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
33177 of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
33178 it had executed in the original location.
33179
33180 In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
33181 respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
33182 packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
33183 this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
33184 documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
33185 descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
33186 format of the request is:
33187
33188 @table @samp
33189 @item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
33190
33191 This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
33192 to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
33193 instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
33194 @var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
33195 memory starting at @var{to}.
33196 @end table
33197
33198 Replies:
33199 @table @samp
33200 @item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
33201 Informs the stub the relocation is complete. @var{adjusted_size} is
33202 the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
33203 @item E @var{NN}
33204 A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
33205 relocating the instruction.
33206 @end table
33207
33208 @node Host I/O Packets
33209 @section Host I/O Packets
33210 @cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
33211 @cindex file transfer, remote protocol
33212
33213 The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
33214 operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
33215 used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
33216 filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
33217 layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
33218 Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
33219 protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
33220 Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
33221 target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
33222 Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
33223
33224 The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
33225 its arguments. They have this format:
33226
33227 @table @samp
33228
33229 @item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
33230 @var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
33231 should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
33232 for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
33233 the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
33234 numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
33235 used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
33236 hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
33237 buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
33238
33239 @end table
33240
33241 The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
33242
33243 @table @samp
33244
33245 @item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
33246 @var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
33247 non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
33248 @var{errno} will be included in the result. @var{errno} will have a
33249 value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
33250 operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
33251 binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
33252 normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
33253 documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
33254 @var{attachment}.
33255
33256 @item
33257 An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
33258
33259 @end table
33260
33261 These are the supported Host I/O operations:
33262
33263 @table @samp
33264 @item vFile:open: @var{pathname}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
33265 Open a file at @var{pathname} and return a file descriptor for it, or
33266 return -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string,
33267 @var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
33268 (@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
33269 of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
33270 @xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
33271
33272 @item vFile:close: @var{fd}
33273 Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
33274 -1 if an error occurs.
33275
33276 @item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
33277 Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
33278 @var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
33279 relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
33280 common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
33281 condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
33282 returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
33283 @var{count} was zero.
33284
33285 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
33286 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
33287 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
33288 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
33289 some characters were escaped.
33290
33291 @item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
33292 Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
33293 to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
33294 file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
33295 separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
33296 packet is used. @samp{vFile:write} returns the number of bytes written,
33297 which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
33298 error occurred.
33299
33300 @item vFile:unlink: @var{pathname}
33301 Delete the file at @var{pathname} on the target. Return 0,
33302 or -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string.
33303
33304 @end table
33305
33306 @node Interrupts
33307 @section Interrupts
33308 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
33309
33310 When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
33311 attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or
33312 a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g},
33313 control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
33314
33315 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
33316 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
33317 currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
33318 interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
33319 @code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
33320
33321 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
33322 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
33323 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
33324 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
33325 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
33326 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
33327 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
33328 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
33329
33330 @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
33331 When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
33332 it stops execution and connects to gdb.
33333
33334 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
33335 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
33336 implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
33337 threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
33338 currently-executing threads and processes.
33339 If the stub is successful at interrupting the
33340 running program, it should send one of the stop
33341 reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
33342 of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
33343 for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
33344 Interrupts received while the
33345 program is stopped are discarded.
33346
33347 @node Notification Packets
33348 @section Notification Packets
33349 @cindex notification packets
33350 @cindex packets, notification
33351
33352 The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
33353 packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
33354 may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
33355 present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
33356 without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
33357 are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
33358 is not a problem.
33359
33360 A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
33361 @var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
33362 and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
33363 as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
33364 never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
33365 receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
33366 to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
33367
33368 Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
33369 colon characters, followed by a colon character.
33370
33371 Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
33372 notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
33373 timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
33374 not they understand it.
33375
33376 Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
33377 protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
33378 future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
33379 new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
33380 recipients.
33381
33382 (Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
33383 the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
33384 transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
33385 are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
33386 assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
33387
33388 The following notification packets from the stub to @value{GDBN} are
33389 defined:
33390
33391 @table @samp
33392 @item Stop: @var{reply}
33393 Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
33394 The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
33395 described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
33396 for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
33397 @value{GDBN}.
33398 @end table
33399
33400 @node Remote Non-Stop
33401 @section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
33402
33403 @value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
33404 multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
33405 supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
33406 @samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33407
33408 @value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
33409 establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
33410 does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
33411 must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
33412 all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
33413 probe the target state after a mode change.
33414
33415 In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
33416 would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
33417 asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
33418 inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
33419 in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
33420 mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
33421 when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
33422 of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
33423 affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
33424 to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
33425 threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
33426
33427 Only one stop reply notification at a time may be pending; if
33428 additional stop events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
33429 previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
33430 synchronous transmission in response to @samp{vStopped} packets from
33431 @value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
33432 the stub is permitted to resend a stop reply notification
33433 if it believes @value{GDBN} may not have received it. @value{GDBN}
33434 ignores additional stop reply notifications received before it has
33435 finished processing a previous notification and the stub has completed
33436 sending any queued stop events.
33437
33438 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} must be prepared to receive a stop reply
33439 notification at any time. Specifically, they may appear when
33440 @value{GDBN} is not otherwise reading input from the stub, or when
33441 @value{GDBN} is expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
33442 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
33443 Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
33444 the stub so there is no ambiguity.
33445
33446 After receiving a stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall
33447 acknowledge it by sending a @samp{vStopped} packet (@pxref{vStopped packet})
33448 as a regular, synchronous request to the stub. Such acknowledgment
33449 is not required to happen immediately, as @value{GDBN} is permitted to
33450 send other, unrelated packets to the stub first, which the stub should
33451 process normally.
33452
33453 Upon receiving a @samp{vStopped} packet, if the stub has other queued
33454 stop events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
33455 normal stop reply response. @value{GDBN} shall then send another
33456 @samp{vStopped} packet to solicit further responses; again, it is
33457 permitted to send other, unrelated packets as well which the stub
33458 should process normally.
33459
33460 If the stub receives a @samp{vStopped} packet and there are no
33461 additional stop events to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK}
33462 response. At this point, if further stop events occur, the stub shall
33463 send a new stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the
33464 notification, and the process shall be repeated.
33465
33466 In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
33467 follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
33468 sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
33469 sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
33470 it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
33471 stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
33472 subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
33473 using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
33474 asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
33475 If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
33476 or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
33477 @samp{OK}.
33478
33479 @node Packet Acknowledgment
33480 @section Packet Acknowledgment
33481
33482 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
33483 @cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
33484 By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
33485 the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
33486 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
33487 This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
33488 unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
33489
33490 In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
33491 TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
33492 It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
33493 overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
33494 @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
33495
33496 When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
33497 expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
33498 and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
33499 @ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
33500
33501 If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
33502 no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
33503 by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
33504 @pxref{qSupported}.
33505 If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
33506 disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
33507 (@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
33508 @value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
33509 Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
33510 @value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
33511 response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
33512
33513 Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
33514 between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
33515 it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
33516 connection.
33517 Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
33518 new connection is established,
33519 there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
33520 for the current connection, once disabled.
33521
33522 @node Examples
33523 @section Examples
33524
33525 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
33526 does not get any direct output:
33527
33528 @smallexample
33529 -> @code{R00}
33530 <- @code{+}
33531 @emph{target restarts}
33532 -> @code{?}
33533 <- @code{+}
33534 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
33535 -> @code{+}
33536 @end smallexample
33537
33538 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
33539
33540 @smallexample
33541 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
33542 <- @code{+}
33543 -> @code{s}
33544 <- @code{+}
33545 @emph{time passes}
33546 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
33547 -> @code{+}
33548 -> @code{g}
33549 <- @code{+}
33550 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
33551 -> @code{+}
33552 @end smallexample
33553
33554 @node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
33555 @section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
33556 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
33557
33558 @menu
33559 * File-I/O Overview::
33560 * Protocol Basics::
33561 * The F Request Packet::
33562 * The F Reply Packet::
33563 * The Ctrl-C Message::
33564 * Console I/O::
33565 * List of Supported Calls::
33566 * Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
33567 * Constants::
33568 * File-I/O Examples::
33569 @end menu
33570
33571 @node File-I/O Overview
33572 @subsection File-I/O Overview
33573 @cindex file-i/o overview
33574
33575 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
33576 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
33577 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
33578 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
33579 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
33580 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
33581
33582 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
33583 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
33584 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
33585 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
33586 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
33587
33588 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
33589 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
33590 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
33591 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
33592 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
33593 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
33594 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
33595
33596 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
33597 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
33598 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
33599 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
33600 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
33601
33602 @smallexample
33603 (@value{GDBP}) continue
33604 <- target requests 'system call X'
33605 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
33606 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
33607 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
33608 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
33609 @end smallexample
33610
33611 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
33612 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
33613 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
33614 system are not supported by this protocol.
33615
33616 File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
33617
33618 @node Protocol Basics
33619 @subsection Protocol Basics
33620 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
33621
33622 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
33623 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
33624 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
33625 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
33626 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
33627 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
33628 to call the appropriate host system call:
33629
33630 @itemize @bullet
33631 @item
33632 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
33633
33634 @item
33635 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
33636 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
33637 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
33638 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
33639
33640 @end itemize
33641
33642 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
33643
33644 @itemize @bullet
33645 @item
33646 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
33647 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
33648 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
33649 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
33650 packet.
33651
33652 @item
33653 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
33654 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
33655
33656 @item
33657 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
33658
33659 @item
33660 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
33661
33662 @item
33663 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
33664 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
33665 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
33666 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
33667 packet.
33668
33669 @end itemize
33670
33671 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
33672 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
33673
33674 @itemize @bullet
33675 @item
33676 Return value.
33677
33678 @item
33679 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
33680
33681 @item
33682 ``Ctrl-C'' flag.
33683
33684 @end itemize
33685
33686 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
33687 the latest continue or step action.
33688
33689 @node The F Request Packet
33690 @subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
33691 @cindex file-i/o request packet
33692 @cindex @code{F} request packet
33693
33694 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
33695
33696 @table @samp
33697 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
33698
33699 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
33700 This is just the name of the function.
33701
33702 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
33703 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
33704 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
33705 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
33706 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
33707 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
33708 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
33709
33710 @end table
33711
33712
33713
33714 @node The F Reply Packet
33715 @subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
33716 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
33717 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
33718
33719 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
33720
33721 @table @samp
33722
33723 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
33724
33725 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
33726
33727 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
33728 representation.
33729 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
33730
33731 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
33732 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
33733 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
33734
33735 @smallexample
33736 F0,0,C
33737 @end smallexample
33738
33739 @noindent
33740 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
33741
33742 @smallexample
33743 F-1,4,C
33744 @end smallexample
33745
33746 @noindent
33747 assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
33748
33749 @end table
33750
33751
33752 @node The Ctrl-C Message
33753 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
33754 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
33755
33756 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
33757 reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
33758 the target should behave as if it had
33759 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
33760 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
33761 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
33762 packet.
33763
33764 It's important for the target to know in which
33765 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
33766
33767 @itemize @bullet
33768 @item
33769 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
33770
33771 @item
33772 The system call on the host has been finished.
33773
33774 @end itemize
33775
33776 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
33777 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
33778 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
33779 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
33780 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
33781 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
33782
33783 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
33784 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
33785 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
33786 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
33787 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
33788 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
33789 or the full action has been completed.
33790
33791 @node Console I/O
33792 @subsection Console I/O
33793 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
33794
33795 By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
33796 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
33797 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
33798 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
33799 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
33800 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
33801 conditions is met:
33802
33803 @itemize @bullet
33804 @item
33805 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
33806 @code{read}
33807 system call is treated as finished.
33808
33809 @item
33810 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
33811 newline.
33812
33813 @item
33814 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
33815 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
33816
33817 @end itemize
33818
33819 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
33820 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
33821 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
33822 is stopped at the user's request.
33823
33824
33825 @node List of Supported Calls
33826 @subsection List of Supported Calls
33827 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
33828
33829 @menu
33830 * open::
33831 * close::
33832 * read::
33833 * write::
33834 * lseek::
33835 * rename::
33836 * unlink::
33837 * stat/fstat::
33838 * gettimeofday::
33839 * isatty::
33840 * system::
33841 @end menu
33842
33843 @node open
33844 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
33845 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
33846
33847 @table @asis
33848 @item Synopsis:
33849 @smallexample
33850 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
33851 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
33852 @end smallexample
33853
33854 @item Request:
33855 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
33856
33857 @noindent
33858 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
33859
33860 @table @code
33861 @item O_CREAT
33862 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
33863 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
33864 are concerned.
33865
33866 @item O_EXCL
33867 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
33868 an error and open() fails.
33869
33870 @item O_TRUNC
33871 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
33872 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
33873 truncated to zero length.
33874
33875 @item O_APPEND
33876 The file is opened in append mode.
33877
33878 @item O_RDONLY
33879 The file is opened for reading only.
33880
33881 @item O_WRONLY
33882 The file is opened for writing only.
33883
33884 @item O_RDWR
33885 The file is opened for reading and writing.
33886 @end table
33887
33888 @noindent
33889 Other bits are silently ignored.
33890
33891
33892 @noindent
33893 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
33894
33895 @table @code
33896 @item S_IRUSR
33897 User has read permission.
33898
33899 @item S_IWUSR
33900 User has write permission.
33901
33902 @item S_IRGRP
33903 Group has read permission.
33904
33905 @item S_IWGRP
33906 Group has write permission.
33907
33908 @item S_IROTH
33909 Others have read permission.
33910
33911 @item S_IWOTH
33912 Others have write permission.
33913 @end table
33914
33915 @noindent
33916 Other bits are silently ignored.
33917
33918
33919 @item Return value:
33920 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
33921 occurred.
33922
33923 @item Errors:
33924
33925 @table @code
33926 @item EEXIST
33927 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
33928
33929 @item EISDIR
33930 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
33931
33932 @item EACCES
33933 The requested access is not allowed.
33934
33935 @item ENAMETOOLONG
33936 @var{pathname} was too long.
33937
33938 @item ENOENT
33939 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
33940
33941 @item ENODEV
33942 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
33943
33944 @item EROFS
33945 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
33946 write access was requested.
33947
33948 @item EFAULT
33949 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
33950
33951 @item ENOSPC
33952 No space on device to create the file.
33953
33954 @item EMFILE
33955 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
33956
33957 @item ENFILE
33958 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
33959 has been reached.
33960
33961 @item EINTR
33962 The call was interrupted by the user.
33963 @end table
33964
33965 @end table
33966
33967 @node close
33968 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
33969 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
33970
33971 @table @asis
33972 @item Synopsis:
33973 @smallexample
33974 int close(int fd);
33975 @end smallexample
33976
33977 @item Request:
33978 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
33979
33980 @item Return value:
33981 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
33982
33983 @item Errors:
33984
33985 @table @code
33986 @item EBADF
33987 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
33988
33989 @item EINTR
33990 The call was interrupted by the user.
33991 @end table
33992
33993 @end table
33994
33995 @node read
33996 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
33997 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
33998
33999 @table @asis
34000 @item Synopsis:
34001 @smallexample
34002 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
34003 @end smallexample
34004
34005 @item Request:
34006 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
34007
34008 @item Return value:
34009 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
34010 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
34011 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
34012
34013 @item Errors:
34014
34015 @table @code
34016 @item EBADF
34017 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
34018 reading.
34019
34020 @item EFAULT
34021 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
34022
34023 @item EINTR
34024 The call was interrupted by the user.
34025 @end table
34026
34027 @end table
34028
34029 @node write
34030 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
34031 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
34032
34033 @table @asis
34034 @item Synopsis:
34035 @smallexample
34036 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
34037 @end smallexample
34038
34039 @item Request:
34040 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
34041
34042 @item Return value:
34043 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
34044 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
34045 is returned.
34046
34047 @item Errors:
34048
34049 @table @code
34050 @item EBADF
34051 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
34052 writing.
34053
34054 @item EFAULT
34055 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
34056
34057 @item EFBIG
34058 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
34059 host-specific maximum file size allowed.
34060
34061 @item ENOSPC
34062 No space on device to write the data.
34063
34064 @item EINTR
34065 The call was interrupted by the user.
34066 @end table
34067
34068 @end table
34069
34070 @node lseek
34071 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
34072 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
34073
34074 @table @asis
34075 @item Synopsis:
34076 @smallexample
34077 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
34078 @end smallexample
34079
34080 @item Request:
34081 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
34082
34083 @var{flag} is one of:
34084
34085 @table @code
34086 @item SEEK_SET
34087 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
34088
34089 @item SEEK_CUR
34090 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
34091 bytes.
34092
34093 @item SEEK_END
34094 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
34095 bytes.
34096 @end table
34097
34098 @item Return value:
34099 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
34100 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
34101 value of -1 is returned.
34102
34103 @item Errors:
34104
34105 @table @code
34106 @item EBADF
34107 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
34108
34109 @item ESPIPE
34110 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
34111
34112 @item EINVAL
34113 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
34114
34115 @item EINTR
34116 The call was interrupted by the user.
34117 @end table
34118
34119 @end table
34120
34121 @node rename
34122 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
34123 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
34124
34125 @table @asis
34126 @item Synopsis:
34127 @smallexample
34128 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
34129 @end smallexample
34130
34131 @item Request:
34132 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
34133
34134 @item Return value:
34135 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
34136
34137 @item Errors:
34138
34139 @table @code
34140 @item EISDIR
34141 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
34142 directory.
34143
34144 @item EEXIST
34145 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
34146
34147 @item EBUSY
34148 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
34149 process.
34150
34151 @item EINVAL
34152 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
34153 of itself.
34154
34155 @item ENOTDIR
34156 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
34157 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
34158 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
34159
34160 @item EFAULT
34161 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
34162
34163 @item EACCES
34164 No access to the file or the path of the file.
34165
34166 @item ENAMETOOLONG
34167
34168 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
34169
34170 @item ENOENT
34171 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
34172
34173 @item EROFS
34174 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
34175
34176 @item ENOSPC
34177 The device containing the file has no room for the new
34178 directory entry.
34179
34180 @item EINTR
34181 The call was interrupted by the user.
34182 @end table
34183
34184 @end table
34185
34186 @node unlink
34187 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
34188 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
34189
34190 @table @asis
34191 @item Synopsis:
34192 @smallexample
34193 int unlink(const char *pathname);
34194 @end smallexample
34195
34196 @item Request:
34197 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
34198
34199 @item Return value:
34200 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
34201
34202 @item Errors:
34203
34204 @table @code
34205 @item EACCES
34206 No access to the file or the path of the file.
34207
34208 @item EPERM
34209 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
34210
34211 @item EBUSY
34212 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
34213 being used by another process.
34214
34215 @item EFAULT
34216 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
34217
34218 @item ENAMETOOLONG
34219 @var{pathname} was too long.
34220
34221 @item ENOENT
34222 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
34223
34224 @item ENOTDIR
34225 A component of the path is not a directory.
34226
34227 @item EROFS
34228 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
34229
34230 @item EINTR
34231 The call was interrupted by the user.
34232 @end table
34233
34234 @end table
34235
34236 @node stat/fstat
34237 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
34238 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
34239 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
34240
34241 @table @asis
34242 @item Synopsis:
34243 @smallexample
34244 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
34245 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
34246 @end smallexample
34247
34248 @item Request:
34249 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
34250 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
34251
34252 @item Return value:
34253 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
34254
34255 @item Errors:
34256
34257 @table @code
34258 @item EBADF
34259 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
34260
34261 @item ENOENT
34262 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
34263 path is an empty string.
34264
34265 @item ENOTDIR
34266 A component of the path is not a directory.
34267
34268 @item EFAULT
34269 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
34270
34271 @item EACCES
34272 No access to the file or the path of the file.
34273
34274 @item ENAMETOOLONG
34275 @var{pathname} was too long.
34276
34277 @item EINTR
34278 The call was interrupted by the user.
34279 @end table
34280
34281 @end table
34282
34283 @node gettimeofday
34284 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
34285 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
34286
34287 @table @asis
34288 @item Synopsis:
34289 @smallexample
34290 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
34291 @end smallexample
34292
34293 @item Request:
34294 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
34295
34296 @item Return value:
34297 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
34298
34299 @item Errors:
34300
34301 @table @code
34302 @item EINVAL
34303 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
34304
34305 @item EFAULT
34306 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
34307 @end table
34308
34309 @end table
34310
34311 @node isatty
34312 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
34313 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
34314
34315 @table @asis
34316 @item Synopsis:
34317 @smallexample
34318 int isatty(int fd);
34319 @end smallexample
34320
34321 @item Request:
34322 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
34323
34324 @item Return value:
34325 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
34326
34327 @item Errors:
34328
34329 @table @code
34330 @item EINTR
34331 The call was interrupted by the user.
34332 @end table
34333
34334 @end table
34335
34336 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
34337 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
34338 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
34339 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
34340 needed.
34341
34342
34343 @node system
34344 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
34345 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
34346
34347 @table @asis
34348 @item Synopsis:
34349 @smallexample
34350 int system(const char *command);
34351 @end smallexample
34352
34353 @item Request:
34354 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
34355
34356 @item Return value:
34357 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
34358 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
34359 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
34360 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
34361 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
34362 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
34363 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
34364
34365 @item Errors:
34366
34367 @table @code
34368 @item EINTR
34369 The call was interrupted by the user.
34370 @end table
34371
34372 @end table
34373
34374 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
34375 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
34376 the host is simplified before it's returned
34377 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
34378 is discarded, and the return value consists
34379 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
34380
34381 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
34382 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
34383 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
34384
34385 @table @code
34386 @item set remote system-call-allowed
34387 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
34388 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
34389 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
34390
34391 @item show remote system-call-allowed
34392 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
34393 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
34394 protocol.
34395 @end table
34396
34397 @node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
34398 @subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
34399 @cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
34400
34401 @menu
34402 * Integral Datatypes::
34403 * Pointer Values::
34404 * Memory Transfer::
34405 * struct stat::
34406 * struct timeval::
34407 @end menu
34408
34409 @node Integral Datatypes
34410 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
34411 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
34412
34413 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
34414 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
34415 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
34416
34417 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
34418 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
34419
34420 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
34421
34422 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
34423 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
34424
34425 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
34426
34427 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
34428 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
34429 byte order.
34430
34431 @node Pointer Values
34432 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
34433 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
34434
34435 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
34436 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
34437 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
34438 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
34439
34440 @smallexample
34441 @code{1aaf/12}
34442 @end smallexample
34443
34444 @noindent
34445 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
34446 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
34447 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
34448 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
34449
34450 @smallexample
34451 @code{123456/d}
34452 @end smallexample
34453
34454 @node Memory Transfer
34455 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
34456 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
34457
34458 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
34459 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
34460 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
34461 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
34462 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
34463 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
34464 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
34465
34466
34467 @node struct stat
34468 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
34469 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
34470
34471 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
34472 is defined as follows:
34473
34474 @smallexample
34475 struct stat @{
34476 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
34477 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
34478 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
34479 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
34480 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
34481 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
34482 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
34483 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
34484 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
34485 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
34486 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
34487 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
34488 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
34489 @};
34490 @end smallexample
34491
34492 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
34493 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
34494 structure is of size 64 bytes.
34495
34496 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
34497 range of values.
34498
34499 @table @code
34500
34501 @item st_dev
34502 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
34503
34504 @item st_ino
34505 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
34506
34507 @item st_mode
34508 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
34509 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
34510
34511 @item st_uid
34512 @itemx st_gid
34513 @itemx st_rdev
34514 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
34515
34516 @item st_atime
34517 @itemx st_mtime
34518 @itemx st_ctime
34519 These values have a host and file system dependent
34520 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
34521 support exact timing values.
34522 @end table
34523
34524 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
34525 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
34526 continuing.
34527
34528 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
34529 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
34530 get truncated on the target.
34531
34532 @node struct timeval
34533 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
34534 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
34535
34536 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
34537 is defined as follows:
34538
34539 @smallexample
34540 struct timeval @{
34541 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
34542 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
34543 @};
34544 @end smallexample
34545
34546 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
34547 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
34548 structure is of size 8 bytes.
34549
34550 @node Constants
34551 @subsection Constants
34552 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
34553
34554 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
34555 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
34556 values before and after the call as needed.
34557
34558 @menu
34559 * Open Flags::
34560 * mode_t Values::
34561 * Errno Values::
34562 * Lseek Flags::
34563 * Limits::
34564 @end menu
34565
34566 @node Open Flags
34567 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
34568 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
34569
34570 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
34571
34572 @smallexample
34573 O_RDONLY 0x0
34574 O_WRONLY 0x1
34575 O_RDWR 0x2
34576 O_APPEND 0x8
34577 O_CREAT 0x200
34578 O_TRUNC 0x400
34579 O_EXCL 0x800
34580 @end smallexample
34581
34582 @node mode_t Values
34583 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
34584 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
34585
34586 All values are given in octal representation.
34587
34588 @smallexample
34589 S_IFREG 0100000
34590 S_IFDIR 040000
34591 S_IRUSR 0400
34592 S_IWUSR 0200
34593 S_IXUSR 0100
34594 S_IRGRP 040
34595 S_IWGRP 020
34596 S_IXGRP 010
34597 S_IROTH 04
34598 S_IWOTH 02
34599 S_IXOTH 01
34600 @end smallexample
34601
34602 @node Errno Values
34603 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
34604 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
34605
34606 All values are given in decimal representation.
34607
34608 @smallexample
34609 EPERM 1
34610 ENOENT 2
34611 EINTR 4
34612 EBADF 9
34613 EACCES 13
34614 EFAULT 14
34615 EBUSY 16
34616 EEXIST 17
34617 ENODEV 19
34618 ENOTDIR 20
34619 EISDIR 21
34620 EINVAL 22
34621 ENFILE 23
34622 EMFILE 24
34623 EFBIG 27
34624 ENOSPC 28
34625 ESPIPE 29
34626 EROFS 30
34627 ENAMETOOLONG 91
34628 EUNKNOWN 9999
34629 @end smallexample
34630
34631 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
34632 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
34633
34634 @node Lseek Flags
34635 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
34636 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
34637
34638 @smallexample
34639 SEEK_SET 0
34640 SEEK_CUR 1
34641 SEEK_END 2
34642 @end smallexample
34643
34644 @node Limits
34645 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
34646 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
34647
34648 All values are given in decimal representation.
34649
34650 @smallexample
34651 INT_MIN -2147483648
34652 INT_MAX 2147483647
34653 UINT_MAX 4294967295
34654 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
34655 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
34656 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
34657 @end smallexample
34658
34659 @node File-I/O Examples
34660 @subsection File-I/O Examples
34661 @cindex file-i/o examples
34662
34663 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
34664 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
34665
34666 @smallexample
34667 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
34668 @emph{request memory read from target}
34669 -> @code{m1234,6}
34670 <- XXXXXX
34671 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
34672 -> @code{F6}
34673 @end smallexample
34674
34675 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
34676 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
34677
34678 @smallexample
34679 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
34680 @emph{request memory write to target}
34681 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
34682 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
34683 -> @code{F6}
34684 @end smallexample
34685
34686 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
34687 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
34688
34689 @smallexample
34690 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
34691 -> @code{F-1,9}
34692 @end smallexample
34693
34694 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
34695 host is called:
34696
34697 @smallexample
34698 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
34699 -> @code{F-1,4,C}
34700 <- @code{T02}
34701 @end smallexample
34702
34703 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
34704 host is called:
34705
34706 @smallexample
34707 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
34708 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
34709 <- @code{T02}
34710 @end smallexample
34711
34712 @node Library List Format
34713 @section Library List Format
34714 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
34715
34716 On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
34717 same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
34718 @value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
34719 operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
34720 platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
34721 @value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
34722 through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
34723 packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
34724 queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
34725 are loaded.
34726
34727 The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
34728 lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
34729 associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
34730 which report where the library was loaded in memory.
34731
34732 For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
34733 library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
34734 dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
34735 should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
34736 section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
34737 depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
34738
34739 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
34740 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
34741
34742 A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
34743 offset, looks like this:
34744
34745 @smallexample
34746 <library-list>
34747 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
34748 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
34749 </library>
34750 </library-list>
34751 @end smallexample
34752
34753 Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
34754 allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
34755
34756 @smallexample
34757 <library-list>
34758 <library name="sharedlib.o">
34759 <section address="0x10000000"/>
34760 <section address="0x20000000"/>
34761 <section address="0x30000000"/>
34762 </library>
34763 </library-list>
34764 @end smallexample
34765
34766 The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
34767
34768 @smallexample
34769 <!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
34770 <!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
34771 <!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
34772 <!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
34773 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
34774 <!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
34775 <!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
34776 <!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
34777 <!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
34778 @end smallexample
34779
34780 In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
34781 single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
34782 section for each library.
34783
34784 @node Memory Map Format
34785 @section Memory Map Format
34786 @cindex memory map format
34787
34788 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
34789 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
34790 memory map.
34791
34792 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
34793 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
34794 lists memory regions.
34795
34796 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
34797 memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
34798
34799 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
34800
34801 @smallexample
34802 <?xml version="1.0"?>
34803 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
34804 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
34805 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
34806 <memory-map>
34807 region...
34808 </memory-map>
34809 @end smallexample
34810
34811 Each region can be either:
34812
34813 @itemize
34814
34815 @item
34816 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
34817 bytes from there:
34818
34819 @smallexample
34820 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
34821 @end smallexample
34822
34823
34824 @item
34825 A region of read-only memory:
34826
34827 @smallexample
34828 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
34829 @end smallexample
34830
34831
34832 @item
34833 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
34834 bytes in length:
34835
34836 @smallexample
34837 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
34838 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
34839 </memory>
34840 @end smallexample
34841
34842 @end itemize
34843
34844 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
34845 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
34846 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
34847
34848 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
34849
34850 @smallexample
34851 <!-- ................................................... -->
34852 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
34853 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
34854 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
34855 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
34856 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
34857 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
34858 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
34859 <!ELEMENT memory (property)>
34860 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
34861 and its type, or device. -->
34862 <!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
34863 start CDATA #REQUIRED
34864 length CDATA #REQUIRED
34865 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
34866 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
34867 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
34868 <!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
34869 @end smallexample
34870
34871 @node Thread List Format
34872 @section Thread List Format
34873 @cindex thread list format
34874
34875 To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
34876 @value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
34877 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
34878 the following structure:
34879
34880 @smallexample
34881 <?xml version="1.0"?>
34882 <threads>
34883 <thread id="id" core="0">
34884 ... description ...
34885 </thread>
34886 </threads>
34887 @end smallexample
34888
34889 Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
34890 identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
34891 @samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
34892 the thread was last executing on. The content of the of @samp{thread}
34893 element is interpreted as human-readable auxilliary information.
34894
34895 @include agentexpr.texi
34896
34897 @node Trace File Format
34898 @appendix Trace File Format
34899 @cindex trace file format
34900
34901 The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
34902 section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
34903
34904 The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
34905 @code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
34906 while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
34907 in the future.
34908
34909 The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
34910 separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
34911 variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
34912 as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
34913 ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
34914 of this section.
34915
34916 @c FIXME add some specific types of data
34917
34918 The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
34919 Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
34920 four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
34921 the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
34922 character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
34923 state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
34924 hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
34925 endianness.
34926
34927 @c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
34928
34929 @table @code
34930 @item R @var{bytes}
34931 Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
34932 @code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
34933 actual bytes, in target order and @value{GDBN} register order, not a
34934 hexadecimal encoding.
34935
34936 @item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
34937 Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
34938 address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
34939 @var{length} bytes.
34940
34941 @item V @var{number} @var{value}
34942 Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
34943 @var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
34944
34945 @end table
34946
34947 Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
34948 of blocks.
34949
34950 @node Target Descriptions
34951 @appendix Target Descriptions
34952 @cindex target descriptions
34953
34954 @strong{Warning:} target descriptions are still under active development,
34955 and the contents and format may change between @value{GDBN} releases.
34956 The format is expected to stabilize in the future.
34957
34958 One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
34959 is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
34960 architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
34961 a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or MIPS, for example ---
34962 and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
34963 architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
34964 vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
34965
34966 @itemize @bullet
34967 @item
34968 With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
34969 the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
34970 @item
34971 Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
34972 audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
34973 variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
34974 @item
34975 When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
34976 at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
34977 @command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
34978 @end itemize
34979
34980 To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
34981 target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
34982 actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
34983 processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
34984 descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
34985
34986 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
34987 target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
34988
34989 @menu
34990 * Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
34991 * Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
34992 * Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
34993 descriptions.
34994 * Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
34995 @end menu
34996
34997 @node Retrieving Descriptions
34998 @section Retrieving Descriptions
34999
35000 Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
35001 specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
35002 description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
35003 protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
35004 qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
35005 @samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
35006 XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
35007 Format}.
35008
35009 Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
35010 If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
35011 specify a file are:
35012
35013 @table @code
35014 @cindex set tdesc filename
35015 @item set tdesc filename @var{path}
35016 Read the target description from @var{path}.
35017
35018 @cindex unset tdesc filename
35019 @item unset tdesc filename
35020 Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
35021 will use the description supplied by the current target.
35022
35023 @cindex show tdesc filename
35024 @item show tdesc filename
35025 Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
35026 @end table
35027
35028
35029 @node Target Description Format
35030 @section Target Description Format
35031 @cindex target descriptions, XML format
35032
35033 A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
35034 document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
35035 the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
35036 means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
35037 check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
35038 However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
35039 their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
35040
35041 Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
35042 and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
35043 sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
35044 @value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
35045 target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
35046
35047 Here is a simple target description:
35048
35049 @smallexample
35050 <target version="1.0">
35051 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
35052 </target>
35053 @end smallexample
35054
35055 @noindent
35056 This minimal description only says that the target uses
35057 the x86-64 architecture.
35058
35059 A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
35060 optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
35061 are explained further below.
35062
35063 @smallexample
35064 <?xml version="1.0"?>
35065 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
35066 <target version="1.0">
35067 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
35068 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
35069 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
35070 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
35071 </target>
35072 @end smallexample
35073
35074 @noindent
35075 The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
35076 breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
35077 declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
35078 (@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
35079 useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
35080 @samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
35081 including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
35082 revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
35083 the version mismatch.
35084
35085 @subsection Inclusion
35086 @cindex target descriptions, inclusion
35087 @cindex XInclude
35088 @ifnotinfo
35089 @cindex <xi:include>
35090 @end ifnotinfo
35091
35092 It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
35093 several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
35094 share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
35095 divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
35096 the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
35097
35098 @smallexample
35099 <xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
35100 @end smallexample
35101
35102 @noindent
35103 When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
35104 the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
35105 the contents of that document. If the current description was read
35106 using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
35107 @var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
35108 current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
35109 @var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
35110 original description.
35111
35112 @subsection Architecture
35113 @cindex <architecture>
35114
35115 An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
35116
35117 @smallexample
35118 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
35119 @end smallexample
35120
35121 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
35122 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
35123
35124 @subsection OS ABI
35125 @cindex @code{<osabi>}
35126
35127 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
35128 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
35129
35130 An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
35131
35132 @smallexample
35133 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
35134 @end smallexample
35135
35136 @var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
35137 @w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
35138
35139 @subsection Compatible Architecture
35140 @cindex @code{<compatible>}
35141
35142 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
35143 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
35144
35145 A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
35146
35147 @smallexample
35148 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
35149 @end smallexample
35150
35151 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
35152 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
35153
35154 A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
35155 is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
35156 given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
35157 Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
35158 or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
35159 in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
35160 capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
35161
35162 @smallexample
35163 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
35164 <compatible>spu</compatible>
35165 @end smallexample
35166
35167 @subsection Features
35168 @cindex <feature>
35169
35170 Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
35171 system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
35172 registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
35173 has this form:
35174
35175 @smallexample
35176 <feature name="@var{name}">
35177 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
35178 @var{reg}@dots{}
35179 </feature>
35180 @end smallexample
35181
35182 @noindent
35183 Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
35184 of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
35185 knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
35186 should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
35187
35188 @subsection Types
35189
35190 Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
35191 interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
35192 but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
35193 Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
35194 Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite types.
35195
35196 Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
35197 a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
35198 Types must be defined before they are used.
35199
35200 @cindex <vector>
35201 Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
35202 of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
35203 specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
35204 @var{count}:
35205
35206 @smallexample
35207 <vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
35208 @end smallexample
35209
35210 @cindex <union>
35211 If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
35212 with a union type containing the useful representations. The
35213 @samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
35214 each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
35215
35216 @smallexample
35217 <union id="@var{id}">
35218 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
35219 @dots{}
35220 </union>
35221 @end smallexample
35222
35223 @cindex <struct>
35224 If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
35225 it with a structure type. There are two forms of the @samp{<struct>}
35226 element; a @samp{<struct>} element must either contain only bitfields
35227 or contain no bitfields. If the structure contains only bitfields,
35228 its total size in bytes must be specified, each bitfield must have an
35229 explicit start and end, and bitfields are automatically assigned an
35230 integer type. The field's @var{start} should be less than or
35231 equal to its @var{end}, and zero represents the least significant bit.
35232
35233 @smallexample
35234 <struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
35235 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
35236 @dots{}
35237 </struct>
35238 @end smallexample
35239
35240 If the structure contains no bitfields, then each field has an
35241 explicit type, and no implicit padding is added.
35242
35243 @smallexample
35244 <struct id="@var{id}">
35245 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
35246 @dots{}
35247 </struct>
35248 @end smallexample
35249
35250 @cindex <flags>
35251 If a register's value is a series of single-bit flags, define it with
35252 a flags type. The @samp{<flags>} element has an explicit @var{size}
35253 and contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements. Each field has a
35254 @var{name}, a @var{start}, and an @var{end}. Only single-bit flags
35255 are supported.
35256
35257 @smallexample
35258 <flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
35259 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
35260 @dots{}
35261 </flags>
35262 @end smallexample
35263
35264 @subsection Registers
35265 @cindex <reg>
35266
35267 Each register is represented as an element with this form:
35268
35269 @smallexample
35270 <reg name="@var{name}"
35271 bitsize="@var{size}"
35272 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
35273 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
35274 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
35275 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
35276 @end smallexample
35277
35278 @noindent
35279 The components are as follows:
35280
35281 @table @var
35282
35283 @item name
35284 The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
35285
35286 @item bitsize
35287 The register's size, in bits.
35288
35289 @item regnum
35290 The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
35291 than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
35292 a preceeding feature); the first register in the target description
35293 defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
35294 the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
35295 packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
35296 in order of increasing register number.
35297
35298 @item save-restore
35299 Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
35300 calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
35301 @code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
35302 some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
35303 ABI.
35304
35305 @item type
35306 The type of the register. @var{type} may be a predefined type, a type
35307 defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
35308 and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
35309 for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
35310 architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
35311 @var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
35312
35313 @item group
35314 The register group to which this register belongs. @var{group} must
35315 be either @code{general}, @code{float}, or @code{vector}. If no
35316 @var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register
35317 in @code{info registers}.
35318
35319 @end table
35320
35321 @node Predefined Target Types
35322 @section Predefined Target Types
35323 @cindex target descriptions, predefined types
35324
35325 Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
35326 from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
35327 standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
35328 types. The currently supported types are:
35329
35330 @table @code
35331
35332 @item int8
35333 @itemx int16
35334 @itemx int32
35335 @itemx int64
35336 @itemx int128
35337 Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
35338
35339 @item uint8
35340 @itemx uint16
35341 @itemx uint32
35342 @itemx uint64
35343 @itemx uint128
35344 Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
35345
35346 @item code_ptr
35347 @itemx data_ptr
35348 Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
35349 any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
35350 pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
35351 address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
35352 may be marked as data pointers.
35353
35354 @item ieee_single
35355 Single precision IEEE floating point.
35356
35357 @item ieee_double
35358 Double precision IEEE floating point.
35359
35360 @item arm_fpa_ext
35361 The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
35362
35363 @item i387_ext
35364 The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
35365
35366 @item i386_eflags
35367 32bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
35368
35369 @item i386_mxcsr
35370 32bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
35371
35372 @end table
35373
35374 @node Standard Target Features
35375 @section Standard Target Features
35376 @cindex target descriptions, standard features
35377
35378 A target description must contain either no registers or all the
35379 target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
35380 @value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
35381 the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
35382 default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
35383 described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
35384 can recognize them.
35385
35386 This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
35387 which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
35388 with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
35389 if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
35390 feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
35391 description. You can add additional registers to any of the
35392 standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
35393 they were added to an unrecognized feature.
35394
35395 This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
35396 Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
35397 @value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
35398
35399 Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
35400 company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
35401 architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
35402 containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
35403
35404 The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
35405 of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
35406 registers using the capitalization used in the description.
35407
35408 @menu
35409 * ARM Features::
35410 * i386 Features::
35411 * MIPS Features::
35412 * M68K Features::
35413 * PowerPC Features::
35414 @end menu
35415
35416
35417 @node ARM Features
35418 @subsection ARM Features
35419 @cindex target descriptions, ARM features
35420
35421 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for ARM targets.
35422 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
35423 @samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
35424
35425 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
35426 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
35427
35428 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
35429 it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
35430 @samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
35431 @samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
35432
35433 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
35434 should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
35435 they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
35436 @value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
35437 halves of the double-precision registers.
35438
35439 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
35440 need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
35441 VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
35442 quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
35443 If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
35444 be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
35445
35446 @node i386 Features
35447 @subsection i386 Features
35448 @cindex target descriptions, i386 features
35449
35450 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
35451 targets. It should describe the following registers:
35452
35453 @itemize @minus
35454 @item
35455 @samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
35456 @item
35457 @samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
35458 @item
35459 @samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
35460 @samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
35461 @item
35462 @samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
35463 @item
35464 @samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
35465 @samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
35466 @end itemize
35467
35468 The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
35469
35470 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
35471 describe registers:
35472
35473 @itemize @minus
35474 @item
35475 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
35476 @item
35477 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
35478 @item
35479 @samp{mxcsr}
35480 @end itemize
35481
35482 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
35483 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
35484 describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
35485
35486 @itemize @minus
35487 @item
35488 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
35489 @item
35490 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
35491 @item
35492 @end itemize
35493
35494 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
35495 describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
35496
35497 @node MIPS Features
35498 @subsection MIPS Features
35499 @cindex target descriptions, MIPS features
35500
35501 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for MIPS targets.
35502 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
35503 @samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
35504 on the target.
35505
35506 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
35507 contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
35508 registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
35509
35510 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
35511 it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
35512 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
35513 @samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
35514
35515 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
35516 contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
35517 Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
35518
35519 @node M68K Features
35520 @subsection M68K Features
35521 @cindex target descriptions, M68K features
35522
35523 @table @code
35524 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
35525 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
35526 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
35527 One of those features must be always present.
35528 The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
35529 used. The feature that is present should contain registers
35530 @samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
35531 @samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
35532
35533 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
35534 This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
35535 @samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
35536 @samp{fpiaddr}.
35537 @end table
35538
35539 @node PowerPC Features
35540 @subsection PowerPC Features
35541 @cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
35542
35543 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
35544 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
35545 @samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
35546 @samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
35547
35548 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
35549 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
35550
35551 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
35552 contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr},
35553 and @samp{vrsave}.
35554
35555 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
35556 contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN}
35557 will combine these registers with the floating point registers
35558 (@samp{f0} through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0}
35559 through @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0}
35560 through @samp{vs63}, the set of vector registers for POWER7.
35561
35562 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
35563 contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
35564 @samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
35565 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
35566 @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
35567 these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
35568 user.
35569
35570 @node Operating System Information
35571 @appendix Operating System Information
35572 @cindex operating system information
35573
35574 @menu
35575 * Process list::
35576 @end menu
35577
35578 Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
35579 the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
35580 processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
35581 mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
35582 target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
35583 on a different aspect of target.
35584
35585 Operating system information is retrived from the target via the
35586 remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
35587 read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
35588 the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
35589
35590 @node Process list
35591 @appendixsection Process list
35592 @cindex operating system information, process list
35593
35594 When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
35595 @samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
35596 an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
35597 @file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
35598
35599 An example document is:
35600
35601 @smallexample
35602 <?xml version="1.0"?>
35603 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
35604 <osdata type="processes">
35605 <item>
35606 <column name="pid">1</column>
35607 <column name="user">root</column>
35608 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
35609 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
35610 </item>
35611 </osdata>
35612 @end smallexample
35613
35614 Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
35615 of that column should identify the process on the target. The
35616 @samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
35617 displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
35618 should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
35619 is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
35620 which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
35621
35622 @include gpl.texi
35623
35624 @node GNU Free Documentation License
35625 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
35626 @include fdl.texi
35627
35628 @node Index
35629 @unnumbered Index
35630
35631 @printindex cp
35632
35633 @tex
35634 % I think something like @colophon should be in texinfo. In the
35635 % meantime:
35636 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
35637 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
35638 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
35639 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
35640 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
35641 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
35642 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
35643 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
35644 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
35645 \page\colophon
35646 % Blame: doc@cygnus.com, 1991.
35647 @end tex
35648
35649 @bye